I ♥ long hooks

new jewels!
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Brazilian Geodes

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I am perfectionist as many of my friends know, so it is very hard for me to like (satisfy with) even my own designs. But not this time! I loved these guys very much!! they are very different than each other and still perfect couple!!
Have a great weekend and good luck for my huge clutter packing process!

Jade love

♥ Jade has been treasured in China as the royal gemstone since at least 2950 B.C. According to archeological findings, the Chinese began using jade in the early Neolithic Age (starting around 10,000 B.C.). The ancient Chinese believed jade was the essence of heaven and earth, and carved jade into birds and beasts to use as items of worship. Jade was also a symbol of power, and only aristocrats could own items made from the gemstone. It was even established as a standard of morality for the Chinese. Confucius concluded that jade had 11 virtues, including benevolence, fidelity, etiquette, wisdom and sincerity.
Jade's appearance is warm, approachable and desirable, admired for both its simplicities and complexities. Jade is said to help protect the kidneys, heart, larynx, liver, spleen, thymus and thyroid. It also is believed to strengthen the body and increase longevity, and is known as a symbol of love and virtue.
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supporting the local artists

I have got these beautifully cut gemstones from my local artist who is a very good gemologist. I am very excited about my new stones, are ready for my new jewelry designs. Some Drusy agate, ruby and Mexican sea urchin fossils.

And this card was also made by my local artist. I love her art pieces very much!!
I have sent this card for my November BPS member. hope she will like it too...

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This is one of my unique pieces from my " the shape of my heart" collection. I just want to thank Lori (Automatism ) for choosing my unique jewelry and sharing them with her readers on today's 'sponsor launch'. I like her blog very much and I am very happy to be a little part of it.

The gemstone of the week: Ruby

ruby, 24K gold, silver Turkish ring

From royal crowns to Dorothy's slippers to, of course, delicious jewelry, the ruby is a most desirable gemstone. Its hardness, durability, luster and rarity are among the world's finest, and its blazing red color is beyond compare. Ruby is the red variety of the corundum (aluminum oxide) mineral, a family that also includes sapphire, and takes its name from the Latin rubeus or ruber, meaning "red." Corundum (which sapphires and rubies are comprised of) is the second-hardest natural mineral known to mankind.

ruby, gold Turkish ring

The stone has been called the "king of precious stones" or the "queen of gemstones." The symbol of devotion and love for centuries, many attribute rubies the power to stimulate sexual desire and energy. Because of their color, rubies are said to be very healing. Physical wounds and blood disorders, as well as emotional and spiritual wounds, are often treated with this gemstone. As a tool for meditation, rubies are extremely powerful for healing chakras (especially the first chakra), and they are said to bless the wearer with health, wealth and wisdom.

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Here is my favorite gemstone with the best mach yellow gold pieces.
Very uniquely cut natural Afghan turquoise and Indian 22K gold heavy vermeil beads. I love the oriental details on the S clasp, it is also handmade from India.
Available @ my shop

New born little leave and the silk flower for today.
Have a beautiful weekend!!

Lapis Lazuli

One of the few rocks used as a gem, lapis lazuli is composed of grains of several blue minerals, including lazurite and sodalite. This complex, opaque gemstone additionally has a matrix of calcite and speckles of pyrite. It is distinctively fluorescent. Lapis lazuli was created millions of years ago in the course of a metamorphosis that turned chalk into marble. The rich blue color is due to the sulfur inherent in the structure of lazurite. Because of its deep blue color, lapis is sometimes used in place of azurite with green malachite in jewelry.
Lapis lazuli was one of the first gemstones ever to be used and worn as jewelry. Excavations from tombs of Early Dynastic period (2900-2300 B.C.). around the Mediterranean have unearthed jewelry samples containing lapis. Countless necklaces and other artifacts crafted from lapis lazuli have been found in ancient sites, clearly indicating the people of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome cherished this deep-blue gemstone. The legendary city of Ur, situated on the Euphrates River, is reported to have run a busy trade in lapis lazuli as early as 4000 B.C. Many cultures worshipped it as a holy stone, especially in the Orient, where it was believed to contain magical powers. The stone was introduced to Europe by Alexander the Great. In the Middle Ages, monks powdered the stone and kneaded it into dough with beeswax, resin and linseed oil, for use in illuminated manuscripts.
Today, people around the world consider lapis lazuli to be a stone of truth and friendship. It is reputed to bring about harmony in relationships and to cleanse the mental body while releasing old karmic patterns. Being a spiritual stone, it allows spiritual energy to be absorbed in the aura. Major sources include Afghanistan, Egypt, Canada and Chile.

purple beauty

"the irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating -- in work, in play, in love. the act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around like rational hesitation. to commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."
~anne morris

I really love this painting, is from my sweet friend Niki who is a very talented painter and jewelry designer. And here is her very inspirational blog Scarlet Buffalo !!!

week of the gemstone :turquoise part 2

Chinese turquoise
Most Chinese turquoise is enhanced, which can include wax treatment, resin stabilization and/or dye.

Lime turquoise:
some believe that this gemstone from China's Hubei province is a magnesite or similar white stone that has been dyed green. Some of the beads display a very light matrix, while others show none.



Mexican turquoise :
These turquoise have good color (various shades of blue and green) and a light matrix. Mexican turquoise comes from the Pino Chueco ("Crooked Pine") or Campitos mines in Sonora, Mexico. This turquoise is very similar in color to the famed Sleeping Beauty turquoise, but often have pyrite inclusions.

week of the gemstone: turquoise part 1

This is high-grade natural turquoise that is not treated, enhanced or stabilized. Natural turquoise comes from mines in the U.S.A., Mexico and China. Sky-blue natural turquoise usually from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona is usually processed into beads in India, China or Vietnam. Be aware that it will absorb body oils and, over time, darken, often becoming green.


Stabilized turquoise
This is commercial-quality turquoise from various sources. Beads in this category are usually stabilized or enhanced to harden the stone.


African turquoise
This stone is not true turquoise, but actually a jasper found in Africa. It has a matrix structure similar to that of turquoise, and is a light bluish-green.

Mohave green turquoise; Apple green turquoise gets its lush color from dye applied to blue turquoise. Its surface is waxy and speckled like a real apple's skin, and its color is so intense, you can almost taste it. This gemstone is resin-stabilized and has a beautiful brown, white and dark green matrix.

Block turquoise
This is man made, imitation turquoise, produced in blocks from plastic resins and dyes. Black dye is swirled in the material to simulate matrix. Block material is produced in both the United States and China in many colors to imitate different stones and shells, and is commonly used for inlay and beads.

Boulder turquoise
Mined primarily in Nevada, boulder turquoise beads are comprised of thin ribbons of turquoise running through a matrix of brown stone (boulder). This allows small, otherwise uncuttable veins of turquoise to be used in jewelry. The veins of turquoise might also be chalcosiderite.

natural turquoise

Natural high quality Persian turquoise

@ bench!

Gold-plated: A base metal such as steel or brass is dipped into a bath of electroplating solution, with a lump of solid gold. When an electric current is applied, a thin layer of gold is deposited on the metal. Since the plating is quite thin, the plate (and hence the colour) on findings can wear off.


Vermeil: is sterling silver that has been gold-plated. Most of vermeil jewelry are plated with 22K-24K gold. This is a good combination for those with allergy to normal, plated jewelry items. The difference between vermeil, and gold-filled, is in the thickness of the gold and the base metal used. In vermeil, the base is sterling silver.


Gold-filled: also called rolled-gold. These jewelry items are not actually filled with gold. They are made of a base metal (usually brass or copper) covered by sheets of gold in a mechanical bonding process. Effectively a thick coat of gold: the gold content is 5% or 1/20 of the total weight. Usually made with 14k gold, it is hard wearing. With reasonable care it will not peel or flake, and should last as long as solid 14k gold jewelry.

gold cities on your fingers!

China town, Palace Pierre de Lune, New york, Paris and more.. These incredible architectural jewelry made by Philippe Tournaire who is one of the most talented jewelry designer in France.

Postcards

my super cool :P handmade card postal for this month; Benevolent Postcard Society which aims to bring a smile to its members through the random exchange of postcards from
September 2009 to September 2010 from all around the world.
BTW using recycled magazines to make my cards makes me feel happy!!

more xoxo ;)

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I am in Amsterdam and waiting for my Istanbul flight. The Airport is one of the busiest in the world and hard to find a spot with an internet connection. while i was looking for my old jewelry photos I found this one and decided to share with you. I made this modern bracelet last year, and i think it deserves to be posted.
have a nice weekend!

I am going home!!

My sweet friends Burcu & Onat took many beautiful pictures last summer and made this lovely movie which really makes me miss home a lot..
with The Maccabees - 'First Love'
enjoy!!!

last night

San Francisco from Treasure Island

I don't remember how many pictures I took, but it was absolutely cold!
if you click on the photo to make larger you can even read 'mills bros coffee' on the opposite side of the ocean.
by the way 'the opposite side of the sea' is one of my favorite song from Oren Lavie.

daisy beauty ring

Daisy is my mom's favorite flower. According to floral dictionary daisy means purity, innocence, loyal love, beauty, patience and simplicity. I think these are the perfect definitions for daisy!

This ring had to wait for my attention for a while! After i finished setting the mother of pearls in the bezel (five separate pieces) I wanted to add a nice cut gemstone as a stamen, but at the first time there was no way to set the stone on top of the flower without glue or etc. i gave up for a while, because I was taught that as jeweler i should not use glue on my designs. Then I found out another solution; after finishing the small bezel for the quartz I soldered two pieces of silver wire on the bottom of the bezel and mounted it in to the middle of the flower then I set the beautiful smoky quartz in the bezel as a stamen of the daisy :)
have a very happy birthday mom!!