This is truly a beautiful image to me the hands that bring these stones to use are so far from our minds when we purchase our pretty baubbles! I try to show everyone that there are thousands of people behind me when I creat a piece of art. The people who risk their lives to bring silver and gold and precious gems out of the crust of the earth!
Sorry for the melodrama ~ I simply love this image and all it inspires!
This is The Black Prince's Ruby in the Crown Jewels of England. The most famous not ruby in the world! It's a Spinel. When this beauty was mined all red stones were known as ruby - it's wasn't until relatively modern times that the gem was "discovered" to be a spinel. Everyone is always chasing for those four main stones that they don't see the beauty of other things around them - they just see "cheap" imitations of the "real" thing. When today the "real" thing isn't obtainable (nor every truly was) for the masses. Those beauties are beautiful not only for their color and fire but also for their rarity.
This is why I've always been one to appreciate the misunderstood of the jewelry trade. Spinels top my list of favorites, as well as colorless sapphires, and quartz - I've always been drawn to the clarity of quartz (or lack therof when citing dedritic or rutillated quartzs). Quartz is what started my love for gemology to begin with.
But I digress, the reason spinels are important especially now is their natural range if color and availability for the masses. While you will still see tons of rough stones being "cooked & colored" you can still find affordable untreated stones with good color and clarity. The same cannot be said of sapphires and rubies and emeralds and diamonds.
As I always say we must be educated buyers rread everything, and take time to make purchases, be wise (realistic, frugal and yet fantastic) with your investments and you will be happier for the long term. Plus always remember, that brand nammes don't mean anytthing if they are selling junk! Custom made jewelry is more affordable than the name brands!
Here's the source of the images as well as my choise of topic for this blog entry:
http://fieldgemology.org/Spinel_article.php
http://fieldgemology.org/Spinel_article.php
Here are two of my favorite shops for perusing stones:
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