NEWS FROM JFC

Latest news from JFC:

On June 6, 2010, Jewelers for Children, the industry's charity, held the 12^th We announced intentions to donate $ 3 million to our charity partners in the year ahead. We also recognized Ed Hrabak, senior vice president and general merchandise manager at Sterling, Inc., and Jonathan Goldman, CEO of Frederick Goldman, Inc., and the first board chair for Jewelers for Children starting in 1999. The evening also included the first JFC Children's Humanitarian Awards presented to former model Kathy Ireland and actress Jaime Pressly for their support of causes to benefit children in need. Annual Facets of Hope event in Las Vegas during the JCK Show.

JFC intends to distribute $ 600,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, to continue the multi-year funding of a research project on the immune systems in children being treated for cancer; $ 600,000 to the National CASA Association to fund the Champions for Abused Children program; $ 600,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America to grant wishes in all 50 states; $ 530,000 to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to fund prevention and treatment programs in Africa; $ 470,235 to Autism Speaks to fund the Toddler Treatment Network; $ 50,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation International to continue funding wishes in India; and $ 25,000 to the Santa-America Fund to fund recruitment and training efforts for volunteer Santa's and Elves.

The theme for the evening was "It's All About the Kids" and the young people representing our charity partners presented the program.

Jewels Quest is proud to be part of JFC. Donating procedes from watch batteries to various organizations helping children in need. Our program is called Change a watch battery, change a childs life.

The Best Gemstone Book of Healing!

Through out the ages, many have recognized the value of the healing properties of gemstones, their magic and beauty aside, they guard the wearer against harm and bring amazing and powerful effects such as positive energy and serenity. The ancients from Egypt to the Jewish priest and Chinese rulers among others, understood this and used gemstones in their ceremonies. Today wearing gemstones is a way to promote health, and all around well being. Boost your energy level, attract wealth, liven your love life, gemstone are not only worn for their beauty, they are magical and speak differently to each one of us.

My personal favorite gemstone is the Aquamarine.

Over and over, I have referred to many books to learn about the different healing properties of gemstones. By far Healing Crystals and Gemstones: From Amethyst to Zircon has been my favorite. From Agate to Zircon, you get complete information about the origins of a gemstone, their properties and healing effects. Comprehensive and easy to read, not to mention priced very low for the amount of information you're getting.

June Birthstone: PEARL

Pearl Bracelet

From one of the humblest of life forms, the mollusk, comes the pearl -- a gem of unsurpassed beauty and elegance. Ancient civilizations had many stories to explain the origin of June's birthstone, such as the Greek belief that pearls were the hardened tears of joy that the goddess of love shook from her eyes as she was born from the sea. According to Arab legend, pearls were formed when oysters were lured from the depths of the ocean by the beautiful moon and then swallowed moonlit dewdrops. And the Ancient Chinese thought that these gems originated from the brains of dragons.

The scientific explanation for natural pearls is almost as mystifying as folklore. When an irritant, such as a small parasite or a fish lodges in the flesh of an oyster, mussel, or clam, a protective substance called "nacre" is produced. Over years, layer upon layer of shimmering nacre coats the intruder, creating a lustrous pearl. Natural pearls are relatively rare, so a process evolved in which a piece of shell or bead was placed inside a mollusk to stimulate the production of nacre. This results in a cultured pearl, which accounts for about 90 per cent of the pearl industry.

Divers find natural pearls in The Persian Gulf as well as in the waters off Japan, the South Pacific Islands off northern Australia, and the coasts of Panama, Venezuela, and California. Most of the cultured pearl industry is in Japanese and Australian coastal waters. These gems come in a variety of colors, from pure white to pink, yellow, gray and black. They also come in different shapes and sizes.

Pearls have been a passion and even an obsession of people throughout the ages. They have been ground up and used in cosmetics and as a medicine to treat heart and stomach conditions. Some cultures swear by pearls as an aphrodisiac. These gems have adorned crowns, clothing, and temples, and were said to be a favorite of Cleopatra.

Only those with royal status once wore pearl jewelry, but eventually these gems were seen among all classes of people. They continue to be viewed as a mark of taste and refinement as well as a symbol of purity, and they are often given to celebrate a marriage or the birth of a child. Pearls are nature's perfect gift, suitable for all ages, and elegantly worn with everything from jeans to an evening gown.

Alternate Birthstones
June has two alternate birthstones. The first is Moonstone, a type of feldspar named because of its uncanny resemblance to the iridescent sheen of the moon. Varying in color from clear to blue-white or peach, it was considered by ancient civilizations to be a sacred stone, bestowing the wearer with great spiritual understanding. Some believed that the Moonstone could even make a person invisible! Mined in Sri Lanka, Brazil, India, Madagascar, and the United States, a gift of this stone is symbolic of health and longevity.

The second alternate birthstone for June is the Alexandrite. A yellowish or brownish green in color, this gemstone has the unique characteristic of changing color to a red hue when exposed to a glowing light source, such as candlelight. Because of this quality, it has been characterized by poets as "an emerald by day, a ruby by night." Alexandrite was first discovered in Urals in 1830 but is mined today primarily in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Burma, Madagascar and Tanzania. It is a rare and expensive gemstone, symbolic of joy and good fortune.

source: About Birthstones

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