Designer Goldsmiths at Leesburg, VA

12/24/2024

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

12/21/2024

12/09/2024

Did you know that,
The Ancient Greeks discovered that the seeds of the
carob (Carob, Ceratonia siligua) always have the same weight (about 0.20 g) and that's why they used it to measure the weight of precious metals ..
The negotiations were with the Arabs who heard from the Greeks the word (wooden horns) carats (carats) The well-known carats of gold ..
The word karat first entered the English language in the mid-15th Century. It derived from the French word carat which in turn came from the Italian carato.
The word almost certainly derives from the Arabic qīrāṭ which came from the Greek kerátion meaning Carob seed.
In Greek and Roman times it was used as a unit of weight

11/29/2024

Amazing lots magic fire opal in matrix with its dazzling rainbow sparkles.

Photo Copyright ©️ opalos_tamayo

11/22/2024

Beautiful platinum sapphire and diamond bands.
By JpK- DGI

11/15/2024

Beautiful vintage Baroque pearls and diamonds.
14k yellow gold set, earrings and pendent.

10/27/2024

“Athena’s cross”
One of a kind Byzantine cross 14k white gold,diamonds and Burmese Ruby.

By Jola

10/27/2024

Green cabochon sapphire ring, set in 14k yellow gold.

Made by Jola

10/04/2024

Arm cuff bracelet!
Hand made by Jola

09/08/2024

OLD WOMAN IN ROMANIA USED AN AMBER STONE VALUED AT ONE MILLION EUROS FOR YEARS AS A DOOR STOP
An elderly woman in the small town of Colti, southeast of Romania, lived for years without knowing that a stone she used as a simple doorstop was actually a treasure valued at one million euros (22 million Mexican pesos). The extraordinary piece, weighing 3.5 kilograms, had been picked up in a stream bed, and remained unnoticed even during a robbery in which the thieves ignored its value.
The story took an unexpected turn when, after the woman's death in 1989, one of her relatives inherited the house and, upon observing the stone, suspected that it could be a semi-precious stone. Specialists confirmed that it was genuine amber with an estimated age between 38.5 and 70 million years.
The Romanian State acquired the piece and, after being studied at the Krakow History Museum, it was declared a national treasure. Today, it is exhibited in the Buzau Provincial Museum, where it is considered one of the largest pieces of its kind in the world.
The discovery is of great scientific value, especially in the Buzau region, famous for its rich amber deposits known as "rumanit", with nuggets presenting more than 160 shades of color. Credits: Radio Maya Internacional

09/01/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/wryHfuwPR3j9miDM/?mibextid=UalRPS

07/06/2024

07/06/2024

St. Euphemia: The Mystical Church

Kallmet, famous for its delicious wine, is also known for its rich culture, history, and nature. One of the beautiful region’s best-kept secrets is the small church with a fascinating story, hidden among ancient trees.

About the church

One of the most impressive parts of St. Euphemia Church is the saint’s portrait carved on the side of the cliff, located right beside the water springs that continue to flow inside the church and its courtyard. Pilgrims to the church believe in the powers of this holy, purifying water and continue to make the pilgrimage to the church each year. Today, the restored church sits on the foundations of the old one. Based on its structural typology, the church belongs to the end of the 13th century, beginning of the 14th. The ruins of the former bell tower especially testify to this period of construction.

A bit of history

The first mention of St. Euphemia Church is on a document from 1343 that lists all the churches given to the city of Kruja. In 1629, after its burning by the Ottomans, the Bishop of Lezha at the time, Benedikt Orsini, order its restoration. This church hosted the trial of the famous patriot and church cleric Pjetër Budi, who called that mass be held in Albanian, not in Latin. During the Communist period, the church was illegally secretly used at night for baptisms.

According to local tradition, St. Euphemia was a 17-year-old girl who wanted to become a nun but was burned at the stake. After some time, two workers were working in the midst of a blazing heat to reconstruct the church. They felt tired and extremely thirsty. All of the sudden, St. Euphemia’s image appeared on the cliff, as it is depicted today, and the water began flowing creating the springs that is still there now.

Inspired from the history and this carving on the mountain, I carved the medallion of St Euphemia.

Carving by Jola