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Prasiolite is a green form of quartz, one of several quartz varieties. The name is derived from Greek PRASON meaning "leek" and LITHOS meaning "stone." So, "prasiolite" literally means "scallion green-colored stone." The mineral was given its name due to its green-colored appearance.

Green quartz is sometimes incorrectly called green amethyst, which is an actual misnomer and not an acceptable name for the material, the proper terminology being "prasiolite." Other names for green quartz are vermarine, greened amethyst, or lime citrine.

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It is a rare stone in nature. Most prasiolite sold is used in jewelry settings. Prasiolite is heat treated amethyst. Most amethyst will turn yellow or orange when heated producing citrine, but some amethyst will turn green when treated. Currently most all prasiolite on the market results from a combination of heat treatment and ionizing radiation.

Since 1950, almost all natural prasiolite has come from a small Brazilian mine, but it is also seen in Lower Silesia in Poland. Naturally occurring prasiolite is also found in the Thunder Bay area of Canada.

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Born in Hungary, Eva Dobos lives there right next to Budapest, the capital city of the country, with her husband and two her daughters. Since early age she has always been interested in any craft work. Now Eva turned her favorite hobby, beading to profession and made success. We're glad to see Eva in our newsletter!

Eva says, "I don't really remember the first time when I touched beads. I grew up in a "crafty" family. My dad can build/fix/construct almost anything; and my mum have always had some kind of needles around - back then women in Hungary could stay on maternity leave for three years, so she needed some relaxing hobby after taking care of three girls all day long.

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She taught me (mostly because I insisted to "help" her) these techniques very early: embroidery, knitting, crochet, macrame, cross-stitching, sewing. I was only 6-8 yrs old when I learned how to operate on the sewing machine. During summer holidays when we the kids were at home, we could sit as long as we wanted with the best friends and make clothes for our dolls - and for all the neighbor kids' dolls.

Let's not talk about "illegally" used beautiful materials we could find in our mums' wardrobes (including very glittery ones gotten from wedding dresses)! Of course we made accessories too: hats, bags, jewelry, even leather shoes and sandals! I wish I still had those big boxes full of treasures, my kids would really love that now.

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I think the first time I learned Czech glass beads was around 1980 when we got a big bag of seeds beads, bugles and drops. My dad gave me some fishing line and together we made a necklace for me. It was simple stringing but had a loop in the middle as a pendant. It was in 1992 when I turned toward making jewelry. There was a fair in our village and I saw a lady selling beautiful wire jewelry with semiprecious stones.

It was really hard to choose only one pair of earrings, but my "pocket money" was enough only for that. But when I showed my "treasure" at home, my dad gave me a pile of copper wire, some pliers, a hammer and a vise with anvil. He showed me how to shape and hammer the wire and how to make nice loops. I just needed to find some sparkly stuff to add. So the "raids to my mum's drawer" continued. I think I had spent all that summer hammering in the garage. After a while it became a bit boring, so I started exploring other materials, techniques, anything I could find on my own. I've made jewelry out of everything..."

Full article by Eva Dobos
 
Beaded jewelry by Eva Dobos
 
Email: doboseva@doboseva.hu
 
Website: www.doboseva.hu
 
Blog: deevadesign.blogspot.com
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/eva.dobos
 
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/deevadesign
 
Etsy Shop: etsy.com/shop/deevadesign

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They say, that a talented person is talented in various fields. Looking at the jewelry of Lyudmila Gubinova you understand that saying is correct. Living in a small town of Izyum in the Eastern Ukraine, she designs ganutell and soutache and beaded jewelry and all her tries are success. We believe you'll like craftworks by Lyudmila Gubinova. Read her story!

Lyudmila says, "Since my childhood, I was a creative person: I was fond of drawing, knitting, crocheting, and needlework. I've burned pictures on wood, made paintings of straw and other crafts from natural materials. In general, I have done everything on that lacked imagination.

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In my youth I wanted to be not like the others, so I was happy to any piece of fabric that happened to get into my hands - I immediately replenished my wardrobe inventing and sewing a new thing. I was so fascinated by this occupation that I graduated sewing courses and after that - courses on modeling and knitting.

Now I'm fascinated by felting, but beading and jewelry making is still in the first place, I don't have enough time to do sewing, knitting and felting - it's a pity! My husband jokes about it: all Gemini (my birthday sign is Gemini) want to do everything, but do not follow through. That's the whole truth: I might have 5-6 started and unfinished projects and it's not the fact that one of them is completed before I start another...

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A big role in that I started making bead jewelry, played my personal acquaintance with Albina Polyanskaya. I first met her on the Internet, but when I got to visit her (Albina lives in Kharkov, and our cities are close to each other), I realized that the beads was what I needed! When you hold Albina's beadworks in your hands, there are no words to express admiration! And you begin to understand that beads allow limitless possibilities in creative self-expression. When I showed Albina my first works, I heard something that made me move on, "Go ahead, keep going, you can do it!"

In the beginning, I was completely frustrated and even looking at the simplest beadworks I couldn't realize how to create them. In the process of getting beadweaving techniques I wanted to learn making everything that I liked in my idols' works, so the stylistic features of some individual artists in my early bead items are visible quite clearly. Now that everything is passed stage, I always want to make something by my own..."

Full article by Lyudmila Gubinova
 
Beadwork gallery by Lyudmila Gubinova
 
Soutache jewelry by Lyudmila Gubinova
 
Ganutell jewelry by Lyudmila Gubinova
 
Email: gubinjatko@rambler.ru
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gubinjatko

Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space

May 28 - June 15, 2013
Mitchell Art Gallery
60 College Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401

Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space (A Mitchell Gallery National Juried Exhibition) - this exhibition of small works, no larger than 8" x 10" x 4", includes pieces of art by artists from across the nation. Distinguished juror Domenic Iacono, director of Syracuse University Art Galleries, selected paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, collages, mixed media, photographs, jewelry and small sculpture. 235 artists from 34 states submitted 627 works for the juror's consideration, and 269 artworks of 173 artists were selected.

Premiere Opening of "Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space" exhibition will take place on May 28th from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. At this lively Premiere Opening of the Mitchell Gallery's national juried exhibition, guests will have the first opportunity to purchase the original works of art on display at the exhibit, which features a wide array of 2- and 3-dimensional pieces. All works are for sale and can be viewed in the online gallery. All proceeds benefit the educational programs of the Gallery.

Online gallery of the Less is More Exhibition
 
Beadwork by Zoya Gutina at the Less is More Exhibition