Today is the letter "C"

Welcome to the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  The idea behind this challenge is to blog for 30 days with Sundays off and using the letters of the alphabet as the inspiration for your subject.  For instance on day one of the challenge you blog about something that starts with the letter “A”.  Day two you blog about something that starts with the letter “B”, etc. until you get to the end of April and the letter “Z”. 

I am a jewelry designer and maker and I chose the subject of gemstones and related subjects.  Hopefully I will be able to come up with 26 related topics from “A” to “Z”.  Right now I have a couple of letters that I still need to get a topic for.

Today’s topic starts with the letter ”C”.  Chalcedony is the choice for today.  It is a form of silica composed of quartz and moganite. It can range in color from white to gray, grayish blue and even a shade of brown.  It can be semitransparent or translucent. 

There are multiples types of Chalcedony including agate, aventurine, carnelian, chrysoprase and onyx.  It was in use in the Mediterranean area in the Bronze Age as seal-stones which are small, pocket-size personal amulets. 

Chalcedony was also used in pieces of jewelry such as this cameo of Titus. 

Chalcedony cameo of Titus head, 2nd Century AD

Chalcedony knife, AD 1000-1200

It was used in the breastplate of the Jewish High Priest in the form of jasper, chrysoprase and sardonyx. 

In the 1400s Germany had deposits that were mined and lead to an agate carving industry.  In the 1800s Germany again became one of the world’s largest processing center, particularly of agates.  Agates were brought back from Latin America as ballast.  They dyed the agates in any color from secret processes. 

I hope you are enjoying the information that I am presenting and will come back and see what the rest of the alphabet will cover.

Here is a link to the signup list of bloggers participating in this challenge:  a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow.

Carolyn