Fabergé Egg - Bouquet of Lilies Clock

In my last article on Handmade Gemstone Jewelry(My main website), I actually posted a whole article on the Hen Egg and the history of Fabergé Jewelled Eggs! (Click on Fabergé Jewelled Eggs to come up with my article, which will give you a background to the Banquet of Lilies Clock)

On my blog for the nest few weeks, I am going to discuss and show photos of some of the most famous Fabergé Eggs.

Bouquet  of Lilies Clock

 

Background: Otherwise known as the Madona Lily Egg, the Bouquet of lilies clock is another imperial jewelled Easter egg that was over-seared by the head of the Fabergé House, Peter Carl Faberge, for Nicholas II's wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna, just before the Tsar was exiled.

Where can it be seen: Kremlin Armoury in Moscow, Russia, along with many other eggs.

Materials:

• The Outer Shell has been engraved with a pattern and finished with a translucent enamel. 
• Time Belt: Set with different roman numerals in diamond. As the belt revolves, a small diamond arrow points to the correct time. 
• The Base is decorated with rosettes and also has the year of production inscribed on it. 
• The lily heads on the bouquet are made from onyx while the pistols are set with small rose diamonds. The stems and leaves are made of gold. 

The Way it Works :

The clock is run by a small gold key which is used to wind the mechanism inside.

 

If you enjoy reading my article, please comment!

 

A Late Merry Christmas

Dear readers, I hope you have all had an excellent Christmas! I myself
had a very busy one. A few days before Christmas, my computer took a
bad turn whilst I was in the most of the most thrilling article upon the
history of Faberge eggs. As it turns out, I will have to post that
article on my main website as I am very behind! I wish you all the very
best of New Years. Don't forget to visit
www.myhandmadegemstonejewelry.com

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - Tiger-eye Jewelry

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - Black Onyx Jewelry

Black onyx and Sardonyx are one of the various forms of quartz and can be found on the earth's crust along with many other gemstones. Black onyx is mined all over the world, so you are likely to come out with a lot of different shades of black and maybe even some tinges of purple here and there.

Black onyx is at its best when it is jet black. Some jewelers dye the gemstone to improve its color and sometimes to make it more opaque since black onyx is slightly translucent.

With a Moh scale hardness of 7, it is perfect for jewelry. Diamond, the hardest gemstone, has the hardest rating, which is 10.

This makes black onyx jewelry just the thing for day to day wear!

 

 

Malachite Jewelry

 

Flickr 

Malachite is one of the oldest gemstones, having a history that stretches all the way back to Hebrew Israel, where beads were found around the walls of Jericho. Perhaps the Israelites wore malachite as they sounded their trumpets!

The Egyptians discovered that malachite powder made very good eye shadow that not only could be used as make-up, but also protected their eyes from the sun. This beautiful gemstone has stripes running through it which sometimes look like an eye.  The Egyptians began to think that this "eye" could scare away "the evil eye".
One of the most luxurious displays of malachite today is found in the Hermitage's Malachite Room. ( See my one of my previous articles about the Malachite room.)More at: Handmade Gemstone Jewelry

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - A Little About Pearls

Pearls are one of the earth's greatest treasures occuring in a large varity of ovals, circles, baroques,  and different shades of cream. I personally prefer pearls to some other gemstones because of their shiny and smooth opaque appearance.
Usually, a pearl is either a freshwater or saltwater. The saltwater pearls are the best and fetch a much higher price. If you are thinking of buying a pearl necklace for fun and don't want to spend too much, I recommend that you try a freshwater pearl because they are much less expensive, but still look beautiful.
A pearl, whether freshwater or not, is created whithin a mollusk's shell.(usually an oyster) It takes a period of 10 years for an oyster to produce a pearl. That is a long time!
Pearls were used centuries ago in Asia and Greece where a number of myths and legends were spun up as to the spiritual and healing abilities of the stone. Pearls, thought the ancient Greeks, were so fascinating and shiny that they could be used to distract the gods from persecuting mankind.

All rights reserved by RayvenRenn  - Ooo! Shiny.

If you are interested in buying pearl jewelry, it is always best to shop with a reputable dealer who you know a lot about. There are many different styles of pearl necklaces and earrings.
The most petite and tradition pearl earrings usually have a single pearl on each earring.
Pearls have such a brilliance of themselves, that they look fine even if you have them on their own!
You may also be interested in reading more of my articles below or visiting my main website:
Handmade Gemstone Jewelry

The History of the Hope Diamond, Victorian Jewelry

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - Black Onyx

Black onyx jewelry interests me because it is another gemstone with an extensive history behind it. I have been working on making a history of Black onyx on my main website(Handmade Gemstone Jewelry), but I haven't finished it yet. (Some related posts: Different Black Onyx Styles, Helpful Hints when buying Black onyx Jewelry )

I have come up with a very brief history of Black Onyx to give my readers a feel for this amazing gemstone. 

The first record we have if the gemstone being used was in the old Hebrew Israel. The Bible mentions that black onyx was the gemstone used to signify one of the twelve tribes of Israel in the High Priest's breast-plate in Exodus. 

Centuries later, the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans also used Black onyx for making bowls, jewelry(especially the signet ring), and for decorating clothes. During these ancient civilizations, pharaohs, kings, and nobles usually used gemstones and rich adornment to show their social standing. In Rome, it was used by many of the Caesars in signet rings to stand wax letters.

Today, Black onyx jewelry has jumped back from over the centuries, and is again popular.

Shopping for Handmade Baltic Amber Beads

For a thousand years Gdansk has been an important city and primary port in Northern Poland, due to its strategic positioning where the Vistula River meets the Baltic sea. It’s known as a place for culture, artistic amber jewelry, handmade jewelry, and festivals. Amber workshops have formed an integral part of the cultural backdrop since the 10th century, and the popularity of the native Baltic amber increased during the 14th century when the Teutonic Order began exporting the ancient resin rock to Venice, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Germany. In 1477, Gdansk became the center for the first amber guild. The term Gold of the North is applied to amber mined in that region and it’s famed because Baltic amber is rich in succinic acid known for its curative properties.

Many people come to Gdańsk due to it being the center for the largest world amber fair called AMBERIF. However, a tour any time of the year can awe collections and amber lovers. Starting at the Gdańsk History Museum, with exhibits such as The Polish Sea Gems, and City Hall with masterful amber creations on display by artists such as Lucjan Myrta’s. To see the largest amber sculpture in the world, which weighs 2.5 kilograms, you’ll have to be in Gdansk. Don’t forget to go to the Archaeological Museum to view amber through the centuries and how it’s processed, and the Museum of Amber Inclusions for an up-close view of some of the world’s best prehistoric fossil inclusions in embalmed in the precious resin stone. Then there’s St. Bridget’s Church, where artists are in the process of creating an amber alter, although it’s not yet finished.

Touring the workshops and galleries of the old town is where you can shop for raw Baltic amber pendant designs that are one-of-a-kind and Baltic amber beads in honey color, lemon yellow, cognac, green and even reddish purple. Many artisans who work with silver and Baltic amber beads also blend coral, pearls and turquoise stones to give contrast. When it comes to earrings, bracelets, charms and even genuine Baltic amber pendant necklaces, such as traditional amber crosses, prayer beads and rosaries, there’s no place to shop like the streets of Gdansk.

via handmadejewelryshops.com

I have been a bit busy lately, but here is an article that you may find interesting! I will be posting again on Monday!

Shopping for Handmade Baltic Amber Beads

For a thousand years Gdansk has been an important city and primary port in Northern Poland, due to its strategic positioning where the Vistula River meets the Baltic sea. It’s known as a place for culture, artistic amber jewelry, handmade jewelry, and festivals. Amber workshops have formed an integral part of the cultural backdrop since the 10th century, and the popularity of the native Baltic amber increased during the 14th century when the Teutonic Order began exporting the ancient resin rock to Venice, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Germany. In 1477, Gdansk became the center for the first amber guild. The term Gold of the North is applied to amber mined in that region and it’s famed because Baltic amber is rich in succinic acid known for its curative properties.

Many people come to Gdańsk due to it being the center for the largest world amber fair called AMBERIF. However, a tour any time of the year can awe collections and amber lovers. Starting at the Gdańsk History Museum, with exhibits such as The Polish Sea Gems, and City Hall with masterful amber creations on display by artists such as Lucjan Myrta’s. To see the largest amber sculpture in the world, which weighs 2.5 kilograms, you’ll have to be in Gdansk. Don’t forget to go to the Archaeological Museum to view amber through the centuries and how it’s processed, and the Museum of Amber Inclusions for an up-close view of some of the world’s best prehistoric fossil inclusions in embalmed in the precious resin stone. Then there’s St. Bridget’s Church, where artists are in the process of creating an amber alter, although it’s not yet finished.

Touring the workshops and galleries of the old town is where you can shop for raw Baltic amber pendant designs that are one-of-a-kind and Baltic amber beads in honey color, lemon yellow, cognac, green and even reddish purple. Many artisans who work with silver and Baltic amber beads also blend coral, pearls and turquoise stones to give contrast. When it comes to earrings, bracelets, charms and even genuine Baltic amber pendant necklaces, such as traditional amber crosses, prayer beads and rosaries, there’s no place to shop like the streets of Gdansk.

via handmadejewelryshops.com

I have been a bit busy lately, but here is an article that you may find interesting! I will be posting again on Monday!