Gem Therapy? Really?

       Really. Okay, so one of my clients today was telling me a little about "gem therapy." Don't get me wrong, I'll believe in what works, but I had to my research on her claim to it's ''100%' pure healing properties. " Gemstone therapy is based on the theory that certain stones possess specific healing energies. Physical and emotional problems can block the body's energy center, resulting in illness of some kind. Theoretically, when a gemstone comes into contact with the body, its energy is released and transferred to the person. My client urged me to use gemstone therapy to unblock negative energy or heal the body and gemstone meditation to heal the spirit.   As a wise woman once said "Yeah, diamonds do that for me. " 

I did, however, find a list of the intended aids to what ails you.

• Ruby: Liver, spleen, gallbladder, and pancreas. For stopping bleeding powdered paste is used. If worn, it is believed to maintain the hygiene of your mental health.
• Opal: For improving memory and for healthy brain
• Turquoise: Eye ailments, headaches, fever
• Emerald: Eye ailments, antidote for any insect or reptile poison, sores and wounds
• Amethyst: Insomnia, tension, headaches used for spiritual upliftment
• Diamond: Gastritis, cardiac ailments, blood circulation problems
• Topaz: ENT related diseases, epilepsy, insomnia, asthma, lung, catarrh and many gynecological ailments
• Pearl: For mental hygiene
• Moonstone: Illness related to the mind, epilepsy, fever

Vintage Jewelry and it's Current Beauties...

"It is easily overlooked that what is now  called vintage was once brand new."- Visconti

 How well do you know your jewelry?  In addition to all the cuts that engagement rings come in (i.e., princess cut, marquise cut, emerald cut, etc), there are so many other jewelry terms out there,  it’s hard to keep track!  I've even seen words in a necklace or bracelet descriptions but wasn’t really sure what it was or how to pronounce it. Today I’m going to dispel some of that mystery for you. And after you’re done reading, you can impress some people with what you know, I know I will :)  About as vintage as I used to go was the 60's... but we're about to take a time machine to the 1920's.

• Briolette, is a stone that is multifaceted all around. If there are no facets with just a smooth surface, we would just call it briolette-shaped or pear-shaped. (Faceting is the art of cutting and polishing fine gems... Aren't they beautiful?

   

  

• Cameo, is a piece of jewelry has been in style for centuries. Genuine vintage cameo rings are hand-carved and made of shell or other natural substances such as ivory, lava, glass or stone. The foreground is a silhouette or face, while the background is a different-colored layer. My sister loves these pieces, she integrates them into her wardrobe all the time, they're timeless as pearls.



• Marquise cut, It’s pronounced “mar-keys” and it reminds me of our eyes, tapered on both ends. A marquise-cut stone is faceted, but here we might describe any jewelry with the shape as marquise-cut. The name is from Marquise de Pompadour, Mistress of King Louis XV. Who knew a mistress could revolutionize jewelry forever?

•  Cabochon, which to me reminds me of a lady bug :) It's pronounced (ka-boshon) and comes from the French term “caboche” which means “head.” Does that have anything to do with cabbage? or a head of lettuce, let me know... Anyway,I love the smooth surface that a cabochon has. (And I love how the word makes me sound really important)! The back of the cut stone is usually flat or hollowed out and encased and made into pendants or put onto bracelets. I've seen the hipster community bringing them even into barettes and rings. They are my favoite so far.

These vintage pieces have such beauty in the detail of the period but combined with today's fashion can offer fresh design interpretations to fit today’s styles and fashions...

I hope we learned together how the past and the present can fuse when it comes to jewelry.

                                            "Watch Me Go into The Past With You."

On July 1, 1941 the Brooklyn Dodgers played the Philadelphia Phillies. This game was televised, but before it began, something was shown that had never been seen before - a televised advertisment for a consumer product.  And for what was the world's first televised advertisement?  A watch, of course. The ad that was first to take over all other ads was for Bulova wristwatches, one of the great American timepiece companies.    The ad is pretty simple by today's standards, but that's ok - it only cost Bulova $9. Priceless.     http://youtu.be/lsjc2uDi1OI

As Quentin Tarantino so brilliantly captures in this scene from ‘Pulp Fiction’, a watch is something that really begs to be looked after. Because a watch is more than just an object that tells you the time – it’s a token of love, a cherished heirloom, a piece of history.

                                

     There’s also an extreme sense of indivituality, to know no one in the room will have the same piece as you.  To Be Continued...