Had A Fabulous Time At The Gem Show

Wonderful time at gem show this weekend.  I saw some rare things and learned a lot.  Ajoite was discovered in Ajo, Arizona.  It is quartz crystal with light blue deposits.   These deposits are found in the point of some quartz crystals.  The reason this ring was made is because the crystal it came from had a damaged point.  

AJOITE (AH-HO-ITE)

Close Up/Macro Challenge

If you would like to see the photographs entered in the Blogger's Community Photo Challenge, for closeup or macro images, click here.





Macro photography can be tricky. Photographing a flat surface is best. When an object is curved, challenges galore pop up while striving for sharpness and clarity. Personally I prefer close up photography using either a 70-200 or 24-70 lens. Most of the time my macro lens hides in my camera case. However, this morning it went into action.

Above is an antique saffron tea container from the 1800s. It was lathe-turned by hand. The term for this type of turned wood piece is treenware.



Next is my "miracle" ring. Years ago I decided to treat myself and purchased this gold ring from an antique shop outside Chicago. The shop owner told me the piece was handcrafted and less than five had been cast. Someday I am going to meet the person who made this ring, I thought. Now...where that thought came from is beyond me.

Time passed.

Then...one day...while visiting an old friend's shop, his clerk announced, "Harvey, she is wearing your ring."

"What?," I said. Wow! Harvey emerged from the back room his hand extended. Sure enough...there it was...on its creator's finger...my ring.