Journal
Turquoise tidbits The story behind how turquoise got its name is an interesting one! During the 17th century, traders passed through Turkey (called “Turquie” in French) where the gemstone was called “Turquies”. The gemstone’s name therefore originated from ancient travels from Persia (Iran) to Europe via the Middle East! Just as interesting, is the fact […]
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The squash blossom necklace is a reflection of history, art and culture. Art is a fluid medium, changing and adapting to the spirit of the artist and the perceptions of the surrounding culture. Even styles which become associated with a particular group or time period can be the result of interactions with other communities in the […]
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Ancient Egyptian Turquoise: The Riches of Hathor’s Mines Thousands of years ago, ancient native Egyptians called the Monitu in the Sinai Peninsula plunged deep into echoing chasms searching for a flash of blue lightly speckled with matrix. The prized turquoise veins of the Serabit el-Khadim and Wadi Maghareh mines have yielded breathtaking stone specimens since […]
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Hunting the Silver Lining Silver has played a part in human history since some of our most ancient civilizations. Remnants of the mining of this precious metal, such as washing tables, can be found in places whose habitation stretches back for thousands of years, places such as Asia Minor and the cultivated islands of the […]
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Preserving Ancient Native American Cultures I held her for only a moment, but the impact of seeing her has lasted years. Someone’s tender love had wrapped her in a turkey feather blanket before burial nearly eight hundred years ago. What had not been so tender or loving was her removal from where she lay. Rather […]
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