Author Archives: SnobAppeal

“Rooting”

Bonnie is outside “rooting“.

Rooting is defined at this location as either gardening OR searching and cleaning the barn. I am fairly happy in my barn and can find at least half the things I need in it (this is a good percentage for a guy). Bonnie, on the other hand, feels compelled to enter my venue, namely the barn, and “straighten it up”. She often says things to me like: “Don’t you think you should neaten this barn up”, or “This barn is a mess”. I tell her that there are spiders in my barn, and she HATES spiders, but this seems not to work very well as a repellant. I mention that if she moves things I may not be able to find them, but again this seems not to work very well. I recall giving up on discouraging “rooting” in 2008 (the fall, I believe).

Rooting requires moving things, including buckets and rocks around. When this happens my percentage of being able to find things declines to about 40%.

I do not discourage this womanly behavior, as I know it makes her feel good, productive, and improves her well-being. She discovers new rocks and is happy moving things she has already moved on previous rootings (Word says this is not a verb, but I KNOW it is) Another advantage is she is not disturbing me while I watch NASCAR, Deadliest Catch, or Chopper (guy shows). I’m usually wire-wrapping jewelry out of some Michigan stones while I watch these shows, so you know how hard-working I am.

If Bonnie wheels a barrel up, it may be a good omen.

What is in this barrel of rocks that are covered with saw mud?

Today, after a good rooting session in the barn, she came up the driveway with a paper barrel in her wheelbarrow. I

A sample of the edge (about 2" thick) revealed interesting dendrites and pattern.

do not recall seeing this barrel for a number of years, but I can recall buying it about 10 years ago at a sale in Grand Rapids.

The Owyhee and one of the Brazilian Agates.

She found several nice Brazilian Agates and about a ten pond slab of Owyhee Picture Jasper, a better then average root. There are multiple types of Owyhee from Oregon and I am not an expert as to precisely what it all is, but it is all of interest, and makes wonderful pictured cabochons. I know this rough is at least 30 years old. I do not know whether this material is still available or not. Thus far I have not found any on line. If anyone knows exactly what this jasper is, let me know and I will edit this blog. There is probably much more Owyhee in the one slab then I can use in my lifetime.

This will be great lapidary and barter material, don't you think?

So, to sum this up I guess it pays to let your wife be happy in her “straightening and rooting” endeavors. Good things can sometimes come of this affliction.

Drusy Quartz on the Workbench

I’ve been working on Drusy Quartz Pendants for a couple weeks. The pendants in this blog will all be sold for under $100 at our shows this year, but if you like one give us a call. I just love these gems.

Drusy (Druzy) Quartz is generally grey or blue agate, from Brazil, containing natural pockets filled with microscopic sugary Quartz. This material can be left in its natural form or treated in several ways.

drusy-onwb

I am constantly amazed at the variety in Drusy.

Hot pink and white on this frilly-looking drusy are feminine and fancy.

Drusy can also be coated with a microscopic film of titanium, platinum, gold or sterling silver. This process is called vapor deposition. When a Drusy is coated with titanium, it adds a brilliant purple, cobalt or rainbow of colors. Drusies can also be dyed, or dyed and coated.

Someone will be pleased to own this Emerald colored Drusy.

The cost of Drusy jewelry varies widely depending on the quality of the Quartz and the expense of the treatment. Most Drusy Quartz originates in Brazil. Miners look for pockets of crystal containing sugar-sized quartz within agate matrix. These pieces are graded and sold off to treatment operations.

I threw a light on this great yellow drusy so you could see it shine.

This blue Drusy is SO cool!

Drusy micro-crystals can easily be damaged when used in rings. I use these Druzy Quartz cabochons exclusively in amazingly colorful and flashy pendants. I hand pick Drusy being sold by quality dealers at the Tucson Gem Shows.

I base my selections on predicted hot colors for the upcoming year. Fashion magazines are featuring bright color this year, and drusy jewelry makes a perfect complement to these fabrics. I also count on my artistic proficiency to imagine what would work with my jewelry making approach.

I am constantly amazed at the variety of Drusy Quartz.

I make pendants both in a simple style or a more elaborate style to cover all my customer’s tastes. I use both gold and silver wire, often in combination. People will comment on your jewelry when you wear these pendants. Each of my pendants is distinct and exclusive. You can be assured no one else will have a pendant like yours.

Morrisonite-The KING of Jaspers

Morrisonite (Morrison Ranch Jasper) is considered one of the finest Jaspers in the world, and is often referred to as “The KING of Jaspers”. Unfortunately it has not been commercially mined from its source in SE Oregon, along the Owyhee River, since 1996.

Marvelous coloration is a trademark of the finest Morrisonite. The slab needs to be a piece of Jewelry.

The rockhound’s favorite government agency, the Bureau of Land Management, closed the hunting area and dynamited some of the mines, deeming them unsafe. I heard Gene Mueller of The Gem Shop speak on hunting the area before it was closed. It took a lot of material to produce any “good stuff”.

The combination of the area closing and the limited production in the past has driven priced to several hundred dollars a slab in recent years.

I recently discovered that I had some Morrisonite from an old collection I acquired last fall. I suspect this material may be 40 years old.

It did indeed need to be a pendant. Morrisonite like this is so very rare!

When we bought this collection I hardly checked the material. We just loaded all the rock in buckets, loaded the truck, and drove it home. The buckets ended up in storage, then winter set in, so I’m just now discovering what I bought… .Gotta love it!

Greenstone from the Junkpile

I promised you something special on May Day, and here it is.

I have a BVD (Better View Desired) pile in my shop. Rocks that I’m just not sure of, as well as gemstones that need further time-consuming work go into that pile. Stones that are without promise go in the trash bucket, but when they don’t look real promising, I’ll give them a toss in the BVD pile. When I’m feeling patient, I pick through that pile for something to work on.

I placed several possible Greenstones in that pile a few months ago, and today I re-discovered my BVD pile under some other material. I decided to have a little fun and see what I could make out of the BVD pile.

I immediately discovered a large Greenstone that had a small patch of pattern. The rim of the Greenstone showed mostly Calcite. Experience told me that Calcite could be a good sign, or then again maybe not. Calcite often means copper in it. Some of the finest copper crystals are found embedded in Calcite.

When you have Calcite you have to be extra careful. Calcite can sometimes be fragile, and at other times it is very solid.

As I carefully proceeded into the stone, I noticed that fine Greenstone appeared just on the outer layer of the Calcite gradually appearing under the stone’s dark green crust. A beautiful unusual stone began to emerge from an ugly duckling. Greenstone is very striking on pure white Calcite, and this one has fabulous contrast. As a bonus, I noticed that the Calcite was accented with fine copper particles. I love how my close-up photo shows the copper.

Close-up detail reveals fine copper within the calcite.

This is what makes rock collecting and lapidary so satisfying–every stone has it’s own look. This one is WOW!!!

Another amazing Greenstone-I'm So lucky!

The finished Greenstone ended up being a 5.4 gram beauty, one inch tall and about 3/4 inches wide; the largest Greenstone I’ve cut in a while. I was so thrilled about this Greenstone, I wire-wrapped it right away. Gold with a bit of twisted silver was the perfect choice. The regal looking wire top is an ideal enhancement to this beautiful and scarce gemstone. The first person that saw it now owns this dream, so if you want your own greenstone, browse our pendants or cabuchons.

Celebration of Agates Jewelry

I have been working on several cabochons for the upcoming Celebration of Agates Show at Hopkins, Minnesota in July. There is a lot of buzz about this show already, and it is building up to be a well-attended and exciting event. I will be exhibiting at this special rock show, and

Amazing Royal Imperial Jasper enhanced with a Mystic Topaz.

Sea Scene Jasper. I think this is quite tranquil.

Ocean Scene Agate is quite tranquil to look at. This wonderful rock is from British Columbia.

am striving to bring some unusual agates to this show as well as many unique Lake Superior Agates and other rare stones.

Lets just have some fun and see some of the stone jewelry I have made thus far. Which is your favorite?

Chevron Amethyst

Great colors in this Kentucky Agate!

My favorite-The Lake Superior Agate in classic "Candy Stripe".

Agate/Drusy with Calcite. WOW!

Snob Appeal Jewelry Now On Facebook

The reach of our business took a giant step this week. We are now on Facebook.

When we decided to have a presence on a Social Media Site Facebook was our obvious choice. We knew almost nothing about business pages on Facebook. I have found that when you are basically a moron when it comes to something, ask or hire someone that knows something.

We worked together with Christine Stalsonburg at Social Media Partners in Traverse City wwwSocialMediaPartners.us, to create a site that represents our jewelry business on Facebook and connects to our website as well. I would recommend Christine for your social media work. If she could put up with my nit-picking, she can work with anyone. She was very efficient and we were up and running in a couple weeks. We already had a website and blog, so that helped expedite everything.

You will see the logos and colors you associate with us, and links to our blog and website. Now you will be able to check us out via Facebook or going directly to www.snobappealjewelry.com on the web.

If you are on Facebook check us out, like us, and let your friends know about us.

Greenstone with Cuprite-AMAZING!

One thing that scares me is cutting a large Greenstone. You can never tell what you will get. I have what is shaping up to be a thousand dollar greenstone and after meticulously working it for an hour, cut through into a hollow pocket making that marvelous Greenstone garbage.

Most Greenstones never develop from inside a stone. I spend hours and hours cutting worthless Greenstones. People wonder why these gems are so very expensive. I’ll tell you exactly why; they are from one source in the world and you must cut so many to get a good one. Ten stones cut MAY produce one Greenstone, and to get a good stone its one in fifty. To get a large, gem grade stone, my experience has been one in two hundred to five hundred.

Today I wire-wrapped THE most spectacular greenstone I have cut this year. I have never seen a greenstone such as this one (I’ve got you interested now, don’t I?). Since I cannot begin to describe this gemstone I’ll have to show you.

Cuprite on Greenstone-How rare is this?

Cuprite on Greenstone, red on green; never seen it (before now) appeared as I cut this stone. I had to finesse this cut as the Cuprite was much softer than the Chlorastrolite and had a real undercut problem. This stone is very large at 4.6 grams, and I sure didn’t want to mess this up. Imagine the stress; could I cope? YEP. The stone came out amazing as you can see. I really should keep it for Bonnie, but she likes to wear the one she found. I’m going to post it up and it’ll be like selling a child, but I have big shoulders. I know I tell you often how unique, rare, or unusual my stones are, but this is in a class by itself. Very pretty and very distinctive. Buy it for your sweetie–there won’t be another anytime soon!

**I just noticed something, and since I’m sort of weird; IF you move your computer screen or laptop*** like a rocking chair ****while looking at this Greenstone picture you kind of get a Chatoyant effect. This will give you an idea what the REAL flash of this stone might look like….sort of like a cheap thrill for you.

***CAUTION-1. I will not be responsible for any damage that might be incurred while shaking a computer monitor. 2. Do not try this while under the influence of drugs of alcohol.

****Henceforth this will be dubbed “The Reed Maneuver“, and the phenomenon produced from The Reed Maneuver will be dubbed “The Reed Effect”. I will advise you when a piece of jewelry produces this amazing effect. Normal liability disclaimers will apply whenever attempting this.

Bumblebee Jasper-So cool it looks phony!

Like a utopian landscape, this Butterfly is surreal.

Like a utopian landscape, this Bumblebee pattern is surreal.

I first saw Bumblebee Jasper (?) two or three years ago at the Tucson Gem Shows. I should have bought some at that time, but I really thought it was phony like Rainbow Casilica that the Mexicans claimed was a real find. They even went to the trouble of “dummying” a mine up to appear like a seam of the Casilica was a natural occurance.

Amazing cabochons ready for jewelry.

Bumblebee Jasper has amazing yellows, oranges and blacks and if any rock looked artificial this one does. Unbelievably, this stuff is REAL. It’s from hydrothermal vents on Mount Papansayan on West Java, Indonesia. The yellow and orange coloration is caused by Sulfur that is then opalized and silicated. Other trace elements are also present, producing a striking range of colors and pattern with the yellow and orange stones highlighted with black, gray, tan and crystal.

Fall colors enhance Bumblebee Jasper.

Although claims are made that this material is Jasper, it is much softer than most Jaspers I have cut, and is closer to Onyx in hardness. The banding also resembles Onyx. Onyx is a form of Chalcedony as is Agate and Jasper, but is generally softer. Agates allow light through them, and Jasper and Onyx are generally opaque. Sometimes Jasper and Onyx are combined with Agate to create combination Silicates. Bumblebee seems to be one of those combination gemstones. I sense variable hardnesses within the Bumblebee, making it somewhat prone to undercutting.

Only a small amount of Bumblebee Jasper is produced from the source each year, and most of it is snapped up for the Chinese bead trade. We saw Bumblebee beads in Tucson, but they were expensive. I saw some rough, but the quality of it was very Iffy.

The nature of Bumblebee is to have varied hardnesses and also have many holes and flaws. I found it best to bite the bullet and buy quality, finished cabs. They were very expensive, but had no issues as seen in the rough.

I made a few Bumblebee pendants that I am sharing in this blog and post up on the website. There is no other natural stone that is even close to the patterns and coloration of Bumblebee Jasper, but if you want one, I would get it now. The quantity is very limited.

Amazing Cats Eye Jade and Stunning Greenstone with Thomsonite

I had a dream last night. I often dream of rocks I covet, but on rare occasions I have dreams of jewelry I must make. I woke right up at 4 am and pulled the rocks out so I would not forget that which my brain had imagined.

What will Don do with these?

I was looking at a piece of Cats Eye Nephrite Jade that I had bought in Tucson. I had never seen this material from Siberia, but I had heard of it. The lovely green looks like that optical glass that marbles are made of and has a “cats eye” effect similar to Tiger Eye. I bought this one piece because it was so intriguing, and there were no others like it.

My dream brought this Jade together with a wonderful piece of Moonstone that had another phenomenon called Labradorescence. I also invisioned Pink Topaz in the picture. I laid out the stones on my workbench and when I awoke went right to work.

These multi-stone pendants are a real challenge and take a great deal of time and deep concentration level. Success! A wonderful pendant was produced, just as in my “Nice Dream”.

Cats Eye Jade, Moonstone, and Pink Topaz in Argentium Sterling.

Also today, off the workbench, came one of the most amazing and stunning Greenstones I’ve ever made. I cut it a few weeks ago and could not believe what I was seeing. As I ground the stone the most beautiful Thomsonite unexpectedly broke out of the center of the Greenstone! I never have seen more gemmy Thomsonite in any Greenstone, nor have I seen such a large quantity of georgeous pink Thomsonite in one Greenstone–“Unexpected Romance”.

Greenstone with a Thomsonite Inclusion. WOW!

This especially large (4.5 gram) stone is so amazing I have to show you the picture. Yes, it is for sale until gone–one only! Some stones are so stunning they cannot be described.

Snow and Snow Scenes

This month’s blog has been delayed slightly for the following reasons:
1. I wanted to tell you about some of the jewelry I have been making out of the stones I obtained in Tucson and I needed some time to get something made.
2. 15″ of wet snow fell over the weekend and I needed to clean up that mess and that weather delayed making jewelry and taking pictures.

Have no fear jewelry fans. I know some of you look forward to read whatever the little voices tell me to write here.

One of these Snow Scene Agates looked like a snow scene at night while the other stone looked like a snow scene during the day.

This past few days found me busy in the shop, as well as in my studio (I couldn’t go anywhere anyway due to all the snow). Two lovely, facetted, Snow Scene Agate cabochons called out to me to wrap them. A product of Peru, they sport amazing snow scenes in contrasting blacks and grays. What is nice about this agate is they can be worn with just about anything, fancy or casual. You don’t have to live in a snow belt like we do to love these black and white beauties.

A classic "Candy Striper" Lake Superior Agate.

I cut and wrapped one of the many Lake Superior Agates I acquired. If this does not sell on line I will take it to the upcoming Celebration of Agates show in Minnetonka, Minnesota. If you like stones, this show should be on your Bucket List.

Lavender Lace Agate (Bonnie's favorite agate).

The fourth pendant is Bonnie’s favorite, the Lavender Lace Agate from Mexico.

Lastly, a remarkable Royal Imperial Jasper found its way to my workbench. I found the pattern on this piece irresistible. This is one of those stones that talked to me. It wanted me to add a colorful Twilight Mist Topaz enhancer. I never argue with what the stone wants. It doesn’t pay to argue with a rock anyway (You’ve heard of “as dumb as a rock”).

Royal Imperial Jasper from 50 miles north of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Blue Lace Agate for "Yooperland Pendants".

I also am working on Blue Lace Agates, and Greenstones for my new “Yooperland” Pendants, as well as catching up on producing more pieces of Isle Royale Greenstone (Michigan’s State Gemstone). More on these in the future, after I slog my way through the snow back to my shop!