White Crystal Gemstone Wire Wrapped Larimar Earrings

Since I made friends with an elder licensed gemologist (who's shop is closed today) I have developed a heightened awareness about gemstones and authenticity.

You might say I had blinders on before. That was a good thing for my creativity, because I was not allowing "book learning" to interfere with my genesis as an artisan jeweler. But now I've crossed the threshold into needing to know what the title of something I'm listing really means, and also to authenticate it. That was always a hallmark of Ruby Lane's Quality Assurance program. I knew that. Where I was blind was in not knowing I wasn't providing all the information that was, perhaps, out there. After I work with the gemologist for six months, I'll know.

Since I began to sell my artisan jewelry, I have always proceeded on the principle that if I don't know what the name of something I've been given by a vendor means, I will price it as though it is glass or howlite, practically no price at all. Those of you who've been following my listings know this. You might have read it hundreds of time, "I am not charging for the stones." And it is true here, too. The only thing I'm charging for here is my labor, the precious metal, and the extremely precious Larimar. Still, I will be editing this listing within a few days to tell you what "White Gemstone Crystal, Natural" actually is (That was the name the stones were sold under when I purchased them last year. By then I was saving receipts with names for everything I purchased. At this point I'm still a novice. I imagine I only know less than half the gemstones out there exist at all. One reason I'm always encouraging those of you who come to my shop to become artisan jewelers, is because it is very rewarding to learn new things every day. Believe me, if you become an artisan jeweler who works with gemstones, you will learn new things every day. But the same is true when you add leather and all the various kinds of precious metals, alloy metals, semi-precious metals, man-made plastics: The list is never ending. And all the information is easily formatted on the internet such that even a non-science person like me has been learning it with joy.

From the top bends in my home made, hand crafted sterling silver earwires to the bottom coils of 18kt white gold plated copper wire on the lower rectangle beads, the distance is 2 inches.

The Larimar stones are exquisite. I bought them from a high end vendor who was selling very small parcels of various sized spheres and nuggets of triple A grade Larimar. He only did it for two weeks, so I suspect his marketing idea didn't lead to increased sales of his larger lots. I got one of the small little groups, because it was the first time I'd ever seen the best of the best in Larimar that I could actually find the funds to cover. I think I got twenty two beads.

The two Larimar beads on this pair are from that lot. There are no inclusions of any kind on the spheres (11mm). They are the most perfect hue of Larimar I've ever seen. It is the color everyone interested in buying Larimar is seeking.

I spaced them between two sterling silver plated pewter flat, decorative spacer beads. On top of the top ones, I placed a solid sterling silver very shiny tiny roundelle bead on each drop before I twisted off the sterling silver loop for attaching to the sterling silver earwires.

I've written about Larimar, the blue stone unique to one mine in the Caribbean, in my About Us section for the store and in most of the other item descriptions for Larimar items in the shop. You can learn more by reading these, or you can do your own research.

Once you wear anything Larimar, you will be glad you've researched it, because the questions will just keep coming. Most people have never seen this color of blue before. Most people are staggered by it.

Thanks for coming and visiting my shop. I hope you aren't staggered. :)

Item ID: 2337