K2 --The Awesome Stone from the Mountain

                                                     Image©iStockphoto and PatrickPoendl

       Many people know that K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest.  Standing 28,251 feet above sea level, on the China-Pakistan border, it's an impressive and awesome mountain.


     What is less known, but word is spreading quickly, is that an impressive and beautiful stone is being mined from the base of K2. Coming from the Skardu area of northern Pakistan, K2 is a grayish-white granite rock with bright blue splashes of color. One writer called it an "eye magnet" for anyone seeing it for the first time. It certainly was for me.

    

      The first K-2 cab I saw, I bought.  I was at the Tucson Gem Show earlier this year and found it at one of the open air rock hound booths.  The couple only had a few pieces of it on display, and I bought the biggest one I could afford.  They had a pair of smaller matched cabs that would have made great earrings, but the combo was too pricey for me.  Besides, at that time I had never heard of K2.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on stones I didn't know anything about. So I limited myself to this oval beauty until I could discover more.  

      What I found wasn't a lot.  It looks like the first cabs started showing up around 3 or 4 years ago, but not on any of the major beading sites that I buy from. It was chosen as the Rock of the Month in May, 2014 by Body Mind Spirit Guide.  It is currently featured at Dakota Stones. but this is the only major site that I can find carrying it.  

      The experts aren't in total agreement on what comprises the stone.  Most, if not all of them, agree it is granite. There are a few places that call it "jasper", but that appears to be incorrect.  The blue spots are probably azurite or malachite when they are green, which I haven't seen.  Most authorities call the spots "stains" rather than "inclusions" because you can see through the blue spots to the granite. But regardless of its scientific properties, all of the sites agree that K2 is unique and exciting.

      I was able to find more K2 cabs in some shops on Etsy.  I bought my second cab there at SlabsCabsRough, a shop from Pennsylvania.  I've already started turning it into a pendent:  

      In addition to its beauty, many people believe that the stone has metaphysical properties.  Pat Krajovic wrote in Body Mind Spirit Guide, "It has many healing properties. If you want to promote harmony and connection within your work and family groups, communicate your deepest thoughts and feelings, and have more control over your emotions, this stone is a must! K2 helps the user become more grounded, balanced and live in harmony."

       If you're into make jewelry, check out Etsy for some great buys on K2. If you like to leave the making to someone else, check back soon. I'll announce when I've completed the K2 necklace and listed it at Desert Dabbler on Etsy.  

Porcelain Jasper Butterflies

      At the Tucson gem show a few years ago I found a great shop called Colorwright.  Amount the treasures that I found there were a pair of Porcelain Jasper cabochons shaped like butterfly wings.    

  

    I bought the cabs, along with some other great stones, and put them away until inspiration struck. I also knew I needed to do more bead embroidery so my skills would improve. Working the irregular shaped cabs was going to be more challenging than going around an oval or round shaped cab.

    The next year I went back to the Tucson Gem Show and found Colorwright again. I also found another pair of Porcelain Jasper butterfly wings  This time the cabs were on sale! I immediately bought another set, even though I still had the first cabs waiting in my stash.  But as any beader will tell you, you need to buy a great stone when you see it.

    While the Porcelain Jasper sat in my drawer I worked on other jewelry, gradually increasing the complexity of the projects. But the whole time I kept thinking about those jasper butterflies.    

   Finally I thought I was ready. I made the first pair of wings into a brooch.

     Then I made a necklace with different style of edging. The cabs here are actually the first ones I bought; the ones you can see in the top picture.

     I used a variety of seed beads and Charlottes to give the lacy look on the wings edges.  The body of the butterflies are a combination of onyx, crystals, and black Spinel.  

     Porcelain Jasper is found in Sonora, Mexico, in a variety of pinks, greys, and corals.  These butterflies are different colors and not meant to be worn at the same time.  They were challenging to make, especially their antennae, but I'm happy with the results.  

Tree of Life

 

Tree of Life

     The idea of a Tree of Life exists in nearly every culture, religion, and tradition from ancient times to the present.  The Tree appears from the beginning in the Garden of Eden described in Genesis, and its bark plays a major role in the Iroquois creation.  Scientists, poets and artists all find something fascinating about the Tree.  Charles Darwin discussed the concept of a Tree of Life in his book, The Origin of Species (1872), and trees in general were described beautifully (and famously) by poet Joyce Kilmer.   The PBS program “Nature” features a wide tree in Africa in its opening, and the movie “Avatar” gave the Tree a starring role.    

     So it’s not surprising that artists (including jewelry makers) have added their ideas and interpretations to the Tree of Life.  A quick web search on Tree of Life images will show you a dazzling variety of Tree of Life paintings, photographs, and interpretations, like the one pictured above.

      One of my favorite companies, TierraCast, makes Tree of Life charms, clasps, and links. I've used them in my jewelry for a long time.  

 

  

1.       My latest Tree of Life pendants have been made out of wire and gemstone chips.

  I've been working on my own little forest:

    If you've made a Tree of Life pendant or other item, let me know. I'd love to see it.  If you'd like to learn to make one, check out YouTube for great tutorials and ideas.
   

Three Books on Rocks, Gems and Crystals

      I've been looking for a couple of new books to add to my collection on rocks and gem stones.  The first one I found, Collecting Rocks, Gems and Minerals, is written by a Quartzsite resident, Patti Polk.  I bought the book on Amazon right before Thanksgiving and have been looking at it ever since.  It is jam packed with beautiful photos of the rocks and more geological information than I will ever need. It's a great buy, with over 330 pages of information, plus two pages of additional resources and an excellent index.    

     Every entry includes a colored box with the Hardness factor plus a few other details such as rock group, locations where it is found, or current prices.  This makes it easy to see this limited information without having to read through the description.  

     The descriptions are generally one paragraph and give different information that varies with each rock. For some the historical uses are listed. Others include information on the ranges of colors or designs available, it's current uses, chemical composition, etc.  There's no set pattern.

      My favorite part of the book is it's extensive information on agates. Over 40 pages with great pictures! I had been confused about the difference between agate and jasper.  Now I know that agates are translucent and can include bands, "eyes" and other patterns.  Jasper is opaque and more dense and filled with inclusions.      

       I buy my rocks and stones at shows and stores. However, for those who want to hunt and collect their own rocks, the book has sections on the equipment you'll need and how to find them. 

        For a non-geological view of rocks and minerals I found two books in my local library.  The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall and Gem Stones A to Z by Diane Stein.  I plan to purchase my own copy of The Crystal Bible, which is available on Amazon, along with Volumes 2 and 3. 

 
       The Crystal Bible is also filled with great photographs and colorful pop out boxes of information that makes it quick and easy to look up information.  More details are found below the boxes and include the attributes and healing uses for each stone.  While I would never substitute stones and gems for my doctor's prescriptions, I do find the information fascinating to read. I know some people put more emphasis on this than I do. I'm just starting to read this book, so maybe I'll become more of a believer by the end. (Probably not.)
       I like that the book has  a Quick Reference section so you can find limited info very quickly. There is a section on crystals and the zodiac that gives a number of different stones associated with each sign. My favorite quick section is the one on meanings. Turquoise, one of my favorite stones, means a journey is imminent.  Maybe there is a connection since I love to travel.
       I was especially happy to see that The Crystal Bible is filled with information about stones I use in my jewelry.  Whenever I list an item for sale in my Etsy shop I like to include something interesting. Something that goes beyond the price and what I used to make it.  This book will be another great resource I can use for that. I hope to go through my listings soon to add to them.

        So if you're looking for a new reference book on rocks take a look at these three. If your library has one or more of them, check them out first there. For a scientific book, Collecting Rocks, Gems, and Minerals is great. Easy to read and interesting. The beautiful pictures and wide range of information made it my favorite book.
       For a metaphysical approach, The Crystal Bible is tops. I was hesitant about buying it, even though it had been recommended to me by a few people.  Now, after seeing it, I plan to buy it soon.  

Wednesday Surprise

    My 2017 is starting off nicely. I was one of the 4 Etsy shops featured in today's  "Wednesday Surprise" from The Vintage Addiction Lifestyle Team.  The featured items were all copper, one of my favorite things. You can see the post and items at TVAT Wednesday Surprise.

     One of the fun things about Etsy is its sense of community.  Teams are a way to connect with people who share your same interests or who are simply great people.  Over 350 people belong to TVAT. Their shops are located all over the U.S., and Canada.  Plus they have some active members in England, France, and a few other countries.

     Although I don't sell vintage items, I like them. A few of my jewelry pieces have a vintage look, and of course, I'm vintage myself.  So its no surprise that TVAT is one of my favorite teams.    

       What a great start to the new year!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Night Visitor

We've had a young coyote visiting us the last few nights.  Last night he paused long enough in front of the camera to smile.  

These pictures are from the night before when he stopped long enough to get a drink.  

   About an hour before he showed up one of the rabbits had been right where he's walking. They stay under the big bush to the right a lot of the time.

    On my walk Friday morning I saw a young coyote on the golf course near us. Probably the same one. He looked like he was limping. They have access to plenty of water here, but the rabbit population seems low to me here at our house.  However, on the walking trail I've seen a lot of young ones. I'm sure the coyote is finding enough to eat as long as he stays healthy enough to catch them.

     

     It's always nice to have visitors, even if only for a minute.