Birthstones: February - Amethyst

A beautiful purple quartz, Amethyst was believed to prevent intoxication!  The name Amethyst even comes from the Greek word "amethystos", translated as "not drunken".

In history it was as highly prized as diamonds, however the discovery of large deposits of the stone decreased its rarity, and hence its value.  Even so, its beauty has not diminished and it is an excellent stone to work with in your jewellery making.

There is a story that a young mortal girl was on her way to pray to the goddess Diana.  Bacchus, the god of wine, saw her and admiring her great beauty gave chase.

The girl, wishing to remain chaste prayed to Diana to help her.  Diana took pity on the girl and so to protect her transformed her into a shimmering clear crystal statue.

Bacchus seeing the object of his desire transformed wept tears into his goblet of wine, and then poured the contents over the statue, staining it purple, and creating the first Amythest.

Apparently this story was written in the1500s, rather than being a true Roman legend, but it is a good tale none the less!

Throughout history Amethyst has been associated with clarity of the mind.  Goblets were fashioned from the stone to prevent the drinker from becoming drunk.  Medieval soldiers would wear the stone to keep a cool head in battle.  In Buddhist and Hindu traditions, it is used as an aid for meditation.  It is even said to help prevent headaches!

The rich purple colour is also associated with royalty and wealth.

If even just one of the myths about amethyst is true it makes it an invaluable stone to have about! ;)

Ranging in shades from nearly clear lilac through rich wine purple, to an almost black opaque violet, it can be cut into hundreds of shapes.   Why not get some beads today and start crafting?

Tutorial - Home is where the Hearthstone is!

It's time for February's tutorial.  This is an easy yet effective pendant you can make with polymer clay.  Perfect for any World of Warcraft fans, the hearthstone would also make a great Valentine's day gift for that special someone!

Ingredients:

White polymer clay

Blue Acrylic paint

Silver eye pin

Varnish (optional)

Tools:

Sharp knife or Scalpel

Oven

Baking tray

Paintbrush

Method:

You will need to condition your clay to start with.  Take it out of the packet, break a piece off and either roll it, kneed it, or pass it through a pasta machine several times until the clay becomes warm and malleable.

Step 1:  Roll you clay into an even, marble sized ball.

Step 2:  Using your thumb, flatten the ball into a "stone."  It should be around 1cm thick, and don't worry if it isn't perfectly even - stones aren't a uniform thickness!

Step 3:  Using a sharp knife or scalpel, drag a swirl shape into the top of the clay.  Don't worry about keeping it smooth, the roughness will help make it look more stone-like.

Step 4:  Gently push the eye pin into the top of your pendant.

(Tip:  Measure your eyepin first to make sure it is the correct length for the pendant - if it is too long it will stick out of the bottom, and we don't want that!  Trim it to size using a pair of wire cutters.  Make sure to hold your hand over the wire as you cut so it doesn't go flying off!)

Step 5: Bake the clay according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Step 6:  Once the pendant has cooled, use the blue paint to fill in the swirl.

(Tip:  Make sure you have clean hands and workspace when you are making this pendant.  I had just been using yellow clay, and apparently still had it on my mat, so I ended up having to repaint mine white as the yellow clay mixed and make my pendant come out off-white!)

Step 7:  You can leave it here, or you can add a coat of varnish for extra protection.  Simple hang the pendant off a cotton cord, chain or other stringing material by using a jump ring, and you have a lovely hearthstone necklace!