I recently was working on some silver-copper nuggets from the Keweenaw, when I discovered a beach-tumbled nugget that I forgot I had.
A beach-tumbled Copper Nugget. It looked amazingly like a Penguin.
I thought “that little nugget looks exactly like a penguin”. This got me thinking of what I could do with this small discovery. I love penguins; they are so cute, and I really enjoy watching them at the Jacksonville Zoo, at the recently visited Tennessee Aquarium in Chatanooga, or in documentaries (or the cartoon movies adds my wife).
I thought of the Emperor Penquins, and their lives. nesting in their harsh Anarctica environment.
Rough Tampa Bay fossilized coral.Examining a nice piece of Fossilized Coral.There are infinite possibilities here. Botryoidal agatized Coral fromTampa Bay.
At this same time I found some beautiful Fossilized Coral from Tampa Bay. (Fossilized Coral is the State Stone of Florida). This was the perfect environment in which to set my copper penguin. He (or she) fit right in to this ice-cave-like Petrified Coral.
I’m going to reveal this piece of jewelry at our annual rock club show this month in Traverse City. But since you are reading this blog, you deserve the reveal.
I have claimed this for myself (for now). I have been wintering in Florida, and lived in Michigan all my life, so this is my Florida/Michigan piece.
The rocky coastline of Maine, near Pemaquid Point, delivered nostalgic rock fragments.This small cove in Maine has meant a lot to Jeff and his family for over 70 years.
I love making nostalgic jewelry for people. It really doesn’t matter whether plain or fancy. The value is in the memories that a particular stone brings back. “I found this with grandpa when I was a child”; We found this in a special place or on a special vacation. The value is really in the memories.
Jeff P somehow found me on line, and recognized that I love making custom nostalgic jewelry for people. Some back and forth E-mails followed and I subsequently was mailed a small piece of Quartzite in the mail while wintering in Florida.
A small piece of Quartz was the beginning of Jeff’s vision.Butterflied and precisely fit back together. After careful cutting I was able to cut a perfect triangle.
It was evident that in order to make anything substantial, I needed to “butterfly” that stone and glue it back together. Jeff’s vision was a very simple triangle shape; silversmith.
Since I was within a few weeks of heading back north to Michigan, I suggested that the project be delayed until I could use my Intarsia Machine in my home shop. An Intarsia machine allows for very precise fitting of stone components together.
Ken silversmith A perfect, simple, Sterling mount to accept the stone I cut.
After fitting the butterflied stone back together, and precisely cutting the triangle, I turned the piece over to my buddy Ken. Ken is a master silversmith, and created a simple mounting for the stone.
The finished product.
Jeff was delighted with the results and mentioned that his son had another piece of the same rock. This was a much smaller piece and I was given a more free rein with the second stone. I made it look as if the Quartz actually was part of the Fossilized Coral.
Since Jeff and his son have ties to Florida, and specifically the Tampa Bay area, I decided to place the second Quartz stone into a lovely botryoidal orange cabochon I cut from Tampa Bay Coral. Thanks for the free rein to make this one, Jeff.
I really appreciate JP writing the following. Thanks for the opportunity that allowed me (and Ken) to make your long-time vision come to fruition. I know how much this means to you.
“A quick story of origin about a couple rock fragments that come from a large quartzite boulder at the far edge of a small cove in Pemaquid Point, ME that has been frequented by my family for more than 70 years. Many generations of relatives (to include my own) both know and love this special place and describing it alone brings back a slew of incredible memories. Early one morning on the last day of a recent family visit my son went down to the cove in the early morning hours on a mission. While the tide was still up and after scaling another rock he managed to hack two small pieces of it off as souvenirs. It was dangerous proposition at the time considering the waves crashing against the rocks, the high tide, and the fact that he was alone. I was so touched by the thoughtfulness of this act that I embarked on my own quest of creating something unique from his original gift. With the help of Don Reed’s superb skills and artistry my vision of transforming these small shards from a special place into the precious keepsakes you see displayed here was realized. Thank you Snob Appeal Jewelry!”
