Taste of Green Agate Slice

Agates are another versatile stone; the colors and matrix that they produce can be brilliant, delicate or bold. This Brazilian agate really caught my eye in the bold shades of green; medium to dark green with hints of golden yellow along some of the edges. It is highly polished on both sides with the edges left with a slightly rough feeling.

It has been hand wire wrapped in bright gold non-tarnish wire and is the center piece of this necklace. The necklace is artisan crafted with mosaic turquoise, toffee colored ceramic barrel beads, checkerboard faceted light golden topaz crystal rounds and scattering of antique gold pewter daisy spacers.

Just right for the picking of jewelry in March!

This and many other wire creations are available to purchase at our online Ruby Lane shop!

Boldly Artisan Crafted

This set features the lovely stone African Turquoise; though it is not really a turquoise it is actually natural occurring jasper found in Africa. Its name is really a trade name because of the light blueish-green color with an unusually dark or black matrix. Jasper’s name is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘spotted stone’. Jasper can contain many different minerals, giving it a wide range of colors and appearances, just like the African turquoise.

 






Fresh from the studio, this new design features five big barrel stones in African turquoise. I’ve accented them with lampwork rondelles in a black with swishes of cream, large silver pewter etched canister style beads. The ends have been finished with carved out onyx stones and a large hook clasp.


Browse our shop for unusual and unique artisan crafted jewelry!

The Old & New Jasper

One of Mother Nature’s most unique stones is Jasper. It is a versatile and very decorative stone haling from the Quartz family and most notable known for its interesting patterns. Jasper is often named either for its pattern or for the location of origin. Since it comes in so many different varieties, there are slues of different names, some named for the same stone, as in this case with Red Creek Jasper.

A side note, jasper was one of the 12 gems set into the foundations of the city walls of Jerusalem, and is considered a highly protective stone by many of today’s crystal healers.

Though not really an old or new find, I came across some of this Red Creek Jasper (or Rainbow Picasso Jasper as it is also known) in pendant form. The most incredible beauty about this stone is the gorgeous colorful scenic landscape patterns it produces in hues ranging from soft grays to blues, beige mustards to yellows, dusty pinks to almost true reds and a few shades of green and rust marbled together.

The real beauty of these pendants is shown against the flair of faceted crystals, cultured freshwater pearls, wild horse magnesite, cloisonné and lampwork beads, and different metals; just to name a few of the pairings I’ve done with these new designs. Each pendant is stunningly cut and has a slight matte finish.

These designs are very popular and you can see additional pictures of them in our Ruby Lane shop!