Tis the time of year once again where we begin looking at pretty paper and ribbons… looking for a special “something” for someone special.
I’ve added a coupon code on my site in case you have been keeping an eye on something you have fallen in love with and this wee little coupon, just might be what you were hoping for. We can all use a little deal now and then.
When you are shopping on my site, just key in the code YULE20 in the cart area to see what your discount will be.
Enjoy and thank you everyone for another wonderful year at Wicked Stones.
Leopard Jasper is one of those gemstones that I’m always picking up and using as I get tired… zzz.. I get tired of working on my website.. tired of answering emails.. blah blah blah.. tired of doing the dishes.. tired of sweeping.. same old same old same old.. I get stuck in a rut and I need a little help to just get me motivated and up over the hump so I can move forward.
Leopard Jasper is one of those stones that imparts a little energy back into your life when things are feeling low and blah. When working with this stone, you can find it within yourself to face the rest of the day and begin to plan what comes next in your future. It does not necessarily being to you what you want but more of what you need. You are strong and you are motivated, you sometimes just need a partner along your journey to bring that out in yourself.
This gem is natural, which means that there is no dye used anywhere to create the colours and patterns you see. But it’s not just visual, these patterns can often be felt with your fingertips as there is quite often times that Leopard Jasper has interesting textures to discover.
Just like the leopard LEAPS forward to catch his or her prey – you too, can leap forward and get on with your daily dreary chores..
Okay I have to say.. I have fallen deeply in love with Jade
I’ve been kicking around pieces of it in the workshop and getting Rob to polish up a few accent pieces once and a while, but not until recently did I start working with larger Jade gemstone beads.
A few years back, I picked up a few strands of the most amazing African Jade beads.. the following bracelet you see in the photo is of one of the bracelets I made just recently. It’s… soooo…. amazing!!
African Jade Bracelet by Wicked Stones
This type of Jade has an incredible weight to it.. the beads are heavy and mixed with the sterling silver accent pieces, this is truly a gem to have around your wrist. I think I’ll be making more of these!! Okay enough babble about things I’m working on.. here’s a bit of helpful info on Jade for you.
Jade is great for the following healing properties:
Releasing bad thoughts and negative energy (now who can’t use that?)
Dream stone.. (add a piece into a dream pillow if you make or use them)
Helps you to self heal
Resolving emotional issues
Good fortune (come on lottery ticket!)
Working with nature
Working with Jade
Rob’s worked with Jade now and then in the lab and usually the pieces he comes out with are quite beautiful. The hardness on the MOH scale is around 6.5 so it’s hard but not so hard that you can’t work with it. To give you an idea, if you are not sure what is what on the MOH scale system, Talc is a 1 on the scale where Diamond is a 10. So when you are in the middle range, it gives you some wiggle room for working. I’ll have to ask him later what polishing compound he worked with that seemed the best.. if you do know, please feel free to add to the comments below.
Jade is certainly one of those stones that you have to be aware of as there are many “wanna-bes” out there. Just a few (and not all) you should look for are items labeled things such as New Jade, Aventurine Quartz (which is green and we’ve collected it locally up here in Canada), Serpentine and Prehnite. You should also do your research before you make any serious Jade purchases to get to know your supplier.
Have a peek.. here’s a few pictures from our trip to collect Aventurine Quartz (or Apple Jade).
There’s Rob, way down in the rock cut bringing up some larger pieces. He made me stay up at the top for safety reasons as this bank was pretty steep.
You can see from the photos that the green is quite beautiful..
I’ll go hunting later to see if I can find a picture of what they look like tumbled…
This past weekend I was playing in my fossil patch.. this is a neat little corner of my shop that I horde the pretty ancient creatures to make into jewelry (at some point in time)..
I get nitter nattered a lot though as I have been hording some of these nice little pieces for wayyyy too long..
So without further adieu.. today I’m sharing one of the pieces I’ve just posted.
It’s a Brachiopod (or Brachiopoda) which is a small invertebrate marine critter that was around in the Cambrian Period (oh about 570 Million years ago)… This fossil is really unique as you get a three dimensional view of what this animal was really like..
I’ve wrapped it using sterling silver wire and it comes ready to wear…
OOO I found some beauties tucked inside of my cupboards recently….
What you are seeing in the photo is an authentic fossilized sharks tooth.. this little guy is incredible! I have worn shark’s teeth before and I’ve often found them to be light and difficult to feel as you are going throughout your day. THIS one has some super great weight to it and you can really feel it around your neck.
If the Shark is your totem? Here’s a little info for you on that..
If you have the Shark totem in your life, you are a busy or active person. Some might even call you a work-a-holmic at times.
You seem to accomplish the most impossible tasks that impress those around you (and yourself some days!) You are wise and trust your instincts.
The Shark is a strong protective totem.
I’m not sure how long this particular wire wrap will be available as they are one of a kind items, but you can click here to view it on my website.
I thought I’d start sharing some of the pieces up on our website (Wicked Stones) from time to time so you can get an idea of what we do…
Today, I’m sharing an incredible piece of Lapis Lazuli. Photos just can’t do this stone justice as it has so much colour – from rich blues to shimmering golden pyrites, it packs a punch when it comes to the beauty department.
Wicked Stones wire wrap
Here’s bit of info on Lapis:
Lapis is a stone
intuition
balance
uplifting spirits
combating depression
Lapis is a good focus for meditation and increasing clairvoyant abilities. This stone helps us to contact our spirit guardians and reverse curses.
Wearing it around the home can help bring a feeling of contentment and family loyalty. It also helps to bring harmony to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels of our selves and restore any unbalances that can result in depression and lack of purpose. Once these areas are balanced Lapis helps to bring keep inner self knowledge to light.
wickedstones.org 