Semiprecious stones

Semi-precious stones have fascinated me since the first time I met them. I will tell you when and where that fateful meeting took place and how semi-precious stones brought a wonderful person, a dear colleague and friend into my life.

I was introduced to semi-precious stones as a child because my mother loved this type of jewelry that wasn't gold. A true crystal experience happened a few years ago in Novi Sad.

One day, Ljube (that's what I affectionately call my husband) and I were walking through the capital of Vojvodina...

In a small window, a necklace made of colorful stones. Enchanted, I enter a small, cute shop. Inside, with a lot of colorful stones, a very nice, pretty woman who radiates incredible energy. A word, two, laughter and a joke. She closes the shop… We drink coffee (oh, wasn't it the end of working hours?). In the conversation, I learn a lot of interesting details related to semi-precious stones. The sight of that treasure, plus a real person (woman) who conveys to you with so much love the depth, importance and value of the mineral, cannot leave you indifferent. As time goes by, it becomes a part of you.

With this blog, I want to encourage you to look around you and enjoy the small, yet powerful things that Mother Nature has been creating for millions of years.

What do semi-precious stones do to me?

Each stone awakens in me a new sense of awe, gratitude, and awareness of the power of Mother Nature. And every time I open the ordered package, I rejoice like a little child. I excitedly pick up and examine each stone, admiring these little masterpieces anew.

Nature is truly a fantastic artist!

I'm often asked what type of semi-precious stone I like best. I don't have a favorite stone.

Stones have their own meaning, their own action, their own power.

You always reach for the stone you need at that moment. It's incredible, but true! Today it's agate , tomorrow it's citrine , then rock crystal ...

Semi-precious stones, true inspiration

Inspiration for jewelry comes from everywhere. God, how wonderful this world is! You turn around, you don't know where to start. So much beauty, scents, colors, shapes. Inspiration is in every movement and sound... then I connect that moment with a color and then with a stone, and sometimes the stone itself tells a story , which I then incorporate into jewelry. In any case, it's something that just happens, intuitively.

More than decoration, more than jewelry

I was so fascinated by semi-precious stones that I began to study them in more depth. I immersed myself in reading the excellent book “The New Stone Age” by Carol Woolton , which inspires a life with crystals. Woolton is an editor at British Vogue and an expert in fine jewelry. She became interested in the world of crystals in 2018 in Los Angeles during her journalistic and investigative assignment preparing a New Year’s story on the power of crystals. She soon realized that crystal healing was not just a trend, but a movement, and that the ancient practice was gaining new relevance in modern society .

I have discovered so many amazing things about semi-precious stones that I am very happy to share with you. A friend introduced me to jewelry, but reading this book has me diving into the ocean of possibilities that (semi-)precious stones offer beyond the world of jewelry.

Stones are strongly connected to the earth, thus fulfilling the human desire for something meaningful beyond oneself.

"Crystals can amplify all your thoughts, and you are what you think."

The book compares the effect of crystals to makeup, which, like crystals, brings joy and makes a woman the most confident version of herself.

“People are so judgmental, and makeup is not about hiding, it’s about enhancing. If you look back in time, whether it’s Cleopatra or someone wearing war paint, we’ve always used it.”

Crystals are a life force. Even when you hold a rough, rough, faceted stone in your hand, a transfer of positivity and self-confidence occurs.

"A stone can change our energy, which in turn can change our life."

The power of semi-precious stones

Alternative "science" and medicine have been using precious and semi-precious stones since ancient times. It is believed that it can bring happiness and protect against negative influences . That's how old civilizations made amulets and talismans to protect them from evil forces and spells.

Each stone is assigned its protective role, and according to some beliefs, astrology (horoscope) is also connected with semi-precious stones, so each zodiac sign is recommended a certain stone that has a positive effect on it .

For example, aquamarine is recommended for Scorpios and Taurus. It stimulates a sense of loyalty, so it is worn as an amulet for fidelity and happiness in marriage... Agate gives courage, energy, strength, dispels fears, restores self-confidence, protects against harmful radiation, storms, lightning, headaches... In China, pearls are a symbol of wealth, wisdom and honor; in Japan, a symbol of happiness, and in India, a symbol of a fertile family. In some cultures, pearls had aphrodisiac properties and were used as a cure for melancholy and madness. In most of the world, they have always been considered a symbol of beauty, love, happiness and wealth.

Coral protects against evil spirits and sterility. If you didn't know why coral bracelets are given to newborn babies or for baptisms, now you know! In the past, crushed coral would be mixed with water to treat internal organs. Jade is the protector of Virgo, while it is not recommended for Gemini and Sagittarius. It is believed to attract and strengthen love of all kinds and to cure diseases of the eyes, kidneys and digestive organs...

Indeed, I could go on and on listing all the types of semi-precious stones, their effects on our bodies and psyches, because there are so many of them. I will talk about that another time when I present to you the stones I use to make my jewelry.

What are precious and what are semi-precious stones?

In 1999, CIBJO ( The World Jewelery Confederation ) classified stones into 3 groups:

• gemstones
• semiprecious stones
• ornamental i.e. decorative stones .

Gems or precious stones are the rarest , most valuable and most durable minerals of natural origin . Stones come in a variety of shapes, colors, shades, structures and durability.

It should be noted here that not every mineral is a gemstone. A stone cannot be considered a gem if it does not meet the

3 main conditions : beauty , rarity and durability . Only minerals that meet these conditions are considered precious stones or gems, and these are: diamond , sapphire ,emerald , opal and ruby .

All other minerals that are more abundant in nature, somewhat easier to process and therefore somewhat less valuable and more favorable compared to precious stones, we call semi-precious stones.

Since the criteria are not particularly strict or precisely defined, various minerals are referred to as gemstones. In addition to the traditional classification into precious and semi-precious stones, a new classification has recently emerged that classifies all crystals as gemstones . No matter how this natural treasure is classified, its beauty draws sighs and it really doesn't matter to me whether someone calls it crystals, precious or semi-precious stones, because each stone has its own value and tells a thousand-year-old story .

3 main conditions: beauty, rarity and durability

Beauty is the most subjective of the three factors, but the aesthetic properties of minerals can still be somewhat objectively assessed based on the following categories:

• color
• transparency
• shine
• certain optical effects
• iridescence (rainbow effect)…

The physical properties, chemical structure, and stability of minerals directly affect the processing of stone.

For semi-precious and precious stones, the following are important:

• firmness
• impact resistance
• chemical resistance – jewelry is exposed to various atmospheric (un)conditions every day.

How are (semi)precious stones created?

Some types of rocks were formed deep in the earth, and came to light thanks to natural phenomena, earthquakes, landslides, but also explosions. The rocks were formed differently. In some cases, tiny crystals of various types of minerals united into one, while in others, the rock crystallized gradually under the influence of gases and other factors deep within the earth's crust. It is interesting that some minerals are found in the cavities and cracks of rocks .

Tiny traces of imperfections such as bumps and dots on (semi)precious stones are called inclusions , and thanks to them, experts can learn about their origin and even the place of origin, as well as whether it is a mineral of natural origin or a synthetic stone.

Most gemstones are minerals. But did you know that there are so-called organic gemstones ? They are obtained from living organisms such as shells and corals ? These include pearls andcorals .

Semi-precious stones have been valued since time immemorial.

In addition to their decorative role, semi-precious stones had, in the past and still do today, magical and healing properties and were once an important means of barter (trade), which is why their price constantly increased.

Did you know that precious and semi-precious stones are mentioned in the Bible – in the Old and New Testaments? In the Book of Exodus, the 12 tribes of Israel are associated with precious and semi-precious stones. The high priest, a follower of Jehovah, carried a bag decorated with 12 valuable stones of different shapes and colors – the so-called biblical stones : ruby , topaz,emerald , carbuncle, sapphire and diamond, jahont, agate , amethyst, chrysolite, onyx and jasper . This was a real discovery for me.

The ancient Romans believed that gems could restore sight, while the Egyptians used green-colored gemstones to ease labor pains. Many rulers, emperors and kings in various cultures and epochs used them as amulets in conquest campaigns and wars and when making important decisions.

(Semi)precious stones are a fantastic product of nature whose value is only increasing .

Processing of precious stones

Although there are many ways to process gemstones, there are two basic ones:

• faceting – the natural light effects of the stones are emphasized
• rounding - mainly used when processing non-transparent and semi-transparent stones.

Stone can also be: cut, ground and polished . These are actually 3 stages of processing:

1. The stone is cut in the initial stage when we have the first, roughest work to shape it.
2. The next phase is sanding.
3. Polishing is the final stage, and involves smoothing the surface to enhance its shine.

Today, precious and semi-precious stones mostly play an aesthetic role.

In my blogs, I will cover various aspects of semi-precious stones, their powers, and the roles that people attribute to them.

"Why there's not a color on land or sea but is imprisoned in one of these heavenly stones! What wonderful jewelry could be made with these subtle phrases of color... such beauties as we moderns have never conceived... Let me have these broken lights – these harmonies and dissonances of color."

Oscar Wilde