The gemstones mined in Arizona are semi-precious and widely used in jewelry and other crafts such as intarsia. Turquoise is without a doubt the most common gemstone mined in Arizona but there are other stones also found in a part of the state that is called “The Valley of the Sun”, a region surrounding Phoenix ...
I love the gem called lapis lazuli, but it is very expensive. I certainly cannot afford it within my budget. However, there is a similar stone called sodalite that is also pretty and is very close in nature to that of lapis. Although not quite as scarce, sodalite is not a common gem either. Sodalite ...
The very first people to use cosmetics, at least that we can tell from archaeological evidence, were the Ancient Egyptians, who were slathering their faces with great zeal as early as 4,000 BC. The Egyptians were known for painting their lips either a vibrant shade of red or a kind of bluey-black color. It’s quite ...
Aventurine is a variety of mineral (usually quartz or feldspar) which is spotted with bits of mica or hematite. It is translucent to opaque and contains platy mineral inclusions that give it an iridescent or glistening effect. This sparkling effect is known as “aventurescence.” It is often mistaken for malachite, amazonite, and jade. The most ...
Ich is one of the most common fish diseases known in the fish environment. It is a parasite that invades the skin of a fish, feeding on the blood and nutrients until it is fully grown after a few days. Once it is finished feeding off of the fish it falls out to the bottom ...
Chances are, you’ve been there: your second cousin comes to your housewarming and brings a toaster… or more specifically, the toaster you gave her two Christmases ago. Your cousin has regifted. The word “regift” was popularized by the classic New York sitcom Seinfeld. To regift means to take something you’ve received as a present and ...
With proper care, sterling silver jewelry will last for generations. Strong and beautiful, affordable, hypoallergenic, and fashionable, it can be polished to a lustrous sheen no other metal can match. With minimal care, it can be worn often. Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. Fine silver (99.9%) ...
Velvet is a common parasite among betta fish and unfortunately kills many betta fish due to simple lack of hygiene on the owner’s part. Velvet is caused by the parasite Oodinium, which is an algae parasite. Many betta die to this disease before the owner even knows something is wrong, so it’s very important to ...
There are several types of gemstones found all over the Earth. Some believe that each type of gemstone possesses a unique power or energy. It is thought that the energy of a gemstone can be used to benefit the person who possesses it. Below you will find lists of gemstones that are thought to help ...
