About Stones: Blue Lace Agate

Astrological Sign: Pisces

Chakra: Throat, Heart, Brow, Crown

Lore: Blue lace agate is a highly inspirational influence when used for inner attunement. Helps one reach high spiritual spaces and enter into high-frequency states of awareness. Useful for building confidence in public speaking. Encourages focus and calm centeredness.

Geology: A variegated form of chalcedony or microcrystalline quartz, blue lace agate displays a blue and white lace pattern.

Localities: Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico

About Stones: Bismuth

Astrological Sign: Aquarius

Chakra: All

Lore: Bismuth is a stone for transformation, allowing for orderliness and calm during the state of change. It stimulates cohesiveness in groups and relationships, supporting progression towards a common goal. Relieves feelings of emotional and spiritual isolation.

Geology: Bismuth is a silvery-white metal. Lab-grown “Hopper” crystals have a stairstep shape resulting from the edges growing more quickly than the crystal faces. Irridescent surface colors are due to surface oxides.

Localities: Laboratory grown in Germany

About Stones: Bertrandite

Astrological Sign: Pisces, Capricorn, Aquarius

Chakra: Root, Sacral

Lore: Bertrandite supports a smooth transition when undergoing change. It assists in the verbalization of hidden feelings. Beryllium Opal is reputed to enhance sexual energy.

Geology: This relatively new material, an opalized fluorite, is also called "Tiffany Stone" and Ice Cream Opalite. It occurs in a mixture of cream or white opalite with purple fluorite, traces of yellow bertrandite, along with other red or black mineral inclusions. Mineralized beryllium nodules altered by a fluorine-rich solution form in the sequence dolomite-calcite-chalcedony-opal/fluorite. The nodules are recovered from an area where the bertrandite rock is mined commercially for the recovery of beryllium used in the manufacture of satellites and aircraft. Bertrandite is beryllium silicate hydroxide.

Composition: Be4Si2O7(OH)2

Hardness: 6-7

Locality: Brush Wellman Beryllium Mine, Juab County, Delta, Utah

About Stones: Azurite-Malachite

Astrological Sign: Sagittarius, Capricorn

Chakra: Brow

Lore: Azurite-malachite encourages an interest in our
surroundings and fellow human beings. It encourages harmony between the intellect and feelings, and helps to release suppressed emotions.

Geology: Azurite-malachite is a rare alkaline copper carbonate formed by rainwater containing carbolic acid in the oxidation zone of copper ore deposits.

Localities: Arizona, West Germany

About Stones: Aventurine

Astrological Sign: Aries

Chakra: Solar Plexus, Heart

Lore: Aventurine enhances creativity and amplifies leadership qualities. It reveals what makes us happy or unhappy, stimulates dreaming, and helps make our dreams come true.

Geology: Aventurine is a massive green quartz that obtains its sparkling color from inclusions of fuchsite, a chromium mica. The name is from the Italian a ventura meaning randomly, a reference to the random deposits of mica contained within.

Localities: India, Brazil, Russia

About Stones: Apophyllite

Astrological Sign: Libra, Gemini

Chakra: Brow, Crown, Heart

Lore: Apophyllite helps create a conscious connection between the physical and the spiritual. It allows the recognition of truth and encourages tranquility, a calm attitude, and honesty. Facilitates astral travel.

Geology: Apophyllite is a sheet silicate that is formed hydrothermally. Tabular crystals are cubic or octahedral, sometimes dipyramidal or platy. May be colorless, white, or light shades of pink, green and yellow.

Localities: India, Mexico

About Stones: Apache Tear

Astrological Sign: Aries

Chakra: Root

Lore: Traditionally, the Apache tear is said to be one of the tears shed by Native American women in mourning for their warriors who were driven from a cliff by the U.S. cavalry. It is used for comfort in times of grief, providing insight and acceptance.

Geology: The Apache tear is a small black nodule of obsidian or volcanic glass. The main obsidian flow has been altered to a whitish porous rock called perlite containing unaltered transparent glassy nodules.

Localities: Arizona

About Stones: African Bloodstone

Astrological Sign: Cancer, Leo, Taurus

Chakra: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus

Lore: Bloodstone is also known as heliotrope, Greek for “solstice,” referring to its powerful healing power. It aids in the renewal of physical and emotional states. A stone of courage, it helps to revitalize love relationships and friendships. Bloodstone has the capacity to clear scattered thoughts in preparation for meditation.

Geology: Bloodstone is a chalcedony, a microcrystalline variety of quartz. It is colored an opaque green with red spots caused by hematite and other iron oxides. African Bloodstone is sometimes called "Seftonite."

Localities: India, Africa, Australia

About Stones: Abalone Shell

Astrological Sign: Pisces

Chakra: Root, Solar Plexus

Lore: Abalone shells are used to enhance smudging activities. The shells, one of the earliest forms of wealth, were revered by ancient tribes as magical gifts from the sea. They stimulate fertility of mind and body, improving self-image and physical power.

Biology: Abalone are mollusks with one-piece shells. They belong to the genus Haliotis which means "sea ear." They are rounded or oval with a row of respiratory pores along one side.

Locality: Mexico, Philippines.

Valentine Heart Special

Our 25% off Toad Hollow Mineral Sale continues at Anita's Beads. This week's special (beginning Saturday January 22nd and ending Friday January 28th) is on hearts. All gemstone hearts in stock are 50% off. So choose your Valentines Day gifts early for the best selection!

A Little History of Anita's Beads

I was updating my Toad Hollow Minerals information page the other day because I noticed the links to most of the photographs were broken. This activity got me thinking about the history of Anita's Beads. I started my first business, "Designs On You," back in the late 70's when I was living in Beverly, Massachusetts. I produced silk-screened t-shirts, batik (the wax resist dye technique that was my major self-taught discovery for that decade) pillows and quilted wall hangings, quilted ornaments, and objects embellished with applique and/or embroidery.

Then came major discovery number two: minerals and beads. I began selling quartz crystals and beaded sterling silver jewelry with a partner as "Underground Sterling & Stone." My partner was a salesman and the jewelry I produced was sold, for the most part, to New Age/Alternative Healing gift shops.

When I moved to New Hampshire in 1996, I decided to look for a place that could accommodate a home-based retail shop. I purchased the property then known as "Toad Hollow" in Wakefield. I moved in June and by the fourth of July I had established "Toad Hollow Jewelry" in the carriage house attached to the barn. By October the unheated space was too cold for comfort so I moved the operation into house occupying the room which is now Studio 2. Once filled with display cases, the room seemed very small!

At the time I was working as a children's librarian in the nearby town of Wolfeboro so in March 1997 I decided to open "Venus Rising," a mineral, crystal, bead and jewelry shop with a decidedly New Age flavor there.

Venus Rising closed in May of 2000 when I shifted my focus back to Toad Hollow full-time and expanded the business to occupy the barn (for minerals) and the carriage house once again (for jewelry and beads). Only this time the buildings were heated! Below is a photo of the carriage house as bead room.

Then bead part of the business became more popular than the rest and required more space, so the barn became a bead shop. In September 2006 I officially started "Anita's Beads" and added a large selection of Czech glass beads to the inventory.

And having made major discovery number 3 which was collage, the carriage house became my gallery.

Below is a recent photo of the bead shop as it looks today:

I'm working on a new display for the check-out counter on the right to show some of the lovely Toad Hollow crystals on sale this winter and will put up photos here soon!

Toad Hollow Coprolite

I'm excited to report that one of my photographs of Coprolite or "petrified dinosaur poop" has been included in Exotic Gems, Volume 2 by Renee Newman. The book is due to be released next month at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. You can see more photos of Toad Hollow coprolite, in addition to other fossil and mineral specimens online. Specimens are available for purchase at Anita's Beads in Wakefield, New Hampshire. Don't forget our 25% off Winter Sale on all Toad Hollow minerals, crystals and tumbled stones which runs through March 21st.

Toad Hollow Mineral Sale

At Anita's Beads we are having a sale on our entire collection of Toad Hollow Minerals. Take 25% off of tumbled stones, rough stones, crystals, and mineral specimens beginning today. The sale will continue through March 21st but supplies are limited to stock on hand so shop early for the best selection. In addition, weekly specials will be offered at an additional 25% off.

This week's special is tumbled stones. Wire-wrappers take note: stock up on tumbled stones at 50% off now through Friday January 21st. Watch for our next weekly special to be announced on Anita's Bead Blog!

I've also been doing some long overdue revision work on the Toad Hollow Minerals site. All broken links on the Site Index page have been updated or removed to eliminate the annoying "404 Page Not Found" error messages. Additional work will be forthcoming!

Anita's Customer Appreciation Sale

20% Off - Toad Hollow Minerals

15% OFF - All Czech Glass Beads

10% OFF - Anita's Jewelry and Collage Art

10% OFF - Just About Everything Else (*)

(*)Not on sale: Sterling Silver items; Gold-Filled items; Soft Flex and Soft Touch Wire; Power Pro; Fire-Line

Sale Ends - Friday December 31, 2010

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