What's up stackers!
Today is time for part 3, hopefully the final one at least in the mystical Stackers & Dragons part of the series and I promise things will get more normal after this one. It was supposed to be just one but that train got off the rails in slow-mow and it would have been way too much for it. I blame it on all the books mingling together with my overactive imagination and too much access to a camera. I have to say for a closing post, I did have a good time chasing dragons as in trying to recreate or find dragon icons and trinkets floating around the living room to resemble those I found in the book to add to the precious metals to build into the story. Having fun with the mundane...making it come alive.
I was reading that big book and realized it had been almost 2 weeks since my last post but I was only halfway thru the book and I felt bad waiting another week or 2 before I finished it. I think the last few months, I have just been practicing different writing styles I encounter in my reads and mixing it with my blog in a strange way. Hey it got me 3 more posts than anticipated. Wait a few more posts and this will all make sense at the end why I wrote it this way after I share the real reads. These days everyone takes themselves too seriously and forget to tap in to the inner-kiddult.
I wanted to buy some time to finish it and still post something leading up to it. I did get distracted by dragons, it did slow me down but with 2 out of 3 of the new books read and making it into posts, I supposed it's a welcomed distraction. The underground world isn't only where precious metals are found but also precious gems. I think they go hand in had like PB&J, the other posts were more centered around coinage and rounds, this one will be exploring Lady Liberty's cousins...The Settings and the stones they covet. Amethyst looks stunning when set in a grey metal like silver not so much in gold, I suppose it depends on wearer's preference. I have been practicing gemstone photography just to expand, I still don't like it as it's harder than other types. I thought it would be a fun way to explore and share about mother-Nature's swag.
Once upon a time, amethyst cut gems were prized, rare and only for royalty and nobles. In modern times, several large deposits have been found across America especially in South-America making it available and affordable to all. There has been smaller deposits in Canada that yield a different type of stone like Chevron or a version called Super Seven because it has a mixture of 7 separate minerals as an anomaly. They come in different forms, gems, geodes, carvings. Most of my photos are from the South- American deposits as they do carry some of the clearer perfectly terminated gemlike natural specimens. With large quantities of newly found in the last century makes it an excellent semi-precious stone to seek for larger cut gem and statement pieces for a more affordable price.
Besides the affordable gemstone option for the latest bling, large and small, geodes have been a hit in home décor and on collector's shelves across the world. Of course the large ones will cost you a pretty penny but a smaller boulder to sit proudly on the shelf can easily be found for $100-$150 CAD, the smaller hand specimens are usually the most affordable option often being under $20 (the piece above). Many trinket shops, visitor shops and other stone/mineral oriented shops and fairs should be fully stocked on the colorful mineral most of the time along with making it's way both in fine and costume style jewelry making it available as a decoration in various price ranges like the geodes, most shops have the more affordable silver settings with glued in gems tho. Just don't get them wet and they do last. I have been testing one for 2 years now (later in the post) Gems are still there!
I know they say never go full DRAGON, well now I wanna so time to return to the mythical land of my dreams? Hard to say since I have to be awake to write this or to make up the photos to match a story that escalated way to quickly! As I continue my journey, I will be using my field guide I shared about in part 1 to help me identify the different aspects of the dragon world. I will also be sharing about the other book I have slowly been revealing it's mysterious contents and images. Dragons don't give up their information easily. Ok, lets go back to part 3 of fantasy land and visit Lady Amethyst's Lair and see what we might discover.
Herkimer Diamond, another silicate part of the amethyst family, is a quartz stone specific to the state of New-York that grew in mud causing it to be double terminated and naturally faceted without being trapped in a rock matrix, some can have gem clusters linking multiple stones together. Many specimens have inclusions but many are some of the clearest naturally occurring quartz hence the diamond part of the trademark name.
Now entering the lair.
Me Hello? Hello? Lady Amethyst?
Lady Amethyst How do you know my name? Who are you? I'm busy...this better be good.
Me The Great Red Dragon of Castle Mountain took me here, I had a few questions about dragon origins along with looking for a cure for stackitis and Lady Liberty was looking for some gems for her cousins, The Settings. As I visit, the tasks keep accumulating. I haven't been writing anything down, I hope I don't forget anything.
Lady Amethyst Ah...Yes, yes...Great Red and I, we go way back...Wait a minute...Not so fast.
Me Is there an issue Miss Amethyst?
Lady Amethyst Yes, yes...Indeed...Groan. I see you have defeated my great friend, Iniskim. He was in Gems too, he was like a brother you know. You can't fool me, I see you wearing a piece of his skin, I recognize that iridescence from a mile away. I wondered what happened to him. We haven't heard of him in over 40 million years. Feels like forever. Leave it to humans to rip him apart.
Me No my Great Lady, I promise, humans didn't do it. We weren't around then...not until much later in history, we found him like this, in the ground, broken into a million pieces. We are trying to find all his pieces so we can put him back together one day. In the meantime many humans around the world keep a piece or two of him safe and wear him for good luck and protection.
Lady Amethyst Groan...You don't know what happened to him?
Me No...I swear. Maybe tectonic shifts and a flood? Humans are still studying.
Lady Amethyst Let me take a closer look then.
Lady Amethyst Just as beautiful as I remember it, why does it look shinier than before?
Me A local company has been taking great care in mining it and making a quartz skin to keep it preserved forever and wearable without damaging it.
Lady Amethyst Hmmm...Quartz you say... I run that department too. I didn't know that's what humans used it for... Noble cause. Me salesdragons have been complaining on how humans have made a copy cat of my secret recipes they call glass. I don't know what they see in it.
Me You manage a lot of Gem departments.
Lady Amethyst Yes, I have three actually, Citrine is pretty popular too.
Me Citrine too? What do you mean you have 3? How can they all be the same? They all look so different? One is clear, one is purple and one is yellow? How can you do this? Is it dragon magic?
Lady Amethyst Want to see my alchemist skills?
Me YES!
Lady Amethyst Watch this!
Me Whoa! how did you do that!
Lady Amethyst Well now that's my secret. I have other tricks up my sleeve I can show you. Ask for something else.
Me Humm...ok...Humm...Can I see in your gem treasure chest?
Lady Amethyst Groan...It's the secret recipes my family have been using for ages along with my nightly harvest.
Me Will you teach me?
Lady Amethyst Fine. Don't tell the glass people, they don't need more of my secret technologies. Ugh.
Quartz much like glass, is mostly made of molten silica similarly found in sand...the recipe is the exact same except quartz is made from molten volcanic material. Similarly to gold and silver and often found hand in hand. quartz is an indicator mineral for many other materials being the most common on the earth. Besides it's decorative uses among collectors and a relatively cheap stone to get especially for a starter collection, it also has some real world applications like watch covers, clocks and electronics.
https://www.mclanahan.com/blog/how-quartz-is-processed-for-use-in-everyday-products
In the case of Amethyst an Iron contamination occurs into the molten silica that causes it to turn purple. It's been recorded in Ancient times especially in Greek texts as the word meaning "Not drunk" giving one the ability to remain clear headed when intoxicated...Just fyi...Drink responsibly...I think that was just a myth. Here is a legend surrounding the creation story of the amethyst stone still found in Greek Mythology.
Fantasy Explorer alchemy field notes to pass on to nurse RavenHill: Amethyst + Silver = longer lasting cure for stackitis on longer inland pirate journeys?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amethyste
In the case for Citrine, introduced to the world anciently by the Egyptians, it too has it's roots in antiquity. It was believed to protect against "evil thoughts". Seems like all 3 stones have some sort of mental clarity of sorts share across the quartz family, I can't say I was surprised to find that out. It gets it's coloring in almost the same way as Amethyst except the molten glass gets heated to hotter temperatures and turns a lemony yellow instead.
On the left, baked amethyst and specimen on the right naturally occurring citrine. Natural citrine crystals can have an a slight additional polish of the facets to enhance it's qualities and remove dirt or surface inclusions. It's important to keep natural citrine or any colored stones out of the sun, it will make the color intensity fade.
Natural citrine is much more expensive than it's half baked counterpart being more rare. Caution is to be taken when selecting a piece especially if going for the authentic crystal. Most sellers with integrity will state if it's natural or baked amethyst but it's easy for most to be able to distinguish with the naked eye. The baked amethyst turns a more brown yellow rather than the softer transparent lemon color and the base of the crystal matric gets more white. Clear quartz when baked becomes milky. So milky base = baked.
If the seller is honest, it should be sold for about the same price as any regular amethyst geode of similar size and quality. It still makes for a great decorative piece at an affordable price. It can be found anywhere it's counterpart and also common making it a great starter collection or just to add elements of nature to any living space. In both, the darker the color the more value it has compared to the paler varieties.
Lady Amethyst While you were busy learning, I crafted these for you to bring to Lady Liberty's cousins. You have earned the initiation to transport them.
Me Whoa, these are nice but I spy something with my pirate eye, why is that weird one in the back missing some purple color?
Lady Amethyst Good eye, this one is a special blend...Ametrine. I left it for the people of Bolivia to explore and craft this kind. This is a special rare batch only found in one mine in the world, it somehow got exposed to 2 different temperatures as it was deposited lining caves and inherited both color qualities naturally.
Me That's new, I haven't seen too many of these!
The pink stone is tourmaline, not amethyst, neither is the blue. The rest should be a mix bag of amethyst and citrines.
Lady Amethyst No, they are a test batch. Expert craftsmen have to get to the heart of the amethyst to get magic blend, it was almost missed. Anything else? I will send you thru the dragon eye underground to the mine all the way to facet the gem but I have to go. I'll send someone to get you to bring you back home after the tour.
Me Thank you for helping Lady Liberty and her cousins, I'm sure The Settings will be pleased and be able to complete their set now. Before I go to the mine, do you know Quetzalcoatl? Is he a dragon?
Lady Amethyst MMMM...Can't say I have heard of him. Now look into my dragon eye, see what you can spy!
Clear quarts faceted. The purple point is Chevron amethyst from Canada on a silver chain.
This video below I found on youtube and the perfect tool to answer all your questions about ametrine/ amethyst and it's local history and significance in South-America. It would be impossible for me to get down to an actual mine and see it for myself as they too keep their secrets deeply guarded from prying eyes. Ametrine is fairly new to the gem/semi-precious gem market. A substantial deposit has been found to last for decades while this video was filmed as they allowed a special gem mining.
Film maker Patrick Voillot as he gets permission to go down into the mine with the workers and spy with his good eye a rare glimpse of the mine's underground operations along with getting to the core and having these turned into top of the line gems to be set in fine jewelry and costume jeweler alike depending on color grades and clarity. The locals take great care into crafting these stones into top gems to enhance the value they can bring to their community to ensure a long lasting legacy and wealth to be transferred onto the next generation. This is obviously more scientific then this post, it's great for a little geology mixed in with a cultural lesson. It lacked dragons tho...
It's about an hour long so get your snacks ready. I like to get a 360 view of many things in life, learn as much as I can by the things I spy with my camera. Commercial break back to reality now over, back to the mythical land of dragons.
I was now finished learning all of Lady Amethyst's semi-precious gem lessons and natural volcanic color alchemy in the quartz family, it was almost daylight and time for my return. I forgot to ask what her friend looked like. Oops, how will I know? Ah I see something flying in the distance emerging from the jungle, must be it. I wonder who I'll get.
Me Whoa! you look cool! your feathers are full of rainbows, I'm quite fond of rainbow colored anything. Wait a minute, let me get my dragon guide, you look familiar. Lady Amethyst didn't tell me who would come for me.
Silver dragon pendant. I took a mixed background made with colored towels and blankets to get the rainbow aura effect...Looks legit! The book description is from the field guide I posted at the beginning by the late William O'Connor
Me flipping thru field guide Who Quetzalcoatl! I have been looking for you for a while but I got sidetracked trying to find out if you were a dragon.
Quetzalcoatl Yes...It's me, I heard thru the grapevine some human was looking for me. I'm Aztec but I have cousins with the Mayans.
Me Oh, Seven Macaw told you then?
Quetzalcoatl Yes. Word travels fast around here, we all have to share a jungle and sacred pyramids after all. Things are easier on friendly terms. Now what do you want with me?
Me I was reading about Meso-America and I wasn't sure if you were a really large bird or a dragon, I seemed to struggle finding an answer and the text is a little bit...well ancient and harder to understand.
Quetzalcoatl Flip the page of your manuscript...
Me Oh You mean you're a type of phoenix? Now I just keep uncovering more questions with every answer! I have heard of him but I only ever see him on classic cars and he's moving too fast for me to ask him anything.
Quetzalcoatl What's a classic car? Is that a new gem from that mine you were learning about?
Me No... Nevermind. You dragons have some pretty cool gem and nature technologies but you really have to come out of your lair once in a while and get with modern times.
Quetzalcoatl Easy there! Time for a nap, I'll have you home in no time. Since Meso-America is complicated and potentially contains 20,000 years of indigenous human occupation and history in the jungle, I will make sure books make their way to you from the Amazon to help explain it.
Me Thank you for all your help! I'm glad I finally solved the mystery of what species you are and where to find your secrets. I'm so tir...ZZZZ
I woke up back into the Canadian Rockies, a little further from where I started? Did this really all happen? Did I walk all this time? How did I end up here? This dragon stuff is strange...Is it the stackitis combined with mountain altitude sickness? Maybe I need a snack I should really go find my canoe so I can get back to the harbor and include my notes to my travel journal and findings. Perhaps this is a journey to save for later visit.
Royal Mounted Police Mam, Mam...Are you ok Mam? You look like you've seen a ghost and a little disoriented. We are about half a mile from the Inn, did you stumble all this way from the tavern? Surely not.
Me Hum...Ha...Mounted Police? Where is your car? What year is this?
Mounted Police 1920 Mam. Cars in these woods...Haha...perhaps you did stumble along all this way. You should go back to the Inn for a rest.
Me Yes...Perhaps that's all I need, a good rest and some food. It's been a long hike.
Oh no, 1920...What am I going to do. It's still pretty far from my time. I don't think I know anyone here. Ok, find the Inn for now, there is only one road anyway...hard to get lost...or is it? I do seem to be lost in time. OH NO! I forgot to get myself a riding dragon! I got so caught up that I have completely failed the quest Merlyn sent me on in the first place. Well at least I have learned a lot and I did find gems for The Settings...But how do I get back to 2024 now? The date on the coin says 2020, I would like to skip a few years past that point...nobody wants to go there again! Maybe I'll have a bite, take a nap and deal with it when I wake up.
Upon waking up, now I had to solve my time problem. How do I get back? Maybe my Dragon field guide has some answers. Where is my tool bag? Ah...There it is. Wait...what? How is my book red? I could have sworn it was white! UH OH...This must be the butterfly effect they spoke about. I wonder what kind of information I might find now.
The book is the one that's been sitting lonely on the shelf for a decade. I loved the way it is crafted, just it's not much of a read, like the other is more of a fantasy trip thru imagery that explain from A to Z of dragon behavior. The content is as colorful as it's bright red cover. It's quite large and filled with various what looks like hand drawn images to make their story come to life.
Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology takes many important dragon VS human battles from a few points in mythical history and turned this into a gem for the fantasy world of dragons. It's built like a dragon grimoire and explorer book with field notes and pop-ups or mini-books within the book hidden in the pages along with samples of mock skin and envelopes where additional secret dragon information can be discovered. This isn't the mystery red book from the last post, this is a different one. I did share a few photos from it's contents leading up to this. The Merlyn artwork and sitting on "the stack" photos are from this book. I should add #hivebookclub into this discussion.
I encourage getting this book or putting it on your dragon enthusiast Wishlist. Besides the well crafted exterior, the grimoire is both fun for adults and appropriate for kids and offers an interactive experience sure to spark your imagination. It's a unique work of art. Now what other kind of information could I take from the 2 great book of dragon knowledge into my actually physical reality? I swear this part, I can't make up. I assure you the rest is tho...Nah that would be too boring, lets go back to fantasy land.
Since my book had now changed color and contained information that wasn't there before, what else had changed? I reached in my toolkit and felt something smooth, I don't remember putting any large stones in there. What could it be? What else did the dragons leave me?
Aventurine (green) and celestite (blue) egg carving
NO WAY! Dragon eggs! That's so cool!! I should consult my manuscript and grimoire for additional information. I have no idea how to care or hatch dragon eggs. I wonder what kind of dragons they might turn out to be. The possibilities are endless.
I thought it was neat that the eggs looked brownish green and blue like the stones, it was almost perfect. Photos from the field identification guide.
Perhaps I didn't fail the quest Merlyn had sent me on after all! I got some eggs now that I know what they are...time to get to work hatching my dragons.
Dragon Hatchery information is found in the red Dragonology book.
One last stone photo just because it has dragon in the name. This is called a Septarian Dragon egg, another interesting looking affordable decorative mineral or to be loved as part of a collection.
I suppose I should make it a snack now, my mini-dragon might be hungry. What do I even feed a dragon? Alright, that's it for now on the dragon series where I mess around a little too much. I promise the next few will be more serious. Until then...
Snack on...OOPSY...I meant Stack on! xox
