Artisanal Chocolate and Gems: A Wellness Tasting
A WELLNESS EXPERIENCE, PAIRING ARTISANAL CHOCOLATES AND GEMSTONES AT THE WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Woodstock, Vermont was a restorative experience like no other - an exploration of wellness with surprise and delight!
What do chocolates and gemstones have in common?
Intention and connection! They honor the people and places these precious luxuries are from and are imbued with properties that empower our inner well-being to feel:
calm
energized
clarity of mind
inner tranquility
At this Wellness Tasting hosted by Woodstock Inn & Resorts, guests experienced four flights of handcrafted Tavernier Chocolates and responsibly sourced gemstones - each pair having an intentional wellness benefit.
THE WELLNESS BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE AND THE METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF GEMSTONES
Since ancient times, chocolate has been revered as having great cultural and medicinal significance. Similarly, gemstones are believed to have metaphysical properties to protect or empower us.
Dar of Tavernier Chocolates guided us through tasting her sensational single origin, hand made chocolates that activated and engaged all our senses!
Melissa of All The Brilliants shared stories and elemental qualities that make the artisanally mined gems special (some sourced from women) as they passed around the table.
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A quick look at GARNET, AMETHYST, AQUAMARINE, and SAPPHIRE…
Garnet has serious charisma! It can be any color of the rainbow and exhibit the widest variety of color-change hues among all gemstones.
Amethyst is a fancy purple version of quartz. It can exhibit a range of purple hues - the most valuable is an intense “raspberry” purple.
Aquamarine can exhibit a range of pale blue or greenish-blue, the most prized being an intense, deeply saturated blue or greenish-blue.
Sapphire is often known as a royal blue gemstone, but it can be any color except red, which would make it a ruby!
THE MOHS SCALE:
SAPPHIRE, AQUAMARINE, AMETHYST, AND GARNET
The Mohs Scale of Hardness is an important guide to determining ideal gemstones for certain kinds of jewelry, such as rings you wear every day or bracelets that may be regularly exposed to accidental contact with hard surfaces. Think of it as a qualitative scale that measures how resistant a mineral is to scratching.
Quartz, a 7 on the Mohs Scale, is a great baseline. Generally speaking, gemstones that are harder than quartz are great options as everyday rings.
Diamond is the hardest at 10, which is why it is ideal as an engagement ring.
Sapphire is a 9, making it a colorful, enduring candidate as an engagement ring.
Aquamarine and Morganite are the same mineral species! They are both on the hard side at 7.5 - 8, meaning they are beautiful options for an everyday ring.
Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz and citrine is a yellow variety - all of which are a 7.
Garnet at 6.5 - 7.5 is also a wonderful choice as an everyday ring - ideally with a setting designed to protect it from accidental bumps with hard surfaces.
What makes a gemstone valuable?
RARITY, but the most important distinction is whatever color, cut, or size of stone that is uniquely beautiful to you is what matters most.
If you wish to make one of these gemstones yours to create a bespoke piece or are seeking intentional jewelry that honors your personal story, let’s connect!
Create an EMPOWERING LAYERING NECKLACE
What to know about ETHICAL GEMSTONES and GOLD to ensure your jewelry is NOT FUNDING CONFLICT
WHAT DOES RESPONSIBLY SOURCED MEAN?
Responsible sourcing protects people, their skills, and the environment.
This photo features one of the growing number of women (and their male allies) at Market Days in East Africa whose livelihood is positively impacted by responsibly sourced gemstones. Vertical integration enables artisanal mining communities to thrive - sustainably!
Monica Stevens, founder of ANZA and Moyo Gems with Anna J, who has recovered from a stroke to come back to the Market Days in Tanga, Tanzania.
In the same way that we know where our food is from and who made our clothes, why not jewelry?
Responsible sourcing goes beyond ethically or sustainably sourced. This encompasses conflict-free, traceability, protecting people, their skills, and the environment be it land or sea. This is an open, evolving conversation worth having, as we all seek to make choices that align with our values.
As much as possible, the designers in this community do their best to choose jewelry “ingredients” that honor this. Everyone is at a different place in their journey.
Gemstones can be responsibly sourced or post-consumer recycled (recovered from previously worn jewelry to be reset in a new design).
For precious metals, this can mean using recycled gold - or a step further is mercury-free Fairmined gold.
WHAT IS FAIRMINED GOLD?
As we make ethical choices with Fairtrade wine, chocolate, and fashion, why not the gold in our jewelry? Let’s compare recycled gold versus Fairmined gold…
JEWELRY THAT AMPLIFIES YOUR STORY, STYLE, AND INNER POWER
As your fine jewelry concierge, I find discerning jewelry gifts for you or someone you love that align with your values. In addition to sourcing gemstones, this personalizes service includes private shopping for:
rings and engagement rings
earrings
necklaces
bracelets
responsibly sourced gemstones
Discover how I helped a client find a birthday gift for his special someone and what it’s like working with this highly specialized service.