Posted by Alicia E. Staz on October 4th, 2006 — Posted in Crystals
The garnet has been dubbed the gem of faith, constancy and truth. Accordingly, the garnet is a symbol of friendship, love and devotion. It is the birthstone for January and the suggested gift for the second anniversary. Garnet happens to be my son’s birthstone as he was born on New Years’ Day, January 1, 2005. It is one of my favorites and graces my Mother Bracelet.
Garnets are most commonly red in color but can be found in a variety of colors, including purple, red, orange, yellow, green, brown, black, or colorless. So what makes a garnet a garnet and not an emerald, or amethyst? The garnet group of minerals shows crystals with rhombic dodecahedrons and trapezohedrons. The chemical elements in garnet include calcium, magnesium, aluminium, iron2+, iron3+, chromium, manganese, and titanium. The hardness is 6.5-7.5 and the specific gravity is 3.1-4.3.
The word “garnet” appears to originate with the Latin word granatus which means “grain.” This is possibly a reference to the Latin phrase granatum malum which means “pomegranate.” Pomegranate a red fruit with seeds (grains) similar in shape, size, and color to some garnet crystals.
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Posted by Alicia E. Staz on September 20th, 2006 — Posted in Crystals
I am starting a series on birthstones. Many of the items at Beaded Royalty are designed with birthstones and I use Swarovski crystal beads exclusively because they are the best. Also called Austrian crystal, Swarovski crystal is the finest quality, full-lead crystal made today. Swarovski crystal contains a minimum of 32% PbO (lead), to maximize refraction and make the crystal optically pure. Swarovski crystal is faceted with tremendous precision and brilliant colors and/or coatings are added to create beads of dazzling beauty in a tremendous variety of shapes and sizes.
Daniel Swarovski was born in 1862 in Bohemia. Bohemia was one of the most important manufacturing centers for glass and crystal. As a young boy, Daniel watched his father work in his glass and crystal cutting business. When he got older, he completed apprenticeships with his father and at several other crystal-cutters. At the age of 21, he had an idea of a lifetime - develop a machine for cutting crystal. For nine years, he worked day and night on his dream. In 1892, he registered a patent for his invention: a machine that cut crystal to perfection every time. In 1895, he founded Swarovski with his brother-in-law Franz Weis and Armand Kosmann. They opened a crystal cutting factory in Wattens (near Innsbruck, Austria) where they could take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes of his machine.
It took the years between 1908 and 1913 to perfect the formula for a flawless crystal. This was done primarily by Daniel’s sons Wilhelm, Friedrich, and Alfred who followed in their father’s footsteps. Their goal was to create the very finest crystal in the world and to meet production demands that were growing every year.
Swarovski has invented and patented hundreds of unique products comprised of crystals. Here are just a few:
1931 - Crystal-set fabric ribbon, which could be applied directly to clothing, shoes, and any other accessory
1956 - Jewelry stone finish “Aurora Borealis”, which shimmers in every imaginable color
1967 - Machine cut simulated precious crystals
1975 - “Hot-Fix” technology adds a sparkling radiance to any item of clothing
1993 - “Crystal Mesh” revolutionized jewelry and fashion accessory design
1999 - “Crystal Tattoo” applies self-adhesive crystal jewelry stones to the skin
2003 - “Crystal Fabric” fuses fabric and crystal into a second skin
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Posted by Alicia E. Staz on September 13th, 2006 — Posted in Crystals
I love charms. I think they really add personality and individuality to a piece of jewelry. I have looked into the recent history of charms and thought I would share. Quite interesting…
Charms have been around since the very beginning of recorded history. Ancient man wore teeth and shells as adornments. The Egyptians used them to ward off bad spirits. However, the recent history of charms as we know them today began in the early 20th century. It was Queen Victoria who made charms a highly sort after fashion item. She wore small lockets containing family portraits, jewels and even locks of her beloved husband’s hair in charms on her bracelets.
Charm bracelets had their first peak of popularity in the United States after World War II. American soldiers returned home from Europe and the islands in the Pacific with souvenir charms for their sweethearts, wives and mothers. They had picked up trinkets made by native craftsmen representing items common to the particular area where they had been stationed. Jewelers quickly picked up on the trend and began to create charms for all occasions.
Today, charms are as popular as ever. Charms represent the wearer’s personality and special interests, such as pets, hobbies, career, or beliefs. They have a unique ability to commemorate special life events - births, weddings, graduations - and become a gift that can be added to over the course of a person’s life. Since they don’t tarnish, sterling silver charms like the ones I use at Beaded Royalty, many times become cherished family heirlooms when passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter.
The fashion industry has even discovered the lure of the charm bracelet, flooding the market with new charm styles. Fashion leaders like Louis Vuitton have declared them the must-have accessory for any occasion. If the most recent history is any indication, it looks like charms will be in style for quite sometime.
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