Adaerna

One of the proprietors of Mirglyn Sisters, Goldsmiths in RiverHaven.

Even for a Gnome, Adaerna Mirglyn can only be called tiny. She has cropped blue-black hair that bristles around her face in stiff spikes that resemble a porcupine's quills, a resemblance enhanced by randomly bleached tips. A series of sparkling jeweled studs runs the length of her ear, and more studs adorn her eyebrow and nose, glinting against her nut-brown skin.

She wears a leather apron over a startling combination of tangerine shirt, purple tunic and lemon-yellow leggings with magenta stripes, the outfit capped by bright green boots. Noticing your stare, she says, "Isn't it super? I made it myself. I don't have time to sew for others, but if you're interested in jewelry, just ask me about CUSTOM."

Metal information from Adaerna

When asked about ELVEN SILVER: "An Elven goldsmith taught me how to make it," Adaerna Mirglyn replies. "Unlike ordinary silver, it's slow to tarnish, so it stays bright without all the polishing."

When asked about ELECTRUM: "It's an alloy," Adaerna Mirglyn says, "an old Gnomish recipe mixing gold and silver."

When asked about BLACK GOLD: Adaerna Mirglyn gets a sly expression. "Ahh," she says, tapping her nose with a wink. "That's a family secret, that is. It's real gold, with some... work done on it, that's all you need know. It's difficult, it's time consuming, and it rightly costs the earth for anything made with it."

When asked about PEWTER: "Pewter's an alloy of tin with a small amount of copper, and a bit of lead thrown in for some of the lower quality stuff." Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about BRONZE: "Bronze is a mix of copper and tin. It's strong, but it sometimes is unsuitable for finely detailed work," Adaerna Mirglyn replies. When asked about SILVER: "Silver's lovely, all wintery and cool, and wonderfully easy to work with. Its main drawback is that it tarnishes so," Adaerna Mirglyn says.

When asked about GOLD: "Gold represents an unchanging nature," Adaerna Mirglyn replies, "sometimes even stagnation."

When asked about PLATINUM: "The rarest metal I work with, platinum costs the earth because of its scarcity," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

Gemstone Meaning and Information from Adaerna

When asked about ADDERSTONE: "Adderstone represents a child with an agile mind and glib tongue," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about AMETHYST: "Amethyst is supposed to protect against compulsion as well as addiction," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about SARDONYX: "A lovely stone, with its bands of cream and orange and red. Among my people," Adaerna Mirglyn says, "the sardonyx symbolizes a courage so ingrained that the wearer may not even regard it as such since it is so much a part of him. It would be like a fish questioning its ability to swim."

When asked about MALACHITE: "Malachite?" Adaerna Mirglyn answers distractedly. "It represents harmony, nature in a state of balance. Very popular for rangers, actually."

When asked about CINNEBAR: "Cinnebar is a symbol for passion for a concept rather than a person, Adaerna Mirglyn replies. "It's sometimes given sarcastically by a rejected lover."

When asked about GARNET: "Well, all garnets are associated with some kind of healing," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about TURQUOISE: "Turquoise is thought to offer protection against malign magics," Adaerna Mirglyn says. "Barbarians, in particular, are fond of it."

When asked about HEMATITE: "Hematite? It represents a reflective nature, someone perhaps prone to second-guessing themselves. Not something we'd give a child, but more as a talisman for an adult with those tendencies," Adaerna Mirglyn says. When asked about OPAL: Adaerna Mirglyn smiles. "My favorite stone, though sadly fragile. Perhaps that's why I like it. Traditionally my people give it to someone they feel has hidden depths, as a kind of way of acknowledging what they can't say aloud." When asked about CITRINE: "It's related to amethyst, you know," Adaerna Mirglyn says, "but it represents one who practices compulsion or manipulation upon others."

When asked about JASPER: Adaerna Mirglyn says, "Jasper is a lovely stone, and depending on the variety, conveys a lot of meanings. Plain jasper signifies a heartfelt respect for the recipient."

When asked about LAPIS LAZULI: "Lapis lazuli, with its deep blue color and flecks of pyrite, represents the universe, and is commonly gifted to Moon Mages and others of a questioning nature," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about CARNELIAN: "Carnelian is believed to speed regeneration of energy by the old grannies," Adaerna Mirglyn says, "and a lot of mages will superstitiously carry a carnelian bead hidden beneath their robes."

When asked about AMBER: Adaerna Mirglyn smiles and says, "Amber represents faith in adversity."

When asked about PEARL: Adaerna Mirglyn smiles and says, "Pearls are given to people we find irritating, but whom we like despite that. We believe they are a symbol of patience and acceptance." When asked about JASPER: Adaerna Mirglyn says, "The shifting red and gold swirls of the autumn jasper make it a popular stone for those entering middle age, to remind them of the beauty of autumn at a time when they may be feeling down about getting older."

When asked about BLOODSTONE: "Bloodstone is said to represent self-sacrifice," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about FIRE OPAL: "They're popular gifts for children with an affinity for elemental magic," Adaerna Mirglyn replies. "The fire aspect, you know."

When asked about WATER OPAL: "It's not really an opal, you know," Adaerna Mirglyn says. "It's a kind of shell, but the lovely bands of blues and greens give this stone its traditional appeal to those wishing to find the love of their lives." When asked about SAPPHIRE: ''"Sapphire, with its deep, true blue color, is an emblem of the blood returning to the heart, and true love returning to the giver of the stone," Adaerna Mirglyn replies, adding, "It's a gift you give when you hope the love will be reciprocated but aren't sure."

After a moment, she adds, "A woman wearing a lot of sapphire jewelry is usually regarded as a heartless flirt, to be honest."

When asked about RUBY: Adaerna Mirglyn says, "Most races regard the ruby as a stone of passion and true love. We actually regard it as a stone of ill-omen, foreshadowing the loss of all that is valued."

When asked about DIAMOND: "They're a bit overrated, I think," Adaerna Mirglyn says, "but a diamond is supposed to represent clarity and an unchanging devotion." She sniffs.

When asked about QUARTZ: "Quartz is believed to offer protection against heartache," Adaerna Mirglyn replies. "I've worn a quartz ear-stud ever since..." Her voice trails off, and she turns back to her work, shaking her head.

When asked about JADE: "Jade is given for protection, to ward off ill-wishing," Adaerna Mirglyn says. "It's popular to hang above a cradle, for example."

When asked about ANIMITE: Adaerna Mirglyn sniffs. "Well, it's supposed to represent a steadfast nature, but I think most people just think it's trendy."

When asked about TOURMALINE: "Tourmaline comes in several different colors, and looks so nice with pearls," Adaerna Mirglyn says. "Traditionally, it represents breadth of vision, the kind of person who sees the whole picture, rather than just a narrow slice."

When asked about RUTILATED QUARTZ: "Trapped within the clear quartz, rutilated quartz has hair-thin threads of glittering gold," Adaerna Mirglyn says. "To my people, this stone is given to a child to celebrate an innate gift revealed."

When asked about ROSE QUARTZ: "Ahh, rose quartz. Strength and a delicate blush -- among my people it represents young love," Adaerna Mirglyn says.

When asked about ZIRCON: "Zircon is often confused with topaz, but it's not worth as much," Adaerna Mirglyn says. "Traditionally, it represents an inconstant or fair-weather friend, the kind who you suspect would talk about you behind your back to make herself popular."

When asked about AQUAMARINE: Adaerna Mirglyn nods and says, "Aquamarine is a talisman against drowning, we believe."

When aked about AGATE: "Agates are believed to promote courage, and as such are often given to warriors of all guilds," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about MOONSTONE: "Oddly enough," Adaerna Mirglyn says, "the moonstone isn't at all popular with Moon Mages among my people. It's held to be unlucky for them, as tradition holds that it clouds the vision. Now, Thieves, on the other hand..."

When asked about PERIDOT: "The peridot represents water and cleansing. It's a powerful ingredient in talismans to ward off disease," Adaerna Mirglyn replies, "though few believe in such things these days."

When asked about IVORY: "Ivory is a talisman for those of a deliberate and thoughtful nature," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about TORTOISESHELL: "Tortoiseshell is symbolic of long life," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about TIGER'S EYE: "The tiger's eye represents wisdom," Adaerna Mirglyn replies.

When asked about ALEXANDRITE: "They change color depending on your light," Adaerna Mirglyn says apparently at random. "It's rather a sarcastic stone, I think. We mostly give them to politicians.

When asked about PYROPE GARNET: "Beautiful stones, with that deep, blood-red color. Almost looks like a ruby, but a slightly more orange tint to it. The traditional meaning is one of spiritual healing," Adaerna Mirglyn says.

When asked about GOLDEN BERYL: "It's related to the emerald, you know," Adaerna Mirglyn replies, "but the golden beryl traditionally represents beauty, revealed through music or art."

When asked about AUTUMN JASPER: Adaerna Mirglyn says, "The shifting red and gold swirls of the autumn jasper make it a popular stone for those entering middle age, to remind them of the beauty of autumn at a time when they may be feeling down about getting older."