Carbuncle: The Gem of Inflammation

For personal summer enjoyment, I am currently reading the book, Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner. My interest in spices is in relation to commodity monies. Mr. Turner's book is a meandering read, not a bad thing, but has proved to be slow going for me. It is dense but a delight for those who appreciate details. He has researched so thoroughly his subject matter, that I feel he might have been compelled to pack it ALL in. I do believe he could have gotten at least three books out of his commendable research (if not more).

On page 86, Turner includes a passage written by Saint Jerome (ca. 347-419/420) that refers to trade in India. "Here are found carbuncles, emeralds, and shining pearls, for which desire burns int he breasts of noblewomen..."

Due to my summer class on the history of jewelry, I already knew what a carbuncle was in reference to gems. It is a red cabochon, normally a garnet but sometimes a ruby. A carbuncle is polished but not faceted. The literal translation is "little coal" or "cinder" thus the relation to red stones. Webster's online dictionary has a thorough definition which includes the word's usage associated with an angry red boil. Flashy! This may explain the term falling out of favor in the fashion world. A gem that is also an unpleasant skin condition would be a tough sell.

Below is a nice example from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. It is a Sarmatian diadem from the 1st century AD.

I have run across more than one online source, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, that suggests a carbuncle is specifically an almandine garnet, but this is its contemporary definition. General consensus of its ancient usage was any red gem cabochon. The below picture is from minerals.net and Gemhut.It does look as though it might need a medicated salve, doesn't it? As far as gems go, garnet cabochons are still reasonably priced. I got my current stash from a Dallas gem show, but Fire Mountain Gems has a nice supply. I recently used a couple in my Dollar Earrings I set and was pleased with the results. They look almost black in the picture, but in reality are a deep red.

My other current work can be found on Crafthaus.

It's All About the Rocks

My obsession with Okenite continues…



The gentleman in the above video mentions that the puffs can tolerate a little bit of petting. Good news, as I assumed it was so fragile that breathing on it was risky.

This Saturday at the Dallas Market Hall, the International Gem & Jewelry Show will be occurring. From their list of dealers, it appears that a heavy amount of bead vendors will be present.The majority of my current designs do not feature beads; therefore, I should be able to navigate through the show fairly quickly.

As I literally have buckets of uncut rocks to be slabbed or formed, I am having difficulty justifying the need for more stones. The issue lies in expertise; I know how to cut cabochons but faceted gems are not in my skill set.

The Pleasant Oaks Gem and Mineral Society was nice enough to send me a free admission ticket, so I really don’t have an excuse not to go. I’m certain my wallet won’t thank me though.

Trip to Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Earlier this month, my husband an I went to Washington, DC. I had timed the trip during the cherry blossom festival and the trees did not disappoint. We visited several museums, but my personal favorites were the Renwick and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I spent an almost absurd amount of time in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. It’s a shame that the website doesn’t have more images of the permanent collection- I believe it is still under construction.

I found several gems in the collection to be more interesting than the infamous Hope Diamond. The Napoleon Diamond Necklace has several old mine-cut diamonds in an elegant design. I was especially interested in the construction of the piece which did not look to be as well-built as more modern works. I was expecting cleaner looking settings, but thinking back, it was likely due to the rough and irregular shapes of the diamonds. More information on the piece can be found here.

The Napoléon Diamond Necklace. Photograph by Chip Clark, Smithsonian

The number of cases containing minerals and cut gems from every corner of the planet is a bit overwhelming. I was amazed and shocked at not only the multitude of specimens in cut and natural forms, but also the number of minerals I had never heard nor seen before (though I am admittedly no expert). Stibnite and okenite had to be included in my notebook for future research. Both are either soft or fragile, which explains why neither are mentioned in my jewelry references. Somehow, Smithsonite, had also escaped my notice.

My current obsession is Okenite, though. More information on its properties can be found on webmineral.com

Photo Copyright © John Betts - Fine Minerals

I am aware that one false move, and the delightful fuzzy crystals will break off and shed worse than my cat. I suspect my attraction to the mineral is due to my love of hamsters and tribbles.

I haven’t reached a solution to the display/wearablity problem but I’m letting the issue stew a bit before experimentation.