Author Archives: teamreed

Shrinkflation and Cheap Imported Jewelry

Ranting about price increases

Mitimbe, Australia is one of the countries most famous Opal areas. This “Pin Fire”, multi- colored solid opal is dressed in a plethora of pastel bits, like they were salted in this mix.

Bonnie mentioned that I have not written a blog in some time. I have decided to rant a bit about the issue of companies “shrinking” things to make up for rising prices.

Polyhedral Agate. Very cool stuff (if you can find it).

Michigan’s Official State stone in the Petoskey Stone and the State Gemstone in the Isle Royale Greenstone. This pendant is a premium example of both stones in one amazing pendant.

Every time we go to the store, we notice the shrinking of cans, or the reduction of sizes. A half gallon of Ice cream is no longer a true half gallon. Tiny half-sized cans of hash have recently appeared on shelves. Cans of soup are about half the size they used to be. Even things like Kentucky Fried Chicken have shrunk from Broiler size pieces to Fryer size pieces, but the prices have not dropped. In many cases the smaller sizes cost more than the original size.

Silver Stardust beads enhance a remarkable Drusy Quartz (that probably does not need enhancing) but doesn’t it look fabulous with the beads?

A Float Copper with Quartz inclusions. This is really unique.

When our government raised the minimum wage, the cost of everything has increased; what can companies do? They either increase their prices, or reduce sizes; charging the same money for their goods.

The pendant on the left is Datolite with Copper inclusions (Or Copper with Datolite Inclusions). One the right are a pair of Copper Agates. The top right one is the largest Copper Agate I personally found.

5 Greenstone pendants, wrapped in silver wire — These Isle Royale Greenstones came off Isle Royale 65 Years ago. I decidded that these all had to be wrapped in Argentium Sterling.

A good example of this is fish sandwich at McDonalds. Fish sandwiches used to be fairly large and tasty. NOW, instead of a McFish, they’re a McMinnow, featuring tiny buns and a less than satisfying filet. When you pay fast food workers $20 an hour, you are forced to change things in order to be profitable.

How Inflation affects our business

Centennial Datolite is one of the Copper Country’s Favorites

In our jewelry business, even though we try to keep prices down, it is increasingly difficult. Gold, for example, is above $2,600 an ounce. When I started making jewelry, it was under $500. (OK, so I’m older). Small businesses, like ours, suffer with increases like this. Findings, stones, and beads, have also gone up.

I can either make things cheaper, by skimping on quality (like many), or maintain my quality. I could, instead of using 14k double gold fill wire, use gold fill or 10k gold, like many are doing. To the normal consumer, this would be hard to tell the difference. I could use regular Sterling Silver, instead of Tarnish Resistant Argentium Sterling. This would probably not be noticed by most.

I refuse to Compromise on the Quality of my Jewelry

Amethyst Lace Agate. I let the bottom swing free.

Having this attitude, I realize that many consumers would rather purchase less expensive 10k gold fill, or cheap foreign made goods, made with sketchy metal.

A very rare coloration in Ocean Jasper. This variety of Obicular Jasper has been mined out for a decade. Originally it came from the ocean shore of Madagascar.

I have many potential customers that say they are allergic to gold or Sterling Silver. Most are not allergic to these metals; they are allergic to the Nickel that is often added to cheap metal. Our wire is Nickel free, and costs more. Again, a quality issue, I refuse to compromise on.

Turkish Agate is normally beautiful colors, but sometimes we see Black & White.

We are not making our jewelry in China, Pakistan, or India. We are not cheaping on components or precious metals, and fight every day with inflated prices. We try to hold the line on our prices and quality. Many of our pieces of jewelry reflect prices of metal when we made the pieces, not what the current prices are. We cater to the consumers that appreciate quality at a fair price. My jewelry reflects on me. I always chose quality over cheapening.

Mohawkite was found in several mines in the Mohawk area of the Copper Country. Although it comes in Silver and Rainbow, I do like a gold one when I can find it.

We are thankful for our loyal customer base; customers that support American made, small businesses. We cannot compete with foreign companies that pay workers extremely low wages and/or mass produce much of the jewelry seen in department stores. All we can hope for is customers that appreciate our quality, integrity, and honestly.

I cannot, in good conscience, treat my customers to jewelry that is not up to my demanding standards. If Bonnie or I would not, proudly, wear a piece of our hand crafted jewelry, you will not see it sold at our shows, in our retail outlets, or on line. Quality is everything to us; But I still wish gold was $500 an Ounce!

This Montana Moss Agate is named “Yellowstone”, after the river from which it came. It looks like someone took a thick paint brush, and just threw a stripe on it. A somewhat complicated wrap.

Based on my insistence to keep my quality up, I find myself making fewer pendants; Instead trying to up my game by locating more scarce material (digging deep into my stash), and manufacturing better and more complicated jewelry. Overall our inventory is good, but I need the challenge of creating new pieces, that are unique and test my creativity. I’m upping my game, making more complicated Pendants, and using better quality material. I’m using more scarce, better quality. rare gemstones. Even though materials cost more, I have been able to use these rare gemstones, and charging what I paid for them a decade (or more) ago.

Meta Jade (the forerunner to Victoria Stone)

Meta Jade

The story goes that back around 1968, Japanese chemist, Dr. S. Iimori was experimenting if it was possible to fabricate Jade. The story goes that the Japanese government had some interest in this experiment (they were tired of buying Jade from China).

**Meta Jade appears to be a form of Glass, based on the Conchoidal** fracturing.

I’ll cut to the chase. Dr Iimori did discover a way to make a Jade simulent, that he called “Meta Jade”. Meta Jade was the precursor to Iimori Stone; Later called Victoria Stone, for marketing purposes.

Victoria stone was very popular when introduced at the Tucson Gem Shows around 1970. Victoria Stone was very chatoyant and came in 14 colors.

**A better example of the conchoidal** edge fracture indicative of glass. I feel this, and Victoria Stone are a form of leaded glass..

A few months ago, I discovered a small piece of Meta Jade in my shop. I thought I’d show you what this rare and historic forerunner of Victoria Stone looks like. Perhaps you have some lurking in your shop, especially if you have old collections, or are old enough to have personally acquired some back in the 60’s or 70’s.

A BIG ROCK STORY from LODI HEIGHTS

After re-serfacing the driveway, Dave’s Bobcat was ready to excavate a rock we found.

Digging down below the boulder in order to dig it out.

It’s under that White Pine; Let’s get it!

“I got it, but I never expected it to be this big.

Harvesting Rocks

We purchased our property, 4 decades ago, because of it’s rolling character, and distant southern-facing views. Our solar home was set into the highest slope in the area. We built our Solar Home into this big hill. We refer to our property as “Lodi Heights”. Lodi proper, is a place well known to locals for it’s famous Trading Company, and a gas station/store. That gas station used to have a roadsign that said “Lodi”; That’s how big it was when we moved there.

At the edge of our Red Pine Plantation, grows a group of White Pines. Bonnie discovered the head of a rock peeking out, next to one of those White Pines. It was about the size of half a piece of paper. She dug around a bit with a shovel, and decided to let me bring my tractor, since it might be to big for her shovel.

I’m always on the lookout for landscape rocks, so I grabbed the Kubota tractor, and attempted to extract this rock. The Kubota was not big enough to “pop” it out, so we (mostly Bonnie) tried to dig it out more. We found the boulder to be large and encased in White Pine roots.

I have a good buddy, Dave, with a tracked Bobcat. That Bobcat (and Dave), with help from us and others, have retrieved hundreds of rocks from piles around our property. Dave loves to build rock walls from fieldstone. We hired Dave (and his minions) to constuct remarkable retaining fieldstone walls on our propery. These walls added class and eye appeal to our landscaping (especially Bonnie’s amazing gardens).

Dave brought his Bobcat over last week to spread a new load of gravel on our drive. I said; “Dave, can you dig up a rock for me?” There is nothing Dave likes more than digging, moving, and building with fieldstones. Dave gets as excited about digging rocks as I do when I find a bonus fry in the bottom of a McDonalds’ bag. Both Dave and I love rocks. I prefer little ones to make jewelry, and he prefers monster ones for rock walls.

A big hole was left.
We put it here, never to be moved again.
Man that’s a pretty nice rock.
This left a hole.
I remember what it looked like until the Bobcat grabbed it. We first noticed just a few inches sticking out of the ground.

Dave took his machine down to dig up that rock, AND COULD NOT BUDGE IT! NOW WE ARE PISSED OFF! Dave is upset that his trusty Bobcat had failed to fetch that rock, and me because I WANT that rock. His story is that, while I was gone on an errand, that root encrusted boulder. made his Bobcat do headstands; Dave and his grandson dug around that rock even more, and it still would not “pop”. The rock had a skull of White Pine Roots gripping it.

The Next Day

While we like trees, we have a lot, and we really love ROCKS, so it was decided that Dave should take his machine, and “do whatever it takes”, to dig out that rock from under that Big White Pine; even if it meant cutting the tree down!

After some serious sand removal, that big glacier-transported boulder, was finally extracted. We never would have gotten that stone out with hand digging, or with my Kubota. We had no idea how big that granite boulder was!

Root damage was sustained by the White Pine, but it may come back. if it has sustained too much damage, I’ll cut it down and sell it for lumber.

Not only was that large boulder extracted, but 30 other sizable stones were also under that tree. This indicated that this was origionaly a farm stone pile, containing rocks removed from fields. They couldn’t move the big rock, so just added more smaller rocks to it.

Now, that stone proudly sits in a place of enjoyment, with several of its’ buddies. It has to remain where if is. It’s too big for the Kubota. These rocks present an opportunity for a new flower garden, or a structure for kids to climb on.

The challenging Boulder is Granite with a fine seam of Quartz running around it, like a seatbelt (or like the tree roots that had it secured). Dave has hauled larger Boulders, but this was his most challenging rock ever.

The next step is a good power washing of all those new beauties. Some of the pictures may be out of order, but I think you can figure it out.

Improbable Copper Agate Located in my Shop

Recently, I’ve been uprooting Greenstones and Copper Agates in my shop. Both these treasures make extraordinary jewelry, and both are difficult to find. Fortunately, over the past couple decades, I’ve been able to acquire some of both, in old collections, as well as hunting them on old Spoil Piles in the Keewenaw.

This is what I saw when I took off the rind of the nodule I found.

I rediscovered a stone from a few years back. I recall finding the large nodule in matrix, in the Kearsarge Lode near Calumet. I left the half-dollar size stone sticking our from its’ host rock, and just polished the face of it. I thought it was a Quartz/Epidote, salted with Copper specks (nothing remarkable). I just left it for a specimen. That stone sat around of a while, until the other day. I decided to cut the stone out of the matrix. I assumed the pattern would be the same throughout the stone.

I cut that nodule out of its’ matrix, and lo and behold, and awesome big Copper Agate. It’s the largest Copper Agate I have personally discovered.

You can’t imagine my pleasure and thrill to find that big nodule was a Large Copper Agate! This was the largest Copper Agate I have ever personally found. After cutting that stone from the host rock, enough remained to create an improbable Gemstone for another pendant.

The next slice of that big Copper Agate, produced an amazing copper agate. There was a clear Quartz top in this one, that I set one of my Island Greenstones into. Even though improbable, awesome none the less.

Last week was one of the luckiest lapidary weeks I’ve ever had lately. Unfortunately I do not have any more mine rock with giant Copper Agate Suspects in them, but I can hope I find another big nodule out in the Lode. I’ll look this year.

“Baby Shark?”

I recently purchased some Megalodon Teeth at our clubs’ show in Jacksonville. Sharks’ teeth are available from dealers and divers in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. All sharks shed their teeth, and a new tooth rolls into the open place.

Many of the Southern rivers and the Atlantic Ocean provide the opportunity to find or dive for these fossils. Different sharks have specific teeth, and when you find a sharks tooth, a knowledgeable person can identify the species of shark that the tooth came from.

Bigger than average Meg Teeth. I purchased them from a diver, cleaned the barnacles off them, and that’s it. Not Grade “A” teeth, but not Grade “A” prices.

The most exciting find is always a Megalodon Tooth, especially a large, perfect tooth. Most sharks’ teeth are broken and/or may have flaws in the Enamel. The perfect tooth is very scarce, and when found they fetch top dollar. I bartered a top of the line meg tooth many years ago to a fossil dealer in Tucson. My tooth is perfect in every way. It has perfect saw-like edges, and has Pyrite in it, that shines in the sun.

I occasionally purchase Megalodon teeth from divers. Eliminating any middle man is always better for me and I can pass along the savings to my customers.

The Megalodon Teeth I made in the past week; Except the big tooth, which is my own Pendant.

How big was the Megalodon? The analogy I use when I speak to kids is; “Do you know how big a school bus is?” All kids know how big a school bus is, of course. “THINK OF A SCHOOL BUS WITH TEETH!!” That is how big a Megalodon was. Some were known to be over 50 feet long, and they had a mouth that a normal person could stand inside!

You just cannot imagine just how big a Megalodon was, unless you actually saw one. Well, guess what?: You can see a model of a Megalodon, at the Tennessee State Aquarium in Chattanooga, and there is one in the Smithsonian. Pictures are on line.

Researchers have determined that a baby Megalodon was born alive at over 6 feet in length. The question is how did th baby get that big at birth? That baby Meg ate up the embryos and its siblings IN THE WOMB!

Even as a baby, the Megs’ cannibalistic habits were apparent. When this baby was born, it had to be protected. Other Megalodons could easily eat baby Megs. Megalodons fed on whales, Dolphins, and anything else, at the rate of 2,000 pounds a day for an adult Meg. Sometimes I tell the kids that they would be a small snack for a big Megalodon. Megs could eat a Killer Whale in 5 bites! “Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.” Orca gone.

You know, do you not, that kids love Dinosaurs and Megalodons?

I am far from a shark expert, but if I find someone that knows about sharks, I pick their brains for shark trivia, that I can pass on to the kids, or you.

Not Megs; but Mako Sharks. A baby Meg has about the same size teeth. These Makos’ still need to be wrapped.

Over the years, I’ve developed a wire wrap for Sharks Teeth and arrowheads. Using my shark wrap, I can wrap any size tooth. Guys seem to like the BIG Meg Teeth, and ladies prefer a more toned down, not so much “in the face” version; perhaps a “Baby Shark” (It’s OK to sing). Baby Megalodon teeth are less expensive than big Mega-teeth, and are often preferable for the ladies. To be sure, the big ones are hefty! You’ll want a suitable chain, I use two 4mm gold fill chains together.

Enjoy my recent Shark journeys.

Fancy Holiday Pendants

The Twelve Pendants for Christmas

I’m not sure why I was so eager to make some fancy pendants this Holiday season. My normal pendant production is already really nice, but I just wanted to move some pendants to the next level, and challenge myself; Experimenting and doing things I seldom, or never, have done before. I also think that there’s a lot of negativity right now. Happy pendants are a small way that I try to counter gloom and doom.

The first new pendant I made was a double stone flexible/swinging pendant I named “Mythical Illusion”. It’s a white Aurora Druzy Quartz on the top and an oval shaped Yellow Optical Quartz on the bottom. Little smooth sterling silver beeds between the top stone and the bottom stone add even more flash. My artsy brain had a vision that this combination would look phenomenal, and it does. Loads of muti-colored sparkle in the Druzy and cats eye effect in the Glass. Who do you know who would look glamorous in this shiny special piece?

The second feel good pendant is a Biggs Picture Jasper that remind me of the Joshua Tree National Park in California. That park is like some aliens came and stacked giant boulders on top of each other, I think the Flintstone town of “Bedrock” is in there somewhere, so I named this pendant “Bedrock”. Scenic stones like this are fascinating to wear and show off, as people enjoy seeing images. A great gift.

The third pendant, of a bright and happy nature, is a rare Green Victoria Stone. Victoria Stone ceased production in around 1980. It’s a man-made gemstone with an brilliant chatoyant effect. This dark Green has always a favorite Victoria Stone color. I decided to bling it up with some Bicone Swarovski crystals of Indicolite color. “Covenant of Beauty” is the moniker on this one; because it is! A splendid choice for the Christmas season, when you need some special bling, or if you have an Irish heritage.

The fourth Happy pendant was a Petoskey stone that reminded me of our daughter’s little dog. I named that one “Dexter”, the name of this cute Maltese/Pomeranian. If this reminds you of your pet, please feel free to change the pendant name to your own dog! A cute, smaller Petoskey stone with a nice pattern, a great piece whether you see the dog or not!

The Fifth Pendant is a red Ammonite shell from Alberta. The picture really does not do justice to the flashy reds in this fossil. “Fossil Fire” is its’ name. It really shimmers with bright red/orange/yellow fire. A great choice for someone partial to red, again a bright choice for Christmas wear, or to wear with white and black.

Sixth is a Koroit Boulder Opal from Australia. The superb colors share the spotlight of the sheen of the hematite, various browns, and yellow opal in the center. Careful examination under a light will also surprise the owner with rare purple, lavender and green . The colors are so much more pronounced in person. “Sumptuous Sprinkle” has sprinkles of color hidden throughout the matrix.

The Seventh new pendant is a delightful piece of Copper Ore from the Keweenaw Peninsula. A greenish back suggests it came from a mine in the central part of the Keweenaw. The Prehnite matrix hints of the Cliff mine. I sealed this one to prevent tarnishing. It has just the right amount of Copper in it. I named it “Sublime”. Large enough for a bold person!

I think the Eighth Pendant could be my favorite of this group. An exceptional Green Variscite, from Utah, featuring Jade beads and Swarovski Crystals. “Green Fantasy” was an obvious name. This should be for your favorite fancy lady. It would look great at Christmas, but also for a wedding or anniversary occasion. Its luscious, and so will she look!

A Copper Agate was added to a set of Ocean Jasper Eyes, to create this whimsical character. He’s number nine in this collection. My vision here was a cross between a “Droid” from Star Wars and an Owl. I named this pendant “Friendly Stare”, because, well, just look at those eyes!. Wouldn’t someone you know really like to wear him?

A Silver-Copper Nugget, found on a beach in the Keweenaw, is my 10th new Pendant. For over a hundred years, we referred to these as “Halfbreeds”. This seems to be a negative term anymore, perpetuated by non-Native Americans, who think it is a negative term. I do not think it to be negative in any way, as it refers to a chunk of Copper with Silver in it, and not any indigenous peoples. These rare pieces are highly valued, and fun to wear. I called this Pendant “Heavy Metal”. This is my tenth happy/anti-negativity pendant.

This carved Unakite horse was found at the Tucson Shows a few years ago. These carved Equines are very much appreciated by the horse lovers, each one a bit different. I named this guy “Green Steed”. Unakite is common in the Glacial Tills in the Great Lakes region. My eleventh Festive Pendant.

Pink Petoskey Stones are a real treasure.. Some of them are real “Shiners” even in the rough. This was one of the best PinkPets I found this year. While hunting in the rain on a gravel road, this stone really stood out. A fine pattern, exceptionally Pink, and hard enough to take a glass-like shine. My 12th new pendant, Now I’ve covered all 12 days of Christmas. I’ve named this pendant “Holiday Pink”.

Since you have waded thru all the 12 days of Jewelry, you deserve a bonus; A Bakers Dozen, so to speak. A rare and beautiful Centennial Blue Datolite. About the only place you can find these are in old collections. I named this Datolite Pendant “Happy Blues”,

Not being interrupted by snow removal, makes it easier to up my jewelry creations. When this blog is published, all these pendants should be posted on our websites. If you do not find them, contact us, and refer to the name I gave each pendant.

Merry Christmas and Happy New year everyone. If you celebrate another Holiday; Happy that one also. We do not care what Holiday you celebrate , as long is Snob Appeal Jewelry is involved! Stay Merry!

A Greenstone for a West Point Graduate

A soon to graduate Army Cadet contacted me for an Isle Royale Greenstone. The stone was for his class ring, and I went the extra mile to find and cut a perfect Stone.

Could it be the only Greenstone Class ring at West Point, EVER? I’m pretty sure of it.

The stone was provided to the largest Class Ring Company in the United States. Guess what? They broke the stone while setting it. This did not surprise me in the least. Greenstones are much softer than the more common jewels that are forced into these class rings. Greenstones require some finesse to set, and this lack of finesse broke the GS.

The ring company covered the cost of another stone, but did not have the knowhow to set it. This required a more experienced jeweler in New York to set the new stone into the ring.

As you can see, the ring turned out great. I asked why he put a Greenstone into his ring and received the following answer: “I am a Cadet at West Point and am set to graduate in May 2024 to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. I am a Michigan native and wanted a piece of my state to wear on my hand no matter where I find myself in the world. Snob Appeal cut a beautiful Isle Royale Greenstone to put in my gold class ring. I am very grateful for their had work and look forward to wearing this wonderful stone throughout my Army career”.

We appreciate the trust in us; Good luck Sir, and thanks for serving our great country.

Categorizing Rocks (aka Bucket Diving)

I Wonder if I already Sorted This?

This is typical of rock sorting at Snob Appeal Jewelry.

It’s the time of the year where we weed out, clean out, categorize, and attempt to neaten the barn/shop area up. The procedure is, Bonnie will notice I have a slack few minutes and say “Would you like to sort rocks?”.

This means one of two things; 1. I really am slacking, 2. She has found some random buckets of rocks that she believes need to be catagorized, in some way, OR 3. She needs more rocks for grab bags that we sell at our upcoming Art Shows.

From the red agate on the left: Yellow Cat Petrified Wood, Patricianite Seam, Petoskey Stone, Azurite seam in Matrix, Rainbow Casilica (man made), Ocean Jasper, Petoskey Stone, and Fairborn Agate from Tepee Canyon.

Sorting Rocks

This is how the “Sort” is operated; First, Bonnie sets several 5 gallon buckets of rocks outside of one of the garage doors on the barn. These buckets are of two categories. The first (and my favorite) are buckets that she’s found under, around, behind, and hiding from normal view. These buckets commonly hold the good stuff; the ACME stuff. They could contain rocks I acquired, years ago, and have forgotten about over the years. I refer to these particular buckets as “Money Makers”. The good stuff, and surprises, are in these buckets. I sometimes even recall the names of these good rocks, where and whence they came from. No wait, there is a third type of bucket. This is too heavy for her to lift. We call these rocks “Cutters”. I don’t have to worry too much about Cutters.

From top left; Texas Agate, Datolite/Prehnite, Variscite, Not sure, but there’s a nice bright red agate in this one, Brenda Agate, Variscite rough, Monte Lake Eye Agate, Fairborn Agate from Tepee Canyon

Also she’ll set out my mechanic’s stool. This fine, sturdy, metal stool is probably one of the best garage sale finds ever. She may also demonstrate her love, by having a cold beverage for me. IF I get a cold drink, it’s a dead giveaway that sorting is important at this particular day and time.

From top left: Seam Azurite/Chrysocolla/Gem Silica, Copper included slab, Agate Creek area Agate from Australia, Not sure (but could be Condor Agate), Variscite, Amethyst Nodule.

The second category of buckets may contain material I’ve already sorted (sometimes have already sorted several times). In this case, because we are old, and in our “Wonder Years”, one of both of us are wondering if we have already sorted these. I may ask Bonnie some probing question like, “Didn’t I already sort these last week?”. We are not really sure, and sometimes I get deja vous; like I’ve done this before? Maybe, could be; it’s possible. When you get old and senile, it’s all new. We have now started marking buckets so we do not “wonder”, if we have previously sorted them.

Bonnie always insists that I have NOT sorted these before. I do have lots of rock that looks like other rock! LOL.

From the top left: Luna Agate, Azurite in Matrix, Next three are Australian Mookaite (especially nice material) and Wonderstone with a great scene!

I don’t mean to interrupt this blog. I just randomly remember things and get really excited.

Bonnie will also lay out empty buckets and containers of various sizes and shapes to categorize the “sorted” rocks. Today, the empty buckets had paper labels taped to them. The labels were “Cut NOW”, “Cut LATER”, Grab Bags (these may require breaking into smaller pieces), Garden Rocks, and “Really good stuff”, to be cut immediately. Immediately means they may be lost again before I get to them. IMMEDIATE buckets are top priority, and contain many things that are awesome and “I forgot I had that” stuff. Today, some of this “Acme” stuff was very impressive.

The Cut Soon bucket

Now “Cut Soon” is kind of misleading. Because you can put a lot of chunks in a 5 gallon bucket. And the saw cuts slowly and methodically. And it requires the person to load the stone, adjust things, check the oil, take it off and start it again. I get busy at my grinding machines, and the Cut Soon bucket stays about as full as it was. The pictures above are small pieces we found and could work with. The “Cut Soon” bucket has lots of big pieces that need to be made smaller before they can ever get their turn at the grinder.

The Pictures are from from my sorted “Acme” bucket today.

I usually get so enthusiastic, after sorting, I have to start cutting immediately. The tray pictured is an example of the random things I was so excited about I DiD cut them “soon”! Aren’t they pretty?

A tray of Cabochons’ I am eager to make into Jewelry. Do you recognize any of these?

It’s a rare day when I do not have a project, custom work, or slabbing rocks and/or cutting cabochons. When you’ve been doing Lapidary and Wire Wrapping for so many years; purchasing old collections, trading, and buying what you did not know you needed, there’s lots to do, and treasures to work with.

As long as I’m still having fun, and wake up not dead, I’m still good to go. Sometimes the names of rocks do not pop out of my head, like they used to, but that’s OK. Keeping busy and happy (as long as I don’t have a deadline).

Our Inventory expands with Eclectic Pendants

There is no rhyme or reason as to why I choose certain stones to cut and wire wrap. The recent selections were chosen simply because I was captivated by them. They were all somewhat unusual, but all spoke to me.

Gorgeous Black and White Dinosaur Bone, that I found deep in a bucket of random rocks.

My wife was in my shop last week, and discovered several slabs of various stones that she liked. I incorporated several of these in my recent creations. Bonnie will often put Gemstones in a dish and put a note in that dish that will say “Bonnie likes these”.

Natural Spiderweb Kingman Turquoise.
When you cut Turquoise and do not smell the odor of any stabilizer, it’s a good thing.

This was the most appealing Turkish Agate I’ve ever cut.

Eyed Prehnite from the Keweenaw.
It’s no wonder that Prehnite, like this, fooled many people into thinking that it was Thomsonite. In fact it is still referred to locally as “UP Thomsonite”.

I was struck by the unusual mustard coloration of this piece of Dinosaur Bone. And ketchup too!

I describe this Lake Superior Agate as a Candy Striped Banded Floater. It’s way more cool in person–it has a lot going on!

Laker Superior Agates are really a surprise sometimes. This one is like a mixed-up soup containing many ingredients.

An absolutely gorgeous Kentucky Agate sporting classic colors for the species. Usually a color dominates; this is especially nice with almost equal areas of yellow, red and black.

This has been a busy spring in my shop. I really haven’t had much time to take pictures, write blogs, or the normal things I do upon returning from suffering the winter in Florida. I suffered a mild heart attack in Florida, but I’m gearing up more every day.

None of these pendants have been put on our websites or in our show inventory. If you are interested any of the pendants in this blog, let us know.

Just Having Fun

New Spring Pendants

Megalodon Teeth with a signature wrap. If you want to awe and impress; these are your ticket. The blue tooth is from the St Johns River, while the tooth with the petrified wood look, came from the Savannah River in Georgia.

I wanted to show you some of my latest creations. from the past couple weeks. Rough stones were selected and cut with designs in mind. My inspirations come from the gemstones. Pattern, color, and pleasing appearances, all are taken into account, in my wire wrapping; But the most important part of my creative thoughts is usually whimsy. If a pendant is not fun to look and and wear, what good is it?

Condor Agate, from Argentina, is considered one of the most colorful types of agate.

This is the reverse side of the first Ammonite shown. I wrapped it so if it flips over, both sides show gorgeous, pearlescent colorations

The Ammonites are an fine example of out of the ordinary things that can be wire wrapped. These fossils are simple as compared to some things I’ve created for people.

Porcelain Jasper is a Ryolite from Idaho/Oregon. It’s supposed to instill a calming effect to the wearer. I think I may have to test the stone and see.

A handsome pendant of Fordite, wrapped simply in silver. This pendant could be worn by anyone. Fordite is an industrial waste from many years ago, put to a good use.

The rarest agates in the Great Lakes Region are the scarce and coveted Copper Agate, from the Kearsarge Lode near Calumet. Copper seeped in and replaced softer areas in the agate. They can vary from a very small amount of copper to lots of copper. They are typically not real big stones and often the copper is mostly on the outer areas.

Lake Superior Agate.
This one resembles a dust storm rolling across the desert. Or maybe you see a wild lake storm going on?

A more typical Laker. with red and white banding (we call these “Candy Stripers”). This particular agate has some shadow effects caused by very close banding.

Fairborn Agate from Teepee Canyon, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

I could not decide which side of this cabochon was the best, so I wrapped it as a “flipper”.
You can wear it with either side out.

Mexican Crazy Lace Agate.
If you are lucky enough to find some old stock, the colors and banding can be amazing. This stone as rows of different colors, lined up like an artist might draw them.

I decided to enhance this Petoskey Stone with a few Leland Blue Beads. You can find these treasured things on the beaches near Leland, Michigan
The Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone, while Leland Blue in a slag Glass from an old foundry in Leland Michigan,

A pair of nice Petoskey Stone Pendants; one dark and the other light. Darker Petoskey Stones were Calcified in water containing petroleum, while the light stones were calcified where little petroleum was present. These were also different species of Hexagonaria. This is ascertained by the size of the individual cell structures.

Another wild Crazy Lace Agate. This stone is really a crazy, Crazy Lace Agate.

Turkish Stick Agate is a pseudomorph (you have to look this word up, and use it every day in your conversations) from the Cubuk region of Turkey. The mineral inclusions line themselves up in unusual ways, making each stick agate piece a surprise. This seems like it’s perfect for the off-kilter kind of person. Like me.

Here’s your Dessert

I cut these Greenstones from old stock material from Isle Royale.
All these are spoken for, and will make excellent rings.

I have a big backlog of cutting at my home shop, and am hopeful I will find some lost treasures to work with. I was restricted by the rocks and cabochons I could take to Florida. but I have loads of treasures I can work with as I return to my workshop. Time to get creative now!