Hello!

The spring equinox has just passed and the weather has changed to something decidedly milder.  The trees have leafed out bright green against the still-sleeping desert and I saw magenta wildflowers last Saturday on the roadside.  Soon, I will be taking down the short helmet and putting away the leathers.  After a wash and fresh wax, the motorcycle will be ready for a new collection of spring bugs, too.

I eagerly await the arrival of several carats of rough diamonds from Jaipur, India.  Imagine the contrast of raw diamond against perfect silk.  Check http://mmemagpie.com in the coming weeks for the new creations. They will also be announced on Twitter and Facebook.

Diamond

Crystalline carbon and the hardest substance known to man.  Some call it a girl’s best friend.  I call it April’s birthstone.

Hardness:  10
Toughness:  good in cleavage directions, exceptional in all others
Color:  Usually light yellow, brown, or grey.  Also occurs in every color of the rainbow.

Transparent to opaque.  Commonly available in sizes up to five carats.  Rarely found in large sizes up to several hundred carats.

Care:

Ultrasonic:  usually safe, unless feathers are present
Steam:  usually safe, unless feathers are present
Warm, soapy water:  safe

Stability:
Heat:  begins to vaporize in an oxygen rich atmosphere at 690-875°C
Light:  stable
Chemicals:  stable

Major sources:
Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Australia

Treatments:
Many treatments available to improve the beauty of less marketable stones: irradiation, coating, fracture filling, laser drilling and bleaching, HPHT, etc.  These treatments and their special care requirements should always be disclosed.

What gems do you want to know more about?  Leave a comment or email me.

What’s Happening

April 3

Easter Bunny at the Rincon Valley Farmers Market this Saturday.  Hunt for eggs on my table with prizes for the first 20 visitors!  Market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

April 10

Come to Old Bisbee for the Copper Classic Car Show.  These cars are something else.  I hope I get to set up next to a Buick!  Local vendors will be set up until 1:00 p.m.

This is also the night of the Bisbee After 5 Art Walk. I’ll be at the BizzArt Gallery on Brewery Avenue from 5ish to 8:00 or so.

April 17

Pet Day at the Rincon Valley Farmers Market this Saturday.  Get something shiny for yourself and those important shots for your furry friend.  Market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

April 24

The Bisbee Farmers Market kicks off the season with a special Earth Day celebration.  Come for the fun, games, food, and, of course, Shiny Things.  Market opens at 8 a.m.

Visit me at the BizzArt Gallery on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. for a free jewelry inspection, repair advice, or just to chat.

Kiva Loans

Thanks to your patronage we can make a difference in the lives of enterprising women around the world.  Madame Magpie’s Shiny Things makes a new loan through Kiva International every month.  Read more about our latest loan.

Keep in touch:
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/MmeMagpie
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/MmeMagpie
YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/MadameMagpie
Calendar:  http://mmemagpie.com/how_to_acquire_shiny_things/visit.html
Email:  magpie@mmemagpie.com

Wishing you an amazing April,

Andrea Robinson

Gemologist, Silversmith
http://mmemagpie.com

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Spring is beginning to show here in the desert.  Grass is putting up little green shoots and the trees by the river have turned palest green.

I’ve been working with the fun, new things I picked up in Tucson at the gem shows including some pretty little faceted aquamarine beads I selected just for March.  They go beautifully with silver-white freshwater pearls and pale turquoise silk.

Aquamarine
The blue variety of the mineral Beryl and stone for March and the sign Pisces

Hardness:  7 1/2 to 8
Toughness:  good
Color:  Greenish-blue to blue-green, usually light in tone
Usually eye clean and commonly available in large sizes

Care:
Ultrasonic:  usually safe
Steam:  usually safe
Warm, soapy water:  safe

Stability:
Heat:  generally not heat sensitive unless liquid inclusions are present
Light:  stable
Chemicals:  attacked by hydrofluoric acid

Common sources:
Brazil, Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar, United States, Russia

Treatments:
Heating is common to remove the greenish cast.  The treatment is common, stable, and usually undetectable.

Micro-Loans
Thanks to your patronage we can make a difference in the lives of enterprising women around the world.  Madame Magpie’s Shiny Things makes a new loan through Kiva International every month.  The latest was made to Rafatou Tchedre in Togo, Africa.  Go here to see the other loans we made.

Events
The Rincon Valley Farmers Market has been a delight to attend, so I will be making regular appearances on market days.  Tentatively planning on the first and third Saturdays of the month.  More here.

Join us at Bizzart Gallery on the secnd Saturday of every month for the Bisbee After 5 Art Walk.

Keep in touch:
Website:  MmeMagpie.com
Facebook:  facebook.com/MmeMagpie
Twitter:  twitter.com/MmeMagpie
Calendar
Email:  magpie@mmemagpie.com

Wishing you a glorious spring!