The Silvery Gibbon Project is a fundraising organization committed to the conservation of the critically endangered Silvery Gibbon, a primate found only in the jungles of Indonesia, and famous for its haunting and beautiful call.

On Saturday May 19th, they will be holding an art auction at Perth Zoo, to raise much needed funds to continue their conservation work.

Blue Turtles has produced a jewellery piece especially for this fundraising event – a silver bangle inscribed with the words, “Will you hear their call?”.  This bangle, along with many original works of art, will be available for you to bid at the auction event.

Visit the Silvery Gibbon Project website here for more information.

Solo Go Green is an initiative established by Pak Budhi Purnama, the head of STP Sahid Surakarta, a vocational high school in Sandy’s hometown of Solo.

Doron with Pak Budhi and the director of Balekambang Garden in Solo.

Recently new to his post as headmaster, Pak Budhi wanted to make the most of his position to create positive environmental change in Indonesia. So, he established the Solo Go Green initiative, starting off with a tree planting event, where over 600 trees were planted on the mountain slopes surrounding Solo, by students from his school and local government and business identities.

Blue Turtles was keen to get involved and sponsor the event. We could see that this isn’t simply about planting trees in the mountains – it’s an opportunity to plant new ideas and cultivate a fresh mentality in a country on the verge of change.

Some of the students from STP Sahid after tree planting at Candi Cetho.

Indonesia is set to occupy a more influential position on the world stage in the next few years, thanks to its huge population, its rich natural resources and continual economic reform. This means that Indonesia will have more of an impact on the global environment. But perhaps with a more aware population, its impact can be more positive!

A Javanese Hindu ceremony marked the tree planting. "He/she who sows, will reap."

Though generally there is an awareness of climate change and global warming in Indonesia, you get a sense that it usually only receives token attention and lip service – that many people there aren’t really seeing the big picture and how it influences their lives and impacts the rest of the world.

Through Blue Turtles’ involvement in the  Solo Go Green initiative, we hope to play an ongoing role in increasing awareness of environmental issues in Indonesia. By teaming with those already committed to the cause, we hope to help introduce the following ideas to mainstream Indonesia:

1. Dispose of waste thoughtfully (and put an end to the masses of plastic waste that litter Indonesia’s waterways)

2. Cut down on the use of plastics

3. Recycle where possible

4. Make buying and consumer decisions that take into account the environmental impact

We hope to bring you lots of good news in the future about Solo Go Green.

Pendant P-11-71

The perfect gift for Mothers

Day expresses to mums how

special they are, just for being

mums!

Pendant P-2-69

Pendant P-11-70

And what better way to express how we feel about our mums, than through words especially written for the purpose?

Here is our selection of sterling silver pendants from the Poetic Pieces Collection, inscribed with quotes perfect for MothersDay.

And these same quotes are also available in these chrome key rings…

Key Ring KC-1-71

Key Ring KC-1-70

Or, say it with flowers!

Florists do a brisk trade on Mothers Day, showing that mums obviously love being gifted with flowers.

So, give mum a gift of flowers that will last – something from Blue Turtles’ Wildflower Collection that she can keep close to her heart.

The flowers in these vibrant little jewellery pieces are real – miniature roses, forget-me-nots, pansies, allysiums and more.

To view either the Wildflower Collection or Poetic Pieces catalogues, contact us here.

To find a stockist of either Poetic Pieces or the Wildflower Collection, visit our stockist request page.

The “Be the Change” pendant is a not-for-profit Community Care project launched by Blue Turtles to raise funds for people affected by catastrophic famine in East Africa. $33 from the sale of every pendant will be donated to aid agencies fighting famine. We are currently supporting Action Against Hunger (ACF International).

The “Be the Change” pendant is the only product that Blue Turtles sells direct to the public.

You can participate in the project by doing one or more of these 3 things:

1. Stock the “Be the Change” pendant in your retail outlet (this is a non-profit item).

2. Distribute flyers in your store to promote the project.

3. Create a link from your website, facebook or twitter to the “Be the Change” web page.

To visit the “Be the Change” page, click here.

Contact us to discuss participating.

The 4 little concave discs in each earring seem to have randomly fallen together, sitting neatly next to each other over here and overlapping over there. The discs themselves are gently hand-beaten, and the overall effect is pleasantly organic.

The Coralie Earrings measure 22 mm in length and hang from a simple and stylish hook. They are, of course, fashioned from 100% quality sterling silver.

To request the Coralie Earrings from your local stockist, ask for item code E-SOL-15.

To find your local stockist, click here.

Chemical Composition: (Mg, Fe)2SiO4, Magnesium Iron Silicate

Hardness: 6.5 – 7

Other Names: Forsterite, Olivine, Chrysolite (Greek for “golden stone”)

Occurrence: USA, Hawaii, Australia, China, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Norway, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Egypt

Peridot’s relatively long history of contact with Humans began about 2500 years ago, when it was found on the island of Zabargad in the Red Sea. That island has been known by many names over the years, including Topazios, which is why to the ancient world, peridot was referred to as “topaz”, or “topazion”. But in the 18^th Century the mineral we now know as topaz was officially named so, and so the green stone from Zabargad was renamed “peridot”, perhaps after the Arabic word for gem, “faridat”.

The “correct” pronunciation of peridot is peri – “doe”, as in a female deer.

About the Mineral:

Peridot belongs to the Olivine group of minerals. Olivine is a common mineral that is said to make up close to 50% of the Earth’s upper mantle. There are beaches in Hawaii where the sand is almost entirely composed of olivine granules. Not only common to Earth, olivine has also been found on the Moon and Mars, and even as granules embedded in the matrix of meteors (these are known as Pallasites). Recently, NASA scientists observed crystals of olivine raining down on a distant infant star. It is the more rare, transparent, gem quality olivine that is referred to as peridot.

Its Chemistry:

Olivine is in fact a mineral series, which forms in ultramafic (magnesium and iron rich) igneous rock. A “mineral series” occurs when two different elements can substitute for each other in the composition of a mineral, without affecting the mineral’s crystal structure. In the case of olivine, its composition can vary from pure iron silicate (Fe2SiO4) to pure magnesium silicate (Mg2SiO4), or more commonly, a mix of both magnesium and iron in varying amounts. This is known as magnesium iron silicate (Mg, Fe2SiO4). Where both magnesium and iron are present but iron is more prevalent, the mineral is referred to as fayalite. When magnesium is more prevalent, it is called forsterite. Generally peridot falls into the category of forsterite. A composition of 12% to 15% iron with traces of nickel and chromium produce the finest colours of peridot.

Peridot will crystallize at high temperatures when its host rock is still in molten form. Erupting volcanoes have been known to spurt solid granules of olivine mixed in with the molten lava.

Its Colour:

Peridot ranges in shades of green from olive to mint to an intense and warm golden green. It is occassionally also yellow to brown.

Modern Uses:

Peridot is, of course, best known as a gemstone. But olivine has industrial uses as well. In its magnesium-rich form, it is used in refractory sand and brick because of its great resistance to heat.

It may even have a role to play in combating climate change. Magnesium-rich olivine is being considered as a candidate for a process called Mineral Sequestration, whereby C02 reacts with olivine and water to remove the carbon from the atmosphere and trap it in harmless minerals, like serpentine, magnesite and silica.

Its Metaphysical Properties:

The breastplate worn by the Israelite high priest who served in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem featured 12 stones, and one of those stones, “Tarshish”, is believed to have been a peridot.

Peridot’s energy is one of harmony, self-confidence and abundance. Everybody gets his or her fair share, but there’s a clear message here that we need to take responsibility for ourselves. It effectively prepares us to achieve what is already rightly ours.

Stimulating the 3^rd and 4^th chakras, peridot it is said to help align ones heart with ones will. To put it another way, it can help one to manifest the heart’s desire – as long as one is already being true to oneself.

It is considered to have a warm and friendly energy that radiates positivity and wellbeing, and can restore self-esteem, confidence and courage. It inspires a sense of self-contentedness.

It helps us to be aware of the patterns in our lives that don’t serve us well, and empowers us to make amends and move forward. It is in becoming aware of the patterns that have limited us that we are able to make the adjustments necessary to begin manifesting the life we want. When we remove the barriers, the Universe responds.

Peridot is attributed with creating a protective shield around the body, though it won’t protect one from oneself. Assuming one is already balanced and cleansed, peridot will afford protection from outer influences.

Other qualities attributed to peridot include its ability to help us find things that we’ve lost. It is also said to help one to communicate with beings from the nature spirit realm.

Physically, peridot is said to help in the healing of the heart, intestinal tract, lungs, spleen, and eyes. Some have even claimed that it will slow the aging process and stimulate contractions during the birthing process.

Peridot relates to the astrological signs of Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius, and vibrates to the numbers 5, 6 and 7.

Einstein was remarkable not only for his huge intellect (he is considered one of the most prolific intellects in human history), but for his spirituality and the enigma of his almost other-worldly simplicity. In the words of his colleague, nuclear physicist Robert Oppenheimer, “He was almost wholly without sophistication and wholly without worldliness . . . There was always with him a wonderful purity at once childlike and profoundly stubborn.”

We live in a time when many of us are no longer open to what cannot be proved beyond doubt with empirical evidence. There’s no place for miracles or magic within such a worldview, which is why we can take heart in the musings of a highly qualified scientist such as Einstein, who once said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

Einstein’s quote about the power of imagination is truly profound, as it alludes to the power that he perceived the human mind to have – the power to shape our own outcomes!

Thank you, Albert Einstein, for your contributions to both science and human potential.

Einstein’s quote is available inscribed on earrings E-3-55, pendant P-6-55, ring R-4-55 and key ring KC-2-55

Request a full Poetic Pieces catalogue here.

It’s here!

You can now purchase a “Be the Change” pendant and make a difference for East Africa.

The “Be the Change” pendant is a Community Care project launched by Blue Turtles to raise funds for people affected by catastrophic famine in East Africa. $33 from the sale of every pendant will be donated to aid agencies fighting famine. We are currently supporting Action Against Hunger (ACF International).

Visit our Be the Change page, and please share this page with everybody you can, because every pendant purchased means a donation to save lives.

Be the change, and make a difference!

As the weather warms up and the sun shines brighter, it’s the perfect time for wearing something from our stunning Wildflower Collection.

Beautiful and vibrant, the Wildflower collection comprises of real flowers, grown under the warm Mexican sun. They’re picked and dried, then finally arranged into little bouquets by a group of Mexican women who chatter amongst them selves, with tweezers in hand.

The tiny bouquets are preserved in place with a clear resin, and set with sterling silver.

These beautiful little pieces tell a lovely and unique story, and radiate colour and sunshine!

You can now request a Wildflower catalogue to be sent to you. To contact us, click here.

Silver is the whitest of all metals, yet a simple and natural chemical reaction can render it jet-black.

Here, two leaves of beautifully hammered silver, one highly polished to white and the other anodized to black, dangle freely one in front of the other.

We offer you a choice of 2 sizes in the Black Forest earrings.

Version 1 measures 26mm in length from the bottom of its hook to the lowest point and 6 mm across at its widest point.

Version 2 measures 32 mm in length from the bottom of the hook to the lowest point, and 10 mm across at their widest point.

To purchase a pair of Black Forest Earrings, ask your stockist for E-BLK-MQ, and specify either version 1 or 2.