
Susan alerted me to the fact that lewisonite is a new gemstone. It was discovered by Monty Lewis, a lapidary from New Brunswick and it is obviously named after him. He found it in Cape Breton Highlands, a region in the north of my home province, Nova Scotia. Cape Breton is a lovely place, reminiscient of the Scottish Highlands so much so that Scottish born Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, built a summer home in Baddeck and retired there. The house is still owned by his descendants.
According to the Melmont Creations website, lewisonite was formally introduced as a new gemstone at the 2006 Tuscon Bead Show by the US gem dealer, Stephen Mauldin and Co. It is generating interest due to its colour ranges and durability. Inuit carvers are also using this gemstone for their creations.
I was bemused the Melmont Creations website identified the location of the gemstone's discovery as a mountain "in a remote part of Canada"! The Cape Breton Highlands is but a 4-5 hr drive north of the city of Halifax where I am located. To Canadians, remote would be say, Nunavut way up north in the Arctic!! It all depends on your reference point.
Beader Design #: 278
References
New Brunswick Telegraph Journal article Published February 2, 2008
Melmont Creations.com
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Hi Pearl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info about Lewisonite today. As you know, I really enjoy reading your blog and am letting you know that I've given you the "You Make My Day" award! For more info, see:
http://www.capitolagirl.com/2008/02/you-make-my-day-award.html
that's a really neat stone, I want to get some!
ReplyDeleteLove the bracelet, it's very rich looking!
ReplyDeleteOkay I have to ask. Have you had the gems in the center of the flowers in your header from the beginning? Or did you add those after-the fact? I just noticed them a couple of posts back and I was like - have those always been there? Since you re-designed your blog?
Susan will be thrilled to hear yet another compliment on her lovely bracelet!
ReplyDeleteThe gems in the middle of the flowers were always there ever since I did the redesign. One of my daughters who is a whiz at photoshop, added them for me. If you remember my older template called "growing diamonds", we also substituted diamonds for the flowers and buds.