The Real Indiana Jones!

Today Dr. Lawrence S. Owens came by our store to purchase some lapis lazuli jewelry.  He said it was some of the finest lapis he had ever seen.  Dr. Owens is an archaeologist, recently back from a dig in Egypt.  He is also a professor at a university in London.  Wouldn't you just dig being in his class? :)  His website is www.lawrenceowens.org.

Spirited Crystal Charm Necklaces

Precious Possessions presents our new line of jewelry: sparkling gemstone and crystal necklaces in a beautiful range of colors, for times when a simple and elegant jewelry piece will finish your outfit.  

We’re always adding new designs, both to our store and online.  Come in and choose the perfect necklace for you, or shop at our Etsy store.

                                                       Pink Crystal Angel Wing Necklace

                                                         Honey Amber Charm Necklace

                                           Purple Agate and Rainbow Crystal Necklace

                                                Pink Pearl and Purple Crystal Necklace

                                                        Blue Kyanite Charm Necklace

Amber Necklace

In over two decades of our established business at Michigan Ave in Chicago, across from the Millennium Park Cloudgate “Bean”, we have come to know many delightful people who have shopped at Precious Possessions over the years.  One of our most popular gems that we have always carried is amber.  Amber is one of those beautiful gemstones that people have become more familiar with because of Jurassic Park.  It is the gem of extinct, enchanted forest trees that Nature has spent 50 million years making.  They say its energy is soothing, calming, and full of wisdom and joy.

A patron of ours who also appreciates the beauty of amber brought in her mother’s heirloom amber necklace as she felt it needed something to add pizazz to its plain style.  The rich red cognac color needed a complementary pendant in the same beautiful tones.  In our selection of amber jewelry, we found a lovely oval amber centerpiece that would match the necklace and add oomph.

Because the original necklace was a vintage piece, it was strung on cotton cord which is traditional for Baltic amber.  Our artisan redesigned the piece with the addition of small faceted champagne-colored crystals that accented the focal amber centerpiece and the amber beads to perfection.  She restrung it on Tiger Tail for durability and strength.  In the recreation of this piece, the necklace has been transformed from simple and plain to magnificent and unique.  It is truly a customized piece that breathes new life into an old necklace.  

Ray Stevenson's Crystals

As the oldest rock and gem shop in Chicago, located across the street from Millennium Park’s Cloudgate “Bean”, we have the honor of meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world, including celebrities.  On a Saturday in early spring, a tall, charismatic man strode into our store.  Clearly he had a love and appreciation for the stones, carvings, and fossils as well as a considerable amount of knowledge about them.  As he toured the store and we assisted him, we discovered that this gentleman is British film and television actor Ray Stevenson.  He’s filming a new movie titled “Divergent” here in Chicago.  

From our vast selection of gems and minerals, he chose an iron pyrite sun.  Iron pyrite is believed to be a stone of good luck and confidence, as well as energizing.  Ray also chose a beautiful tiger eye specimen.  This stone is for strength, focus, and accomplishing goals.  For his son, he found a magnificent meteorite.  Meteorites come from space and they range from 4.5 billion years old up to 13 billion years old.  They come from Mars, the moon, heads of comets, and the Asteroid Belt.  How fantastic is that – to hold material that comes to us from light-years away, with all its other-worldly energy.  We also have a wonderful selection of tektites and moldavites.  Peridot is the only other gemstone that has been found on meteorites.

Here at Precious Possessions we are your personal shoppers and we enjoy helping you find that special gift for your home, to wear, or to carry.  We wish Ray continued success in life and onscreen.  And we invite you to find your own special crystal from our vast selection of Earth’s treasures here at Precious Possessions.

Jade Necklace

One of our long-time customers came into the store with a tiger eye and black onyx necklace that needed to be restrung.  She had also brought a large carved jade centerpiece that she had never worn, because she didn’t like it as a stand-alone pendant.  As she brought out the two necklaces side by side, the muted tones of the jade and the earth tones of the black onyx and tiger eye complemented each other in a way that suggested they should be brought together.  

It would have been a very simple process to just add the pendant to the bottom strand of the three-strand necklace.  However, the two would really shine as one integrated piece.  The inspiration for the new necklace was to place the jade on its side, creating a stunning focal point accessorized by the three strands of tiger eye and black onyx.  In its re-design this necklace evokes a new and dramatic energy and look.  The best part is that it was customized as a one-and-only piece just for our customer.

It’s always so exciting to re-design a new piece out of forgotten old pieces that sit in a drawer, unworn and unused.  We invite our guests to explore the infinite possibilities of creating something new from components of your jewelry collection and ours.  Perhaps you have a pendant that calls for a necklace to be designed around it, or a necklace that needs a magnificent centerpiece.  Come in for a free consultation.  We can’t wait to customize a new piece of jewelry just for you! 

Custom Lapis and Opal Pendant

One of our long-time favorite customers was visiting our store when she spotted a beautiful piece of lapis lazuli in one of our display cases. Lapis is a very rich blue gemstone with flecks of golden pyrite within. It is a gem that has been revered by royalty since antiquity.  

In the creation of this pendant we worked together to add an accent gem that would transform what would have been a simple pendant into magnificent one-of-a-kind jewelry. Precious Possessions carries a selection of loose faceted precious and semi-precious cabochons. 

In our initial design session we chose a beautiful mosaic opal cabochon that had shimmery rainbow fire which complemented the lapis perfectly. The two gems were set in sterling silver and customized into this fabulous and unique pendant which will be treasured for all time. We would love to help you design a custom piece for your jewelry collection. We have wonderful gems and jewels that can be made into the perfect treasures you’ve always dreamed of.