The San Carlos Apache Nation

Land of Spirit, Land of Stone
http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/may09/apache-peridot.cfm

And the land practically hums with gemstones. Of them, the most famous one is vibrant, grassy green peridot admired around the world. As you look across the vast mesa where it's mined and see the sparkle of green outcroppings, you know immediately this is an important deposit of this olivine. But there's more to San Carlos than peridot. Also found there: Fire agate, demantoid garnet, black spinel, obsidian, feldspar, chalcedony.
- Jordan Clary

Useful links:
www.sancarlosapache.com
www.chiricahuaapache.org
www.apachegems.com
www.eddietwomoons.com

Thanks Jordan for sharing the info. It was educational.

Illusion Of The Year 2009

The 5th Best Visual Illusion of the year contest
http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com
http://macknik.neuralcorrelate.com

Orange Prize 2009

Marilynne Robinson has won the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction for her third novel, Home. Check out the link www.orangeprize.co.uk

Color-Change Garnet

Kenya’s New Double-Barrel Color-Change Garnet
http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/may09/blue-garnet-discovered.cfm

The Taita-Taveta mining area is known for the vast majority of tsavorite production in East Africa and also produces other gems including ruby, golden and chrome tourmaline, red garnet, apatite, etc.

Due to the fantastic color-change in the best material, many brokers mistakenly thought the material to be Alexandrite and sold it for very high prices to over-eager buyers. While fine alexandrite fetches thousands of dollars per carat, color change garnet can usually be purchased for a fraction of that.

Useful link:
www.colorfirst.com

Thanks Raja for sharing the info + the colors were great.

Rose Story Farm

The more roses in this world, the better. There's no flower in the world that does what a rose does for us. The fragrances, the colors, the nine or 10 months of bloom. They're incredible. We are so lucky to have this flower.

- Danielle Hahn, Rose Story Farm
www.rosestoryfarm.com

Rose Story Farm is a must visit.

Burmese Ruby Ban Update

JCK Las Vegas show update: The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and several other jewelry organizations worldwide have united to urge Congress to consider lifting the U.S. ban on rubies imported from Burma.

Useful links:
www.agta.org
www.cibjo.org
www.canadianjewellers.com
www.jewelry.org.hk
www.idcany.org
www.gemstone.org
www.nygagroup.com
www.thaigemjewelry.or.th

What a surprise! A 360° U-turn. Sanctions are unlikely to work because Burma's neighbours see no reason to join in. Burma often appears to be a multiple choice test with no correct answers. Sad, really.

Caffé Vita + Theo Chocolate

Caffé Vita + Theo Chocolate
www.caffevita.com
www.theochocolate.com

Give it a try. You will love it.

Obama-inspired Art

Readers’ Portraits of President Obama
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/readers-portraits-of-president-obama/?hp

Brilliant collection, really. I loved it.