Blue chalcedony is a form of silica, comprised of quartz and moganite. It was in use as early as the bronze age, for important items and jewellery. It comes primarily from Africa and Turkey.
Blue chalcedony is believed to be an excellent crystal for public speakers and those who speak for a living, such as lawyers, actors and singers.
Blue Chalcedony Crystals (photo credit PristineMinerals)
It is thought to generate peace, encourage stillness and calm in the home, and be good for daily journeys to work, or stressful trips involving children.
Blogging about the knitting we did for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital recently got me thinking about the many other craft pursuits I have. Yes, long before becoming a silversmith, craft was already in my blood! My mum is a very creative woman, and taught me just about everything I know about most of the various handcrafts I’ve taken up. My granny is a fantastic artist, I have two of her beautiful oil paintings hanging in my home – one of them I keep in my workshop, which always inspires me! My dad loved to play the guitar, as did my uncle; my grandfather was an author, and as I’ve blogged about before, three of my ancestors were blacksmiths, just to mention a few. Lots of creative juices in there!!
Anyway, back to the knitting. Even though I’m left handed, my mum is right handed so that’s how I learned to knit, back when I was six! A few Christmases ago, she gave me the most divine book, Amigurumi Knits, by Hansi Singh.
Amigurumi is more often seen in crochet, but Hansi has created the most wonderful knitting patterns for all kinds of amigurumi creatures and things – everything from tomatoes and earthworms:
To octopi and deep sea black devil angler fish!
Hansi’s book is really well written, with very clear instructions. I learned so many new techniques from knitting these fabulous creatures, I feel quite competent now! Knitting – satisfying, creative, relaxing, and very Zen. Speaking of creativity running in the family, It is a shame I can’t ask my grandpa about his experience of it. I believe he wasn’t a bad knitter himself!
The bright color of genuine strawberry quartz is accentuated by small seedlike inclusions of lepidocrocite and haematite. It is most often found in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Brazil.
Strawberry Quartz Point (photo credit Rob Lavinsky)
Strawberry quartz can be soothing and calming. It apparently enhances intentions of love, gratitude and generosity.
Some people wear Strawberry quartz when trying to attract a soul-mate. Strawberry quartz is thought to assist in bringing balance to the psyche and the emotions.
Phosphosiderite is found mainly in Argentina and Chile, but has also been found in Germany, USA and Portugal. It has a hardness of 3.5-4 on Mohs Scale.
Phosphosiderite and Amethyst Sterling Silver Amorphia Pendant
The shades of purple in Phosphosiderite are supposed to aid in reducing anger, and to assist in calming down the heightened temperament of a person, bringing about a feeling of peacefulness.
It is believed to help heal problems related to the third eye chakra, which is associated with knowledge and perception.
These cabochons above are available to be made into a custom silver piece for you! Let me know if you’re interested.
Picasso Marble Polished Pebbles (photo credit Blue Apple)
Picasso Marble was created about 100 million years ago when magma pushed its way through fields of limestone, creating colours and patterns which are similar in appearance to Picasso’s art (hence the name). Most Picasso Marble comes from Utah, USA.
Picasso Marble Rough (photo credit Great Rough)
Picasso marble is believed to strengthen self-control, clarity and stablilty; give total recall of dreams and assist in meditation. It apparently helps expand the mind, and aids in the manifestation of physical and material goals. It is believed to help to heal viral infection.
Shattuckite is a mix of azurite, chrysocolla, malachite, and sometimes copper (cuperite) in quartz. It was first discovered in 1915 in the copper mines of Bisbee, Arizona, specifically the Shattuck Mine (hence the name).
Shattuckite is reputed to assist with reconciliation and renewal. Shattuckite is also used to channel information. It is said to calm the mind and create harmony.
Shattuckite is believed to be helpful in healing diabetes, assisting with calcium absorption problems, thyroid issues, mites and other infestations, and tonsillitis.
You can have a little piece of this fabulous stone to wear for your very own!
I have some shattuckite in my gemstone collection. If you find a stone that appeals to you and you’d like to have it set in a ring or a pendant, let me know.
Malachite – gorgeous! I love the endless variations on that swirly green theme. Malachite has a high copper content, which is what gives it the fabulous green colouring. It often results from the weathering of copper ores.
Malachite was used as a mineral pigment in green paints from ancient times until about 1800, when a synthetic form of the colour widely replaced it. Large quantities are mined in the Urals in Russia, and Malachite is found worldwide, including here in Australia at Broken Hill, New South Wales. It is often found in the company of Azurite.
Malachite is believed to be a protector of children. It is said to protect travellers, and to protect the wearer from accidents. Malachite has been used to aid success in business and protect against undesirable business associations. It is believed to be a stone of balance in relationships.
You can have a little piece of this fabulous stone to wear for your very own, set in a ring or pendant.
I have some pieces of malachite in my gemstone collection and I’m always happy to try to source something particular for you if you have a special dream in mind!
One of the many joys of having a small person around is rediscovering the miracle of Playdoh. I don’t love how you spell it, but I do love to play with it!!
Did you know that Playdoh started life as a wallpaper cleaning product? Thank goodness the company started to go under! They had a surplus of stock, and enterprisingly started selling it as modelling clay. When PlayDoh was first released to the general public in 1956, it came in one colour – ‘off white’. About how you’d expect wallpaper cleaning dough to look, really!
By 1957, you could get red, yellow and blue. You’d be pretty set there, really.. the primary colours could be mixed to give you every colour of the rainbow!! Still, it’s a beautiful thing that today you can buy Playdoh in so many different colours. It comes in Neon, Metallics and Glitter as well… ahhhh!!!
A life sized Playdoh car was built as part of a new car promotion on the streets of London recently. 1.5 tonnes of Playdoh was used. That’s 10,000 pots. Yes, there was a blue Playdoh shortage in England after this!
The joy is about the colours it comes in. Being a colour lover, it just appeals to me so much! It’s also the smell. Cracking a new container of dough.. “Fun to play with, not to eat?” Bah!!! Who hasn’t munched some Playdoh when they were small? And the fleeting moments of stress-free creation… relax; make it, and if it’s no good, squash it! (And if it is good, your small person will squash it anyway!)
You can always make your own if you’re that way inclined, and I have more than once! I have a good recipe: if you’d like it, let me know. But for my money, a couple of dollars for a nice new pot of the real thing is hard to beat. (Although I’m not sure that the above PlayDoh advertising is doing it for me. It’s partially “wow!” and partially “weird and a little creepy.” What do you think?)
Ahhh, my love affair with Pantone continues. It’s one-sided, sure, but who wouldn’t want a never ending set of Pantone storage boxes to make your life complete?
The recent release of the 2013 Pantone ‘Fall’ colours is a bit exciting!! Emerald is the Pantone colour of the year, and I’m loving those more muted but still funky autumn tones. There’s not one I wouldn’t wear!!
I’ve looked through my gemstone collection, and here’s a few suggestions for having your own unique piece made, and being on trend this autumn. Contact me if you love one of these stones and want it for your very own!
