Save The Bees

         These two bracelets both have hexagon buttons that I cut, sanded, & polished. Both are also stamped with my signature on the back.  The loop that goes around the copper hexagon to secure the bracelet is hematite. Hematite isn't a hard solid when its mined. The variety of shapes and looks you see hematite in are actually machine pressed, cut, & polished, similar to lapidary work but they are heat treated to form a solid. You can find hematite in ancient spiritual drawings as it was a sought after powder used for painting.

       Did you know the red stones aren't stones at all?  They're coral! Red bamboo coral, found in the Philippines. They are very popular in tribal and modern jewelry. It naturally comes as a whitish creme color. Before red bamboo coral, Mediterranean coral was extremely popular however, due to unregulated over-harvesting, the coral was not given the proper time to rejuvenate. So as a great substitute,  red bamboo coral has been used as a replacement and takes on color fairly well. If the bamboo coral is dyed in an oil base the longevity of the red pigment lasts much longer.

I have a few dyed bamboo coral care tips & tricks for you.

1. Don't leave pieces out in the sun for long periods of time. This will cause the red color to fade. 
2. If you purchase a strand of bamboo coral there is a trick to see if it is properly dyed. Place the strand in a glass of room temperature water for an hour or so. If the water is red it was poorly dyed. If the water is light pink thats fine because most beads and shells don't go through a thorax cleaning processes. (I always clean and check the coral I purchase and it's dye job. If it is a poor, it isn't used in my jewelry pieces). 
3. Coral is strong but can be scratched & also break when dropped. Be careful.
4. If you want your red coral's color to fade into a pink color. You can lay it in the sun for an hour on both sides. Just keep an eye on it so you can get the color you desire.  Note: some coral is dyed so well it could take years for the color to fade. 

      I hope you enjoyed the tips above & learned something new! I really enjoy sharing everything I've learned over the years. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

The Buzz...

          As you know a few different types of bees are on the endangered list. Bees are a crucial part of to our delicate eco-system, we need them for food, clothing, & eco fuel to name a few. I created a jewelry line called Bee Kind March 12, 2016. I was blown away by peoples love for the line and I donated 20% of each sale to a non-profit bee sanctuary where their goal is to share their knowledge to make the public aware of whats going on and revitalize & help the bee population thrive.  

Donate to the bees longevity here

"It all boils down to the question of whether we dare to consider the bees' own needs or only our own. The difference is vast. A healing won't be accomplished without sacrifices on our part."

--Gunther Hauk, author of Toward Saving the Honeybee

Informative and simple break down of why we need to save the bees

I hope you are having a lovely weekend with your friends and family! Phoenix is full of awesome exciting events; Phoenix Pride parade, March Madness: Final Four, Free concerts, Farmers markets, & other great family events. If you are in the Phoenix area I hope you take full advantage of all the free activities! Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog, commenting & sharing it. I read all your comments and will respond shortly if I haven't yet! 

Much love,

Amber Marie