Exotic Rare Caribbean Larimar

Exclusively found in the Dominican Republic, the elusive stone of Larimar comes in various shades of blue ranging from pale blue to whitish-blue, and very rarely with a little green or red; the palette of colors embodies the vastness of the sky and sea. The reserves of this stone have almost been depleted, causing it be very rare and hard to come across.

The American Indians believed that Larimar brought luck and also had healing properties. The inhabitants of the Caribbean also believed it to be a lucky stone with healing properties. According to legend it is associated with lost paradise. It was subsequently thought to be the only remaining vestige of the legendary island Atlantis.

Larimar, said to be the stone of protection against negative energy and also known as the Atlantis stone; symbolizing boundlessness and immensity. It is the star sign stone linked to Leo and should be discharged once a week under warm running water. After cleansing it must recharge in the sun for at least one hour, either in the morning or evening. The stone is known for good self-development, helping to break old thought patterns to free and open up new ways of thinking and acting.




This new piece has a center pendant from Larimar; surrounded by Denim Lapis, Carnelian, and Smoky Crystals. Unique custom designs like this are available on the website.




*Sources from various crystals/gem books & websites.

Spring in Turquoise Yellow Jade

This set is an early peek at the Spring line…….American mined Turquoise in really great shades of blue that has just a bit of rough in places, then mixed in a few Citrine chips and stunning faceted yellow Jade stones that all come together with the teal Brazilian Agate slice; also accented in non-tarnish brass wire.

This and many other custom crafted jewelry pieces are available for purchase on the website.

Tucson 2010 It’s Almost Here

Just about that time of year again when for the big Tucson show! It’s the biggest event here in the United States; where the quite town of Tucson, Arizona is descended up on by thousands of people. All wanting to see the latest and greatest the jewelry, lapidary and beading industry has to offer. Hundreds of shows with vendors from all over the world bring their beads, findings, minerals, rocks, slabs, equipment, jewelry, and much much more. It’s the event that sets the stage for the coming year in ‘what’s hot and what’s the trend’ in beads, stones, lapidary and jewelry.

Tucson is much more than shows; it’s about the land of opportunity too. Connecting and networking with vendors, miners, artists, instructors, industry professionals; hearing what they have to say and bring it into your own business for success. Listed below are some of the top shows among the many at Tucson.

JOGS Gem & Jewelry Show, the largest and most popular independent jewelry trade show in the Tucson, Arizona area. Wholesale jewelry manufacturers, miners and international dealers gather at the Tucson Expo Center, the site of the JOGS show, every February. Buyer attendance is said to exceed 27,000 composing over 4,000 jewelry firms.

Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers, Inc., (G&LW) hosts about three different shows in the Tucson area. Gem Mall right down the street from Holiday Inn & Holidome Pavilion and also at Grant Inn.

AGTA, American Gem Trade Association is one of the main shows. It is primarily high-end loose colored gemstones and pearls, with finished jewelry; designer jewelry section; colored diamond and estate jewelry pavilions.

Howard Johnson Gem & Mineral Show; for jewelry, silver, minerals, gemstones, lapidary, metaphysical objects/art and beads. They are along the freeway among the many ‘street vendor’ shows.

Madagascar Minerals Gem Show, which is hosted by Norcross-Madagascar Gallery featuring minerals, fossils and other lapidary.

Tucson Electric Park RV Gem Show, is where you’ll find all kinds of hidden treasures in minerals, gems and some jewelry.

Want to know more about shows, vendors, times, places and locations, check with Jewelry Show Guide’s website for more information.

Pendants in the Making

These are a few of the new pendants I’ll be working with…..some will stay as individuals, while others will be incorporated into necklace pieces. Come back to see what happens, for custom quality uniquely handcrafted jewelry check our website.



Orthoceras Fossil (Morocco) double wired in black and silver non-tarnish wire (to the right)

Natural Green Agate Slice (Brazil) wired in non-tarnish silver wire (to the left)

Ocos Agate Slice (Brazil) wired in non-tarnish brass wire (to the right)

Black Rutilated Quartz highlighting black Agate (Brazil) pendant wired in non-tarnish silver wire (to the left)

Ocos Agate (Brazil) wired non-tarnish Silver Freshwater Pearls Crystals

These and many others are still a work in progress.......

Jewelry Fashions Predicted Trends for 2010

We’ve all gotten through the holiday’s and rang in the New Year, but in the fashion and jewelry industry the predicted trends for this year were being agonized, disputed, discussed since the Spring of 2009, or earlier. In searching through the web and many of the fashion-jewelry trending sites I keep track of, ezinearticles has a interesting spin at what is being predicted for the Top 10 Trends of 2010 in the Jewelry Fashion industry. Here is their article, re-printed.

“The New Year is almost here and with it will come new fashion jewelry trends for 2010. The fashion jewelry trends for 2010 will be determined by many factors, but the writing is on the wall to predict what will be the market shapers for the upcoming fashion year. That being said, let's take a look at what we think will be the fashion setting guidelines that will shape the New Year.
1. International fashion with an emphasis on cultural uniqueness. A push towards using locally significant materials that carry cultural weight. 2009 was all about exotic locations and ethnic fashion, featuring everything from tribal jewelry, African beads, seed beaded jewelry and more. For 2010 expect a more localized focus to feature your own native materials and beads.
2. 2010, in contrast to 2009 will be all about symmetry and coordination of clothing and jewelry. No longer will you be looking to call attention to your unique jewelry pieces with brash colors and shapes, but a more subtle use of your jewelry is trending in. Bold was good, now bold and stylish is the name of the game.
3. The price of gold continues to skyrocket. This will continue to have an impact on jewelry making trends. Brass, silver, wood and beads are going to take over the field while gold remains unaffordable for the masses. Beaded jewelry and unique custom made pieces will help people express their individual style while not taxing already strained financial resources.
4. Cold colors will be the new fashion trend. Wild beads and earth tone colors will be used a little more sparingly, while blacks, whites, blues and grays will help create a fashion image of strength, collection and ability. To stand out with flaring color is no longer trendsetting in 2010.
5. Handcrafted unique jewelry will continue to be hugely popular. More popular than ever, in 2010, because of the desire to express oneself through creativity rather than extravagance. Expect the truly fashionable to be wearing their own beaded jewelry, from necklaces, pendants, to rings and bands.
6. A search for meaning will lead jewelry fashion setters to create pieces that have greater symbolism. In 2010, each piece of your jewelry box should have a story to tell and a history to speak of. Selective wearing of symbolic jewelry will set the 2010 trend strongly.
7. Small, light bracelets, and subtle pendants will carry the day. Perhaps you have a beautifully beaded pendant, small, and nearly unnoticeable until you turn slightly and it catches the light. Jewelry of this type will be all the rage, and occasion many a conversation.
8. 2010 will be the year of solids and stripes for fashion. Prints will still have their place, but will not be as common as solid clothing and patterns will reemerge for the time being as a fashion winner.
9. Dangling earrings, with glass beads or a central focus piece will grow in popularity. 2010 will be all about focus and meaning, and the dangling earring provides a perfect counterpoint to the less audacious clothing fashion trends that will be seen.
10. Craft jewelry making will be an unbeatable trend for 2010. With financial pressures mounting, and little relief in sight, families will return to what matters, and fashion will reflect this. The value of sharing the joy of creation together with children, creating memories as well as jewelry grow even further in popularity than it is today.

There are a few key features of the coming year that we feel will most directly shape the coming jewelry styles. We have created this list based on an expectation of a slow financial economy, increased global communication with a cultural nationalism emphasis, and instinct.”

Timeless Designs is always looking at the trends, what’s hot and what’s not; everyone has their own unique style; it looks like 2010 is shaping up to be your year! Visit our website for a selection of custom stone and wire jewelry designs.

Quartzsite Then Tucson

In a little western town just 20 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10 is home to the town of a rockhound’s paradise since the 1960's, Quartzisite, Arizona. Every year it is home to the biggest small town show reaping more than a million visitors is the Quartzsite show. About 2,000 vendors ranging from rocks, gems, minerals, fossils and everything in-between create one of the world’s largest open air flea markets in little Quartzsite, Arizona. There are eight major gem and mineral shows as well as vendors of raw and handcrafted merchandise selling to customers from snowbirds, collectors, and many rockhounds.

A little history, it was settled in 1856 when Charles Tyson built a fort to protect his water supply from attacks by Native Americas. Fort Tyson soon became a stopover on the Ehrenhurg-to-Prescott stagecoach route. It had become known as Tyson’s Wells by the time the stage stopped running and the town then became abandoned. A small mining boom revitalized the town as Quartzsite in 1897 and it remained until 1965, when the Pow Wow Rock, Gem & Mineral Show began the rockhound winter fever migrations to Quartzsite each year. In these more modern days, the population can swell to almost a million during the January and February rockhound extravaganza.

2010 Calendar of Events
January 01 - February 28, 2010 Desert Gardens-Gem & Mineral Show
January 01 - January 10, 2010 Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show
January 09 - February 24, 2010 Main Event
January 15 - January 24, 2010 Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama
January 16 - January 24, 2010 Sports, Vacation & RV Show
January 27 - January 31. 2010 Hobby Craft & Gem Show
January 29 - February 7, 2010 Tyson Wells Arts & Craft Fair
January 20 - January 24, 2010 Annual Pow Wow

Next stop….Tucson!

Some Rules to Bead Show Shopping

Now that you have a list of the bead shows you want to attend, how to keep that budget under control. I know it’s hard to resist buying from all the national and international vendors that bring direct to you their beads, findings, pendants, wire, tools, and even finished products. So ask yourself what to do, how to be a smart shopper and avoid the ‘impulse buys’ by getting prepared.

1) So when will bead shows be in your area? Check the sites of your favorite venders they often list what shows they attend through-out the year. I’ve listed several in the previous posting, but check their websites for more information or your local bead and lapidary shops for additional shows in your area.

2) Set a budget as to what you will spend; this may be determined by stock you are out of and some left over for purchases of specialty items.

3) Bring a couple of checks, plenty of cash and your credit cards just in case you run into someone who doesn’t take one or the other.

4) Be sure to bring a copy of your Tax ID certificate and business cards. Some shows are known as wholesale only and will require these items for entrance. If it is a public show, don’t be afraid to ask the vendors for a wholesale discount and provide both these items to them to get a discount.

5) Make a list of items you are out of; these will be the first things to look for at the show. If I know that I’ll be buying from previous vendors, I’ll group those items together on the list for ease.

6) I also make a list of items I am looking for and want; it could be stones or pendants I’ve seen online or a combination of colors in another design. This helps to keep the ‘impulse’ buying down by knowing what you are looking for and can afford.

7) Wear comfortable shoes and bring a bag to load all your goodies into.

8) Include in your shopping bag several sizes of zip lock bags; as you find things that go together, put them in the little baggies, this makes it easy to determine why you purchased these little gems when you get home.

9) Paper and pen; I bring paper and pen to mark bead names if they are not already marked. This makes identifying much easier than guessing or having to go through the process to indentify each unknown stone or pendant.

10) If you are looking to match a pendant, beads or color combination you already have; bring a few of these on a string or in a baggie to matchup at the bead show. This takes the guess work out of ‘thinking’ something matched and finding out later it wasn’t even close.

11) Bring baby wipes for easy cleanup; looking through tons of strands of beads and boxes of findings can get a little messy and dusty.

12) Look for suppliers whose ads you’ve seen for products you’re interested in. Bring the ad if possible and look for those products; this is the perfect place to handle these items before purchasing to determine if this is what you really wanted.

13) Take breaks and rest, get something to eat, drink and take time to review your shopping list and bag; typically it takes an entire day to attend a bead show.

14) Last but not least; this takes willpower but walk the entire show first to see what available, check out pricing and watch what others are buying. Many vendors have the same products and offer different discounts; look for the best quality and prices available. Make note as to vendors you want to return to for purchases of those goodies after you have finished walking the whole show.

15) Above all --- be a smart shopper and have fun!

Now start your shopping list, get going and Good Luck!!!