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.
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.
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!
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.
Twelve New handmade pendants for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Appreciate the stones and the short stories of each one. This should make you smile.
The stone stories are worth reading, and may enhance your Holidays
Phenomenal Copper Pendant I would not refer to this as a Copper Agate. as there is a lack of banding. This stone is actually Copper, Prehnite, Epidote, Datolite, and Chlorite. The odd and unusual is what made us famous, and this fits our niche for sure. We were camped in the Keweenaw near Lake Linden this summer, when Bonnie came in and said, “Look who’s just pulled into the campsite next to us”. They tuned out to be friends, from Wisconsin, that camp near us in a campground in Tucson many times, during the Tucson Gem & Mineral Shows. We’ve also hunted the rock spoil piles together in the Keweenaw. Small world. I discovered that our friends had some old stock Cabochons for sale. This, as well as some Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (Half Breeds), got me excited. This was A fun time with old friends; small world.Florid Daze Pudding Stone Pendant Pudding Stones are interesting; Quartzite containing other stones (especially Red Jasper) I’ve seen many other rocks in Pudding Stones. Lake Superior Agate, pieces of colored Quartz, Amethyst, and black Tourmaline. This special piece featured a larger that average piece of bright red Jasper. This Pudding Stone makes me smile whenever i gaze upon it. As a bit of trivia for you: Pudding Stones were glacially transported from their source near Sudbury, Canada. It’s fun to figure out how far they traveled. THE LAST PUDDING STONE I FOUND “SURFED” 326 MILES!!Warm Harmony Thunder Bay Seam Agate Pendant The best I recall, this happened back in 2000. I drove up to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior’s North Shore. I had very good luck digging Amethyst East of Thunder Bay. A small sign along the road said “Thunder Bay Seam Agate”. What is this (?), I thought. I recall a small retail building, where Seam Agate could be purchased, along with jewelry and baubles. People could also go seach the trenched area, and pick up whatever they wanted to purchase. There was a dirt covered employee working hard on breaking up and cutting, larger pieces for the store to sell. I saw one beautiful large, crystal and agate infested chunk of Seam Agate that the worker was ready to break up. This piece would have been around 40 pounds. Was this a good deal, or a bad deal? I offered him some American Cash and threw the rock in the back of my Dakota. After i left, I thought; was the minion suppose to sell me that rock? (or did he just need some American cash?) I did not know; or care, at the time. I think any statute of limitation has long since passed.. Research on “Seam Agate” later revealed that this deposit was exhumed when they were building a new road in the area. Someone purchased the property and opened the mine. I believe that the agate seam flowed all the way down to lake Superior, maybe a mile away. The area all the way down to the beach was all filled with housing and that property that the Seam Agate Mine was on, was probably no more than an acre of two. Eventually after maybe three years that Lode played out, there was some financial situation, and no other areas that could be searched. The mine closed up. I still have a large piece of Seam Agate, and this stuff is very scarce to find and pricey to buy; so I guess I did make a good deal. Being at the right place at the right time often pays off.Brush Fire Moss Agate Pendant Garden Agate from the island of Java in Indonesia, is a beautiful Moss Agate. This piece was located in a Gaylord box in Quartzite; way at the bottom. Back in the day rooting through these big boxes was fun. Today, I would never be wrecking my body “Dumpster Diving”. The background is bright dark red moss agate which allows the green crystals to stand out. Do they look like snow covered pines?Reverie Fordite Pendant “Fordite” is a generic name for oversprayed paint. Sometimes a close search on line, looking at old paint color charts may give a hint as to what the paint was used for. I am not sure about the vehicle, boat, or toy, this paint was used on. It is bright, quite metallic, and patriotic colors. Makes me want to salute. As a word of caution; Much Fordite is manufactured in China, or other countries, nowdays. My love for Victoria Stone goes back to the mid-70’s. Formally known at Iimori Stone, it was marketed in Tucson as Victoria Stone. You can read an extensive blog on this gorgeous man-made stone in my “Snob Blog”. It was fortunate I started purchasing Victoria Stone, when I could find it back then. Now the original Victoria Stone is very scarce, but there are a few simulates out there, (but none as spectacular as the original). I have a fair supply of Victoria Stone, but am bombarded by other collectors to sell some of my stash, which I don’t often do. You will find many brightly colored Victoria Stone pendants on our website. Very recently I was looking over one of my Victoria Stone cabs, and one spectacular bright green beauty called to me. Dark Green and Light Blue were always the most popular colors in Victoria Stone. I held onto it until the joys of Christmas, this year, convinced me to create one of the finest festive Victoria Stone Pendants I’ve ever created. I often have dreams of jewelry I should make, and this was pendant was made when I awoke with the idea at 2am. My jewelry dreams are usually very detailed, except I had to see if Bonnie brought along the beads I needed to create this masterpiece. Not wanting to awaken a sleeping bear, I waited until later in the day. Fortunately she had something that would work. I wanted to design something that could be worn at Christmas, but also during the rest of the year, as a floral wreath. Bonnie has worn the pendant several times this holiday season, and everyone seems to love it.Sunrise Lake Superior Agate Pendant Everyone that knows me well, knows that Lake Superior Agates are my very favorite Gemstones to make jewelry with. I have a friend that owns a cemetery in Minnesota. He has a large parcel of property in an urban area. On that property is a “Reverse” gravel pit. What is that, you are probably asking? Construction types pay him to dump stones on his property; roof ballast, landscape rock, and gravel. This is his private gravel pit. He allows us to hunt there for Lakers. Guess what else? Whenever a construction person needs gravel or rocks, he sells them what people have paid him to dump on his property. He makes money both ways. How awesome is that? I found this stone on that property. What makes this Laker unique is a couple things. First, it contains yellow (somewhat scarce in Lakers). The Agate is also a partial “Shadow Agate”‘ as well as a picture agate. The agate was crack free, and took a glass-like polish. It’s about a Quarter size.Dark Eyed Thomsonite is a North Shore Superior Treasure. Most of it is now found in a small beach, all privately owned near Gran Marais, Minnesota. If you tried to hunt that beach, you would risk injury or death, as the residents are very protective. On a Lake Superior Circle Tour in our RV we stopped at an RV park in Gran Marias. We saw one of the churches in town was putting on a breakfast to raise money. A random conversation with another man at our table, revealed an adventure may be in store. He noticed Bonnie was wearing a Thomsonite and he admitted he lived on Thomsonite beach. He said we could look for Thomsonite on the beach, but he would have to go with us, to ward off other beach residents. A short search produced several nice Thomsonite pieces. This gentleman was quite old, so we returned to his house , after a short beach hunt. I looked at some rocks he had found, and I do not recall if i bought any or not, but this was a wonderful unexpected adventure.Thomsonite Masked Hombre Pendant Another dark Eyed Thomsonite from the North Shore. This one I purchase from an individual that owned property covered with Thomsonite-filled Amigdaloidal Basalt. Thomsonite is very brittle and difficult to extract from its’ host. It is also VERY sensitive to harmonic vibrations and heat. The wheels on my Genie have to be true, broken in, and lots of water emitted on themRipples Lake Superior Agate Pendant Perfect “Candy Striped’ Lakers are classic. These are THE Laker everyone immediately associates with a Lake Superior Agate. I swapped some jewelry for this Agate. First Snowfall Agate Pendant You can invent any number of stories about this beautiful piece of Jasper/Agate. My story starts with a snowy day far in the north. Because of the icy conditions, no matter the weather, a trip out to find food, firewood, or use the outhouse is risky. You really do not want to stray too far out on the icy glacier. For whatever reason you go abroad, it’s aways nice to get back to shelter. It almost looks like a wizard with a pointed hat headed back home,. Telephoto lens picks up the wizard in the ice fog.Wasteland Deschutes Picture Jasper Pendant Imagine the devastating forces, it might look like a science fiction movie scene. The real creation of this is much simpler; Picture Jasper is a type of jasper that forms from mud that drips into gas pockets in molten lava.
Links have been connected to the pictures of the stones that we have for sale on line. Click on any picture to see if it is “linked”.
If you need more information on any of these Story Stones, send an inquiry to us at; Snobappealjewelry@yahoo.com
I’ve learned that Michipicoten agates are sometimes difficult to polish. They seem to be somewhat of a “peeler” agate, prone to flaking. They sometimes look really nice shaped and polished! This one is Opaque, but not all are.The back is as striking as the front!
Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior is the 6th largest Island in the Great Lakes, way out west of WaWa (Now you’re asking where the heck is Wawa?) Ontario. Travellers tip: Visit Wawa and see the giant Canadian Goose. OK, break out your Canada map. I have a feeling by the time I’m done typing this blog, I’ll be sick and tired of typing “Michipicoten”. I think Michipicoten is an old Indian name meaning “fairly remote place with no satellite TVs”. . My middle name is “Sarcasm”, so the winter residents of Michipecoten Island (Mostly Reindeer, and the wolves that eat them) must forgive me in advance for anything I say in this blog; also I tend to make stuff up, or factiously write things. Since I have never been to Michipecoten Island, I have to use the Internet for research. I always trust the Internet to be honest…NOT!
The word Michipicoten is an Anglicization of the original Ojibwe word Mishipikwadina, meaning “big bluffs” in Ojibwe, and is a reference to the geography of the nearby Michipicoten River.
Try as I may, I just can’t work the word “Michipicoten” into my daily vocabulary. I’d like to, just because it is so much fun to say. Even though Michipicoten Island is the second largest Island within the Great Lakes, it’s a wild and remote place. I understand that there is a healthy population of Woodland Caribou (introduced to Michipicoten Island in 1980); and Beavers seem to be thriving there. I believe that the Duluth Trading Company’s Logo Beaver may have come from there. Santa’s vacation home is located there also.
I’ve never been to Michipicoten Island, and may never go there. No, let’s get real; I will NEVER visit Michipicoten Island. I live vicariously through Agates I have purchased from a friend in Sault St. Marie, Canada. I now occasionally find one of these Michipicoten Agates in the barn, and make jewelry from it.
An example of Carrot Agate from Michipicoten Island.
Michipicoten Agates tend to be either oval shaped or ‘Carrot shaped”; like stalactites. These are shockingly refered to as “Carrot Agates”. Most of these carrots I have are pretty much Quartz Crystal, while a few are pretty nice agates, and can be sliced like bread. Agates on Michipicoten Island are very common in the local bedrock, but they are just for looking at, and are illegal to collect.
The inside of a Michipicoten Agate can be Common Quartz or beautiful agate.
Michipicoten Island became a Provincial Park in 1985. A Provincial Park, in Canada, is like National Park in America. Provincial Parks are protected areas, and like our National Parks, any “Natural Objects” cannot be removed. Michipicoten Agates, I’ve learned, are classified as “Natural Objects”.
You could book a hotel room on Michipicoten Island, except there are no Hotels. I could take our RV, except there is no RV Campground, 40 mile long bridge, or ferry. There are a few privately owned camps and cabins, that have grandfathered in, or you could simply take a boat to the Island, and camp on the beach. Not my cup of tea. We don’t tent camp anymore, and “Rough camping”, for us, is the satellite Antenna is not working on the RV. I hate it when a tree is in the way of the Dish. My understanding is that Kayaking is a popular Island activity (there are tour companies that sponsor Kayak tours to Michipicoten Island), as well as enjoying the Black Flies that live there. Actually Kayaking around Michipicoten island is on many Kayaker’s bucket lists (Sea Kayaks recommended). I use the word “around” as circumnavigating this Island.
I checked Tripadvisor for lodging and food on Michipicoten Island. Nothing available. I guess you have to book years in advance.
My wife and editor suggests that I keep on the subject; That being Michipicoten Agates.
OK, I enjoy all Lake Superior Agates, but I especially like unusual and rare types. Michipicoten Agates fall into that group. Unless I’m 100% sure a Laker is from Michipicoten Island, I do not refer to it as such. The few Michipicoten Agates I possess, or the jewelry I make from Michipicoten Agates, is guaranteed to be from Michipicoten Island, and was removed from this island decades ago.
I’m sure, if Michipicoten Island was not so remote, more agates would be available. I covet the few I have, and will continue to make some jewelry available in the future. By the way I am tired of typing Michipicoten.
Footnote: No agate jewelry can be delivered to Michipicoten Island. The closest thing to a post office is a lighthouse. Agates, as mentioned before, cannot be removed from Michipicoten Island. My wife (Bonnie) strives for a certain number of steps on her FitBit each day. Why can’t I strive for typing “Michipicoten” a couple dozen times? My editor (Bonnie) later suggested I spell Michipicoten Island correctly one time, then copy and paste it wherever I needed it. Hits self in head; Why did I not think of this? Possible answers: 1. It’s 3am 2. I’ve had no coffee 3. I should not risk awakening my Editor.
Meeting Facebook Friends is often an amazing thing. My FB friend, Gary, called me from the Chicago area and ask if he could stop in and find some Mexican Crazy Lace Agate.
He knew I had some fairly good Old Stock, and he had previously purchased a Crazy Lace Pendant.
He stopped in and after a tour of the shop, we sat outside and swapped stories while Gary picked out some old Crazy Lace. I told him to pick out a piece he loved and I would cut it while he watched. His end game was to have me make a new manly pendant for him. I have to say he had good taste. This stuff from a couple decades ago is so much nicer than the Lace Agate available today.
His challenge was figuring out what side of the slab would be the front. A choice was made and I was prepared to tell him that the side he chose was the side I would have chosen. Both sides were wonderful.
It did not take me long to produce a drop-dead gorgeous cabochon. Since he was staying in the Traverse City area for a couple days, I wrapped it up overnight and we relayed it to him when we did errands in TC. It turned out so well that I guess I have to make one for myself.
Thanks Gary, you own a real bragger.
Custom work is one of my favorite things. Until you have a custom piece made, you can shop our available Crazy Lace Pendants.
Valentine’s Day is coming soon! As a result, I have created several new Gemstone Heart Pendants, and I also will show you a few hearts in our inventory.
Beautiful Royston Turquoise from Toropah, Nevada. Ruby Crystals in Fuchsite from India.Very unusual coloration for Ocean Jasper. This agate type is mined out in Madagascar.Leland Blue Stone is a Slag Glass from an old foundry in Leland, MichiganBeautiful “eyed” Thomsonite from the North Shore of Lake Superior.Variscite from Clay County, Utah, is one of the worlds best.I found this piece of Ametrine was found in a bucket in my barn. Ametrine is a cross between Amethyst and Citrine.If cut properly, Rainbow Obsidian will show lovely hearts.Luna Agate from Chihuahua, Mexico.
I would not count on the USPS to deliver any of these at the last minute, nor would I count on any of these hearts to still be available; so order quickly.
What should I do with this remarkable Favosites? I’ve saved this fossil for the better part of a year, awaiting inspiration. I don’t see many Favosites specimens so clear, and showing every single Polyp. I had to add some color using Swarovski bi-cone Beads. Bonnie made the matching earrings. Favosites (common name Charlevoix Stone) and Hexagonaria (common name Petoskey Stone) were both colonial Corals and were important reef builders in the Silurian and Devonian Periods (400 million years +/- ago) Favosites is an extinct Genus of Coral. The Favosites corals’ corallites had perforated walls, and shared nutrients between Polyps. I make no political statement with this piece, but it does suggest a “sharing” vibe.
In many ways we’re glad 2020 is over. In other ways 2020 has been great. Our business has been surviving despite the Pandemic. Our Loyal customers have continued to support our small business, but being semi isolated has allowed me to expand my jewelry line, produce some great pendants, rings, and many custom pieces of jewelry for a lot of people.
I made many very special pendants for the New Year of 2021. Beginning January 1st, I’ve been remarkably productive and creative. I keep cabochons in jewelry trays and pull them out as they inspire me, or are “Begging” to be wrapped. My goal for 2021 is to improve my wire wrapping and creativity. I hope you enjoy all my new things.
From a deposit 20 miles south of the Agua Nueva Ranch, in Northern Mexico, Agua Nueva Agate became very popular in the 1970’s. The Agua Nueva deposit is about 40 miles from the famous depostit of Laguna Agate. Agua Nueva Agate is famous for its’ variety of colors, eyes, and moss. This one had everything and is an impressive 2″ round. The Apple Red in this stone is pretty impressive.
Several years ago, while “rooting” through a bin of scrap slabs at Quartzsite, Arizona, I found a less than stellar looking slab. What attracted me was the red coloration. I decided to adopt the slab, and took it back home with many other homeless slabs from that “by the pound” bin.
One day I’m looking through the stuff I bought that day, and again was attracted by the unusual red in that same, large slab. I cut, ground, and polished that particular slab; working around several cracks and issues. The more I worked on it, the better it became. This was a three hour, three coffee, cabochon. That ugly duckling was transformed into a gorgeous, big, round, Agua Nueva Agate cabochon, featuring bands, tubes, moss, eyes, and still retaining the unusual red coloration. This cab had amazing character!
I took it to Florida, where it was made into my first pendant of 2021. A big, bold, beauty, wrapped in lots of shiny Argentium Sterling. The cabochon was so fantastic by itself, I felt it best to keep the wrapping precise, neat, and simple. This pendant can be worn by a man or a woman. The large 3/8″ bail can accommodate a cord or a chain. Find more agate jewelry on our Agate Treasures pages.
Another New Year’s pendant was made from a very unusual Datolite slab from the old Clark Mine near Copper Harbor. “Unusual” is an understatement. The stone features a picture of chaos. I named this pendant “Datolite Explosion” for it’s resemblance of a landscape “EXPLODING”. The Datolite has a hint of pink. This Datolite reminded me of how 2020 seemed at times. You will find our Datolite pendants are each very different.
Another 2021 Pendant is one of my now famous “Yooper Special” pendants featuring a Firebrick Upper Peninsula, and an Isle Royale Greenstone, floating on an angry Lake Superior made of Blue Lace Agate. This one is in silver with 14kt gold fill wraps. I change the metals on each piece, and the Greenstones offer up different characteristics, so each one is a little different. I’ve actually made three new Yooper Special Pendants. You can see current offerings on our Greenstone pages.
Here are several other pendants made this year.
The Pantone colors for 2021 are gray and yellow, so I made this really crazy, Crazy Lake Agate to adhere to the 2021 colors.Just a very fine Laker was transparent, with beautiful banding .Chevron Amethyst is always beautiful; especially when cut into a designer shape.From the Wheeler Shale of Delta,Utah, comes Elrathia Kingii Trilobites (among many other fossils). The fossils in this Cambrian Shale are over 500 million Years old! During the Devonian Period most Trilobite Orders became extinct. I love how large and perfect some specimens are. Most have full cheeks that you do not often see in Trilobites from Morocco and other places. Trilobites actually lost their cheeks during their “Molting phase” On a whim, I wrapped this in Pink Gold and Silver. I think it turned our great!Coprolite is petrifided feces of prehistoric animals. I’m not an expert as to if this piece of crap came from a Dinosaur, a prehistoric Tortoise, or something else, I did name this pendant “2020”; a year that was pretty crappy at times.This Pendant is different under UV light. Sodalite-infused Granite from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, in the top; Ruby in Fuschite from India in the bottom. The Sodalite and Ruby are Fluorescent under the UV light.It’s difficult to take a good picture under UV light. I played around with camera settings and got some advice from my friend Johnny Gladstone. This gives you an idea what this Sodalite/Granite looks like under UV light.. Rubies are also Fluorescent, as you can see. Johnny calls these “Yooperstones”. I like to call them “Firefly Granite” Since I bartered with Johnny, I will call them Yooperstones. TRIVIA: Rubies are actually red Sapphires!Isle Royale Greenstone; Michigan’s Official State Gem, This small pendant is very nice in both coloration and pattern.Many have tried to duplicate the famous Victoria Stone from the early 1970’s; some of the copies are actually pretty good. No one has been able to match the colors and chatoyancy of the original. This particular color was called “Reddish Purple” and shows wonderful silky flash when moved in the light. Very rare and very coveted.Our exclusive YOOPERLAND Pendant. Firebrick, Isle Royale Greenstone, and Mexican Blue Lace Agate. Lots of time and trouble to create, but one of our most popular original designs.A Lake Superior Agate Pendant made from Many Striped Agates Bonnie gave me for Christmas. This one turned out great! I have lots more of similar banded beauties to work with. Lakers are my Favorite stones.A Leland Blue Heart…Valentines day is just around the corner. Hint Hint!Bonnie often has fun checking our multitude of buckets around the shop area. This is a Datolite she rooted our one day last summer. I immediately cut it. WOW! I’m not exactly sure what mine I discovered it at.A close-up of the Previous Datolite, with more light on the Copper in it.This Lake Superior Agate (also made from gifted Agates) is about dime size, and has wonderful coloration.A small, but amazing dendritic Opalite I called “Lone Tree” for obvious reasons.
I do not believe I have ever made this many pendants, in one week, since my times at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts, many year ago. I have no idea why I have been so inspired recently, but it’s been a boon to our jewelry inventory.
Bonnie said, “Isn’t that about enough Blog Pictures?” This Blog was many hours of work, and I need sleep and/or coffee. I think 17 Pendants, so far, this month is a good start for the New Year. Only a few of these have been posted up so far. Some are going into show inventory, but if you are interested in any, let us know.
Bonnie and I sincerely wish everyone has a happy 2021. Keep us in mind if you wish to stimulate the economy by supporting our small business.
Remember; I can cut, polish, and wire-wrap your own treasured stones. Visit our Custom Work page.
I’ve successfully completed many, many, custom pieces of jewelry over the years. People find that I do custom Lapidary and make custom jewelry. whether it be word of mouth or from a web search, somehow they find me. Often kharma plays a roll. They were meant to discover me.
I find that, many times, they have a treasured rock; a keepsake that means something to them. Perhaps something lost and re-found years later; a rock that stimulates fond memories of times past, or of a loved one long since passed. Whatever the reason, we are brought together by a single rock. I LOVE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. There is a story behind every “nostalgic” rock, and I often ask the owners to tell the story of their special stone.
A ordinary brown rock, turned into a beautiful Montana Moss Agate.
Debra sent a couple E-mails telling me how much the stone I made into jewelry for her has meant for her and her family, and how much her, her daughter, and her Grandaughter loved the pendant I made from it. I really appreciate her taking the time to write the “story’ behind her special rock. I made this jewelry while wintering in Tucson in 2018.
Debra’s Story
My story sadly starts with the passing of my parents. My siblings and I were subsequently at their Minnesota farm house to clear everything out. As I was entering the front door, I saw a polished brown rock sitting on the hand rail. How unusual that was, like it was just waiting for me to pick it up! I did so, put it in my pocket and forgot about it for several years. When I came upon it again, I was thinking that my dad must have been keeping that stone for some reason. It maybe was something special. That is when I went on line and found Don at Snobappealjewelry.com. It was so easy to work with Don as he listened to my story and suggested I send him the stone and he would evaluate it. I did as he asked and sure enough that old brown rock turned out to be a Montana moss agate! That was kind of astonishing because my family had moved to Minnesota from Billings, Montana over 40 years ago. I knew then what I would do.
Debra’s gorgeous Montana Moss Agate Pendant
I asked Don to make me a heart shaped pendant for my granddaughter. I fully trusted him to make a piece that would be a family treasure, a gift from a great grandfather to his great granddaughter. The one-of-a-kind pendant turned out to be beautifully crafted with, it seemed, as much love as it truly represented to my family. Both my daughter and granddaughter wear it with joy. One day, their prodigy will wear it as well! I feel so lucky to have come into contact with Don, his wife, and Snobappealjewelry.com. They are people who are truly trustworthy, professional, talented, and creators of lifetime treasures.
That story is one of the reasons I do what I do. Special people send me special rocks, and I make special jewelry. Thanks so much Debra.
It just so happens that today is Thanksgiving. For Bonnie and I it means being thankful for many things. One of those is being thankful for our special customers that have supported our small, locally owned business over the years. We love people like Debra, that choose us for their custom creations. We are well aware that our work for people like Debra mean more than any amount of money.
