Friday Fun

This past Friday I entertained an out-of-town friend. After picking her up at the airport she accompanied me to the Puget Sound Bead Festival and she helped me pick out some cool new metal beads and stones.

 I found some very interesting metal beads this year as well as some deals on large bags of pewter beads that I could not pass up. In fact I wish I had gotten more!

And now for the stones.  My mission was blues and greens. The blue ovals are Dumortierite from South Africa. This blue crystal is a birthstone for Virgo (Aug 23 – Sept 22). It stimulates the brain and brings enhanced intellectual abilities. It assists with all mental skills especially mathematical and language. It is a useful aid for anyone who is studying as it assists the retention of information as well as enhancing your will power, and capacity for self mastery. It helps to stabilize emotions, increases your patience and helps you take control of your life.

Here is your geology lesson for the day......The green stones on the right are called Kambaba Jasper (also called crocodile jasper), a rare fossilized jasper from Madagascar. It is a stromatolite jasper, which means that it is composed of fossilized algae. Stromatolites, colonial structures created by Cyanobacteria (commonly called blue-green algae) are among the oldest fossils on earth, being found in rocks over 3 billion years old. Cyanobacteria form these mound-like structures by growing through sediment, binding the particles together resulting in successive layers which, over very long time periods, may harden to form rocks. These structures may be from fractions of an inch to several feet in diameter. Cyanobacteria were the dominant life form on Earth for over 2 billion years. Today they are nearly extinct, living a precarious existence in only a few localities worldwide. Although many Stromatolites are fossils, there are a number of locations on the modern-day Earth where Stromatolites are still forming.

Kambaba Jasper calms emotions and brings balance and relaxation, and like all jaspers, it is a stone of protection and grounding. Promotes rational thinking and teaches the wearer to have empathy with the feelings of others. Aids in the ability to deal with difficult situations and helps turn thoughts into actions. It also works on stimulating creativity whilst encouraging self discipline to complete endeavors or projects which have lost their original excitement. In a healing capacity it aids the circulation and digestion and detoxifies the blood.

And the square stones in the middle are Fancy Jasper. Also known as Indian Agate, it promotes well-being, channels positive energy, strengthens boundaries and helps to release obsessions. It calms the mind and helps one to focus and make positive plans for the. It has the ability to nourish the mind, body and spirit and therefore brings balance in to ones life.  It helps to organize ones thoughts and promotes rational thinking.
 

 We both fell in love with these and they were the last two strands the dealer had. This is Red Dragons Blood Jasper. What a name! This stone is from Australia and like all jaspers it is a member of the quartz family.  It brings joy to community interactions. It increases courage & strength and promotes heart healing. Did you know that 2012 is the year of the Dragon? 

 These stones come in such soft and pretty colors. These are Owahee Jasper From Eastern Oregon. It dissipates energy blockages, reduces stress and promotes connections to your senses. It attracts genuine friendships and keeps the wearer grounded. It is also said to protects travelers and assist with healing of animals

After all that shopping we were ready for lunch at Indochine on Pacific in Tacoma. I have eaten here several times and highly recommend them. A relaxing setting with delicious  and beautifully prepared food.
 

Later in the day, after moving some furniture in my house, we went through the outfits she had packed for her cruise and I made her jewelery to match. A new magic jasper necklace and earrings. A pair of turquoise and pearl earrings to go with a necklace she has of mine. And a pair of grey pearl and copper earrings to go with a necklace with the same materials. You may see some of the later from me soon as I really liked them.

What a fun day!