Partial Eclipse & Blue Moon on New Year's

On this New Year's Eve there will be a Blue Moon (the second full moon of December) and a partial Eclipse (visible in most of Europe, Africa and Asia).

Approximately every six months we have a Lunar Eclipse. A Lunar Eclipse is when the shadow of the Moon travels across the surface of the Earth. It will only occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are lined up with the Earth in the middle, and the Moon is on the far side of the Earth from the Sun: when there is a Full Moon.

There were 41 Blue Moons in the twentieth century and there was one of only four during an eclipse. So enjoy this very rare occasion while ringing in the new year!

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year for us here in the Northern Hemisphere. Which at first sounds like a bad thing, but when you think about it ... it is a good thing! Every day from now until Summer Solstice will be longer! More daylight to get things done; like stringing, beading and wire-work which for me go faster with natural light :)

As you can see last winter was a bit rough here in the Pacific Northwest! We rarely get snow and last year it stuck around for several weeks. Making every day tasks (like driving) quite difficult.

Many of our current holiday traditions center around the winter solstice. Midwinter festivals and celebrations occurring on the longest night of the year, often calling for evergreens, bright illumination, large ongoing fires, feasting, communion with close ones, and evening physical exertion by dancing and singing are examples of cultural winter therapies that have evolved as traditions since the beginnings of civilization.

Christian churches recognized folk elements of the festival in various cultures within the past several hundred years, allowing much of the folklore and traditions of local pagan festivals to be appropriated.

The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not certain of living through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January and April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve.

12 Days of Christmas Deals

12 Days of Christmas Deals at www.SilverRoseBeads.com

SilverRoseBeads is celebrating the 12 days of Christmas with 12 days of sales! Check back daily for the featured items and promo codes.

• Promo codes announced daily.
• Limited to stock on hand.
• Website items only, eBay items excluded.
• Sale begins at 12:01AM on date stated & ends at 11:59PM on the same date. (all times are Eastern Standard Time)

December 14 - 35% off Amethyst (promo code: 35Amethyst)

December 15 - 35% off Diamonds (promo code: 35Diamond)

Be check to see www.SilverRoseBeads.com for the current Deal & Promo code!

2009 Holiday Shipping Cut Off Dates

Want it delivered by December 25?

Find shipping and mailing deadlines for your domestic & international cards and packages here.

Payment Cut-Off Date	Mail Class
December 22	Domestic Express Mail
December 20	Domestic Priority or 1st class
December 16	International Express Mail
December 10	International Priority or 1st class Mail

How to create a shimmering Diamond Necklace

These amazing diamonds are a beautiful platinum lavender-pink and shimmer with life! I accented them with a natural lavender-pink pearl, sterling silver stardust beads & locking clasp. This project is very simple but can take quite a bit of time as you must string the diamond beads carefully! These diamond beads have very sharp holes and we strung them on 0.10" nylon coated stainless steel beading wire, but on the first attempt they did cut through the wire. Up to 50% off Lavender-Pink Beads This color category includes Platinum Lavender/Pink Diamonds, Fluorite, Pearls & more! All images are linked to those items. Up to 50% off Indigo Blue Beads This color category includes Lapis & More! All images are linked to those items.

Save up to 50% Up to 50% off Lavender Pink & Indigo Blue Beads! No promo code needed Website purchases only, eBay items excluded Limited to stock on hand Sale begins December 7 and ends December 8 at 11:59PM Eastern (GMT-4:00) Offer Expires: December 8 at 11:59PM Eastern (GMT -4:00)

December Birthstones - Blue Zircon, Turquoise & Ruby

December Birthstones: Blue Zircon, Turquoise & Ruby

Blue Zircon is the traditional birthstone for December. Zircon occurs in many different colors, including red, pink, brown, yellow, hazel, black, or colorless. Large specimens are appreciated as gemstones, owing to their high refractive index. (Zircon has a refractive index of approximately 1.95; diamond's is approximately 2.4.)

Turquoise is the modern birthstone for December. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. The pastel shades of turquoise have endeared it to many great cultures of antiquity: it has adorned the rulers of Ancient Egypt, the Aztecs (and possibly other Pre-Colombian Mesoamericans), Persia, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and to some extent in ancient China since at least the Shang Dynasty. Turquoise was among the first gems to be mined, and while many historic sites have been depleted, some are still worked to this day.

Ruby is the Ayurvedic birthstone for December. Ruby is a variety of the mineral corundum. Prices of rubies are primarily determined by color. The brightest and most valuable "red" called pigeon blood-red, commands a huge premium over other rubies of similar quality. All natural rubies have imperfections in them, including color impurities and inclusions of rutile needles known as "silk". Gemologists use these needle inclusions found in natural rubies to distinguish them from synthetics, simulations, or substitutes.

See more Blue Zircon, Turquoise & Ruby Beads here.

November 16 - International Day for Tolerance

The International Day for Tolerance is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. It is observed on 16 November. ~Wiki

The UN Declaration was part of the event on the international effort of the United Nations Year for Tolerance.
In this declaration, participating states reaffirmed the "faith in the fundamental human rights" and also in dignity and value to human life, besides curbing successive generations of war resulting from cultural issues, stressing the encouragement to tolerance and peaceful socialization among neighboring population.

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these." ~George Washington Carver

We're taking some time here at SilverRoseBeads today to think about what we can do as individuals to be more tolerant of others. The hectic Holiday season is upon us and it sometimes is hard to remember that simple acts of everyday kindness can change the world. Just by showing tolerance to others, you can cause a chain reaction!

How to Create Sparkly Holiday Earrings

Add some bling to your wardrobe without breaking the bank! These sparkly earrings shimmer in the light due to the fantastic facets on these natural quartz beads. What a great gift for yourself or someone special!

Up to 50% off Clear Beads

This color category includes Quartz, White Diamonds, White Sapphires & more!

All images are linked to those items.

Up to 50% off Silvery-Grey Beads

This color category includes Sterling Silver, Freshwater Pearls, Apache Jasper & More!

All images are linked to those items. Up to 50% off Clear & Silvery-Grey Beads!

• No promo code needed
• Website purchases only, eBay items excluded
• Limited to stock on hand
• Sale begins November 9 and ends November 12 at 11:59PM Eastern (GMT-4:00)