Blue turquoise, carved soapstone arrowhead, dyed howlite, and puka shells.

Turquoise has been valued for thousands of years-one of the very first gems ever mined. The oldest turquoise jewelry was dated 5500 B.C. Many cultures prized turquoise, and Cleopatra was famous for her turquoise jewelry. The Aztecs called it chalchihuitl. It is a rare gemstone, mined in only a few locations around the world-in America, almost all turquoise comes from the Southwest, and it is associated with Native American jewelry. It naturally occurs in shades of yellow, green, blue, white, and even purple. It is formed under volcanic conditions. Turquoise is the birthstone of December.

Puka shell jewelry originated in Hawaii, where the ocean created natural puka shell beads by tumbling sea snail shells around until they broke up into disks with small holes in the center-ready to be picked up and strung onto necklaces by natives.

Arrowheads are stones shaped to stick on arrow tips and used as primitive weapons. Later called "Elf Arrows", medieval people believed they were made by the devil and used by mischievious elves to shoot at cattle. Thus, people wore them on their necks as a charm against evil. Today, the iconic arrowhead is still worn, but it has taken on a different meaning-symbolizing primal instincts or representing Native American heritage.

Soapstone is a soft stone used for carving.

Read more in "Jewelry: From Creation to Craftsmanship" at mtgrl.wordpress.com

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