Category Archives: Lapidary Work

Larimar: From Junk Pail to Fine Jewelry

What will this Larimar Rough look like when cut and polished? That's the fun.

How will it look when I cut it? This could be good.

Earlier this month my blog featured a piece of rough Larimar (Pectolite) that I found in someone’s cast offs at Tucson two years ago.

Looking through old buckets of rocks behind a rock shop.

Some things found in a rock show tub.

Looking through spider-infested buckets behind a rock shop out west.

I enjoy the gamble of buying random stones I see around the major shows. You never really know how good one of these rocks will be until you cut it open. Ugly rocks may turn into treasures with careful cutting. I’m a real scavenger, finding these treasures hidden in obscure places, such as in back of a rock shop in old buckets, in old collections grandpa used to have, in a dusty piled-up garage, and scattered treasures at major rock shows. Bonnie is good at this also, and will often point out possible treasures. (I have to keep her away from Sonoran Sunrise though as she thinks every one of those are treasures.)

Let’s get back to the Larimar. Bonnie often comes to the shop area and I asked her to “weed” rocks. That requires bending and twisting. She is more agile than I, and she knows how to weed (retired librarian). She also finds treasures I forgot I had.

During a search for materials she could weed, she located a bucket of rocks I picked at a show (way off the beaten path) in Tucson. In the bucket was a fairly plain chunk of Larimar. If Bonnie finds something she thinks is worthy, she puts it in a “To Cut” pile and I work it into the saw queue. I eventually cut this Larimar and was I surprised and delighted. I got three nice slabs of very high quality gem material.

I cabbed the slab and wrapped up a wonderful pendant for some lucky person to adopt.

I have more stuff in the “To Cut” bucket, so stand by… I’ll get to it eventually and show you.

Cobalt/Cobaltite–a Rare Earth Find

Cobaltite in the rough.

I might pretend to my wife that I know where everything in my barn is, but much of the time my shop is a great rock hunting area. While looking around the other day I located a fairly heavy (for its size) rock with a black outer seam. This indicates to me that it is some type of ore. I cut this rock in half and noticed several seams of bright, shiny, silvery metal.

This could be one of several things, I thought perhaps silver, hematite, mohawkite or cobalt. I eliminated mohawkite right away also hematite simply because the metal was much harder. This left silver and cobalt. I was pretty sure that this material came from Canada, because it was in a bucket with a couple other Canadian rocks. I took this specimen to a rock hunting buddy, Kevin, for him to give his opinion. He tested with a pocket knife and eliminated the silver choice since the rock crumbled off under knife pressure. We knew that this was cobalt. The cobalt seams are in an agatized material that even had banded areas, sudomorphs of Cobalt actually; very unusual indeed. Cobalt is considered a rare earth element with many uses, including medical and even mixed with Samariun in the manufacture of rare earth magnets. Just for trivia, the human body contains 1 mg of cobalt. Some of you are old enough to remember the Cobalt Glass from the 1950’s and before. Some of these old Cobalt bottles are now very collectable.

This cobalt glass from the 50's and before will bring back memories for some.

Here's the inside

After some research, I discovered that this material is called Cobaltite. Cobalt is derived from a German word, kobald, meaning goblin. So I guess it is Goblin Ore! I knew from my artist days that Cobalt was used even in ancient Egyptian times for paint coloring. Even today cobalt blue is a hue for oil paint. Early Chinese used Cobalt for the blue in their pottery glazes. Cobalt was referred to as “goblin” in medieval times because medieval miners found that the element cobalt had some troublesome effects when it released toxic vapors during the smelting process. It has since been determined that safety during smelting in those times left a lot to be desired!

Cobaltite is an cobalt iron arsenic sulfide, sometimes containing silver, copper, lead, and nickel. By looking at pictures online I could tell my piece of Cobaltite originated in the Cobalt/Gowganda region near Timiskaming District in Ontario, Canada. This is an area north northwest of Sudbury. Some Cobalt from this area is very rich in silver, which appears to be the case with my rock. Still caution will be taken because of the arsenic content associated with Cobaltite. Cobalt has unusual crystal formations that it sometimes displays. One is cubic formation and the other is Icosahedral. If you want to check on this shapes there are resources in various rock & mineral books.

To get back to the hardness of the element Cobalt, it is fairly hard, at 5.5.

Saws get dirty with hazardous oil when cutting Mohawkite and Cobaltite.

I use the same precautions when cabbing and slabbing this material as I do when cutting Mohawkite, another metal containing arsenic. Wear a respiratory, gloves, long sleeves, use lots of water, discard the cutting oil to eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination. Be safe when you deal with arsenides and many of the copper-related minerals.

Right now, I am finishing up slabbing some Mohawkite. Both Cobaltite and Mohawkite create a black gunky oil in my saws. After finishing this messy operation I must completely clean my saws with solvent and carefully dispose of the oil by encapsulating it in concrete. I try to get my saws as clean as possible so I do not get cross contamination with new oil and old residue containing arsenic.

I’ll continue this blog later when I make jewelry from the Cobaltite. First I have to cabochon the slabs, seal them, and wrap them. I’m actually eager to see how they turn out. I’ll show you in another blog.

Victoria Stone-The New Research and Victoria Stone Color Chart

It was first reported in Lapidary Journal in April 1969 that Victoria Stone was similar to Nephrite Jade, and so this myth began. In a later addition of Lapidary Journal we see a picture of Mrs. Iimori standing among piles of raw materials used in the manufacture of Victoria Stone. Victoria Stone was a name derived for marketing purposes. This chatoyant gemstone was at first named Iimori Stone. Victoria Stone has a hardness of around 6, and takes a great polish. The only issues I’ve found in it as it can be pitted at times and sometimes demonstrates cracks that have to be worked around. I’ve seen much Victoria Stone that has too many cracks, making it pretty much worthless for lapidary usage.

Sky Indigo Victoria Stone enhanced with London Blue Topaz

Victoria Stone has always been one of my favorite lapidary materials. There is some argument as to weather this is an actual “lapidary” material because recent discoveries identified i as a leaded glass material. Lapidary, by definition, is working with rocks and minerals, and gemstones to form usable products. Recent research has determined that Victoria Stone is actually leaded glass. Victoria Stone was created by Dr. S. Iimori in the late 1960’s.

Meta Jade proceeded Victoria Stone.

A later Lapidary Journal article claimed that Victoria Stone was made from natural minerals “such as Quartz, Fluorspar, Magnesite, and Feldspar, etc.” The claim was these raw materials were melted together into a molten mass with secret crystallizers, then the molten magma was poured into boules and cooled under great pressure. Literature from the U.S. distributor, The Caprock, in Rock Island, Illinois, contributed to the original story that VS was a man made Amphibole. The claim by Iimori that he ended up with synthetic Jade is now proven incorrect.

Blue/Green with a Peridot enhancer.

Dr. S Iimori never patented his process, only he, and his son apparently knew the secrets to the whole process. By supposition, you might assume that Iimori did not patent his formula because it was the same as Leaded Glass. The only secret, still unsolved, is what exactly was mixed into the molten mix to make it recrystallize like it does.

There is much mis-information on the web about Victoria Stone, and as with all Internet information it seems to have grown into folklore. Most people that sell this material will claim that this material is actually a man made amphibole, made from natural materials. Well glass is made from sand, and that is a natural material. Make your own judgements on that.

When the Victoria Stone “boule” was released from its mold they had a crust on them. This crust is indicative of a glass mixture. I still own a white boule with the crust still on it. I can tell you this crust is glass-like. All those working on re-inventing Victoria Stone are working on glass formulas. All the stories of this material being artificial Jade are being disproved, but you will still hear the myth that Victoria Stone is a “Natural Man Made Stone”. Also, you will hear the stories of Dr. Iimori taking the secret of making this material to his grave. The truth is his son knew the process, but when he tried to produce Victoria Stone himself one process failed or was forgotten, and Kato’s VS did not bind properly, making it unusable for lapidary work.

I have always thought Victoria Stone cuts and fractures almost like glass. What puzzles me is it seems to have an oily, slippery texture unlike any glass I’ve cut. The oily feel of the cut is, I believe, caused by the lead content in the glass. Other leaded glass I’ve cut does not seem as slippery feeling, if that makes sense. I think you have to cut a substantial amount of VS to appreciate how wonderful it cuts and polishes.

The questions I have on how Victoria Stone was made are many. Why, if it is glass, did these boules have to be cooled under pressure over a long period of time? I assume it was so the crystals could form properly. Why was Iimore’s son not able to re-produce Victoria Stone without it falling apart? I predict one of the many re-inventors working on making VS will eventually discover the elusive secret. I personally know that there are individuals in Australia and the U.S, and probably in Asia also, are working on producing Victoria Stone again. You will see glass that resembles Victoria Stone in the not too distant future. Remember you saw it here first.

A closeup of the bottom of a rare Gray Victoria Stone Boule

The bottom of a rare White Victoria Stone Boule shows the star pattern that all boules displayed.

I own a pair of rare boules, which are a cylindrical shape with one flattened end and weigh perhaps 3-4 pounds. My friends, having worked with Victoria Stone since the 60’s, have told me that when working this material you had to remove the crust carefully and let the boule rest for a few weeks. They say that the boules would actually make cracking noises when the crust was removed. Expansion inside the boule caused these noises. I’ll be curious is one of my 50 year old boules makes sounds when I cut them.

I decided to update this post , that I first posted on May 8, 2009, to add this information and pictures of my boules. I believe there are very few full boules left after forty years, and I wanted to give you the opportunity to see them before I cut them up. I acquired these boules in an estate sale a couple years back. The gray boule is especially rare. You never see Gray VS on the market. Since it was a very dull color that most Lapidarists found boring, not much was made or purchased. I am hoping that the boules are not cracked inside too badly. I may even Youtube (is that a verb?) the cutting procedure for you later this year.

My two Victoria Stone Boules The white one still has its’ crust, The right gray one has been pealed.

Finding a full Victoria Stone boule is impossibly rare after all these years. There are just that many around anymore. All the boules Iimori produced were approximately five inches tall, four inch base, tapering to a rounded top of approximately three inches. Even finding and acquiring these boules has a great story. I may do another blog on that alone.

Another unusual crystallization habit to Victoria Stone Boules is that you see “star crystallization” only at the bottom and near the surface of these boules. So IF you see stars on a piece of Victoria Stone, you know it is that very rare and most coveted bottom slice. I describe this piece as the “Filet Mignon” of the boule. The rest of the boule is “Feathery” and does not star as the bottom. I do not know how the boules were poured, so perhaps what I call the bottom (The fattest section), was actually the top when it was poured.

Victoria Stone boules were sold at the Tucson Gem Shows in the 70’s, as well as slabs and cabs. I wish I had invested all my money in this stuff back then, as it is unbelievably expensive today, and virtually impossible to find. I have purchased entire rock collections just to get a small quantity of Victoria Stone. We are one of the few sites on the Internet to offer Victoria Stone Jewelry.

Sky Blue beauty

Iimori actually manufactured an artificial jade that he called “meta Jade”. I still have some of this material and it is hard to tell the difference between it and natural Imperial Jade. When Victoria Stone cooled, it re-crystallized from its molten state; forming beautiful feather-like chatoyant crystals. I see similar crystallization in Pectolite (Larimar), Thomsonite, Isle Royale Greenstone, and Prehnite.

Victoria Stone was originally produced in fifteen colors: green, sky blue, reddish purple, yellow green, blue green, sky indigo, chocolate, yellow, deep indigo, white, black, grey, quiet blue, quiet yellow, and quiet green. (See Color Chart)

Recently, someone posted up some pieces (chunks) of Victoria Stone they found in Tucson or Quartzite. Never buy Victoria stone in broken chunks. You have to remember that this is a glass-like material and if a boule was dropped or broken up with a hammer, all these pieces will be cracked and virtually unusable. Always purchase VS in slabs or cabs if you find any.

My original post on this can be seen at May 2009.

Check out all our Victoria Stone Jewelry now. I expect that this beautiful stone jewelry will continue to increase in value as time goes on.

Original Colored Brochure

It was difficult to get a clear image on my copy, but the stone colors are as close as I could get them.

The original Victoria Stone Color Brochure-Front

Some “Stones” are Not Quite Real

Mosaic Turquoise-not real Turquoise, but nice looking.

Lapidary (Lapidarist) is an artisan that shapes rocks, minerals, and gemstones into cabochons, faceted gemstones, carvings, inlays, and numerous other amazing things. By this definition, making jewelry from non-stone materials is not Lapidary Work. There are varying opinions on this topic. The lengthiest discussions I’ve seen in the Facebook Groups I belong to is whether working with materials other than natural rocks is actually lapidary. Let’s look at some of the Lapidary materials at the center of this hot controversy.

Fordite cabs

One of the most popular non-stones is Fordite. Fordite is a general term used for any paint residue (overspray) that has built up in layers on walls, carriages, and pipes. REAL Fordite is lead based paint, sprayed by real human beings, in the automotive plants prior to the mid 70’s. In the interest of being brand-conscious, it might be called GM-ite, or to be neutral it might be called Motor City Agate. In the mid-70’s the Government outlawed Lead in paint and mandated Powder Coating. Powder Coating eliminated the overspray, therefore eliminating buildup of paint. Recently, imitations of real Fordite have been showing up on the market. It is relatively easy to distinguish new stuff from old. New stuff is bright, or in hot metallic colors never used in the old days. The layers are much thicker and the new fake Fordite does not contain Lead as the old stuff did. Lead content would be impossible to determine by a glance. I would eat some of the paint, and if you eventually die, it’s probably got lead in it. WAIT, I’m just kidding, but wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Mosaic Turquoise is cheap chalk Turquoise imbedded in resin with other material, most dyed. It is attractive material, and people like it, but again not completely genuine natural stone. Most Turquoise, especially beads, are stabilized with resin now days. In the old days turquoise was not used that was chalky or soft. Today, Stabilized Turquoise is the norm and is not considered “fake”. Some of our customers prefer unstabilized Turquoise, and we have this material, although it is more expensive that stabilized material. The fact is that much Turquoise, especially from China, is also dyed. By cutting my own Turquoise, I am able to determine what is stabilized and what is not. To be honest, the stabilized Turquoise if much harder and polishes better, in keeping with it’s status as a true Gemstone.

Various Drusy treatments.

An example of vapor deposition on a drusy.

Drusy (Druzy) Quartz is often dyed, vapor treated, or both. A treatment called Vapor deposition is used on much of this material. Natural Drusy Quartz pockets are formed into cabochons, then treated with Titanium (or other) vapors. This creates an amazing array of colors and patterns on the Drusy pockets. Many of our customers love these “blingy” pieces. I consider these real stones that have been enhanced.

Leland Blue Stone is actually slag glass.

A local favorite, non-rock Glass Slag referred to as Leland Blue Stone, is not a stone at all, but residue from an old smelter that was located in Leland, Michigan. the slag was dumped in Lake Michigan and used for fill back in the day. Heavy promotion has made Leland Blue jewelry sought after in the Grand Traverse area of NW lower Michigan.

Goldstone of various colors is also glass.

Another popular glass used in jewelry is Goldstone. Simply put it is glass with microscopic pieces of copper in it. There is interesting history behind Goldstone that a Wiki search can shed light on for you. Other colors of Goldstone are produced ( blue, purple, and green) using different colored glass and different minerals for the flash. Another name for Goldstone is Aventurine Glass. This is a great descriptive term for Goldstone. Goldstone has an optical effect called Aventurescence, similar to natural Aventurine stone.

Bumblebee is not fake.

There are some rocks, like Bumblebee Jasper (not a jasper at all), that you would swear was fake, but is actually real. Bumble bee is actually a tuft material found in volcanic vents in Indonesia. Recently, it is rumored that the readily available material has been mined out. It has always been difficult to find high quality Bumblebee. The only place I ever found to get real good stuff is by carefully searching the Tucson Gem Shows. We still have some pieces at a reasonable cost, but expect Bumblebee to increase in value in the very near future.

I have found that many jewelry makers are not able to tell you about their stones. They do not collect and/or cut their own stones. In most cases I can tell my customers exactly what the stones are in my jewelry, where they came from, and I am always completely honest in talking about any treatments or enhancements the stones have been subjected to.

The rocks and gems we make our jewelry from can come from sources around the world, but it’s another matter when jewelry, like that seen in big box stores is manufactured by overseas companies. This makes the jewelry imported. If the jewelry is “designed” in the USA and manufactured overseas, or in Mexico, it is still imported. Our treated gemstones are sometimes imported and sometimes manufactured in America. We can answer most any questions as to the source of any gemstones we sell.

Our business is based on integrity and honesty, unlike many. I see much deceitfulness or ignorance on E-bay in particular, and some dealers in general. With us, you can be assured what is advertised is what you get. Sometimes you can purchase jewelry cheaper than ours. We cannot compete with imported inexpensive jewelry, nor do we try. If you want cheap imported jewelry, go to a big box store. If you want a common, overpriced Diamond, you know where they are found. But if you want an American made, rare, one-of-a-kind piece of quality jewelry, Snob Appeal Jewelry is your choice.

Greenstone, Datolite, and Michigan Wire Wrapped Jewelry

In preparation for upcoming shows in the Upper Peninsula I have been working on some U.P. Gemstones and Jewelry.

Centennial Blue Datoite (and one from the Isle Royal Mine)

First was the cutting of very rare blue Datolite for the Centennial Mine north of Calumet. The mine hoist is still there, but the piles are gone and Centennial #2 is completely flooded. Any Datolite still found from this mine has been hoarded from the 60’s.

Blue Centennial generally contains microscopic grains of copper shining through the blue Datolite. Over the last few years Centennal Blue has been almost impossible to buy from anyone.

Copper Included Datolite is very popular in the U.P.

I’ve been holding on to assorted Datolite containing Copper Inclusions. I finally cut and polished the majority of the pieces I have. These always make popular jewelry for my Upper Michigan customers. Even those snobbish jewelry buyers love Datolite with Copper.

Copper Datolite with Greenstone...BAM!!!

Could it be a new ring?

I also cut three remarkable little Cabochons for a future ring for myself. The ring will sport a Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite with copper, A Copper Agate from the Kearsarge Lode, and a copper Included Greenstone. This ring will be over the top when it is finished. I’ve got to cut the wax for the ring and I have a friend that will cast it for me. Notice the “Thumbs Up” from the Yellow Datolite.

We’re headed up north for rock hunting and shows shortly. Check our home page for upcoming events. It’s always fun for us to see all our friends in the Keweenaw. Come see us at Copper World in Calumet and art shows in Eagle harbor and Copper Harbor or on a rockpile nearby.

A Lake Superior Agate of the "Paint" variety was a quick sell off our Facebook Page.

Mohawkite, Domeykite, and Algodonite

As I look at these names, I think what an unfriendly sounding bunch of names. I make natural stone jewelry out of this? How about calling it Silver Bullet or Shining Golden Bridal Stone? Instead this mineral has a name that reminds me of a donkey.

Gold Ore or Mohawkite? A real fooler.

Mohawkite was/is one of many local names for a copper ore comprised of Copper and Arsenide. The two primary Copper Arsenides in the Copper Country are Algodonite (Cu6As) and Domeykite (Cu3As). Between 1900 and 1901, 105 metric tons of Mohawkite were taken from the Mohawk Mine. Enormous masses of Algodonite also came out of the Ahmeek Mines. This area is on the north end of the Kearsarge Lode.

A silvery slab of Mohawkite. Siver coloration in probably due to high Nickel content.

I have sort of a love-hate relationship with any of these Arsenides. Allow me to explain my love-hate relationship with Mohawkite. Mohawkite is a local name for a mixture of Algodonite and Arsenian Copper found in the Mohawk and Ahmeek area Copper Mines. This material has been called many names in the past, and even today we hear solid pieces of Mohawkite called “Butchite”, another example of a local moniker.

Iridescent Mohawkite. The picture does not do this justice with it's metallic reds and Cobalt Blues.

While I love all the Keweenaw Mining District stones, like Greenstone, Datolite, and Prehnite, I dislike working with Mohawkite or any other Copper Arsenide. After cutting Mohawkite I seal the material using a lenghthy procedure I’ve developed over the years. After any Mohawkite cabochon is sealed it becomes perfectly safe in normal use.

What I do love about these Copper Arsenides is they are absolutely gorgeous. When this arsenide is intermixed with white Quartz, the effect is amazing. It makes beautiful jewelry, and has this ability to be, and look, like several other things. For example, it’s a real fooler when the golden Mohawkite couples with the white Quartz. You would swear it is Gold Ore from California. Customers love the jewelry I make from Mohawkite, and because it is found nowhere else on earth, it is another keepsake from the Copper Country that is totally unique. I suspect that the amount of Nickel, Cobalt, or other trace minerals in the Mohawkite causes some of this stone to remain stable in color, while others change to gold. The Arsenides are the cause of the iridescent phenomenon. I have found that in stones that contain a high level of Arsenides, the color change is almost instantaneous.

By sealing the stone, any potential toxicity is eliminated. The possibility of the stone tarnishing is prevented by my sealing process also. I think of Mohawkite as a Chamelion of sorts. When I get a cabochon shaped, I never know how it will react to oxygen. I cut some today that became iridescent within 5 minutes. I wanted a golden color so I went back and re-ground off the rainbow. The metal was silver in color when it came off the grinder. I put the cabs in water, and rushed them to my sealing area. I rapidly removed them from water, dried them. When I wiped them dry, they immediately changed to a golden color. I sealed them in time to inhibit them from changing to iredescent colors. I did leave several cabs to for a few minutes and sealed them when they rainbowed.

You see very few people making jewelry from Mohawkite, but I love the unusual look of it, and we sell many pieces of it. After my sealing process, the stone is perfectly docile and safe to wear.

My Mohawkite jewelry is popular at Copper World in Calumet, Michigan, I also sell this material on line. Mohawkite is challenging to find anymore, but occasionally I stumble over a good piece while exploring the piles. Remember that these Mohawkite mines are all on private property and should not be hunted without permission.

We specialize in jewelry made from rocks and minerals of Michigan, and Mohawkite is one I love to hate. You on the other hand will love it, especially when you get all those complements.

Conversing with Rocks (Natural Stone Jewelry Secrets)

"Hey Bonnie, I hear one in that hole." One of the things I tell people when they ask how I get the inspiration for a certain wire wrap, or why I cut a stone a certain way, is that the stones talk to me.

Starting by carefully listening to buckets of rocks, a special few are chosen to go into the sorted rough bucket.

We all know that stones are Mute (and sometimes mutant), but there are people, like myself, and many of my friends, that can communicate with them. The talks I have are more like communing, rather that talking. I’ve heard people, like my mother, who would say “You boys are like talking to rocks.” I guess I did bucket-of-agates3 not get the power to talk to rocks from her. My mother did not hate rocks; in fact she had a large rock garden. Every trip we ever took she would fill any unused space up with rocks to haul home and add to the garden. We would visit farmer’s rock piles and pick out the “prettiest” rocks and haul them home in our American Flyer Wagon. I

The proud, the chosen few to go on.

think that the was genesis of my rockhounding, also the beginning of my hobby “getting out of hand”. Start as a boy picking up rocks, end up after retirement wishing you had that ham-sized agate my mom had holding the door open back then. She actually thought is was a petrified ham! I regret never asking her what she did with that petrified ham. We never had a clue about agates back then.

An actual Victoria Stone made by someone that could not hear the rock.

The same pendant re-wrapped by someone that speaks to the rock.

Rocks are not inclined to say much when you are looking for them; very stealthy and silent. They do not easily give up their locations, but once captured (or nabbed as we say), they will not shut up.

This talk I have with rocks begins when I look into a bucket for a worthy stone that I can make into a piece of Snob Appeal Jewelry. You know how excited your dog is when you come home after being absent for a while? These rocks covertly dance and shake and I can clearly hear them yelling “pick me, pick me!”. The rocks are definitely not seditentary. No respectable rock wants to be an also-ran. It seems one will be yelling louder, be cleaned up a little nicer, or just have the type of attitude that makes me want to chose it. It’s sort of like a game of “The Rock Apprentice” where you are sad you don’t make the cut, but you could get back in the game later.

Lake Superior Agate of the Paint variety.

One of the painted pendants.

I’ll slab the rock, then pick out the best area within the slab. Again a rock will tell me what shape they should be–a stylish designer cut perhaps, or a more conservative clip? This cut will be based on several factors, but most important what the gemstone wants me to do. Most stones will want me to match the cut with their patterns. They always want to be shaped to their best, and later dressed with a fitting wire wrap.

This Rhodocrosite just told me to matched its' pattern with the top.

This amazing laker knew that no matter how I wrapped it, it would look good.

I have found that the fancier the gemstone is, the less it will care for a very fancy wrap. My stones like me because I treat them with respect. Gemstones are usually vain (some actually do come from veins). These conceited stones do not wish to be covered them up with a lot of wrapping that will distract from their beauty. The less appealing, or less fancy stones will generally want a fancier wrap in order to enhance them.

Possibly the very best agate I have ever wrapped. No matter what you do with a stone like this, it looks good. This one was so pretty; and it knew it. I kept hearing it talk like Ali "Ain't I pretty?"; I finally just had to turn it off.

A nice Botwana Agate slice.

The same begging and pleading happens when I go to one of my many cabochon trays. The only difference between the bucket stones and the tray stones is that the ones in the tray are far more aggressive. They know their chance to shine is near, and they are very verbal. Sometimes I’ll look in a tray and find a random cabochon to have a crack, scratch, or flaw that I had not noticed before. This situation is always suspicious. I wonder if these cabs have formed “hit squads” to prey on other cabs, making them less desireable, and therefore increasing their own odds of being selected for a finished piece.

After I make my choice, I get the other cabs tucked away immediately so I don’t have to hear whining and griping from unselected Cabs.

The same Botswana wanted me to work the wire to match the pattern.

The selected gemstones always seem genuinely delighted. I guess you could say they are Gneiss. The fortunate gemstone will often telepathically tell me things like; “Can you wrap me in gold?”, “Can you use a two-tone wrap on me? Please!” No rock will ask for wire that it does not like.

A gemstone will also tell me how to wrap it. I normally know what I might do way back during cutting, but after not communing with a gemstone for a while, it may change its’ mind and want me to alter the original plan. Just today a very special Lake Superior Water Level Agate wanted me to dress it up in gold, pink gold, and Argentium Sterling. Three-tone, are you kidding? OK, I can do that.

As I meticulously wire wrap a rare gemstone, it will constantly remind me; “Be careful”, “Don’t scratch me or the wire “, “Make that curve a bit tighter”, “Wouldn’t I look better if my bail was smaller?” (I’m not even going there). Like a good woman, never take a piece of Natural Stone Jewelry for Granite.

This one definitely talked to me.

Also on rare occasions stones will talk to me subconsciously in dreams. I have had dreams about cabochons months after I made them. All of a sudden, like a lightning strike, it’ll come to me how to wrap a certain stone. Because I am retired, and can, I leap up and get to work or make myself a note or drawing. These inspirations usually result in my best pieces.

This wrap came to me in a dream. White Victoria Stone and Amethyst. I had a long conversation with this stone (expletives involved).

A great Tube Agate before and after it talked to me.

I have friends that are of the metaphysical types. They talk about the powers of certain crystals and rocks. I cannot “feel” powers in rocks. I try to explain that I “hear” rocks. So I may be in the minority. I can look at other’s jewelry and tell that the gemstone spoke to the makers also. I’ve talk to others that make jewelry, and inevitably, they agree that the stones have spoken to them. How cool to have this gift.

"Marine Illusion"

"Distant Land"

I will normally name a newly created pendant. This name is granted with due contemplation and communing. It is important that the moniker be in harmony with a piece of hand made jewelry. For example, you would not call a Greenstone Pendant “Striped Blazer”; this would be more fitting for a Lake Superior Agate Pendant. Most any pendant I make could be called something generic like “Handsomely Finished”.

You also can talk to rocks after they are turned into hand made wire wrapped pendants. All you have to do is see our website at Snobappealjewelry.com, or come to one of the art shows we are at. I’ll bet one of my pendants, or one of Bonnie’s beaded creations will speak to you. When our natural stone jewelry speaks to you, it is a personal message! You had better listen, and buy!

beg

Finding the Ent

It’s about time I showed you some of the jewelry I made from all that stuff I bought in Quartzite and Tucson in February. I have been working both in my shop and on my workbench.

This is just so wild.

Another really cool Bumblebee.

One of the most popular stones in Tucson this year was Bumblebee “Jasper”. It is not really Jasper, but is a mix of minerals in a matrix of a volcanic Tuft from the island of Java in Indonesia. Most of the Bumblebee we saw was just yellow and black, but I was lucky to find one dealer that went to Java and hand-picked some of the best material that I have ever seen. These Cabochons were bright pumpkin orange and black.

Treebeard the Ent.

I bought some wonderful Yellow Feather Dendritic Jasper from Utah. Dendrites are tree-like Manganese inclusions in a rock, and make wonderful pictures. The Pendant I show you in this blog stood out when I cut a slab off the host rock. I am a big Hobbit fan and I actually saw what looked like the Ent named Treebeard in it. “Hroom, hm, come my friends.” He’s taking Merry, Pippin, and the Ents in a charge on Isengard. Now where else can you get a totally natural depiction of a Lord of the Rings character for your stone jewelry?

Blue Biggs.

Biggs Jasper is a long-time favorite with lapidary types. It is quite scarce now but back in the 60’s the famous Blue Biggs was very popular. Biggs was re-discovered while building a road, and the best that came out was Blue Biggs. The reason I say it was re-discovered is that Native Americans made arrowheads from this Jasper for many years. Some Biggs was also used for landscaping. I found a nice chunk and this pendant is one cab from this spectacular picture Jasper.

Dinosaur Bone-WOW

There were many sellers of Dinosaur Bone at all the shows, but when I saw a D-Bone slab with a red agate inclusion, I just had to have it for a special piece of fossil bone jewelry.

Royal Imperial Jasper

Royal Imperial Jasper has just such spectacular patterns and pastel colors. I really like this stuff, found in Zacatecas, Mexico about 50 miles north of the city of Guadalajara. Does is remind you of Edvard Munch?

Smithsonite

Smithsonite from the famous Glove Mine in Arizona caught my eye. These stones had unusual colors, and made some really lovely jewelry.

It was a real pleasure to find the oldest living thing in Middle Earth in my stone pile. One of the reasons I cut rocks and make jewelry is because I love these unexpected visions. Stay tuned for the next finds!

Nuumite/Nuummite-Jewelry from one of the Worlds OLDEST Stones

Today I wire-wrapped the oldest rock I have ever made jewelry from (I think). Nuumite is found a remote local near Nuuk, Greenland. It was discovered in 1982 and is of a metamorphic origin. Web sources claim that the site is accessible only by boat.

I bought this cabochon at the Tucson Shows years ago because of the sellers claim that it was “one of the oldest stones on Earth”. This is a claim you hear commonly in various locations. I hear it all the time in the Keweenaw Peninsula. So how old are the “oldest rocks on earth”? Sources claim Nuumite is in excess of 3 BILLION years old. The Swedish guy that sold me the Nuumite claimed it was 3.6 BILLION years old.

When oriented correctly the Nuumite shows and "Inner Gold".

When oriented correctly the Nuumite shows an"Inner Gold".

No glow is evident when the stone is turned.

Nuumite resembles Labradorite because it sports an oriented Labradorescence that some call Schiller Effect. I believe the stone to be a Hornblende and when oriented correctly it flashes a golden color on one axis. This is described as “inner gold”. When turned the stone is simply black and shows no “flash” until it is oriented correctly similar to Labradorite. I would say that the effect is more of iridescence, and not exactly like Labradorite. Nuumite is not as flashy as Labradorite.

Nuumite will probably not compete as a great gemstone, but it certainly has an interesting story and it does have a neat golden-brown glimmer. Also, many metaphysical properties are contributed to this rock. This piece of jewelry should appeal to the Geology Expert as well.

It is unfortunate you cannot see the “inner Gold” to its’ true effect.

In this pendant I used both gold and silver which complements both the black and golden tones in the rock. This is an unusual stone, an unusual cut, and an unusual wire-wrap. Everything about Nuumite is special.

Datolite-A Borosilicate to be proud of

I always keep several hundred cabochons in my inventory, ready to be made into fabulous Snob Appeal Jewelry. After I cut my cabs I carefully place them in boxes, trays, or perhaps just lay them gently on the dining room table (this my wife is not fond of). She is misguided in thinking that the dining room table is only for dining on.

The workbench was a mess today; not to worry; I'll just put stuff on the dining room table.

Fortunately she is married to a husband who thinks outside the box and can utilize the dining room table for several things at once. The table is an ideal place for putting new and old jewelry that may be in the loop for cleaning, posting up, washing, remaking, or just to lay somewhere where it “won’t get lost”. The issue sometimes is that the jewelry can get covered by several layers of newspapers or mail; then I either forget it’s there or lose it. That being said Bonnie enjoys saying things like: “Are you missing this?’, or “If you’d put it where it belongs, you’d be able to find it.” Comments like these disrupt the serenity of my retired life.

Today I went in search of my favorite borosilicate, Datolite. What is your favorite borosilicate? I re-discovered a beautiful pastel, copper-included Datolite from the Mesnard Copper Mine in the Keweenaw Peninsula of upper Michigan. The Mesnard mine was near the Quincy Mine but it seemed that the finest Datolite colors of yellow-orange, pink, and red came from the Mesnard. The Mesnard waste piles are now owned by a gravel company and are no longer available for hunting, making Mesnard Datolite ever more rare and more coveted every year.

I love this Mesnard Datolite.

The designer shape and the coloration of this cabochon warranted a tri-tone wrap. I used gold, Argentium silver and pink gold for the wraps. The pink gold beautifully draws out the copper inclusions in the cabochon. I love the dancing sunset colors of the stone. A picture cannot do justice to the true colorations of this remarkable gemstone.

A bonus Mesnard Datolite.

The most common white Datolites are still out there, but colored Datolite is dwindling. The only place to find these fine old pieces of Mesnard are from old collections, and even these are becoming very limited. Fortunately someone who has inherited an old collection, or has an old collection and needs some ready cash sometimes approaches me. I really appreciate how hard these gems are to locate both then and now, and I am always trying to keep a good variety of Datolite jewelry available.

If you enjoy rare gemstone jewelry or have ever sought a piece of Datolite Jewelry, you should act now before there is no more of these beautiful rare hues available. Many a Mesnard has vanished in the piles on my dining room table, increasing the shortage of my favorite Borosilicate.