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Content:
Aquamarine – March’s Gemstone
Spring Beads
Chalcedony – A Graceful Stone for Spring Jewellery
Spring Bead Fairs
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Aquamarine is the treasure of mermaids, and those legends have it that for aquamarine to be truly powerful, it must be immersed in sea water and bathed in sunlight. The gemstone is also supposed to have powers that reach to land too, helping married couples solve their problems and drive off evil.
Aquamarine is associated with the thymus gland and is very soothing worn as a necklace. It will also help coughs, reduce fluid retention and calm the nerves. The Romans used aquamarine for stomach troubles and believed it could cure liver and throat problems. Aquamarine brings courage, aids quick intellectual response, and gives peace while protecting the aura.
Colour ranges from a very light turquoise blue to a bluish green. Darker blue colours are the best with greener being less valuable. Check the clarity of the stone. Because aquamarine has a light pastel colour, it is important that it be free of flaws or inclusions.
Examine the cut and check light reflects evenly off the surface of the gem and that there are no scratches. Look at the stone from several different angles to be sure. Aquamarine is usually heat treated and sometimes irradiated. However, it will become paler if left out in the sun.
Clean aquamarine in with warm soapy water and a soft bristle brush. As with all gemstones, protect from scratches and sharp blows.
To see all aquamarine at MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com
Make a bright and matching spring necklace, bracelet & earrings. Green is this years colour – so choose lots of green beads to use in your designs.
Other spring colours to look for are yellow citrine, light green chrysoprase, chrysocolla, Chalcedony and chalcedony.
See all our categories at MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com.
Romance
Chalcedony is ideal for the lady you love or to use on wedding jewellery. Some people even use chalcedony wedding rings. Set in white gold or silver, it creates just the right look.
What is chalcedony?
Its name is said to come from an ancient Greek town called Chalkedon, now in Turkey. It is a fine-grained variety of quartz with a waxy luster and microscopic compressed crystals. Because of this structure, chalcedony is usually semi-opaque – which creates a soft glow as the light diffuses through the stone, ideal for graceful jewellery.
The Romans made seals from chalcedony, and the stone has been carved into ornaments for thousands of years. And in the past its heavenly blue colour explains why it had been called Mecca stone and St Stephen’s stone.
Colour
Chalcedony comes in every colour, but for jewellery it’s usually light milky blue with a hint of pink. Being porous, it’s been dyed blue and pale minty-green for centuries – and today sometimes its colour enhanced to emerald green and even tangerine and peachy pink.
Formation
Chalcedony is formed in volcanic rock cavities where silica-rich water flows through. Traces of iron oxide in the water create the pinkish and sometimes red colour.
The gemstone can be seen in the Arizona Desert, where petrified trees have formed from chalcedony replacing the ancient forest. Native Americas there called the stone sacred as they believed it brought stability to the tribe.
Properties
Chalcedony is a feminine stone, full of yin energy. Said to balance the emotions, bring stamina, and promote kindness and charity. It is also believed to be good for love as it lowers anger, depression and melancholy. The gemstone also absorbs negative energy and promotes a feeling of enthusiasm. It is also believed to lower blood pressure with its anti-inflammatory properties and heal the lungs, so being good for smokers.
History
Because there is so much chalcedony in many countries, it has been carved into arrowheads, tools, knives, cups and bowls for tens-of-thousands of years. Years ago sailors wore it as a talisman, and it is the birthstone for those born under the star sign of Sagittarius.
Source
The best chalcedony is mined in Chalcedony are from India and Madagascar, but it can also be found natural all over the US, plus in Burma, Brazil and Mexico.
For our chalcedony beads at MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com
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