I confess: I love jewelry. I love wearing it. I love designing and I love crafting it; for myself; but especially for others. I began making my own jewelry
at age 15, taking a long purchased chain necklace which had broken, taking it
apart, making a sort of headgear from it, patterned after the head-wear of the
medieval era. My only tools at that time were large, clunky pair of pliers and
my fingernails. I planned out my design, cut the pieces, and put them together.
It was frustrating and time-consuming but after a while, I managed to put it
together so that it fit my head just right. While several of the links are
missing, I still keep it as a memento of my first creation. Since then I have
made a few more, some reminiscent of headwear from the Roaring 20s. But as I started
working with the metals, stones, and crystals; I had questions too: Do stones
have a “personality”? What makes them special in our eyes, why are do they
attract us, and invite us to possess it and wear certain pieces of jewelry or
gemstone?
These were questions I wanted to answer so I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about jewelry, gemstones, and their healing properties, as well as the history of jewelry. There is still a lot to learn and I am still fascinated by it all. One thing I discovered was that the art of crafting and wearing jewelry has been around since the beginnings of modern man. Many pieces have been found in the burial places and caves; revealing that jewelry was used and appreciated, probably for ritual use as well as for its beauty. Most people are familiar with the use as “birthstones.” Many people can you what their “birthstone is; although through the years, many stones have been attributed to the astrological signs besides the common ones in use today. In my quest for knowledge about gemstones, jewelry, and why people are so enamored of it, I learned that many stones and gems have healing or magical properties attributed to them, some of which may be based on the properties of the stones themselves; others based on superstition, history, or cultural reasons.
One such stone with a long history of mystical lore
and properties is also my favorite stone: The opal. It is
mesmerizing how the light catches each facet making iridescent lights of blue,
green, red, and yellow that shimmer and shine. My grandmother had
chain necklace with a small glass globe holding a single uncut opal within
it. She would let me look at it and admire how the opal moved within
the liquid inside, its ever-changing range of colors held me transfixed for
hours. To this day I have never seen another pendant like it. An
opal, it is believed, will fade if the owner is sick or in danger of
dying. I am not sure as to the truth of this, but I do know that the
stones are easily scratched, as it is a relatively soft stone, being 5.5 on the
Moh’s scale. It was not until the 20th century that the opal
began to be regarded as a gem of ill fortune as it had with the European
royals, as previously it was regarded as a stone of purity and hope. Vintage
opals tend to become quite faded over time, owing to scratches on its surface
and not due to the stone itself being faded or being associated with health.
The Hope diamond is another stone with much mystery
and superstition surrounding it; with many stories of intrigue, death, and
curses being told and retold throughout the years. Much of this information
can be found on the internet regarding the Hope diamond but the most
fascinating aspect of the story of the Hope diamond is its history and how this
massive blue stone was taken from the Hindu idol, secreted to France and sold
to King
Louis XIV, who had it cut down. It was then known
as the “French Blue.” It was then stolen again and never reappeared
again. The French Revolution is sometimes blamed on the curse of the
stone. Some 20 years later, another similar stone, although smaller, appears in
London. It was this stone that was acquired by Henry Hope and stills
bears his name. After much heartache and tragedies of the families
involved with the stone, eventually it ends up at the Smithsonian’s in
their National Gem Collection, where it remains today. Whether or not it
is really cursed is a matter of conjecture, but even so, the stone is as
fascinating as it is beautiful. I have had the pleasure of viewing
this glorious and mysterious gem once in my life at a museum when I was 14
years old. While I was too young to have appreciated the stone’s history at the
time, I am glad that I had the privilege of glimpsing such a masterpiece of
nature’s glorious works of art.
As a writer and artist; as well as a business owner;
I tend to have a lot of things in the fire at one time; but I love making
jewelry usually make a new piece at least once a month. In addition to having the satisfaction of
creating one's own designs, then working with tools, gems, crystals, beads,
etc., to bring them into reality is richly rewarding, besides being a relaxing
past-time. Of course as you can see with some of my work, I can't help putting
my love of jewelry, beads, gems, and art together in my mixed-media works! Since
I am a jewelry wearer myself, I love seeing what new trends and pieces are out
there, as well as having a deep appreciation for the creative jewelry designs
of others too. I am always looking for new pieces and love shopping for them at
craft shows or for vintage pieces at yard sales (even though I probably have
enough, I pretty much can't help myself. I think I just love "all that
glitters", even when it isn't gold). Thank you for letting me share story with
you! Namaste-Gypsy
Swan
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