Beauty Beneath the Ground

When iKandies first began to bead, we stuck to glass - Czech glass, Swarovski crystals, seed beads - components that can be found at a local craft store.  But soon we became enthralled with gemstones, especially after our first trip to the annual Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee.  There we discovered vendor after vendor displaying gemstones we never dreamed existed. Each year we found something new, and 2012 was no different. Bronze Infused Purple Turquoise - now that was a sight to behold.

Gemstones are just rocks, minerals or organic material that have been cut and polished so that they may be used for ornamental purposes. They generally fall into two categories: precious gemstones like diamonds, rubies and emeralds, or semi-precious like lapis lazuli and amethyst.  Organic material such as pearls and petrified wood are often classified as a gemstone, too.

Earlier last year iKandies visited the Petrified Forest in Arizona and brought home several pieces of petrified wood from the souvenir shop. Since petrified wood is composed mostly of crystallized minerals, they closely resemble rocks.  Smaller pieces of polished petrified wood can be used in jewelry designs in place of other stones, as shown in the image to the right.


Recently, the hubby and I decided to have a new kitchen installed and when it came to selecting a counter top, we went with granite.  This meant a trip to a local granite warehouse and showroom, Mont Granite, and was that an experience! Hundreds of granite slabs from around the world were lined up and we were shown how to select the one we wanted. The colors ranged from white, greys and blacks to shades of green, pink and orange. The pink and orange combinations reminded us of the southwest, while the greens made us think of rolling hills.  On display in the showroom were examples of how granite can be used, in the kitchen, bathroom, on walls, outside by a grill, and on the floor.  Also, the company has some very artistic composites on display the showroom.  The image to the left is an artist's interpretation of mixing various sizes of petrified wood and back lighting it. The company also showed how a piece like this could be used in the home.  


Of course during our time at Mont Granite, I kept thinking of all the chips and pieces of granite that are discarded during the cutting and finishing process and how they could be used in jewelry designs.  Hopefully someone else close to the granite quarries has thought of this too, and they aren't going to waste!


No matter what your view of "rocks" may have been, we hope this blog post has shown you the beauty that is buried beneath the ground.