Have you heard about the new “mystic” gemstones? It’s essentially any semi-precious gemstone that’s given this beautiful shining finish that brings out colors, creates a bit of a halo effect, and lets even humble stones provide an overall sophisticated look to your piece. This finish is not for the gemstone purists, as it’s obviously not 100% natural, but it is a designer’s dream. It takes beautiful but common stones and introduces a real “wow” factor that’s sure to catch attention in any setting.
An obvious comparison for a mystic finish is the popular aurora borealis, or AB, finish. While there are some similarities between the two, a “mystic” gemstone is a bit more subtle while still managing to pop even more at any size. It starts with a high-gloss luster, then brings in hints of soap bubble iridescence that provide color without clashing with or overriding the underlying stone. In contrast, an AB finish typically has a vivid rainbow that leans toward purples and blues – gorgeous on glass, but could conceal a lot of the underlying material. Since stones are prized for their unique natural variations, too vivid of a finish could defeat the purpose of purchasing them over cheaper alternatives.
The level of visible iridescent rainbow colors varies widely across these semi-precious gemstones, with more generally visible in the lighter-colored stones. Striped or variegated stones result in a breathtaking ethereal effect as the levels of color dance with the base hues.
You can typically find mystic finishes on more common stones that are beautiful, but cheap. These might include lighter-colored agate and quartz (such as rose quartz), dyed sardonyx, “Indian agate,” and a wide range of more common jaspers. In many cases, it offers a more sophisticated finish than this grade of stone typically possesses, allowing you to get a lot more bang for your designing buck.
Overall, these shining gemstones are not a good choice if you design only with all-natural stones, as they are often dyed in addition to having a baked-on finish. They are an excellent selection if you design with a variety of materials in order to achieve a specific, unique overall look. Mystic gemstone beads mix beautifully with Czech glass, antiqued metal of all types, and matte spacer beads. Smaller beads are a great choice for earrings; the flash from a single bead is enough to draw the eye and accentuate the beautiful shapes around it. Larger stones can frame focals, or stand alone in single-strand bracelets and necklaces.
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