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ORE’S FEATURED GEMSTONE: Emerald
by Stephanie Pflumm
Much like Peridot’s past, that we learned about in the last issue, the ancient history surrounding the Emerald gets very cloudy. Long before geology became a science, gemstones & crystals were classified by color. Almost any gem with a rich green color was therefore considered an Emerald. A Malachite, or even green Jasper could just have easily been called an Emerald as the genuine stone.
In more recent history (the last 200 years or so), some of the more famous Emeralds have have been exposed as Peridots, Tourmalines, Alexandarite, Garnets & occasionally, a real Emerald.
Roman Emperor Nero reputedly had "sunglasses" made of Emerald. More than likely, if they existed, they were glasses made from the paler, more translucent Peridot.
Emeralds are members of the beryl mineral family, a very close cousin, or sibling to Aquamarine.
This ring silicate began crystallizing in one of two ways. Inside cooling magma, forming in pegmatites or through metamorphic changes growing between rocks with deposits of beryllium & chromium.
The crystal also contains inclusions of aluminum, oxygen, lithium, potassium & sodium. The much sought after green colors come from chromium oxidizing during the cooling process.
Perfect uniform coloring & translucency in Emeralds is rare. A faultless Emerald is more valuable than an equally perfect diamond. Most specimens, even those being used for jewelry settings, have inclusions & fissures. Microscopic enclosures of mica are not uncommon either.
The vast majority of Emeralds are opaque (as are Ozark Rock Exchange's) with occasional layers of translucent material.
The very first Emerald mines were in Egypt, dating back to 1650 bc. Queen Cleopatra was fond of engraving impressions of herself into Emeralds & presenting them to guests.
These ancient mines were so well constructed that they were still being worked in the mid 1800's. They are located in a mountain range along the West cost of the Red Sea.
Emeralds found in Pompeii & other Roman cities were believed to come from either the Egyptian mines, or mines located in very dangerous terrain in the Salzburg Alps.
The world’s most exquisite Emeralds, however, were found in South America, near Bogota, in Columbia. Europeans first learned about these perfect specimens when the Spanish invaded the continent in the early 1500’s.
The Ural Mountains of Russia, Australia’s Mount Remarkable, Connecticut & Maine in the United States are other locations where small deposits of Emeralds have been found.
Emerald Crystals are usually six sided prisms forming a basal (flat top) plane. Though sometimes crystals will terminate into points. Again, most of these crystal formations are opaque, with rare (& extremely valuable) translucent crystals occurring sometimes. Specimens are normally found still embedded in the mother rock, either a Mica-Schist or Granite.
Perfect Emeralds can be grown in a lab setting, taking about 12 months for the crystal to form. A fair percentage of commercial jewelry settings come from these types of gemstones. Be sure to ask your jeweler when purchasing Emerald pieces where the stones came from.
Emeralds have a rich history of mystery & magic. Ancient alchemists associated the crystal with Mercury, messenger of the gods & conductor of souls. Central Americans believed it held the energies of the rain. Hermetic lore claims the gem fell from Lucifer’s forehead when he was thrown from Heaven. In India it was used to frighten away Vipers or Cobras.
It also has a long tradition as a psychic stone, considered a source of divine inspiration. Emeralds will help you grow spiritually, clearing your thought patterns, bringing harmony & beauty into your day to day life.
Use this crystal to improve group unity, assist in making your relationship successful or promote domestic bliss. Exchange an Emerald with a friend to strengthen your loyalties & appreciation of each other.
Keep an Emerald in your work space. It improves your memory & increases your mental skills. The gem brings greater focus, allowing you to see the best solutions & motivates you to act. You can eliminate obstacles (mental or physical) that prevent you from succeeding.
Your Heart Chakra can be opened or activated using an Emerald. The gem may also be used in meditation to assist in maintaining your breathe’s rhythm.
The oldest healing use for Emeralds is a treatment for eye disorders. It also provides relief from respiratory inflammations, strengthens the immune system & helps you recover from infections.
Emeralds will stimulate the liver & aid in removing toxins from the body. Your heart, lungs & muscles can all benefit from the healing energies of Emeralds.
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SUBSCRIBER’S SPECIAL: WIN A LARGE EMERALD!
(and a special price on small Emeralds)
I need your help determining how best to tell people about ORE FEATURES & Ozark Rock Exchange in the next year.
If you would be so kind as to answer three questions (pretty easy questions), I will automatically register you to win a large raw Emerald. The stone is about 2 inches long & 1.5 inches wide & its value is approximately $15.
Please Answer These Three Questions:
(send replies to webmaster@ozarkrockexchange.com )
& be automatically registered to win Ozark Rock Exchange’s largest Emerald.
1. What kind of music does your favorite radio station play?
2. What magazine, newspaper or publication do you read most often?
3. What is your favorite thing to do on line?
I will announce the winner in the September 9th issue of ORE FEATURES, so you must get your entries in by September 8 at midnight. Thanks for your help!
PLUS
Ozark Rock Exchange has a limited number of small Emeralds. These are now available to subscriber’s at half price, with any purchase, while quantities last. These raw stones are normally $2 each, & available exclusively to you for just $1 with any other purchase. Emeralds are not included in the on line catalog (because quantities are limited), so you must send an email to stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com to reserve your half price stone.
You must be a subscriber as of August 26, 2000 to be eligible for the Subscriber’s Special; the Subscriber Special is not valid with other offers (unless otherwise stated), the Special will expire September 10, 2000.
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SKY NOTES
New Moon Tuesday August 29, 5:19 am (ET)
Second Quarter Moon Tuesday September 5, 11:27 am (ET)
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CREATING A LIFE CYCLE PLAN
by Stephanie Pflumm
Last Saturday was my first workshop, Adventures In Creativity. Everyone seemed to have so much fun, that I wanted to share some of the fun with you. It’s actually my favorite activity & very simple to do.
Its called a Life Cycle Plan
Tools You Need:
Imagination
Large piece of Construction Paper or Poster Board (I used a red piece of construction paper for Fire energies)
Stuff: buttons, glitter, ribbon, magazines, stickers, leaves, twigs, rocks, anything just laying around that has some meaning for you.
Glue
Scissors
Clean Up Cloth
Creating a Life Plan Cycle is a means of physically manifesting your dreams. Meditate on what you'd like to accomplish in the next three months, six months or year. Now start choosing items, pictures & words that you associate with those dreams & arrange them on your construction paper. Then just cut & glue to your heart's content.
For my life cycle plan I choose a feather (to give wings to my dreams), the words rapid, magic, travel & new, stars, a rocket ship pointed up, a Great Blue Heron (my totem) & a Van, among other items. I also arranged beads in various numerical clusters (3, 4, 6 & 8) to bring in some additional energies.
I would love to hear about your Life Cycle Plan, or anything else you’ve done to stimulate your inner child this Summer. Send your experience to stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
I love the movies & I found a super ezine that helps me keep up with the new flicks & stuff.
Movie Fever is a twice-weekly publication dedicated to being your up-to-date source for entertainment information. Sign up today to check out the Hollywood buzz, recieve movie news, new to theaters, new to video and a whole lot more! To subscribe send a blank message to movie_fever-subscribe@egroups.com or visit at http://www.movie-fever.com
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MOBILE ORE STORE UPDATE
September 29 - Oct. 1
Gathering of Souls, Sedona AZ
November 18 - 19
Bandwagon Psychic Fair, Bridgeton MO
November 24
NorthTown Mall, Springfield MO
New Year’s Day, 2001
Marva’s Psychic Fair, Houston TX
I’m working on the 2001 schedule for ORE STORE, I’d love to hear your suggestions on events in your area. Send an email to webmaster@ozarkrockexchange.com
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If you have a special announcement for the next issue of ORE FEATURES, please send it to stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com for consideration.
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©Copyright 2000, Stephanie Pflumm, All Rights Reserved Worldwide. No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor/founder, Stephanie Pflumm. Please feel free to share with a friend.
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If you no longer wish to receive O.R.E. FEATURES, please send an e-mail to webmaster@ozarkrockexchange.com with Remove in subject.
Please DO NOT reply to the O.R.E. FEATURES mailing.
Back issues are available at http://www.ozarkrockexchange.com/ORE_FEATURES.html
4 Blessings (East, South, West, North)
Stephanie Pflumm
stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com |
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