Bling Element: Hematite

Friday, December 3, 2010

Metallics abounding in fashion magazines for winter season, I decided to make a pair of earrings that are metallic and smokey. I used hematite beads and sterling silver parts. At 1.5 inches these little hematite danglers are perfect for a night out and reminds me of New Years' Eve.

Hematite, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is an iron ore. Ferric Oxide to be exact. The Greeks gave this mineral it's name due to it's red properties that reminded them of blood (think rust). The steely gray color is just one form of the minerals color spectrum. The gray color also occurs because of it's crystaline structre which make sit different from rust, though the two have the same chemical formula. According to NASA, hematite is an indicator that Mars may have had water on the surface at one point. Back here on Planeta Terra, the stone is noted for it's magnetic and healing properties. Often thought to purify the blood, During Victorian times the dark stone was worn during mourning periods. Another said use for the stone is to help with mental organization. Maybe i should wear it more often..my whole house needs to be better organized. Hematite is also associated with root chakra to ground and balance the body.

For me it's a beautiful dark stone I love using in design and wearing. In fact one of my most treasured pieces of jewelry is a hematite arrowhead necklace made by the Pueblo Indians from New Mexico that my then boyfriend, now husband bought for me.

Add a piece of steel gray bling this winter to your wardobe!
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