Saturday's Gem - Rhodonite

Rhodonite is one of my favorite minerals probably because it dons my favorite color pink.  The beautiful pink is often accented with intrusions of black veins of magnesium rich ore bodies.  It can also be found in the colors red and brown.  Rhodonite is from the silicate group and forms tabular crystals that have rounded edges and also in a massive form.   It is usually associated with sedimentary rock filling it's cracks and crevices.  It has a more coarse, granular look that varies from transparent to translucent with a pearly luster when cleaved.   The fracture is uneven.  It is found in many countries such as Madagascar, India, France, Russia, and the United States.  It is found on the East Coast in New Jersey area but there are also deposits throughout California. (1,2)

This wonderful slab shows the fanciful pattern that naturally occurs in Rhodonite.  This slab can be purchased from Etsy shop Etil at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/etil?ref=seller_info

I have been to areas that reportedly have Rhodonite but sadly I have not been able to find any myself.  It is a bit challenging and takes a keen eye to spot this beautiful stone because it is often disguised as a brown lump.  It will look like a common rock covered in dirt until you wet it or cleave it to show the brilliant color.  I never give up on stumbling across some on one of my trips but the mineral is more rare and I think for now I will have to stick to buying my pieces.

This beautiful sphere can be bought from Etsy shop CrystalSense at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/crystalsenses?ref=seller_info

Metaphysically Rhodonite is reported to have a very powerful restorative power for those who have suffered from some type of trauma that has drained them of their energy.  It is said to give its wearer a higher sense of self-confidence, value and self-esteem.  In general it is an emotionally uplifting stone.

I love the jewelry that is made from these stones, I don't know if it is the metaphysical properties the draw me to it or the simple fact that it is such a pretty pink that makes me feel so good when I wear it.  I hope you enjoy my selections. 


(1,2) For more information on Rhodonite or gems and minerals go to the references page found here: http://butterflyintheattic.blogspot.com/p/information-and-referrences.html  for a list of books used in this blog.

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:

Happy Birthday David Bowie

David Bowie turns 65 years old today.   Really, good Lord where does the time go?  Granted he is older than I am but I grew up with his music and it just seems like yesterday.


Growing up in the 70's and 80's was a really strange time but maybe it feels the same for all generations and I just noticed mine.   As I was growing up there was such a wide range of changes in things like technology and pop culture it wasn't the same country in 1980 as it was in 1970.  There are so many things that the kids couldn't live without today that were first introduced to the public during my teens.  Things like . . .Satellite dish, heck when I was young many of us still had black and white TVs . . . Cell phones, the phones in our home still had to be connected to the wall and it was a novelty to have a one in any other color than black or ivory . . . Computers, I felt so lucky that our family had a type writer (first one wasn't even electric.)  When these technologies changed so did our pop culture along with how and where we would listen to our music.

I the 70's, aside from a live concert, the radio, record player,  and boom box was where you would listen to your music.  But in the 80's along came satellite TV and MTV!   I was a typical teenage girl so I was obsessed with my music.  I liked rock and blues most and my favorites where David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Hendrix, Blues Brothers, and Alice Cooper but basically I loved all music from that genera. As a boy crazy teenage girl, MTV fed both of my obsessions by not only blasting the music but the images of what it was to be a big haired rock star.  Every boy and girl in my school dressed to look like either a member of Van Halen or The Bangles.

During the 80's, the band's or singer's hair was almost equally as important as whether or not they could sing.  If you didn't have the hair you might as well hang it up.  David Bowie had the hair, the talent, and the rebellious style that we all craved at the time.  Was it really so long ago that I was jammin' to Fame and trying to "rock the house down?"  Yikes! time flies...


Happy Birthday David Bowie and thanks for fulfilling the music needs of a rebellious teenage girl.  I hope you have a great one it was a lot of fun.

A Seed Planted and A Collection Grew

I am so grateful to have such special family, friends and fans in my life.   I had a wonderful New Years Eve celebration this year and would love to have you post what you did for your celebration in the comments. 

I was busy this morning creating a large New Years Day dinner.   Cooking gave me a chance to reflect back on what a busy but great year it has been.  One of the wonderful things that have happened this year is that I started my two little shops.  I am sure that I am no different than anyone else with a small business in that each of my shops started with a tiny seed planted in my head as a child.  I have always loved to learn and discover new things and I think that is why I find the thrill of  finding postcards and vintage items and rock hounding for gems and minerals so exhilarating.  Although these things may seem far reaching they are joined by one common passion - treasure hunting.

The seed for treasure hunting was planted by my grandparents through their gifts of antique postcards and collectibles.  They would also show me their collections and tell me why they collected it and where it came from.  One of the seeds my grandparents planted bloomed into my passion for rock hounding.

When I was around 4 years old they gave me a large chunk of petrified wood.  The interest grew as they told me the story about how they bought it in Arizona when they visited the Petrified Forest.  They spent time telling me about how it was formed and what the forest looked liked.  I was utterly amazed that an entire forest could be turned into stone and I couldn't get enough of this phenomenon.   I wanted desperately to see it for myself and spent hours unending dreaming of the day when I could travel to Arizona.



This awesome vintage postcard showing the Petrified Forest was found in ETSY shop The Flying Broom at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheFlyingBroom?ref=seller_info

 A few years later my uncle was stationed in Arizona's Air Force base and he sent me more amazing specimens.  Among what he sent me was Chalcedony Roses, Desert Rose and Apache Tears (obsidian rocks that you could see through) and from that I was officially obsessed with finding gems and minerals - a rock hound was born.

This lovely example of an Apache Tear or Obsidian stone was found in ETSY shop
No Stone Left Unturned 2 at
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/NoStoneLeftUnturned2?ref=seller_info

All of the hobbies have started out the same; a little trinket, a souvenir, a story, and a seed was planted and from that a collection grew.  Here are some new finds that remind me of the things that sparked my interests as a child.