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And the March Birthstone Is…

Aquamarine comes from the Latin aqua marinus, which translates to “water of the sea,” and refers to its sparkling ocean-like color. We can thank the iron oxides within the chemical makeup of this stone for its beautiful bluish green color.

In ancient lore, Aquamarine was believed to be the treasure of mermaids, and was used by sailors as a talisman of good luck, fearlessness and protection.

Oooh, mermaid jewelry alert!!

Look at these gorgeous beauties!!  Of course, these were made with an aqua aura crystal, but I for one count them as mermaid jewelry.

Moving on from modern to traditional let me introduce you to Bloodstone. I know, the name sounds odd, but this is a gorgeous stone!

In the ancient world, Bloodstone (Heliotrope) was considered to be the most beautiful of the Jaspers, a deep, earthy green gem emboldened with spots of bright red. Bloodstone was treasured not only as a talisman of good health and long life but was reputed to bring its owner respect, good fortune, riches, and fame.

Now let’s take a look at an alternative birthstone derived from your birth sign.

March is the month of Pisces and Aries.  We learned last month the stone for Pisces is Amethyst and the stone for Aries is….wait for it…

Diamond AND Sapphire!! 

I know, you’re probably thinking I have lost my mind, but I kid you not…that makes a total of four choices for March… but I say why choose just one? Did you know that both Diamonds and Sapphires come in a variety of colors? Check out these beautiful Sapphire gems

Now when it comes to colored diamonds, it is estimated that a diamond has only a 1 in 10,000 chance of possessing any natural color, regardless of the spectral hue, which makes any fancy colored diamond a true natural wonder.

Happy Birthday to all of you March babies! Tell me, which of these amazing gems would you choose?

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Hello February ~ Let’s Talk Birthstones

Time to take a look at February’s Birthstone, Amethyst ~

Oh you lucky ones born this month! Amethyst is one of my very favorite stones. And what’s not to love about this beautiful gemstone? From pale lavender to luscious deep royal purple, this stone offers it all.

Much like January’s Garnet, Amethyst is the traditional, modern, and ancient birthstone for February.

The word amethyst comes from the Greek “amethystos” which can be translated “not drunken”. 

Legend goes that one day a beautiful maiden named Amethyst was on her way to the Temple of Diana for worship, when she had the misfortune of crossing the path of the wine god Bacchus. Bacchus was in a bad temper, having just been insulted by a mere mortal and he vowed to take revenge on the next mortal he saw by releasing his tigers upon the poor soul. Diana intervened and turned Amethyst into a quartz statue.

Bacchus was remorseful, and poured his wine upon that statue as atonement. The wine stained the quartz a deep violet hue. The beautiful purple stone was for evermore called Amethyst. The ancients believed that a person wearing this stone would be protected against drunkenness and has been used as a symbol of sincerity, security and peace of mind.

Amethyst is well known as the stone of protection, but it is also considered the a wonderful talisman for use in the creative arts, especially in darker shades. It assists endeavors where new, original results need to be created using tools and methods of the past. It is often used as the Artist’s Stone, the Composer’s Stone, the Inventor’s, Poet’s and Painter’s Stones. Keep an Amethyst crystal or cluster in the area to focus and amplify the creative elements of the Universal Life Force.

Amethyst facilitates the transition between life and death. It helps in all things spiritual, mystical and psychic.

Now let’s take a look at an alternative birthstone derived from your birth sign.

February is the month of Aquarius and Pisces. 

We learned last month the stone for Aquarius is Garnet and the stone for Pisces is Amethyst.

I know, I told you last month that we would be taking a look at the alternative birthstones, it just so happens that January & February have stayed constant down through the ages. But March, look out!!!

Amethyst is one of those rare gems that looks great mounted in gold, silver, and copper. Personally I love the warmth of copper paired with the rich purple hues of amethyst.

Shop our Amethyst Jewelry & Home Decor

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Hello January ~ Let’s Talk Birthstones!

As we embark on a new year and look forward to new beginnings, I thought it would be the perfect time to start a monthly blog post focused around birthstones.   The tradition of giving or wearing your birthstone has been part of history since ancient times, but the modern list of birthstones has only been around since 1912 when the Jewelers of America published what has become the Standard or Modern list of birthstones.  

Most people know what their birthstone is, but a betting person will wager they don’t know the other eleven and won’t know that there are alternative birthstones!  When you are shopping for the perfect gift, like a beautiful necklace or ring with a birthstone, you need to know what your options are!

Birthstones are part of modern society, but each gem has had special significance since ancient times. There are many interpretations spanning across different cultures, even different civilizations, but each month we will focus on the most popular interpretations from traditional and modern as well as non-traditional, including what stone corresponds to each month’s astrological signs.

So, without further ado, let us start with January!! Garnet is both the traditional, modern, and ancient birthstone for January. More specifically, the dark red variety (garnet comes in an array of colors from deep red to pale yellow as seen here).

The word garnet comes from the Latin “granatus” which means having many seeds. Picture the inside of a pomegranate and you will see how this gemstone got its name. 

This beautiful stone is thought to symbolize peace, prosperity and good health. Some say it even has the power to give the wearer eternal happiness, health and wealth. Now that sounds fantastic to me!

Let’s look at an alternative birthstone derived from your birth sign.

January is the month of Capricorn and Aquarius.  The stone for Capricorns is Ruby (do you notice a color theme here?) The stone for Aquarius is you guessed it, Garnet!  It seems that Garnet spans many interpretations of the birthstone for January!

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Spring is in the Air

The rainy season seems to be behind us now and all around are signs that spring has arrived. Little sprigs of green and the early blooms of daffodil, poppies, and lupine. And with this new season comes a new selection of artisan adornment.

If I was going to name this collection, it would be Perseverance. The reason is that I began conceptualizing this collection in Spring 2021. But life happens and priorities shift. I had to step away from the bench for quite a while, BUT I never gave up!! Here we are a full two years later, and I’m thrilled to say that I have finally completed each piece. I’ve worked behind the scenes on these beauties as time would permit. I finished some last summer, but it didn’t feel right listing them individually in the shop, so instead I held them back to wait until their companions were ready.

So friends, I present to you the latest additions to the shop ~ I hope you find them as lovely

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Introducing the Fall 2022 Collection

Today is the launch of my Fall 2022 collection. I am so happy to be sharing these new pieces with you. It has been a long absence from the studio and I am so happy to be back at the bench creating. I hope you will find something you connect to in this beautiful collection of fall inspired jewelry pieces. I have tried to curate a group of stones that invoke the warm, cozy feeling of sweater weather, combined with a bit of magick from the season. Today’s launch is the beginning, I will be adding additional pieces to this collection in the coming weeks. Thanks for stopping by!