New Year, New Beginnings!

Hi Guys.

Well it's the end of another year, and a new one dawns upon us. It has also been the very first year of The Emporium, and it has been a great success in many ways. Many new people around the world have purchased their very own beautiful egg, or eggs, from us, and we have learnt a lot of exciting scientific information via our ever popular blogs.

So, just as a recap in case you missed them, we are going to repost all of our blogs from the past year, and make way for some new ones in the next year.

Here they are.

1). What is marble?

According to Geology.com, Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to the heat and pressure of metamorphism.Metamorphism is the change of minerals or the distinct arrangement of minerals ( geologic texture) in pre existing rocks, primarily due to heat, pressure and the introduction of chemically active fluids. The chemical components and crystal structures of the minerals making up the rock may change, even though the rock remains a solid. Marble is composed primarily of the mineral Calcite (CaCO3), and usually contains other minerals such as clay minerals, micas, quartz, pyrite, iron oxides and graphite.Under the conditions of metamorphism, the calcite in the limestone recrystallizes to form a rock that is a mass of interlocking calcite crystals. A related rock, dolomitic marble, is produced when dolostone is subjected to heat and pressure.

2).Marble as Host.

Marble is quite often the host rock for gem minerals including corundum and spinel.The photograph above is of a piece of white marble with a large red ruby inside, which was found in Afghanistan. This just goes to show how beautiful and mysterious marble really is. It also can make you wonder... what's inside your beloved egg? At the Marble Egg Emporium, we wouldn't recommend you chisel open your egg to find out.... just enjoy the beauty of it as is, and marvel at the thought of what could lie within.....( Arkenstone/ www.iRocks.com).

3). Does marble have healing properties?

Here at The Marble Egg Emporium, we think these ancient eggs exude a calming, spiritual peace, and are ideal for any home or office space. However, let's look at some science.

Marble is made up of calcium carbonate and will react in contact with many acids, neutralizing them. In fact it is one of the most effective acid neutralization materials on the planet, and is often used in crushed form to neutralize acid in streams, lakes and soils.

It is also used in the chemical industry for human medicine. Pharmaceutical antacid medicines such as 'Tums' and Alka Seltzer contain calcium carbonate which is sometimes made from powdered marble, which is sometimes used as an inert filler in other pills too. (Geology.com).

While we at The Marble Egg Emporium don't recommend you start gnawing way at your favourite egg because you have a bit of indigestion, we do think that this scientific fact does backup what many people think about their beloved eggs:

They DO have healing properties.

4). Colour.

Marble is usually a light coloured rock. When it is formed from a limestone with very few impurities, it will be white in colour. Marble that contains impurities such as clay minerals, iron oxides or bituminous material can be bluish, gray, pink, yellow or black in colour. (Geology.com).

At the Emporium, you can see for yourself all the multitudes of colour even within the same egg.

5). Origins.

According to Britannica.com, for thousands of years the Himalayas have held a profound significance for the peoples of South Asia, as their literature, mythologies and religions reflect. Since ancient times, the vast glaciated heights have attracted the attention of the pilgrim mountaineers of India, who coined the Sanskrit name Himalaya - from hima (snow) and alaya (abode) - for the great mountain system. In contemporary times, the Himalayas have offered the greatest attraction and the greatest challenge to mountaineers throughout the world.

6). Plant Life.

The vast area covered by the mountain range of the Himalayas, (some 2500 km from west to east), along with some fantastic altitude gradients result in the tremendous biodiversity of the Himalayan region. Vegetation and wildlife both change according to the varying altitude and the resulting differences in climatic conditions.Thousands of species of flora and fauna thrive in the region, although many have become extinct or are on the verge of doing so, through human exploitation. Himalayan vegetation varies according to both altitude and climatic conditions. They range from the tropical deciduous forests in the foothills, to temperate forests in the middle altitudes. Higher up, coniferous, sub alpine and alpine forests spring up. These finally give way to alpine grasslands and high altitude meadows. They are followed by scrublands which lead up to the permanent snowline.The vegetation also varies from the unexplored tropical rainforests of the Eastern Himalayas, to the dense subtropical and alpine forests of the Central and Western Himalayas to the sparse desert vegetation of the cold desert areas of the Trans Himalaya. (Schoolnet.org).

7). Animal Life.

The Himalayas are home to a surprising number of mammals, birds, reptiles and even spiders.As well as the majestic snow leopard, you can find the Brown Bear, Grey Wolf, Red Panda, Giant Panda, Indian Rhinoceros and even the Mighty Tiger!In fact, it has been misidentification of animals such as the Langur Monkey, Tibetan Blue Bear or the Himalayan Brown Bear that has been proposed as an explanation for some of the many Yeti sightings. Legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner claimed to have a face to face encounter with a yeti, and claims to have killed one. According to Messner, the Yeti is actually the endangered Himalayan Brown Bear or Tibetan Blue Bear, both of which can walk upright as well as on all fours. (Wikipedia.)

8). Who lives in The Himalayas?

According to AdventureNation.com, The entire range of The Himalayan mountains serves as home to more than 50 million people, with another 450 million settled at the base of it. And this entire population flourishes on the resources that flow from The Himalayas.Today the Himalayan population can be classified into three ethnic types, namely Aryans, Mongoloids and Negroids. But the truth about its original inhabitants is still a point of debate. There is a belief that the first settlement in The Himalayas began in 1500 BC when a warrior tribe called Khasa migrated to its western range. This was followed by the migration of Tibeto-Burman people from Southeast Asia to the eastern and central Himalayas in the early part of the millennia. These people were called the Kiratas. However, if one takes into account the Hindu epics and Puranas, then it is deduced that the native inhabitants of the Himalayan region were the Kinnars, Kiratas, Kulinds and Kilinds, with later migration of the Darads and Khasas.(www.adventurenation.com.)

9). Faberge Eggs.

Another unique and beautiful collection of eggs, are the world famous Faberge Eggs. A Faberge Egg is one of as many as 69 jeweled eggs created by Peter Carl Faberge between 1885 and 1917. The most famous are the ones made for the Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers. The House of Faberge made 50 such 'Imperial' Easter eggs, of which 43 have survived. Two more were planned for Easter 1918 but were not delivered due to the Russian Revolution in which the Romanov Dynasty was overthrown and all the members of the imperial family executed. (Wikipedia).

Many of these precious eggs contained surprises inside, such as in the case of the first egg made, known as the Hen Egg, which opened to reveal a matte yellow-gold yolk. This in turn opens to reveal a multi coloured hen which also opens. The hen contained a minute diamond replica of the imperial crown from which a small ruby pendant was suspended, but these last two elements have been lost.

Whilst there are several eggs still missing, one surfaced at a bric a brak market in mid west US, where it was unwittingly bought for £8000 by a scrap metal merchant, who wanted to melt it down for the gold content. It was only years later that the merchant, who couldn't sell it for a profit, decided to research the inscription written on it. It was then he discovered a Telegraph article written about a missing Faberge egg with a picture of the merchants egg.

It was sold at auction for £20 million.

Whilst the the thought of hunting for the remaining missing eggs is appealing, here at The Emporium, we much prefer the natural ancient beauty that are Marble Eggs.

10). Why do we have Easter Eggs?

Hi Guys, with Easter coming up, here at the Emporium, we thought we would give a little background about Easter Eggs.

Also called Paschal Eggs, Easter Eggs are decorated eggs that are usually used as gifts on the occasion of Easter or springtime celebration (Eastertide). The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs wrapped in colourful foil.

The practice of decorating eggshells as part of spring rituals is ancient, with decorated, engraved ostrich eggs found in Africa which are 60,00 years old. In the pre dynastic period of Egypt, and the early cultures of Mesopotamia and Crete, eggs were associated with death and rebirth, as well as with kingship, with decorated ostrich eggs, and representations of ostrich eggs in gold and silver, commonly placed in graves of the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians as early as 5,000 years ago.

The Christian custom of Easter Eggs started among the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs with red colouring "in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at His Crucifixion". The Christian Church officially adopted the custom, regarding the eggs as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus, or more specifically, the empty tomb from which Jesus resurrected. (Wikipedia).

While we at the Emporium love modern day Easter Eggs, we much prefer our beloved Marble Eggs..... No calories!

So, if you're looking for the perfect and unique gift to give someone this Easter, look no further than The Marble Egg Emporium. The one stop shop for all your Marble Egg needs!

11). New Link.

Hi Guys, we at The Emporium are pleased to announce our latest link to another website, AQMA International.

AQMA provide some of the finest Himalayan salt products you are likely to find on the internet.

Himalayan salt is well thought to have wonderful healing properties, a concept we at The Emporium thoroughly appreciate. A Himalayan Salt Lamp supplied by AQMA, reputedly cleanses and purifies the air, and can help with asthma and other lung conditions.

So guys, check them out and breathe easier!

aqmaintl.com.

12). Geology and Medicine.

Hi Guys, as some of you will remember, I posted a blog sometime ago about the healing properties of marble.

Well, here at The Emporium, we are passionate about health and healing methods, so over the coming few weeks, we are going to write some blogs on the history of geology (rocks, minerals, gemstones etc) as used as a form of medicine throughout the ages.

Some uses are obviously outdated, but some are still used in some form today, and even more discoveries about the properties of gold as a healing tool are still being made today!

So please join us on this fascinating tour of geology as medicine, over the next few weeks.

Enjoy!

13). Gold.

Hi guys, we are going to start our series of blogs on the medicinal uses of geology with most people's favourite metal.....Gold!

In Classical times, gold was recommended by authors including Pliny, for use against warts, hemorrhoids, sores and ulcers, and was recommended by Dioscorides (ancient Greek physician 40 -90 AD) as an antidote to mercury poisoning.

In the medieval Arabic medical tradition, gold fillings were used by doctors including Avicenna, to combat bad breath, hair loss and melancholy, and as a means for cauterizing wounds. It's use expanded into medieval Europe to include treatments for Syncope (fainting), lassitude (lack of energy) and in various preparations to 'strengthen the heart'.

The highly popular Aurum Potabile ('drinkable gold') consisted of a fine suspension of gold in a suitable draught which was combined with a wide range of additional ingredients in a whole plethora of derivative medicines to treat a wide range of conditions, including paralysis!

(History of Medicine and Geology, Duffin et al, 2013).

Just recently, new properties of gold have been discovered that were previously unknown, as a key weapon in the fight against cancer. Researchers at Edinburgh University found that the precious metal increased the effectiveness of drugs used to treat lung cancer. The technique relies on gold's ability to accelerate reactions, and the findings suggest that the metal could be used to release drugs inside tumours very safely. (Daily Mail, July 2017.)

So, we here at The Emporium are excited about new healing methods which may be discovered in all sorts of previously unexplored elements, and we are committed to researching gold and other precious metals and to share our findings with you.

We'll keep the gold though.

14). Silver.

Continuing our series about Geology and Medicine, this blog is all about the healing properties of Silver.

Silver has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and it has been used throughout the ages to cure infections and help heal wounds.

Now new medical studies have shown that it can kill a wide range of bacteria and viruses, including the very dangerous E.Coli and Staphylococcus.

The form of silver generally used as a medicine is colloidal silver, which is the suspension of microscopic particles of silver in liquid.

Before the advent of antibiotics, colloidal silver was used to treat infections, but after antibiotics came into vogue, silver went out of favour with conventional doctors except for a few uses - as a salve for burns and wounds, in nitrate eye solutions to prevent blindness in new born babies, and as an antibacterial coating in the lining of catheters.

Now with various bacteria strains becoming increasingly resistant to the effects of antibiotics, the rest of the medical community is once again becoming interested in colloidal silver. Silver attacks microbes in several different ways at once so it is more difficult for these microbes to develop protective mechanisms.

In a Taiwanese study published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: bio - interfaces, colloidal silver was found to kill the potentially deadly superbug methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on surfaces such as door knobs and light switches where these bugs are known to colonize and spread between people.

Colloidal silver's effectiveness against a range of viruses, including hepatitis C, herpes and HIV has also been shown in both laboratory tests and in people.

15). Copper.

Continuing our series of blogs about geology and medicine, this weeks' subject is copper.

Copper is an essential mineral found in plant life and in the human body, and it is also a metal alloy with a reddish-orange colour.

The health benefits of copper include proper growth of the body, efficient utilization of iron, proper enzymatic reactions, aswell as improved health of connective tissues, hair and eyes. It is also integral for preventing premature aging and increasing energy production.

Apart from these, regulated heart rhythm, balanced thyroid glands, reduced symptoms of arthritis , quick wound healing, increased red blood cell formation and reduced cholesterol are other health benefits of copper. (Organicfacts.net).

The use of copper dates back over 10,000 years. It is used in currency (the U.S Penny), as a heat conductor, in medical instruments and has been used as a decorative coating of famous gates, such as the Temple of Jerusalem, sculptures and statues.... most notably the Statue of Liberty, the largest copper statue in the world!

As 100 percent of copper can be recycled without any loss of its original mined quality, over 80 percent of the copper mined since its discovery ten thousand years ago is still in use today! (Jewelleryinfoplace.com.)

So all that change in your pocket and purse, could literally have been in use for thousands of years!

16). Platinum.

Hi Guys, continuing our series of blogs about geology and medicine, this week is just a quick one about Platinum.

Platinum is a dense, expensive and relatively rare silvery-white metal. The name platinum comes from the Spanish word Platina, meaning Little Silver, and relates to when and where the metal was discovered, in Latin America in the early 18th Century.

It is the magic ingredient used in pollution-busting catalytic converters that keep our streets free of traffic fumes, and is used in dental fillings, scientific equipment and jewelry.

(explainthatstuff.com.)

17). Scientists find the Origins of Gold.

Hi Guys,

Here at The Emporium, we like to keep up to date with the latest goings on in the world, and indeed the Universe, and we like to share them with you.

Just recently, scientists have 'witnessed' a huge collision between two super-heavy Neutron stars, which literally shook the Universe, heralding what scientists call a 'new age' in astronomy.

The collisions have sent tremors through the Universe in the form of Gravity Waves, a phenomena long speculated about since Einstein, but only recently discovered in 2015. This collision was the first in history where the light was detected by telescopes, and the gravity waves were also detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US.

The neutron stars , formed when massive stars explode in SuperNovas (the end of a stars' life), are so dense they weigh two or three times the mass of our Sun, even though they are roughly the size of a city on Earth.

A teaspoon of neutron star material has a mass of about a billion tonnes! (Yahoo News.)

The waves have taken 130 million years to reach earth.

These collisions have now been proven to be the source of all heavy metals found on earth, including Gold and Platinum.

So, we here at the Emporium are out with our nets, waiting to catch some. After all, it has taken these metals 130 million years to get here, it's only right that we welcome them......

with open nets!

Well Guys, that's a brief roundup of some of last years blog posts, we hope you enjoyed them and found them informative. We will be back next year with some fresh new ones.

In the meantime, everyone at The Marble Egg Emporium wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!