Lakefest '09

Join Hearts Desire Jewelry

this weekend at

Lakefest '09

This weekend in Oakland-LAKEFEST '09 August 1st and 2nd, 10a-6p!

Look for us between the Peet's Coffee and Long's Drugstore.

Free, all-ages street festival featuring live musical performers covering a wide spectrum of genres from reggae to world beat to folk to rock to country-and just about everything in-between.

Lakeshore Ave will be turned into a pedestrian zone from Lake Park to Mandana to host this free community event with... artisans, gourmet food, merchant sidewalk sale, art installations, "green" businesses and non-profits, street performers and a children's fun zone.

SF Fashion Awards

How many hotels can claim that Keanu Reeves, Joan Jett,Vincent Gallo and Little Richard have graced their mattresses (no, silly, not all at the same time!)?

How many hotels are the crash pad and launching pad for world-renowned bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Psychedelic Furs and Pearl Jam;

and up-and-comers like The Killers, Bloc Party and The Shins?

With so much creative energy swirling around you never know who might be strumming a guitar, posing for a photo shoot

or just kicking back by the pool.

Enter - The Second Annual San Francisco Fashion Awards

at The Hotel Phoenix next week Sunday, July 26:

The most promising summer event and Awards Show in San Francisco,featuring 13 emerging local designers, 15 Fashion Vendors,

Rock and Roll Band,Beautiful People, Models and spirits.
Visit: http://www.sanfranciscofashionawards.com

Come and Join us for the Second Annual San Francisco Fashion Awards. The most fun Summer Fashion Event in San Francisco. Including Pool Party, BBQ, Runway Show with 13 Designers, plus a Trunk Sale. I will be there with a table full of goodies - some discounted by as much as 50% off!

ADVANCE TICKETS SOLD HERE: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71881

Happy Birthday, July Babies!

The luscious Ruby is the modern and traditional birthstone for the month of July. It is a fine and precious gemstone that has been celebrated as one of the most valuable of all gemstones for thousands of years. Rubies are members of the Corundum mineral family, along with Sapphires. In fact, Rubies are simply red Sapphires.

Corundum is naturally clear in its pure form, but they become Rubies when other minerals are introduced. They can vary in color from a pink, purple or brownish shade of red depending on how much chromium, titanium and iron are in the mix.
Rubies are the second hardest of gemstones - only Diamonds are harder. The transparency of the stone is not as important as the color, with the pure red to reddish blue being the most valuable. Like Emeralds, inclusions are acceptable in a Ruby because it is proof that the gem is natural and unique, the way a fingerprint is unique to each individual person. While the general rule is to look for stones that have no inclusions visible to the naked eye, a fine silken sheen throughout the stone, known as chatoyancy, can actually enhance their beauty.

The silken sheen on rubies is caused by titanium dioxide mineral deposits, or rutiles. Some rubies are known to display a six spoke star when the gem is cut into a cabochon form. This star is caused by light reflecting off very fine needles of rutile deposited within the gem in a star shape. This play of light is called asterism.

Rubies are often heat-treated to improve their color and clarity, a practice that has been around since 50 AD. That enhancement is safe and permanent. A more modern enhancement used on rubies is to fill fractures with dyed polymers and oils. Since Rubies are a very hard gem, they can withstand most cleaning methods, unless they have been filled. If you are unsure of your gemstone's pedigree, skip harsher cleaning methods and simply wipe them with a warm, sudsy cloth.

The word Ruby comes from the Latin "ruber," meaning red and was called the "Rajnapura" or King of Gems by ancient Hindus. It has been celebrated through history because its luscious color is a symbol of love and passion as well as fire and power. Rubies are the sacred stones of the Burmese, who compare it to a human soul about to enter the precincts of the Buddha. The red gem was often worn by royalty as a charm against evil.

Many cultures revere the Ruby as having magical powers. They were thought to forecast danger by turning darker when peril was imminent, and to return to its original color once danger was past. It was even considered to be medicinal by some ancient cultures. Ground to a powder and placed on the tongue, the Ruby was used as a cure for indigestion and liver disorders. It was also thought to heal snake bites and bleeding.

The Ruby's lush red color has long been symbolic of unbridled, everlasting love. Ancient lore says that when it is worn on the left side of the body or on the left hand, the Ruby will bring good fortune to its wearer.

For more information or to purchase the jewelry showcased here, simply click on the picture.