Spring 2012 Color Inspiration

Hello Gemstone Lovers:

As I mentioned in my post about autumn colors, Pantone is a pretty good place to get some insight into new colors and trends.  So it was back to Pantone to check out their picks for Spring 2012.  Need a way to boost your mood?  Get a new outlook?  Update and look forward?  Then try adding a few of these hues into your accessories to up-date and change-up.  Naturally, I love the fact that one of the colors mentions a mineral by name, Sodalite Blue.  Might have to do a post on just that particular stone ...

I'm a little bummed that they didn't present the colors in that nice color-block format that they did for fall, since it was a nice, easy way to pick out some Lunar Blue items for our own color rainbow match.  So I made my own color blocks for matching! (This was harder than it looks.)

This palette has a lot in common with the autumn one, which is no surprise, since people don't want to have to buy all new clothes and completely repaint the interiors of their houses in order to feel "in sync" with the world.  The major difference seems to be that these are turned up a notch - a little brighter for the light colors, and a little darker for the contrasting colors.  It all seems to be more enriched compared to the cooler seasons behind us.  Again, not a surprise, since people want to add a little punch to their environment and dress this time of year. 

I particularly like the purples, pinks, and sage green colors in this group.  Certain hues of amethyst, rose quartz, peridot, and turquoise will match perfectly.  So will smoky quartz, picture jasper, yellow jade, and the deeper side of both lapis lazuli and sodalite.  A great selection of fun stones to work with!

December Blues - Topaz and Turquoise

December's birthstones, turquoise and blue topaz, each possess their own shade of light blue to honor either the northern hemisphere's deep winter ice, or the southern hemisphere's bright summer skies.

Topaz is mined from locations that span the globe.  Naturally occurring blue topaz is very rare.  While topaz can exists in a wide variety of colors, it is mostly found in a range of browns, oranges, reds, and yellows.  Most blue topaz gems on the market are formed by irradiating topaz in a laboratory to create the desired blue color.  However, some natural topaz of a very light blue hue is cut and drilled for beaded jewelry.  It's hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale means it is a durable stone, and so suitable for a variety of jewelry designs.  The stone is symbolic of creativity, individuality, and self confidence.

The characteristic blue shades of turquoise are formed by the presence of copper in the mineral.  While the turquoise mineral can be found in hues that include greens and yellows, it is the blue-aqua shade that has the most value.  Gem quality turquoise is found in a few specific locations on Earth, and such material commands a good price.  Imitation turquoise is becoming very common, but does not usually have the same richness as the original.  This mineral can range in hardness from 5-7 on the Mohs scale, which means some of the softer varieties need special care.  Pieces can shatter if dropped or mishandled.  Turquoise is said to bring the wearer protection, friendship, and peace.  There are those who believe that pairing the stone with copper metal helps to increase the beneficial effects.  Certainly both copper and silver match beautifully with turquoise in beaded jewelry.

Choose your own preferred shade of light blue for your jewelry expressions this month, and feel in tune with the season!

Image Credit:  Turquoise Beads by cobalt123 on flikr via Creative Commons, CC 2.0
Blue Topaz Mineral, Smithsonian Institute, The Dynamic Earth

The Beauty of Carved Stone

There is so much natural beauty in stone - I enjoy seeing it used to the full extent of its potential.  Going through a museum like the Orsay in Paris provides the opportunity to see stone used a variety of ways.  The floor of the museum is populated with neo-classical sculpture, most of which is pure, opaque, featureless white stone.  The emphasis is on the form of the sculptures, not the color or the material.  But apparently the idea that classical sculpture was colorless is an accident of history.

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting that most ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were painted, gilt, or inlaid with colored stone.  Color was important in the art of that era in a way that is no longer obvious to us.  By the time these ancient sculptures were unearthed in Italy during the Renaissance, much of the color of the statues had been worn away, and any embellishing gemstones had been removed.

Barrias 1899 sculpture "Nature Unveiling Herself to Science" is an example of a "neo-classical" form with polychromy - colors.  This statue is composed largely of marble and onyx.  The onyx forms the off-white folds of Nature's veil, and sweeping red and cream marble forms the drapes of her gown.  The sculpted stone of the gown is skillfully completed to allow the color and pattern of the red marble to look very much like fabric.  The clasp of the gown is a scarab of malachite mounted on a blue belt of lapis lazuli.  The original also apparently had red coral lips and lapis eyes as well.

It can be so easy to take the idea of stone sculpture for granted, given how often such pieces are of a single color.  Using colored stone, and playing on those colors to enhance the piece, makes the art seem so much more real, accessible, and very hard to ignore.

October's Birthstone: Opal

Radiant, colorful opal is the birthstone for October. There are several theories about the origin of the word “opal,” but the most probable is that it is derived from the Sanskrit word upala, which means “valuable stone.”

The aborigines of Australia have an ancient story about how opal was created. The Creator descends to earth, bringing a message of peace to humanity. The Creator’s foot touches the earth, and the rocks in that spot suddenly come to life and begin to glitter in a variety of brilliant colors. Those sparkling rocks became opal.

Most of the world’s opal, 95-97%, is mined in Australia--hence the creation story--with a small amount produced in the Americas. Opal is related to quartz; but unlike quartz, it is not a mineral. It is instead a kind of silica, and is found in various types of rocks. The most commonly found colors of opal are greens and whites, and the red/black combination is the most rare.

Opal’s most notable characteristic--its glittery, colorful radiance--is know as “play of color.” In the 1960’s, scientists discovered that within opal, tiny spheres of silica interrupted the passage of light through the gemstone, causing the light to refract. This answered a question that until then no one could answer--why opal produces the lovely play of color that makes it so popular.

If you’re looking for an alternative for an October birthstone, pink tourmaline is a beautiful choice. Because it is classified as a semi-precious stone, it is more expensive than opal. Tourmaline comes in a variety of colors, including one called “watermelon” which is green on the outside and pink on the inside.



Photographs of Opal by Opals-On-Black
Photograph of Tourmaline Ring by Liverpool Design Festival

Gemstones as Minerals

I am fascinated by minerals.  We so often see gemstones in a final form as faceted stones or polished beads that it can be easy to forget what these substances look like in their native state.  The Lyman Museum in Hilo, Hawaii has a small but excellent collection of minerals.  Each specimen is notable either for size, rarity, or beauty.  Here are a few that particularly caught my eye ...

I spotted a huge, beautiful brown zircon, cubic, almost two inches on a side.  Never seen one that shade or that size.  There was a pyrite sample with the characteristic cubic box shape.  This one had several "boxes" stuck together at the corners, the largest appeared to be about 2.5 inches on a side.  The pattern isn't unusual for pyrite, but this one was smooth and perfect.  The surface of the crystals was shiny and almost mirror-like.

Some of the minerals had colors that surprised me.  There was a flourite sample with colors ranging from orange and burgundy to teal and lime.  A stunning chrysocolla from Arizona was a vibrant, glowing, light blue green.  An azurite sample was a deep, dark midnight blue, and sparkled like stars from reflections off of the facets of hundreds of tiny crystals.  Even the rose quartz was notable.  It was a perfectly uniform gorgeous pink, studded over with crystals.

The collection contained a sample of carved minerals.  This included ones I'd seen before, such as jade, carnelian, and malachite.  But there were other carved items from minerals I haven't seen used this way very often, such as lapis lazuli carved into a statue of a horse, and a head carved from aquamarine.

The petrified wood samples were excellent.  There were not simply small chunks, but full circular cross sections from trees, with rings preserved now as stone.  The process of turning something like a tree into a stone is amazing, and in this case left behind small crystal filled geodes right in the "wood."

Such a wonderful visit is always inspiring.  The next time I pick up a smooth bead of azurite, I will remember the spectacular mineral of midnight blue, with stars flashing. 

The Color of Stones: Meanings, Uses, Psychology and Fashion

Color is powerful.  Colors are fraught with symbolism, tradition, and psychological influences, much of which we internalize only subconsciously.  Everyone has personal preferences, but none of us can escape the context of our own culture.  This context shapes how we perceive color, and how it fits in as an integral part of our lives.

Gemstones and glass have been chosen and created specifically for their colors for thousands of years.  All forms of personal adornment have included colorful stones, shells, and wood since prehistoric times.  Colors were chosen to convey status, mood, wealth, and other information.  Some stones were only to be used by the ruling class, or in places of worship, because their color was considered sacred.

Today the psychology of color is a major area of research, since it has direct applications in industry, politics, marketing, medicine, sports, education, and just about every other sector of society.  Color can change how we make purchases.  It can change how we cast our vote in elections.  It can make us feel energized, peaceful, or tired.  It can change how we perform in sports and on exams.

One of the primary aspects of gemstone jewelry creation is the use of color, in harmony, unity, or contrast.  Similarly, the buyer of gemstone jewelry makes their choice largely influenced by the color of the piece.  Again, we all have personal preferences, but are likely to move towards pieces that have appeal for a variety of reasons.  For example, white might not be one's favorite color in jewelry, but in western culture most brides choose white pearls for weddings, and sport white diamonds on their fingers.  The context and symbolism of a wedding greatly influences our choice of color.  And the reverse remains true - white gemstones bring up thoughts of weddings, new starts, cleanliness and purity.

So to delve deeper into color, I've been doing a bit of research, and will be posting a series on "The Color of Stones."  I'll be posting about some of the symbolism, studies into color, the nature of chakra points, and some of their interrelationships.  This will give consumers of gemstone jewelry some insight into their own minds - why they choose the colors they do, and conversely, how they can choose colors to enhance their own moods and possibly change the perceptions of those around them.

So stay tuned here for information on color you can use to improve your gemstone jewelry buying awareness!  Not to mention interest and fun ...

Jennifer

The Glories of Amber - Part Two: Finding and Using

Raw Amber

Gemstones are (for the most part) hidden treasures.  If they are not buried deep underground, then they are in hard to find, off-the-beaten-track places.  This isn't a surprise, since any easy to reach gemstones were found by humans long ago and carted off.  Amber is no exception.

Given that amber is a product of ancient trees, it is now found in the areas where large forests of those trees once existed.  While small amounts might be encountered globally, the largest deposits of amber, possibly 90% of the Earth's retrievable storehouse, can be found on the Baltic Sea.  Baltic amber has long held the position as the most dependable and desirable amber for gemstones (although this market is quite competitive).  Baltic amber is mined, but some amber can actually be found by "fishing."  Since amber is one of the very lightest stones, it will float in saltwater.  Storms in the Baltic Sea stir up the seafloor, and allow nodules of amber to float to the surface.

Cloisonne Necklace Highlighted With
Orange Amber (Ambroid) Beads

Amber burns when heated and gives off a scent like pine.  Because of this, it wasn't only used for jewelry, but for incense and in religious rituals.  Combined with other materials, it was also historically used in perfumes.  Its soft nature allows it to be carved easily, and so it was, and is, used to create pipes, urns, parts of musical instruments, pieces of light fixtures, and much more.  Today the most common use for the best pieces of amber is in high quality jewelry.  Lower quality amber or small pieces are pressed together to create stones that rival the best for beauty, but are considered lesser because they have been through a manufacturing process.  The very lowest quality amber is generally processed into oils and resins.

Finding and using amber is also a trick for the gemstone artist, since this material is expensive, exclusive, and easily imitated.  But more on that later!

Image Credit:
Raw Amber from www.wonderful-denmark.com
Cloisonne Necklace from our site, lunarbluedesigns.etsy.com, one of our unique designs!  This one includes vermeil gold (gold plated over sterling silver) accents, along with Swarovski crystal, amber (ambroid), and fresh water pearl.

Art Friday - Here We Come

As a child, I loved going to craft fairs.  I was enthralled by the colors, textures, sounds, and reflected lights from fabric, paper, glass, and metal.  There could be nothing better, I thought, than being the person selling wonderful treasures at a craft fair.  It must be a great feeling, making something beautiful, something unique, and then having someone take it home to enrich their life.  Wow.

So it's a little dream come true - Lunar Blue Designs will be a vendor at Downtown Boston's Art Friday this very Friday, June 3, from 11am to 6pm.  It is located right smack in the middle of all the action in Downtown Crossing, right next to the orange line stop, and only a block from the Park Street green line stop.  Amy and I have gone to browse several times.  There are all kinds of vendors selling jewelry, sculptures, paintings, purses, scarves, belts, and even organic honey.  Not to mention that the area always has great street carts with yummy food, and local music talent plying their trade.

And it is supposed to be a gorgeous day!  I just checked the weather - high of 74 degrees, sunny, and no chance of rain.

If you are looking for a Father's Day gift, we'll have gemstone key rings available for both men and women, as well as bolo ties for people who like a little southwestern flair in their fashion.  Our malas make great gifts for meditators of any gender.  And of course we'll have a selection of earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  Amy will be taking custom orders for malas, both 108 bead malas and smaller wrist malas.  So if you don't see what you like, or if you want to create something special, you can work directly with her.

Looking forward to Friday!

The Glories of Amber - Part One: Origins

Amber is a lovely and highly desirable gemstone with a fascinating past.  Each piece has been witness to a metamorphosis from liquid plant matter to prized hardened natural plastic.  Then comes the creation of a chip, bead, or faceted stone, which is then included in a design with its own context and story.

Given the complex history of each nugget of amber, it is no surprise that trying to navigate through the use of amber and amber imitations in jewelry is equally complicated.  Especially since the amber "gemstone" isn't really a stone at all.

Amber begins as a liquid secretion from some trees.  It is not derived from the sap of the tree, but instead comes from the outer layers.  This is a natural hydrocarbon resin, and depending on the source, it can be used in creating lacquers, adhesives, and varnishes.  The use of this substance to the tree is not clear; it might be a way for the tree to rid itself of material it does not need.  Although in some cases it seems that this secretion may either repulse creatures that might eat the tree or attract beneficial insects. 

After secretion, the resin begins to harden, and becomes copal.  Copal can be as little as 1000 years old, and might even be collected right from the surface.  But true amber is an ancient material, tens of millions of years old.  In order to create amber naturally the resin must be buried, perhaps by sediment, and transformed by the high pressures and temperatures underground.  Eventually, enough of the volatile material is driven off that amber is finally formed.  Humans might then find it by searching areas cut into by water and erosion, or mining for it directly.

Depending on the part of the world the amber originates, it is probably 40-50 million years old.  The very oldest amber found *might* be as old as 130-140 million years.  Part of the appeal of this lovely "stone" is the knowledge that it comes from a close genetic relative - trees - and is the product of living processes.

Image Credit:  Insects in Baltic Amber, Wikimedia Commons, CC 3.0
Sterling Post Earrings with Green Amber (Ambroid), Swarovski Crystal, and Malachite - Lunar Blue Designs

Crystal in Handmade Jewlery - Part Four: The Shape of Things

Structure and composition aren't the only characteristics that help define the word "crystal" in common use.  For some people, the internal order and composition are not important, and what they mean when they say "crystal" is "has a regular geometric shape ending in a point."  In other words, the shape of the stone is the key factor.

This is a meaning often encountered in sites that deal with gemstones and their symbolic properties, such as healing.  This meaning might also be encountered on sites interested in selling materials for use in wicca, like wands for altars or pendulums for divination.  As noted in previous posts, this use of the word "crystal" is not incorrect - it is a reflection of history and culture.  There are many people who would be disappointed to purchase a "crystal" and find it isn't "crystal shaped."

Crystal points do make lovely jewelry, either drilled through as beads or wire wrapped as pendants.  The shape evokes a sense of mystery and magic.  Depending on the nature of the stone, they might range from delicate to sharp, and so might need to be treated with some care.  No two points are ever exactly the same unless they are mechanically cut or lab grown - gemstones all have natural variation.  Because of this pairing them for earrings or to use in sets takes some patience and design skill.

So to wrap up this four part series on crystal, the "point" again is know what you are using in your designs, and purchasing from your favorite sites.  One simple word like "crystal" does not mean the same thing to everyone, and so be sure to get specific details before you buy.  That way you can be certain you will love your jewelry when it arrives, and treasure it for years to come.

Image Credit: Quartz Crystal, Rob Lavinsky, CC 3.0, Wikimedia.org

Haiku and Jewelry - A Poetic Fit

To start this post - a quick reminder that everything green ships for free from our Etsy store through St. Patrick's Day!

Over on RioGrande's blog, The Studio, they are running a little contest that combines haiku and jewelry.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to try my hand - the act of designing and creating jewelry seems rather poetic as it is.  And you already know how I feel about the stories in the stones - there are tales to be told by the gemstones and jewels in our lives.

So here are my two little haiku offerings ...

gemstone bead demands
the company of sterling
wisdom bows and nods

these stones are silent
yet there are stories inside
design is language

That last line "design is language" really resonates for me.  Design is how we interpret the stories in the gemstones, and give those stories voice.  Might be corny, I know, and yet I still believe it.  :)

Image:  Gorgeous triple strands of peridot, crystal, and glass mingle with sterling silver in a celtic celebration. Available on our Etsy site.

Crystal in Handmade Jewelry - Part One: More Than One Definition

Quartz crystal point in back, propping
up a rhyolite gemstone flecked with
crystal inclusions

Hello Gemstone Fans:

'Crystal' is a common constituent of handmade jewelry, but the word is very often used in ways that are confusing.  Is the designer talking about the composition of the material, its shape, its clarity, or saying it is a single piece of rock, uncut?  When designers describe their jewelry, sometimes they do not provide enough information to let the buyer know exactly what they are getting.  Unscrupulous sellers may even allow misinterpretations to remain unaddressed, hoping the buyer will think they are getting something of higher quality than what is actually included in the piece.

So to start, I simply want to point out how problematic the word 'crystal' can be.  In the first image above, we see a nicely formed quartz crystal.  Some people would call it a crystal because of the regular geometric shape.  Others might think 'crystal' because it is made of solid quartz.   A geologist might call it a crystal because it is a uncut chunk of a mineral in its natural form, or because its atoms are in a nicely regular matrix, instead of scattered about amorphously.  A geologist would also use the word 'crystals' to describe the granules of different minerals found in the rhyolite.

Crystal martini glass displays a pair
of earrings, each with a crystal
bicone bead on top.

More examples of 'crystal' are in the second image.  For some, the only crystal they are familiar with on a daily basis are cut crystal glasses and bowls used for dining or serving.  For others, the word crystal always means bright, sparkly, glassy looking beads, like those found atop the shells in this pair of earrings.  It may be that the chemical content of the beads isn't at all what they are thinking of, simply their common shapes, colors, and flash.

So with all the different ideas for what a 'crystal' is, or what 'crystal' can mean, there is no surprise that confusion exists.  Stay tuned here for more information about how you can be more informed about what is in your jewelry, and how to make sure you are getting exactly what you want!

Jennifer

Welcoming the New Year

One of our pieces sold this winter - my
favorite sterling and lapis necklace!
Thrilled to see it find a home.

Hello Gemstone Fans:

Happy New Year!  We're looking forward to 2011 - we have lots of plans and ideas, including attending international bead and gemstone shows, developing some new products, offering workshops, and as always, creating unique gemstone jewelry, devotional pieces and accessories.  It's what we do :)

The end of 2010 was busy, which was nice both from a sales perspective and because busy winter holidays mean fun, family, and friends.  One perk of having a partner (and sister) who makes devotional malas is the prospect of getting one for a gift - which I did.  I picked out the beads for it; a set of lovely blue lapis 8mm beads, as well as sterling silver markers and a filigree guru bead.  Amy hand knotted these into a traditional 108 bead mala and added a metallic blue handmade tassel which brings out the dark glints of pyrite in the lapis.  I love it.

We now have a presence on deviantArt, under my login name of DesignerMoon.  We've been highlighting the artistic aspect of our work there.  It seems a great place to get inspired by other great art, interact with more of the online beading community, and use the space to provide expanded descriptions and stories for the pieces.  Check out the journal there for updates and features unique to the dA environment.

Keep your eyes on the blog here for more updates, but especially for features about the interesting stories behind gemstones and the unique stuff we make from them!  Hope you have a beautiful New Year.

Cheers,
Jennifer

Thanksgiving Coupon Savings and Preparing for Winter

Blue Quartz and Crystal Earring

Hello Gemstone Fans!

We are approaching our first "Black Friday" at Lunar Blue Designs. I assume the name is given by stores that hope they will use this day's sales to put themselves in the black for the year, rather than in the red. Or perhaps they are referring to the grueling traffic. To avoid that crazy weekend road hassle, check out our gemstone items and do your holiday shopping online.  :)

To celebrate Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season, we are offering a 10% discount for the 24 hours of Friday, November 26, 2010.  Just make your selection on our Etsy site, and then put the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY10 in the proper box before you check out.  Simple, and a great way to save on the item you've been keeping an eye on.

Crackle Ice Glass
and Crystal Necklace

Our seasonal theme for this holiday is "Winter Ice" and we are happy to be able to list several items composed of glittering icy quartz and glass, blue crystal and chalcedony, all brought together with shimmering sterling silver.  Although half the globe has a warm time in December, those of us in the northern latitudes can't help but identify this time of year with snowflakes, the shimmer of icicles, and lacy frost on the windows.

So enjoy your Thanksgiving (for those in the US), and take a peek at our Etsy store for icy wonders perfect for a gift giving time of year.

Jennifer


Image Credit:  Top image, Crystal and Crackle glass necklace.  Bottom image, crackle quartz earrings with Swarovski crystal and sterling silver.  Listed in our Etsy Store November 2010.

Our First Launch Party

Hello Gemstone Fans:

We had a very successful launch party this past weekend in Boston.  We are considering having additional parties at other locations since everyone had such a good time at this one.  But we'll have to see what is in the cards for the next few months.  We are also considering an on-line launch party, possibly with an open chat room, free giveaways, discounts, and other fun stuff.  So stay tuned for info.

The activities at our launch party included two guessing games with prizes, a presentation on the interesting aspects of peridot (some of which I've been blogging about), a presentation about the nature of spiritual and contemplative beaded pieces (did you know 2/3 of the world prays with beads of some sort?), great food and libations, and everyone left with a suncatcher as a free gift.

We were pleased that many of our guests chose to make purchases at the launch party.  Although we try very hard to make sure our photographs show the beauty and quality of our work, there is nothing like being up close.  In person, the jewelry has a depth and personality that is difficult to capture in a photo.  Holding and touching a piece of gemstone jewelry allows one to feel the textures, weight, and appreciate the luminous nature of antiqued sterling silver. 

One item purchased was from our line of sterling silver and gemstone keyrings.  This particular piece was perfectly placed with a man looking for something classy, high quality, and streamlined.  Another purchase was a necklace, bracelet, and earring set.  I was very happy to see this set find a home.  The pendant bead is so unique - weighty, very smooth, and with an excellent display of colors characteristic of high quality brecciated jasper.  The more simple bracelet and earrings create a coordinated look without taking away from the staring role of the pendant.

Another favorite that I was pleased to see caught someone's eye was a pair of earrings composed of yellow spider web jasper, orange amber (ambroid) and garnet with sterling wires and spacer beads.  Spider web jasper (also called crab jasper and dragon vein jasper) has such a unique glow, and these stones have an interesting yellow-green-red set of tones.  The deep sparkles found in amber make an interesting juxtaposition, complemented by dark red garnet heshi beads.  I'll be talking more about all these gemstones, especially a series on amber/ambroid, in future posts keep your eyes here for further developments.

All in all, an excellent kick off for us, and a lot of fun for our guests.  We look forward to our next event as we continue with our plans to unfold Lunar Blue Designs on Etsy, in social media outlets, at workshops, and more parties!

Jennifer

Images - All images are from Lunar Blue Designs - Sold.  See post text for details.

Goth Jewelry - Part 4: Putting It Together

Hello Design Fans:

Having looked at inspirations, symbols, colors, and materials, it's finally time to consider how to design something that is both fun to make, and empowering to wear. My inner goth enjoys designing in two different modes; the first creates elegant jewelry with a dark twist, and the second creates statement pieces - some of which are pretty over-the-top.

The first category includes jewelry that anyone might wear, depending on mood and event. It seems to be characterized by silver toned metals, gemstones of black, gray, red and purple, and more subtle symbolism. I particularly like red brecciated/poppy jasper for this look. It is a brick red stone swirled with gray and possibly flecked with black. It matches perfectly with both hematite and onyx

Moving towards statement pieces, I tend to include more glass and crystal, say something that might look like blood droplets. Pewter is a timeless and classic goth jewelry material. It has a attractive antiqued luster, and nicely cast pieces create wonderful jewelry that no one will miss. And yet, it is still generally tasteful and not campy.

And then when I'm feeling adventurous, I'll explore other ideas. I work with symbols like locks, skulls, and tribal markings. I'll use materials like thick metal chain, leather, fake barbed wire, and bone to create something dark and compelling. Consider what your inner goth would like to see, what would be the most fun to create, and then see what happens.

Great goth jewelry is hardly just for Halloween. It is a great way to express your inner goth any time of year, or at any event, that calls for a dramatic, romantic, elegant, and even quirky look.

Jennifer

Image Credit:
Red Brecciated Jasper Pendant - Red Jasper, leather cord, hematite and sterling silver necklace, bracelet, earrings. Lunar Blue Designs - Listed on our Etsy site in September.
Pewter bat - Pewter, crystal, glass, and silver necklace and earring set. Lunar Blue Designs - Listed on our Etsy site in October.

Peridot - Part 3: Weathering With Time

Hello Gemstone Fans:

I started this series of posts by saying that olivine was hardly a rare stone, what with it making up a substantial portion of the Earth's interior. And then, of course, I turned that on its head by saying that while olivine under the surface is common, olivine on the surface is hard to find. It is especially hard to find in the quality peridot needed to make cut gemstones, in fact.

The first reason such material is rare is that in order to get it to the surface, you need volcanism with magmas of the right composition, as I mentioned in my second post. The second reason is that olivine is not a particularly hard stone, and what peridot makes it to the surface weathers quickly. Weathering can take the form of physical weathering, which grinds down stones over time into small particles, and it can take the form of chemical weathering, where say water interacts with the stones and breaks down their crystalline structure.

On the Mohs hardness scale, peridot measures 6.5 to 7 (Diamond is the hardest at 10, with emeralds and sapphires at 9. Soft materials have low numbers, like talc at 1 and amber at 2.)  This means there are many harder materials in the environment that can scratch peridot, assisting in its break down.

But this phenomenon does have some interesting effects. There are places on Earth where you can find stretches of sparkling green sand. Hawaii is one of these places, where there are small beaches of sand largely composed of grains of olivine.

How do such concentrations of olivine grains come to be? Hawaii is, of course, a volcanic island, with active volcanism today. There are places on the island where the black rocks are rich in olivine crystals. As those rocks weather and break down, the crystals of olivine trapped inside are liberated, and moved by wind and rain downslope. A green sand beach may form in any area where the nearby rocks are rich in olivine, and where the shape of the coastline can protect the sand.  That way it collects there at approximately the same rate it is broken down or washed away. 

I have traveled to the most well known of these beaches (shown in the top image) the green sand beach near South Point in Hawaii. There are other beaches with sands of interesting color, such as black, pink, white, and red. But on this beach I got to walk barefoot on piles of tiny, glittering green gemstones. I felt a little like a dragon with a hoard of gems ...

Jennifer

Image Credist: 
Green Sand Beach, South Point Hawaii, Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0
Green Sand Closeup from Mahuna Beach, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Goth Jewelry - Part 3: Materials

Hello Design Fans:

By far the thing I enjoy most about designing gothic jewelry is the fun of sorting through possible materials. Part of what makes traditional jewelry "traditional" is the use of familiar materials in expected ways. Gothic jewelry makes itself known not only through color and symbols, but by unusual use of regular materials (or by use of things that you otherwise wouldn't put in jewelry at all :)

You might find bone, leather, chain, dust, velvet, silk, coal, and liquids used in traditional jewelry, but these will generally be used in understated ways. For example: a gold chain for a bracelet, silk string for pearls, or glitter filled water in a small vial as a pendant. Similar materials in gothic jewelry will be used to make a stronger, edgier, more emotional statement. Examples include using several lengths of faceted anodized chain for a necklace, wide black silk to form a choker, or red 'blood' in a pendant flask.

I have a set of small flasks, and I enjoy finding interesting materials to fill them. Tame fillers, like glitter, don't seem to grab my interest. Ah, but unusual fillers get my attention.  Fake blood is already pretty overdone, so I look for the more unusual; crow feathers, watch parts, bizarre herbs, or whatever seems different.

Bone is almost always a good choice. Carved wood is appropriate, especially if you can hand paint it. All sorts of fabrics lend themselves to gothic jewelry, like lace, velvet, and silk. But keep your eyes out for other, more interesting stuff: volcanic glass, nylon mesh, recycled license plates, real fish net, and insects in amber or resin. If you can't find something strange enough to inspire you, maybe you can make it yourself - take the usual tour of the internet and see the ideas that are out there.

All of this hardly means you can't use typical gemstones to good effect. Garnet and black onyx are perfect, and marcasite has a wonderful feeling of mysterious, by-gone days. Even traditional standbys like bright blue topaz can be worked into a necklace that evokes a sense of dark winter nights. It is how these more typical stones are used in the context of the piece that is important. If your necklace is mostly blue topaz and bright silver, well, it probably has limited gothic appeal (unless the silver is in the form of a vampire bat and the topaz is in the eyes, say ...)

A word of caution - jewelry is for fun and fashion, and shouldn't be dangerous to make or wear. Do not get carried away in your desire to make your twisted jewelry creation. Check to be sure that no matter how sharp, tight, or painful your piece looks, that it isn't actually sharp, tight or painful. Gothic jewelry and fashion leans heavily on theater inspired props and the magic illusions of old. So keep it like the fake barbed wire, creepy but safe.

Jennifer

Image Credits:
Black Glass and Onyx Medallion - Lunar Blue Designs, listed in our Etsy store September 2010.  I found this dark silver metal and black glass medallion and wanted to pair it with an appropriate chain to make a gothic piece.  One chain alone would not work, so I matched up several lengths of different chain including antiqued nickel, faceted anodized steel, and black rolo.  The bail for the pendant is also chain, and the onyx drops complete the design.

Peridot - Part 2: From the Depths to the Surface

Greetings Gemstone Fans:

I mentioned in my post Peridot - Part 1 that the mineral olivine, known in gem-quality as peridot, can be brought up from depth by volcanism.  I visited one of these sites in New Mexico - Kilbourne Hole, a volcanic explosion crater - and got to see the results for myself.

Such craters are called "maar" craters, and are made by a shallow underground volcanic explosion. They were once confused with impact craters, which are caused by chunks of rock or metal from space striking the planet's surface. In fact, the craters on the Moon were thought by many to have been caused by volcanism, and were only shown to certainly be of impact origin after we visited there in person.

Kilbourne Hole is off the beaten path in southern New Mexico, but not so remote that it can't be found by dedicated stone hunters. (As it happens, I do not visit sites to hunt rocks, I visit them as a geoscientist, and was there to learn about the geology.) This maar is found on federal BLM land, not a national or state park, so is not protected in the same way. Larger crystals of olivine have long since been carried off by rock hounds, but there are patches of sand-sized green crystals remaining. Many of these were produced by rock hunters shattering thousands of olivine xenoliths looking for gem quality stones. There are only a handful of places on the Earth where olivine crystals are found on the surface like this, and so such sites are very popular.

Rarely at this site, one might find a volcanic rock, dark basalt, with splashes or crystals of bright green glassy material still clinging to it. The picture here shows just such a rock, encrusted with forsterite crystals. Forsterite is the name for olivine crystals that have a lot of magnesium in them, as opposed to fayalite, which is the more iron-rich end of the olivine spectrum. Such chemical differences are important to geologists who are trying to understand the volcanic history of the area.

It really is an amazing thought to look at this material and ponder how deeply in the planet it may have started its journey before making it to the surface. Not to mention the dramatic way it finally arrived.

Jennifer

Image Credits:

Kilbourne Hole - Bureau of Land Management, www.blm.com

Forsterite Crystals from Kilbourne Hole - Wikimedia Commons, Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Lunar Blue Designs Featured on Ivy Road

Lapis lazuli--the Stone of Friendship

Designed and Crafted by Jennifer at Lunar Blue Designs

Hello Gemstone Fans,

Stefanie from Ivy Road has been kind enough to feature our Etsy shop on her blog! Check it out here. It includes an introduction to your Lunar Blue hostesses and a little about our passion for what we do.

Stefanie is a craft lady who dreams dreams of lovely houses, pink bathtubs, and chandeliers. In this picture-filled post, she imagines the perfect closet.

Right now in her Etsy shop, she's offering darling handmade girl's shoes covered with rinestones! Adorable. I know a certain niece who would love them....

Have a beautiful day,

Amy