Category Archives: Michigan Greenstone

Shopping on Tucson’s Rock Show Strip

Bonnie thought if we won the lottery, this would be a great place to get garden rocks.

I think she likes the Pink one.

Along the frontage road on the west side of I-10 in Tucson are a series of hotels which host gem and mineral shows each year and are collectively known at “The Strip”. Bonnie’s FitBit says she walked over 3 miles today shopping the Tucson’s Rock Show Strip. My bad leg says “yeah you did.”

Anadera, unique clams from northern California

Chunks of colorful Ocean Jasper

These citrine geodes were about 10 foot tall, a nice matched set.

Bonnie with Jeff Anderson at his agate booth at Rapa River

Another fine citrine

Typical of what you see out the back door of hotel rooms

A whole box of rutile stars.

Bonnie, my Bead Lady

Lots of Larimar

We went to four shows today, parking in the middle and walking north then south, stopping at the car to drop off a few things! Our day started and ended with seeing other rockhounds from Michigan. We always stop to see Jeff Anderson and his agates at the Rapa River Show. Jeff is a talented rockhound and has a very useful website “museum” and source of information. If you love agates or datolites you should definitely check it out.

Emeralds in matrix

Yesterday the wind was really fierce–did a job on her hair.

Tables scattered in the road access between hotels

Crystals and statuary

This might hatch early!

Amazing obsidian shining in the sun.

Obsidian

I don’t know what this is, and neither did the guy working in the booth. It looked like quartz crystals with tiny hairy green growths all over. If you know what it is, let me know!

Singing bowls

A whole chorus of Singing Bowls

A whole tent full of Singing Bowls. The metaphysical energy was exuding from this booth.

Yes, they did hatch early!

As you can see from the photos rocks are not the only things to be had at these shows. They aim to have something for everyone, I guess. Some dealers are only wholesale, but there are plenty who will sell to anyone.

The $20 parking lot. Didn’t seem much different than the $5 parking lot.

Nicest Ruby in Zoisite we’ve seen at the show.

Chrysocolla and Rhodochrosite ready for the forklift. The Rhodochrosite was at Riverpark and was asking $3500

I’ll update this with weight later.

Larimar seems to be all over; This is not top grade, but OK,

Always good to look for rough here.

Riverpark

Riverpark.

This is what low-grade Larimar looks like.

Bonnie bought a few beads that she liked and I spent a lot of time talking meteorites and stuff with various vendors.

The shows at the south end tend to be heavy with mineral rough, and metaphysical rooms. We looked and take pictures but didn’t buy anything.

Bruce selling Keweenaw Gemstones and also some very fine Agate. at Travel Lodge.

Very nice Greenstone Bruce was selling

The highlight of the day came at the end of the day when we saw a sign that said Michigan Greenstones. We found Bruce DeWitt from Grand Rapids with a few of our favorite things–Greenstones and Thomsonites. I was admiring his cabochons and he showed ma a couple copper agates. He was surprised that I knew what they are, and I introduced myself. He was even more surprised, since he is an avid follower of the Snob Blog! Our best selling products at Snob Appeal Jewelry are Michigan Greenstone Pendants and cabochons, so we are always happy to talk about them! We had a good chat about how challenging Greenstones are, and how the piles are disappearing. On the way back after we looked around the south end shows we met son Jordan who does silversmithing with Bruce’s greenstone and opals. Best of all, they were familiar with my blog an website, and were happy to meet me. It was a great way to end our trip down Tucson’s Rock Show Strip!

I have so many pictures that I’ve got to do a two-part blog, lest you get too excited.

Check in tomorrow.

Why is Don so busy?

The first day of the month came and went and I failed to post a new blog! I apologize for my tardiness, but it’s been unbelievably busy around the shop.

One of my projects was this new Secret Gem-Extracting Set-up, shared with you here for the very first time. Many Michigan Greenstone matrix rocks were hammered here in the last month. Some other folks even tested this slick set-up.

This is my Redneck Gem Extracting Device. Comprised of an old, bent Cadillac Wheel, a Granite Table Top, a Cheap Chair, a leveling “system” for the chair, and some broken patio blocks so the cheap chair doesn’t sink into the porous ground.

A Greenstone-Infested Rock to break.

Here’s one I got!

Another project involves getting ready for our move to the Southwest for the winter–getting lapidary equipment and stones aboard the RV. Bonnie says I have to “limit” what I take to make jewelry from, but it’s hard to chose. The new bead drilling machine requires tumble polished rocks to drill, and I loaded up 50# of beautiful Lake Superior Agates, 25# of Isle Royale Greenstone (Chlorastrolite), 5# of gorgeous, old stock, polished Thomsonite pebbles, and of course, some small polished Petoskey Stones. The Petoskeys will be easy to drill, and the others all have different challenges. I’ve never used the new bead driller, so there will be a learning curve.

I have a rock tumbling system that runs three 12# barrels of stone at one time, but still it has taken me three months to get these little beauties ready for drilling.

Finished, ready to drill.

Are these Thomsonite great, or what?

Screen and rinse before polish. The secret here is to take your time and make sure ALL the grit is off the stones before they are polished.

Finished polish on these Greenstone, sort out the non-Greenstone stuff and I’m good to go.

The custom Christmas orders are appearing in the mailbox, as well as customers purchasing Greenstone cabochons for their jewelers to make jewelry for them. The very old stock Greenstones actually from Isle Royale see popular lately..Bonnie is working on posting several more shortly.

I’ve created several fine Greenstone jewelry pieces for customers, but it is my policy not to post pictures of these until after they are gifted.

This month I’ll just show you my work of the past few months in preparation for winter bead drilling. Some of the Greenstone cabs I’m showing will be on the website soon, or you can call or E-Mail, and I’ll flag the stone for you.

It’s great to keep busy, but there are days when I’m just too busy. I think right now my head is still above water, and I hope it continues. Wish me luck.

Greenstone Jewelry, Where’d you get that big one?

Compared to a normal sized Greenstone, this one is a giant!. I can hear that little one screaming “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy”.

Unfortunately, one of my long time friends in the Keweenaw developed some medical issues and can no longer cut rocks. On a recent trip up north, I was able to purchase some Greenstones that he will no longer be able to process into gemstones. A few were sizable.

Greenstones fill vugs in the Amygdaloidal (bubbly) basalt. These bubbles were created as gasses tried to escape from the lava as it cooled. In the Keweenaw the little bubble voids (Vugs), eventually filled with Silica (that produced Agates) or other minerals like Datolite, Thomsonite, or Greenstone. Copper and Silver also filled open areas in the basalt. Most all minerals and metals percolated up as super-heated, mineral and metal rich steams. That’s the very simple explanation of the Keweenaw lava. These lava flows were some of the most massive eruptions ever on earth. Most of the lavas in the Keweenaw simply bubbled up from giant rifts in the earth.

OK, I got off track here; so I see these Greenstone nodules in my mine rock and use small extraction tools to “pop” these out (where did that one fly off to?).

I always get excited when I work a really big Greenstone nodule. I’ve also learned not to get my hopes up too high; a lot of these big potentials turn out to be hollow or have a poor pattern.

Hidden under this pendant is a Quarter. Not the largest I’ve ever cut, but not a slouch by any means.

The back was fairly dead.

I usually grind the Chlorite husk off and see what’s inside. This particular stone had potentially nice pattern on one side, but was dead (no pattern), on the other. More than an hour later a really fine, big, Greenstone was finished. It’s now jewelry.

I wrapped that 9 gram Greenstone unisex style so anyone can wear it. At about 1″ across in all directions, it’s a fine piece. There is actually a Quarter under it, to give you an idea. I’ve cut many bigger ones, but these big ones are getting very scarce now days, as the old spoil piles are being crushed and hauled off for road fill.

I’ve been very busy cutting Greenstones lately, and sometimes I get a bit of a surprise. I thought you might appreciate a few oddballs and a couple very nice Greenstone.

A great Greenstone all the way around.

“Holy Greenstone Batman, it’s a Ninja Turtle”. Zeolite lining in depression.

Awesome! Greenstone in Patricianite.

Greenstone in Calcite

The reverse is all Calcite

There’s something unusual about the reverse.

The back side is Quartz. You can see the Chlorastrolite through the Quartz.

Nothing special, just a nice little Greenstone.

These other beauties are on the “to wrap” list or will be sold for other’s to work with. These are all from different locales and different hunts. Be sure to visit our Greenstone Pendants page and our Greenstone cabochon page to see current offerings.

It’s always a thrill when a plan comes together; and it did with this stone.

Hunting Michigan Greenstones

GREENSTONES GALORE

Thirty years ago things were different in the Keweenaw. Rock hunting sights were plentiful, and hunting was good. Today rock hunting areas are scarce, as mine spoil piles are bought up to be crushed and sold for road fill. Often logging companies purchase the piles to crush and use for logging roads. It seems to me that the Keweenaw has been pilfered of all its soil-based resources, and what is especially disturbing is that the whole area is a national historic park.

I’m setting on the base of what once was a pile of rubble far higher then full grown trees.

Much of the history of the Copper Country revolves around the mining of copper. With the disappearance of the mine waste piles, the history of the area is that much harder to experience and visualize. Most of what is left is privately owned and off limits to rock hounds, except a few times a year when sponsored events are arranged where mine owners are reimbursed for rock hounds hunting their piles.

We travel the Keweenaw every August for art shows at Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor and our retail outlet Copper World in Calumet. (Lake Superior Magazine listed Copper World at the top Michigan gift shop for the sixth year in a row! (It is great to be represented at such a fine store).

At the campground, sorting what to take and what to leave. We really could not tell until we washed the mud off them.

Took these home. I will either cut them out or hammer them out.

What Greenstone look like after being extracting from the mine rock.

Often Greenstone have fallen out of the rocks and can be found just laying on the ground or in the piles.

If you want to hunt Greenstones or other copper-related minerals currently two organized rock hunt opportunities are available, arranged by the Seaman Mineral Museum, and by the Copper Country Rock Club. The groups arrange to have the mine waste piles bulldozed and participants who have paid the fee get to have first look at trying to find a new treasure that has been buried for decades (or eons) and brought to the surface by the bulldozer.Â Â We have participated in many of these hunts over the years. Sometimes they are worthwhile and sometimes they are a disappointment.

Clearly there is Copper in this one.

Rain is the rock hounds friend, rinsing the dirt off the rock that was stirred up in the recent few weeks of organized hunts. This year we were able to go hunting between art shows on a couple of rainy days. We were successful in finding greenstones, datolite, prehnite, and native copper. Often we pick up muddy things that look of interest, and after cleaning may turn out to be wonderful finds. And sometimes a promising rock is disappointing. You often don’t know what you have until you do the lapidary work.

Dopping begins the grinding and polishing process. I use, nails, screws, rivets and glue the stones on to the Dops. Others use dopping wax.

Keweenaw Greenstones are especially tricky, they may have no pattern, or they may break apart. What appears to be a fine Greenstone, as you work it, may in fact be hollow; you have something, than you have nothing. Working Michigan State Gem Greenstones to their maximum potential takes a gentle hand, and lots of patience. When polishing a large stone I get excited if it has a great alligator pattern and a chatoyant surface. The other thing about greenstones is that it dictates how it can be cut. Sometimes the pattern layer is so thin, that you have to know when to stop grinding. YouÂ may or may not be able to eliminate inclusions that distract from a perfect stone. Â Those I give to teachers that teach Earth Sciences. Only experience tells you if you have the stone perfect, or if you can make it better. They are a uniquely difficult gemstone to get right, and in general the highest quality GreenstonesÂ can be pricey.Â Many greenstones must be cut before I get a one that has the qualities expected in a gem. If you have a large stone you want to have polished, be sure to have someone cut it that has experienced in cutting Greenstones. I’ve seen $1000 Greenstones ruined because the person cutting it did not know what they were doing. I liken some Greenstones to Fire Agate; You have to know when to stop, and there is no room for error.

Another truth is that Most Michiganders have never personally seen an Isle Royale Greenstone, and I have been asked things like “is that a Green Petoskey Stone?” or they’ll say things like “I found one of them on Lake Michigan” NOT! One of these , usually small stoned, would never survive the glacial transportation. A picture does not do justice to the lovely, silky, Chatoyancy or Michigan’s State Gemstone. You have to see one in person to appreciate it. They’re like an alligator wearing a shear silky robe.

This is a “Broll”. It’s made my life easier. Do a search if you are interested; it’ll save me answering a bunch of questions. This picture was takenon a Petoskey Stone Hunt.

Bonnie always takes home a couple garden rocks, and our Broll is a handy tool for carrying rocks back to the car. For those who haven’t seen one, you can see and buy a Broll online; we take it on all our rock hunts.

A beautiful Thomsonite flowered Greenstone from the Phoenix Mine.

People look for us at the art shows and bring something that they have found to have a special piece of jewelry made for them. Cutting their rocks and making their jewelry keeps me busy for a while.

Even though gemstone hunting is not what it once was, we still enjoy our trips. The art shows, natural beauty, wonderful sunsets, rock hunts, pasties, Vollwerth’s hot dogs, and monk’s muffins all contribute to a vacation atmosphere while we are doing our work!

A Loony Greenstone

In a large hoard of small tumbled Greenstones from Isle Royale, I noticed an odd shaped one. Closer examination revealed it looked exactly like a Loon. I had an immediate inspiration to combine this particular Greenstone with another gemstone of a unique pendant.

A couple weeks later my wife, who always seems to be trying to improve the neatness of my barn and shop, located a great piece of clear Quartz with Rutile ribbons included. The stone remind me of a reed bed in some Northern Lake where a Loon might nest.

The pendant turned out just as I envisioned it. At 2 1/4″ tall and 1 1/4″ wide, it makes an impressive pendant. I made it from Gold wire and Pink Gold wire. I’m going to test-wear it a while and sell it on line.

The Shades and Patterns of Greenstone (Chlorastrolite)

Every one of these are made from Island Stones.

Greenstone (Chlorastrolite) is the State Gem of Michigan. They are only found in the Keweenaw Peninsula and on Isle Royale (harvesting Greenstones in Isle Royale National Park is prohibited), with a few rolling up on North Shore beaches. These are known facts about Greenstone; but did you know that Greenstones can be many shades of green and contain many types of inclusions?

I thought, in this month’s blog, it might be fun to show you some of the uncounted associated minerals that can be found with Greenstone. I am mostly covering the more common inclusions, but I’ll show you some uncommon inclusions also. The Greenstones were all in my possession at one time, and are from my photo collection after years of Greenstone picking and collecting.

When I write about Greenstones colors, patterns, and inclusions I am speaking of an “average” stone. If I write something in my blog on the subject of Greenstones, someone may comment to the effect that what I wrote is not always the case. “Not always the case” is one of the laws of Greenstone, as well as many Rocks and minerals of Lake Superior.

Greenstone with Silver

Greenstone with Copper. Notice very little pattern to this dark Chlorastrolite.

Rough Greenstone; Some included and some not.

Included with Thomsonite, Calcite, Copper, Datolite

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, there’s something different. Lake Superior Agates, Datolite, Prehnite, Thomsonite, and many other minerals from this area are famous for their surprises.

Greenstones from Isle Royale, in general (remember) are a lighter shade of green than those found in the Keweenaw. Isle Royale Greenstones most likely will be solidly patterned all the way through the stones, and require less skill than cutting a Keweenaw Greenstone that may have the chatoyant alligator pattern in a very thin layer, which is easily cut through. Cutting Keweenaw Greenstone is, many times, more like “erasing” the bad spots, rather than actually grinding. These Keweenaw stones may contain annoying little black dots that definitely do not enhance a Greenstone. I seldom see these dark inclusions in Isle Royale Stones. I have never been clear whether these spots are Chlorite or actually Chlorastrolite. There are other unwanted flaws that can occur in Greenstone; some I deal with, others, forget it. Only experience in Greenstone cutting can help you determine what you can deal with, and what you can’t. I could write a whole book on cutting Greenstones. Only by cutting thousands of these little buggers can you develop some expertise. You must, unfortunately, learn by your mistakes. Making mistakes was a lot easier to take years ago, when Greenstones were easier to find and far less expensive that they are today. I can never answer the question “How do you cut a Greenestone?”. The answer always boils down to the particular Greenstone you are cutting.

Island Greenstones in matrix.

Tumbling these Greenstones from Islae Royale allows weeding. Notice the Thomsonite Inclusions on may little Greenstones.

OK, I got off track there a little bit. The point I wanted to make is not only are there good inclusions in Greenstone, but there are bad ones also.

Now lets look at some of the inclusions that really enhance a Greenstone. Coming from the Copper Country, an inclusion you might expect in Greenstone is Copper. Chlorastrolite filled the small voids in the amydaloidal basalt, as does most of the minerals found in the copper country. Rarely found together, the Copper and Greenstone are so beautiful together. On a rare occasion we may even find a Greenstone with Silver in it.

Greenstone floating in Calcite with Included Copper.

Some Greenstone is almost white.

Datolite is another Copper Associated mineral that often in found in Greenstone, plain white Datolite is common, but other Datolite colors, especially pink, are also seen. Pink Datolite is always caused by micro-Copper in Datolite.

Greenstone with a heart of Thomsonite.

Greenstone in Thomsonite’s ugly cousin Natrolite.

Thomsonite, my favorite Zeolite, is found in Greenstone. You can tell Thomsonite from Datolite by it’s silky, chatoyant, look. Datolite will be more porcelinious without a silky shine. Thomsonite in Greenstone can be pink or white.

A whole garden of flowery Thomsonite.

Chlorite specks mean the Greenstone needs more work to remove them.

Copper and Silver specks in this one.

Could this be Chlorastrolite replacement of Calcite? It sure looks like it to me. The pink is Prehnite.

Greenstone containing Calcite Crystals.

Calcite is probably the most common inclusion, or you might say Greenstone is included in Calcite most of the time we see it together. When I see Greenstone in more clear Calcite, it seems to float as islands on top of the calcite. I love the three-dimensional look that is seen in Greenstone in Calcite. Commonly when Chlorastrolite is seen in Calcite, the Greenstone looks like dark, black-green lilypads instead of the more classic alligator-like pattern common to the gem. I like the lilypad look myself, but the stones do not fetch the price of a patterned Greenstone.

I have seen tiny Calcite crystals floating within the Greenstone also. It’s very nice when that happens, but most buyers of my Greenstone jewelry do not understand the rarity of this phenomenon.

$Greenstone with Cuprite is so rare it baffled the experts at the Seaman Mineral Museum\.$

Greenstone with Cuprite is so rare it baffled the experts at the Seaman Mineral Museum\.

On one occasion, I found bright red Cuprite on Greenstone. I never should have sold that one, as I’ve never seen another like it. It amazed the Director of the Seaman Mineral Museum.

Lastly I want to address the coloration and patterns of Greenstone. Greenstones can range from almost white to olive green to dark forest green. Sometimes Greenstones are so dark you’d swear they were black.

A dark Greenstone from the Central Mine. Notice the larger alligator pattern.

A dark alligator from the Central Mine.

The patterns in Greenstones vary from large alligator to tiny alligator, to dark islands, to hardly any pattern at all. I’ve seen tiny donut circles, to shimmery flower-like chatoyant circles, to just a hint of pattern. When we find an obvious Greenstone without pattern we refer to it as a “Greenstone wanna-be”. Every round pebble on a spoil pole is green, so we pick them all up, perhaps tumble them overnight in 220, and look at the batch in the morning. The Greenstones will survive, but the Chlorite balls will not.

A big. bold Greenstone with Pink prehnite from Isle Royale in the 1940’s.

A Boytrioidal Greenstone from Isle Royale. Notice the unusual green coloration.

A beautiful Island stone in mysterious green.

I’ve been cutting and polishing Greenstones for many years, and have enjoyed the differing colors and patterns in Greenstones; not all Greenstones are equal. My hope is by informing you of these details, you can come to appreciate one of the rarest gemstones on Earth. Greenstones continue to amaze and surprise me, but unfortunately the sources are diminishing.

This would be a very nice Greenstone except it contains unwanted inclusions of Chlorite. After a bit more work, this one became a real beauty.

A simple wire wrap is sometimes best.

Back in mining days, the miners never had a clue that their discarded rubble contained the lovely gem material that today is being crushed and hauled away for road fill. It’s exponentially harder today to find a nice Greenstone in the Keweenaw than it was a decade ago.

I loved this Datolite and Greenstone Pendant.

Explore our wide selection of Greenstone Cabochons, Greenstone Pendants and Greenstone Earrings as well as other jewelry from Keweenaw Minerals.

Great Lakes Gemstones Make Amazing Gifts

One of the best things of the holiday season is passing along beautiful jewelry gifts to new owners. Great Lakes gemstones are the cornerstone of our selection. Our best sellers are our many amazing Isle Royle Greenstones. Our acquisition of a collection of old Greenstones found on Isle Royale over 60 years ago has enhanced our status as the webs’ go-to site for Michigan’s State Gem. Our wire-wrapped Isle Royale Greenstone pendants come with various mixes of tarnish-resistant argentium wire and 14/20 yellow gold or pink gold wire. The pink gold is especially prized for combining with the Isle Royale Greenstones that have Thomsonite inclusions. We also sell cabochons so that people can have rings or other items created just for them.

Centennial Datolite

Mohawkite

Thomsonite

Snob Appeal Jewelry is also the go-to site for any Great Lake Gemstone. We really enjoy the appreciation notes we get after Christmas from many happy new owners. Many of these stones are not widely known outside of the Great Lakes area, so when we get orders from Texas or California or other far-flung places (even Australia) we always wonder what drew them to select Datolite or Mohawkite or Thomsonite. We know these are beautiful stones, but often there is another connection, such as a family member who worked in a particular mine, or even if it was just a visit to the enchanting area.

Our selection of Lake Superior Agate pendants is Superior! We have water level agates, sagenite agates, tubes, and eyes, candy stripers, gray stones, pink, brown, “Laker” reds, even some yellows. Some have copper, some have quartz centers or even amethyst. Don loves these stones and classically wire wraps them to enhance their natural beauty and variety. Pick one to give to your favorite rock hound!

Lake Superior Agate

I thought I might show you some new jewelry especially made for Christmas.

Looking back at 2014 Jewelry (and one 2015 Baby)

snob-appeal-jewelrytuxedo My New Years Pendant this year was inspired by both a dream I had and something that matches our company colors of Red, Black, and White. I pictured this exact ending in my dream. Tuxedo Agate is a dyed Brazilian Agate. The dyeing procedure is the same as is used in the manufacture of Black Onyx. I’m betting you did not know that most Black Onyx was dyed. I combined a piece of Onyx with a great piece of Tuxedo Agate and enhanced the pendant with Rhodolite Garnets. The wire is Argentium Sterling. A few hours of careful work produced a pendant I’m quite proud of. I expect this pendant, as well as the rest of the new pendants in this blog will be for sale in the near future.

As the end of 2014 comes to an end, we want to thank all our faithful customers for a record setting year. The Holiday rush is over and thankfully all orders have been delivered. Many Snob Appeal Jewelry patrons will be happy when Christmas morning comes.

Greenstones are our best sellers. these special ones are from old stock from Isle Royale.

I think back to the wonderful family I met at a Hotel in Munising this summer. We were returning from a trip to the Keweenaw and I had some extra copper, and other rocks I collected. The kids were delighted when I gave them some for their collections. Dad got a business card, and months later I got a call from their mother before Christmas. She wanted Greenstones to add to her children’s collections. I provided some nice stones at a modest price and filled a flat rate box with many more rocks that should make these young rockhounds very happy on Christmas morning. Sometimes rocks in the socks can be a good thing (but no coal!). Things like this just give me a good dose of feeling “Festive”.

Datolite in matrix from the Isle Royale #6 in Houghton County.

Snob Appeal Jewelry is known for our Isle Royale Greenstone (chlorastrolite), Lake Superior Agates, Pink Petoskey Stones, and all Michigan gemstones including Thomsonite, Mohawkite, and Prehnite. Fordite and Firebrick are two man-made substances with unique connections to Michigan history, that were industry left-overs and now are usable for interesting jewelry.

Mosaic Turquoise is a composite material that is very striking in its' coloration.

Although Greenstones are becoming more and more scarce, we continue to seek out old collections and collect in secret locations in the Keweenaw in order to keep our stock supplied. Over the past year a few small stashes have wrenched themselves free, and found their way into our collection. Look for a limited supply of new gemstones from up north to appear in new jewelry pieces.

We also invite you to explore our natural stone pendants of Crazy Lace Agate, Malachite, Ocean Jasper, and my favorite shimmery Pietersite. Another jewelry stone with lots of glamour is the very gorgeous and special man-created Victoria Stone. These are some of my favorite stones to work with.

We are not attending any of the western shows this winter. Over the years this has allowed us to create jewelry from so many beautiful gemstones from across the world. Some of our most colorful favorites are Rhodochrosite, Charoite, and Queensland Agates. We love going to Tucson and Quartzite, but I need time this winter to cut rocks and make jewelry in preparation for the Agate Expo in 2016.

Variscite from Fairfield, Utah with facetted Rose Quartz

Recent purchases of major rock collections have also added to our stock, and these also have to be dealt with. Look forward for some jaw-dropping jewelry in 2015.

Bonnie has been hinting how she'd like a pendant made from some Sonoran Sunset. She finally got this one for Christmas.

I’m pleased to announce that a complete re-vamp of our website is underway to make our website more compatible with mobile devices. There will be new interfaces and amazing technological advances, making Snobappealjewelry.com one of the premiere places for jewelry shopping on the web. We hope you will shop with us again in the New Year!

Shadow Agates, Greenstone, and Thomsonite Jewelry

As winter blasts keep us close to the fireplace, I have been busy creating new pendants with favorite gemstones and wire. Enjoy these two new Great Lakes Jewelry Treasures and two new Shadow Agates.

A beautiful and rare North Shore Thomsonite.

Unique to the Lake Superior region, I acquired a quantity of old stock North Shore Thomsonites over the summer and have started cutting and wrapping them into jewelry. These dark-eyed beauties are very rare and highly coveted. Since these Great Lakes gemstones came out of a site near Thomsonite Beach near Grand Marais, Minnesota that is now buried under a park, no others are found at that location.

Greenstone Lily Pads in Natrolite

The second Great Lakes Jewelry Treasure I recently made was a remarkable stone with Greenstone Lily Pads floating in a pink sea of Natrolite instead of floating in a sea of green Chlorastrolite. I made a pendant from the opposite side of this stone and it sold immediately. Never have I seen another Greenstone like this.

Shadow Wave Laguna Agate

I also made a pair of agates with shadow effect. In certain agates with opaque bands, the bands cast shadows on the adjacent bands as the agate is rotated back and forth. This crates what is referred to as “Shadow effect”. The bands casting shadows also have to be spaced correctly in order to “shadow”. the easiest was to explain shadow effect is if you lined up dominos and shined a light on the top of them. When you move the light back and forth over the dominos you see the shadow that are cast on the adjoining domino change. It’s the same with the lines in the Shadow Agate. This purpley-pink and white Laguna has a great Shadow effect. Laguna Agates from Mexico are famous for “Shadow”, but most banded agates, including my favorite, the Lake Superior Agate, can sport Shadow at times.

Blue Lace with shadow

In this old stock Blue Lace Agate I found wonderful shadow. Two Mercury Mist Topaz added at the top give elegance and sparkle to the glorious pale blue/white agate. What a great piece for a special holiday occasion or wedding!

All these are available at www.snobappealjewelry,com, Click on “View all our products”. With over 375 pendants, chains, and earrings on our site, we hope you will start your Christmas shopping with us now!

Greenstones-Reincarnation or Not

On occasion a customer may choose a different precious metal, or style over the way a pendant is wrapped, or design. Even though I carefully craft each pendant, I always put customer satisfaction over other considerations.

The original wrap of the most unusual Greenstone I've ever cut and wrapped.

greenstonereincarnate

Normally, a nominal additional fee is involved in the re-wrap. My recent re-wrap involved probably the most stunning Greenstone I have ever found, or most knowledgeable rock aficionados, have ever seen; an ultra rare Greenstone infused with beautiful red Cuprite. I have found no one, including folks at the Seaman Mineral Museum, that has seen this gorgeous mineral combination.

Close-up of the Cuprite in this Greenstone.

My discriminating customer informed me his wife preferred Silver and a more simple wrap, over the gold more elegant wrap. I thought just a couple pink gold wires would further enhance the Greenstone. Pink Gold looks remarkable with Greenstone. My customer was in agreement with the pair of pink gold wires. Pink gold resembles copper, and Greenstone (Chlorastrolite) is a copper-associated mineral.

Here are the original Greenstone, as well as the reincarnation. I was happy in both cases, and this just shows how wraps can be different styles, and yet still be amazing. I’d like you go to my Facebook business page and comment on which wrap you prefer (if you are a FB user).

Also, since I am talking about Greenstone, my most recent stash seems like it had some good potential. The difficulty with Greenstone is that you never know what you have, It is not uncommon to cut a hundred stones to get one really good one. Half your finds may not even be Chlorastrolite. Some will be Calcite Balls, Copper Balls, or Mud Balls. They can also be Greenstone wannabes, or for a better description, half-baked Greenstones. You guys that have collected, and worked with this material, know exactly what I’m talking about. The rock hunter can begin with a good size pile of stone and after lapidary work, end up with very little, or maybe sadly nothing. But when Karma is smiling on you, the Michigan Greenstone Jewelry that can result, is very special indeed.