Furnishing Your Home with Spice and All Things Nice

Is your home soulless? Does it feel barren of emotion?

Does your house lack the right atmosphere? Does it lack a certain ambience or “style”? Don’t think you can give it personality? You’re wrong! Bring a sense of passion and excitement back into your life and home.

Every person has their own style. Most people reveal their style by wearing certain types of clothing, by choosing a particular career (one that will support their “style of living”) and by choosing to drive a particular car. This style is also revealed in the way they decorate and furnish their home. They may have a style all their own or they may base their style on what is currently in vogue.

A few of the most popular styles for home furnishing and decorating are: Asian inspired minimalism; modern straight-line simplicity; cozy country chic; arts and craft mission style; and Southwestern flair. At first these styles might seem worlds apart but when you take a closer look they all have one thing in common. They all share a deep and abundant love of nature and of materials found in nature.

Look around and see what materials were used to produce the possessions you own. Are most things made from plastics and synthetics? These materials may look nice and they may be easy to clean and take care of but fundamentally they are dead matter. Do you want to breathe some new life into your home? If you answered yes, bring some natural objects into your home. Heal yourself and your home by surrounding yourself with material that Mother Nature and the earth provided for us naturally. Get back in touch with life’s abundant richness. Visit our website www.treasuresovertime.com to get inspirations on objects from nature you can use to spice up your home!

Viewing Stones

There are many reasons that people choose to collect minerals.

They may like the thrill of finding them out in the field
Because they are rare
Because they are naturally occurring
As an emotional investment for their future (stewardship)
Or, because of their beauty

One of the first things that attracted me to mineral collecting was their beauty and variety. The first minerals I bought were crystals that were bright, lively and colorful. I bought them to add as accents on my bookshelves and for décor. Eventually, my collection grew and I needed to buy a display cabinet specifically to house them. I am still attracted to these minerals for the same reason but have started to appreciate them for those other qualities I mentioned above.

As I expanded my collection, I started to notice how pieces took on a life of their own because of their shape, texture, color and surface patterns. As I would look at different pieces in my collection I would let my imagination wander, feeling at peace with the different pieces. I soon discovered this meditation was another added benefit to collecting. I could sometimes envision landscapes, flowers, trees and other scenery in the coloration, texture, or surface pattern of a piece; or, in its outline or shape. Sometimes, only one of these attributes would contribute to these imagined visions but often it was more.

Receiving this kind of pleasure from the rocks and minerals in our surroundings is not a new phenomenon. It appears that in China, an art form began many centuries ago that has since spread to Japan and Korea and more recently is gaining widespread popularity world-wide. In the west we call this art form "Viewing Stones". The Chinese call it “Penjing”. “Pen” translates into pot or container, and “jing” into scenery. This is because these miniature scenes were created in a container using stones, plants, sand and soil. The Japanese call this art form “Suiseki” (pronounced su-ee-SEK-ee). “Sui” translates into water and “seki” into stone. These “natural” stones are usually displayed in containers or on wood stands. Not only will these stones display a strong resemblance to scenic landscapes but also a free form interpretive surface pattern suggesting whatever a fertile mind may create. Inclusions contribute texture and depth giving some mineral “scenes” a sense that they have been created by the hands of a craftsman.

The “viewing” stones forms, colors, textures and patterning are naturally occurring. These forces are erosion (from wind or water), sedimentation and deposition, metamorphism caused by lava flow intrusions cooking and changing the crystal structure of the host rock, or seepage of mineralized water into existing crevices. These masterpieces of nature are being collected as timeless treasures that will always remind us of the awe inspiring side of nature’s creativity.

We have a variety of different display pieces that fit into this artistic category. Check out our section of sculptures and items made from dendritic limestone. Many of our pieces are also displayed on wooden bases and acrylic stands for easy display in your home. No more wondering, “That’s beautiful, but how am I supposed to display it on my shelf?” Happy meditations.

Sivan

Fascination of Mineral Collecting

Collecting

There’s an old adage in the collecting field which states; “Buy the Book First.” First and foremost, collecting, any collecting is about knowledge. Knowledge creates understanding and understanding creates a feeling of confidence.

When we become interested in something, we want to know as much as possible. We read books on the subject, trade periodicals and scientific reports. We become so involved in the process; we don’t even realize that we’re learning.

The study and collecting of minerals covers so broad an area that you are bound to be fascinated by something. Minerals cover geology, weather, oceanography, chemistry, crystallography, optics, physics, history, gemology, mineralogy, geography, book and print collecting, and botany (yes, botany).

Mineral collecting has something for everyone. Why, because minerals are an integral part of our lives. Did you ever stop to think what our world would look like if we didn’t have minerals (metals) in our lives? And, what would our lives be like? Also, just think, our bodies are made from minerals and we rely on them every day in the form of the food that we eat. So, if minerals didn’t exist, neither would we.

Mineral collecting can be approached on many different levels.
1) Color – i.e., only collecting purple minerals
2) Crystallography – i.e., only collecting minerals that form in the cubic crystal system
3) Chemistry – i.e., only collecting minerals that contain boron
4) History of the material – when was it first discovered and how was it mined
5) As micro-mounts, thumbnails, hand or cabinet specimens (the size of the mineral)
6) Type – one of each type of mineral
7) Location – calcites for example are found all over the world and you could collect one piece from every known location
8) Single Focus – only collecting quartz or gold specimens
9) Tools of the Trade – Antique Mining Equipment or Gemological Laboratory Equipment
10) Books – Reference, antique, periodicals
11) Prints and Paintings – a mineral artists interpretation or representation of a mineral

We would love to hear from you with any questions or comments about this exciting area of collecting or about collecting in general. We would also love to help you get a collection started and explain to you in more detail about any of the areas above. There is so much to know and as we ourselves continue to learn, we would love to share this passion with you. Inquisitive minds want to know and to share the knowledge once it’s gained. It’s a rewarding process that will continue as long as we keep asking questions!

The world is the place we live. When we understand its gifts, we gain respect for it and with respect comes good stewardship.