Category Archives: Special Stones

Quartzsite-The Rocks We Found

I’m continuing my adventures in Quartzite today by showing what I found. Some rocks I just admired, while others I brought back to cut. Not much chit-chat in this blog, just fine pictures. The first series of pictures are things we saw:

Why did not I think of this? Thow a few random pebbles in some dirt, add a digging stick, and you don't have to waste time going out in the desert picking rocks.

Why did not I think of this? Throw a few random pebbles in some dirt, add a digging stick, and you don’t have to waste time going out in the desert picking rocks. Great for the city kids, I guess.

Pink Opalite

Even those Moroccans have a sense of humor.

Bonnie was looking at all this Turquoise and dyed Magnesite.

Tables of pretty malachite, some contained azurite.

A big ultra rare Wingate Pass Agate. $1200 and worth it. I make jewelry and seldom collect specimens, but I was real tempted by this beauty!

This series of pictures is some of what I now own.

Bumblebee (Not Jasper) cab. this one was ripe with silica and looks like the end of the world.

More Gembone

Dinosaur Bone–The red stuff; Just look at those Cell Agates. WOW factor for sure.

Mostly Royal Imperial Jasper

Remember Bonnie dumster diving in a previous blog. Here's one of the pieces of Pink Amethyst Lace Agate and a pendant made from similar material.

Remember Bonnie dumpster diving in a previous blog. Here’s one of the pieces of Pink Amethyst Lace Agate she was digging for, and a pendant made from similar material. Purple and pink, Bonnie will dig for that!

Random slabs from someones scrap bin (if you can believe it). That’s what’s so fun about these shows.

Red Crazy Lace

Colorful Condor Agates

Pink transparent Gem dino Bone. Yeah, I spent the bucks on this, but I have a jewelry project for this one.

Pink transparent Gem dino Bone. Yeah, I spent the bucks on this, but I have a jewelry project in mind for this one.

What’s in that Safe Deposit Box?

My wife asks: “Do you know what’s in our Safe Deposit Box?” Having not looked in there for at least two years, I only knew of a few things that COULD be there. Important papers and other things, but obviously I forgot a few things.

Because of the time involved since the last time I opened the box, the keys somehow did not work. I thought maybe some WD40 might work, but the bank lady said that she had to call their locksmith. A couple days later I met at the bank when the locksmith came. The locksmith fit the keys in, and just turned them open. (Don’t YOU feel dumb, bank lady?)

Box finds: Top is a Greenstone with massive Native Copper, Center is a Copper Replacement Agate, and bottom is a Keweenaw Point rare yellow Datolite with Native Copper.

I had placed a plastic vial containing my very best Copper Country Gemstones. I totally forgot I had these, and totally forgot they were in the Safe Deposit Box. (Don’t YOU feel dumb rock guy?) It was like Christmas. If you are friend of Snob Appeal Jewelry on Facebook, you have seen these, but I did not tell you this story behind them. I don’t have Alzheimer’s but I admit to having “Some-Timer’s“; Sometimes I remember, and sometimes i don’t. Now that Dr. Don has diagnosed this common affliction, you surely realize you too are effected. Don’t say you are not; but at least you now know what it is called.

I also know there are two signs of aging. the first being you forget things…I can’t remember the second….

When I saw these gemstones, I had Total Recall. I had personally found a remarkable Greenstone/Copper and a Copper Replacement Agate. I purchased a Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite containg copper years ago. I personally cut and polished all three. I had, and still have intentions, of making something for myself.

I’m speeding along here because I want to get to the end before I forget where I’m going.

I hope you like my Lock box finds.

Here’s a little poster I created using the above stones:

Thomsonite Dreams

Even though you may see what appears to be a large Thomsonite in its’ Matrix, you can never tell how big it actually is.

Many times people will chat with me at an art show mentioning that Grandpa used to collect and work on rocks and minerals. My response is always; “Where ARE grandpas old rocks?” This leads to the next question; “Have you ever thought of selling them?”. Some of my best stuff, the really rare stuff, has come from grandpas old collections. On the flip side, many heirs think grandpa’s collection is exceedingly valuable, but it is not. They also put additional value on it because it has sentimental value. As a cabochon and jewelry maker, I cannot factor in sentimental value–I can only pay what is fair. Sometimes as part of the deal, sellers are happy to receive a piece of jewelry from something in the collection, giving them a memento from grandpa’s treasures.

Tumbled Thomsontes are carefully sliced to prepare for forming into cabochons.

Back in the 50’s and 60’s rock collecting and the Lapidary Hobby were very popular. This hobby waned in the 70’s, but came back in the early 2000’s with the Treasure-Hunting Programs that became popular on TV. It’s human nature to imagine that you can get rich with very little effort, by finding that rare gemstone treasure that may be worth thousands of dollars. We know this seldom happens, but it sometimes does.

These wonderful North Shore Thomsonites’ are ready for jewelry.

Recently I was contacted by a couple from Minnesota that had inherited Grandpa’s collection. What peaked my interest was the mention of North Shore Thomsonite. I love Thomsonite, especially old stock Thomsonite from a now buried, famous, location near Grand Marais. Without a doubt, the most beautiful gem quality Thomsonite ever discovered came from that site. This Thomsonite Grandpa had came from that location back in the 60’s. They called to see what their Thompsonite might be worth, as they were considering selling it.

One of the most amazing Thomsonites’ I’ve ever seen, and the largest I own. I have not decided whether to cut it or sell it as a specimen. 3″X 2″X 3/4″

After a picture exchange my interest grew, and eventually we met half way in Escanaba. Bonnie and I instantly loved these folks, and I especially loved Grandpa’s Thomsonite. Much of it was beautiful, dark eyed, classic Thomsonite, that is the most coveted type for jewelry. Those that have good Thomsonite know it is special. It was worth the trip and I’ve been thinking about those pieces every minute since I got them!

All the Lake Superior area Thomsonite is subject to being mixed with other Zeolites or other minerals. It is not uncommon to find Thomsonite mixed with Mesolite or Natrolite. Thomsonite often shows up in Isle Royale Greenstone, and is very sought after for jewelry and by collectors. North Shore Thomsonite is famous for having dark eyes caused by Chlorite.

Variegated Prehnite, especially “eyed” Prehnite is many times mistaken for Thomsonite, especially in the Keweenaw. For many years eyed Prehnite was considered Thomsonite, until tests by Michigan Tech proved otherwise.

Colorful and dark-eyed Thomsonites make amazing and valuable jewelry.

Good Thomsonite is still found in the Grand Marais, Minnesota area. Persistency in extracting the Thomsonite from it’s hard basalt matrix is required. You cannot just beat Thomsonite out of a rock. This Zeolite is very brittle, and the lightest tap from a rock hammer can shatter a thousand dollar piece. Thomsonite is sometimes sensitive to the harmonics of a grinding wheel, and will just break apart. Years of cutting this material serves as valuable training to prevent damage while making cabochons, but still there are some pieces that just crumble no matter how careful you are.

Classic pieces of Thomsonite from Grand Marais often contain micro-Copper. Copper is also seen in much of the Thomsonite from the Keweenaw Peninsula also. (it is the Copper District)

I have started to cut this material and have found it exceptionally nice. Snob Appeal Jewelry specializes in jewelry made from rocks and minerals of the Lake Superior area, and Thomsonite is one of those premiere gemstones from that area. You can expect some really wonderful Thomsonite jewelry to start rolling off the workbench in the near future.

Just out or curiosity I was checking the metaphysical properties of Thomsonite. What I read was Thomsonite: “lifts the fog–of the brain and of the situations you are trying to solve. This allows your brain to work at a maximum level and for you to see what is truly going on and how to solve it. Thomsonite helps dissolve laziness”. Why are Bonnie and I not wearing Thomsonite every day? It would obviously solve a lot of problems.

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.

Petoskey Stone Treasure

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Many times in our hunts for Petoskey Stones, we stumble across other fossils from the Devonian often mixed together in a sort of “soup”; Fossils that lived in the same neighborhood calcified in the same stone.

This fossil was special; a small piece of a Thamnopora right in the middle of a Petoskey Stone. The stone was smallish, but it went into my pocket and not into the bucket with the rest of the fossils. I did not want to see this cutie smashed when I threw another stone into my bucket.

I knew I was being called to make something wonderful.

I cut and polished the Petoskey and wrapped it in pink gold and silver. I love this piece! It will be up on the website tomorrow, so act quickly.

Keweenaw Point Datolite Pendant

yellowdatosaj

A cute little unit, this pendant is exactly Quarter sized. I used both pulled wires and prongs to secure the gemstone. This is a rare opportunity for you to own this rare little gemstone beauty.

Out of all the endless colorations of Datolite in the Keweenaw Peninsula, arguably the most rare and coveted are the almost canary yellow ones. These are found at the northern point in the Keweenaw (and the northernmost point in Michigan).

The two in the middle are not dateline, but the ones on both sides are.

The best ones were harvested by divers that knew where they were in the basalt. This area had been silted over for quite a few years now, making finding these yellow beauties almost impossible. There are some exposed in outcrops in the area, but very few of any size.

Rare is an understatement with regards to yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite. What makes these unusual is that most Datolite in the Keweenaw is colored by copper, but these yellows derive their colors from Manganese.

The unusual story of this particular Datolite is that I found it in Tucson, in a small tray of Datolites at Gary Wilson’s booth at one of the wholesale shows. (Just look for the hub of eager buyers–it is the busiest sales booth at the show.) He sells cabochons that are coveted by the wire wrappers. (This is what makes me different than most wire wrappers; I actually cut most of my own stones). The Datolite tray was picked over, but others did not recognize the sweet yellow one.

This Datolite is NOT from Lower Michigan, but it acts that way.

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.

Larimar Jewelry-Treasures from the Caribbean

The blue form of Pectolite, Larimar varies widely in shades of blue, quality, and price.

Seeking an eye-catching Sea Blue colored stone streaked with crystal white, a customer once asked us “What is that stone that looks like the ocean waves rolling up on the sandy beach?” We knew it could only be Larimar, appropriately mined only on a single island in the whole world, near Bahoruco and other small towns in the Dominican Republic. This Caribbean treasure was once called Stefilia’s Stone, but is actually a blue form of the mineral Pectolite. The normal color of Pectolite is white or gray, but a little Cobalt does wonders for this otherwise ordinary mineral. Doesn’t Larimar sound better than Pectolite? The makeup of Pectolite (Larimar) is NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH) or sodium calcium inosilicate hydroxide.

I love the gemstone Larimar.

This lovely blue stone was originally discovered in 1916, but nothing was made of it until a rediscovery of the stones by a Miguel Méndez and Peace Corp volunteer Norman Rilling. in 1974. Miguel took his young daughter’s name Larissa and the Spanish word for sea (mar) and formed Larimar, by the colors of the water of the Caribbean Sea, where it was found. This information was gleaned from Wikipedia.

A mine soon opened, but mining conditions were terrible. Tunnels collapsed, miners were electrocuted by faulty wiring, and miners lost their lives digging the mineral out. I talked to one of the former owners of a Larimar mine. I say former because the main mine has changed hands several times. The former owner told me that she went bankrupt trying to bring her mine up to strict Government standards put into effect because of the deaths at the mine. There are numerous Larimar mines west of the village of Jose Joaquin. Many of these mines are simply small holes in the hillside, dangerously shored up. The larger mines are well run and care is taken in mining safety.

Larimar drop earrings (Bonnie Reed design)

I am not really sure how rare Larimar actually is, but it is a one-source gemstone and expensive to mine. There always seems to be a good quantity around the shows in Tucson, and Larimar has been mined for near 40 years, so there is a lot around. The quality varies widely, as do the prices. The best quality, pricey larimar is inclusion free, beautiful blue with good pattern, while the poorer grade has inclusions, discoloration, and often a poor pattern.

Larimar is very brittle, and care must be taken when working with it. If careful, you can get a beautiful polish on it.

Larimar jewelry is very popular with cruise ship passengers in the sailing the Caribbean. Jewelry is available on the ships, in the ports of call, and even and roadside vendors. It is possible to see some of the mines if you make arrangements at some of the hotels in the area. People buy Larimar as a souvenir of their vacations. I see people wearing this gemstone at most of the art shows where we sell our jewelry, and often they are looking for a piece to accompany their vacation souvenir. We offer jewelry at prices easily competitive with these souvenirs.

Over the years I have made and sold many Larimar pieces. I have one dealer, that specializes in the very best Larimar, I visit every year in Tucson. High quality Larimar is quite expensive.

Bonnie says this is "The pendant of the year), and who am I to disagree.

Recently I made the most beautiful Larimar pendant I have every made. Bonnie said it was the “Pendant of the Year”, and I cannot disagree with her assessment. The perfect gem grade Larimar is approximately 2″ tall and 1 1/2″ wide. I’ve been saving it waiting for inspiration to come over me. One day, an idea formed, and so did the pendant! I wrapped it in Gold Gold and Pink Gold. Wearing this on a large ribbon omega would be very impressive.

Larimar Post earrings.

We also have other Larimar products. Many people ask for earrings to match their souvenir that they purchased on vacation. Bonnie is happy to make earrings from our inventory of Larimar Beads.

We are not alone in our love of Larimar. There is something magical about the mystical patterns and the gorgeous pastel blue color that makes people happy. You just feel better every time you look at Larimar. But be warned–compliments will freely flow while your mind may be thinking of ocean waves washing up on the shore!

Thomsonite from Lake Superior

Beautiful eyes usually dominate high quality Thomsonite.

Thomsonite is rare and beautiful. The most striking Thomsonite colors and patterns come from Lake Superior’s north shore in the Grand Marais area. This eyed Zeolite has to be the most attractive stone in the Zeolite family. High quality Thomsonite, with dramatic greens and pinks, is highly prized by rockhounds.

I love finding Thomsonite and polishing them to expose the gorgeous eyes.

In this post I decided to show you before and after photos showing the Thomsonite cabochons and the pendants I made from them.

All the beachfront in the Grand Marais is private property and the owners are very protective. Some basalts in the area have Thomsonite inclusions. Extracting these gemstones involves cutting them out. The gemstone is very brittle and fragile, so hammers and chisels cannot be used.

The best deposit near Thomsonite Beach was buried years ago to create a public park. The best chance to obtain high quality Thomsonite is from old collections or local hunters that know where to find this elusive gemstone.

Thomsonite is sometimes found on Isle Royale and in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. In the Keweenaw we also find a mineral that often mimics Thomsonite. This is the colorful Prehnite. Prehnite is referred to locally as “U.P. Thomsonite” and often sports eyes and chatoyant, feathery patterns, like Thomsonite, except it is not a Zeolite. Many inexperienced rockhounds mistake Prenite for Thomsonite. Thomsonite is much less common than Prehnite.

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Recently I obtained several beautiful pieces from a dealer that had purchased an old collection of Thomsonite from an estate. These gemstones are some of the best pieces of Thomsonite I’ve ever seen. Two or three of these are spoken for and the rest will be posted on this website. I really enjoyed working with all these and hope you enjoy the pendants made from these gemstones!

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