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In this blog post you can read about:

• Crystal and gemstone bead jewelry
• Healing properties of crystals and gemstones
• Birthstone jewelry
• A unique way to create your own beaded gemstone and crystal jewelry

 

Ever felt like you wanted to give a meaningful gift to a loved one but don’t know where to begin looking, or even what to get? Noticing the excitement and joy in the other person’s eyes and knowing that you are responsible for that happiness—that’s worth the effort.

 

A great gift should speak to the person receiving it, and the best way to achieve that is to make it one of a kind and personalized. A personalized gift shows that you know your loved one and have paid attention to their likes and dislikes. A beautiful gift, specifically designed by you to match with the personality and the taste of the person receiving it, definitely sets a very high bar for a great gift idea.

 

What if we told you that we have the perfect answer for all the above? One natural gift that is extremely beautiful, is uniquely designed to speak directly to the person receiving it, shows love and care, and is cherished forever. A gemstone or crystal beaded jewelry designed by you is the perfect gift for a loved one.

 

You know the world is a magical place when Mother Earth grows her own jewelry

 

Below we highlight some unique and special aspects of a personalized gemstone and crystal beaded jewelry that make it a perfect gift.

Natural, unique and beautiful bead jewelry - The perfect way to express your love

Most crystals may take millions of years to form within the Earth. These amazing rock formations have mesmerized humans for centuries. Every crystal has a unique characteristic based on its composition and the part of Earth it originated from. Each single crystal holds a molecular uniqueness and will never be identical to another one.

 

If you look closer and find cracks, rainbow colors, and patterns inside a crystal, don’t be held back or concerned that the crystal is ruined. In fact those are qualities to pay attention to as these ‘’imperfections’’ are what make crystals unique and beautiful. Even two jewelry pieces of the same design are never the same since two beads from the same stone are also different in their shade of color, inclusions, imperfections etc. The various shapes, inclusions, cracks, energy and colors of these gemstone and crystal beads make them a great combination choice for a personalized gift of jewelry. By gifting crystal bead jewelry you are communicating to your loved one that you accept each other just the way you are and your love will only get more beautiful as years pass by.

 

Crystals and gemstones are natural creations of earth with unique, patterns, texture and imperfections

 

Variety of bead colors available to express your subtle emotions

What a wonderful way to bring color in lives of people you care for! Colors play a vital role in gift-giving. They have been found to evoke subtle emotional responses in humans. An orange Agate or Citrine jewelry can express happiness and playfulness while a royal purple Ametrine could highlight spirituality. The light pink color of Rose Quartz is definitely romantic while the blue in a Lapis, Topaz or Kyanite could show a deep and trustworthy connection. While the solid yellow color of Amber could express a friendly gesture, the green color of Lodolite or Aventurine could express a balanced and stable relationship. With hundreds of different crystals and gemstones in thousands of shades available in the world, there is always a colorful bead jewelry for every feeling and emotion you want to convey through your gift. Choose the perfect crystal and let the color of your crystal bead jewelry express your emotions.

 

Variety of colors to express every emotion through your bead jewelry gift

 

Beyond the emotional expression, the variety of colors in gemstones and crystals makes them an apt gift for all seasons and occasions. Whether someone likes to be dressed in bright colors of summer or sedate colors of winter, the perfect combination of gemstone and crystal beads could definitely be found to match with the season. Similarly, a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, a family Christmas party or a formal office get together can all be suitably matched with ideal gemstone and crystal beaded jewelry for those occasions. Given the wide spectrum of colors available, one can match these pieces of jewelry with literally any dress they plan to wear.

Beautiful reminder of memories of a special place

All human beings have a strong sense of connection with places. We all have fond memories of the place where we grew up, where we met our loved one, where we had a memorable vacation or the place we were at when something significant happened in our lives. A gift of jewelry made with gemstones and crystals mined from such places could kindle yours and your loved one’s emotional connection. A gift of jewelry with exotic varieties of Obsidian mined in Oregon or the highly coveted Kingman Turquoise mined in Arizona could bring back beautiful memories of the time and association with the place.

 

In today’s connected world we know so much about places that we develop an emotional connection with various countries and cultures even without visiting them all. Collecting gemstone and crystal jewelry from various parts of the world ties a special thread of connection with those countries and cultures. Every part of the world has beautiful gemstones and crystals to offer. One of the best quality purple quartz Amethyst is mined from Brazil while a beautiful white Moonstone could be mined from Germany, India, Sri Lanka or Myanmar (Burma). A green Chrysocholla gemstone could be mined from Australia, Peru, Chile or Mexico while a red garnet could be mined from Kenya or Tanzania. A beautiful and rare stone purple Charoite is mined only in Siberia.

 

A beautiful Charoite necklace available at Pirowna.com

 

If you have a loved one who is fascinated by a country or a culture, you could easily wow them by finding jewelry made with fascinating gemstone and crystal beads from that culture.

Healing properties and chakra balance

There has been a lot of debate on whether crystals have healing properties or not. While conclusive scientific proof of crystal healing has not been demonstrated, there are several properties that link to the possibility of interactions between the natural vibration of a crystal and human energy.

 

Crystals have extremely ordered atomic structures and vibrate at unique frequencies, called their natural resonant frequency. Due to these unique vibrational characteristics, crystals help stabilize the frequency in several scientific and technical devices. In addition, they respond to mechanical, electrical and optical (light) signals. In fact quartz and some other crystals create an electrical charge when mechanical pressure is applied on them and vice versa. This effect is scientifically known as the Piezoelectric effect.

 

Scientists have also found molecular vibration patterns in structural elements of living cells. Researchers measured the frequency at which red blood cells vibrate and demonstrated that those frequencies were reflective of the cell’s health. Some scientists have also studied the vibration of components within a living cell.

 

While we are talking about the connection between the vibration in crystals and human body, one scientist went way beyond and even hypothesized the possibility of life in crystals. Prominent inventor Nikola Tesla (known for his work on alternating-current electrical system) has been quoted widely saying, “In crystals we have a pure evidence of the existence of a formative life principle, and though we cannot understand the life of a crystal – it is still a living being.”

 

Whether crystals are living being or not, there is scientific evidence that crystals have a natural frequency of vibration. There is ample evidence of vibration in the basic building blocks of human body. Additionally, there is clear evidence that crystals respond to mechanical, optical and electrical vibrations/signals. These observations and evidences leave enough possibility for some form of interaction between human body and crystals, consistent with ancient belief of crystal healing in multiple cultures.

Healing properties of crystals

Ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, India, China, Maya and many others have talked about how crystals could assist with emotional healing. It may be a bit of a stretch to believe that crystals will fix any mental or physical health problems but they could support in lifting your own frequency to higher and more positive waves, bringing in happiness and joy. Feeling anxious, stressed out or just emotionally tired - you could find relief from a healing crystal. Rose quartz, Amethyst, and Selenite- all carry soothing and calming vibrations to support you accordingly and lift you out of that lower mindset. If you are considering getting someone a crystal, it would be ideal if you understood what they liked and how it could benefit them. As the appearance of a gemstone can be matched with the receiver’s style and likes, so can be their energetic crystal healing properties. Below are examples of a few crystals with wide ranging healing properties:

 

Clear quartz is an excellent all-purpose stone for crystal healing. It energizes your mind, body, and soul while bringing in more clarity and creating trust between you and your intuition.

 

Rose quartz is the stone of unconditional love. It opens up the heart-space, bringing increased self-love, healing, and inner peace — establishing more kindness, compassion, trust, and harmony in oneself and their surroundings.

 

Crystal healing properties of Agate make it an ideal gift for someone going through a hard time in life. It is the stone of strength and courage. Agate was used on breastplates of armor to bring victory to warriors in battle. Agate is a protective stone. It has been used in amulets to promote confidence, stability and balance in all areas of life.

 

Beyond these few, there are various other crystals with different benefits and characteristic traits suitable for various personality types and healing needs. Remember to always choose from your heart—if you enjoy giving as much as you enjoy receiving, then you will surely be able to get the perfect healing stone for your loved ones. You can find crystal healing properties of all the beads used in our jewelry designs in the ‘product description’ and ‘gem information’ sections of pirowna.com.

Crystals for balancing the human body’s energy centers, or chakras:

The unique vibration of a crystal and its response to the unique vibration in the human body could lead to crystal healing. The positive interaction between the vibration of crystals and the human body enables them with the unique ability to have a balancing impact on chakras, the seven key energy centers in human body according to the ancient Indian scriptures. Well-working chakras mean harmonious mind-body-soul. In a healthy, balanced person, the seven chakras provide precisely the right amount of energy in every part of the body. There is a healing crystal to assist in the balancing of each chakra in the human body.

 

Specific crystals are believed to help balance each of the seven chakras, our body’s energy centers

 

• Root chakra (Muladhara) represents grounding (connection with the Earth). Crystals that assist in balancing the root chakra should be red in color. Some examples are red Jasper, Ruby or Bloodstone.
• Sacral chakra (Swadhisthana) controls our emotions, creativity and sexuality. Crystals that assist in balancing the sacral chakra are orange in color. Some examples are Carnelian, dark or brown Citrine, orange Aventurine, orange Calcite and Tangerine quartz.
• Solar plexus (Manipura) is believed to control the intellect and will power. Crystals that assist in balancing the solar plexus should be yellow in color. Some examples are yellow Calcite, Tiger’s Eye, Baltic Amber or Citrine.
• Heart chakra (Anahata) controls love and compassion. Crystals that assist in balancing the heart chakra are green or pink in color. Some examples of green color stones are Malachite, green Tourmaline, green Moss Agate, Emerald and Aventurine. Examples of pink color stones are Rose Quartz, Ruby, Rhodochrosite and pink Tourmaline.
• Throat chakra (Vishuddha) controls creativity and communication. Crystals that assist in balancing the throat chakra should be blue in color. Some examples are Angelite, Amazonite, Kyanite, Aquamarine, blue Sapphire and Turquoise.
• As suggested by its name, the third eye chakra (Ajna) represents intuition, perception, and inner wisdom. Indigo color crystals such as Lapis Lazuli, Iolite or Amethyst are helpful in assisting with the third eye chakra.
• Crown chakra (Sahasrara) controls a human being’s connection with spirituality and consciousness. Crown chakra balance can be achieved with the help of violet or white crystals such as Clear quartz, Amethyst, white Opal and Selenite.

How to identify chakra blockage:

The seven chakras in our body are interconnected from top to bottom. There is constant flow of energy among them. Sometimes due to stress, emotional problems, the flow of energy gets irregular or blocked creating chakra imbalance. The consequence is physical illness or mental and emotional discomfort. Some common signs of chakra blockage are:

• Feeling of loneliness and meaningless life (blocked crown chakra)
• Frustration and difficulty taking decisions (blocked third eye chakra)
• Problems in expressing one’s feelings (blocked throat chakra)
• Lack of compassion and commitment (blocked heart chakra)
• Lack of confidence, low self-esteem (blocked solar plexus chakra)
• Moving from one relationship to other (blocked sacral chakra)
• Sluggishness and feeling unwanted by family and friends (blocked root chakra)

If you observe that your loved ones are going through a stressful time then a beautiful gift of gemstone and crystal bead jewelry will always cheer them up. In addition, it may even provide the much needed boost of energy if the healing and chakra balancing powers of gemstones and crystals are matched appropriately.

Special birthstone gems and crystals for all zodiac signs

The American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America both acknowledge that the idea of birthstones has had a place in many traditions, customs and belief systems. These traditional beliefs associate each zodiac sign with specific character traits and have also recommended crystals for each zodiac sign to support and balance those dominant character traits. Crystal beaded jewelry made of birthstones makes a great personalized gift.

Birthstones for each zodiac sign:

• Carnelian crystal is believed to be an excellent match for Aries which is a sign strongly associated with enthusiastic and action oriented people. A fiery orange, red or brown crystal for a fiery sign helps keep spirits high, just as an Aries would like to.
• There is no doubt that Taurus is as tough as a bull but that sign also appreciates peace and beauty. Very often these diverse traits of Taurus need to be balanced. Emerald is the birthstone for Taurus but Garnet is believed to bring strong balancing powers to Taurus and hence, is considered a Talismanic birthstone for Taurus.
• Gemini people exude many sides of the human personality as they can be social, talkative but they could also be indecisive or nosy. Labradorite–-a multifaceted gem is the perfect one for this sign.
• A grounding stone like red Jasper is very helpful for cancer—a sign that does not always like to let down its guard and be open to possibilities.
• Leos need a stone that can match their bold, shiny and strong-willed nature. A shiny stone Pyrite is just the crystal for this zodiac sign.
• Virgos are naturally in tune with their surroundings and nature, and their detail-oriented tendencies root them with a desire to leave this world a better place than it was before. Moss green agate stone is the perfect companion for Virgo.
• Libra is a natural-born communicator, having the full understanding of the importance of love and harmony in one’s life and relationships. Sodalite crystal is perfect for Libra since it empowers their throat chakra and assists in their natural strengths of communication.
• Citrine is the perfect crystal for dreamy Scorpio since it helps manifest their dreams and desires into reality.
• When it comes to enjoying life, having fun and trying new things, Sagittarius is the one that lives accordingly. The perfect crystal for this sign is Tiger’s Eye since it enhances these free-spirited qualities.
• Capricorns are known to be very hard-working, achieving their goals no matter what. This can get physically and emotionally exhausting. Raw Garnet crystal helps Capricorns maintain their high energy level.
• Aquarius is a perfectionist with some of the most original and lofty ideas to offer to the world. It helps to wear something to keep their thoughts grounded. An Amethyst is ideal for that.
• Pisces are a sensitive personality that benefit greatly from gentle and calming vibes. That’s why Aquamarine, a crystal which gives out beautiful and nurturing vibes, is terrific for this sign.

Birthstones by month:

Another way to lookup for the right birthstone for someone is based on the month they were born in.

 

Garnet for January

Amethyst for February

Aquamarine for March

Diamond and Clear Quartz for April

Emerald for May

Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone for June

Ruby for July

Peridot and Spinel for August

Sapphire for September

Opal and Tourmaline for October

Topaz and Citrine for November

Tanzanite, Turquoise and Zircon for December

A long-lasting gift reflecting your enduring love

Natural crystals and gemstones are formed when minerals are either subjected to optimum temperature and pressure over a long time under the earth’s crust, or when a body of mineral-rich liquid cools. Most natural crystals and gemstones are quite hard and would last for a long time under normal conditions while preserving their beautiful natural color. This characteristic makes gemstone or crystal jewelry a long-lasting gift for someone you love. With time every piece of jewelry continues to gather interesting stories that could be passed on from generation to generation making the piece even more precious and giving it the status of heirloom jewelry. The term heirloom jewelry is generally attributed to a quality piece of beautiful and valuable jewelry that has belonged to a family for several generations.

 

If you are gifting with the longevity of the jewelry in mind, harder gemstones and crystals may be a better choice since hardness is a key indicator of gemstone durability. The most common scale for measuring hardness is the Mohs scale, which assigns a value of 1 to the softest and a value of 10 to the hardest gemstone. For most practical purposes, a 7 or higher value on the Mohs scale is considered quite hard and those gemstones will fall under the longer lasting category.

Some crystals that could be an ideal candidates for heirloom jewelry

Clear Quartz (a 7 on Mohs scale) is the most universal crystal. It is clear in color and comes in several shapes and forms like—clusters, points or tumbled stones. Quartz is also known as a master healer. It can clear any negative vibrations within one’s environment and fill the space with positivity.

 

Citrine (a 7 on Mohs scale) is a beautiful yellow clear crystal. It is best known for its power to manifest abundance in all areas of life. It can also help one attract positive energy in one’s life.

 

Rose Quartz (a 7 on Mohs scale) carries the beautiful frequency of unconditional love. It is opaque pink and comes in different forms, including spheres, hearts and trembled stones. It also brings compassion and understanding in the wearer’s life.

Some sought after crystals that have a broader charm in jewelry

 

If this seems too complicated then take into consideration the recipient's favorite color or what they wear the most. If someone loves the color blue then go with Topaz (an 8 on Mohs scale). If they frequently wear orange, try Carnelian (a 7 on Mohs scale). If they love white then gift them a Jade or Jadeite (a 6-7 on Mohs scale) jewelry. Just like your true love, these strong and beautiful natural crystals will always withstand the test of time.

Bead jewelry is handmade with care and love

The intricacy and technique involved in beading cannot be achieved by machines. As a result, crystal and gemstone bead jewelry is always handcrafted by artisans. This adds a personal touch to every piece which is more desirable than the jewelry made by machines. Every craftsman takes pride in their work and wants to do something special to differentiate their creation which brings uniqueness to every piece. Depending on the type of beads and the style of jewelry, many different beading styles are used by artisans.

 

• Bead stringing is the most universal and widely used form of beadwork. The first step in this technique involves adding beads to any type of thread, cord, elastic, beading wire or similar material. The second step involves knotting or crimping the ends to keep them from falling or separating from the jewelry. The end result can be a single strand, multiple strands, or braided strands.
• Off-loom bead weaving technique is most often applied with small beads called seed beads. In this weaving method the tiny beads are stitched together using needle and thread. The stitching methods to connect the beads vary. Each stitch has its own unique thread path and creates a different type of pattern.
• Loom beading is another technique implemented with the help of a device that weaves beads into a cloth-like fabric. This technique helps align small beads in parallel rows and columns in flat cloth-like strips. These strips could then be used as necklaces, bracelets, pendants or other jewelry elements.
• Wire Wrapping is another technique where various jewelry elements are joined and finished using thin metal wires. The connection between the jewelry elements is established with the help of interlocking loops handmade by the artisans without using any soldering. A piece of wire wrapped jewelry demonstrates the unique handwork and fine finish of the artisan, making it a perfect gift choice.

 

 

Handmade jewelry using wire wrapping technique

 

Consistent with the modern day theme of Chakra

A gift of crystals or gemstone jewelry is consistent with the growing theme of natural living. The understanding that these gemstones are indeed pieces of Mother Earth brings the wearer closer to nature, their home. It can be extremely calming and grounding to have a part of the Earth on your fingertips or around your neck. A jewelry made from beautiful stones that have been extracted from various parts of the world is the ultimate symbol of peace, harmony, and love.

 

Gemstone and crystal bead jewelry supports various other aspects of a modern day healthy and natural living. These stones are formed naturally within Mother Earth. Wearing natural gemstones promotes living in harmony with nature. They help in the practice of meditation and yoga, another key aspect of natural living. Their hardness, wear-resistance, long-lasting color and luster make them amenable for passing on to generations and hence, promote reuse. In addition, they are hand-crafted, minimizing the use of machines. Choosing gemstone and crystal bead jewelry as a gift will definitely be a socially aware and environmental friendly choice.

 

 

Crystal and gemstone jewelry promotes natural living by assisting in meditation and yoga

 

Complete latitude to pamper and splurge

Most of the crystals and gemstones used in bead jewelry are semi-precious but the variety in their quality presents wide range of choices for the price range of your gift. If you are in a mood to pamper your loved one or splurge a little, these pieces of jewelry allow you with complete latitude to do just that. While Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald are considered precious gemstones, there are several semi-precious gemstones that are even rarer than the precious gemstones. A classic example is Jadeite, a rare variety of Jade with rich green color. Based on their rarity, size, hardness, depth of color and transparency, the price of a Jadeite could vary from thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per carat. Another expensive semi-precious gemstone Alexandrite is sought after for its color changing property as it looks greenish in natural daylight but turns reddish when viewed indoors under incandescent or candle light. Prices of Alexandrite gemstones could vary from thousands of dollars per carat to fifties of thousands of dollars per carat. The price of another rare variety of garnet gemstone called Demantoid Garnet could range from thousands of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per carat. These are only a few examples but apart from these there are several other crystals and gemstones that are available in every price range, once again making gemstone and crystal jewelry a perfect gift.

Now you can create a completely ‘personalized’ gemstone and crystal bead jewelry gift at Pirowna.com

The special aspect of giving beaded jewelry as a gift is that it can be 100% custom made. Starting from color preferences to healing properties and birthstones, you can find whatever you desire! There are many crystals to choose from, with different sizes, shapes, and distinctive traits. There is practically no limit to the choices one has.

 

While the ability to fully customize and create bead jewelry for a perfect gift choice has been available for a very long time, up until now this choice was only for the artisans who were well-versed in the art of stringing these jewelry elements. With its innovative on-line design palette, Pirowna has now enabled everyone to be the designer of bead jewelry. Pirowna’s simple design process enables you to create every piece of jewelry with your choice of elements. You can choose from an exquisite collection of necklace designs, select length, replace beads to change gemstones and color, and add matching accessories. What's most unique is that you get to see the picture of your jewelry before placing your order so you are confident that this one-of-a-kind jewelry is a true expression of your most beautiful and unique human element.

 

The choice you make while creating a highly personalized gemstone and crystal jewelry will be warmly received by your loved ones. They will appreciate the extra effort that you took to give them a gift that was uniquely designed for them. This lovely gift will show that you have paid close attention to every detail ranging from the color of the beads, length of the necklace, country of origin of the stones and healing powers to create a unique and memorable gift.

 

With the tools to create a fully customized jewelry design at your fingertips, understanding of the appropriate birthstones for your loved one, healing powers associated with these gemstones and crystals, heirloom quality and natural living aspect of these pieces of jewelry, you can understand why gemstones and crystals make the perfect gift choice for you. The variety of colors, stones and styles are innumerous. You can be certain that you will find a stone for everyone and for each occasion! Want to pick one out or design your own?

 

Peruse our jewelry selection or create your own HERE and receive free shipping for your order.