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Dioptase. Locality: Tantara Mine, Kakounde, Likasi, Shaba Congo D.R. Size: Specimen is 1.2 inches tall.

#jewelleryfacts365 182/365 Gem fact

If you’re wearing a turquoise ring and you look down and see a crack in your stone, the Native Americans would say “the stone took it”, meaning the stone took the blow that you would have received.

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Turquoise cocktail ring

Bead Day

Cheyenne Beaded Saddle & Sash w Beaded Saddle Cover
A superb example of American Indian horse regalia. Circa 1960s.

#jewelleryfacts365 181/365 Gem fact

Ancient references to topaz actually seem to be referring to a greenish stone, most likely peridot, or chrysolite. Conversely, topaz was known as chrysolite, which literally means “golden stone.”

Green topaz

Jewellery photography. Rings

The rings are available in my Etsy shop

#jewelleryfacts365 180/365 Sapphire facts

Sapphire was first created synthetically in 1902 and is hard to distinguish from natural sapphires except by gemologists. Lab grown sapphires range in price and smaller stones are frequently used in less expensive jewelry.

Lab grown sapphire crystals (this is easy to tell while they are uncut!)

Jewellery masterpieces

Mikimoto pearl necklace

#jewelleryfacts365 179/365 Sapphire facts

Star sapphires usually have six ray stars, but twelve ray stars are also known.

12-Ray Star Sapphire

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Four naturally occuring mineral crystals together. Rhodochrosite, Quartz, Pyrite, Galena from Colorado by John Betts. (From the famous, now gone, Sweet Home Mine)

#jewelleryfacts365 178/365 Pearl fact

In China, pearls were thought to be raindrops swallowed by oysters. The Chinese associated dragons and pearls together, since they believed dragons fighting in the clouds caused pearls to drop from the sky in the form of rain.

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Silver maple leaf necklace with a pink pearl drop

Beautiful nature

Jewellery masterpieces

Coral Tiara by Platimiro Fiorenza from Trapani, Sicily

#jewelleryfacts365 177/365 Gem fact

Aquamarine is the treasure of mermaids, with the power to keep sailors safe. The ancient Romans believed that the Aquamarine was sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea, having fallen from the jewel boxes of sirens and washed onto shore.

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Silver ring with raw aquamarine crystal

Monday inspiration

#jewelleryfacts365 176/365 Ruby fact

According to the story of Marco Polo, Kublai Khan offered the King of Ceylon a city in exchange for a large ruby. The offer was rejected.

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Cuprite | South West Mine, Bisbee, Cochise, Arizona

#jewelleryfacts365 175/365 Gem fact

Jade was first identified in Canada by Chinese settlers in 1886 in British Columbia. At this time jade was considered worthless as they were searching for gold. Jade was not commercialized in Canada until the 1970s.

Copper and sterling silver pendant with BC jade

Bead Day

Japan, Hanayome Bridal Style, Traditional Samurai Wedding Style of Bunkin Takashimada

#jewelleryfacts365 174/365 Gem fact

The value of jade is determined according to its colour and the intensity of that colour, the vivacity and texture, and its clarity and transparency. In the USA and Europe, emerald green, spinach green and apple green are regarded as particularly valuable. In the Far East, on the other hand, pure white or a fine yellow with a delicate pink undertone is highly esteemed.

Platinum, Jadeite and Diamond Pendant-Brooch, Circa 1920

Sold #ooak jewellery

#jewelleryfacts365 173/365 Gem fact

The Mayas, Aztecs and Olmecs of Central America honoured and esteemed jade more highly than gold. In China a good piece of jade could buy towns or start wars.

Maya jade burial mask

Friday inspiration

#jewelleryfacts365 172/365 Gem fact

Almost every color of tourmaline can be found in Brazil, especially in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. In 1989, miners discovered a unique and brightly colored variety of tourmaline in the state of Paraíba. The new type of tourmaline, which soon became known as paraiba tourmaline, came in blue and green.

Rough Paraiba tourmaline

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Heliodor

#jewelleryfacts365 171/365 Gem fact

Some clear topaz crystals from Brazilian pegmatites can reach boulder size and weigh hundreds of pounds. Crystals of this size may be seen in museum collections.

Woman with large topaz crystal from Brazil, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Jewellery masterpieces.

Edwardian Carved Sapphire Pendant with Platinum & Diamonds

#jewelleryfacts365 170/365 Gem fact

Turquoise has been known by many names, but the word turquoise, which dates to the 17th century, is derived from the French turques for "Turks", because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from mines in the historical Khorasan Province of Persia.

Renaissance ring, Italian, 16th to early 17th century - gold, turquoise, rock crystal

Beautiful nature

#jewelleryfacts365 169/365 Gem fact

Native American Indians had as many different words for turquoise as there were languages spoken. Many of the words translated into English as the sky stone.

Native american chief ring

Monday inspiration

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Vanadite

#jewelleryfacts365 168/365 Gem fact

Marcasite has a rich, storied history. Favored by everyone from the Incas to Louis XIV, it was widely used in Georgian England to make buckles and hair accessories. Its shiny quality made it the most successful diamond substitute; and its ability to produce sparks made it the perfect replacement for flint in early firearms.

Onyx Marcasite Vintage Jewelry Sterling Silver by DLSpecialties

Bead Day

Beautiful and unusual antique marble and tole table lamp with great 3-d flowers in the base. The Half Moon shade covered in 1920s printed lamé with an almost watercolor effect. Colored metallic net are in the side panels. Front panels have overlays of exceptional large antique ribbon flowers from France. Wonderful large scale finial has a great garden ornament patina on it. Double layer beaded fringe adorn the bottom. This is a good size table lamp and stands 29 inches high to the top of the finial.

#jewelleryfacts365 167/365 Egyptian jewellery fact

Carnelian was a common stone in ancient Egypt. However, it was often used together with the stones that were considered precious (turquoise and lapis lazuli) due to its religious significance. (source)

Sold #oneofakind jewellery

Friday inspiration

#jewelleryfacts365 166/365 Pearl fact

The violence associated with removing the pearls from their natural abode has given the pearl a bit of a reputation as being unlucky.

La Peregrina is famous unlucky pearl

Jewellery masterpieces

Cartier

#jewelleryfacts365 165/365 Pearl fact

The expense of perfect pearls brought about a curious notion for a wealth increasing spell in ancient times. The owner would select a particularly fine specimen, infuse it with the desire and wish for wealth and riches, then throw it away into a rubbish heap. The idea behind this sympathetic magic was that someone with the wealth to throw away pearls was rich indeed. (source)

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Rare blue amber

#jewelleryfacts365 164/365 Emerald fact

The Romans believed that emeralds with a pale hue were immature and would grow to a deeper, richer colour with age.

Jewellery masterpieces

Cindy Chao

#jewelleryfacts365 163/365 Gem fact

The most popular mythology surrounding amethyst is from ancient Greece. The word “amethyst” is of Greek origin and is translated as- “amethystus” meaning not drunken, or intoxicated (“-methystos” from “methyein” or intoxicated, “methy” = wine).

Queen Mary's Amethyst Tiara

Sea to Sky Gondola, Squamish, BC (1 July, 2016)

It was a boring day on the first of July at our house. It was a very slow Sunday, nice and warm. We did nothing all day and I thought that we probably should have a nap time after jumping on the trampoline. That plan was just minutes away when Nick suddenly said: "You have 30 minutes do get dressed and we will go out". He promised a long drive so our 4 y.o would have his nap in the car. 

He told me to bring camera as we possibly were going to a botanical garden :)

I filmed a piece of that Sea to sky highway to show the rock on the right-side of the road that they had to blow up to make the road wider for the Olympics in 2010.

This is what we saw when we finally stopped! This is the Sea to Sky Gondola. You cannot even see the end destination. Now I knew why it was important to bring video camera!

Is it going to be scary going up? Not as scary as going down! I had no idea there was a suspension bridge there too! Nice surprise! (I have a video at the bottom of this post, btw)

We already knew that our little one did not like suspension bridges (if you remember the Cascade Falls, we tried it there), so Gabriel and me went first. Then Gabriel went the second time when it was Nick's turn and I stayed with our son to wait for them. 

There are many trails at the top. Some are short and some are long. We looked at the map and found a lake not far from there. It was a small lake! Too bad the water lilies were sleeping already... I think they were pink.

I filmed that lake too. The trail to that lake was very interesting! I filmed it on our way back.

Then we found the first view point:

Then we took a really nice trail to get to this view point. It was so nice, we could have a pram for the kid so Nick would not have to carry him on his shoulders. It was worth getting there! The trail was not that long. It said 1,6 km there and back, but it felt a lot shorter. I do not think we walked that much.

...and I filmed it too, of course:

There was a band playing music at the restaurant by the gondola. We listened to it for a few minutes. I realized that I had not taken any pictures from that view point yet. So, that was what I did:

We had a picnic when we came up, but we were hungry at the end of our trip. It was time to come down and find a place to eat. 

We checked out this playground while Gabriel tried to choose a gift for his sister:

There was a flower there! 

Squamish is an interesting place! I could not take a picture, so I tried to film it from the window too!

Sea to sky highway is not the safest one in BC. There is blown up rock on one side and the ocean on another side. I filmed a few road sections to show that. 

Here is finally my video from the trip :)