Cat's Eyes - Dzi Beads - Crystals

While it is general knowledge that the diamond is the hardest natural substance known today, few know that second only to the diamond in hardness is the sapphire. Perhaps this is indicative of the sapphire’s “unlucky” history, so to speak.  Throughout history, sapphires have always been mistaken as other gemstones. Green sapphires were known as emeralds and purple ones were known as amethysts.

However, for the most part, sapphires have always been revered. There is a belief that Earth’s sky is nothing but a gigantic blue sapphire, and there is perhaps nothing more true given that sapphires exist in all shades of blue – not unlike the various blue shades of the sky. The only reason why sapphires have been mistaken for other gemstones is the fact that sapphires exist in a large variety of colours - whether blue, green, purple, yellow, or pink – though blue sapphires remain the most popular among them all.

Besides the sheer beauty of the sapphire, there are many other reasons to own one. On the more fantastic side of things, some believe that wizards and magicians couldn’t live without the sapphire as it was a key component in their efforts to control spirits. On a more spiritual side of things, ancient kings once wore sapphires to protect them from jealousy and harm, while the clergy believed that the sapphire symbolised the celestial and therefore, preferred it above all other gemstones.

More conventionally, many own sapphires as they help to improve ones mood and ease pressure. The fact that blue, the predominant colour of sapphires, is associated with emotions such as harmony and sympathy is said to be a reason for this. Sapphires are also said to be able to create balance, loyalty and stability - a key reason why many women like sapphire engagement rings.

Sapphires come in different shapes and forms, some rarer than others (e.g. star sapphires). But like other gemstones, their value hinges on more critical factors, i.e. size, colour, transparency, and geographic origin. The most highly cherished sapphires come from Kashmir, Burma and Ceylon. Of course, non-natural factors can also play a part in determining the value of a sapphire. For one, untreated sapphires are more valuable than those that have been treated.

In any case, low and medium quality sapphires can actually be quite common, but high quality sapphires still remain a rarity even today. So, investing in a top quality sapphire will always be a good move. Not only will you have one of the most beautful, useful and highly regarded gemstones, but the sheer hardness of the sapphire make them especially easy to care for.

Posted by at 7:15 PM | Permalink

Let's take a break from the unique dzi beads, and come back to conventional beads. But instead of discussing about the beads themselves, we'll be talking about beading needles - needles that you use to pass your strings (or rather, your stringing material) through small-holed beads.

There are quite a number of beading needles available to beading enthusiasts these days, but among the most commonly used are: Conventional beading needles (for the lack of a better and more unique name), twisted wire needles, and big-eye needles. Let us start with the first.

Conventional beading needles are narrow-eyed needles, which are relatively fine and long. Some are actually as along as 3-inches, but no matter the length, they are best used for small-holed beads like pearls and certain seed beads. However, while the small eyes are advantageous in keeping this sort of needles fine enough for even the smallest-holed beads, they are remarkably dificult to thread through.

Twisted wire needles are also rather fine, but they are completely different from conventional beading needles. For one, they tend to be one-use needles, i.e. use once then throw. Such needles have a large loop on one end - which is where you pass your stringing material through - and a twist on the other end. When you pass one of these needles through a small-holed bead, that loop will collapse and the stringing material will be secure.

Last but not least, we have big-eye needles. These are not one-use needles like twisted wire needles, but they do not have small eyes like conventional beading needles. These needles have a special threading mechanism which make them the easiest needles to thread. They work best for fairly small-holed beads.

So, that's about it for this post. Hopefully this meager introduction in beading needles will help in your overall beading studies!

Posted by at 5:38 PM | Permalink

Dzi beads are probably one of the most misunderstood types of beads. When you say dzi beads in front of a friend, they’ll most likely be conjuring images of some sort of tiny, obscure bead attached to a wrist chain or necklace. Little do they know about their true aesthetic and talismanic properties.

Dzi beads are generally not the type of beads you’ll be using in a beading class. You’ll rarely see them mixed with conventional beads, such as plastic or metal beads. Dzi beads are actually patterned beads mainly of cylindrical or tabular shape, which play an important role in Tibetan culture. While their true origins are unknown, many believe that they come from the hands of the gods – thus lending a mystical feel to the primarily agate beads.

Most dzi beads come in shades of red and brown, though the etched patterns can come in a myriad of other colours. They also come in various sizes and forms, though they are more often classified by the pattern etched on their surfaces. But whether we are talking about three-eyed long-type beads or tiger stripe totem dzi beads, bear in mind that different patterns lend to different properties.

In any case, it must be noted that the prices of authentic dzi beads have risen dramatically in the past decade, with higher quality beads fetching thousands of dollars. This, of course, has resulted in fakes flooding the market, whether made of natural agate or worse still, plain glass. Generally, these beads are identifiable by their “newness”, though expert forgers can still fool the general buyer with well-placed smudges, scratches and chips.

Overall, it must be said that not very much is known about dzi beads, with experts still attempting to come up with rational descriptions of their talismanic properties. But what is known can already fill multiple books, so let me continue with this topic in another post. I’ll most likely be addressing some of the more common types of dzi beads available.

Posted by at 1:36 AM | Permalink

Swarovski crystals adorn custom couture t-shirts. Swarovski crystals feature on tote-able items like iPods and Razrs. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that Swarovski crystals are taking the front seat at the currently running India Fashion Week 2006, where nine Indian designers are showcasing their crystallised works.

The designers involved are J.J. Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani, Manish Arora, Shantanu Goenka, Malini Ramani, Kavita Bhartia, Rina Dhaka, Aparna Chandra and Jattinn Kocchar.

India Fashion Week 2006 started on the 5th of April, and is set to end on the 9th.

[News via The Times of India]

Posted by at 2:24 PM | Permalink

We’ve talked about beading a little bit before. But to really get into the subject, we will first have to examine why in the world someone would want to do something as sedentary, and presumably boring, as beading. A recent article brought up how beading is a new form of therapy for women. That is, fun therapy.

Beading not only provides its practitioners the joy and satisfaction of creating something truly unique, but it also serves as an avenue for women to socialize. Contrary to popular belief, beading is often done in groups, or at least pairs. There are even beading parties, where tens of women congregate to bead, and bead. As beading utilizes only your hands (and your brains), the socializing can happen while you’re beading with your group mates.

And another advantage of beading is that it is relatively inexpensive. You will not need any expensive machinery or tools, nor will you need to spend thousands of dollars to learn how to do it. Beading can be self-taught, and most often, that’s how most people learn beading. Whether over the Internet, or through books in the local library, there is never a shortage of learning materials.

So, if you happen to have tons of unproductively used spare time, why not start beading? After all, you could even sell your creations. How many hobbies can provide satisfaction, fun, and the opportunity to make money?

 

Posted by at 12:31 PM | Permalink

Remember when I wrote earlier about how everything these days seem to contain crystals? Well, no matter even if you have forgottten because we have another excellent example right here: Super Sexy Custom Couture T-Shirts.

These "...urban-esque glam girly tees and tanks..." actually contain hand set Swarovski crystals. Even with the crystals though, it seems that these t-shirts can be machine-washed as they "...retain their appearance after several washes." Now, what "several washes" actually means is unclear.

But at least, the tees look pretty good.

Posted by at 10:59 PM | Permalink

Nothing much really, just a couple of variants of cat's eyes - with copyright-free (a rarity: possibly rarer than the cats eyes themselves, really) pictures that I found over at Cochise College. But before we go to the variants, let us start with a few basics regarding cat's eyes.

True cat's eyes are varieties of chrysoberyl, and are valuable gemstones. It's (chrysoberyl's) chemical composition is BeAl₂O_{4 (i.e.} Beryllium Aluminium Oxide). They can come in a range of colours between yellow, green and brown.

A large part of a cat's eye's value is judged from its richness of colour, sharpness and clarity - especially that of its inside band. For example, a cat's eye with a sharp, straight and brilliant inside band is considered more valuable than one with a fuzzy inside band.

Now, back to our two variants: 

Remember, chrysoberyl cat's eyes are the true cat's eyes. Apatite may appear to be similar to chrysoberyl, but it is actually a softer and less valuable stone. Other chrysoberyl cat's eye substitutes include quartz and glass.

Posted by at 12:03 AM | Permalink

Before we go to the more subjective (and interesting) portion of this feature, let me start with some basic facts on moldovite, including color, origin and composition.

Color: Bottle-Green
Origin: Czechoslovakia
Chemical Composition: SiO₂ + Al, Ca, Fe, K, and Na

On the physical side, moldavite is generally rough and amorphous - with small "humps". Moldavite is believed to be formed when rock vapours condense after meteorite impact. Some even specifically place modalvite's origins to the Moldau Valley of Czechoslovakia, where a meteorite shower fell many millions of years ago. Thus the name moldavite. Moreover, as a result of these beliefs, moldavite is also known as a glass meteor. Other names for moldavite include water chrysolite and Bouteille stone.

Until recently (perhaps when ‘Moldavite, Starborn Stone’ by Bob Simmons and Kathy Warner was published in 1986), it was a relatively obscure stone - even to crystal workers. But it's power was bound to astound sooner or later. In fact, it is such a powerful New Age stone that some believe that first-timers should not hold it for too long.

Spiritually, moldavite helps in channelling and spiritual development. The high energy the stone is said to contain may also be able to clear blockages in each of the chakras. Sometimes, people admit to feeling heat from the stone due to its high energy level. On a more practical side, moldavite can help you to clear real "blockages", such as experiences and habits that are deterring your personal development.

But on a more fantastic side (that you could choose to believe if you wanted to), moldavite is said to stimulate communication and energy transfer between humans and extra-terrestials. This belief most likely spawned from moldavite's "meteorite impact" origins.

In any case, whether or not you choose to believe its practical, metaphysical, or extra-terrestial benefits, moldavite can only help you in your crystal working and your daily life. So, make sure you have at least one piece of moldavite in your collection to harness these benefits.

Posted by at 9:22 PM | Permalink

Crystals are great, we know that. They are wonderful aesthetically, as well as practically given the transformative properties inherent in them. However, is there something as too many crystals, or too much of it? A recent news piece on how Sachi Designs adds Swarovski crystals to everything from boots to phones brought my attention to this topic.

An excerpt:

IN an era of more -- more people, more color, more noise, more graphics -- you gotta admit, it's pretty hard for any individual to stand out from the crowd and the raucous backdrop of urban life.

There's nothing like a little sparkle to catch the eye and in contemporary thinking if a little is good, a lot is better.

So it's no wonder bling is big. Swarovski crystals or their imitations now grace products from jeans to handbags to T-shirts. And while the mother of crystal-encrusted minaudieres, Judith Leiber, creates charming and dazzling masterpieces that sell for $1,000 and up, artistic souls such as Deidre Garland of Sachi Designs have found a new calling in putting a shine on such everyday, tote-able totems as Razrs and iPods.

What do you think? Personally, I feel this level of "crystalization" is a bit much, both on the eye and on many pockets. But it is a striking approach to portray personal preferences and financial means. This "crystalization" also makes the items you crystalize far more valuable, and therefore, enhancing its timelessness. After all, will you dispose of your crystal-enhanced handphone for a more technologically advanced model?.

But more importantly, crystal companies will probably be looking at this as a growth market for the future. If crystalized consumer products actually manage to build a strong demand base, you can be sure that the big boys will join the fray.

Posted by at 9:09 AM | Permalink

Pearls have always been popular, especially among women. They served as key components to almost all of the most valuable jewelry in the past, from the crowns of kings to the necklaces of nobles. In fact, it would be an understatement to say that they are still popular today, with synthetic pearls created to help meet the heavy demand for natural pearls - albeit only as imperfect substitutes.

The use of pearls is diverse. As medicine, many believed that pearls helped ease digestive problems, reduce fevers, heal insomnia, and cure poisonings. Even today, low grade pearls are ground finely into powder to be used to prepare high quality pharmaceutical calcium.

Ecological changes (as well as the over-demand for pearls) at the end of the 12th century, disrupted the supply of pearls. It is at this time that the Chinese attempted to produce artificial pearls. At the threshold of the 20th century, the Japanese managed to produce quality cultured pearls. To date, the Japanese are considered the master growers of cultured pearls.

But whether we are talking about cultured or natural pearls, few understand the rich symbolism pearls have as a result of their origins. Almost all pearls originate from fresh water sources - such as rivers, lakes or seas. Given that water, whether a fresh water source or a bath or shower, is calming, a pearl therefore provides the same tranquility. Pearls help to bring peace and reduces over-sensitivity. It is also known as the stone of honesty - ensuring that truth is present in many situations.

Overall, pearls are clearly powerful jewels - whether aesthetically or practically. While there are no proven tangible rewards for owning a pearl, few would say no to a pearl - if they could afford it that is. The best of pearls are now priced exorbitantly, preventing all but the most wealthy from owning them. Most now have to satisfy themselves with either medium grade natural pearls, or artificial cultured pearls.

 

Posted by at 8:28 AM | Permalink