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.

Back From Bead Fest - It was a success!

We just got back and iKandies wanted to share our experience at our first Interweave Bead Fest.  While much smaller than the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, it was still a large venue with much to enjoy.  Our first stop Friday afternoon was the Bead Expo in the Great Philadelphia Expo Center.  Over 300 vendors were represented selling  gemstones, chain, glass, crystal, pearls, metals, findings, and everything in between. A shopper would need several days to make the rounds to all the vendors....

Where do I start?

... So we tried to visit as many of them as we could.   We brought home a few new items ...

Gemstones

Crystals

SilverSilk

New Tools

We also took a few classes and here's one of the bracelets we made, "Wild Woman Bangle" taught by Debora Mauser.  It combines pure copper with brass, sterling silver, Swarovski cyrstals, and found objects such as nuts and bolts.

Our overall experience was great and we really had fun learning new skills.

What Inspires You?

When applying to most artfairs, iKandies has been asked "What inspires you to create your jewelry?"  As noted on our website www.ikandies.com and our Esty site iKandies Esty shop, we are inspired by many things including places we visit while on vacation. Recently, iKandies took a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona.  Although we weren't able to attend the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, we didn't miss out on inspiring experiences!  We spent a day touring the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert in northern Arizona. You might wonder how rocks could inspire anyone but these aren't just any rocks!  The "rocks" or petrified wood found in this area were formed when layers of volcanic ash, silt, and mud buried downed trees.  Silica-laden groundwater seeped through the wood and replaced the wood tissue with silica deposits. Eventually, the silica crystallized into quartz and the logs were preserved as petrified wood.  The rocks vary in color due to the type and amount of minerals present in the soil in which the wood is embedded. Here is a picture of a few small pieces of petrified wood iKandies was able to purchase

Petrified Wood

What causes the variety of colors?  Hematite, a form of oxidized iron, results in shades of red and pink. Yellow, brown and orange are produced by the presence of goethite, or hydrated iron oxide. The color green is produced by pure reduced iron or native iron.  This form of iron is rare in terrestrial rocks but common in meteorites. White is produced by pure silica. A black color is the result of organic carbon or pyrite present in the soil. And purple and blue are produced by manganese dioxide. 

iKandies plans to use these pieces of petrified wood in jewelry designs, so we purchased gemstones from a local bead store that we thought would go with them.  We found strands of Impression Jasper, Rainbow Jasper and Chalcedony. When the jewelry designs are completed, we'll post the photos on this blog.

Gemstones and Petrified Wood