Sylvia Rose
Etch Carnelian Beads Like It's Indus Valley 2500 BCE
The Indus Valley Civilization of the Bronze Age is one of the earliest urban societies, famous for trade, inventiveness and extraordinary...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 305 min read
Carbuncle: Red Stone of Magic & Medicine
Carbuncle has many meanings. Today it most often describes a deep red almandine garnet gemstone cut with a smooth, convex face or...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 299 min read
Seven Precious Stones of the Ancient World
Precious stones are made by economic supply and demand. First, however, they're formed by fire and pressure for millions of years. Prized...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 234 min read
Corundum: Secrets of Valuable Gemstones
Corundum is a mineral composed of aluminum oxide. Living deep within the Earth in an environment of intense heat and pressure, the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 234 min read
Making Sapphire & other Precious Gemstones
Synthetic sapphires and lab-grown gemstones mimic the brilliance and allure of natural gems while often surpassing them in quality and...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 236 min read
Sapphire Gemstones: Colors, Myths, Origins & Gemology
Exquisite gems, sapphires are beautiful stones known for stunning colors and unique properties. Greeks wear sapphire for guidance when...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 66 min read
Metal & Gemstone Dyeing in Alchemy
In alchemy, science and mysticism intertwine. Among the practical alchemical skills is dyeing of metals and gems. Alchemists from early...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 304 min read
Hematite: Iron Oxide Red Earth Pigment
"Hematite" comes from the ancient Greek for blood. The stone creates red dust when cut and polished. The red color isn't always visible...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 246 min read
Alchemy: Dyeing Stones to Look Like Gems
Although alchemy is often associated with gold-making, another essential skill of the alchemist is to color or dye stones like quartz...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 165 min read
Lapis Lazuli & Gold: Jungian Alchemy Symbolism
Alchemy symbolism is an ancient and fluctuating system of intertwined elements compounded over more than 2000 years. A cornerstone of...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 145 min read
Alchemy: How to Make Emerald from Quartz
Alchemy has origins in ancient medicine, metallurgy and gemology. As metallurgy evolves to coloring metals the goal is to make base...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 124 min read
Ruby, Rubies: Passion, Blood and Fire
Ruby is one of the five cardinal gems, together with diamond, amethyst, sapphire and emerald. From bright pink to deep blood red,...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 254 min read
Jet Black - Ancient World Gemstones
Jet black describes a rich dark black, or the blackest black of all, as in jet-black hair. An ancient painter's pigment, jet is also...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 33 min read
Chalcanthite: Crystal Blue Explosion
Chalcanthite is a brightly colored blue-green copper sulfate mineral. Its name comes from ancient Greek χαλκός (khalkós) 'copper', and...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 144 min read
Steatite (Soapstone) - Ancient World
Steatite or soapstone is a metamorphic talc rock used in carving for thousands of years. A medium-grained rock, or schist, soapstone is a...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 95 min read
Garnets - Gemstones of Blood and Life
Garnet is a coveted gemstone since the Bronze Age (c. 3300 BCE). Trade brings this enchanting creation to Egypt, Mesopotamia and other...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 73 min read
Cylinder Seals of the Ancient World
Cylinder seals have been used for thousands of years. First evidence comes from the Neolithic period in Syria. The cylinder seal is...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 74 min read
Greenstone, Scribes & Cylinder Seals
Cylinder seals are popular throughout ancient Mesopotamia and related lands. Sometimes called roller stamps, they're tiny, usually around...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 82 min read
Cassiterite - Tin Source of Ancients
Best known as an ore of the soft metal tin, cassiterite (SnO2) has an elemental magic all its own. Cassiterite occurs in igneous rocks...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 15, 20233 min read
Carnelian - Sunny Gems of the Ancient World
Carnelian (early: cornelean ) is already used in the Stone Age to make beads. Pebbles of the reddish orange gemstone might be polished by...
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