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Four Genuine, Natural, Delicately Carved Emerald Green Aventurine Quartz Crystal Semi-Precious Gemstones on 14kt Gold Fill French Hooks.

Four antique hand crafted gemstones, two on each hook, each about 5mm in diameter, mounted onto high quality 14kt gold fill french hooks (not cheap gold electroplate). Total gemstone weight about 3 carats.

Four very nice, delicately carved emerald green aventurine gemstones; translucent approaching transparent. They were handcrafted in the 1950's in Bombay, India, hand carved into spheres which resemble little raspberries or blackberries - or acorns - and hand drilled. Aventurine is closely related to amethyst, both being forms of colored quartz crystal ("rock crystal"). Aside from pearls and amber, which were "discovered" as gemstones by prehistoric man; quartz crystal (including aventurine), carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli are the oldest gemstones utilized in the manufacture of jewelry. These antique gemstones have been mounted onto high quality contemporary 14kt gold fill french hooks. These are not cheap, gold electroplated earrings. They are genuine solid 14kt gold fill, designed to last a lifetime. It's a first-class piece of jewelry throughout. Though the gemstones are antique, hand crafted and hand matched, the settings are contemporary. If you prefer, the gemstones could be remounted onto kidney wires, lever backs, euroclicks, or ball studs if you would prefer; or remounted onto 14kt solid gold or sterling silver.

Clear quartz, also known as "rock crystal", was used in ancient times to make crystal balls and bowls. Since ancient times colorless quartz crystals have always been popular in jewelry due to mystical legends concerning the "power" of quartz crystals. But there are many other varieties of quartz which are not generally recognized as quartz. Purple quartz is known as amethyst; yellow quartz as "citrine", and ametrine is a variegated gemstone possessing a color somewhere between amethyst and citrine. More readily recognized varieties of quartz include smoky quartz, rose quartz, onyx, obsidian, agate, chrysoprase, rutilated quartz, and "tigerseye". Besides use as gemstones and decorative accoutrements, quartz was also ground by ancient cultures to produce primitive forms of glass and ceramics. Ceramic "glass-like" ("faience) beads were produced by the ancient Egyptian, Sumerian and Babylonian cultures.

Quartz crystal exhibits a property called the piezoelectric effect; it produces an electric voltage. This was noticed by ancient cultures, and consequentially since ancient times many mystical properties have been attributed to quartz crystals. In Medieval Europe, quartz was believed to act as a psychic purifier. It was believed to tune into the "vibrational level" of an individual and assist in "tuning" into oneself, "tune out" the distractions of the outside world, and aid in meditation. It was believed that clear crystals possessed the ability to amplify emotions, and enhance healing, concentration, and intuition. Crystals were believed to enhance energy levels, and to neutralize "negative energies". Even today many people still believe that wearing quartz crystals benefits a person's health and spiritual well being.

You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world's history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar's led to further education and conacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings - the gold reused - the gemstones recut and reset.

Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state - most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees - fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or "lab produced") gemstones which dominate the market today.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me!

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