NEW LOOKS FOR FALL...EARTHY STONES!

MY FAVORITE FALL NECKLACE

VINTAGE FALL NECKLACE BY: STAR CANDY DESIGNS

I am a lover of all things natural...natural, organic foods, natural hair & beauty products, natural toothpaste, and yes, natural stones! I love the earthy shades of jasper, agate, tiger's eye, jade and more. Many artists love using natural, semi-precious stones in their designs because of the metaphysical properties associated with stones. Who knows if there really is any truth to this, but it's fun to think that the chunky turquoise necklace you are wearing might be protecting you from harm! The Vintage necklace shown above is a piece that I have made over and over, in many different variations. I love pairing gunmetal chain with stones - in this particular design I wove some olive organza ribbon through the chain and I love how it sort of flows through the chain and adds a little softness to the edginess of the metal.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES...

WHAT ARE THE METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES ANYWAY?

HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES...FROM LOVELY GREEN ADVENTURINE TO YELLOWY/AMBER CITRINE

	Adventurine (Aventurine) - A good luck stone, especially in financial matters. Stimulates creativity, intelligence and perception. A great healing stone, it gives a sense of mental and emotional well-being.
	Agate - general protection and healing, increases courage, self-confidence, and energy and promotes longevity. Also good for gardening.
	Alexandrite - renewal and regeneration, openness to higher self. Brings love, joy, and luck.
	Amazonite - helps clarify and improve thinking.
	Amber - healing, protection from negativity, attractiveness and energy.
	Amethyst - increases vivid dreams, relieves depression, promotes calm, serenity, and spirituality. Helps with addiction and stress.
	Ammolite
	Apatite - helps stuttering and hypertension. Rids one of guilt and grief.
	Aquamarine - improves sight, sharpens the mind, calms and clarifies emotions. More about Aquamarine
	Aragonite - grounding and centering, facing truth and reality.
	Azurite - increases psychic ability and aids in meditation. Relieves arthritis and joint pain.
	Bloodstone - healing, especially related to the blood. Increases courage and charitability.
	Carnelian - general healing stone. Restores the natural energy flows of your body.
	Chrysocolla - soothes nervous tension.
	Chrysoprase - soothes heartache and helps depression, promotes emotional balance, wisdom, and peace.
	Citrine - helps digestion and aids in mental and intellectual functions. Increases self-esteem and energy. Balances and dissipates negative energy. HOW TO CHOOSE GOOD QUALITY STONES: It's very important when buying semi-precious stones, to know what you are looking for. You have to have a basic knowledge of the various levels of quality and go to a reputable bead store. Some stones are tumbled and have a nice polished finish. Cheaper strands of tumbled stones are often sprayed with a clear, shiny finish. I would avoid those altogether because eventually that finish will chip off. You will always pay more for faceted stones & popular shapes such as teardrops, faceted ovals, carved stones, etc. Most bead store sell their beads by the strand so be sure to check every stone on the strand for chips and/or cracks. Genuine, semi-precious stones will often have striations running through them. These are not flaws - these are naturally occurring in real stones and I actually like these markings. One of my personal favorite bead stores in San Diego is SouthSun. The staff are always helpful and friendly. I also love that the owner walks around handing out California Lottery tickets to all his customers! He also gives great discounts when you are purchasing larger quantities of certain items. I love that I can negotiate with him and I think that is great customer service! http://www.southsun.com/ IF YOU WOULD LIKE A CUSTOM MADE NECKLACE LIKE THE ONE IN TODAY'S ARTICLE PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL: success142617@yahoo.com ALLOW 2-3 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY. PRICE DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF STONES YOU DESIRE. AVAILABLE IN 16", 18", 20", 24" SIZES WITH GUNMETAL CHAIN OR ANTIQUE BRASS CHAIN