Description
All our fantastic elves and angels on beautiful gemstones are made by Saskia Hoeboer. Born in Meppel in 1960, she is the youngest of four children. Since 1988, she has been making dolls from various types of polymer clay, and in recent years, primarily elves and sculptures. Before she started making dolls, she worked for many years at a jeweler. After the birth of her daughter Marlies in 1987, Saskia retired and gradually gave free rein to her creative ideas. She has always been interested in minerals. From a young age, she collected these stones. Her father would bring one home every now and then. She has also always been creative and always sought new challenges. Initially, she took several dollmaking courses, and over the years, she developed her own style. The minerals are used as a base, and then she begins to sculpt, sculpting directly onto the stone. The combination of the elves and the minerals is very special. Minerals are said to have healing properties. Not everyone is sensitive to this, including Saskia herself. Yet, there's definitely something special about these stones, because when she works with them, she almost never fails, and she always manages to mix the perfect clay colors, ensuring the clay color beautifully matches the colors of the stone she's working with. Besides elves, she also creates bronze and clay sculptures. She also spent several years as a silversmith and sculptor. For several years now, she's also been involved in photography, which is a wonderful thing to do! Her work is now sold and exhibited in various countries, and she occasionally sells it at a fair or exhibition. We at Timmersgems are proud to sell her fantastic creations.
Agate is a transparent, but sometimes also opaque, variety of quartz and a subvariety of chalcedony. The chemical structure of agate is identical to jasper, flint, and hornstone, and it is often found together with opal. The colorful, striped specimens are used as semi-precious stones. The name agate comes from the Greek Ἀχάτης, Achatès, the name of the present-day Dirillo River in southern Sicily, where agates and other chalcedonies were found. Traditionally, agate was worn as a lucky stone or for healing. Utensils such as buttons were also made from agate. A number of medicinal properties are attributed to agate, such as protection during pregnancy, relief from headaches, skin conditions, and balance disorders. According to various literature, agate is associated with the zodiac signs Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, and Gemini. Agate formations occur as a solution of silicic acid in cavities in older rocks. The stones can be artificially stained to obtain color combinations that are more vibrant than those found in nature. The major sources of agate are Brazil, Uruguay, and the United States (Oregon, Washington, and around Lake Superior). Closer to the Netherlands and Belgium, agate is also found in the Hunsrück in Germany.
Chemical composition: SiO2 + Al, Ca, Fe, Mn Crystal system: belongs to chalcedony-like quartz crystals, trigonal. Cleavage: none. Color: light blue or gray, but it can also be green. Streak color: none. Luster: vitreous, matte, silky. Hardness (Mohs): 6.5 to 7. Average density: 2.65 kg/dm³. Transparency: transparent to translucent.
