Archive for February, 2009
It was a long time before the first Europeans who landed on what is now the east coast of the United States began to move westward. When the settlers moved west, under the doctrine of manifest destiny, they found a diverse population of Native American people. These Native Americans had not mastered technology as the white settlers had, but knew more about the natural environment than most settlers ever would. It was these Native Americans who introduced the settlers to turquoise jewelry.
Whether a turquoise necklace, turquoise bracelet, or objects studded with turquoise, American settlers were captivated by these unique stones. The only major deposits of turquoise outside the southwestern United States are located in Iran/Iraq, so the first time most settlers had seen turquoise was in America. Today, turquoise jewelry is available from a number of private and commercial manufacturers, and is quite popular throughout the world.
Since humanity has recognized its position in the cosmos, we’ve been fascinated by those otherworldly objects known as meteorites. Meteorites are small fragments of rock that float around in space, and now and then are pulled in by the earth’s gravitation. These small fragments of rock often burn up in the earth’s atmosphere, before they ever strike the ground, but now and then, a meteorite hits the earth’s surface. Meteorites tend to be composed of the most basic elements (complex elements can only develop within a planetary mass), but pallasite meteorites now and then contain the mineral olivine, and from this can be derived the peridot gem.
The peridot gem is a beautiful green hue, and one of the few gems in the world that always has the same color. It’s a rare treat when a pallasite meteorite contains peridot gems, because it can be accurately said that these gems are otherworldly. Peridot is a rare gem even on earth, and a peridot bracelet, necklace, or ring, whether made from a meteorite or not, is a great item to be treasured for generations.