Epona's Crystals and Adornments

Australia produces around 97% of the world's opal. Australia produces around 97% of the world's opal. 90% is called 'light opal' or white and crystal opal. White makes up 60% of the opal productions but cannot be found in all of the opal fields. Crystal opal or pure hydrated silica makes up 30% of the opal produced, 8% is black and only 2% is boulder opal. The town of Coober Pedy in South Australia is a major source of opal. The world's largest and most valuable gem opal "Olympic Australis" was found in August 1956 at the "Eight Mile" opal field in Coober Pedy. It weighs 17,000 carats (3450 grams) and is 11 inches (280 mm) long, with a height of 4 3⁄4 inches (120 mm) and a width of 4 1⁄2 inches (110 mm).

Other varieties of opal:

Girasols, more commonly called fire opals, are transparent to translucent opals with warm body colors of yellow, orange, orange-yellow or red. They do not usually show any play of color, although occasionally a stone will exhibit bright green flashes. The most famous source of fire opals is the state of Querétaro in Mexico; these opals are commonly called Mexican fire opals. Fire opals that do not show play of color are sometimes referred to as jelly opals.

Peruvian opal (also called blue opal) is a semi-opaque to opaque blue-green stone found in Peru which is often cut to include the matrix in the more opaque stones. It does not display different colors like the precious opals.

As well as occurring naturally, opals of all varieties have been synthesized experimentally and commercially. The discovery of the ordered sphere structure of precious opal led to its synthesis by Pierre Gilson in 1974. The resulting material is distinguishable from natural opal by its regularity; under magnification, the patches of color are seen to be arranged in a "lizard skin" or "chicken wire" pattern. Furthermore, synthetic opals do not fluoresce under UV light. Synthetics are also generally lower in density and are often highly porous.

In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal. It was also said to confer the power of invisibility if wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and held in the hand.Following the publication of Sir Walter Scott's Anne of Geierstein in 1829, however, opal acquired a less auspicious reputation. In Scott's novel, the Baroness of Arnheim wears an opal talisman with supernatural powers. When a drop of holy water falls on the talisman, the opal turns into a colorless stone and the Baroness dies soon thereafter. Due to the popularity of Scott's novel, people began to associate opals with bad luck and death. Within a year of the publishing of Scott's novel in April 1829, the sale of opals in Europe dropped by 50%, and remained low for the next twenty years or so.

Even as recently as the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that when a Russian saw an opal among other goods offered for sale, he or she should not buy anything more since the opal was believed to embody the evil eye.

Opal is considered the birthstone for people born in October or under the sign of Scorpio and Libra.

Sapphire

Named after the Greek word "sapphirus", meaning blue, Sapphires have long been a favorite among priests and kings, who considered them symbolic of wisdom and purity. These gemstones are prominent among the British Crown Jewels, and Prince Charles chose this as the engagement stone for his fiancée, Princess Diana.

The striking deep blue of a quality sapphire is reminiscent of a cloudless night sky.... Ancient civilizations believed that the world was set upon an enormous sapphire, which painted the sky blue with its reflection.

Like most gemstones, the sapphire is also believed to have mystical properties. Serenity, happiness and insight are all associated with the sapphire. Probably the most important is that it is believed to repel evil spirits and protect the wearer from illness. Sapphire is a stone of creative expression, intuition, and meditation, and enhances all those things.

Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Corundum is found in every color of the rainbow, with red being designated as ruby and all other hues Sapphire. But the most prized color of Sapphire is a rich, deep blue. These gemstones were mined as early as the 7th Century BC from India and what is now Sri Lanka. They are found today in Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Myanmar, Thailand, Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Madagascar, and the United States.

Sapphires with inclusions of tiny, rutile needles exhibit an optical property called asterism. This is the star shaped effect seen in star sapphires and is usually only seen in cabochon cuts.

Peridot is the birthstone for August, and the astrological sing of Leo.

History and Legends

Shimmering, pale green peridot, often called the evening emerald, is a gemstone commonly associated with spirituality and expression. The word "peridot" is pronounced as pear-ah-dough. The actual word of origin for peridot is from the French word peritôt, meaning unclear, because of the numerous inclusions and internal fractures often found in within peridot gemstone beads. Chrysolite, an older German word, was also used to describe it before the word peridot was applied to all gem quality peridot stones.

Sometimes referred to as olivine, it is only found in one color -- green. This uncommon green color is best known simply as peridot green and it varies from olive to brownish green. This green was highly prized by ancient admirers because it was often thought to be emerald, which is one of the greatest compliments peridot could ever receive. It is the national gem of Egypt, and the ancient Egyptians knew it as the gem of the sun. In fact, jewelry historians are now convinced that some, if not all, of the emeralds that Cleopatra was famous for wearing were not actually emeralds but deep green peridot stones from Egypt.

Peridot has been written about extensively throughout history. In Ancient times, peridot stones were used for talismans featuring carved donkeys for spiritual enhancement and carved vultures for controlling the four winds and evil spirits. Ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls record the mining of peridot as early as 1500 B.C. on Topazo Island, now called St. John's Island, in the Egyptian Red Sea. The island's exact whereabouts became a mystery for several centuries until being rediscovered in 1905 because navigators found it difficult to find it as it was often shrouded in an impenetrable thick fog.

Legend says that royal patrols that guarded the entire island were to execute trespassers while protecting the miners from thieves. The miners would collect the gems for the Pharaoh's burial treasury during all hours of the day and night for it was said that the peridot crystals would radiate in the darkness of night by the light of the lamps they carried. The miners would mark the spot where they saw the glowing gems and then return to retrieve them the next morning.

In the middle ages, European emissaries brought back large quantities of peridot stones from their travels to foreign lands and decorated their churches and robes with them. One of these large peridot gems adorns the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in the cathedral at Cologne, and for centuries was believed to be an emerald but has recently been identified as peridot. Peridot, also known to ancient Hebrews, is listed in the bible as one of the stones used in Aaron's breastplate and as one of the layers in the foundation of the city of New Jerusalem.

Peridot is not only terrestrial, but it has also fallen to Earth from celestial bodies. Although many different gems can be found in meteorites that have fallen to earth, the galaxy-traveling peridot is the only one that is found in sizes large enough to be made into jewelry. These gem-carrying meteorites are called pallasites, and the peridot found in them is given a special name too, moldavite, to speak to its clandestine origins.

In 1749, one such meteorite was found on a desolate hilltop in Siberia, and it was discovered that this fallen star contained many pieces of beautiful, heaven-sent peridot crystals big enough to be used in jewelry. It is believed this particular moldavite bearing pallasite fell to the earth's surface as early as 14.8 million years ago.

In scientific communities, it is also believed that peridot crystals played a large role in the creation of the moon, and that now they comprise a large portion of the moon's mantle.

Metaphysical Lore

Peridot, the birthstone for the month of August, is also given in celebration of the 16th year of marriage. Known as the stone of compassion, peridot is believed to bring good health, restful sleep and peace to relationships by balancing emotions and mind. This friendly bright green stone also has the uncanny ability inspire eloquence, creativity, bring delight and good cheer. It attracts love and calms anger by giving renewal to all things.

The epic metaphysical powers that peridot possesses have been written about much throughout the ages. Legend says that if the gem is set in gold, the stone will develop its full potential as a talisman and will have the power to eradicate terrors of the night such as fearsome visions and nightmares.

However, according to the great Roman philosopher, Pliny the Elder, peridot must be worn on the right arm to work its most potent dispelling. Peridot's ability to glow like a hot coal under lamplight at night helps chase away foreboding night visions. Peridot has been long considered a powerful aid to repairing and maintaining friendship and supposedly, it frees the mind of envious thoughts that can damage and strain relationships. It can also be used to protect you from the evil eye.

Geological Properties

Peridot occurs in silica-poor igneous rocks, such as basalts. Some peridot is found in volcanic areas, while some are found embedded in meteorites. These stones are not usually of gem quality but a few have been faceted and mounted in jewelry settings.

As with many precious gems, peridot occurs most commonly in pebble-sized specimens that have been weathered by tens of thousands of years of erosion in gemstone veins. New sources of peridot include Arizona, Mexico, Oregon, Norway, Pakistan, Russia and Sri Lanka. The Canary Islands, China, Brazil, Norway, Hawaii, Australia, Brazil and South Africa provide the finest gem quality peridot stones.

Proper Care

Peridot should be spared from rugged wear. The best way to clean peridot is with warm, soapy water. You should protect it from scratching and sharp blows that can fracture or shatter the stone. Also, avoid large temperature changes, ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners that could damage the stone.

Source: Walter Schumann's Revised and Expanded Edition of Gemstones of the World.

: Fire Mountain Gems

New hand dyed silk ribbon bracelets have arrived! We have them in several colors and styles and more are on the way.

These bracelets are fashioned from hand dyed pure silk ribbon, wispy & gently crinkled, with finished edges and seamed ends, a generous 30” or so in length to wind luxuriously around your wrist many times. Each toggle closure is unique, making the bracelet one of a kind. To see these unique bracelets click here: Hand Dyed Silk Bracelets

We've added a new collection to our line of handmade jewelry called "Ancient Memories". The designs honor the elemements of Earth, Air, Fir, and Water, and the ancient Gods and Goddesses. Using genuine gemstones, and copper, bronze, or fine silver, the designs are reminiscient of Bronze Age or Celtic jewelry.

"I remember a world where the crash of ocean waves carries the voice of God,

the soft light of the moon is Her gift to us, and every living thing is my relative.

I remember a world in which the howl of a wolf, the flight of a raven,

and the sound of the wind through the trees have meanings too deep to tell.

I remember a world where dreams run deep, life runs slow, and eternity unfurls itself on a spiral.

I remember...

Because I have Ancient Memories.

Do you?"

Author Unknown

You can see the entire collection here:

Ancient Memories Collection