Opal

The word opal is believed to have it's origin in  the Sanskrit word upala. The stone was known to various ancient civilizations. The Romans referred to it by the Latin name opalus. The Romans are believed to have bought opals from traders at the Bosporus in what is now Turkey who in turn might have imported them from India. It was considered a lucky stone in Medieval Europe because of it's multiple colors. Later in 19th Century England it fell out of favor for 50 years because of a novel by Sir Walter Scott in which one of the characters met an unhappy end while wearing an opal talisman. It's popularity was later resurrected by Queen Victoria who gave opal jewelry as gifts to her relatives. In Russia at one time it was believed to be an Evil Eye which gave the owner special powers for revenge. Nowadays opal is appreciated for it's beauty rather than for any perceived good or bad supernatural powers.
The opal bracelet pictured above can be found at http://www.beadshaper.com

Coral

Coral reefs are home to a significant per cent of marine plant and animal life. They are believed to have existed on and off for 500 million years but went through a number of  periods of dying off and then re-emerging. At present they are endangered by global warming and other effects of human enterprise. Red coral is a specific variety of coral that has been collected and used by humans for decorative purposes since ancient times. This red coral was found along the Mediterranean coast. The ancient Romans used it in trade with India where it was very popular. The use of coral continued through the Middle ages and Renaissance to modern times.
Bracelets like the red coral one pictured above can be found at Beadshaper

Carnelian Crochet

Carnelian is a rust colored gem stone and has been known since ancient times. Archaeologists have found examples of it dating back to 1800 BC in ancient Greece although its use probably predates that finding. The ancient Romans used it for signet rings. Kings in various nations have used it for that purpose. The Muslim leader Mohammed was believed to have worn a carnelian signet ring, and therefore it has been a popular stone in the Muslim religion. Some people consider it a good luck stone.
The necklace pictured above consists of many carnelian and other stones crocheted into a necklace. This necklace can be found on the Necklace Gallery of the Beadshaper web site.
Rose teaches the bead crochet technique at various bead shows in California. The next teaching session will be at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show. See Classes for details.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
The first Thanksgiving traditionally occurred in 1621 when the early Pilgrims had a feast together with the local Indians. Later in 1789 President George Washington proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving to be held in November. The holiday was celebrated sporadically after that until Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be the Thanksgiving holiday which has remained as a national holiday each year since then.
The pendant pictured above can be purchased at the Beadshaper web site at the reduced price of $99.

Ivory

Ivory is a hard bone-like material from the tusks of animals, particularly elephants. Ivory has been used go make various objects, like jewelry, carvings, etc. The word comes from the ancient Egyptian word for elephant. The ancient Greeks and Romans used ivory to make small statues, boxes, and other works of art. The ancient Chinese made religious items and pipe stems from ivory. In Muslim Malaysia ivory was used to make the handles of decorative daggers. In the Philippines after the introduction of Catholicism, ivory was used to make images of saints. In the more recent centuries, ivory was used to make a variety of utilitarian products including piano keys, various handles, and parts of furniture. Much of this has now been replaced by plastic since its invention. The great demand for ivory has made elephants an endangered species and has placed limits on the trade of ivory.
The ivory beads pictured above were made long ago and are part of a necklace for sale on the Metal Jewelry Shaper web site.

Larimar

Larimar is a turquoise colored stone found only in the Dominican Republic. Father Miguel Domingo Fuertes Loren discovered it in 1916. It was rediscovered in 1974 by Miguel Mendez and Norman Rilling on a beach. Mendez named it Larimar. “Lari” was taken from Larissa, the daughter of Mendez, and “mar” for the sea. 

A necklace featuring the Larimar pendant pictured above can be found on the Metal Jewelry Shaper web site.

Pyrite

Pyrite is a rough grey stone with sparkly gold-like flecks. It has been sometimes called fool’s gold because of the resemblance to natural gold. The name comes from the ancient Greek word for fire. When rubbed with another metal, it can produce sparks which can be used to light a fire. This has been known since prehistoric times. In the 16^th century, it was incorporated into muskets to ignite gun powder. It contains a rich content of sulfur and has been used in the manufacture of sulfur and sulfur compounds for centuries. As you can see from the pendant pictured above, it can be used as the focal point of a unique piece of jewelry.

You can see various stones set in silver pendants at Metal Jewelry Shaper