Opal – as Blue as Heaven

December. The sultry summer and full months are over. A hot, dry season was too long this year but at last the long-awaited winter has come. In Israel, especially at Sea coast, arrival of winter only means the arrival of a little bit cooler days, rains and thunder-storms which come from the sea and quickly run away aside Mountains. After fertile rains, inhabitants of seaboard enjoy the sun again and the sky gets the immensely deep blue color.

Generally speaking, Israelis have peculiar “relationship” with blue color. It is enough took a look at state flag or, for example, please go back to my telling about ancient Safed (The first aquintance with ancient Safed, the city of Kabbalah) and take a look at “design” of the city once again. You see a blue color everywhere. And the reason is: when we look at this dye we will think of the blue sky and of the God above people in Heaven.

In a collection of “Green Diamond SJD” we have series jewelry with Blue Opal that is very popular not only inside the Israel market, but also worldwide. The creative jewelry, created in oriental style are made of silver or of combination of silver and gold with blue opals. Today I offer to appraise the a combination of two cold colors – silver and flaring blue that is particularly timely for winter collection, and gold – it is used in very little proportion in comparison with silver but the warm gold will remind you the bright sun of the Holy Land.



Israel. Mount Carmel forest fire

I break off my pleasant memoirs related to 15^th Anniversary of our company “Green Diamond”.

In middle of October I’ve returned to Israel for winter and planned one more report for Karlsplats and then say “Goodbye, beautiful Austria!” till next spring but day before yesterday the tragedy has happened in Israel and I report about today.

In February, telling about “Tu Bishwat” (New Year of the Trees), I mentioned the Mount Carmel and was going to continue the story about this unique reserve this winter. And today I again tell about Mount Carmel but this isn’t pleasant report about historical discoveries and the wonderful overlooks in all directions but my telling related to huge ecological tragedy in Israel history.

Two days ago the unprecedented deadliest forest fire on Mount Carmel has began. It has prejudices not only for ecology but on the present it became known that fire has claimed at least 42 persons.

In the afternoon day before yesterday called my son. He lives in Tel-Aviv and has asked me, what has happened in Haifa as there is the huge clubs of a smoke are visible from his place. I turned on the TV set and saw the mountain slopes enveloped in flames. During 10 months there is no rain in Israel and dry winds from desert blow constantly.

And now, on tentative estimations, some year’s decade will be required for restoration of forests. Besides, the northwest part of a ridge is in the Haifa city and also practically at all extension of mountain ridge various settlements are built. Yesterday almost completely burned down the settlement “Beit Oren” (the Pine House) located in the heart of Carmel mountain range (this area often called “small Switzerland”), loved by tourists for rest given here and horse riding routs. Today is known that the artist’s colony Ein Hod is burned just now.

By now, we know about 20 centers of fires and I’m upset so much in the fact that this collapse may be not accidental. In the first December days we observe a feast Hanukkaha – a Festival of Lights and I was going to tell about, but what has taken place, it simply isn’t stacked in consciousness of normal person if nevertheless it were the intentional arsons.

Various photos and reports on a conflagration are much enough in internet but I placed in my report a little bit other photos that I took last winter when the Mount Carmel was green and you see how many houses are built in a small interval that I have caught. And the last photo represents a view from terrace of my apartment yesterday morning. I live in Nahariya and a white cloud between houses it is the smoke cloud.