I love living in the south.  I have lived at some point in just about every coastline state between North Carolina and Maine, and most of my later childhood through college was spent in Connecticut.  But nothing compares to the country pace and friendliness of Virginia for me.  It’s a state of big breakfasts, dripping with sausage gravy, biscuits, and grits.  It’s a state with a vineyard around every corner, open daily, waiting for you to drop in and taste some of their fruits.  A state with great diversity…with beaches and mountains and lakes, with kite flying competitions and tractor show and country fairs.  I admit, I used to be a Yankee.  I never knew what a “barbeque” was at a street festival until I was offered one.  My response was “barbeque what???  Chicken?  Pork chops?”  Followed by, “ Oh my God, they put coleslaw in the sandwich!”

I promptly recovered from my shock after eating my first barbeque, and now I know well enough to ask for extra napkins.

My first house in Virginia was a monstrous thing, built back in 1870.  It had low ceilings, a maze of additions added on with no logic or order, and a overgrowth of boxwood hiding the paint peeling siding and broken porch steps.  But it also had heart pine floors, a huge kitchen, three fireplaces, and a big barn in a field showcasing two mulberry trees.  The trees offering our horses some daily shade, perhaps placed there to feed the birds their sweet fruit.

That first house taught me how to turn a house into a home.  It taught me to cook and garden and paint.  It taught me how to be a hostess for visiting family.  It taught me to slow down from the fast northern lifestyle, and appreciate the slow rocking of a porch swing on a hot summer day.

I ripped out the boxwood and replaced it with daylilies spilling over a rock wall.  I gave away all my northern contemporary furniture and found a new appreciation for quilts.  I went strawberry picking and soon discovered that I was a master of strawberry pie making.  I made ice tea with mint and drowned it with sugar, in true southern style.  I planted an herb garden, carefully at first…trying to emulate the formal gardens of Montpelier and Monticello that I’d visited nearby.

And I promptly gave up on trying to maintain its sense of order and renamed it a “cottage” garden, planting rose bushes and tulips everywhere they would fit.   If there was a bright flower to be found, I bought it, and planted it, and crossed my fingers it would live.  Some things died, I’ll admit it.   I have a black thumb, and houseplants are doomed in my care.  I didn’t know anything about zones and shade and sun when I first planted my gardens.  I just liked the plants I saw and wanted them.  But I learned each time, and found out what works and what doesn’t.  And I was always surprised when the next spring something I’d completely forgotten about or given up on came back to life to bless me with another season of color.

I am long gone from that house, and although I miss it tremendously, I now have a tiny yellow cottage on 5 acres with a creek.  I gave up the horses for pet chickens, and I gave up the maintenance of an older house for one that I can manage to afford to repair.  My gardens are small, and better planned now, though equally colorful when in full bloom.    Deer roam my back field, and the neighbor’s guinea hens often visit, strolling around the yard eating bugs, chattering to each other the entire time.   My home now better suits my informal cottage style, with glass bird feeders and grape plants winding up my pergola.  Rose bushes are still planted, but I’m more discerning with my choices now, and I buy for color and hardiness.

It’s been a long, cold, never ending winter, and I have spring fever.   And I hope to bring you the bright colors of my favorite flowers in my upcoming work.  I have a hankering to see fuchsia pink and lemon  yellow together.  Peridot and  jade will be my foliage, garnet and chalcedony may be my beloved tulips.  Amethyst may be my iris, and coral agate may be my  cosmos.     It’s time for spring.  And I’m feeling inspired.

Update May 23rd:

Today I received my Certified Handmade Artifact from Artfire!  Now when you enter my store there you’ll see a pretty blue seal on the left that says I’ve gotten their stamp of approval.  Woo hoo!

April 1st Post:

I have homework.  I’ve been itching to apply for this designation, but I had to wait until I had been on Artfire for 60 days before I could apply.  I sold my products on etsy before this, but this is a certification offered exclusively at Artfire.

What do I get if I get approved?  Well, I get a super fabulous little seal I can put on my shop site that says I’ve received the artifact and my items have been certified as handmade.  And I get bragging rights…that’s the part I really want….

Once I submit my application, I’ve heard that it can take up to two months to be approved.  Another long wait, but worth it.

The qualifications and requirements on the application:

“Artisans must meet the following prerequisites before an application for the Certified Handmade Artifact will be accepted:

1.      Artisan must be a PRO member of ArtFire for at least 60 days.

2.      Artisan must be in good standing with ArtFire.com including

a.      No outstanding cases concerning non-delivery of product.

b.      No outstanding cases concerning misrepresentation of products for sale

c.      No outstanding cases concerning other violations of the ArtFire TOU

3.      100% of the items in the Applicants studio must be Handmade.  Digital media such as pdf tutorials, hand assembled supplies kits, designed (but not handmade) products, or any other product that does not meet ArtFire’s definition of handmade will make a studio ineligible to receive the artifact.   Gift Certificates to your studio can be listed as they would only be redeemable for handmade items as long as all other items are handmade by you.

4.      Artisan studio must be complete and contain sufficient information including:

a.      An avatar

b.     A banner

c.    Complete Studio Policies

d.     A Bio with photo

5.      Product photographs must be in-focus and of a reasonably sufficient size.”

So…my homework I’ve been working on today has been taking pictures of my studio. There’s no big factory in China.  There are no elves stringing together beads.  Your jewelry may arrive in your mailbox, but there was a place it came from before it got there.  Welcome to my studio…and welcome to my home.

Of all of the gemstones earthegy has offered, none has generated so much interest as sunstone. Sunstone is rich with history, that only confirms it’s spiritual powers, and once you’ve seen a sunstone’s incredible beauty and depth, you may be a believer too. Ancient Vikings used sunstone as a navigational compass. They sailed their ships through fog and bad weather. Without abundant sunshine or a clear view of the North Star to navigate, they came up with another tool….a crystal compass made of sunstone. Much study has been done on the subject, and a short video here shows how a sunstone can be used to find the direction of the sun in the sky (about 3 minutes into the video):

Viking Navigation

Sunstone attracts good luck, but the definition of luck in this case is simply being in the right place at the right time… sunstone helps you navigate yourself to the right place that you need to be, in perfect synchronicity with the world around you. Sunstone lifts depression and is especially useful for seasonal affective disorder, bringing its joyful light into otherwise foggy or dark surroundings. It is a gemstone of optimism and enthusiasm.

Like its parallel stones, Labradorite and Moonstone, Sunstone radiates an inner fire that calls out for you to come closer for a better view. While Labradorite and Moonstone ask you to look inside, Sunstone asks you to bring what’s inside out. Sunstone is the optimists stone, and a pessimist is a pessimist no more around it.  The name “Sunstone” is self-evident of course, but this fiery stone has another technical name – Heliolite, from the Greek “helios” meaning “sun” and “lithos” meaning “stone. There’s a word for the fire in sunstone…schiller. It is the fire within the stone, a piece of the sun trapped in mineral form.

Sunstone with intense schiller

Robert Simmons wrote “Sunstone is the yang which balances the yin of Moonstone.”

Sunstone Necklace by earthegy

For more sunstone and moonstone products, visit earthegy

Want to know more about the mythology and legends behind gemstones?  Grab my ebook Stories of the Stones here

Shain Mayer, a gemstone cutter and bread baker from Arizona, recently wrote an interesting response to my labradorite article.  I had posted  a link to the article on a lapidary forum, and there was a discussion whether people believed in the spiritual properties of gemstones.  Here is his story, in his own words (unedited)…

“I believe, based on experience. Here my story, share if you got one.

When I was 14, I worked the weekends with my Dad as a day laborer for his patio business. One Saturday doing a relatively small job. The customer wanted a Gulam beam. It was about 16 feet long. For those who don’t know what a gulam bean is. It is a laminated wood beam, which mimics steal. They last forever when it comes to wood. They also tend to be extremely heavy, even at only 16 feet. This beam weighted in at roughly 3 tons, 6000 pounds.

I’m sure you can see were this is going; yes he dropped this beam on me while we were trying to set it. I took 6000 pounds to my right shoulder and stood my ground. I was always a big kid, and could always take a lot. And we both thought we could set the beam. It only fell arms length, about 2 feet. Hence why I was able to stand my ground and it didn’t crush me.  But it took me out of work for a couple weeks with him.

As a growing young man, I brushed it off. 4 years later as a senior in high school. I began suffering pain in the eyes, and extreme migraines.  Tested through an MIR and found nothing wrong with my brain. Went to a chiropractor and from a basic x-ray, the problem is extremely evident. But because I brushed it off, grew 4 more years I pretty much stuck with a bent spine. Its bends to the right, the direction in which they took the brunt of the fall.  After 2 weeks with this guy, he managed to reverse the curvature of my spine.  I was starting to turn into a hunchback, and was begging to suffer early effects of nerve damage. At 20, I was almost in full hammer hand, and suffer extreme pain in both my arms and hands from the nerve damage. A second chiroprature was two brothers, close to work. Daily adjustments and electrolysis.
Well, that lasted rough 8 months before one of the brothers displaced one of my front ribs. Into my lungs. Was almost a lawsuit, but the other brother took care of me. And after I was able to understand how now I can popped this rib in an out anytime I want now. I decided I was about done with chiropractors.

This is when I started getting into the metaphysics of rocks and gems I was cutting all the time.  Believe it or not, there is a type of Condor agate I call Condor Fire jasper. It’s the type of super rich red and orange jasper type, with almost no translucent or agate layers. I began meditating and putting this certain piece under my pillow when I slept. Within 2 weeks, my hammer hand was beginning to relieve and the general pain from headaches/backaches/arms, and often a heavy blood vessel problem in the pinched area on the spine. All started to subside, but it wasn’t a cure by no means. I then began reading more about energy transference, like Reiki and acupuncture.

I was then moved to a new store at my job, and guess what. Right next door was a chiropractor office. Ahh man, since I was still having adjustments problems from the first two. I figured it was worth investigation this doctor just for the connivance factor of him being right next door. But when I went it, I came to find out he was actually an Acupuncturist first, who also did adjustments for people. I explained my situ to him and what I was doing with the condor agate. He gave me one neck adjustment, then two weeks of Acupuncture to the arms, hands, brow, and neck areas.

He explained to me that the first two guys managed to tear me apart to the point that my bones will always been floating and problematic. Based also on the fact that I allowed myself to grow in the teen’s years at the height of growth. I should have had surgery and one day still might need it.

But he further explained to me that the use of the agate was helping realigned my nervous system that was effected and not properly maintained by the first two groups I went to. My nerves were responsible for telling my muscles to crap up and get claw hand.  And were the only real source of any pain I was now experiencing.  And that over a period time he wouldn’t know, the stone he believed would do what he was able to do in two weeks of acupuncture.  It was some of the most intense pain I’ve ever been trough.  The damaged from the accident was generally fixed before I got to him. But the nerves were still all confused and he had to reset them.  Funny thing is too, this guy was no stereotype of witch doctor. But a Harvard Medical school grad and Jewish. Not that matters, but just so folks reading this understand this is highly accepted form of medical practice. And his comments to the use of my stone was evident when that what he prescribed for me. More meditation with that stone.

I am now 34, have complete use of hands, no hunchback, no nerve damage. The occasional back problem we all suffer with age.  Funny because I was very afraid when I started getting the claw hand. But now, I have cut more rocks, shaped more bread, and still learning claw hammer banjo. My dexterity is a bit off, that’s about it.”

Shain Mayer’s work can be viewed on his blog Freeformcabs by Shain Mayer.  For current cabochons for sale, please visit him here…

Update:  I emailed Shain asking if he had a picture of his condor agate.  His response (unedited):

“I don’t have the stone anymore.  As after I regained the use of my
hands and the pain started going away. I began further exploring the metaphysical information online and became friends with many people through similar forums. I gifted the stone to  a woman whose husband was suffering similar nerve damage.  From my understanding this stone is actually in a third set of hands because of its powerful energies. AS it has help everyone along the way.”

Agates are known as very grounding stones, useful for physical and emotional balance.  Condor agate was discovered on a 7,000 foot plateau in Patagonia, Argentina, and was named after the condor of the Andes.

If you have a story about how gemstones have affected your life that you’d like to share, I’d love to write about it.

Looking for gemstones to enhance your life?  Take a look at my earthegy shop.

A gemstone said to have dropped from the Aurora Borealis itself, Labradorite is a stone surrounded by myth yet relatively new in our history. The gemstone with its misleading appearance sometimes shimmering, a transparent yellow, or even black, grayish, or tinged with blue was discovered in the 18th Century and has often been described as the rainbow bridge between the conscious and unconscious mind. Perhaps, this is why it has been used as an inspirational gemstone by novelists, artists, and composers alike. Along with inspirational properties, Labradorite also possesses metaphysical, psychological, and physical healing properties.

By grounding energies, specifically spiritual energies, this beautiful gemstone strengthens the energies of the physical body, enabling one to decrease energy leakage and form a barrier against negative energies. Moreover, the link Labradorite provides to the unconsciousness opens the inner self to introspection, spiritual purpose, and initiates exploration into the mysteries.

Psychologically, Labradorite is a useful tool to have during change, as it imparts strength and perseverance. Banishing fears and insecurities, Labradorite calms an overactive mind, energizes the imagination, and balances analysis and rationale with inner sight, dispelling illusions to clear one’s path to well-bring.

Labradorite gemstones from earthegy

When used in crystal therapy for the physical body, Labradorite is believed to relieve stress, though if one subscribes to the metaphysical and psychological benefits it should not be surprising. It is an immune strengthener, aiding the spiritual energies with strength as it supports the physical body. Labradorite is used to treat disorders of the eye and brain, regulate metabolism, and can be used to aid in relief from colds and gout. It can also be successful in treating rheumatism, lowering blood pressure, balancing hormones, and relieving menstrual tension.

In true historical form, Labradorite’s myths are quite possibly part truth in some form or fashion. This unique gemstone is as multi-dimensional in its physical form as the seemingly limitless ways in which it benefits our beings. From the spiritual to the psyche to the physical, Labradorite may be as myth suggests, a piece of the Aurora Borealis linking our physical selves with the conscious beyond. To find out more ways that Labradorite can make a difference in your life or to find products and healing methods, visit earthegy.

One of my lovely customers is an author!

In her words…

I am happy to present Out of Safe Places, my first book of poetry and short stories. This is a labor of love filled with juicy words and ideas that will make you laugh and perhaps even cry.

To my delight my Sisterfriend Rashida shares these sentiments in the foreword which begins… Out of Safe Places will whisper sweet something’s into the ears of all who hear. This collection touches hearts, lightly nudges sensibilities, stirs the soul and feeds the intellect with wisdom garnered by thoughtful observation and historical research. In a world where problems can numb and dumb life down, Out of Safe Places challenges us to reawaken and explore places where we are compromised and safe; places that endanger our true reasons for being alive.

And my scholarly Sisterfriend in the academy Dr. Sandra Jackson, Director, Center Culture and History of Black Diaspora, DePaul University, witnesses that …“This language is imagistic, resonate, powerful, reflective, imbued with social commentary…sensory rich and sensual.”

Out of Safe Places is available through lulu.com.

Use this link to purchase a copy or download the entire volume http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/out-of-safe-places/14679394.

Out of Safe Places will be available on Amazon within the next month.

I was interviewed last week, and just found out it was published on January 26th…

http://www.woodmors.com/crafting_bee_3.html
earthegy interview

The new gemstone eyeglass holders are getting a lot of attention!

Think of Them as Love Letters

earthegy bookmark featured in a treasury!

Now that the holidays are over, I’ve had a bit of time to put new efforts into place.  My mind goes constantly, with new ideas for designs, advertising, business development, you name it.  And, in a few short days, I’ve actually accomplished a lot.

A huge decision I made at Christmas time…to upgrade most, if not all, of my products to sterling silver and 14k gold. Not everything can be switched…I’m finding it impossible to find sterling clasps large enough to handle pet charms, nor can I find the little rubber doo-hickeys that attach croakie strands to glasses with sterling springs on them, but overall, I’m getting there.  Two bracelets went on sale today, completely done in sterling.  Despite this upgrade, I still plan on keeping some of the less expensive items in my shop.  The wire wrapped rings and bookmarks sell like hot cakes, and I love making them!  I also come across a ton of spectacular art beads and cloissone beads that I can never resist, and the rings and bookmarks give me a chance to use them.  I have a strange fondness for my bookmarks, I think because they leave me with the knowledge that someone will sit down and relax, thoroughly enjoy reading a good book, and my little beaded charm will be there beautifying their book when they do.

Another change in the works…product photography. I’ve FINALLY nailed it down to where I’m happy with the new pictures I’m taking.  And I’ll let you in on my secret…they must be taken in morning daylight, streaming through my kitchen window, with every super-sonic macro setting) my camera can do (which is actually only one button.)  Parchment paper, a few non-descript rocks, and a leather bound journal…that’s it.  I admit, I get off course occasionally, and sometimes throw in a more vibrant kyanite/pyrite rock or a sparkly amethyst chunk to prop jewels on, but I just can’t resist my prettier rocks sometimes.

The new line is here!  Croakies!  AKA eyeglass holders!  Bejeweled and bedecked with pearls, beads, gemstones, and satin.  They’re not for the timid…they’re for all the girls who love beautiful sparkly things.  The first set sold in just a few hours, and I’m waiting on more supplies ordered to finish more that are halfway assembled, but they’re out, they’re here, and they’re probably here to stay.  Given the plethora of hideously ugly croakies I’ve been exposed to in the last month on my mission to figure out how they’re engineered, I’m now on a mission to beatify the croakie world.

As for writing more, and publishing more…the folklore, stories, spiritual and healing properties…I haven’t had time yet, but my next major subject is Labradorite.  You just can’t go wrong with a stone that has the northern lights radiating from it.  

The entirely mundane resolutions I’ve been working on…analyzing my statistics and trends of my clients, so I can reach out to more, and throw my products on the market when people are actually in the etsy shop shopping.  I’ve set goals for January sales, facebook followers, and views of my products, among other things, and once that’s accomplished I’ll move on to February.  Admittedly, I set them high, but why not?

Onwards and upwards, and Happy Holidays to all!

–Chrisy Bossie

earthegy…Ancient Gems, Modern Jewels

16 ways to keep your pooch warmer this winter

The smokin hot side of etsy artists that you never knew about…

Fabulous finds for your New Year’s Eve!

As I look out my back window, sipping my my morning coffee, the snow on the trees inspired this collection. Winter isn’t over yet, with still plenty of time to take in it’s pleasures.

Izzy is a wire haired Jack Russell that needed a little bling.  Her new pendant is coral agate, sunstone, and Australian jasper.  She’s much prettier now, and the coral agate and jasper should help with her constant itchiness.  Sunstone is great for seasonal affective disorder and happiness, which she really didn’t need, but it looked pretty.

I picked up a spectacular tigers eye the other day.  It’s huge, with spectacular coloring, and now up for sale.  Photo gallery shows both sides of the stone as I wrapped it today.  Enjoy!

Willow is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, very much loved by her mom.  They live on the coast of New Jersey.  After much debate over gemstone shapes and colors, she’s about to receive her very own gemstone doggie charm, easily attachable to her collar, with no messy wires to ruin her beautiful coat.  The final decisions…Lemon Jasper with copper colored freshwater pearls…perfect for a beach loving dog.

Yesterday was productive!  Some new pendants, and another single strand bracelet…

Two bracelets in one…because whenever I wear mine, I love to layer them and listen to them chattering against each other.  I’m also trying to make more adjustable bracelets, so they can be sized easily to the individual.  These aren’t listed for sale yet, but will be soon…just finished them yesterday.

Autumn Jasper bracelet already sold, before I  could get it listed or to a show…

One of my faithful customers, Paula, saw these earrings in my shop, but wanted them in silver to match a necklace.  Apparently, she’s buying them for her husband to put in her Christmas stocking this year ( a superb plan that I think all women should follow.)  I just finished re-wrapping them in silver, and I think they look a lot better.  The gemstone is a turquoise dyed howlite.

“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”— Baroness Karen Blixen

A week’s recent stay at this beautiful spot inspired an entire new line…seashells and pearls.    Is it even possible to walk a beach without finding a treasure?…This time not from the land, but the tides that wash up on the Rodanthe beaches.  The sea’s jewels are infinite, and the beach’s inventory changes daily.   These pendants have stories in their past, further than we can imagine.  Some were handpicked with love by my young niece, who gently blew the sand away to evaluate their worthiness for you.  Some were discovered on a nighttime walk by my brother in law, chosen by what he saw in them that appeared in the moonlight.  Some were picked up by me, scouting for the most perfect shapes and colors, curious about their travels through the oceans and former inhabitants.  Each piece and shell are individual and can never be duplicated.  Each comes with a long lived life of salt and sand…and I hope to bring to you the serenity of the sea, and an appreciation for the uniqueness of her treasures.

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea—whether it is to sail or to watch it—we are going back from whence we came. “– John F. Kennedy

So I’m currently on vacation in Rodanthe, in the Outer Banks of NC with my family.  I’ve been sipping sangria on the porch in the ocean breeze, waiting patiently for Richard Gere to show up and take over position as my cabana boy, but apparently he’s running a bit late.

Yesterday my niece and I scoured the beaches for pretty shells.  I’ve brought all my gemstones and jewelry making goodies, and my twin nieces are bombarding me with making them bracelets and rings (or rather, letting them do it under my limited direction)….so, not a lot of work being done down here that I’d hoped to get done.  However, I have accumulated a bucket of pretty shells, and if I can get my dremel up and running when I get home and poke some holes in them, I may just have a new line of jewelry.

And darned if I could find any beach glass!  Apparently we live in such a responsible, non-littering world, that nobody breaks glass on the beach anymore.    Ugh.  Don’t these tourists down here realize that I’m looking for more material???

I’ve been experimenting with my wire wrapping skills again…

Because these rings are wire wrapped, they can adjust to fit any size finger…and a steal at only 8 bucks!

Rose quartz is a gemstone full of rich spiritual history and meaning, a gemstone full of the energy of love.  One legend says that Cupid and Eros brought rose quartz to earth in hopes that its beautiful pink color would arouse love and desire among people.

Aphrodite and Adonis

In another legend, Adonis, the lover of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, was attacked by Ares (the god of War) who came in the form of a boar.   Aphrodite rushed to save him and caught herself on a briar bush.  Their mingled blood stained the white quartz to a pink.  Zeus took pity on them and restored Adonis to Aphrodite for six months of the year.  Because of this myth, this stone has become a symbol of reconciliation in love.

It is written that the Egyptian goddess Isis searched for river-tumbled rose quartz to use on her face. She would rub the stones in an upward motion over her cheeks and around her eyes because she found this helped keep and restore her beauty. Her beauty ritual, insight and knowledge has been passed on through the years among Egyptian women.  Rose Quartz is associated in modern ritual with Isis – an astrologer dropped a piece of this stone into the water that surrounded Isis’s temple at Philae in Upper Egypt as a way of keeping contact with the location when she returned home.

Isis Temple in the Grand Canyon

The  Isis Temple is  one of many prominent buttes in the central region of the Grand Canyon created by millions of years of wind and water erosion.  Bands of red, orange and yellow limestone predominate, their colors tuned by the moods of sun and cloud, and punctuated by vertical seams of dull rose quartz, created by magma that had seeped through cracks in the rock in times long forgotten.

Rose Quartz is a love stone.  Rose Quartz teaches you to love yourself, vital if you have thought or deemed yourself unlovable. You cannot accept love from others nor love them unless you love yourself. This stone encourages self-forgiveness, and acceptance, and invokes self -trust and self-worth.Rose quartz promotes receptivity to the beauty of art, music, and the written word, and enlivening imagination. Rose Quartz enhances your peacemaking abilities within your family or at work.  All through the middle ages until today, this stone has been given as a love charm.   It is a wonderful gift for a close friend and is excellent for bringing peace.

Shop all rose quartz products currently available at earthegy 

Want to know more about the mythology and legends behind gemstones?  Grab my ebook Stories of the Stones here

This morning I was asked if I could make a bracelet similar to a pair of earrings I have listed, and whether I do custom orders.

Yes!  Absolutely!  If you see something you like, or have something in mind, let me know, and I’d be happy to work with you to make your own special, perfect piece.  My gemstone inventory changes a lot, but I can email you current pictures of stones in stock or try to find something more specific for you.  Gemstones are very personal and hold the energy of the wearer, so they need to be right for you.

I don’t charge extra for special orders.  Bracelets are currently at $26.99, earrings $12.99, bookmarks $8.00, and shipping is $2.50 for the first piece, and $.25 for additional pieces.  If we work with my current gemstone inventory, I can have your piece done pretty quickly, and on its way to you within a day or two after final decisions are made on gemstones and design.  If you want me to find a particular stone, but in a shape or size I don’t currently have, I’ll need a little more time to hunt down the perfect stones for you.

But be forewarned…I’m probably going to take a few pictures of the process and blog about it…

Chrisy

My fiend, Jerry, who owns the store where I purchase a lot of my gemstone beads, gave me a chunk of kyanite with pyrite mixed in it that came from Buckingham County in my area.  Jerry knows my fondness for using Pyrite in my jewelry.

So I decided to do a little online research to try to find out where I might be able to hike and come across some more.  Kyanite Mining Corp operates a mine near me, so I emailed them asking for any info on trails in their area where I could do a little digging.  Okay, I really don’t want to dig, I just want to take a pretty hike and trip over a giant slab of kyanite or pyrite, but that’s besides the point.

Kyanite Mining emailed me back right away, and graciously offered to let me join a mine tour on October 23rd.  I’m hoping to get lots of pictures so I can write about it again. And of course, I’m hoping to get lots of pretty little stones that I can make into pendants.

I’ve attached a picture of the rock Jerry gave me, next to some finished kyanite beads that I work with.   If you click on the picture, you should be able to see the flecks of pyrite in the stone too.  Great stuff!  Then again, I’m a girl, so anything sparkly and pretty is a welcome addition to my life.

For Jerry’s store, visit:  http://www.blueridgebeads-glass.com/

For Kyanite Mining Corp, visit: http://www.kyanite.com/

I’ve been working on building up an inventory to put in my friend Lori’s shop, so these may not go up for sale online.  And since I’m here writing, I have to vent…I cannot for the life of me figure out how to increase this font size on WordPress….so don’t feel bad if you can’t read it.  Neither can I.

And now that I’ve just spent a half hour figuring out how to put these into gallery format, I’m kicking myself in the butt.  I should have just draped them all over a piece of driftwood and taken one picture.

Tags: agate, bracelet, coral, jasper, Lapis, malachite, pearls, pyrite, rhodochrosite, sapphire, sodalite, tigers eye

In the Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime Legend, the Aboriginal tribes in South Australia believed that their ancestral being conveyed himself to earth by a great rainbow, which in turn colored the rocks and stones where it had rested.  The Opal outcrops were sacred and used as ceremonial grounds due to the mystical association with the creator, and the great rainbow in which it was believed he would some day reappear.

In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal It was also said to confer the power of invisibility if wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and held in the hand.

In Medieval times Opal was thought to ward off illness and aid eyesight. It was a guaranteed remedy for all eye troubles and then there was the lore that opal could bestow the power of invisibility upon its owner.

Plato tells a story about the opal ring of Gyges, which conferred invisibility on its wearer. The shepherd Gyges, who found it in a cave, used its power to seduce the Queen, kill the King and take his place.  According to the legend, Gyges was shepherd in the service of King of Lydia. After an earthquake, a cave was revealed in a mountainside where Gyges was feeding his flock. Entering the cave, Gyges discovered a bronze horse containing a corpse, larger than that of a man, who wore an opal ring, which Gyges pocketed. He discovered that the ring gave him the power to become invisible by adjusting it. Gyges then arranged to be chosen as one of the messengers who reported to the king as to the status of the flocks. Arriving at the palace, Gyges used his new power of invisibility to seduce the queen, and with her help he murdered the king, and became king of Lydia himself.

Napoleon presented his Empress Josephine with the “Burning of Troy”, a magnificent opal with brilliant red flashes.

Red Opal

As a vision stone, opal helps one see possibilities all the possibilities in a situation and discover a broader view.

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The legend of the origin of amethyst comes from the Greeks.  Dionysus(Bacchus,) the god of wine, celebration, intoxication and joviality, was angered one day by an insult from a mortal who refused him acknowledgment.  Enraged, Dionysus vowed to unleash his fury upon all mortals who did not partake in his gifts of wine and drunkenness.  Unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana appeared and was detained by the wrathful god. Dionysus summoned two fiercely voracious tigers to devour the youth and sat back with his wine to watch. Amethyst cried out to Diana. When Diana saw what was about to transpire she quickly transformed the young mortal into a statue of pure white crystalline quartz to protect her from Dionysus’ tigers.

At the sight of the beautiful statue, Dionysuswas moved with pity and realized the ruthlessness of his actions and began to weep with sorrow.  As the tears dripped into his goblet Dionysus collapsed and the tear-tainted wine ran out onto the stone from the tipped cup. The white stone then absorbed the color from the wine creating the stone now called amethyst.

The name “amethyst” comes from the Greek meaning “not drunken,” and amethyst has long been considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness. Wine goblets were often carved from it, and the gemstone still symbolizes sobriety to this day.

Need some amethyst in your life?  Have a look at all the amethyst items in earthegy’s online shop!

Amethyst Purification Bracelet by earthegy

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Cleopatra, the ultimate seductress…

The intense blue color of lapis lazuli will make you remember this stone forever.  In various civilizations and cultures this stone was used in jewelry and other decorative goods, and Cleopatra played an important role in the popularity of this stone. It’s said that she used pulverized lapis lazuli as eye shadow because of its aphrodisiac effects.   It is considered the secret of Cleopatra’s spell binding effect which she was quite well known for.  It was a common practice in ancient Egypt to use the ground lapis lazuli for its many different healing and aphrodisiac effects. Egyptian reckoned this stone, the stone of friendship, love and passion that could save them from misfortune.

Now, if you’re going to purchase lapis jewelry from me in my online shop, I’d really prefer it if you didn’t pound it into dust and spread it on your eyes.   But if that brilliant blue just happens to entice a gentleman to pay a bit more attention to your wrists or ears…then perhaps Cleopatra’s spell will work for you.

Lapis Neckace by earthegy

Want to know more about the mythology and legends behind gemstones?  Grab my ebook Stories of the Stones here

Noah’s Ark

An ancient legend says that the garnet carbuncle was fixed on the mast of Noah’s Ark and lighted up its voyage day and night. From this time the garnet is considered as amulet for travelers.

The word garnet is from the Latin word “granatum,” which means pomegranate, and was named for it’s similarity to pomegranate seeds.  While most people associate garnet gemstones with their ruby red color, there are also other varieties, including the green grossular garnet.

Garnet gemstones are useful for manifesting abundance and prosperity.  They are powerful stones of attraction and are said to increase fertility and sexual desire.   Garnet encourages love and devotion, and encourage commitment in relationships.

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The Kalpa Tree  of Hindu religion, a symbolical offering to the gods, is described by Hindu poets as a glowing mass of precious stones. Pearls hung from its boughs and beautiful emeralds from its shoots; the tender young leaves were corals, and the ripe fruit consisted of rubies. The roots were of sapphire; the base of the trunk of diamond, the uppermost part of cat’s-eye, while the section between was of topaz. The foliage (except the young leaves) was entirely formed of zircons. (Surindro Mohun Tagore, “Mani Mala,” Pt. II, Calcutta, 1881.)

Shop earthegy’s online shop for your favorite gemstones.

Want to know more about the mythology and legends behind gemstones?  Grab my ebook Stories of the Stones here

The birthstones originate from the episode that took place in ancient history of the Jews. Gemstones were actually produced in the Asian continent and it was the Jews who took the gems into the European world when they traveled there.

The old Exodus that is the book of Jews explains the entire concept of the breastplate of Aaron or the breastplate of the high priest. The verses explain that in the olden times when there was the high priest and he had twelve sons. Who were naturally his descendants and they commanded 12 different tribes of that time. Aaron was inspired by God, not merely inspired but he was ordered by God to make a breastplate. He gave Aaron all the details about it. He was ordered to insert various precious stones that numbered 12 on it. These stones were to bear the names of each of the 12 descendants of the high priest. When this breastplate was finally made the high priest wore it over his ephod which actually is a dress worn by the high priest. When he wore that on his breast the 12 commanders could communicate with God through that plate. Each of them asked a question from God and the stones shone one by one and together they formulated the answer by God.

This breastplate has been the bases of the 12 birthstones that we now commonly know.   When the commanders had the breastplate it was easy for them to communicate with God. They could simply turn to him for suggestions,  for good luck and for their future course of action. God was felt closer and gradually common people also began regarding the breastplate as a blessing and divine image and influence upon their lives.

A time came when these stones actually started having great influence upon the people. When they wore the stones on the breastplate like diamonds, topaz, ruby, sapphire, beryl, emerald etc they were blessed in many ways not acknowledged by common man. These stones had strange healing powers and weak people took refuge in them and wore them for strength. Some stones were said to increase livelihood, other stones purified blood, cured diseases, safeguarded people from evil. Some stones were even said to have power to bring peace and tranquility and increase wisdom in people. One of the stones gave courage and so on.

However with the passage of time the stones in the breastplate have been fabricated as some others but there is original proof to remove any fabrications that may come forth. The breastplate however, is a source of heavenly blessings in the temples to this very day.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including gemstones, weather, and investing.

Copyright (c) 2007 Free Online Library

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Want to know more about the mythology and legends behind gemstones?  Grab my ebook Stories of the Stones here

Cleansing and Charging Gemstone Jewelry

Gemstones pick up and absorb negative energy and can be drained of their energy after being used for awhile. Gemstones and crystals should be periodically cleansed and charged to ensure they can be used efficiently for healing purposes.

Using the Elements to Cleanse Gemstones

Air – present the stone to the east and pass the object through the smoke of burning incense.   Or take the stone outside on a breezy day and let it spend a few minutes absorbing the energy from the wind.

Water – present the stone to the west and pass the object through a bowl of water. Or take the stone to a nearby river or stream and wash it in the fresh water.

Fire – present the stone to the south and pass the object through the flame of a candle or small fire. Or the stone can be placed outside and left out overnight in the light of the moon. If pressed for time, simply take the gemstones and crystal outside for a few minutes during the heat of the noonday sun.

Earth – present the stone to the north and wave a previously charged rock or crystal over the stone that is being cleansed. Or, if time is not a concern, bury the gemstone or crystal for a few days, in the ground or in a cauldron filled with dirt.

Gemstone Charging Charm

After the gemstones and crystals have been cleansed, as described above, they will need to be charged with positive energy so that they can be put back into service for healing purposes. Hold the stone in the dominant hand while it is being charged. A left handed person would hold the stone in the left hand while it is being charged, while a right handed person would hold the stone in the right hand while it is being charged. Visualize the stone being filled up with healing energy while reciting this charm three times.

• This wonderful stone is a precious gift
• From our great and powerful mother earth
• May this stone be imbued with energies of old
• So it may be used for healing and giving one’s spirit a lift

The Power of Gemstones

For thousands of years, gemstones have been used as a divination tool. Nearly every culture has held the belief that gemstones possess spiritual powers that endow the wearer with certain attributes. Due to the magical powers associated with gems, they were used extensively as amulets, talismans, and portals to the future. Formed over ages, often at high pressure, the Earth’s gemstones contain intense concentrations of energy. It is believed that we can use certain gemstones to focus and balance the body’s instinctive energies and health. Gemstones always hold the energy of the wearer. They protect the owner from negativity, accumulating it in themselves, and replace it with positive energy.

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