gottaspoilemgems.com Blog

This weeks stone post is on the stone Olivine. Olivine is a form of Peridot the birthstone for August and is also called Chrysolite. All forms are a pretty light to bright Spring Green color.

This stone has been used for a Very long time. It is documented that Peridot/Olivine was used in jewelry by ancient Egyptians several thousands of years prior to the birth of Christ. Some of the more ancient writings will refer to this stone as Topaz but they are in fact referencing the stone Peridot/Olivine.

Ancient texts also talk of using this stone to make cups and that when medicinal liquids were administered to the ill in these vessels that the healing benefits were more effective.

I like the cool green shade of this stone. Good thing since it is my birthstone. I have used it in several jewelry items I have made for myself and for sale. I will attach a couple photos.

I read a great deal so after finishing so many books I will post little bits about them.

Michal by Jill Eillen Smith. This book is a biblical historical about Michal. She was king Sauls daughter and king Davids first wife/queen. I read a lot of bibilcal fiction books and really enjoyed this one.

Ransome’s Honor by Kaye Dacus. This is a 1st book in a series and in the Christian historical category. This book is Very similar to Jane Austens Persuasion. There are some added twists and turns but the writing style is similar and the basic underlying story is also similar. If you like Austen you will like this book.

Emilies Voice by Susanne Dunlap. This book is historical fiction work. It is set in France at the time of King Louis XIV. The story is centered on a young girl with a great talent in singing. There are plots and twists and turns during the course of the book and her young life.

Fatal Majesty by Reay Tannahill. This is a historical fiction work that is set during the life of Mary queen of Scots. It starts at her return to Scotland to rule after the passing of her husband. It goes through the ups and downs and wild roller coaster that was her life during her rule/and later her long imprisionment in England under Elizabeth.

On ETSY there is a yearly Christmas in July sale. Most if not all the venders on the site participate. There are Holiday items and non Holiday items all with extra savings for this event. The sale runs July 15th – July 31st. This a great way to get some early Holiday shopping done, get custom hand crafted items, support small businesses AND save money.

The ETSY site is at www.etsy.com There you can shop by category, geographical locations, colors and more. ALL that are participating in the sale have tagged items in the sale with Christmas in July or CIJ so a search using these tags will pull up all on sale too.

Please stop by my shop as well. It is newer and would of course love some business but also love some feedback on the items to help me make the store even better.
My shop is GottaspoilemGems

I am also running a sale on my EBAY store for the rest of the month. There are marked down formals and jewelry items here.
MY EBAY shop

I figured since I work a lot with natural stones in the jewelry I make, that I would make posts on some stones. This will probably be a weekly to 2 times a week post. I will try to cover as many stones as possible. For those that like to know about properties of stones and also possible healing abilities, I will try to add as much information on the stones as possible.

Today I picked Hematite and Mother of Pearl. They are 2 of my favorites to work with.

HEMATITE
Hematite is a wonderful stone to use in jewelry making. When tumbled/polished it has a lusterous shine. The color is a charcoal gray/gunmetal Black but shiny. This stone has some weight to it. It is cold to the touch and typically will remain cold or at least cool the entire time being worn.
Hematite is most commonly found in the UK and in Morocco. It is not a rare stone and is readily available.
The natural form (pre cutting and tumbling) looks like clumped masses that in a way look brain like.
This stones said to be astrologically linked to the signs of Aries and Aquarius.
I have read that this stone, in some places, was originally called Bloodstone. This was because of the reddish run off that occured when cutting and polishing it. *There IS a stone called Bloodstone but it is not Hematite.
Healing properties are wide. It is said that this stone can absorb negativity in the wearer. The stone is cold/cool to the touch and if the wearer is overly stressed or otherwise bombarded with negative energies that it will absorb them until the stone is no longer cold/cool. The stone is said to be rechargable by cleansing it in seasalt water. After cleansing, the stone will again be cold/cool to the touch.
Here is a photo of Hematite used in jewelry items. The accents are all Hematite and the Flowers are carved Mother of Pearl.

Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl, also called Nacre, is another great source to work with. It is not an actual Stone but I will be lumping it in with the stones in this post.
Mother of Pearl is made from the interior of Mollusk shells. Pearls are made out of the properties of Nacre or Mother of Pearl. Presently the main source of Mother of Pearl is Pearl Oysters and Freshwater Pearl Mussels.
Mother of Pearl is wonderful in its natural state. Once cut and formed into beads, in its natural state it is a creamy white with occlusions that are a shiny lustrous champagne/beige color. Another reason it is great to use in jewelry making is that is can easily be dyed. Once dyed it still will retain its occlusions. This will make a strand of dyed beads nearly all at least a tad different.
Below is a photo of a grouping of Mother of Pearl carved into a Hibiscus flower shape. They are all dyed different colors to show some of the possible variety.

One of the many things I enjoy is photography. Now I am not a professional by any means but that does not mean I can enjoy it. I love to take shots of nature but my favorite is taking shots of pets we have had and presently have.
I also sew a great deal. I make hammocks and carriers and such for my site and also clothing and gifts. One day I could not resist putting each of my dogs and my cat at the table with my sewing machine. The pictures turned out cute so figured I would share.

The shot is 4 pictures of each of my furry babies. Top Left is Chloe my toy poodle, Top Right is Clark Kent my cat ( Yes he is in a dog sweater and Yes he likes it ), Bottom Left is Paisley my Maltipoo and Bottom Right is Vulcan my dachound.

Who am I? I am many things. I am a single mom to an adopted teenage, an avid reader, business owner, animal lover and much more.
Here on my blog I will post a variety of things.
Since I do read many books in the course of a year, there will be frequent posts on books I have recently read.
Being a mom to a teenage, as well as several kids of the furry variety, there will be posts of funny stories from time to time.
I will also have posts that pertain to my business websites. I have 2 sites. One is for natural stone jewelry I have been making for years. Many of the pieces are nature or animal themed and I try to always use natural materials when possible. On this site I also now offer a variety of new and gently used formals. The site has contest, referral points, a dress exchange program and more to come.
My other site has been around a bit longer. Here is where I have pet accessory items I make for small animals. These items include carriers and cage accessories. Much of the site is being remodeled and some sections are being converted to pet care tips, training tips and general info on various small animals kept as pets. This site also has contests, as well as, some fun and educational pages.

Well I finally gave in and installed this blog program. I used to have a yahoo blog before yahoo 360 closed down. Had not planned to start another but figured it may help pass some time.
I am an avid reader and will more often than not post about books I have read. I will also at times share funny/cute stories and such.
I also have a couple small web businesses and will use this blog to post about new items and site changes as they are both being remodeled/updated.
One site is for handmade natural stone jewelry items I have been making for several years now. A few years back, I added a section to this site to sell new and gently used formals. I have sections for referral points, sales, a dress exchange program and soon will have one on information on the various types of stones.
The other site I have had for much longer. It is for handmade small pet accessory items I make. I used to also breed/raise and sometimes take in rescued small animals. I am in the process of converting the sections, where I used to have available pets and reservation lists for upcomings litters, to sections for care tips, training tips and more. There are presently some fun pages, contests and some educational pages up.
Well since this is the first official post here will not make it too exceptionally long. Will simply end with Welcome to My Blog.