Dazzling Drusy Crystal: A Hot Item in Today’s Jewelry Market
written for SWCreations by Lisa A. Vella
One form of quartz crystal that is becoming more popular among jewelry designers today is known as the Drusy (pronounced DREW-zee) mineral. Oddly enough, there are many different spellings, including “druzy,” “drusie,” “druse,” and even “drusies.” The word itself originated from the German word, druse, and is defined as a beautiful grouping of very tiny crystals that grows on the surface of a stone. It is also not uncommon for drusy to form in the cavity of a geode or larger pocket of a mineral deposit.
When ground water carries dissolved silica and forces it into a porous area of a rock, rapid cooling occurs. Tiny crystals, the drusy crystals, then form on the surface or in the cavity of that rock. It may be composed of the same material as the base rock, or it may consist of a layer of clear quartz over different material. Chrysocolla, azurite, malachite, and uvarovite (pronounced oo-vare-oh-vite) are just a few of the many forms of drusy out there.
Up until about ten years ago, drusy minerals were of little interest to most, but their use to gem carvers and jewelry designers has raised awareness and notoriety to the general public. Perhaps one reason for its sudden popularity is because it has so many unique characteristics. The crystal clusters grow in outward facing positions and are angular in shape. Its basic structure, which resembles sugar crystals, is very interesting in appearance, but when forming in its natural state may take a long time to grow.
Most non-quartz species are natural and come in a multitude of colors—also an attractive feature for jewelry designers and connoisseurs alike. It forms in colors of green, blue, black, white, orange, and even polka-dot. It may be surprising to know that even colors such as hot pink (cobalto-calcite) and multi-colored (rainbow pyrite) forms of drusy occur in the natural world—not at all color-enhanced by man.
The fact that it has been around for thousands of years, makes it popular among the general public. It is strongly associated with interesting folklore and healing properties that give it additional appeal. Many who wear it even today believe in its powers—just as those of ancient times did.
Generally speaking, all drusy crystal is thought to help promote inner strength, and is even believed to encourage ideas or thought forms to grow. Specific forms of the stone, however, are known to have their own individual benefits. For example, Chrysocolla, a light green or sky blue stone promotes creativity, female energy, communication, and even aids in the relief of ulcers and arthritis. It is also associated with peace, patience, and unconditional love. Malachite, on the other hand, has powers of protection, success in business, and was often worn to detect impending danger. It was thought to break into tiny pieces when danger was near. Folklore says that Azurite, named after its azure or deep-blue color, was used in ancient cultures to contact divine consciousness. For this reason it was also known as “the stone of heaven.” It’s purifying effect on the mind and body helped one connect with the highest wisdom.
People appreciate drusy crystal for many different reasons. For some, it’s for its aesthetic beauty. For others, it’s for its healing powers and nurturing properties. Whatever the reason, it is certainly considered nothing less than a lovely gift from nature.
Work at Home Mom – WAHM
by Stephanie A White
Working from home can be a very rewarding job. It is such a gift to be able to see your kids off to school and be there when they return home. There are more than 10 million Work at Home mothers ranging from your crafty mom to your data entry computer job mom. With gas prices still on the rise you might welcome not having the daily commute and shelling out all that money.
If you are currently looking for something to do from home you need to be on the alert for the Work at Home scams. Just remember that old saying, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” If they are asking you for money to help you find a position this should be a red flag. Real opportunities do exist, but you will have to exercise discretion to determine if the position is real or a scam. This would be an excellent time to have your guard up and take the time to do the research. After all anyone, even scam artists, can build a presentable convincing website these days.
These are some good tips and words of caution:
-
· If they are asking for money, NEVER send money; legitimate recruiters or employers will never ask you for money.
-
· Check and see if the opportunity comes from a real website. If you are not familiar with the company do some additional research.
-
· Look through websites to locate information about the company, such as; address, email, and telephone number. You may have to do a Whois.net search to see detailed contact information.
-
· Filling out the forms could be a scam to get your email address, so be sure you thoroughly do your homework on every website, before giving out your personal information.
-
· Watch out for the ‘Act Now!’ statements. Although you do not want to miss out on an opportunity, be patient no legitimate company will hire you on the spot.
-
· If the income they promise seems too incredible or they promise you will only have to work a few hours a week, be very cautious. This is one of those ‘too good to be true’ red flags.
A good place to start is to determine what your areas of interest are. Also, what fields are you experienced in? The odds are if you like what you do you will probably enjoy doing it more. Someone once said “if you love what you do, the money will follow”, and I can attest to that statement. If you are starting your own business it can take 2-3 years to get the business off the ground. Starting an online business can be very rewarding but will still require work and research to climb to the top of the search engines. It is possible to create a successful internet business that requires less overhead.
If your Work at Home business does become successful you will have to learn how to balance working from home with managing your family. It is possible to use a content management system to build just about any type of online business. The content management software programs require a learning curve, but they are easier to manage on the day to day basis. In the beginning you will have more than enough time to expand your topics of interest although as your business grows you may find it is more than one person can handle. Unless your company is producing enough to hire outside help you will want to avoid spreading yourself too thin; after all there is only so much one person can do in one day and still have time for her family.
http://workathomesuccess.com/scamalert.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_at_home
May’s Birthstone: Enduring Emerald
written for SWCreations by Stephanie Dray
May’s birthstone is emerald, a green gemstone that heralds the lush landscape of spring. May is a month in which flowers blossom, grass unfolds, and everything seems new again. Emerald is a stone that capture’s all spring’s verdant splendor, ranging in color between a bluish jungle green to chartreuse. The stone and the month are a perfect pairing.
Yet, for all of its exotic allure, emerald stones are simply a green variety of beryl. Aquamarine, another type of colored beryl, is the sister stone to May’s birthstone. But unlike aquamarine, emeralds are notorious for their flaws.
Though emerald clocks in at a respectable 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, its frequent flaws and inclusions make it less durable than many birthstones; emeralds are more prone to cracking than similar stones of the same size. To disguise the flaws and enhance the appearance of the stone, most emeralds are treated today with colorless oils and resins. Unfortunately, this means that they cannot be cleaned in an ultrasonic bath and you have to be careful even washing your hands if you’re wearing an emerald birthstone ring.
May’s birthstone has a rich history and lore that spans the globe. Emerald once betokened power and rule in ancient Egypt and Babylonia. Cleopatra famously mined them in Egypt, and rulers from India to Persia and beyond rushed to buy them. The ancient Roman writer Pliny once famously observed of emerald that “Nothing greens greener.”
But emerald’s history isn’t just limited to the cradle of civilization. The discovery of the new world revealed that emeralds were prized in the Americas as well. In 1532, Conquistidor Pizzaro captured the Inca King of Peru who named among his treasures an emerald crown. Cortez also loaded boats with emeralds to bring back to Europe.
In addition to their historical importance, emeralds also have religious significance. The bible names emerald as one of the birthstones in the breastplate of Aaron, representing the tribe of Judah. Emerald has importance to Christianity as well. Italy boasts of a Holy Grail cup made of emeralds that was captured during the crusades and which is said to have been used by Christ at the Last Supper.
The Koran also describes heaven’s garden as being carpeted with emeralds, and the famous ‘Mogul Emerald’ has prayers engraved in it. The Hindus revere emeralds for their supposed healing properties and its name in Indian means “the green of growing things.”
From the old world to the new, emerald’s rich religious and cultural history made it a prized stone in ages past, but our love affair with May’s birthstone still endures. In fact, high quality emeralds are worth more than diamonds by carat weight. Perhaps it is the vast depth of emerald green that calls to us, or maybe, as the ancients believed, the stone is simply soothing to the eye. Whatever accounts for our fascination, emerald is like spring captured in a stone and that makes it the perfect birthstone for May.
Links