Look forward to seeing our Detroit supporters!

Sage Jewels has designs for sale through December 17th

Sage Jewels has designs on display through December 17th

Arts Clayton's Annual Holiday Gift Market is Now Open!
Celebrate the season and find the perfect hand-crafted artisan gifts for everyone on your holiday list at Arts Clayton Gallery’s annual Mistletoe Market.

Admission: FREE
Special Holiday Gallery Hours:
M-F 9-5pm
Saturdays 10-4pm

Some recently completed custom large hoop earrings

 Multi-color crystal encrusted balls

Wire Mesh Balls (Silver and Black)

 

Wire balls in Silver 

Recently completed some large hoop design earrings for a client.

Wanted to share.....

COPPER………….Energy and Healing

 

 

Copper comes from the Greek word "kyprios", which refers to the location of the ancient copper mines of Cyprus; it also has a Latin reference of "cuprum".  Copper is known for its distinctive reddish brown color. Copper is an ancient metal; ornaments, coins, and statues were fashioned from it since ancient times. The United States is one of the world's largest producers of copper, second only to Chile. Other countries that mine significant amounts of copper include Australia, China, Indonesia, Kazakstan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Zaire, and Zambia.  In the United States Arizona is one of the largest copper producing states, with lesser amounts being mined in Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana.  Native copper is found only in small quantities throughout the world, but there are a few areas that are rich in findings, such as the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. The interlocking Copper and Silver masses that are commonly found in the Keweenaw Peninsula are known as "Halfbreeds"

 

 

Copper bands placed around the wrist and ankles have been used as far back as ancient Egyptian times to help in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.  Folklore states Copper works for exhaustion recovery and improving circulation due to the fact that it influences the flow of blood. This mineral is known to be an excellent energy conductor! Sends and amplifies thoughts, healing energy, and gemstone energy into the   wearer's energy field. Because of this, it encourages the physical/emotional bodies to find alignment. The result is clearer thinking, less aggressive behavior, a more calming persona and a boost to self-esteem.  Its mineral make up encourages the balance between warm sun energy and cool lunar energy making it an excellent assistant for increasing your ability to express and accept your true feelings. Copper will balance your personal energy reserve and confidence.

 

 

Its reputation includes the ability to calm and improve life…..

Coral is an interesting material, it is not a mineral or gemstone, in fact it doesn’t come from the earth’s crust, it is created from living organisms.  Coral is created by polyps that secrete Coral only a few millimeters in thickness, usually it can take a few years for Coral to grow into large enough pieces for jewelry.  Coral is a wonderful material that comes in many beautiful colors, most notably white, orange, black, pink or salmon which may be called angelskin and red. Red Coral is extremely beautiful and very rare.  

Coral has been known to man since ancient times and the word Coral comes from Greek, however the exact meaning is not known.  Some say that it comes from the Greek 'korallion', which denotes the hard, calcareous skeleton of the coral animals, or from 'kura-halos', for 'mermaid', as the fine branches of the coral sometimes look like small figures. Others think it more likely that the word is derived from the Hebrew 'goral', (a small stone used in the drawing of lots), for coral branches used to be used in oracles in Palestine, Asia Minor and around the Mediterranean.

 

Coral can be found all over the world; however, the finest qualities are usually located in the warmer waters.  Corals live at depths of between three and 300 meters in the waters around Japan, Taiwan and in the Malaysian Archipelago, in the Red Sea, in the Bay of Biscay and around the Canary Islands, as well as in north-east Australia and the Midway Islands.  In the Mediterranean, there are coral banks in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Sardinia, off Tunisia and Algeria, former Yugoslavia and Turkey.

Like the Greeks, the ancient Egyptians also applied coral beads to decoration, and are known to have employed it in royal burial ceremonies.  A coral and coral bead even have a long history of use by senior monks in Tibet, and has been labeled one of the seven jewels of Buddhism as described by ancient Sanskrit texts. Coral has been used reverently, by many cultures and since time immemorial, for its intriguing visual characteristics and metaphysical properties.

Modern believers lend its reputation to calm and improve life.  It is stated that Coral will give strength and willingness to meet challenges and critical situations. Coral is believed to be beneficial in taming tempers, rages, compulsive disorders, and depression. Consequently, coral is good for achieving spiritual balance.

Citrine……known as the "Success Stone"

 

Citrine is the yellow to gold to orange color of quartz. Its name comes from the French word “citron”meaning lemon.  Citrine draws its distinctive color from traces of iron. It’s color pallet includes orange-brown, orange-gold and orange to yellow to clear. There is a variety of citrine found in Madiera, Spain that has a deep golden color, and resembles the costly imperial topaz.  Citrine crystals can also form together with amethyst or smoky quartz to form a bi-colored quartz called Ametrine.

The varieties of Citrine include:

• Golden Citrine  -   Citrine with a golden yellow color.
• Lemon Quartz  -  Lemon Quartz is naturally colored light yellow Citrine, distinguished from most Citrine by lacking orange, brown, or reddish tints. More often though it is clear Quartz that is irradiated to produce an intensely colored yellow gemstone. Lemon Quartz has recently experienced a popularity increase in the gemstone market.
• Madeira Citrine  -   Brownish-red to orange-red Citrine.
• Palmeria Citrine  -  Citrine with a bright orange color. 
• Yellow Citrine  -   Citrine with a lemon yellow color. May also be called "Lemon Citrine" or "Lemon Quartz".  

Citrines deposits discovered in Minas Geras (Brazil), in Salamanca Province (Spain), in Dauphine (France), in the Ural Mountains (Russia), in Kazakhst, in Burma, Namibia , USA (Colorado, North Carolina) and Madagascar.

Citrine's sunny color has made it a gem thought to radiate positive energy. Citrine is known as the "success stone" because it is thought to promote success, prosperity, and abundance, especially in business. The practice of placing a citrine in the cash register of a shop earned it the nickname "merchant's stone." According to gemstone lore, citrine not only radiates positive energy, but it also dissipates negative energy of all kinds.

Citrine is believed to be of value in healing the spiritual self as well, as it is a powerful cleanser and regenerator. It carries the virtues of self-healing, inspiration and self-improvement. Carrying the power of the sun, it is excellent for overcoming depression, fears and phobias.

Chrysoprase has been called a "Victory Stone"

The gemstone Chrysoprase is an opalescent apple green colored variety of chalcedony (quartz). Most green stones owe their color to chromium or vanadium, but chrysoprase derives its color from the nickel content.  Chrysoprase is so rare is due to the fact that it is a cryptocrystalline, this means that instead of being formed by large six sided crystals, the size of the crystals are extremely small and invisible to the naked eye. This attribute is much rarer in nature, as well as more beautiful making Chrysoprase one of the rarest form of the chalcedony group.

It is found in Australia, Brazil, the Ural Mountains, and the U.S., specifically Arizona and California.  Usually Chrysoprase is formed by deterioration or lateritization of nickeliferous serpentinites, which means that quartz stone with nickel deposits gently corrode and deteriorate causing this exotic gemstone. Usually, Chrysoprase can be found in deep veins that contain magnesite or iron and silica rocks.

 

Chrysoprase has been known to man since ancient times. The word Chrysoprase comes from Greek, “chrsyo” means gold and “prase” means leek. During ancient times it was valued and formed into cameos and intaglios by the Greeks and Romans.  Ancient Egyptians also saw the value of this fine gemstone and it was part of decorations that adorned the pharaohs.  It was used by the Greeks, Romans, and the Egyptians in jewelry and other ornamental objects and because of its semi-opaque green color, it is often mistaken for Imperial jadeite.

 

The Book of Revelations (21:20) describes the holy city of Jerusalem with its 12 foundation walls, each decorated with precious gemstones, including the tenth, being chrysoprase.  According to Alburtus Magnus: The always victorious Alexander the Great wore a chrysoprase stone in his girdle. One day a snake bit the stone off the girdle and dropped it in the river. From that time forward, Alexander never won another battle.  Chrysoprase was said to be a "Victory Stone."  It encourages fidelity in business and personal affairs.  Chrysoprase is a stone that can help us to peacefully absorb spiritual energies, and to make transformation a natural part of our daily lives.