TURQUOISE!

NOTES on TURQUOISE – Brings a deep sense of peacefulness to the wearer, a global feeling that everything is right with the universe. A soothing sense that life is unfolding to a divine and perfect plan.

Eases breathing and opens the throat. Calms and soothes the thyroid. Encourages the third eye to open and helps direct the flow of energy from the source into the crown chakra.

A good stone to wear next to ones skin. Brings feeling of overall well-being. Ancient Native Americans believed turquoise drew healing spirits to the wearer.

The beauty of this gem reflects the endless sky, representing our Father as well as verdant green that inspire thoughts of our beloved Terra, our home and Mother (Goddess). Both colors can be intricately patterned with spider webbing suggestive of the ‘web’ that holds all life together. Beauty reflects back to the viewer, that is what I find pleasing and of benefit to me. I must touch it, I must feel it and I must have this near me. Having this increases my vibrations.

I believe all this happens on a non-verbal level, but it happens when beauty beguiles our eyes and stirs our soul. So as you pick out a gem for yourself remember, it appears beautiful to you for a very specific reason. Trust that reason and enjoy, heal and prosper from your gemstone relationships.

Written by

Sylvia C. Rose-Johnson

We are featuring turquoise on eBay for 25% off. Click on the items below to see some of these lovelies now!

Amazing Amethyst!

Amethyst

It evokes royalty, intoxicating wines, shimmering iridescent sunsets and in it's gentler hues sweet sunrises. What is more captivating than beautiful, radiant Amethyst? It speaks to us of our connection to all things spiritual. It opens us to our higher self and higher thinking in our dealings with our fellow beings. Use this gemstone to strengthen your connection to all beings and to enhance your understanding of your higher self. Wear it close to your heart Chakra to open and awaken it; in a stunning pendant or a long elegant strand. One can also acquire a free form piece to keep in the pocket or hand as a soothing reminder that one is connected always to one's higher good and healing. Amethyst is a violet shade of quartz and was long believed to ward off the effects of intoxication. Iron and aluminum are responsible for the beautiful colors of Amethyst. On exposure to heat Amethyst often becomes yellow and is then refereed to as Citrine or burnt Amethyst. Amethyst was used in jewelry by the ancient Egyptians. It was also worn as protection by medieval European soldiers as Amethyst was believed to be healing and said to keep one cool headed. Now is a great time to stock up on all your Amethyst essentials. We are having a sale on eBay with 25% off our already low prices and with FREE shipping, insurance and handling on orders of $50.00 or more. (Images link to items.)

GLUTEN FREE AMARANTH BREAD

Its a long way from natural stone beads to a Gluten free lifestyle but quality of life comes from being healthy and being gluten free is a one way to achieve a healthier life for a celiac. So please read on and discover how to live a delicious and healthy gluten free life. Since going off gluten and wheat products my life has become much easier and I have lost a considerable amount of weight (65 lbs!). I can breathe without the accompanying wheezing that used to be a companion to every breath I drew. I have more energy, fewer digestive upsets and an increased sense of well being. Has it been a panacea for all my health issues? Not quite, but it has made life so much more fun. I have found developing recipes a healthy and cost effective way to stay gluten free. I have the knowledge that what I am eating is gluten free and wholesome. This recipe contains whole organic grains for the most part. When my husband, due to a medical condition, went gluten free it became even more important to keep things tasty and appealing. He enjoys this bread as it contains Amaranth which has a delicious malty flavor and it has made staying gluten free so much easier for both of us. I believe it is less expensive than bakery bought gluten free bread and more nutritious due to the high protein and high fiber flour. We will let all the people who receive a copy of the recipe know via email the best prices for the ingredients. Please enjoy this delicious and nutritious recipe. May it enrich your life as it has ours! Our son and daughters who are not on a gluten free diet think it's really great. Be one of the first 10 people to respond to this post and receive the Gluten Free Amaranth Bread recipe for free. Don't want to post? Just send $2.49 via PayPal to silverrosebeads and request a copy of Gluten Free Bread and one will will be send to your email account. Thank you very much for listening to my story. We would love to hear yours and your ideas on gluten free living or healthy living. Look for most posts on gluten free living as interest dictates.

Summer Solstice - 1st Day of Summer

Summer Solstice - 1st Day of Summer

Happy First Day of Summer, Everyone! Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of sign of the fertility, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

In recent decades, it has become a popular belief that the meteorological season of summer begins with the astronomical phenomenon of the summer solstice. However, the period of maximum temperatures in the United States runs from June 4 to September 3.

The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

Flag Day - Red, White & Blue Gems

Flag Day (US) - Red, White & Blue

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

At the Silver Rose, we are looking at the colors of the US Flag - Red, White and Blue!

One of my favorite gems, the Ruby, is red. It is a variety of the mineral corundum. Prices of rubies are primarily determined by color. The brightest and most valuable "red" called pigeon blood-red, commands a huge premium over other rubies of similar quality.

Coral comes in several tantalizing colors, most notably, red, black, white, orange, pink, and blue. The colors of the coral depends mainly on where it grows. Coral has been reputed to bring healing to the skin and general over all health!

Lapis Lazuli has been prized since antiquity for its lovely rich blue hue. Lapis lazuli has been mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan for over 6,000 years, and trade in the stone is ancient enough for lapis jewelry to have been found at Predynastic Egyptian sites.

35% off Ruby & Onyx Beads

• Enter the promo code: 35RubyOnyx
• Limited to stock on hand
• Website items only, eBay items excluded
• Sale begins June 11 and ends June 15, 2010

All images are linked to those items.

June Birthstones - Moonstone, Pearl & Alexandrite

June Birthstones - Moonstone, Pearl & Alexandrite

The traditional birthstone for June is Alexandrite. Alexandrite is a variety of chrysoberyl and displays a color change (alexandrite effect) dependent upon the nature of ambient lighting. Alexandrite results from small scale replacement of aluminium by chromium ions in the crystal structure, which causes intense absorption of light over a narrow range of wavelengths in the yellow region of the spectrum. Alexandrite from the Ural Mountains in Russia is green by daylight and red by incandescent light. Other varieties of alexandrite may be yellowish or pink in daylight and a columbine or raspberry red by incandescent light. The optimum or "ideal" color change would be fine emerald green to fine purplish red, but this is exceedingly rare. Because of their rarity and the color change capability, "ideal" alexandrite gems are some of the most expensive in the world.

The modern birthstones for June are the Moonstone and Pearl. Moonstone has a 6.0 hardness on the Mohs scale. Its name is derived from a visual effect, or sheen, caused by light reflecting internally in the moonstone from layer inclusion of different feldspars. Moonstone is feldspar with a pearly and opalescent luster.

Pearls have been highly valued since antiquity. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls (baroque pearls) occur. The value of the pearls in jewelry is determined by a combination of the luster, color, size, lack of surface flaw and symmetry that are appropriate for the type of pearl under consideration. Among those attributes, luster is the most important determination of pearl quality according to jewelers. All factors being equal, however, the larger the pearl the more valuable it is. Large, perfectly round pearls are rare and highly valued. Teardrop-shaped pearls are often used in pendants.

See more Moonstone, Pearl & Alexandrite here.

Storing and Caring for your Beading Supplies

Storing and Caring for your Beading Supplies

While it is great to have little helpers, sometimes organizing your beading supplies is a one person task :) After some trial and error (well really a lot of trial and error), I have found that some of the best ways to organize and store beads are found at your local hardware store or pharmacy.

A small tackle box is great for tools like pliers, rulers, watch crystal cement and more. I am in love with clear plastic pill sorters. They are easy to see and they keep my beads securely sorted for future use. And the pill sorters fit into the tackle box easily.

As you collect more beads and supplies, it is also a good idea to have a written inventory. A simple spread sheet program like MS Excel can do wonders! Just entering in the specifics for each type of bead you have on hand will save you hours of searching for them. I like to make sure that I note the stone type, shape, size, cost of strand, cost per bead, vendor and date purchased. Using MS Excel, you can sort by the column to find similar shapes, sizes, stone type and more. And when you have finished your project, you can look at your MS Excel spreadsheet to calculate the cost.

Happy Beading!