ArtFire

~ Potions bubble as spells are whispered; his mysterious intentions acridly charging the murky air. The storm of electricity stirred the indigo shadows, urgently fueling his movements-his will. Fluidly he sweeps his hands. Lights flash, thunder roars, mixing the heavens and filling the cosmos with dark and ominous reverberations. Slowly it begins to form, taking shape and structure from his life force; his very essence moving the steamy darkness.

There! Fiercely, he pulls the midnight matter to life, straining, awakening his vision into a new reality...his reality. As the hulking mass surges upward, eclipsing what feeble light still remained; a burning thought crosses his mind.

Will the architect's role ultimately be Master...or Minion- to the dawning creation rumbling and smoldering before him? ~

Dark Alchemy is a multi-strand necklace fashioned from blue goldstone chips, copper lined purple seed beads. She features an exceptional wire wrapped 30mmx40mm cabochon with a stylish basket weave bail, three rows of interest and color and ends in a marvelous handcrafted copper clasp.

At 18 ½ inches and complimented by rows of copper rings and links, seed beads, chips, and copper accents, the attention to detail just sets this elegant necklace apart from the rest marvelously.

Blue goldstone is a manmade material dating back to the 17th century when, the Miotti family, while experimenting, mixed copper salts into their glass works. Their process was so groundbreaking they sought to maintain exclusive rights. So, Vincenzo Miotti of Venice acquired a license from the Doge in 1677 for his family to exclusively manufacture the glass. They kept their formula secret until the 1811 when a Miotti widow divulged the process to another glassmaker and manufacture is currently in several countries today, though the Venetian variety is still the most widely used and considered the best quality.

Conflicting stories concerning the fact or folklore surrounding its discovery (or invention) varies widely over different areas of research. Several talk about Italian monks discovering it by accidentally dumping copper shavings into a vat of glass, or Chinese monks (why is it always monks?) trying to create gold through alchemy. One can also infer that the Miotti family started those rumors themselves to create an aura of mystery whereby gaining interest and possibly raising its perceived value. Regardless, with the end result being both striking and luminous, somehow experimentation continued until over time, the process had been perfected and desirable results were achieved. We as artisans, some lapidary enthusiasts and art aficionados can be thankful for their accidental or intentional ingenuity today in the availability of materials to use and appreciate.

Please Note: There is a matching pair of earrings in my store as well http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=2464381

blue goldstone, copper, wire, seed beads, rochaille