The Sparrow Story Part 2

Throughout the cold weather, Georgina, Samantha, and Charlotte found the perfect refuge in Precious Possessions. Our crystal store is full of beautiful and unique minerals, fossils, crystals, and jewelry that our sparrow trio gravitated towards and explored. They hid behind our ammonite fossils; they perched atop a quartz crystal Brazilian bird carving; they sat in our onyx fruit bowls, and flew on top of the vases about our amber jewelry case. The girls also enjoyed a bird's eye view of the store and the customers that came in and out all throughout the day. The sparrows warmed themselves by perching on top of the lights and knew intuitively to stay out of the way when our guests walked in. Who knew that tiny sparrows were so smart?

They say that the narrator of a story should remain separate from the story, but I'm going to break the rule as this is such a magical story of nature connecting with humans in an unexpected way. You can find me at Precious Possessions throughout the week as the resident Keeper of the Stones (one of our guests gave me that title) and my name is Helen. I've always loved gems and jewels and all their mystique and beautiful energy. I feel surrounded by beauty and nature's glory while at work. And in addition to the amazing natural power of the stones, there is another aspect of Mother Nature's presence in our store -- the sweet sparrows. Wow.

By now, you must be wondering what all our guests who come into Precious Possessions think about our friends. Almost everyone is enchanted and amazed at the connection we have with these sparrows -- soon to become a flock.

Check back next week for more about the sparrows!

Lions and Tigers and Squirrels, Oh My!

Precious Possessions is one of Betty's favorite stops when visiting Chicago from Syracuse, New York. Last visit she selected a zoo full of semi-precious animal charms and created this stunning, one-of-a-kind necklace on a long sterling silver link chain.

Betty proudly modeled her necklace at Precious Possessions as well as all around town and called to tell us that she'd received many compliments on her custom design. In fact on this visit, Betty helped create another custom design for herself: an amazing mystic topaz pendant. She selected a mystic topaz loose stone from our faceted gem collection, and designed her own setting which we made for her in a sterling silver pendant. Kudos to Betty!

The Sparrow Story

Prelude to the Sparrow Story: Everyday, dozens of people come in and ask about the birds that fly in and out of the store—are they pets? Did we train them? No, they’re just free wild birds who come in to visit.

We promised to share The Story of the Sparrows that visit Precious Possessions. Here is the tale of our feathered friends.

On a frigid December day in 2008, my father Anthony and I arrived at the store where we found a tiny sparrow huddled in a corner of our front window. Dad lovingly picked up the sparrow, brought the bird into the store, and place it in a safe, warm area. We fed the sparrow little pieces of bread and gave it water. The fragile sparrow covered its face with its wing and went to sleep. We named the sparrow George. George stayed with us and gained more strength each day, and by day 3, he flew to the front door and told us it was time to go.

To our surprise, the next morning 3 sparrows flew in the door. One of them was George. We welcomed them and gave them a treat from our lunch – a handful of peanuts—which they seemed to enjoy very much. The three of them flew in and out all day and seemed very joyful. We named the other two sparrows Sam and Charlie, and we were delighted that these sweet little sparrows were visiting Precious Possessions.

Not having had any experience with wild birds, I was curious about them and in researching, I discovered that George was actually Georgina, Sam was Samantha, and Charlie was really Charlotte. These were 3 female sparrows and perhaps all from the same nest. We entertained this nice thought about our new friends who continued to come in on a daily basis all winter.

More about our story next Saturday!

Countdown to Spring

We're inching our way towards spring, warmer weather, and sunny, happy days. We're ready for fresh air, vibrantly colored flowers, and all the beautiful spring-inspired gem necklaces that you can now show off without the cover of a winter coat.

Rose Quartz Aphrodite Necklace

Here’s a necklace worthy of the love goddess that resides within each amazing woman. Channel your inner Aphrodite every time you wear your rose quartz one-of-a-kind jewel. Rose quartz is the quintessential stone of love, nurturing energy and healing energy. Length of necklace: 16 inches.

The Rainbow of All Gems: Tourmaline With Pearls

The rainbow of all gems and jewels, tourmaline in all its dazzling glory, is highly prized and powerfully energizing. The pink tourmalines, known as rubelite, are believed to be therapeutic and empowering—for feminine energy. The green is all about balance and the darker schorl tourmaline repels negativity. Luminescent pearls are feminine energy that make this a classic for all occasions. Length of necklace: approx. 16 inches.