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Turquoise – December’s Gemstone of Blissful Blues

Autor admin | 21.11.2009 | Category General

Turquoise is a semi-precious gemstone frequently incorporated into some of the most modern, beautiful handmade jewelry in the world. It is most often found in blue and turquoise hues, and is widely recognized as the December birthstone as well as the 11th anniversary gemstone. But beyond its modern-day uses and associations, turquoise holds a decadent mythological, spiritual and etymological history that adds nostalgic value to its already strong aesthetic worth. Read on for more information that will help you fall in love with your turquoise jewelry – or inspire you to buy some today!

Turquoise can range from grey to green to blue and yellows, often veined by the brown matrix with varying textures, and is only found in dry, barren regions. As a far back as 6000 years ago, this stone is one of the oldest to be used by man, for both jewelry and ornamental purposes. Around 5500 BC, the ancient Egyptians found turquoise in the Sinai Peninsula. Around 1900, Queen Zer’s tomb was unearthed and she was found wearing a turquoise and gold bracelet around her wrist.

Turquoise is said to bring luck and fortune to the wearer, and a feeling of calmness with its cool color tones, in addition to wisdom, and is often popular in Southwest, Native American, and Egyptian jewelry designs.

Turquoise gemstones look best as parts of formal evening jewelry when paired with black onyx, pearls or sterling silver. More casual combinations include softer contrasts with black pearls, carnelian and ruby. To see a selection of handmade artisan jewelry featuring turquoise, click here. Turquoise is typically considered a sophisticated gemstone that works well with any outfit. In earrings, citrine works well to enhance the luster of hazel eyes.

Chinese Turquoise comes in both green and blue colors, with many subtle color variations throughout the stone, and has spider web (matrix) veining. There are four to five regions in China where they are mined. The Ma’ashan turquoise mine is located near Shanghai, in addition to the Hubei Province, just to name a few.

As far back as approximately 1700 BC, Turquoise was used in China mainly for ornamental carvings and other artistic purposes. In Beijing, at the Academy of Social Sciences, there is a bronze and turquoise plaque on display which is thought to be from that era.

Chinese turquoise is almost always stabilized, and will not be as likely to be affected by lotions or perfumes when it is worn, protecting the color of the turquoise from outside elements.

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise comes from the Sleeping Beauty Mountain in Globe, Arizona, which is one of the largest mines as to date. Sleeping beauty comes in many hues of light to dark blue. Turquoise is mainly found in the US, Australia, Chile, Mexico, and historically, Iran.

Mohs’ Hardness score is based on a 10 point scale where 10 is the most resistant, like a diamond, and 1 is easily scratched, such as Talc. Turquoise gets a score of 5-6, meaning that it is fairly scratch resistant and therefore suitable as a component of everyday jewelry. Turquoise gemstones should be regularly cleaned by a professional or with a soft rag and mild soap and water. Other methods, including ultra-sonic clenares, solvents and harsh chemicals should be avoided when cleaning your handcrafted jewelry as exposure to these elements can damage semi-precious and precious gemstones and pearls.

Learn more about all semi-precious gemstones, including amethyst, apatite, black onyx, blue topaz, carnelian, chalcedony, citrine, coral, garnet, white topaz, crystal, diamond, emerald, iolite, jade, Labradorite, moonstone, pearl, peridot, prehnite, rose quarz, ruby, sapphire, smokey topaz, tanzanite, tourmaline and tourquoise when you check out this gemstone chart.

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Natural Skincare Products Are All Around You

Autor admin | 19.09.2009 | Category Health

The natural nutrients of mother earth can easily be used to ensure that you only put ingredients on that are found around us (albeit for some you might have to travel a little if you truly want to gather your own!).

Typical ingredients of natural skincare products are root, leaf, seed and flower extracts. As well as honeys, milks and spring waters too.

In some cases you can go even further and take your natural instincts to an even greater level, by using organic ingredients, which have the added benefit of not being produced using any form of chemicals.

How Old Is Natural Skin Care?

How old would you like? From the earliest records and beyond, natural ingredients have been used (not just on the skin incidentally, but in medicine too).

As soon as civilizations were evolving, simple, natural skincare products were being used as man’s curiosity of the world around triggered experimentation.

If we want to find the earliest records and information about the evolution of natural skincare products, there is much evidence in the civilizations of the Pharoahs, several thousand years before the birth of Christ.

Over those thousands of years, many new ingredients have been found, yet many have stayed the same – deeply rooted sometimes in old wives tales maybe – yet having stood the test of time in the natural skincare products we use right to this very day.

How remarkable is that – the natural ingredients we use in the modern world we live in, rub shoulders with the most technologically advanced potions that manufacturers spend their billions developing!

Modern Day Natural Skincare Products

We live in a high-tech computerized world, where, in a sizable sector of the market, there is a growing fatigue with the new and the artificially manufactured. Of course there will always be a desire for the newest technology, even where the skin is concerned. Have you not seen the adverts with the ‘best ever’ wrinkle removers, with compelling messages from B-list actresses?

Many women especially, have decided to eschew this extravagance. In recent years there has been a significant renaissance of natural skincare products. In fact this is both good and not so good.

Large manufacturers and retailers have grasped the opportunity and now we have a hybrid product – made from natural ingredients, yet manufactured using the most modern equipment and manufacturing capability. Perhaps not so good if you are a purist, for the rest of us, nature at a great price!

Is this a good thing? Well, if you want natural skincare products that are carefully prepared as a boutique-type product, you may not want the big business ranges off their shelves.

You might invest heavily in the purest and the most natural, even in the way your personalized natural skincare products are prepared.

However, if more widely available natural skincare products meet the demanding standards of your personal requirements, then feel free to take advantage of their availability, safe in the knowledge that you are using a combination of nature, as well as efficient production methods.

Maybe your skin will thank you for it!


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