Shopping Trends of the Future

This was an article I got in a recent news email. It’s pretty interesting about how social media’s, specifically FaceBook and Twitter are playing a part in the future of shopping. It’s just another avenue that many people, even large companies are using to get to their current customer base and also connect with possible new ones. It’s interesting so see how the future is rolling out before our eyes.

“We talk a lot about social media marketing - using social networks like Facebook and Twitter to market brands and drive traffic to sites. There is no question that these can be effective tools for doing both of these things. As time goes on, it may become helpful or perhaps even necessary to use these tools for actual e-commerce. The common thinking behind social media marketing is that you don't want to be too sales-pitchy in your conversations, and in some ways that is still very true. However, while social media is largely about conversations, it's not only about conversations. As time progresses, social media becomes a lot of things to a lot of people. We've reached the point where social networks are simply "where we hang out" online. People are not only having conversations. They're sharing pictures. They're playing games. They're looking for information. They're using social networks to help them make purchase decisions. Sometimes this is through conversation. Sometimes it's as simple as being a fan of a brand's Facebook page and receiving timely updates.

Facebook has virtual currency, and is starting to open up possibilities for transactions for physical goods. Facebook Connect has just been made easier for webmasters to implement on their sites. That's huge. As people spend much of their time on Facebook, they are pretty much relinquishing a certain amount of trust to the social network, whether they realize it or not (and whether they should be or not, but that's another issue). If your site is plugged into Facebook via Facebook Connect, and they can log in to your site to make purchases just by being logged into Facebook, they may not find themselves as concerned with security issues. Security concerns have long hindered the true potential of e-commerce, and as a result, plenty of trustworthy e-commerce sites have likely missed out on tons of sales, just because of the distrust of the method of purchasing in general.”

What will the next 'big' e-commerce be and how will continue to impact the world of business, rather small local or large international companies.

Reprinted from WebProNews.

Classy Pearl Jade Look

An elegant and classy look in this set; all natural Arizona Black Jade that highlights freshwater cultured Pearls, adding a sterling silver toggle and end-spacers, with dangle matching earrings completes the look. Choose your look as casual in jeans, t-shirt/jacket or dressy with that little black dress number.

Pearl: Purity, faith, charity, innocence, integrity, focus, wisdom, spirituality, sincerity, fertility. Jade: Fidelity, dreams, realization of potential, peace, accord, resourcefulness, accomplishment.

For more custom handcrafted natural stone jewelry, visit our website.

Natural Stone Pendants Wired

I’ve spent time wiring some natural stone pendants and included earrings with some of them; something new I’m trying this fall with the pendant line. With these, I’ve wire wrapped them using non-tarnish silver, bronze, brass or copper wire. I just received more exotic and unusual stones, so keep checking back as I get them done, either posted here or on our website.

Lepidolite Crystal Stone

Discovered in the eighteenth century, it is not a typical gemstone, but a very beautiful purplish type of mica that contains a substantial portion of lithium and is the Earth’s most common lithium-bearing mineral. Lepidolite is from the Greek ‘lepidos’, meaning ‘scale’, and ‘lithos’, meaning ‘stone’. Lepidolite was uncommon mica but in recent years Brazilian finds have made it much more available on the mineral market. Lepidolite, like other micas, has a layered structure of lithium aluminum silicate sheets weakly bonded together by layers of potassium ions. These potassium ion layers produce the perfect cleavage.

The typical violet to pink color of Lepidolite is characteristic and is the only field test available to identify Lepidolite from other micas. Pink muscovite or very pale Lepidolite may confuse identification. Since Lepidolite colors can be confusing, a melting and flame test is desirable if there is any reason - such as the presence of colored tourmalines or of other lithium minerals for suspecting mica to be Lepidolite, rather than the commoner muscovite. The fluorescence and flame tests will also distinguish some of the more intensely colored chromium chiorites, dumortierite, and similar hydrous silicates.

Lepidolite crystals accompany other lithium bearing minerals such as tourmaline, amblygonite and spodumene. Lepidolite crystals can add character and value of these specimens. Crystals can be tabular or prismatic crystals with a prominent pinacoid termination. Lepidolite's four prism faces and two pinacoid faces form pseudo-hexagonal crystal "books". Well developed crystals with a Sharp hexagonal outline are rare. The sides of the crystal often tend to taper. Sometimes borders ordinary muscovite mica, but the cleavage flakes are not quite continuous. Commonly occurs in medium to fine-grained aggregates; One- to two-inch crystals, tapering down to a slender point and more prismatic than tabular, occur at some localities.

Traditional properties of Lepidolite include protection from outside influences, relieve everyday stress, and promote restful sleep when placed near your pillow, attracts good luck and drives away negativity.

Lepidolite provided by Panther Creek Minerals, San Antonio, Texas.
Researched from various websites, mineral-rock-gem and crystal books.

Wire Wrapped Ex-Large Pendants

I got the challenge from Panther Creek Minerals to wire wrap several very large agate slices. It was a little challenging, because I hadn’t ever taken on such large pendant sizes to wire wrap; but I did succeed and these are the results. Each Brazilian ex-large agate slice pendant has been carefully handcrafted with either non-tarnish artistic silver or bronze wire.










Agates: Balancing physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies; perceptiveness, strength, inspiration, awakening talents.

Leftover Turquoise Pieces

Every wonder what happens to the leftover Turquoise pieces; left on the floors and scattered around many mining and cutting lapidary company….maybe the answer is in this strand of Turquoise disks. A mix and maze of different Turquoise pieces ranging in color from blue to green and beautifully matrixes in brown, black, rust, cream, yellow, and even green and blue. The disks are cut in a rough hex, stabilized and graduated to form stunning bead structures.

This design takes that stunning mixture and highlights it with Onyx, sterling silver spacers and toggle; mounds of Turquoise in dangle hoops can be worn with the necklace or accented with other pieces.

Uniquely handcrafted custom natural stone jewelry, browse and purchase from our website.