The Feldspar Family - Versatile and Unique! Amazonite, Big Cat Feldspar, Labradorite, Moonstone, Spectrolite and Sunstone!

Premium Beads would like to invite you to explore an extraordinarily diverse family of gemstones - Feldspar!

Not only is Feldspar found in nearly two thirds of all rocks on Earth it has also been found in lunar rocks from the Moon!  What's even more incredible is that a rock analyzed by the Mars Rover was found to have a large Feldspar content!  How fantastic is that?

Let this spectacular family of gemstones light your creatives fires with it wonderful play of color!  It is truly a family of stone that speaks to our inner creative genius!

Feldspar is a family of minerals which contains the following diverse cousins!

Click on the categories to see the beads we carry in that particular category!

Dynamic JASPER Healer Extraordinary & Design Diva!

RAINFOREST JASPER OR RYOLITE

With autumn fast approaching it seems appropriate to talk of Jasper as it contains all the colors that speak of fall or autumn making it the perfect design component for your jewelry designs!

JASPER - It is difficult to know where to start with this gemstone that has such a wide array of choices. There are so many extraordinarily beautiful types of Jasper.  The overall feeling of Jasper is one of connection to the earth and in turn to us the children of the earth.  It supports us with its earthy colors and its beauty.  To behold such beauty elevates one out of the doldrums and focuses the mind on higher thoughts!

The ancient Egyptians used Jasper in carved scarabs to increase their sexual energy.  Too bad we can't ask them if it worked!  It their longevity as a race is an indication it did have a quite amazing effect.  The Bible lists Jasper as the first foundation stone of the New Jerusalem as it was considered a direct gift from God.  Natives in both America as well Asia see Jasper as a powerful, effective healer as well as a maker of rain.
Jasper is a fine grained opaque ornamental rock composed of Chalcedony and  micro-crystalline quartz plus other minerals that gift it with colored bands and swirls.

Here are a some of the named Jaspers that make up this spell binding gemstone! Captions are linkable to the items!  Image do not link.

Exotica Jasper

EXOTICA JASPER - Is a jasper that is in the classification of  Porcelain Jasper that comes from Sonora, Mexico.  It is wonderfully beautiful with it rich patterns of cranberry red, cream, light gray all swirled together in an ice cream Sunday blend!  This gemstone is a soothing protection stone thus bringing peace to the wearer.  It also increases the ability to solve complex issues by drawing in all the aspects of the problem.

Apache Jasper

APACHE JASPER - is a Jasper that is filled with vivid and exciting patterns.  There is no mistaking its unique pattern designs and colors.  If you are starting a project or new phase in your life Apache Jasper is for you!  It will aid you in successfully completing your project or help you enter the new phase in your life with grace and assurance.


 

Imperial Jasper

IMPERIAL JASPER - is a stunning Jasper composed of soft sherbert colors that soothe the eye and the spirit.  Imperial Jasper is another find from Mexico the location of the mine is between Jalisco and Zacatecas, about 50 miles north of the city of Guadalajara.  Imperial Jasper helps one to feel the contentment that their life generates and relax into their life script!  This gorgeous gemstone feels wonderful!
 Make yourself a strand or a pendant and run your fingers across it often to feel the rightness of your life's path!

Ocean Jasper

OCEAN JASPER: is one of the most intoxicating Jaspers with its wild orbicular patterns and intense colors!  It is said to align all the Chakras and create harmony within the body.  I have found that stone energies are subtle not like Western medicine that is startling and disruptive to the body but gentle and kind.  Sometimes they need to be worn for months to get the full therapeutic effect.  It is said that one can comb beaches on the Island of Madagascar and the pebbles are Ocean Jasper!  What
 a wonderful beach combing that would be!  Ocean Jasper is filled with druzy pockets which amplify the energy of the stone as it is most usually minute quartz crystals.  Use it in your designs to connect to Mother Earth and all the beauty and healing that lies within Her.  Nearly every hue is present in this gift from the planet.

There are so many Jaspers!  I would like to mention a few extraordinary ones that are wonderful for their colors and patterns.  Making them perfect for Fall or Autumn designs!

CONGLOMERATE JASPER

MOOKAITE

DALMATION STONE

OWYHEE JASPER

   

KAMBABA JASPER

CHOCOLATE JASPER

                  

May you have have a wonderful time exploring the wonderful world of Jaspers.  They are many and can be depended on to supply with a rich source of design possibilities!


Sylvia C. Rose-Johnson
Stone Intuitive
www.silverrosebeads.com

August Birthstones - Fact and Legends!

Peridot Briolette Beads

Let's explore the amazing world of birthstones and specifically the birthstones for August.  The modern Birthstone of August is Peridot with it's tantalizing vivid lemon/green hue.   Who couldn't be just a little envious of those born in August that can lay claim to it as their own!  The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the root of the word Peridot was an alteration of Anglo-Norman pedoretés (classical Latin pæderot-), actually a kind of opal, rather than the Arabic word faridat, meaning "gem".  This gives one an idea of the importance of Peridot as it was once known to be synonymous with gems.  Peridot is one of the few gems that comes in only one color, green.  The green can vary from an olive green, to a lemon green to a brownish green depending on the quantity of iron in the stone crystalline structure.  The olive green is considered the most valuable.  The Peridot from Pakistan is particularly glorious in color.  It s a brilliant lime green that glows with intensity!  Hawaiian natives discovered Peridot crystals in the black sands on the big Island of Hawaii, explaining their presence beneath the volcano as tears shed by Pele, the goddess of the volcano.  In older times the source of the mine for Peridot was lost and gemstones for jewelry were taken from ancient Egyptian sacred objects and used.  The Egyptians drank an energizing drink called Soma from Peridot drinking cups.  This beverage and the fact that it was drunk from a Peridot flagon was believed to draw them closer to Isis, the Goddess of nature.  So around the world this gem that seemed to be alive with the fires of the volcano from which it often originates has been highly regarded and held as sacred.  One of the most Romantic names given to Peridot is Evening Emerald!  To me Peridot is the color of early tender spring with all the hope and promise of new beginnings.  So it would seem appropriate to me to wear or give as new projects or relationships begin, even before flowering.  Giving Peridot signifies vitality within the relationship and a promise of continued growth in the years to come.  An exquisite sentiment for our August people or for anyone!

Red Sardonyx

Black Sardonyx Pendant

The second or traditional Birthstone for August is the Sardonyx.  This gemstone is a combination of colors, usually red and white but just as stunning is the black and white.  It has been used since ancient time as a carving material.  The carving is generally referred to as intaglios or counter-relief.  This is an amazing quartz gemstone that affords the opportunity to show great mastery of the carver as the two layers were perfect to show dimension and detail.  In more recent times cameos have been carved from Sardonyx.  Sardonyx was used by the ancient Egyptians as a talisman to protect against evil and infections.  To me Sardonyx is Drama!  It's variegated colors calls attention to itself like no other.  If you feel the need for drama this is the stone for you! This gemstone is symbolic of happiness within a friendship or relationship when given as a gift.

If neither one of the intriguing gemstones is for you there are others to be chosen.  They are from the Mystical birthstone chart Diamond or from the Ayervedic birthstone chart Sapphire.

Click on the Peridot, Sardonyx, Diamond or Sapphire to view a selection of those Gemstones.

Sylvia C. Rose-Johnson
Stone-Intuitive
www.SilverRoseBeads.com

Gold, Sterling, Fine Silver, Vermeil and how to handle the rise in Metal Prices

20K Designer Beads

Metals have made the news recently with the upward spiral in prices.  Gold seems to be the focus but silver has been steadily gaining in value since 2005.  It has reached a height unheard of since the Hunt Brothers.  It now is hovering at nearly $40 per ounce!  Even once lowly copper has skyrocketed.

What does all this mean for people that make jewelry for a living or a hobby or the customers that purchase their products?  It of course, means the price is going up and staying there for the foreseeable future.  Ways we can deal with this are cutting down the quantity of metal we use in our designs, use old stock or do what we must do eventually pass it on to our customers. It does raise the intrinsic value of the items we design and this is always a plus.  Make the metal the focus and this will bring to the mind of the viewer that it is a thing of value.  I use metal as a way to bring in light and sparkle which just needs a touch here and there to achieve the desired effect.  Being creative people, beaders will come up with innovative ideas as they work this new factor into their creations.


GOLD!!! is rated in various purity amounts such as 10k, 14k, 18k, 20k or 22k.  Pure GOLD is 24k.  10k designates that it is 10 parts pure gold and 14 parts other metal this holds true for 14k, etc.  The total of parts always adding up to 24.  Adding other metals to gold increases durability and the choice of metal effects the resulting color.  Silver, platinum, palladium, zinc and nickel create a white gold while copper creates a rose gold.  The choice of metal of course does not effect the purity of gold and there is no way of knowing exactly what metal has been added. 

Brushed Sterling Beads

Some other facts: Sterling is .925 parts pure silver and .075 parts copper.  There is also another silver bead that we carry on our website www.silverrosebeads.com which is fine silver that is .980 to .999 pure silver.  Fine silver does not tarnish as does sterling.  Sterling silver tarnishes due to the oxidation of the copper content.  I've noticed that there are some dealers selling silver filled.  A filled product has a heavy covering of the metal either gold or silver applied in a top layer to the item.  There is nothing wrong with this as long as the metal you are purchasing is clearly denoted.  It might be a bit of a task to keep them separated if you have a large amount of stock in various metals as beads as a general rule are not stamped as to content.

22k Vermeil Bead Cap

Another very useful metal for jewelry crafters is Vermeil which is solid silver with a covering of gold.  The thickness of the gold must be 2.5 micrometers thick (or approximately 1/10000ths of an inch) .  The base metal must be solid sterling or it is not considered Vermeil.  The thickness is fine for jewelry making as most items are not worn for an extended period of time.

All metals will keep well if stored in an airtight container!  They stay bright and shiny without exposure to air (oxygen).

Hope this article has added to your knowledge of precious metals and how to manage them in your jewelry designs.

(Please click on the caption under the image of the bead to go to that item.  Clicking on the image leads to an error message.:)

Sylvia C. Rose-Johnson
Owner
The Silver Rose
silvrerosebeads (www.silverrosebeads.com)

What's Happening at Silver Rose Beads! (Re-Discovered!)

 

Recently added items are some exquisite British Columbia Nephrite Jade Beads.  They are sprinkled with attractive dendrites that make the most interesting patterns!  We were able to acquire these beauties at reasonable prices when they were purchased some years ago on a trip to the far East.  Recently we moved our warehouse 33 miles to our house at a small lake and in the processes found many dynamic beads that had been 'hidden'.  The move was an enormous job but full of amazing 'surprises'!  The good news is the items were purchased when the dollar was much stronger and the cutting and quality of gemstones beads on a higher scale than are now available for purchase.  Synthetics and ? materials were not available for purchase at that time.  I have been in the jewelry and gemstone business for 35 years.  Stone energy is a very real for thing for me and the manufactured, altered and synthetic material is glaringly apparent to me.  These beads are incredible Natural British Columbia Nephrite Jade.

As New (re-discovered) items are added to our website our BLOG and ads on Facebook will keep you posted on our latest additions!

The Nephrite Jade comes in three distinct cuts, square coin, smooth briolette or teardrop and round coins.  The beads are listed in 16" strands, 8" or half-strands and a parcel size that is approximately a quarter of a 16" strand or 4" of beads.  This is done to make it possible for you, our customers to purchase exactly the quantity you desire.  If you are in need of some amount other than what is available do not hesitate to contact us with your needs at: silverrosebeads@silverrose.net.


Sylvia C. Rose-Johnson

Stone Intuitive and

Owner
The Silver Rose
www.silverrosebeads.com

Fossilized Coral - Gift from the Pre-Cambrian Era

 

Fossilized Coral

Fossilized coral is also known as Agatized coral and Petoskey stone!  This gemstone can add a wonderful  dimension of earthiness and the marvelous healing energy of nature  to your creations.  The intricate patterning is so fascinating adding texture and interest to your designs. 

When made into jewelry the neutral color Fossilized Coral comes goes well with other stones and complements many intense colors worn in clothing .  The stone energy also is compatible with almost all other stone energies so I use it freely with everything from Aquamarine to Quartz.  This is also a green stone as the animal that inhabited this marvel of nature left 452 million years ago.  So one can use it without worry!

In the distant past coral reefs were more abundant than today and this is where much of the Fossilized Coral we see today was formed.  Some of these ancient reefs lie in sedimentary rock or in places such as England's Gault clay formation.   Found predominately in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the northwestern portion of Michigan's lower peninsula is Petroskey stone.  Petoskey stones are masses of fossil colony coral called Hexagonaria percarinata. 

Let this amazing gift from the Pre-Cambrian era bring the incredible creative force of 452 million years ago into your creations of today!

Fossilized Coral

Fossilized Coral

SODALITE - Enlightment through Delight!

Sodalite

As soon as I touch it’s smooth deep blue velvet surface kissed with constellations and galaxies of snow-white calcite a feeling of ecstatic peace permeates my being.  This lovely stone brings all the galaxies into choirs of praise about the very nature of who we are.  It will help you to recognize and verbalize your true feelings.  It will connect you to a part of yourself that enables you to ‘know” the sacred laws of the universe.  Sodalite wants to charm people into looking inside themselves and experience the incredible wonder that they are.  It call for us to look at the potential that we are.  That life is here now, savor it, taste it, live!

We all are on journey but it’s not the destination that holds the most potential for growth but the trip itself that Sodalite gently and calmly tells the careful listener.  Whether your travels are physical emotional or spiritual, Sodalite will make them smoother and delightful while revealing the true nature of your journey. 

Because of its ability to reveal to you your authentic self, Sodalite positively affects one’s self-esteem.
Physically it is said to balance the endocrine system.  It also has been reputed to be calming and regulating to the central nervous system.  It assists with calcium absorption.


It can be smoothed on the body to dissipate fears and anxiety.  Might I recommend a quiet private place, as you reactions to this incredible gem can be startlingly exquisite and you want to make sure you enjoy them!

Written by: Sylvia C. Rose-Johnson


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Sodalite Art cut Beads

Purple Flower Sodalite

Sodalite Turtle Pendant

Sodalite Pyramids