Afghan Jade Necklace

Well thanks to the help of some kind people on Etsy.com, I was able to get some information on the stones I purchased in Tucson.(see this post) Apparently both the dealers were correct when they told me that it was Afghan Jade, which is a type of serpentine. I was very pleased with the way the first piece of jewelry made with these interesting stones turned out. The smoothness of the stones and earth toned colors seems to be further enhanced by the carnelian center bead and the two kinds of brass findings I used to finish the piece.

I gave this necklace to one of my closest friends for her birthday and she was very pleased. There is nothing like a handmade gift for a special occasion. I look forward to making another piece of jewelry with the remaining stones and will share them here when I do.

Name That Stone!

I purchased these wonderful matte finished beads from a dealer at the Tucson gem and jewelry show in February . He told me that the green and yellowish stones were jade from Afghanistan. I loved the colors and shapes and the stones were so reasonable, I decided to purchase the strands you see above. Recently , at The Whole Bead Show in Manhattan and saw the very same beads and the dealer told me that the stones were serpentine. If any of my readers out there can identify these stones I would be greatly appreciative. Tomorrow I will feature the lovely Serpentine or Jade necklace I made with these stones.

Marvelous Mineral Oddities

Amazing shapes and colors! Hand Carved Turquoise Wild West Scene

A Favorite Cartoon Character

An Amazing Arch and Maze

Where Did He Go?

I was fortunate enough to attend the final show at the Tucson Gem show in February with a friend Robyn Hawk who I met through an online jewelry forum. She acted as my personal guide and give me a tour of the wonderful exhibitions of this year's show. The theme was mineral oddities and we marveled at the amazing shapes and stones on display. these photos give just a small sampling of the wonderful exhibits we saw that day.