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Opal – October’s Birthstone

October 6, 2009 By 12 Comments
African Opal Citrine Necklace

African Opal Necklace

Happy birthday October! Your birthstone could not represent you better, as its hues are as varied as the changing leaves and compliment all the dimensions of you. So put forth that color you bring to the lives around you with this multi-faceted African Opal bracelet and necklace.

Here, John S. Brana has hand selected African Opals in hues of deep olive greens and dusty browns. Accented by lava rocks, fresh water pearls, 14K gold plated vermeil beads and clear quartz gemstones, this lusciously green autumn bracelet will draw admirers to your already magnetic charm!

African Opal Citrine Bracelet

African Opal Citrine Bracelet

John S. Brana showcases his signature tri-color style in this African Opal necklace. From the day glow amber and citrine semi-precious gemstones to the turquoise hues of Amazonite, fresh water pearls and Citrine that are ready for night, the African Opal ties it all together creating a statement necklace perfect for your special occasions.

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Filed Under: Gemstones Tagged With: Admirers, Browns, Caption, clear quartz, Color Style, Day Glow, fresh water pearls, Greens, Hues, Lava Rocks, October Birth Stone, October Birthstone, Opal Bracelet, Opal Necklace, Opals, Semi Precious Gemstones, Showcases, Special Occasions, Tri Color, Vermeil Beads

New Autumn Additions – Barbary Coast Jewelry Collection

September 6, 2007 By 1 Comment

I recently finished a few new gemstone necklaces that incorporate upcoming fall colors. This necklace features faceted Crystal Quartz, Pineapple Quartz, Citrine, 24K Gold foil Venetian Glass, Amber, Butterscotch Amber, Black Lava, Buffalo Horn, Obsidian, Abalone, and hand-carved Onyx beads. The piece is accented with 22K Gold Vermeil granulated beads and is 23 inches in length.

Crystal Quartz, Citrine, and Onyx Necklace

Carnelian is a very traditional and popular fall gemstone. This necklace features unique hand-carved round Carnelian beads, accented with Amber, Gold and Copper colored Freshwater Pearls, and 22K Gold Vermeil beads.

Carnelian Necklace - Round

In addition to Carnelian, Amber (fossilized resin) is another highly featured fall “gemstone.” In addition to two varieties of Amber – Baltic and Madagascar, this necklace also features Citrine, Brown Lava (natural), Onyx, Freshwater Pearls, accented with 22K Gold Vermeil beads.

Citrine and Amber Necklace

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: 24k gold, abalone, amber, Amber Baltic, Amber Black, black lava, buffalo horn, Butterscotch Amber, Carnelian Beads, citrine, crystal quartz, Fall Colors, Fashion Forecasting, Fossilized Resin, freshwater pearls, gemstone necklaces, Gold Foil, gold vermeil, jewelry collection, obsidian, onyx, Pineapple, venetian glass, Vermeil Beads, Would Like More Information

Amethyst – February’s Birthstone

February 1, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Faceted Amethyst Necklace - Barbary Coast Collection

Featuring faceted Amethyst, Purple Freshwater Pearls, Cranberry Freshwater Pearls, Rose Quartz, and accented by Vermeil beads, I recently added this necklace to the Barbary Coast Collection.

Amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for intaglios (cameos). Beads of Amethyst are found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England. It is a widely distributed mineral, but fine, clear specimens that are suitable for cutting as ornamental stones are confined to comparatively few localities. Such crystals occur either in the cavities of mineral-veins and in granitic rocks, or as a lining in agate geodes. A huge geode, or “Amethyst-grotto”, from near Santa Cruz in southern Brazil was exhibited at the Düsseldorf Exhibition of 1902. Many of the hollow agates of Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of Amethyst crystals in the interior. Much fine Amethyst comes from Russia, especially from near Mursinka in the Ekaterinburg district, where it occurs in drusy cavities in granitic rocks. Many localities in India yield Amethyst; and it is found also in Sri Lanka, chiefly as pebbles.

Usually Purple to Lavender, several descriptive terms have been coined in the gem trade to describe the varying colors of Amethyst. “Rose de France” is usually a pale pinkish lavender or lilac shade (usually the least sought color). The most prized color is an intense violet with red flashes and is called “Siberian”, although gems of this color may occur from several locations other than Siberia, notably Uruguay and Zambia. In more recent times, certain gems (usually of Bolivian origin) that have shown alternate bands of Amethyst purple with Citrine orange have been given the name Ametrine. Purple Corundum, or Sapphire of Amethystine tint, is called Oriental Amethyst, but this expression is often applied by jewelers to fine examples of the ordinary Amethystine quartz, even when not derived from eastern sources. Professional gemological associations, such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gemological Society (AGS), discourage the use of the term “Oriental Amethyst” to describe any gem, as it may be misleading.

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Agate Geodes, Agates, Amethyst Crystals, Ancient Egyptians, Anglo Saxon, barbary coast, Cameos, Cavities, citrine, Corundum, freshwater pearls, Gem Trade, Geode Amethyst, Granitic Rocks, Grotto, Ornamental Stones, Pebbles, Several Descriptive Terms, Southern Brazil, Vermeil Beads

Spring Colors for the Barbary Coast Collection

January 28, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Tropical Garden Necklace - Amethyst, Jade, Freshwater Pearls, Amber

These are a few of the color combinations I am currently working on for my Spring 2007 additions to the Barbary Coast Collection.

The first necklace features Peridot nuggets, Champagne Quartz, Yellow and Lavender Jade, various colored Freshwater Pearls, Amber, and Ametrine nuggets accented with Vermeil beads. Ametrine, also known as trystine or by its trade name as bolivianite, is a naturally occurring variety of quartz. It is a mixture of Amethyst and Citrine with zones of purple and yellow or orange. Almost all commercially available Ametrine is mined in Bolivia, although there are deposits being exploited in Brazil and India. The color of the zones visible within Ametrine are due to differing oxidation states of iron within the crystal. The different oxidation states occur due to there being a temperature gradient across the crystal during its formation.

The second necklace features rare hand-carved Onyx, Freshwater Pearls, Lava, Stick Pearls, Faceted CZ Tear Drop beads, and is accented with Fine Silver Bali beads.

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: amber, Amethyst, Ametrine, Bali Beads, barbary coast, Champagne, citrine, Color Combinations, freshwater pearls, Lava, Lavender, Nuggets, Oxidation States, Peridot, Quartz, Rare Hand, Spring Colors, Tear Drop, Temperature Gradient, Vermeil Beads