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| tanzanite | Tanzanite is the commercial name given to the mineral called blue zoisite. It was introduced commercially in the 1950's by Tiffany & Co. It is named for the country in which it is mined, Tanzania. The mineral was named for a mineral collector whose name was Zois. It was discovered in the Alps in 1805 and originally called saualpite, but not considered gem worthy at the time. It has pleochroistic qualities and ranges in color to reddish brown to pale sapphire blue to violet, depending upon exposure to heat and light. |
| tube bead | a cylindrical bead, usually metal. |
| turquoise | The name means "Turkish stone", because the old trade routes passed through Turkey. The best quality comes from northeast Iran (Persian turquoise). It is also found in Afghanistan, Australia, Tibet, Tanzania, and USA. |
| Venetian glass |
A Very Short History of Venetian GlassIn ancient times glass was viewed as a magical and supernatural material. Magicians could predict the future by gazing into a crystal sphere, and alchemists studied prisms in search of methods that would turn lead into gold. The ancient technique of glass blowing was discovered by the Phoenicians, practiced by the Egyptians, Syrians and Romans and was refined in Venice more than one thousand years ago. By the 1200's the Venetian Republic and its island Murano grew in prestige and enjoyed certain liberties granted by the "Signoria", the ruling class. In 1291, the Serenissima Republic ordered that all furnaces operating in the City of Venice must be transferred to the nearby island of Murano. The Doge also declared Murano a true and proper industrial district. Soon Murano became the capital of glass production in the world. The island operates today as it did centuries ago, making the best, hardest glass in the world. The modern glass-masters still practice the ancient Roman and Byzantine skills mixed with new inventions of shapes and colors, jealously guarding their art, handing secrets down from father to son. Glass from Murano can be admired in the delicate lattice-work and mosaics of handcrafted beads, spectacular chandeliers, mirrors or goblets. It is the versatility of the glass that inspires Venetian artists to create true works of art, reflecting the history and magic of times gone by. |
| vermeil | A layer of gold, usually 18kt or better, overlaid onto the silver surface of the bead. The vermeil beads I use have .003 inch of 18kt gold overlay, which will not come off under normal wear. |
| white hearts | The white glass wound core of antique Venetian glass cranberry carnelian beads and red eye beads. The modern Indian beadmakers have acquired this technique recently. |
| Yoruba |
The Yoruba People, of whom there are more than twenty-five million, occupy
the southwestern corner of Nigeria along the Dahomey border and extend into
Dahomey itself. To the east and north the Yoruba culture reaches its
approximate limits in the region of the Niger River. However, ancestral
cultures directly related to the Yoruba once flourished well north of the
Niger.
Yoruba slaves were sent to British, French, Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the New World, and in a number of these places Yoruba traditions survived strongly. In Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and Trinidad, Yoruba religious rites, beliefs, music and myths is evident even at this late day. In Haiti the Yoruba were generally called Anagos. Afro-Haitian religious practices give Yoruba rites and beliefs an honored place, and the pantheon includes numerous deities of Yoruba origin. In Brazil, Yoruba religious activities are called Anago or Shango, and in Cuba they are called Lucumi. |
| Zen Beads | Zen Beads were created from a description Marco Polo gave from memory of the Tao symbol (Ying/Yang) he saw at the Mandarin's Court during his famous journey to China. Antique Venetian glass Zen beads are very rare and extremely collectible. |
| zircon | ZrSiO4, Zirconium Silicate. Zircon is not the same material as the artificial gem material Cubic Zirconia (or CZ). Zircon resembles diamond in luster and fire and colorless zircons have been mistaken for diamonds by experienced jewelers. Zircon can make a very attractive and affordable gemstone. It is found in browns and greens but can be heat treated to beautiful blue and golden colors. Colorless material is produced in this way as well. |