Quartz: Frozen Ice

Pliny the Elder, Roman naturalist, contended that quartz crystal (or rock crystal as the colourless variety is sometimes known)is actually ice that has become permanently frozen over a long period of time. When I see some of the quartz stones I have with beautifully faceting that are flawless to the eye, it's easy to see why he believed this! Quartz is created in hydrothermal areas, so it's no wonder that where I grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas, we found quartz in our backyard, sparkling in rock formations that formed small bluffs and hills. Although there are real diamonds that are found in Arkansas - indeed anyone can go to Murfreesboro and go diamond-mining for a small fee - I still think of quartz crystals as Arkansas diamonds.Because of this, and because genuine diamonds are so expensive, I offer quartz crystals as alternates to the April birthstone which is the diamond. For women who don't care for small, delicate jewelry, quartz crystal is the perfect alternative since very beautiful pieces of eye flawless rock crystal are easily obtainable and affordable for most people. Another plus is that quartz looks equally good with gold or silver accents. The Quartz Jewelry that you see here is just a small sample of the quartz jewelry pieces that we have on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. On the Quartz Jewelry page you will see quartz bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. The earrings that you see below are some of my favorites for two reasons: I adore the great pearl cabochon earwires and the sterling swirls of wire that wrap around these pretty rock crystal nuggets. Another great plus with quartz crystal is that it is dressy enough to go to a cocktail party with that little black chiffon number, but casual enough to wear everyday without looking too glitzy!

Finally just to add some colour to this post: on our Unusual Jewelry page you will find the colourful bracelet below handcrafted of lampwork beads by Suzanne Celestine, some very pretty almost translucent rhodochrosite and chrysoprase -not a usual combination, we think. Rain Song has two strands of gemstones and sterling silver from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes, including a very pretty toggle clasp with a silver flower set on the toggle ring.
Now, if we survive the rainy season here (I'm about ready to call it monsoon season since the last two weeks or so has rivaled monsoon season in southern India), it will be Summer!

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Prehnite: Misty and Romantic

Prehnite is one of those gemstones that no one has ever heard of until suddenly you start seeing it everywhere. Discovered in the 18th century in South Africa by a Colonel von Prehn, prehnite is usually a light green colour - a distinctive green not quite like any other although I have seen people confuse it with green tourmalinated quartz. It is also found in Namibia, Germany, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, India, Austria, and Canada as well as Scotland, Australia and France.
I like prehnite for its "misty" quality of green; some would say almost a milky quality although I disagree with that term. It does have black inclusions occasionally, but often these inclusions simply add to its beauty since the contrast with the pale green is quite beautiful. The prehnite bracelet above can be found on our Unique Gemstone Jewelry page, and the one below on the Unique Handmade Bracelets page. The prehnite bracelet above is simply two strands of prehnite blessed only with sterling silver for an accent, while the bracelet below also has the lovely lampwork beads of Suzette Celestin of Gaslite Lampwork. For those of you interested in the metaphysical aspects of gemstones, prehnite is best known for promoting lucid dreaming and is known as a protective gemstone with regenerative properties. It is also said to encourage energy flow through the body.
And here, because graduation is coming up, I've included a prayer box necklace with a difference: lampwork beads and genuine natural aquamarines. It's also loaded with sterling silver and would make a great graduation gift for a young girl who's special to you. Of course, the greatest part of the gift would probably be the prayer that you could write on a tiny piece of paper and put inside the prayer box so that it could accompany her on her journeys after graduation.

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