primarily mined in Brazil, amethyst is a member of the quartz family. this popular gemstone comes in both purple and green. the word "amethyst" comes from the Greek work "amethystos", meaning "not drunken". the Greeks believed amethyst prevented intoxication and associated the gemstone with Bacchus, the god of wine because of its wine-purple color.
garnet, New York state's gemstone, is said to have powers of healing, strength, and protection. during the middle ages, crusaders put garnets in their armor because of their protective powers. garnets come in all colors, except blue and the garnet family is the second most diverse mineral family (quartz is the most diverse).
there has been a lot of attention to zodiac signs recently and although my sign did change, I was very pleased that no changes were made to birthstone assignments! every month in 2011 (except april because I do not work with diamonds), I plan to focus on the birthstone of that month. I will create new pieces incorporating the gemstone or focusing solely on that stone. birthstone jewelry makes a perfect birthday gift for the woman who has everything!
I have infused my passion for art into my designs. prints of the colorful and whimsical art of Charley Harper, known for his vibrant colors and minimal realism style, hand in my jewelry studio and I often look at his work for inspiration when I am creating my multi-color jade necklaces.
