Saturday's Gem - Grossular Garnet

Grossular is in the Garnet group and is probably the type that comes to mind when Garnet is talked about.  Depending on what elements were available at the time of its creation the color vary drastically from cinnamon brown and orange to stunning emerald green to pink, red, black and even white.  The sizes can also vary from extremes; I have found garnet that was a very pretty cinnamon brown but it was the size of a pencil tip to some that are the size of a pea.  There is even one found that was the size of a watermelon, needless to say I didn't find that one myself I just heard about it.  Grossular Garnet is transparent with a great luster making it desirable for jewelry making.  Once faceted these stones have a brilliance and are very pretty. 

This beautiful ring shows the wonderful green garnet can have.  You can purchase this ring at Etsy shop MySouthernLace at http://www.etsy.com/shop/mysouthernlace?ref=seller_info

This wonderful Orange Garnet shows how wide the variety of colors are.  This can specific piece is on reserve but please stop by Etsy Shop SilverFound and see their great selections of gems at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverFound?ref=seller_info

Grossular Garnet is silicate that is normally associated with contact and regionally metamorphic calcerous rock.  Not as often but sometimes it is also found in areas rich in Serpentine, which of course is California's state mineral and makes it so that Garnet is also readily available in California.  Garnet can also be found throughout the US and Canada along with many other countries.  Sri Lanka has beautiful that are very sought after but our own California gems are nothing to sneeze at.

Grossular Garnet are cubed shaped so they are very different looking than quartz (which often have a point,) they are a heavy stone that is also somewhat fragile.  Grossular Garnet has no cleavage and the ones I have found remind me of little buds cropping out of the host rock. 

Garnet is also used in industry often as a grinding agent but most of us think of the Grossular Garnet as a thing of beauty.  The metaphysically Garnet is thought to have strong curative powers.  It is worn on the body to protect against poisons.   Garnet is also thought to help with depression and when place under a pillow it is used to prevent nightmares and bad dreams.  Wear Garnet to help balance your energies, make you feel more uplifted along with increasing your positivity.  Of course when you are sending out positive energies you are more likely to draw positive things and people to you, so the metaphysical power of those stone is very useful to those that have had a bit of a down slope. 

These beautiful Pink Garnet faceted beads would be a wonderful addition to any jewelry designer's collection.  You can purchase these from RubyTrail at
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubytrail?ref=seller_info

 While Garnet has many uses my favorite is simply just fashion ware.  I absolutely love the pieces of jewelry I have and the few specimens I have found over the years are proudly displayed.  This is a very pretty stone and I have selected a few items from Etsy to show off just how pretty it is but there are many more listed than I could add so stop on by and see for yourself.

Saturday's Gem - Pyrite

Often people think of "Fools Gold" when Pyrite is mentioned because often years ago the amateur gold miner would see pieces of Pyrite glittering in the hot sun and think they hit Pay-Dirt just to find out that it wasn't gold when they tried to cash their treasure in.  People had also falsely sold Pyrite as gold to unsuspecting victim giving it the name "Fools Gold" because only a fool would mistake its luster as gold. 

This great specimen can be found in IvoryMoon at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ivorymoon?ref=seller_info

Personally I think that Pyrite has gotten a bad rap and I would love to find a deposit of nice specimens.  Pyrite is metallic and has a light yellow color making it easy for the novice to mistaken it for gold.  It comes in many different shapes:  cubic, crystal shaped, reniform (kidney shaped,) stalactitic, granular (I have seen this in a lake where the sand beneath the water is shimmery and sometimes fine tiny flecks will stick to your skin if you are swimming in it,) massive, botryoidal and nodular.  I desire to find a specimen that has at least one perfect square piece of Pyrite embedded in a wonderful host but so far that has remained illusive. 

This great single cubic Pyrite specimen can be found in NearEarthExploration at http://www.etsy.com/shop/NearEarthExploration?ref=seller_info

Some other traits of Pyrite is that it is common to find a specimen that has twinning (two crystals growing opposite directions,) it is often striated (if you look carefully it has little lines or ridges like a record), and it will streak a black-green streak if you rub it onto a peace of white unfinished tile.  Pyrite is a combination of sulfides formed in hydrothermal veins.  It is commonly found in Oregon and Arizona but it can be found throughout the US, just maybe not as prevalent as those two states.  In fact I know that there are areas in California that has deposits but I just have not been able to find them.

Most importantly though is that it is pretty.  I can tell you all about the properties and where it comes from but to me two of the most important traits for a gem or mineral is, how will it look in a display and how will it look worn as jewelry.  Here are some great examples of Pyrite and Pyrite jewelry, beads etc. I found on Etsy.  Have a blessed day friends.

Saturday's Gem - Rose Quartz

Since the color pink is my absolute favorite color, Rose Quartz is also on the list of one of my favorite semiprecious gem stones.  This mineral is commonly found in the US and all of the world since it is volcanic glass but there are only a few areas that have larger noted deposits of this stone.  What makes Rose Quartz different from other quartz is the pink color which comes from trace elements of titanium or manganese that was available at the time of formation.  California is one area that has a notable deposit and is reputed to have some very good quality and deep pink colored stones.  The stones that we typically see for sale at gem and mineral shows are from areas such as Madagascar, Brazil and there is also some that come from Germany. 


This raw Rose Quartz is from ETSY Shop Autumn Star Moon at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AutumnStarMoon?ref=seller_info

Rose Quartz is usually in a massive form which is unlike other quartz that form variable sizes of pointed crystals.  It is very rare to find a piece of Rose Quartz as a well formed crystal.   Because of this feature Rose Quartz is  more often used as beads and cabochons in jewelry making.  The most common specimens have a little bit of a milky or opaque quality to them so Rose Quartz is usually not faceted but some pieces do have that gem quality and can be used for fine jewelry. 

Rose Quartz is very brittle so when working with it you must keep this in mind.  Some times quartz will have inclusions (minerals that are not part of the main stone) that often will make the specimen perfect for a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. 

Rose Quartz is also used for spiritual purposes; the stone is said to bring positive energy and to help heal the body and mind.  When purchasing Rose Quartz as a spiritual tool you should "cleanse" the stone first prior to using.  To cleanse the stone you use one of the four elements - fire, water, earth, or wind.  The easiest method that I find is to use sea salt in a deep container and I place the rocks into the salt and seal it for at least 24 hours.  You can also use dirt (messier), water (may damage some stones but not the quartz) or pass it through the smoke from a lit candle.  There are many sites that will provide significant more detailed information on how to cleanse your stone this is just a snippet. 

You also need to "charge" your stone, which can be as simple as leaving it on the window sill in the sunlight for at least 24 hours.  Again googling this will provide much more detailed information that this.  But you also will have to cleanse and recharge your stones often for them to be affective.  I even do this with my jewelry that is made out of real stone.  Especially after I first purchase it, who would want another person's energy or Karma?  My methods are just suggestions there are many other ways to cleanse and charge your crystals.  This site will get you a great start if you are interested in the energy from crystals: http://www.millenniumminerals.com/resources/clean.html.
Here are some examples of beautiful Rose Quartz specimens and jewelry: