I've changed our previously-existing "Blueberry Quartz" to "Blueberry Glass," as it wasn't really what the trade calls Blueberry Quartz.  The old stuff was mainly one color, while true Blueberry Quartz is variegated.  So if you were avoiding our old Blueberry Quartz because it didn't look the way you thought it should, you're now in luck.  These are really nice--a clear glass with dark blue marbling.

 

This isn't Amethyst and it isn't Agate.  It's a chalcedony with inclusions.  It's called Amethyst because it has some purple in it (but not much), but who knows where the "agate" comes from.  This is also called Sage Amethyst, and apparently it is also called Black Rainbow Opal.  So pick your favorite name; it's all the same stuff.  A really pretty stone, unusually pale translucent milky purple with black dendrites.  If you like Montana Moss Agate but think it is too expensive (and face it, it is), then this will make an excellent substitute.

 

This is related to Zebra Jasper in content, but the markings are quite different.  This stone has a light gray-green background, and over the surface is a beautiful layer of dark green cracks or spiderwebs.  Really tiny marks; people will do a double-take when they see you wearing it.  I like it!

 

 

I already have these in a long chip form; now here they are in regular chips.  A black stone with dark green marbling.  Not the most exciting thing you'll ever find, but it has its place.

 

A perfectly wonderful, obviously dyed stone.  I recall being amused when I first saw Red Howlite, because it wasn't trying to be anything, like Turquoise Howlite and Lapis Howlite do.  It was just dyed Howlite, honest and straightforward.  Now, these Yellow Howlite chips look a little more realistic than the red, but seriously, you can totally tell they are dyed.  They are strong and cheerful and bright.  If you are looking for a really good opaque yellow stone, here you are.  I love dyed Howlite--I am looking forward to seeing what other colors they can come up with!  Word has it there's a purple Sugilite imitation out there already.  What will come next?  Green Howlite?  Orange?  Tan?  Pink?  Imagine the possibilities!

 

They make metal chips?  Yup.  These are really nice gold-colored chips.

 

LOVE these!  Silver plated Brass chips; that wonderful cold color of real silver.

 

This isn't marble.  (Did you notice that an inordinate number of new item descriptions have started with "This isn't..."?)  I don't even think it's a real stone; I think it's glass.  Or maybe even plastic.  Whatever, it's pretty, with opaque and clear evenly-colored blue.

 

These are KEWL!  At first glance, they look like your ordinary run-of-the-mill black stone.  We carry so many pure black stones; I've had to start putting labels on them to tell them all apart.  But look a little closer.  There is a glittering bronze sheen over most of the beads.  They have depth and originality.  If I had to be stuck on a desert island with only one type of black chip bead, I would choose these.

 

This isn't nearly as pretty as it sounds.  It looks like Yellow Turquoise, only a little greener (but not much).  It's the same price as Yellow Turquoise, so pick one based on what you want to tell your friends you are wearing.

 

I think this is a type of glass.  It's a very lovely color that can ONLY be described as "Sea Foam."  There simply is no other way of describing it.  It's very well named.  Go look at it and you will see what I mean.

 

This is an exciting stone.  It looks its best in cabochons, but it looks pretty nice in chips too.  It's a type of Picture Jasper with really bold, strong colors and patterns.  These are the beads you will love if you are the type to wear natural colors.  It has everything--yellow, gray, brown, tan--truly the top of the Picture Jasper food chain.

 

I was surprised to discover this isn't gray.  Don't you think it would be gray, with a name like that?  So that was a little unnerving, but on closer look I fell in love with this stone.  It is a strong brown that doesn't show up very often among my chips, but even better, it has these yellow stripes like African paintings or textiles.  It's absolutely beautiful.  I'm not an earth-tones type of gal, but man, this is one gorgeous stone.

 

This a relative of good old fashioned Picture Jasper, but lighter and less interesting.  Instead of wild pictures, it has soft speckles and wisps.  VERY earthy.

 

Yer basic Quartz-that-wants-to-be-Amethyst-but-didn't-quite-make-it.  Real Amethyst sits on the sidelines and goes "Nyah, nyah!" while this stone gets all bummed because it isn't purple enough.  Buy some to make it feel better. 

 

Tiny little branch coral chips.  They are cute!

 

See Red Cuppolini Coral, and substitute the word "pink."  They are still cute!

 

A stunning, and I do mean stunning, green Garnet.  Bright green.  Green that you don't think should occur in nature, but here you go.  What's odd is that the picture shows a few olive-brown chips among the greens, but in reality there are NO BROWN CHIPS.  I have no idea why they scanned that way; perhaps it was the angle or a trick of the light.  Rest assured, you will get 100% green chips.

 

Also called Mandarin Garnet; this is another really rare Garnet.  These chips (and the Tsavorite) are so tiny because these stones are really rare.  It's hard to find specimens big enough to make lots of chips.  They take what little bits they can that are left over from the serious gem cutting and make them into chips.  So buy some and feel privileged.

 

THE BIRTHSTONE COLLECTION IS COMPLETE!  Now poor September babies don't have to feel left out that all the other birthstones are represented in my chip beads.  I've been looking for these FOREVER, and I only have a limited number with absolutely no way of getting more, so if you want them, get them now.  These are really beautiful both in color (a dark rich royal blue) and in texture (slightly gritty-shiny).  Just fabulous.

 

Similar to Russian Serpentine AND Zebra Jasper.  These are gray (no green on them), with strong black marbling.  The name implies they are snake-like, so picture scales in your head.  These are huge chunky beads--one bag will go a long way.

 

Another adorable "Fruit Quartz" that wants to be a real stone but isn't.  Perfectly pretty clear glass with medium green running through it. 

 

I have had these on and off.  They are tiny, adorable little square Turquoise chips.  They are the lovely robin's egg blue of expensive Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, but at a fraction of the price.  Stabilized Turquoise is made by grinding up Turquoise into a powder and gluing it all back together with a resin.  So it's got some real Turquoise in it but it's hard to say it is a real stone.  It's pretty, so don't let the resin turn you off.

 

WHEW!  That's it for this week!

 

 

 

 

** One of the unique characteristics of Grossular Garnets is that they contain tiny crystals (usually of the mineral Diopside), which, when viewed under a microscope, give the stones a particular swirled pattern known as "treacle."  This is one way to positively identify a stone from the Grossularite group.

 

 

A while back, someone wrote to me through eBay, commenting that my sale said that I had "cool color" chips at a dollar off, and if the ones I had listed there were part of that sale.  I realized that, while I usually talk about my weekly sale on my eBay About Me page, I rarely offer any of the sale items on eBay.  Or if I do, I mean to go back and change the prices, but seldom get around to it. 

     So starting immediately, I will discuss my weekly sale on my eBay About Me page, but I will no longer apply those sales to eBay auction items.  I only run 10-15 auctions a week anyway, and rather than run auctions for sale items that might not be big attractions on eBay (effectively wasting my listing fee), I prefer to continue to list the items that will draw the most attention and direct eBay browsers to my online store.  So each week, I will mention the new sale in a small blurb, but will not cover it on eBay.  (This is actually a pretty good way to get eBay browsers to go to my online site--to see the sale stuff that they can't find on eBay!)  To see the new verbiage, CLICK HERE.