My Creative Space - New Earrings

I've had some small Iolite beads for about a year and have been itching to use them.

They have now been incorporated into a pair of sterling silver earrings:

 I've named these earrings 'Sultry' as the gemstone Iolite is such a unique colour. Depending on how the light falls on the stone it could be called purple/blue or blue/grey.

One of my interests in making jewellery is learning about the history and meaning of the semi-precious gemstones I use in my designs.  Iolite has quite a story and was used by the Vikings and other ancient mariners on deck on overcast days to determine the position of the sun for the purpose of navigation.

I've also learnt the word Iolite is derived from a greek word which means 'voilet'. Due to its use at sea, it used to be called 'water sapphire' and 'Viking's compass'.

Whilst we will no longer need it to guide our ships home, Iolite is now apparently known as a stone that supports the healing of the eyes, stimulates memory and helps with sleep imbalances.

There you have it.... a clever semi-precious stone.

For me....I just know I love Iolite's colour and unique beauty and it was great to finally get a chance to use Iolite in one of my pieces.