posted November 11, 2002 03:59 PM         

When I wore them I seemed to always have good luck.?

posted November 13, 2002 03:28 PM         

"Pyrite (see also Marcasite) - Also known as "Fool's Gold, pyrite brings the energy of the Sun into the physical. It increases physical stamina, stimulates the intellect and helps to transform thought into intelligent action. It is a wonderful stone for use in wealth magick or in trying to manifest needed energies. An excellent shield-stone, pyrite removes negativity from the aura. Marcasite is essentially the same mineral."

"History of Marcasite -
Marcasite is a natural mineral ore, a form of iron pyrite. Originally created to be a subsitute for diamonds, it came into fashion under the reign of Louis XIV of France, when it was set in silver in the form of floral sprays and rosettes for brooches and buckles. After World War I, marcasite regained popularity as America entered the Roaring Twenties. Glamour and glitter, rags-to-riches were the bywords of this exciting decade. Even those who could not afford the real diamonds could purchase the imitation, hence marcasite was dubbed "the poor man's diamond." Marcasite was the perfect medium for the Art Deco style. Marcasite as well as the newest plastics, bakelite, and onyx were fashioned into basic geometric shapes, overlapping lines, waterfall effects and Neo-Egyptian motifs with the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922."

Marcasite is a natural Stone, which is mined like a Diamond . It comes from the mountains of Switzerland. The crude stones are cut like diamonds. They have many facets. These facets bring out the brilliance of the stone.

Marcasite jewels are usually set in sterling silver & sparkle like Diamonds."

"Did you know: that some of Madame Pompadour's favorite jewels were set with marcasite stones?
that Marie Antoinette owned several pairs of marcasite earrings that were the envy of her entire court?
as far back as Cleopatra, it has been said that she was known to have been very fond of her marcasite jewelry?"

"Marcasite - Cleopatra wore marcasite jewelry, for mystic strength and preservation of her beauty. Marie Antoinette preferred marcasites to diamonds or pearls. Queen Victoria revived the marcasite as the "ladylike" stone perfect for mourning jewelry, eschewing the popular diamond as gaudy and inappropriate. When Queen Victoria mourned her dear husband Albert for over forty years, England and the world mourned with her. Marcasites thus enjoyed a height-of-fashion status for over a century and, due to the far-reaching influence of the British Empire, the marcasite vogue spread across the world.
The popularity of the Queen's favorite jewelry endured into our time. Beloved by the late Victorians, marcasites marked the way through the Deco age of the 1920s and 30s, left for a few years during World War II, when the mineral was difficult to obtain, but returned in later periodic revivals. Marcasite jewelry is currently manufactured and sold in the United States and in many other countries. The fashion forecast for marcasite jewelry looks good this year also.

Iron sulphide, FeS2, the base mineral for marcasites, has been mined in the Jura Mountains in France for longer than anyone cares to remember, and is found in many other areas also, notably in Germany and Poland, and in the Middle East and Asia.

A marcasite stone is cut similarly to a rose-cut diamond. However, a rose-cut diamond is always mounted with its table facet up while the marcasite may be set either with its table facet or its point up. The many facetted points of tightly pave-set marcasites reflect light to produce the classic marcasite jewelry look.

The jeweler inserts the flat or pointed base by pressure into a die-cut hole in a heated setting. When it cools, the marcasite is firmly set. Sterling silver settings are preferred for marcasites but gold and base metals are also used.

Marcasites are strong stones but there are limits. When deeply heat-set by hand in the classic manner nothing should happen to the stones in normal wear. Marcasites may fall out when cracked by careless handling, never when intact. Rings and bracelets are especially vulnerable. Care should be exercised so as not to expose the jewelry to shocks"

posted November 18, 2002 03:27 PM         

Yeah, could be where you got the good luck from :-) Take good luck where you can find it, right?