RUBIES-The King of Gems

As June winds down, July ramps up and I find myself with a busy weekend ahead, I figured I had better Blog July’s Birthstone a couple days early...

For 4500 years this Red Gemstone has attracted Royalty, Religion and Regular People.

Ancient Peoples thought that the Gods had created Rubies and were so awed but their beauty, they had to create Man so their accomplishments could be admired...And I thought I was proud of my work.

Since then Mankind has been fascinated by Rubies.
                    
Another Myth has Rubies containing a drop of Blood from the Heart of Mother Earth, an Internal Flame that just could not be extinguished.

Perhaps this is why many couples chose a Ruby for their engagement Ring? Well, the Inextinguishable Flame and the promise of  Everlasting Love that a Ruby is supposed to bring.

While not one of my Favorite Gemstones, there is no denying that Rubies have an allure that cannot be duplicated by any other Stone.

More Art Market Days

So Saturday was a HUGE Success!!!

Perfect Location-Beautiful Jewelry with the CityScape at my back.

I met quite a few new people that had no idea that DeAndreaDesigns was in existence. Met more that had heard of me, but did not know exactly where I was located-Shioh St on Mt Washington runs 3 blocks, yet for some reason few if any people walk that final 75 ft where I am located.

Between the selection of Jewelry that I brought with me to sell/intrigue and telling people about how I Spray Painted the outside of the Store Silver, I should have a lot of Mt Washington Residents talking and walking.

I was able to book another Art Market Event for this weekend coming up.
I have a Private Party-A Ladies Night Out-in the Store Thursday Evening.

Gotta get my Face and Name out there-let people get to know the Personality behind the Jewelry as well.
The next few days are going to be relatively busy, but I love it.

Return to Art Market Days

As I sit in the Store this afternoon and look around I am amazed at the number of Pieces of Jewelry that I have created to fill the space.  A far cry from those days when I had an 8ft folding table to fill.

I am reminiscing because tomorrow afternoon is a return to those days.

This will be my View Tomorrow Afternoon.

Community Market Days.  A celebration of Mt Washington Residents and Businesses-I am both, so it is a great time to get to know my neighbors. BUT I have to limit myself to a 6 ft table-not even 8ft.

I want a good representation of my Jewelry, of course.
I just wish I knew who was going to show up.

WIll it be the Younger Hipper New Money Crowd?
Will it be the Older more Conservative Old Money Group?
Or is it going to be more of the Young Families that show up?

6 ft of table space is just not enough to truly show ALL that I do so the Personality gets turned on-not that it is ever turned off-and I MAKE SURE that everyone knows just where my store is located.

Summer Solstice

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and the First day of Summer.

Here in Pittsburgh it was almost 90 degrees and Humid. It reminded me of an August that I sent in Mexico, but luckily then I had the Ocean and Pools to keep me cool...And a lot of shopping for Gems. I picked up a lot of stones while I was there, and fell in love with BIG Stones and the Designs that incorporated them.

Smokey Quartz, Citrine, Amethyst...I could keep going on and on. But the one stone that, when I look at, takes me back to that time is a Mexican Fire Opal. I did not but any while I was there as they were already set and just outside of my price range. AND I was not making Jewelry seriously at that time, only collecting Sparkly Bits of Gorgeous.

8x10mm Mexican Fire Opal in Twisted FineSilver...Ring sz 11

Completely untreated by man-other than cut and polished-Mexican Fire Opals remind me of that Perfect Summer Day. Hot.  Sun Blazing so bright that if you look at it too long you know you will be in trouble, yet you cannot stop looking.

If Only We Lived in a Perfect World

But, alas, we do not.

My Dream has always been to create the Most Beautiful Jewelry that I possibly can.

It has always been about the Art.

It never involved making TONS of money.

Even now, when the Store HAS to bring a certain amount of money every month, I still get more satisfaction from a smile.

When that Ring Fit

When that Necklace is the Perfect Shade

I Wish I could pay the Bills with my Customers Smiles.

I know I cannot.

Those smiles, however, do Inspire me to continue doing what I do.

I LOVE seeing how Happy my Customers are when they leave with their purchase.

BUT do they realize just how HAPPY I AM because of them?

The Birth of a Pearl

Pearls are one of the only Gemstones that are created in our lifetime.  It takes as little 8 months to create a Gem-Quality Pearl...AND THEY ARE REAL!!!!

Freshwater Pearls.

Akoya Pearls

South Sea Pearls

Tahitian Pearls.

All are Cultured.  A small piece of foreign material is inserted into the mollusk to start the creation of a Pearl. Yes, it does happen naturally in the wild, but Natural Pearls account for less than .001% of the Pearls available for sale today.

So how does it happen?
In Salt Water Pearls a small Mother of Pearl, MOP, bead is inserted into the gonad of the mollusk along with a piece of tissue from a donor mollusk to help stimulate nacre production, the process of nucleation. Layer upon layer until the Pearl is harvested.  Fresh water Pearls are nucleated just a bit of tissue.

Sounds easy. Put something into a Mollusk and then in a matter of months or years you have a Pearl.

Not quite. Even though this is a completely natural process for the Mollusk, there is the possibility of rejection, sickness and even Death of the Mollusk.  Pollution, Storms, excessive heat-or cold, and disease can all also have an effect on Pearl Production. Even destroy an entire Harvest.

The Harvesting Process involves an incision being made and removing the Pearls. South Sea and Tahitian Pearl producing mollusks are saved for further Harvests. The remaining mollusks are used for their meat or other products.

If the process is the same for both Salt Water and Freshwater Pearls, why are Salt Water Pearls so much more expensive than Freshwater Pearls?

A Salt Water Pearl producing mollusk is nucleated once maybe twice per Harvest.
South Sea and Tahitian experience 1 nucleation.
Freshwater Pearls produce 24 to 36 Pearls per Harvest.

Cleopatra's Pearl Banquet

Legend has it that Cleopatra beat Marc Anthony in a wager. Who can throw the most expensive dinner party?  And subsequently won his Heart.

To show Egypt's continued Power and in a display of Wealth, Cleopatra accepted Marc Anthony's wager.

On board her Royal Barge, she sat at an empty plate and goblet of vinegar. Marc Anthony ate heartily, but proclaimed at the end of his meal that while enjoyable the meal did not surpass former Banquets. At this point, Cleopatra removed her Pearl Earring. Crushed it, and placed it into her goblet and drank it down.

Marc Anthony had no choice but to admit defeat. By Roman standards the single Pearl was valued at "10Million sesterces" or the "value of 15 Countries"

The Irony of Her actions?  In Egypt, Pearls were not terribly prized for their monetary value, but for their Beauty.

Cleopatra, not known as being "vulgar", did have a reputation for ostentation. Educated and Brilliant, she did what she felt she had to in order to save her Reign-and that of her children's.

"The Ugliest Pearl in the World"

At 9.45 inches-yes INCHES-in diameter, and 14.1 pounds-yes POUNDS, the Pearl of Allah is also the Largest known Pearl.

Pearl of Allah


Most Pearls are formed in Oysters, yet all mollusks can create a pearl. Some not as pretty as others though. Clams do not layer the lustrous nacre over an irritant. "Clam Pearls"are more "porcellaneous", or porcelain-like. And are usually not round at all.

In 1934, Wilburn Cobb first heard of this HUGE Pearl and tried to buy it from a Tribal Chieftain on the Island of Palawan in the Philippines. He was turned down. Then in 1936, Cobb was GIFTED the Pearl out of gratitude for saving the same Chief's son from malaria.  He continued to own the Pearl until his death in 1979.

This is the story he told the Natural History Magazine.

In 1969, a "NEW" History of the Pearl came to light. More Fantastical.  More Mythical.  A True Chinese Artifact

According to Cobb he was approached by a gentleman, Mr Li, while the Pearl was on display. Li said that the "Pearl of Allah" was really the LOST "Pearl of Lao Tzu".

Myth says that this Pearl was grown from a much smaller Clam 2500 yrs ago when a Jade Amulet engraved with images of the Buddha and Confucius was implanted to create a Pearl that was to bring Peace and Harmony to all Mankind.  Over the years, legend has it that the Pearl was transferred to successively larger Clams as it outgrew it's host Clam.

Peace was not to be had, wars were fought over the Pearl, and in 1750 it was supposedly sent to the Philippines-still inside the Giant Clam-for safe keeping....And Lost at Sea.

While trying to retrieve a Giant Clam a young Muslim pearl diver was trapped by the Clam. When the body was recovered and the Clam opened, a pearl resembling the Image of Muhammad wearing a turban was revealed and worshipped.

There are a lot of signals that tell this story not to be true, BUT the story does help to drive the value of the Pearl...$93M in 2007

I am not going to go into any of the sordid, mundane details of the Pearl since Wilburn Cobb's passing. Just know that Wars-of a personal nature-continued to be fought over the "Pearl of Allah", or the lost "Pearl of Lao Tzu"