PotW 4/25/12

Happy Wednesday, All!

Mother's Day is coming up, so today I am writing about "Mother of Pearl".

Mother of Pearl (or 'nacre') is the material that makes up the inner lining of some mollusk shells and also the outer layer of pearls.  It is formed of hexagonal platelets of calcium carbonate, which build up in layers, separated by layers of silk-like proteins in an over-lapping 'bricks and mortar' fashion.  As a composite material, these layers of nacre are very strong-- in fact, science has yet to engineer a synthetic composite material that is as strong as mother of pearl at the nano-particulate level!  

Mollusks create mother of pearl to protect themselves. In addition to forming part of the shell, nacre also insulates mollusks from bacterial infection, and reduces irritation from material which drifts into the shell. Irregularities often form in the mother of pearl as a result of irritation. If the irritation is extensive enough, the mollusk will form a large bump, prized in the human world as a pearl.  Only the outer layer of pearls is covered in mother of pearl--if cracked, inside every pearl you would find the source of the irritation that created it.

The luminescent quality of Mother of Pearl and Pearls is due to the fact that the individual platelets are just about the same length as a wavelength of light.  Thus, when built up in a brick-like fashion, they reflect and refract the light, creating the luster that we all associate with Mother of Pearls and Pearls themselves.

Mother of Pearl has long held a place in history. The documented use of Mother of Pearl for decorative purposes dates back to 4000 BC! (Use of pearls, on the other hand, is not documented until around the 5th century BC).  Many early cultures used mother of pearl extensively in jewelry, which was highly prized.  Native American people used strings of beads made from shells to create 'wampum', a form of currency used in trade.  Pottery shards containing crushed shells and mother of pearl have been found in the Ohio River Valley, dating from 1200-1300 AD.  

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mother of Pearl buttons became highly fashionable and were being produced in hundreds of factories in the US and England.  By 1905 over 10,000 people in the mid-western US were employed in the manufacture of Mother of Pearl buttons, and billions of buttons were exported all over the world, mostly from Iowa.  Production of mother of pearl buttons used only about 10% of the weight of the shells harvested for the purpose, with the balance of the weight being turned into chips, calcium carbonate powder for other industrial uses (porcelain, for example) and DUST.  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the adverse health effects of breathing this dust began to be seen among the workforce.  By 1909 the US Bureau of Labor had recognized an increased mortality rate among workers in factories making Mother of Pearl buttons, mostly from tuberculosis.  Airborne nano-particulates are now highly regulated in industrial settings.

The invention of plastics in the mid-20th century put an end to wide-spread demand for real Mother of Pearl buttons.   Despite the increase in aqua-culture and the process of creating cultivated pearls, Mother of Pearl is still a material derived mostly from natural settings and trade of the material is currently regulated to protect several endangered species that were once a chief source for Mother of Pearl (primarily abalone).

Today, scientists are studying whether Mother of Pearl can provide a historical record of climate change.  A team at the University of Wisconsin has found a high degree of correlation between the thicknesses of the layers of nacre in 8 different mollusk species to recorded water depths and temperatures.  In further studies, the team hopes to prove that they have discovered the first physical test for documenting ocean temperatures back through history.  

So when I think about Mother of Pearl, I can't help feeling that there's a metaphor lurking in there somewhere....something about kids being an irritant to their mothers...not being able to have one without the other...both turning into something unique that becomes more beautiful in the exchange...it'll come to me!

So--for all you Moms out there:  When your kids are irritating you---think to yourself "I am Mother of Pearl".

And for all you Kids out there (and aren't we all someone's kid?)---think to yourself "I was an irritant to my Mother".

Given all that, surely someone deserves to receive this week's feature on May 13th!  See a photo on the website:

http://www.twowillowsjewelry.com

For this and other pieces of MOP jewelry, use a mild soap and water to clean it, and avoid storing it with other pieces of jewelry which may scratch it, wearing away the luminous layers of nacre.

Until next week-

Kim

PotW 4/18/12

Hi Everyone-

Hope you have been enjoying the wonderful, above-average temperatures we've been having lately!  I am loving the fact that I got 4 big days of yardwork done last month when it was abnormally warm, and now I can just sit back and watch things bloom.  And wander around the yard with my camera taking photos of new creations.  In my PJs.  My neighbors have gotten used to it (I think).

Anyway, the flowers and everything else seem to be almost a month ahead of schedule.  The daffodils that Nathaniel used to cut to put on my breakfast tray on Mother's Day will be long gone a month from now when Mother's Day arrives (May 13th).

Speaking of Mother's Day, this week's feature is an item that would be a PERFECT gift for Mother's Day.   I have literally made DOZENS over the last few years, and somehow....somehow...I have never remembered to take a picture of a single one, and have never offered them as a PotW.  This one was almost no different, except that in the car on the way to delivering it, I remembered "Hey, stupid!  You forgot to take a picture again!"

So I pulled my little car over to the side of the road and considered (for longer than I should have, actually), climbing out of my car and wandering around the yard of a nearby house to find a nice natural prop for the item.  Then I decided that maybe the homeowner wouldn't appreciate having me wandering around taking pictures in their yard and came to my senses.  Not everyone is as understanding as my neighbors, after all.

The good news is that I finally remembered to take a picture.  The bad news is that I had to use my iPhone camera, and the only "prop" I had in my car was my yoga mat!  So it isn't the best photo I've ever put on my website.   But it's plenty good enough for you to see that most Moms or GrandMoms would just LOVE one of these.  If you want one for yourself...forward this message to hubby and send him my way!

See the photo below.  And if you order one, and you remind me to take a picture, I'll use a picture of YOURS on the website from now on!

Until next week---

Kim

PS---There are other items on the "Hand-Stamped" page of the website that would make great gifts for Mom or G-Ma.  http://www.twowillowsjewelry.com

All are custom orders, so please order early!

PotW 4/11/12

Hi Everyone-

I had a pretty productive day in the studio yesterday.  I made a stamped sterling cuff, 2 bracelets, 2 pairs of earrings and a necklace.  I have pictures of all and will share them with you in upcoming PotW messages.  BUT...if you are impatient, you can always stop by the studio for a visit and see new items before anyone else does!

This week I decided to share a bracelet....made with 2 stones, which until doing research today, I did not realize both came from Brazil.  Another example of me putting materials together and then finding out something interesting and coincidental about the pairing.

You may have heard of rutilated quartz.  It is clear quartz that contains needle-like crystals of 'rutile'.  I had never heard of rutile before, and thought that it referred to the crystals within, which could be a variety of colors.  I was wrong.  Rutile is a reddish-gold color, and only clear quartz with reddish-gold crystals of 'rutile' is known as rutilated quartz.

So what were the stones I have?  Thank goodness for Google...  Come to find out it is "Tourmalinated Quartz"---which has the same thread-like crystals locked inside clear quartz, but the crystals are black (or green, which is very rare).

Clear quartz is a powerful stone of magnification.  It is reputed to amplify the thoughts, emotions and intentions of the wearer--- and it does not discriminate between positive and negative energy.  Think of wizards who used a crystal ball...some were good, and some were bad, right?  So if you are in a bad mood, it might not be such a good idea to head out the door wearing clear quartz...it might make a bad mood even worse.

Fortunately, Black Tourmaline is a stone which repels negativity and shields the wearer from harm.  Thus, having Black Tourmaline locked within the clear Quartz makes Tourmalinated Quartz a very powerful, positive, grounding stone.

Again, I didn't realize it when I put the two together, but the other stone used in the bracelet (hematite), is also from Brazil.  It encourages the body to absorb iron from the diet, which in turn bolsters red blood count and the blood's ability to carry oxygen.  Hematite is said to reduce anxiety, to cure leg cramps and alleviate insomnia.   Mentally, it is said to encourage concentration, and memory/retention.  Physically it promotes strength and endurance. (All a function of improved oxygenation?  I think so!)

The properties of the clear quartz, when paired with hematite, magnifies the benefits of the hematite as well as the tourmaline within.  A powerful pairing!

I added a little hand-formed, hammered sterling silver charm at the clasp. I do this pretty often, and it is not just for looks:  The charm makes the bracelet easier to put on, since you have something to hold onto when you hook it (or ask someone else to hook it!).  It also allows me to keep the clasp small and inobtrusive, so that the pulsepoint in your wrist will be almost fully encircled with these powerful stones.  See a photo on the website!    http://www.twowillowsjewelry.com

Until next week-

Kim

PotW 4/4/12

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Today's Piece of the Week is a Necklace and Earrings made of Turquoise nuggets and Ebony wood beads.  When I put these beads together I loved the way the chocolate brown matrix in the stones was complemented by the rich, dark brown of the wooden beads.  I experimented with adding other accent beads, but kept coming back to the combination of just the two natural materials, side by side.  I strung the beads together and thought I had stumbled upon a particularly clever, if simple, design combination.  

Then I started to do some research for this week's message to you.

Turquoise jewelry isn't anything new, of course.  Turquoise is known to have been mined in the Sinai region as many as 6000 years ago, so 'new' is pretty much ruled out.  The ancient Egyptians often used turquoise in jewelry and believed that it was a powerful stone of protection.  Turquoise jewelry and other artifacts are commonly found in Egyptian tombs.

I didn't know beforehand, but have since learned that Egyptian tombs also frequently contain items made from Ebony.  Boom.  There goes my idea of any kind of original pairing.  At least I'm in good company (if one can be in the 'good company' of dead people...)

The word "Ebony" comes from the ancient Egyptian "hbny", which then became the Greek "ebenos", which means "fruit of the gods".  The Latin name for the Ebony species is Diospyros ebenum.

Believing that ebony was an antidote for poison, people used to carry around their own drinking goblets made of the wood, so that they would be protected should anyone put poison in their drink.

There are many species of ebony which can be found in Ceylon, India, West Africa and throughout Indonesia.  The most common, "Gaboon Ebony" is also sometimes referred to as "African Ebony".  For those of you who haven't switched to metal drivers yet--here's a bit of trivia you can share at the 19th hole: The North American persimmon bush is a variety of ebony, and is the wood most often used to make the heads of golf clubs.

Ebony trees can grow to a height of 50' with a diameter of of 18" over the course of 100 years.  The wood from the outer rings of the trees is a brownish pink that darkens over time, much like cedar does.  The inner rings, or "heartwood" is dark brown to black, sometimes with stripes.  It is this heartwood that people most frequently think of as ebony, and is what was used to make the black keys on keyboard instruments, the outside of Steinway grand pianos, etc.  Very dense and very, very hard, the  heartwood can weigh as much as 65 lbs per cubic foot!  Pure black ebony is getting harder and harder to find, and wood stains are often used to achieve the look of ebony today.

At any rate....the Gaboon ebony beads I had on hand are not jet black.  They are wonderfully rich chocolate brown/black, with subtle bands of lighter brown, which is what drew me to pair them with the brown-matrixed turquoise nuggets.

Chunky necklaces and turquoise are both very popular in fashion this year, so what's old...really, really old...like Egyptian mummy old...is new again.  Show your fashion savvy with the Piece of the Week, and walk like an Egyptian! (sorry if you now have The Go-Go's song stuck in your head!).

Don't be mad...just Go-Go to the website for a photo of the Necklace and Earrings! http://www.twowillowsjewelry.com 

Until next week-- 

Kim