So the Thanksgiving turkey is gone, the christmas decorations are up, and the madness begins. I love the holiday season. The lights, the songs, the hot chocolate, and of course-having my girls close by!
I love shopping on line. I can shop in my pj's. I can shop at any time. And I can find almost anything I need! Of course the web is so vast, it is harder to shop when you don't really have an idea what to give somebody. Paging through pictures and websites can get frustrating.
So here are just a few suggestions for gifts for him and her from my website.
If they have a lapidary hobby: such as cutting rock, wirewrapping or setting jewelry, I have great rough rock and cabochons available.
Animal gemstone carvings are great for both sexes. If they collect an animal: an owl or elephant-you can find great carvings in my store. I also have more "masculine" animals: alligators, lizards, and hedgehogs. Plus check out my guide on animal symbology to give a gift with a message.
Animal Symbology
For the collector I have great stone spheres and eggs. But you don't have to be a collector to enjoy them. A great stone sphere is a unique gift for any busy executive's desk. I also have unusual shapes: cubes, pyramids, skulls and more. Even a lovely freeform polished piece is a wonderful gift for just about anybody.
The gorgeous gemstone boxes and frames are great gifts too. And who wouldn't love bookends cut from genuine American petrified wood?
Whether you believe in it or not, people love getting gifts with "meaning". Check out my Metaphysical Guide for what rocks to give for special powers!
Metaphysical Guide
You should have no problem finding the right gift for everyone on your list in my store. And don't forget to look for stocking stuffers too! Check under Animal Carvings for tiny animals and lovely animal necklaces. For him I have some great fossils and sharks teeth.
Come have a look!: http://www.oakrocks.net/
I still plan to follow up on my China post...coming soon! and watch for information on the upcoming Quartzsite and Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Made in China
We just returned from a 2-week trip to China. We went there to source rough rock and to check out stone cutting factories. If this offends you, please stop reading now. It is not my intention to anger anybody. I once got a very scathing letter from a customer who received a stone from me labeled as from China. She felt I was responsible for the fall of the American Empire, because I bought from that country. I believe in the Made in the USA concept, and try to practice it whenever possible. However reality is seldom what we want it to be. The truth is our decision to use Chinese stone cutting factories is not really an economical, or convenient, decision. It is a necessary for survival decision. It truly doesn’t save us money. We have to ship rough rock over there, which is heavy and expensive to ship, and we pay import customs and duties there. Then we have to ship the stone products back here, again paying customs and duties. Because it is much cheaper to ship large shipments we only ship back once a year-so it is almost a whole year turn around for us to get stone product back. This makes it hard to know which products will be popular, as well as makes it impossible to take custom cutting or product orders. Throw in 2 trips a year over there to teach skills and check quality, language barriers that often cause us to not get back what we ordered, and the risk of items getting lost or stuck in customs and it is easy to see that it isn’t all that much cheaper and definitely less convenient than cutting it here in the U.S.
So why, you might ask, don’t we have a lapidary cutting shop here? The answer is very simple, because we have tried, repeatedly. But the failure rate is very high. Lapidary cutting of rough rock is a skill that takes lots of years of practice to perfect. It is costly and difficult to train unskilled labor. And when they finally do get good, they quickly learn they can be more successful if they go out on their own. Hence you trained your competitors! There are skilled cutters out there. But in my experience if they aren’t working for themselves, it is because they have alcohol or drug dependencies and are unreliable. We hired a very skilled homeless guy. Bought him a bed, refrigerator and microwave and let him sleep in the shop. He went around telling everyone we kept him chained in the shop working. There’s the one who went out for a “pack of cigarettes”, leaving the lapidary shop wide open and never returned. There’s the one who worked for us for about a year and decided even though we had been in business many years, he “made us who we were” and he deserved a partnership. There’s the time we were robbed and how they did it and what they took told us it was an inside job, and then there was the one who smoked all kinds of funny things, but after three months told us he had lung cancer from the rock dust and he was suing us. Oh, and my personal favorite, the one who stole my husbands identity. We found that out when I got a call from a woman late one night asking how long I had been married because “he didn’t tell me he was married!”
To be fair-there are also talented cutters who do freelance custom jobs. They are usually expensive and one person usually cannot cut a serious quantity of stone.
Unfortunately China is now facing some serious importing rough rock issues and is also experiencing a lot more social issues. I am told that workers there would much rather take low paying but easy work jobs, rather than get paid more for a harder rock cutting job.
I will tell you more of our actual adventures and about the importing rocks trouble in my next blog next month! Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Goodbye Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
The Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, was a museum focused on minerals and mining.
It began in 1884 as a temporary exhibit at Arizona's first territorial fair. The exhibit was very popular and was moved into a permanent building on the state fairgrounds in 1919. It 1991 it was moved to its own location. Its wonderful exhibits included more than 3,000 minerals, rocks, fossils, and artifacts related to the mining industry, a very big part of Arizona's history. The entire collection is said to hold more than 22,500 specimens.
It also held an extensive library of maps and records showing Arizona mine information and mining reference material. The museum offered lapidary classes, rock clubs held their meetings here, and they had an
outreach program that traveled around the state, teaching school kids about earth sciences. It is estimated that 56,000 people visited the museum annually.
In 2010 the Arizona Historical Society, a state government agency, took control of the museum from the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources, under provisions of a new state law. In a press conference on February 12, 2010 Governor Jan Brewer announced that a Centennial Museum would be established in the building currently occupied by the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. It is estimated that this conversion will take approximately 9 million dollars and the museum supporters hope to raise that through private donations. They hope to have the museum open in time for Arizona's centennial birthday February 14, 2012. Of course once the museum is opened it is estimated it will cost the taxpayers 6 million dollars a year to run it.
On Saturday, April 30, 2011, the Arizona Historical Society fired the staff and closed the Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum. This was a month earlier than expected.
I am not trying to make a political statement. I understand that for everyone who is upset with this decision, there are people who support it. I do not know how many taxpayer's dollars it took to run the Mineral Museum. I do know this museum was supported by mining companies and volunteers from the mining industry. I also know the Arizona Historical Society is an important organization. They were founded in 1864 to preserve and document history. They already oversee 4 museums in our state and the collections in their museum facilities throughout the state, number in excess of three million objects.
Of course not everyone cares about rocks and minerals. We personally were intimately involved in this museum. From donating specimens, to selling to their gift shop, to researching their vast resources of material available. Therefore I just wish to express my distress. I want to thank the wonderful staff at the museum, especially Nyal Niemuth, chief mining engineer for the Department of Mines, who truly loved his job and was always extremely informative and helpful. I also want to thank my fellow rock dealers and collectors who gave their support to the museum and the ones who donated or loaned lovely specimens-some extremely valuable!- to be displayed so that the public could enjoy them.
It is said that the new museum will continue to have an extensive display of Arizona rocks and mineral specimens. Unfortunately I do not believe there are definite plans yet and there is no provision in the plan that the curator should have rock or mineral specimen knowledge. I hope so!
http://www.oakrocks.net/
It began in 1884 as a temporary exhibit at Arizona's first territorial fair. The exhibit was very popular and was moved into a permanent building on the state fairgrounds in 1919. It 1991 it was moved to its own location. Its wonderful exhibits included more than 3,000 minerals, rocks, fossils, and artifacts related to the mining industry, a very big part of Arizona's history. The entire collection is said to hold more than 22,500 specimens.
It also held an extensive library of maps and records showing Arizona mine information and mining reference material. The museum offered lapidary classes, rock clubs held their meetings here, and they had an
outreach program that traveled around the state, teaching school kids about earth sciences. It is estimated that 56,000 people visited the museum annually.
In 2010 the Arizona Historical Society, a state government agency, took control of the museum from the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources, under provisions of a new state law. In a press conference on February 12, 2010 Governor Jan Brewer announced that a Centennial Museum would be established in the building currently occupied by the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. It is estimated that this conversion will take approximately 9 million dollars and the museum supporters hope to raise that through private donations. They hope to have the museum open in time for Arizona's centennial birthday February 14, 2012. Of course once the museum is opened it is estimated it will cost the taxpayers 6 million dollars a year to run it.
On Saturday, April 30, 2011, the Arizona Historical Society fired the staff and closed the Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum. This was a month earlier than expected.
I am not trying to make a political statement. I understand that for everyone who is upset with this decision, there are people who support it. I do not know how many taxpayer's dollars it took to run the Mineral Museum. I do know this museum was supported by mining companies and volunteers from the mining industry. I also know the Arizona Historical Society is an important organization. They were founded in 1864 to preserve and document history. They already oversee 4 museums in our state and the collections in their museum facilities throughout the state, number in excess of three million objects.
Of course not everyone cares about rocks and minerals. We personally were intimately involved in this museum. From donating specimens, to selling to their gift shop, to researching their vast resources of material available. Therefore I just wish to express my distress. I want to thank the wonderful staff at the museum, especially Nyal Niemuth, chief mining engineer for the Department of Mines, who truly loved his job and was always extremely informative and helpful. I also want to thank my fellow rock dealers and collectors who gave their support to the museum and the ones who donated or loaned lovely specimens-some extremely valuable!- to be displayed so that the public could enjoy them.
It is said that the new museum will continue to have an extensive display of Arizona rocks and mineral specimens. Unfortunately I do not believe there are definite plans yet and there is no provision in the plan that the curator should have rock or mineral specimen knowledge. I hope so!
http://www.oakrocks.net/
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
It has come to my attention that New Mexico is trying to close Rockhound State Park to rockhounding. To me this is a travesty and one more example of how our government is trying to close off public land and destroy the hobby and business of collecting and selling rocks and minerals.
The proposed plan may be read at the following web site:
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/documents/RockhoundPMPPublicReviewDraftMarch2011.pdf
But, to save you time, the following was posted by Dances with Snakes to my yahoo group-Rough for Sale:
"Rockhound State Park was originally established as a destination for rock collectors. At the time, in 1966, rock collecting was a popular pastime. Visitors were encouraged to visit the Park in order to collect rocks, and were allowed to take home up to 15 pounds of rocks.
Today the Division promotes a respect for the natural environment through interpretive and educational programs. Not only does rock collecting in a public park contradict the principle of natural resource protection.
There is only one state park in the United States that permits rock collecting: Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, which has a 38-acre plowed field set aside for collecting. Nearly all municipal, state, and national parks prohibit the removal of natural artifacts from parks. The practice of rock collecting at the Park would need to comply with NMSA 1978, Section 16-2-32:
"A person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978:
A. cut, break, injure, destroy, take or remove a tree, shrub, timber, plant or natural object in any state park and recreation area, except in areas designated by the secretary and permitted by regulations adopted by the secretary, such regulations shall only permit the removal of a tree, shrub, timber, plant or natural object for scientific study or for non-commercial use by an individual as a souvenir, the quantity of material authorized for removal from any area shall be strictly regulated by park personnel in order to minimize resource damage."
If the Division were to continue to allow the public to collect rocks at the Park, the EMNRD Cabinet Secretary would designate a specific area and adopt rules pertaining to the collecting of rocks on Park property (such as the amount and location).
The once popular hobby of rock collecting has declined significantly since the 1960s. There are local businesses that cater to rock collectors and can guide or direct them to similar opportunities outside of the Park. Safety is also a concern with the public collecting rocks in the Park, as there are steep and unstable slopes that are becoming more hazardous as the collecting alters the stability of the hillside. There is also a concern that some visitors may go beyond the Park boundaries in their quest for rocks.
Park staff has already begun the transition away from rock collecting and will need to educate the public about the need to respect the natural resources. One crucial step is to modify all Park information (signage, brochures, website), so that this activity is no longer encouraged. All materials need to state that it is a prohibited activity. The namesake theme can continue through educational programs and interpretive information about the rocks that occur in the Park and the geology of the region.
Revise written materials by removing all mention of rock collecting and add a reference to the state statute which prohibits rock collecting on Park property.
Written and oral comments on the plan will be accepted. Comment letters can be dropped off at the park; mailed to P.O. Box 1147, Santa Fe, NM 87505; e-mailed to nmparks@state.nm.us or faxed to (505) 476-3361.
PLEASE, everyone reading this message, email, snail mail or fax a written comment in opposition to the proposed plan to discontinue rockhounding in Rockhound State Park. You have until April 18, 2011 to make comment, so please get on it today. Let's show the NMSPD personnel that rockhounding has not declined since the 1960s and the park should remain true to its namesake. Also, all you club members out there, please let everyone in your club know about this by mass email so we can get all rockhounds throughout this country engaged in the battle to save yet another of our fleeting freedoms. This may be in far away New Mexico now, but in your backyard tomorrow.
PLEASE HELP NOW BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIME TO WAIT!
Below is a link to a drafted response from Mike Streeter, NC Geologist and Rockhound. Feel free to use this draft as a response letter, Following will be a list of contact information to send responses to:
http://mcrocks.com/images-5/RockhoundStateParkPlanOpposition.pdf
Contact Information:
The Rockhound State Park Manager:
robertv.apodaca@state.nm.us
and the Regioanl PArk Manager:
rolf.hechler@state.nm.us
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez:
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx
US Congressman Steve Pearce:
https://pearce.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Deming Mayor: Andres Z. Silva
Phone: 575-546-8848
Email: asilva@cityofdeming.org
Deming City Council Member David Sanchez
Phone: 575-546-3155
Email: dsanchez505@msn.com
Deming City Council Member Linda Enis
Phone: 575-546-0333
Email: relex3@gmail.com
Deming City Council Member Joe Milo
Phone: 575-546-7385
Email: deming@cityofdeming.org
Deming City Council Member Bill Shattuck
Phone: 575-544-0455
Email: billshattuck@1stvalley.com
Luna County Commissioner Javier Diaz
Phone: 575-936-6446
Email: rjavier_diaz@lunacountynm.us
Luna County Commissioner Joe "Oleo" Milo
Phone: 575-546-0494
Email: joe_milo@lunacountynm.us
Luna County Commissioner Jay Spivey
Phone: 575-546-0494
Email: jay_spivey@lunacountynm.us
You have to go to the web site addresses to contact the Governor and US Congressman, but to make it easy for you to email all Deming City Government officials and Luna County Commissioners in one fell swoop, all you need to do is cut and paste the following list of email addresses into the address line of your message:
asilva@cityofdeming.org; dsanchez505@msn.com; relex3@gmail.com; deming@cityofdeming.org; billshattuck@1stvalley.com; rjavier_diaz@lunacountynm.us; joe_milo@lunacountynm.us; jay_spivey@lunacountynm.us "
The proposed plan may be read at the following web site:
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/documents/RockhoundPMPPublicReviewDraftMarch2011.pdf
But, to save you time, the following was posted by Dances with Snakes to my yahoo group-Rough for Sale:
"Rockhound State Park was originally established as a destination for rock collectors. At the time, in 1966, rock collecting was a popular pastime. Visitors were encouraged to visit the Park in order to collect rocks, and were allowed to take home up to 15 pounds of rocks.
Today the Division promotes a respect for the natural environment through interpretive and educational programs. Not only does rock collecting in a public park contradict the principle of natural resource protection.
There is only one state park in the United States that permits rock collecting: Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, which has a 38-acre plowed field set aside for collecting. Nearly all municipal, state, and national parks prohibit the removal of natural artifacts from parks. The practice of rock collecting at the Park would need to comply with NMSA 1978, Section 16-2-32:
"A person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978:
A. cut, break, injure, destroy, take or remove a tree, shrub, timber, plant or natural object in any state park and recreation area, except in areas designated by the secretary and permitted by regulations adopted by the secretary, such regulations shall only permit the removal of a tree, shrub, timber, plant or natural object for scientific study or for non-commercial use by an individual as a souvenir, the quantity of material authorized for removal from any area shall be strictly regulated by park personnel in order to minimize resource damage."
If the Division were to continue to allow the public to collect rocks at the Park, the EMNRD Cabinet Secretary would designate a specific area and adopt rules pertaining to the collecting of rocks on Park property (such as the amount and location).
The once popular hobby of rock collecting has declined significantly since the 1960s. There are local businesses that cater to rock collectors and can guide or direct them to similar opportunities outside of the Park. Safety is also a concern with the public collecting rocks in the Park, as there are steep and unstable slopes that are becoming more hazardous as the collecting alters the stability of the hillside. There is also a concern that some visitors may go beyond the Park boundaries in their quest for rocks.
Park staff has already begun the transition away from rock collecting and will need to educate the public about the need to respect the natural resources. One crucial step is to modify all Park information (signage, brochures, website), so that this activity is no longer encouraged. All materials need to state that it is a prohibited activity. The namesake theme can continue through educational programs and interpretive information about the rocks that occur in the Park and the geology of the region.
Revise written materials by removing all mention of rock collecting and add a reference to the state statute which prohibits rock collecting on Park property.
Written and oral comments on the plan will be accepted. Comment letters can be dropped off at the park; mailed to P.O. Box 1147, Santa Fe, NM 87505; e-mailed to nmparks@state.nm.us or faxed to (505) 476-3361.
PLEASE, everyone reading this message, email, snail mail or fax a written comment in opposition to the proposed plan to discontinue rockhounding in Rockhound State Park. You have until April 18, 2011 to make comment, so please get on it today. Let's show the NMSPD personnel that rockhounding has not declined since the 1960s and the park should remain true to its namesake. Also, all you club members out there, please let everyone in your club know about this by mass email so we can get all rockhounds throughout this country engaged in the battle to save yet another of our fleeting freedoms. This may be in far away New Mexico now, but in your backyard tomorrow.
PLEASE HELP NOW BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIME TO WAIT!
Below is a link to a drafted response from Mike Streeter, NC Geologist and Rockhound. Feel free to use this draft as a response letter, Following will be a list of contact information to send responses to:
http://mcrocks.com/images-5/RockhoundStateParkPlanOpposition.pdf
Contact Information:
The Rockhound State Park Manager:
robertv.apodaca@state.nm.us
and the Regioanl PArk Manager:
rolf.hechler@state.nm.us
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez:
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx
US Congressman Steve Pearce:
https://pearce.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Deming Mayor: Andres Z. Silva
Phone: 575-546-8848
Email: asilva@cityofdeming.org
Deming City Council Member David Sanchez
Phone: 575-546-3155
Email: dsanchez505@msn.com
Deming City Council Member Linda Enis
Phone: 575-546-0333
Email: relex3@gmail.com
Deming City Council Member Joe Milo
Phone: 575-546-7385
Email: deming@cityofdeming.org
Deming City Council Member Bill Shattuck
Phone: 575-544-0455
Email: billshattuck@1stvalley.com
Luna County Commissioner Javier Diaz
Phone: 575-936-6446
Email: rjavier_diaz@lunacountynm.us
Luna County Commissioner Joe "Oleo" Milo
Phone: 575-546-0494
Email: joe_milo@lunacountynm.us
Luna County Commissioner Jay Spivey
Phone: 575-546-0494
Email: jay_spivey@lunacountynm.us
You have to go to the web site addresses to contact the Governor and US Congressman, but to make it easy for you to email all Deming City Government officials and Luna County Commissioners in one fell swoop, all you need to do is cut and paste the following list of email addresses into the address line of your message:
asilva@cityofdeming.org; dsanchez505@msn.com; relex3@gmail.com; deming@cityofdeming.org; billshattuck@1stvalley.com; rjavier_diaz@lunacountynm.us; joe_milo@lunacountynm.us; jay_spivey@lunacountynm.us "
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Gemstones-Their History, Magical Lore, and Legend
Some people believe that certain rocks and crystals have “healing” abilities. The metaphysical system of treating disease is based on divine Science or Mind and affirmative prayer bringing health and harmony in every situation. The term “healing” is a holistic concept that extends beyond the body to encompass our minds, our emotions and our spirits. Some believe we can “heal” our relationships, we can “heal” our emotions, we can “heal” our self-esteem, and we can “heal” a sick financial situation.
Since the beginning of time, stones and crystals have played a vital role in human evolution and spiritual development. There are ancient legends and stories, which trace rocks, stones and crystals, back to the creation of the Earth and Universe. Belief in the supernatural properties of precious stones-bringing peace, wellness and protection- goes back beyond recorded history. An early cuneiform tablet gives a list of stones helping with conception and birth (don’t know if it’s true but when I was having trouble getting pregnant a friend gave me some Rose Quartz and Boom!).
History is rich with stories about the mystical and magical power of stones, including legends from Atlantis, Egypt, Sumeria, Babylonia, Hindu culture, Greece and Rome. Every culture has its own beliefs about specific stones, and those beliefs are often tied to that culture's history, geography, and spiritual practices.
In prehistory, humans were extremely interested in rocks and stones. They sought out the best for tools and weapons. Copper, and its oxides, which are the earliest minerals used, began to show up in ancient jewelry in Sumeria, Pre-Columbian America and Egypt around 4000 BC, and played vital roles in the wars fought in those highly volatile regions.
Prehistoric humans also ground minerals into colored powders for paints and makeup. Before they even wore clothes they wore stones and other objects as personal adornment. The human need for beauty and self-adornment is as old as civilization itself. In their struggle for survival, Stone Age humans learned to shape rocks and other hard materials as tools and weapons, by simply chipping them.
Stones have also played a key role in the development of most of the world's major religions. In Christianity, Jesus said to Peter (Peter meaning "rock"), that he was the rock unto which Christ would build his Church. Jasper is mentioned in the Bible as one of the stones in the breastplate of the ancient high priests. In Islam, the fundamental beliefs are based on what happened to Mohammed when stones talked to him.
Australian Aborigines still use crystals for medicine. They particularly use rainbow crystals, as they believe that it holds the energy of the Rainbow Serpent, who acted as a bridge between the two worlds. Cherokee Indians considered crystals to be the most sacred stone for healing. Apache medicine men believed that they could induce visions or help find stolen ponies with the use of crystals. Navajos believe history is told in the layered stone, Travertine.
A link with astrology was found and stones were allocated to the signs of the zodiac. This led to them being assigned to birth months.
Gemstones have been cut into cabochons, tumbled, and faceted. They have been set in rings, in bracelets, in anklets, in pendants, and brooches, and in cuff links, tie tacks, bolo ties and buckles.
Stones are used for decorative, ornamental, symbolic and functional reasons. Some have been fashioned into seals, amulets, fetishes, scarabs and talismans, wands, and good luck charms. They are carved into spheres, eggs, pyramids, hearts, freeform shapes, and figurines of many shapes and sizes. Stones can be carved into everyday useful items: such as candlesticks, bookends, paperweights, vases, bowls, cups and saucers, jewelry boxes, coasters, tiles, countertops, and fireplace hearths and mantels.
I try to include a little bit of history or metaphysical properties with many of my stones listed in my store.
Happy Hunting!
Debbie
http://www.oakrocks.net/
Since the beginning of time, stones and crystals have played a vital role in human evolution and spiritual development. There are ancient legends and stories, which trace rocks, stones and crystals, back to the creation of the Earth and Universe. Belief in the supernatural properties of precious stones-bringing peace, wellness and protection- goes back beyond recorded history. An early cuneiform tablet gives a list of stones helping with conception and birth (don’t know if it’s true but when I was having trouble getting pregnant a friend gave me some Rose Quartz and Boom!).
History is rich with stories about the mystical and magical power of stones, including legends from Atlantis, Egypt, Sumeria, Babylonia, Hindu culture, Greece and Rome. Every culture has its own beliefs about specific stones, and those beliefs are often tied to that culture's history, geography, and spiritual practices.
In prehistory, humans were extremely interested in rocks and stones. They sought out the best for tools and weapons. Copper, and its oxides, which are the earliest minerals used, began to show up in ancient jewelry in Sumeria, Pre-Columbian America and Egypt around 4000 BC, and played vital roles in the wars fought in those highly volatile regions.
Prehistoric humans also ground minerals into colored powders for paints and makeup. Before they even wore clothes they wore stones and other objects as personal adornment. The human need for beauty and self-adornment is as old as civilization itself. In their struggle for survival, Stone Age humans learned to shape rocks and other hard materials as tools and weapons, by simply chipping them.
Stones have also played a key role in the development of most of the world's major religions. In Christianity, Jesus said to Peter (Peter meaning "rock"), that he was the rock unto which Christ would build his Church. Jasper is mentioned in the Bible as one of the stones in the breastplate of the ancient high priests. In Islam, the fundamental beliefs are based on what happened to Mohammed when stones talked to him.
Australian Aborigines still use crystals for medicine. They particularly use rainbow crystals, as they believe that it holds the energy of the Rainbow Serpent, who acted as a bridge between the two worlds. Cherokee Indians considered crystals to be the most sacred stone for healing. Apache medicine men believed that they could induce visions or help find stolen ponies with the use of crystals. Navajos believe history is told in the layered stone, Travertine.
A link with astrology was found and stones were allocated to the signs of the zodiac. This led to them being assigned to birth months.
Gemstones have been cut into cabochons, tumbled, and faceted. They have been set in rings, in bracelets, in anklets, in pendants, and brooches, and in cuff links, tie tacks, bolo ties and buckles.
Stones are used for decorative, ornamental, symbolic and functional reasons. Some have been fashioned into seals, amulets, fetishes, scarabs and talismans, wands, and good luck charms. They are carved into spheres, eggs, pyramids, hearts, freeform shapes, and figurines of many shapes and sizes. Stones can be carved into everyday useful items: such as candlesticks, bookends, paperweights, vases, bowls, cups and saucers, jewelry boxes, coasters, tiles, countertops, and fireplace hearths and mantels.
I try to include a little bit of history or metaphysical properties with many of my stones listed in my store.
Happy Hunting!
Debbie
http://www.oakrocks.net/
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