From a Dream to Reality

Tyne wanted to create a special necklace as a Christmas present for her aunt. Her aunt is a puzzle fanatic, so Tyne designed a necklace incorporating her idea, and brought us her drawing.

The design pending approval.

The finished necklace, a stunning work of art. It’s set with approximately 6 carats of amethyst.

Holiday Savings

From now until December 31, 2011, get 15% off any purchase in our Etsy store. Use coupon code 15OFFDEC2011 and pick up a beautiful necklace for that special someone. :) Visit us at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PreciousLTD today!

Taking Flight

Boris collects hand-carved stone eagles. During a recent move, four of his beautiful birds broke. He brought them to Precious Posessions for repairs, and we repaired them so well they look brand new. In fact, they looked so realistic, you'd think they were going to take flight! :)

It was also our honor to repair a bird that another one of our guests brought in, which was given to her as a gift from the ambassador of Ecuador. She was elated by our expert repairs. Another satisfied guest.

Personalize Your Space With Gems and Jewels

Decorating your home can sometimes feel like a daunting task for many of us. At Precious Possessions, we offer personalized service to our guests and help them make the project fun and creative. One of our guests, Liz, was in the process of remodeling her Wisconsin home and came in to get ideas as to how she could utilize minerals and semi-precious stones in her bathroom space to customize the look of the room. Part of her mission was to choose stones that were relevant to each member of her family. We found the appropriate birthstones and state stones that related to the birthplace of various family members in different interesting shapes and forms—both polished and natural. For example, fluorite—believed to be the stone of inspiration—is also the Illinois state stone. Liz chose several beautiful specimens of fluorite to incorporate into her design, as well as an aquamarine heart, serpentine and lapis and onyx to name a few. It was such a joy to help Liz customize her space with beautiful gems that had special meanings and significance to her and to her entire family. The end result is pictured here. Liz brought us a photo of the finished area which reveals the personal touches that she and her family will enjoy forever.

Heroes To The Rescue

Earlier this week, Tony and Kim saved a pigeon from an excruciating, untimely death. The pigeon had string wrapped around his feet, cutting off his circulation. If we hadn’t intervened, his legs would have rotted off and eventually killed him.

Tony had noticed this pigeon was having trouble walking. He waited until he got close enough, then caught the pigeon. This is remarkable in itself. Kim got scissors and they performed surgery to remove the string from the pigeon’s foot. During this time, we had a customer watching, and she was so delighted that she went out and bought a gourmet cupcake for our heroes.

We occasionally see pigeons with this problem. Does anyone know why this happens so often?

The Sparrows Are Back!

All summer long, our sparrows have been enjoying the beautiful weather outside. Only one or two of them would stop by the store. Our Georgina, one of the originals, was always in a hurry. She only had enough time to grab a quick peanut before flying back to her babies.

Now, they’re back! Every day, a dozen or so stop by to visit. It’s an absolute joy to see them again.

Quartz Crystal, The Incredible Gift From Mother Earth

From the dawn of time, mankind has used quartz crystal for tools, ornamental objects, jewelry and as talismans for good luck. Quartz crystals are still widely used today--from Silicon Valley (silicon chips) to sonar. Quartz crystal is also used in photovoltaic solar collectors, computers, cell phones, and clocks. It is piezoelectric, which means it generates electricity when pressed. The folklore and metaphaphysical properties associated to this beautiful gemstone include the belief that quartz crystal is a very powerful healer and amplifier of positive energy. Quartz crystal is a stone of happiness, healing and invigorating energy, purity, protection and strength. Quartz crystal aids memory and concentration and it enhances the properties of other minerals. For those of you who may not have a green thumb, try placing a quartz crystal in your potted plants and see the difference.

Precious Possessions' quartz crystal points come from Brazil. They are completely natural and unpolished, with a cut base. Quartz crystals are also known as generators and meditation quartz. Every crystal is unique and so the measurements will vary for each point; they range in size from approximately 1.75 inches to 2.33 inches long and 1.5 inches to 2 inches wide approximately. For a limited time only, these points are $9 each, shipping and sales tax included. Free shipping is only available for the continental United States and applies to web orders only. We've researched prices on the web for similar quartz generators and they range in price from $12 to $34. Order now, because this promotion will end October 31, 2011. This is the perfect gift to give yourself and your friends.

On a personal note, I have used quartz to relieve facial pains and headaches. Here's how I believe it works: pain is electrical impulses from your brain to the place of trauma. Placing the quartz crystal on the area of pain picks up these electrical impulses and relieves the pain. Reduced pain or the absence of it allows your body to heal faster. Once you've bonded with your crystal, please let us know about your experiences and tell us what you think of your new quartz companion. -Milan