03.09.20 Tourist for a Day

This is the photo in my blog banner.  It is a collection of zircons from the Hall of Gems at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

I took it in the summer of 2013 (before I ever thought seriously about taking jewelry making classes) on a family vacation to Washington DC. I grew up in the DC suburbs, our family had a membership to the Smithsonian - and went often - this became my favorite exhibit more than 40 years ago.

In front of Calder's "Obus"

We were back in DC in February - it was a weekend of wall to wall family events - except for a few hours on our first day there...so, we hopped on the Metro and headed out to be tourists!

We started at the National Gallery of Art - also a favorite - especially the contemporary art in the East Wing. Not only did I see Calder's sculptures and mobiles, but there is a new Ellsworth Kelly installation in the foyer.

Ellsworth Kelly at NGA

While my own work tends to be much less abstract - I have always loved the incredible use of vibrant color by both of these artists.  I could (and have) spend hours in the museum's light filled atrium just meditating on the objects around me.

NGA Degas Art Mug

After soaking up some culture, grabbing lunch, and this fabulous new mug (link in the photo caption if you want one too) - we headed over to the Museum of Natural History...because a Smithsonian visit is not complete without a trip through the gems.

I spent a couple of hours meandering through the halls filled with rough and finished stone specimens...but it was different from my previous experiences...this time I was looking at the gems and minerals as a jeweler. 

Cross section of Spectrolite

I could identify things by sight - without first looking at the information labels - and as I walked through, I was thinking about the various pieces I had made using the stones in the glass cases.

It sounds silly, but I was almost giddy when I realized how much more meaningful it felt to come back to this place with new knowledge.



I decided to take photos - a lot of photos - of the various stones I have used in my work, and I created an album on Facebook.  Over time, my plan is to add photos of my jewelry made with these minerals and gems in the comments under the pictures from the museum.

I loved this turquoise grouping (of course I did) - especially the piece showing the bright blue in the matrix, which I use in so many pieces.



I knew when I started taking classes at Creative Side that I would learn new things, but I continue to be surprised at how much knowledge I've acquired - about myself, the creative process, and the world around me - beyond what I expected.

Thanks as always for joining me on the journey.

Until next time.

1.16.15 Garnets - January's birthstone

One my personal goals for this blog is to learn more about gems and jewelry.  My current knowledge has been accumulated primarily as a shopper and admirer -  but I'd like to know more.  My daughter plans to be a biochemistry major, I'm more of a written word kind of person...but one of the most fascinating things - to me - about gems is their chemistry.  Combinations of elements have to come together in a very specific way to create the crystalline structures and vibrant colors of gemstones.

On a family trip to Washington DC a couple of summers ago, we spent most of a day at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History.  I could have spent all day in the gem room.  I love seeing

both the natural crystal formations as well as the cut stones.

Because both my mother and niece were born in January I've been thinking about garnets - hence today's post.

Garnets are a group of silicate crystals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones in jewelry.  Not all garnets are red - their color is a function of the element other than silicon (generally aluminum or calcium) that combines to make the crystal.

 

Photo credit: GIA

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has a wonderful guide to gemstones, including garnets on their website.

As you can see garnets come a range of colors - the most common are the reds - but my favorites are the deep green tsavorite and demantoid varieties.

Photo credit: Cecile Raley Designs

These beauties, from one of my favorite jewelery designers, Yvonne Raley, are tsavorites.  I love their almost grass-like color.

You can see more of my favorites on my Pinterest board - January birthstones.

Until next time.