Author Archives: teamreed

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.
Ammonite from British Columbia.
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!

Great Lakes Pendants-Part 2

The Art of it All

Isle Royale Greenstones, Thomsonite, Datolite, Lake Superior Agates, Petoskey Stones, Pudding Stones, Kona Dolomite, Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (aka Half-breeds), have always been the base for our business.

Our last blog addressed the most popular Rocks & Minerals we make jewelry from, and sell on line. This blog will show examples of what we make from those core stones shown in Part 1.

  • A silver-Copper Nugget (AKA halfbrees.
  • Dark eyed Thomsonite-A fan favorite.
Classic “Candy Striper”
These are the Lake Superior Agates that we all look for.
A rough Copper/Silver nugget I just wrapped as found.
I wish you could see this in the sun!
The common name for vintage industrial automotive paint is Fordite. This piece is from the Century Boat Company in Manistee, so you might call it Centuryite! This metallic paint was used on their line of ski boats, back in the day.
My picture frame pendant contains Lake Superior Agate, white Datolite from the Isle Royal Mine, Petoskey Stone, Epidote, Quart Mix, Isle Royal Greenstone, and Kona Dolomite.
Cockle Shells were combined with Greenstone (left) and Thomsonite (right) to create a “Snowbird” pendant for Northerners that suffer in Florida all winter. The shells nestle a Greenstone and a Thomsonite.
I put these out in the sun on the picnic table.
Pink Petoskey Stone, Quartz crystal Included float copper, and a beautiful Isle Royale Greenstone with Thomsonite inclusions.
Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite. Yellow or Caramel Datolite has always been associated with Keweenaw Point . You have to dive for these little buggers.
Pudding Stone; You can’t miss the Jasper in this one. Pudding Stone trivia; the bedrock for Pudding Stone in near Sudbury, Canada. You can figure out how far this material surfed in the glacier till, before it was deposited.

I realize I was a little “artsy”, with the pictures, in this blog. The pictures look great and I hope they make you as happy as they made me.

Great Lakes Gemstones-Our Core Products

Isle Royale Greenstones, Thomsonite, Datolite, Lake Superior Agates, Petoskey Stones, Pudding Stones, Kona Dolomite, Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (aka Half-breeds), have always been the base for our business.

The popularity of Thomsonte has been on the upswing. Most of the goos Thomsonte comes from secret spots on the North Shore of Lake Superior. There’s something about this beautiful, pastel pink, Zeolite, that people love.

Our main products consist of Great Lakes Rocks & Minerals. Some of these core stones have been found by us, Others were purchased from collectors in the Great Lakes Region. I will publish this blog in two parts. I have loads of pictures to show you and will share images of some of our most popular jewelry gemstones. The second part will be jewelry made from those Great Lakes gemstones.

Michigan’s Official State Gemstone may be out most popular, and most rare of anything we sell. Greenstones are found nowhere else in the world; only on Isle Royale and on the old spoil piles of some of the copper mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Copper Agates are found in some of the mine spoil piles in the Keargarge Lode. They are very coveted, and hard to find.

Our customers search our Snobappealjewelry.com or ETSY site for jewelry made from all these Michigan Gemstones.

Our pride in Michigan, and the Gemstones found there, reflects in our jewelry. We have many happy customers, that return again and again to purchase more pieces of jewelry to add to their collections, or to give as treasured gifts.

Unakite (top) is a Granite comprised of Pink Feldspar, Epidote, and Quartz. It is commonly found on the Lake Superior Beaches. I personally think it makes wonderful jewelry.
On the bottom is Mohawkite from several Mines near Mohawk, Michigan. Some people love it, but we that cut it, must be careful because of the Arsenides in it. It is safe to wear, as we seal it with a two part industrial epoxy.
Datolite is another Copper-associated rock. Where you see Datolite, there is usually copper in the neighborhood. Copper often permeates into the Datolite, causing the Datolite to have a pink tinge. Sometimes you can see the Copper in the stone, as you do here. The above Datolite also contains Green Epidote.

Orders come from all over the country. We wonder and are often awestruck at how people, in Utah or California for example, know about Isle Royale Greenstones or Copper Agates. Sometimes we have the chance to ask them where they heard of Petoskey Stones or Datolite, and more often than not, they have some connection to Michigan. They may have hunted the rockpiles in the Keweenaw, or the beaches of Lake Michigan. Their family has roots in Michigan, or they attended Michigan Tech in Houghton (Go Huskies!). At times they may have found a piece of jewelry at Copper World in Calumet, or bought something from us at an art show in Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor. Customers can have Nostalgic memories of hunting the beaches with their families in the U.P. for rock treasures.

Sure evidence that Greenstones and copper can be found together in many copper mines. This little gem is a lucky strike for sure, a rare find!

Nostalgia often is associated with the custom jewelry pieces we make. People send stones they have found, saying things like “I’ve been looking for someone, for years, that can make a piece of jewelry from a Laker (or other rock) that I found while with my Grandpa decades ago on the shores of the Lake Superior or Lake Michigan”. “YES; I can do this for you; What did you have in mind”?

Copper Firebrick was formed when the bricks used for construction of Copper smelters, got permiated with Copper Vapors and molten Copper.
The Datolite was a lucky cut, with an interior in the form of the Lower Peninsula.

This blog includes, but not limited to, rocks and minerals we most often make jewelry from. Since we live in Michigan we specialize in Michigan State Stone (Petoskey Stone) and Michigan State Gem (Greenstone).

Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone. We make many things from this, and other Devonian Fossils. Cladapora is the other fossil seen in this picture.

Our website contains well over a thousand unique pieces of jewelry. We’re proud to individually make each piece. We do not have cheap “Buy-sell” things made in foreign countries. We are a locally owned Michigan small business, proudly sharing our handcrafted Great Lakes stone jewelry with people across the country.

Have fun looking at our core Great Lakes treasures. If you see something you like, call or E-mail us. If you have an idea for a custom wire wrap, or beaded treasure, get ahold of us.

Re-making Jewelry- Sometimes it happens

It’s not often I remake a piece of my jewelry

I pride myself in being careful and meticulous when it comes to making jewelry. Also, while making jewelry I try to put myself into a Happy Place. I try not to watch TV as the abused animal commercial may come on; this tends to depress me no end, The happy place is where I need to be.

Even though my design may seem good; sometimes after looking at the design the next day, I think “You can do better” or on rare occasions “Man, that’s butt ugly”. In the case of “Butt Ugly”, I usually cut the pendant up and start anew. I really do not want to make a Butt Ugly, because the price of precious metal is way high right now. I make very few Butt Uglies anymore,

Last week I wrapped a beautiful Agua Nueva Agate from Mexico. My initial thought was it looks good, but the more I looked at it, the more I thought something was wrong with it. It was not “Butt Ugly”, just something my senses did not like.

I slept on it, and around 2:30 am, I woke up with the solution. The top of the pendant was too big, and the pendant looked top heavy. Design wise, if you have a pendant that is skinny at the top, you just can’t get away with a big amount of wire at the top. I see many wire wrappers make a design mistake doing this.

I wrapped the Agua Nueva and capped it with a nice decorative, beaded top. I could have been satisfied and sold this as it it was. The top looked like some alien bug- My designer brain said “this is not as good as it could be”. SO………

Allow me to show you what I did, and how it was corrected.

I removed two beads; one on each side. This made a much more balanced pendant, don’t you think? I am aware that some prefer the larger top, but you’ll have to get over it. Even though this is a small Tweak, it made a difference to me.

Since I made this change, I’ve been sleeping better, waking up more rested, refreshed, and ready for whatever the day brings. The pendant now brings Smooth Jazz into my head, instead of hearing that sad melancholy music from the abused dog commercial.

I have also made pendants so over-the-top, that I was not able to sell them (Yet). One, from a decade ago (2011) was an attempt to make a Squash Blossom from Turquoise. I saw many old Squash Bloom pendants made by Native American Silversmiths out on Arizone, and was inspired to make one in wire. As I recall, this one took about 30 hours, scattered over a week’s time. I used rare Western all-American Turquoise in this pendant.

This wire-wrapped Turquoise Blossom needs a home. As of this posting, it is still available on our website. Are you bold enough to wear it?

I received many compliments on the piece, but no takers. This could be your brag-about statement piece of jewelry. It has a wonderful array of rare Southwest Turquoise. I’m not sure why it has not sold, though it is $889, so it’s not for everyone. Consider the time and components in it. This pendant my just be the best bargain on our website. The pendant was very large, and I think too bold for the average person to wear. Lastly our business is not located in an area where there is high demand for Turquoise jewelry.

As I was looking for the above Turquoise Blossom picture, I re-discovered many pendants I forgot about, from the past, that I really liked. Here’s one.

I really like this wrap on a dark blue Victoria Stone,and I wanted to show you what good design is. It has an asymmetrical top and a pair of facetted Apatites’ and one handsome Citrine. Colors, design, and wire wrapping made this Pendant makes it a winner.

I may seem a bit particular about my pendants, but there are few wire wrap artist that do what I do; and you know what? That’s just perfect for me.

If you wear one of our pendants, it will wash way the “abused dog” music in your head…..Forever.

Valentine Jewelry 2023

Warning: This Brown Rhodochrosite should not be worn if you do not want to be noticed.

It’s never to early to start thinking of a Valentine gift for your Valentine.

I recall when I was in grade school; so far back that most of you were not yet born.

One of the memorable events, I remember, was celebrating Valentines Day by exchanging Valentine Cards with others in my 3rd or 4th grade class.

The exchanging of cheap cards helped make for a happy classroom. I came from the poor side of town. We lived in the shadow of a Giant Paper Mill smokestack. This was good, because the rotten smell would mostly drift over our house and settle on the rich side of town. My best pal, Bill, and I played in the paper bails. A paper bail was about ten foot square, they were “stacked” haphazardly, inviting kids to make forts and hideouts in those bails. We sometimes found Valentine (and other) Cards in those bails. When Valentines Day came, I always had nice cards to give out. I, of course, never told anyone where I got the cards; after all, it’s the thought that counts.

I’m sure most kid’s parents bought them cards to give to the other kids, but my (paper bail) cards were always well received, and mom did not have to buy any cards for us boys to hand out. I had enough found cards to share with my three younger brothers. Paper bails were not a place for my younger brothers to explore, but most of the time I liked my younger brothers, and by sharing my found treasures, I felt good.

Green Petrified Wood from Hampton Butte, Oregon.
What make this unique is its’ color and it is the only Petrified Cedar found on Earth.

Today, Valentines Day is so commercialized by the Card Companies, Candy Companies, and jewelry Stores (of course). Don’t get the wrong idea. We promote local jewelry stores and often do custom cutting for them. I’m referring to big box jewelry stores who offer you aisles and aisles of diamonds.

Fluorescent Sodalite in Granite
This Yooperstone has a hidden surprise. I coupled this with some nice facetted Garnets. Adding the Garnets with the black Granite helps the ordinary looking stone stand out.
When a UV light illuminates the Sodalite, this Yooperstone really stands out.

Some of these slick TV ads promote Diamonds or colored gemstones. The subliminal message, in the ads, is that you are cheap if you don’t buy multiple Diamonds for your love. Most people reading this blog know that Diamonds’ inflated values are controlled by one central cartel based in South Africa. The world of stone is so much larger, we love to offer variety!

Pallasite Meteorite from Symchan, Russia
Olivine (a relative of Peridot) inhabits some Symchan Meteorites. When you shine a light up through the Meteorite, it looks like a yellow-shaded stained glass window. Olivine included Meteorites, are classed as Pallasite Meteorites because they contain Olivine.
Shot Copper
Copper Ore containing “Shot Copper” is occasionally found in the Keweenaw Copper Country waste piles. This Ore was hard enough to make a pendant from. Location found was in the Kearsage Lode near Calumet.

Snob Appeal Jewelry is a small business, based in a small town, in Northern Michigan. We do not use common gemstones that you see at every jewelry store. Our jewelry value is in memories, not costs. Most of our stones are much more rare than what you find in every jewelry store in the country. Our rare and unusual pendants always create a special feeling.

My wife Bonnie liked this Snowflake Obsidian
Could Lady Liberty be wading in the Michigan Snow Drifts?
Since she is not wearing a Carhartt Parka and a Story Kromer hat; probably Not.
Crinoid Stem
These Devonian Fossils are found in the same area as Petoskey Stones. It is more common to see them as little straw-shaped rings in our fossils.

In every case, our jewelry’s intent is to create a feeling of love, and that you are giving or receiving something that no one else has. We are surprised by people around this great country, having deep feelings about our Great Lakes Rocks & Minerals. Instead of common Diamonds, Rubies, and Sapphires, we have Lake Superior Agates, isle Royale Greenstones, Petoskey Stones, and Pudding Stones. We have hand made pendants, made of rare and unusual gemstones, from around the world. Our Etsy site features amazing beadwork as well as wire wrapped pendants. We’re not making millions of dollars, but we’re creating thousand of memories.

Pink Amethyst Lace
A very striking scenic Mexican Agate.

Valentines Day is very special to us, because a gift of our jewelry brings love and elation to others. Our jewelry is long-lasting, and evokes memories for our customers. We put love in every piece we hand make. We believe in buying locally, when we can, and we believe in honestly, Integrity, and fairness. Bonnie and I appreciate everyone that supports our small business, and are proud of our reputation. Over 1000 one-of-a-kind pieces are available on our websites.

Patricianite
Patricianite is a beautiful stone found in the Keweenaw Peninsula. It is comprised of Prehnite, Chlorite, and visible Copper. This stone was found at the Cliff Mine. Lots of Copper in this one!!
Ammonite
Ammonites thrived in the seas millions of years ago (Devonian–Upper Cretaceous,) but were pretty much wiped out 66 Million years ago, along with the Dinosaurs. They are Cephalopods, related to present day Squids and Cuttlefish
Lake Superior Agate
This Agate is special because the eye on the right side is clear crystal, and allows you to look down inside of the Agate. I cannot show this uniqueness with a picture. One you have to see in person.

Here in our blog and on Facebook we try to show you new jewelry that is available to purchase. Sometimes new jewelry is put into out inventory to be sold at art shows. Some jewelry is sold at our Snobappealjewelry.com website, and some at our ETSY site. Some jewelry is available at retail outlets, like Copper World in Calumet, Michigan. If you see any piece of jewelry you are interested in, contact us at Snobappealjewelry@yahoo.com. We can tell you (in most cases) where a piece of jewelry is, or if it was sold. Some pictures in our blogs are “linked” to that particular piece of jewelry.

This blog is to wish you a happy Valentines day, and we are so happy you can purchase jewelry from us, instead of rooting thru paper bails for Valentine cards.

All the jewelry in this blog is available as of the date published.

January Pendants Continue

My productive streak continues with custom work

We sold a wide variety of jewelry in 2022.

We are well known for our Great Lakes Rocks & Minerals (that’s a given), but we are also known for our custom jewelry, and our eclectic collection of rare and unusual ,world-wide, precious and semiprecious gemstones.

Just within the last week, I made a pendant for a customer in Biloxi, Mississippi. He found a beautiful stone on the beach in the state of Washington. He was unsure of what the stone was, and with a bit of research, I determined what he sent me was a piece of Ohanapecosh formation breccia from the older Cascades. The stone was glacially transported from the Mt. Rainier area to the beach where he found it. The identification was not common knowledge to me, or for most anyone else. Obscure; you bet. Just the type of rock I love. This stone was very nostalgic for the owner. I really enjoyed making something for his lady (and she loved it).

Ohanapecosh formation brecciated Quartz from the older Cascades.
Wow, that’s a mouthful–I will have to try to work that name into my daily conversations, from here on out.
This stone was absolutely stunning and incredible, a custom piece.

New pendants from the work bench

This Baltic Amber has been ready to wire wrap for too long. I purchased this rough from Kaliningrad, Russia a decade ago. I assume none of this is being exported currently. A beautiful clear piece with some silver leaf inclusions. This is a quality piece of Amber; very clear with a glass-like polish.
Amber Gold Pendant
A little different Pudding Stone, with black, red, and clear Quartz, in the normal mottled Quartzite.
Candy Flecks Pudding Stone Pendant
I loved this agate “porthole window”, in more solid red agate–a very unusual Lake Superior Agate.
I could not believe an oval port with Kilroy looking out; like a “Kilroy was here” feel.
Kilroy Lake Superior Agate Pendant

Even a short blog takes time some time to write, take pictures, and publish. Some never miss our blog, others stumble onto it, and others do not connect at all. These little blogs do help us with Internet standing. Snob Appeal jewelry is not a Rock Star. We do not get a million people reading this blog. In other ways we are Rock Stars.

Our jewelry Rocks. Our jewelry has Rocks in it. Our jewelry can Rock you. Our jewelry is not made from rocks you commonly find in your local jewelry store (and we don’t want to be). Our goal is to make you something unique. Thank everyone that supports local small businesses, and thank everyone that supports Snob Appeal Jewelry. You mean a lot to us.

Lavish Wire Wrapping of Distinctive Gemstones

Wire wrapping theory; according to Don

My consideration, before making a piece of jewelry is fairly straightforward. It mostly involves the feelings that emanate from a stone, and the enthusiasm, on my part, to proceed. As an artist, I practice seeing what a finished pendant could look like at the conclusion of wire wrapping. Also certain stones “Speak” to me, and tell me what they need.

Being able identify a finished cabochon, while looking at a rough stone has advantages. Rough stones often are cut with a finished piece of jewelry already in mind. The stone that speaks to me one day, may not be the one that speaks to me the next.

I sort through many dozens of stones, until a particular stone stands out from the rest. Once a gemstone is chosen, I can totally concentrate on a pendant until it’s finished. Bonnie knows that my concentration is so complete, that when she talks to me, I often do not hear her. She has learned that if I’m deep into my work, it might be best to not talk to me until I’m done.

Enjoy some new pieces of jewelry

Please enjoy some recent Pendants from 2023. This group is comprised of whatever stone grabbed me. There is no rhyme or reason why I made them. Let’s just say I was having fun flitting across the world of semiprecious gemstones.

Green Petrified Wood from Hampton Butte, Oregon. Green Petrified Wood is found in other places, but this is the only place in the world that the Petrified Wood is from Cedars.
Verdant Cedar Petrified Wood Pendant
An Actinolite Mix from the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Drone View Actinolite Pendant
Lake Superior Agate. This one is a banded fortification type (AKA Candy Striper).
Pastel Candy Lake Superior Agate Pendant
A dime-sized Thomsonte from the North Shore of Lake Superior
Soft Honey
Sonoran Sunset (or Sonoran Sunrise), is a beautiful combination of blue-green Crysocolla and Red Cuprite. The stone got its’ name from the Sonora Desert of Northern Mexico, where it is found. I created this piece as a unisex Pendant. This one is reminiscent of the Southwest and Mexico.
Desert Illustration Sonoran Sunset Pendant
A beautiful example of a Copper Agate found in Mine Spoil piles, and on the beaches near the Kearsage Lode in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Bands of Copper replaced some banding in normal banded agates.
Copper Swathes Copper Agate Pendant
Found on Lake Superior’s Northern region, this unusual Thomsonite stands out.
Light pastel colors permeate the White Thomsonite. I love to create pendants from rare and unusual stones, and this hit the mark.
Thomsonite Spree Pendant

Where to find Snob Appeal Jewelry

The pendants shown may be inventory stock or posted on our ETSY site (snobappealjewelry/etsy.com) or our http://snobappealjewelry.com e-Commerce site. You can also find our jewelry at Copper World in Calumet, Michigan www.calumetcopper.com.

By selecting favoured (Fancy spelling to match our Pendants) Stones and designing masterful Pendants, we invest in our treasured clientele. If a piece of jewelry makes us happy, there’s a good chance the recipient will also be pleased.

I really had fun with this blog, and hope you enjoy it.

Amazing 2023 JEWELRY

Between Christmas and New Years, the holiday rush is over. It’s a great time to create a few new wire-wrapped stone pendants. All I have to do is look thru a few hundred cabochons and see which ones inspire me. Guess what? I found some. So these are the first half dozen pendants that I created in 2023. There are links to the product page, when you “click” on the pictures.

Coober Pedy, in Australia is very famous for Black Opal. This Electric Blue doublet is very fine. A doublet is a slice of opal epoxied to a matrix stone.
Blue Radiance Coober Pedy Opal Pendant
Fire Agate is amazing material that requires careful cutting.   Quality Fire Agates have Iridescence Botrioidal inclusions in Brown Quartz. The trick is to carefully remove the brown Quartz, so that the maximum iridescence shows through, I ruined a lot of Fire Agate before my skill level blossomed enough that I now know where to stop cutting the brown Quartz, and get the most from this Gemstone. This piece of Fire Agate was mined from Slaughter Mountain, Arizona, and the rough was acquired at the Tucson Gem Shows a decade ago.
Supernatural Fire Agate Pendant
Leland Blue Stone (Slag Glass from Leland Michigan). “Leland Blue” is a very popular material from the old Smelter in Leland (NW Lower Michigan). I cut this one as a Quarter-sized heart.
Blue Glaze Leland Blue Pendant
I’m glad I purchased this Catseye Jade a decade ago. Mined in Siberia, this gemstone, due to Russian embargo. is now very scarce. The gemstone shows a distinct “Cats-eye”, as the stone is moved with light shinining on it.
Intimate Glow Cats-eye Jade Pendant
Ocean Jasper from the NW coast of Madagascar has always been a popular lapidary material. Circa 2000, it was intoduced in Tucson. Gene Mueller (The Gem Shop) had the good stuff back in the day. Old stock, like this, was mined out around 2006, so the heyday was short.. Particularly popular was the material with orbicular inclusions, like this stone.
Spherical Galaxy Ocean Jasper Pendant
Drusy (Druzy) Quartz in comprised of natural Quartz pockets; some left in their natural state, but the majority of Drusy is manufactured in India, using dyeing and/or Titanium Deposition. This deposition creates fantastic colorations and flashy gemstones. This is a gemstone you wear when you want to be flashy.
Frosty Glacier Druzy Pendant

I hope you enjoyed this selection of brand new wire-wrapped stone pendants. We appreciate our customers, and hope you enjoy your new jewelry in 2023, and beyond! Thanks for shopping our small business.