A Gem of a Day

Hello dear readers,

Sorry it has been a while...I have been a little" under the weather" as they say, with a sore back.... and had to spend the better part of the week resting. Ah... the joys of ageing!!

Anyway, I am up and running now and want to show you some of the lovely gemstones I recently purchased at a local supplier, Ajit. I was lucky enough to walk in to their shop in Swanston street, Melbourne, when Ajit was having a huge sale, so, of course had to make the most of it!

Unfortunately, I was told their  retail shop was closing, ( last Friday) although I do not know anything about the on-line business. For those that live in Melbourne, I was also told they will still be at The Melbourne Bead Expo, which is on 11th-13th November.

I have been looking for some beads that would go with a stunning lampwork focal I bought recently, when I went to the Flame on Glass 2011 at Kirra Galleries, Melbourne.

I think some of these will definitely fit the bill.

Left to right...labradorite, carnelian, ( forgot to write the name of this one down...it's a very pretty pale blue...looks way too grey here) faceted labradorite again, citrine, moonstone, labradorite again, tanzanite          and garnet.

Just look at this delicious mix! Garnet and Carnelian.

The beautiful jumbled pile.

Those who know me, know that Garnets are special to me for sentimental reasons.

My Mother's name was Garnet as was her Mother.......you can see more about my love of Garnets here if you wish.

That's it for me today...hope you are all enjoying your weekend....

Cheers until next time,

A Garnet Story

As I do not have any new beads or jewellery to show today,  I have decided to write about the semi- precious stone, garnet.

My maternal grandmother's first name was Garnet. My mother's name was Garnet and my oldest daughter's middle name is Garnet.

I grew up captivated by the name and the stone from which my female relatives were named.
There are many jewellery pieces with garnets in them in my family. One was combined with rubies, others with diamonds. Simpler pieces stood alone with gold or silver.

For many years, I believed that garnets only came in dark red.  Red is the most common colour,  however garnets can come in many different shades of red from almost black to bright red.

I now also know that garnets can come in a variety of colours: brown, black, orange, red, green and even a rare blue-green. There are also stones which change colour depending on whether they are in sunlight or seen in artificial light.

In history, garnet was said to be a gem of "faith and truth".
It was believed to be medicinally powerful, used as a remedy for inflammatory diseases, to help cure liver complaints, and to aid in the cessation of haemorrhage.  It was also believed to cure depression.
In medieval times many believed that wearing garnet would protect against bad dreams, wounds and poison.

Garnets have been found in jewellery from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times.
Garnets were found as beads in a necklace worn by a young man in a grave that dates back to 3000bc. This indicates the strength and durability of the stone. ( it has a hardness factor of 7-7.5 on the mohs scale)

In more recent times, it is said to be the birthstone for the month of January.

Just this week, a cousin purchased a new garnet and diamond ring to replace one that had been lost.
There is such a strong link between the name of the stone and the name of our beloved relatives that any piece of garnet jewellery will always evoke a fond memory or two,  often leading to an interesting discussion.
And that is always good.

I think I now may need to go and buy a garnet ring or bracelet or necklace.......!!

Cheers,

Jenni

Photo Acknowledgements:
- Ring from Westonjewelry
- Cut stones from Silverjoyce