A Journey of Making: How I fell in Love with the Handmade

Dear friends, I would like to introduce to you my friend and shop assistant Erica Delp, who has joined the blog writing team for Layne Designs. She will be sharing lots of fun stuff both technical and creative. -LF

by Erica Delp

Even before I began developing my talents as an artist, I was always enamored with handmade work. Each piece I came across seemed almost like a unique being with its’ own fingerprint and personality. Over the years, I have collected many handmade treasures and have lovingly placed them around me at home, at work and even on myself because seeing and touching them brings me so much joy. I let my imagination capture me as I think of the people that made them, the years of their life they have devoted to their craft, what their process is, and how they dream up their creations. I am astonished that human beings are capable of producing such beauty and I feel incredibly lucky to have even a small piece of this.

Now that I am producing my own art and have a “behind the scene” perspective, my respect for the handmade industry has increased significantly. Each piece that I produce is not only an idea born in my mind, but also the combination of knowledge, practiced skills and the physical efforts of my body to flesh it out and bring it to life. As my hands work to mold and shape the metal, I get the poetic notion that the work begins to claim its’ own identity and I wonder if I am making the art or if it is making itself. I think in the end, it’s a little bit of both things that are happening. When I leave the studio, often my fingers are sore, my eyes are weary and my mind is tired. But there is no better feeling in the world than when I hold one of my new creations and think about that I can now bring beauty and inspiration to someone else’s life just as so many others have done for me.

My first pendant!

Rock Review: Uvarovite

In today’s rock review, we shine the spotlight on one of the rarer members of the Garnet family, the sparkling Uvarovite. Uvarovite has been known to the world since 1832 when it was discovered by Germain Henry Hess, a doctor and chemist who also pursued an interest in geology in his spare time. He chose to name it after Count Sergei Semenovitch Uvarov, a Russian statesman who also had a love for minerals and rocks.

The presence of Chromium accounts for it’s consistent Kelly green color which makes it very sought after by gem lovers who are looking for a true green with little variance. Occurring mainly in clusters of fine sized crystals, you’ll most often see this gem as druzy rather than a cut gemstone. It’s luster is Vitreous, meaning that the stone bears a clear and glassy appearance.

It is a 6.5-7 on Moh’s Scale of Hardness and therefore is durable; however, it is important to remember that as a druzy, special care is needed in its cleaning and maintenance so that the crystal deposits remain undamaged. Be sure to use only mild cleaners and avoid bringing chemicals in contact with the gems. You’ll get the most out wear out of Uvarovite, or any druzy for that matter, as a pendant, brooch, pair of earrings and other pieces that are less likely to incur abrasion.

This stone is mainly found in Spain, Russia and Canada, but also has made an appearance in a few other countries, such as Finland, Norway, South Africa and even in California. With luck, this stone will continue to be found in our jewelry boxes and on our persons as well for many more years to come!

Rock Review: Aquamarine

From the Latin, aqua (water) and mare (sea) This gem is named for it's water-like color. The gem appears in a range of colors, from just slightly blue to a brilliant sky blue. They are relatively tough gems, measuring an 8 out of 10 on the Moh's scale of hardness. This makes them especially suitable for jewelry. Wear your aquamarine with confidence, but be sure to clean it often, especially from behind the setting. These brilliant gems loose their sparkle quickly when smeared with dry skin, lotion and other particles.

Aquamarine comes from the same mineral family as emerald. Even thought they are so drastically different, they are both Beryl. Unlike emeralds, however, aqaumarine has a generally clear consistency with very few inclusions. This special trait made the aquamarine an excellent medium for Bernd Munsteiner, a stone cutting pioneer who invented the fantasy cut gemstone. Despite initial criticism in the 1960's, Munsteiner continued to sculpt gem into shapes that dramatically broke away from the standard formula of the past, like the one pictured above. The aquamarine was a favorite medium for him because of it's clarity. The fantasy cut lacks the light refraction of a standard cut gem, making any nasty inclusions easier to see.

(more info about Munsteiner here: http://www.allaboutgemstones.com/atelier_munsteiner.html)

Aquamarine has been worn for ages as jewelry. Among other things, it is thought to encourage long and happy marriages to women who wear it. Oh, and happy birthday to the March Babies out there. What a great birthstone!

Rock Review: Pietersite

http://www.etsy.com/listing/38919638/cosmos-pendant-in-petersite-and-sterling

Pietersite was discovered by Sid Pieters in 1962 while he was prospecting farmland in Africa. After discovering this gemstone, he registered his find in the mineral records of Britain. There are only two known sources of Pietersite: Africa & China. The China form of pietersite came to market in 1997. This China pietersite exhibits slightly different color variations from Mr. Pieter's original mineral, but both are stunning and are now universally recognized as one-in-the-same.

Chinese pietersite has striking combinations of gold, red and blue color segments, which sometimes also includes a deep golden brown color. Blue is the rarest color, followed by red. The blues range from a baby blue to dark midnight hue. Golds can be light to very deep and rich, sometimes having a reddish hue. All fibrous color variations will have a superb and striking chatoyancy (NERD ALERT: chatoyancy means the bright and subtly changing shimmer of color that moves along the surface of a gemstone as it is viewed from varying angles.)

The fibrous structure in pietersite has been folded, stressed, even fractured and/or broken apart via the Earth's geologic processes. The fibrous materials have then been reformed and naturally recemented together by quartz. Stones and crystals that go through this process are referred to as brecciated, creating a finished product with multiple colors and hues.

ROCK REVIEW: Amethyst

February already?!? Time for a new BIRTHSTONE Rock Review. This month’s birthstone is a beautiful stone ranging in hue from a nearly transparent lilac to deep purple – the lovely amethyst.

Amethyst is a type of rock belonging to the quartz family. Derived from the Greek word meaning "not drunken,” historians believe that the name came from the reddish purple shades of amethyst popular in the Greek states. Most of the amethyst used today comes from areas or regions of Mexico, Brazil, Africa and Uruguay.

According to legend, amethyst originated with Bacchus, the God of Wine. It was believed that drinking wine from a cup made of amethyst would prevent drunkenness and that wearing amethyst would prevent the wearer from becoming drunk being poisoned.

Amethyst is used as faceted stones or polished cabochons (a highly polished rounded unfaceted gem) and is carved in various shapes. Amethyst beads are used in necklaces, earrings and other jewelry in both rough unpolished forms, smooth glossy shapes, faceted beads and briolettes (a gem cut in the shape of a teardrop or oval.) One of the largest cut amethysts in the world is 343 carats and is housed at the National History Museum in London.

For another example of a gorgeous amethyst, please visit my Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48511508/queen-amethyst-pendant

Rock Review: Rose Quartz

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60357008/rose-quartz-brandy-bracelet

I chose Rose Quartz today simply because it was pink and that seemed appropriate for Valentine's Day. Little did I know that Rose Quartz is actually known as the stone of love! It is believed that the stone can make the wearer feel a sense of self worth, and ignite passion in marriage. The stone is thought to heal and strengthen unconditional love rather than attract new love.

This stone is great for any kind of jewelry because it is very durable and resistant to scratches. It is also very comfortable to wear. At first it is cold to the touch but as it is worn, it becomes closer to your body temperature. Care for the stone is minimal, if you own a piece of rose quartz, it may be cleaned with soap and warm water and a toothbrush.

All stones in the quartz family have a very stable crystal structure and vibrational energy that is used to receive, send and hold energy. For this reason, quartz is used for practical purposes in watches and radios. This may be why healers and shamans from around the world have used the stone for centuries before this special property was proved by science. According to an article on fusionanomoly.net, the Amazonian shamans believe that spirits can become visible in quartz crystals.

While I may not be interested in seeing spirits in Quartz crystal, I am interested in the idea that this stone, worn close to my body is receiving and attuned to my body's vibrational frequency. I am interested that it is the stone of love and that perhaps it is able to use this balancing property to strengthen the bond between me and my love. How interesting indeed.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/39351790/rose-quartz-drop-pendant-with-pearls

Rock Review: Lapis Lazuli

This beautiful blue stone is a quite rare, semi-precious stone that has been prized since ancient days for its deep blue color. Originating mostly in Afghanistan, deposits are also found in Italy, Argentina and the USA. A lighter variety is found in Chile. Lazurite is the mineral responsible for the intense blue color of Lapis Lazuli, which often includes pyrite and calcite as well.

This precious rock has been used for millennia to decorate both the human form and sculpture. The first beads made of Lapis Lazuli are dated to around 3100 BC. Powdered lapis has also been credited as the world’s first eyeshadow! Found intricately included in the mask of King Tut, Lapis Lazuli also composes the background of the famous Sumerian artifact, “Royal Standard of UR.”

Many ancient writings referring to sapphire, even the Bible, may have actually been referring to Lapis. Early on, there were not a variety of words to differentiate between varieties of stone, a blue stone was called simply referred to as a, “blue stone.”

In addition to its historical value, Lapis Lazuli has significant healing properties to both the ancient and modern worlds:

ANCIENT CURES: Ancient cultures believed that Lapis would alleviate the symptoms of a venomous snake bite, cure eye disease, and depression.

MODERN CURES: Lapis is associated with healing in the area of the blue chakra, (the throat). Those who suffer from acid reflux may find alleviation from wearing lapis around their neck. Many who love the stone report an alleviation of anxiety when wearing it. World famous stone therapist, Edgar Cayce, claims that when a piece of lapis is held to the ear, one can hear a very faint high frequency pitch as the stone “sings.”