Thursday, February 02, 2017

Amethyst & the Color Purple


Who doesn’t love the color purple? Well, okay, I am sure there are some of you out there that aren’t nuts about it…and that’s okay. No judgement…remember? We all sit at the same table, right? That being said, I am one of the people who happens to love the color purple; but with limits. I don’t think I would wear purple from head to toe…but wait, I do own purple loafers so I guess I do wear it on my toes! 


Lucky duck February babies get amethyst as your birthstone. That’s fun...a solid reason to collect, don't you think? Amethyst comes in a wide array of colors. I am particularly fond of the lighter lavender shades and the deep mysterious purple colors seen in the amethyst from Zambia. There is also a rockhound-ish variety called chevron and dogtooth amethyst, which is far more wonderful than its name implies. Over the years I have also designed with lovely cape amethyst that comes from a tiny mine (which I was still closed on last report) in South Africa. On occasion, I do find it when scouting the Tucson Gem Show; but the cost of the rough has skyrocketed due to the limited source. At the time, there isn’t much in the store; but that could change at any moment since I do have a few pieces in my gemstone stash.

If you’ve followed me over the years, you’ll know that I believe that crystals absorb distinct energies from their environment over the millions of years it took them to form. Because of this property, the crystals can help with certain types of healing and feelings of well-being. As for amethyst, the crystal is known to instill a peaceful, calm state in the wearer. Sounds good to me right about now. Amethyst also helps boost the ability to relax the mind and the body. So, well done, amethyst. The crystal is thought to heighten awareness and balance the chakras in the body, which, in turn, results in the wearer gaining perspective and deeper levels of introspection.

I know, it might sound a little aerie-faerie but it looks like you’re still reading and that’s very good because I am still writing! Here’s the kicker — in days of old, it was thought that if you drank alcohol from a drinking vessel carved from amethyst, drunkenness would not occur. One would think that the stores would have a gigantic inventory of amethyst goblets merchandised within reach of the wine, right? And, amethyst certainly would look lovely next to all those vineyard labels.

For those of you still reading, if nothing more, you’ve got to admit that amethyst in all its forms, is a beautiful gemstone. At one time, only royalty was allowed to wear the color purple and amethyst has long been included among the gemstones used in crown jewels around the world. Royalty aside, I love all forms of the gem and I particularly like to work with it in slightly unexpected ways. In the collection, you'll find designs with  highly faceted polished beads in a spectrum of colors along with very organic slightly polished yet still rough stones. I love mixing it up in the same design primarily because light reflects off the stones differently and catches the eye.  Along with the pieces shown here, there are several more over in the store so go on over and take a look. As with all my pieces, they are extremely limited. Every piece is handmade by me in my little studio right here. One of my pet peeves in life is to wear something exactly like someone else is wearing it. (You can imagine the anxiety that sets in when I walk into a GAP! But that's a story best saved for another day.) When you style and wear a piece from my collection, I can pretty much promise that you won’t see yourself around every corner. Unless, of course, there is a mirror or a freshly washed window just around that corner! Then watch out!

No comments:

Post a Comment