Gemstones I Work With

I have an awesome relationship with my beads - I simply adore them! Whenever I am at the bead shop to source for materials, I would be so carried away and simply lose track of time. Literally, I am in a world of my own. It is, what I call, 'bead heaven'.

From crystals to acrylics, to ceramics and gemstones. They are all gorgeous to me in many angles, especially since I like to work with mixed media jewelries. I have a special liking for gemstones in particular.

There are many kinds of gemstones - most are graded as semi-precious or precious. The truest gemstones are expensive and hard to find. In my line of work, especially to keep my range affordable, many of the stones I obtain are of organic materials yet is still considered as gemstones because of their luster and aesthetic value which are great for jewelry making.

Going through my treasure chests of beads recently, I've realized the preference for certain stones that I work with and would like to introduce you to them! If you are the kind of person that values the attributes of a stone for symbolic purposes, you may find this post useful.

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 Candy Jade

These stones are made from hard white jades or jadites and through a complex color enhancing process, the vibrant colors are derived. I love the unique shapes and bubble-gum colors that it has to offer.

*Although these are not top grade jades, the meaning behind wearing jade supposedly gives serenity and serves to alleviate anxiety and improve overall circumstances.

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 Dragon Vein Agate

I guess if you can see from the photo, why they are named so because of the visible 'vein' design in the stone. While there are the natural stones, I've also read another version that says these are stones which have been crushed, mixed with epoxy and compressed, dyed and then cut and polished to create the look. I would think to do so, it is already very impressive to reach this standard!

I love these stones for their lovely sheen and edgy colors, that adds character to my creations.

*Agate is said to balance energies and awaken talents. It can heighten creative visualization! (No wonder I get inspired when I look at it. :p)

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Howlite

Because of it's porous nature, it is easily dyed to look like 'turquoise' stones, which is a more expensive mineral. I like to use them as substitute to turquoise stones to keep it affordable to my customers.

*These stones are said to be calming with uses for stress-relieving of all kinds.

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Quartz

There are many varieties of the above stones. Quartz are recognized for being a rock crystal and are usually translucent. The ones that I own above are definitely heat treated and dyed. There is only so much the world can produce natural rock crystals so they would probably cost a fortune!

I love these stones for an understated elegance that it exudes.

*These stones are generally used for dispelling negativity.

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I still have a lot more other stones in my box which I am hoarding. [yikes!] Not a very good sign because my cupboard is running out of space! Perhaps I will share more of these beads here again another time. Now, please excuse me, it's time for me to frolic with my beads!

*The meanings provided behind these stones are for information purpose only. I do not claim to guarantee that the supposed power of the stones heal or work for anyone.

    Till the next post, have a blessed week!