Learn the secrets of the gemstone trade and the designers who create the silver and gold objects of our desire.

Experience the adventure through my travels without leaving the comfort of your home.

Hunt for rocks and mine for gemstones you are familiar with--amethysts, topaz, emerald, ruby, sapphire, and diamond. I will show you gems you will not see in a retail jewelry store--pink rhodochrosite, rainbow obsidian, blue chalcedony, green diopside.

Harvest coral from the beds of the Mediterranean Sea. Comb the beaches of the Baltic Sea for golden amber. Go to the islands of French Polynesia to view the harvesting of the famous Black Tahitian Pearl.

When I was very young I fell in love with jewelry. I was given an aquamarine ring as a birthstone present for my birthday. It was magical--it sparkled and shone--and I was forever hooked on the world of jewelry.

I have travelled the world searching for beautiful jewelry and the pieces that make the jewelry beautiful.

Leslie Leirness Jewelry Designs for Shabocon Shabocon brings you unique jewelry handcrafted by Leslie in her California studio.

Jewelry By Shabocon Blog The Jewelry By Shabocon Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the jewelry-design-gemstone.com website. Subscribe here.

Birthstone-History & Lore Birthstone-history and lore reach back several centuries.

Jewelry Cameos and What You Need to Know Hand-carved cameos and cameo jewelry are one-of-a-kind treasures.

What Makes a Rock a Gemstone? There exists in nature over three thousand crystals, minerals and biogenic materials, yet only a very small percentage have the characteristics necessary to be classified as a gemstone.

Gemstone Words and Terms Glossary The gemstone words used in the jewelry community are confusing. How do gemstone words describe the quality and value of gemstones?

Measurements For Jewelry, Gemstones, Gold, & Silver Carats & karats? Grams & grains? 14k & .925? Understand the confusing weights & measurements-for-jewelry.

Pearls of Wisdom about the Pearl Confused by all the types of pearls and pearl jewelry offered out there? Freshwater, saltwater, cultured, natural, dyed. . . it's all explained here.

Is It Real Gold? Is there a surefire way to tell if a piece of jewelry is real gold?

Jewelry-Making-Techniques or How Did They Do That? Variations on a theme best describes how to approach the study of jewelry-making-techniques.