Saturday, July 19, 2014

All That Glitters is Not Gold: the Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop

The lovely Lisa Lodge, of A Grateful Artist, has created a fun blog hop with plenty of eye candy.  This one's theme is Gemstones and Metal.  Lisa sent me a bag of gemstones and metal for my creations.  The gemstones were yellow turquoise; the metal was brass.  (The brass, alas, gave me hives, so I'm working in sterling silver here.)



Yellow turquoise, it seems to me, is an oxymoron.  Turquoise is a lovely glowing radiant color.




It is not yellow-y greenish gray.




And while there is such a thing as turquoise with a yellow cast, as in the bottom row on this bracelet...



...these stones are not turquoise.




According to Beadaholique, "The trade name "yellow turquoise" describes this stone that is a... mixture of serpentine, jasper and quartz. It often is found in the same mines as traditional blue/green turquoise, hence the name. From China. 

I also checked in with Szarka Carter, of Magpie Gemstones, who suggested said stones are jasper.  And there's nothing wrong with jasper.  It's a good honest stone, with some lovely healing properties.  Some of my favorite charms are made of jasper, in one form or another.







In Vogue Jewelry did a spirited rant on the topic of yellow turquoise. Check it out.


Yellow Turquoise is yet another stone by a false name, like "evening emerald" (peridot), "Indian jade" (jasper), or "Canadian lapis" (sodalite).


Some noted sellers do not even admit to it being anything but, well, yellow turquoise.  In fact, ArtBeads says "Yellow turquoise, or Chinese turquoise as it is sometimes called, is sweeping the beading world! Its popularity is beginning to rival the more traditional blue turquoise."

Um, no.

Besides, yellow turquoise makes as much sense as green ruby or black garnet or orange sapphire.


Oxymorons.


It bothers me that sellers would sell this to innocent trusting jewelry artists as a form of turquoise.  At least with pyrite, we call it fool's gold... the stuff that fooled the miners long ago.  In tribute to them, I put some "yellow turquoise" together with pyrite.  This is a Charm of Deception.


To quote Gilbert & Sullivan:


Buttercup
Things are seldom what they seem,

Skim milk masquerades as cream;
Highlows pass as patent leathers;
Jackdaws strut in peacock's feathers.



Captain. (puzzled)
Very true,
So they do.



Buttercup.
Black sheep dwell in every fold;
All that glitters is not gold;
Storks turn out to be but logs;
Bulls are but inflated frogs.




Using my "yellow turquoise," I created the charms above ans the necklace below.  
I call the collection Oxymoron Jewelery.













Any questions??




To see what the other jewelry artists created with their gemstones and metal,
follow the yellow turquoise road.  ;-)




Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out
Ann Schroeder, Bead Love
Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall
Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog
Margaret Pelech, Big Margaret
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations
Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (May be delayed a few days)
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things (May be delayed a few days)
Marde Lowe, FanciMarDesigns
Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board
Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry
Lisa E. Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

20 comments:

  1. Your charm pendants are lovely, as is your necklace.

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  2. Educational as well as pleasing to the eye.
    ~cryssT

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  3. Hi Eleanor, You have a wonderful sense of humor. I think that your "yellow turquoise" designs are lovely.

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  4. New to "identifying" gemstones so this is some good info. Great pendants.

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  5. Wonderful wire wrapping and pendants!

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  6. Beautiful pendants I love the wire wrapping. Have a Blessed Day!!!

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  7. Interesting info about the renaming of some gemstones. Like your pendants no matter what they are made with.

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  8. HI-LARIOUS! I do love the oxymoron piece - it rocks....wah wah wah.... ;)

    Linda
    http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
    http://cherryOnTopDesign.co

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  9. You had me at wire wrapping. I love your yellow turquoise pendant.

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  10. Lovely designs, Eleanor - my favorite is the "charm of deception". Your wire wrapping looks great! Thanks for being in the hop.

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  11. Beautiful pendant, I love your wire wrapping, and very interesting post.

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  12. I think it is a very pretty stone, no matter what it is called. Nice job on your charms.

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  13. Pretty pendants showing up, this is called a nice art of jewelry. I like the green stones showing on the picture. One can find beautiful gemstone earrings online. Online jewelry shopping store is the efficient way of shop gemstone jewelry.

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  14. Interesting info...didn't know all that. Love the wire wrapped necklace! Great job. Thanks for sharing!

    veradesigns.blogspot.com

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  15. I always love your posts! And your Charm of Deception is a keeper.

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  16. Beautiful wire work...and your wittiness and those road signs are utterly hilarious! Thank you for giving me a chuckle today..I really neede it!

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