What lapis lazuli is Lapis lazuli is a rock, not a single mineral. The blue comes from lazurite, which makes up roughly a quarter to 40 percent of the stone; a rock needs about a quarter lazurite to be called...
What garnet is Garnet is red. It is also orange, green, purple and a pale champagne, and the red alone runs from a bright cherry to a wine so dark it reads as black. That range exists because garnet is...
Rubies stand out as one of the world's most sought-after gemstones, perhaps even the most popular, along with Sapphire and Emerald. Because of this popularity, it has gained not only the eyes of collectors but also the trust of jewelry designers.
We often discuss what makes each stone special in our meetings at Dakota Stones. It usually comes down to the type of material, where it is mined, if it has a unique cut or if it's better in a more...
Green gemstones are most commonly associated with nature, growth, renewal, and prosperity. In many spiritual traditions, they are linked to the Heart Chakra, representing emotional balance, compassion, and the healing of the heart. The color green is the symbol of...
Today, Heishi beads (also spelled Heishe) are known to be a disc or tube-shaped bead with a hole through the middle for use in jewelry, but they haven’t always been exactly that. The name originates from the Keras language of...
LOVE STONES | Dakota Stones BLOG Love doesn’t need to be just about romance or family, it can be associated in the way we feel towards strangers, humanity as a whole, or even ourselves. Cultivating a sense of love allows...
Why Hubei Turquoise Matters When people think of Turquoise, the conversation often centers on the American Southwest or Iran. Chinese Turquoise—particularly material from Hubei Province—receives far less attention, despite being one of the most historically significant and productive Turquoise regions...
Pearls have a reputation for being classic and refined. But for jewelry makers, pearls are also wonderfully practical materials. They can be drilled, dyed, strung, knotted, paired with bold gemstones, or used as subtle texture in modern designs. Understanding how...
