Category Archives: Wire and Gemstone Jewelry

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!

Lake Superior Agate Pendants and other Unusual Stones-On the Workbench

I’ve been cutting lots of recently acquired Lake Superior Agates since we arrived back from our winter in Arizona.

I suspect a couple fans will want this one.

A marvelous pastel Lake Superior Agate Pendant

I have to admit a recent Laker Pendant was put together right after cutting and polishing the stone. Sometimes a certain stone just make me eager to make something of it. The Laker I am speaking about has unusual banding and color; a tight reddish/brown fortification pattern in the top, and an entirely different pattern of wide white and peach banding on the bottom. The agate outdoes itself with this beautiful pink/peach. Pink Gold and Gold Gold wires enhance this nice stone.I named it Color-Wicking Lake Superior Agate Pendant.

Unusual Lakers like stirred Mocha

The second great Laker is an unusual dark carnelian with a pattern that looks like it was stirred in. The brown base agate bleeds though the white pattern creating a very rare yellow. The opposite side of the agate is eye-like.

Luna Agate found over 50 years ago.

Copper Crystal Cluster in float copper. A really amazing cabochon ready to be jewelry.

Picture Petrified Wood.

As a bonus I show you a couple of cabochons of Picture Petrified wood from near Holbrook, Arizona. Also a few other cabochons that will soon be jewelry.

I have been very busy cutting stones and sorting through my treasures from the Tucson shows. I’ll share my favorites as I get more!

Variscite from Utah is a beautiful pastel.

Another blog is in the works for the near future on the 20 0r so new mini Greenstone Pendants I have recently made. Thanks to all our blog readers.

Wire Wrapping 101-NOT! ( My most Challenging Wire Wrapped Pendant)

One of the Gem Bone Slabs I found last year.

One of the Gem Dinosaur Bone Slabs I found last year.

Jewelry I made from the above slab.

Last year I bought some amazing gem dino bone slabs in Quartzsite. These particular slabs came from the estate of a famous bone collector. I love gem grade Dinosaur bone. It amazes me that each individual cell is many times an individual agate, within the agatized D-Bone. These cells can be fortification agates of just nice clear Chalcedony or some of the great colors in good gem Dinosaur bone can be vivid red, orange, yellow, pink, brown.

I cut a few slabs with a multi-stone pendant in mind, and searched out some bone-shaped dinosaur bone beads. I layed out the pieces and saw good possibilities. Bonnie has wanted me to make a pendant for myself to wear at shows, and D-Bone seemed to be a good choice for a manly pendant.

My most challenging pendant thus far.

I thought about this piece of jewelry for at least a year. With multi-stone pendants you have to know the end, and mentally work backwards. Sometimes I need a challenge, or I think I do. No matter what stage you are in your wire wrapping endeavors, you should always look for something to challenge your brain, fingers, and tools. I sometimes get bored just making simpe single-stone wraps and enjoy the challenge of multi-stone wrapping.

Even with all my experience I sometimes try things that just do not work; I have to start over, and try again. This is very frustrating at times. I can almost wire wrap a single stone with my eyes closed, but these multi-stone things are another issue entirely.

Multi stone wrapping is equal parts of engineering, art, and expertise. I find myself inventing techniques to conquer challenges when using multiple stones. A good understanding is also important as to what your wire, your tools, and yourself may be capable of. Sometimes it really upsets me when I think I can do something, and it fails. But I find the best way to learn is from your mistakes (sometimes it takes reminder mistakes).

Ahead 1 year: I laid out my dinosaur bone cabs on my workbench and was certain that I had a plan, but instead I had two complete failures which frustrated me and taught me that perhaps I should rethink this pendant. What I had in mind was extremely complicated and intricate. Can I really pull this off? Finally after being on my workbench for approximately three weeks the pieces began to come together. The big challenge was how to connect piece to piece and still make the work come together artistically.

Also you have to think about what metal to use. In this pendant I decided to use Argentium sterling, yellow gold and pink gold (three tone). I decided that twisted pink always looks nice with silver and I bound it with half-round gold. In this pendant the center rectangular dinosaur bone cabochon is the featured stone: bright red and a perfect pattern. I used another slab of dinosaur bone to fashion the top and bottom pieces with the beads coming from another piece of dinosaur bone. I worked on this off and on for three weeks so that my frustration level would not exceed my judgement. Backing off and thinking things through entirely indeed helped.

I had a larger gap between the second and third pieces than I expected, which gave me the chance to insert the two 5mm faceted garnets between which adds a bit of dignity to the piece. This entire piece is about 4 1/4″ by 1 3/4″.

The finished piece exceeded my expectations, and I will be happily wearing this piece beginning with the upcoming Tucson gem shows. It will open discussions with other wire wrappers that I meet.! I enjoyed the challenge of making this piece of jewelry, but I am elated now that it is done! I name this the Dinosaur Boneyard. So if you are at the Tucson shows and you see a guy wearing this, say hi and introduce yourself!

Speaking of the Tucson Gem shows, my daily blogs will start later this week–hope you join me for my adventures!

Top Stone Pendants of 2013

2013 was a very exciting and productive year for Snob Appeal Jewelry. I made many beautiful pendants and even though it was hard to pick favorites, I had some success picking these for your viewing pleasure. They are in no particular order, but these are my favorites:

Malachite Bullseye Pendant and Earrings

The first is a bullseye malachite set. While at the Tucson Gem Show in February I saw two unbelievable bullseye malachite slabs at a booth. I snatched them up as soon as I saw them and willingly paid by the gram for these beauties. During packaging, the vendor dropped one of the slabs and it broke in two. My heart sank, as did his. But I noticed that the slab broke perfectly i half. This pleased me, because I knew I could make a set of earrings to go with the pendant. Since he broke the slab, we renegotiated our deal, and I went away confident that I could make a gem out of a broken gemstone!

Mystic Quartz

At the Tucson Gem Show I also found a vendor selling large impressive faceted mystic quartz. Looking at these meticulously faceted gemstones I could picture what they might look like when finished in a precise wire wrap. Only one of the three gemstones I bought remain in my inventory. They are very eye-catching!

Royal Imperial Jasper

Another favorite is a double Royal Imperial Jasper pendant with Swarovski crystals around the top. Royal Imperial Jasper is the most beautiful and coveted of the jaspers because of the diverse colors and patterns. I think this pendant does justice to this regal pink and green stone set, making a striking and elegant jewelry presentation.

Dinosaur Bone Pendant

Sometimes you find something so unusual and spectacular that you just have to have it. This was the case with a piece of dinosaur bone I purchased in Quartzite. Fully banded fortification agate embedded within the dinosaur bone matrix. This stone does not need any fancy wrapping to make it shine.

Samethyst Laker Pendant

A Lake Superior Agate with amethyst, what a great jewelry combination stone. I was fortunate to have several slices of agate and amethyst to work with this year, and they all sold promptly. Only one survives for me to share with you today, Samethyst, with a combination of salmon pink outer layer and light purple amethyst in the center. Pink gold and argentium silver made this beauty stand out. I had a great run with amethyst and agate this summer, with them selling as fast as I made them. I don’t think there are any other cabochons of this in my stash, certainly not any as nice as this. An unusual combination, specimens of this are hard to find and highly coveted.

As of this writing, these are all available for sale, but are not all on the website. Contact me if you are interested. It is difficult for me to make choices as to my favorites. Every pendant I make is part of me. I hope you like these in particular. Which is your favorite?

Favorite Rhodochrosite and Jasper Jewelry

At our outdoor art shows shoppers generally look close up at several pieces before they make their selection. On the web it is a bit difficult to flip from page to page and remember sizes and features, so using our ability to look at several at a time, this blog will be about some of Bonnie’s favorites. I write mostly about jewelry from our Michigan stones, the Lake Superior Agates, Greenstone (chlorastrolite), Datolite, and Prehnite, so today I will focus on some other great stones.

Beautiful pink Rhodocrosite

Rhodochrosite is one of those stones that Bonnie gravitates to every time she sees it. In fact that is true about Turquoise, Variscite, and Sonoran Sunrise. These Rhodochrosite Jewelry choices have very pink color with banding, the favorites are Red Ridge and Banded Heart Rhodochrosite Pendants. They are both beautiful pinkish-red, though the colors in their photos look more orangish. If you love rhodo, you’ll love these.

Queensland Agate boasts the most beautiful pastels in the agate world.

Amazing variety in Queensland Agate,

Queensland Agate jewelry is lovely because of the candy colors that are available. A strand of beads Bonnie bought looks like a bunch of jelly beans. The Yellow Banded, Pink Banded and Orange Blossom Queensland Agate Pendants show the great variety of pastel colors that you can enjoy. Bonnie loves them all!

A pair of Biggs Jasper (bottom), and Paintbrush Jasper (top)

Picture Jasper is a less colorful stone, but makes distinctive jewelry because of the one-of-a-kind pictures that you might get if you are lucky when you cut the stone. Mountain Valley Picture Jasper Pendant and Tree Lines Hills Picture Jasper Pendant are two great examples, both of them are Biggs picture jasper. Conjuring Image is a picture, but comes from Paint Brush Jasper. It looks like a pond edged by trees to me. Since there are so many jaspers, these are grouped together under Jasper.

Ocean Jasper in now extinct, but it is the amazing in both patterns and colors.

So, Ocean Jasper could be on that page, but because there are so many of them, they got their own category. And because it has been more readily available than some other stones, they are some of the more economical jewelry pieces. A favorite (remember my wife is a flower gardener) is Ocean Jasper Flowers Pendant, The size is large enough to command attention, the colors are very neutral, with the obicular pattern is enhanced by flower petals! Eternal Pink Ocean Jasper Pendant and Ocean Jasper Arrowhead Pendant are a couple of the other good ones, and show the diversity of colors available in this stone.

owl

To finish today’s list of favorite stone jewelry, Bonnie picked “The Owl”, a cabochon of rhyolite that inspired me to play with the wire a bit. A good choice for someone who loves owls, or who lives life playfully!

Greenstone, Lake Superior Agates, and Custom Jewelry

I have been working on custom orders that mostly came from shows we did in the Upper Peninsula. These projects are always fun, as customers bring in Agates, Greenstones, and other U.P. rocks with ideas for jewelry.

The sister's Greenstones

After sitting in a drawer for 25 years, a pair of small Greenstones were rescued by Katherine and Judy. The Greenstones were already cut and polished, but needed a little extra work and TLC to bring them up to the standards they deserved. These lively sisters (and long-time customers) brought these stones to me and requested a wrap with “all gold and a fancy top”. A nice size for a Greenstone pendant, they converted into gorgeous jewelry . I love doing jewelry that has sentimental value, and these were not the only pieces of this nature I made this trip.

A custom piece for Nancy. Lake Superior Agate

Our buddy Nancy and her family have been long time lovers of our jewelry. She annually brings Lakers, and other interesting local gemstones, in for me to evaluate and make into pendants or polish. Nancy’s husband found what looked like a rather ordinary Lake Superior Agate (although large for a local stone), but when I cut the stone, it turned out to be a fantastic surprise. The reason the Lake Superior Agate is my favorite gemstone is the wide variations in pattern, colors, and types. The stone Nancy gave me was a mostly white, crack free, laker. I (and Nancy) were delighted with this stone. What makes this one special is the sentimental value that her husband actually found it. A great project. Thanks Nancy.

Shirley's Greenstone Geode. This one 1 3/4" across. I cannot believe someone would glue this in a spoon.

Our long-time friend Shirley has one of the most eclectic collections of my jewelry. She believes in supporting local artists, and loves U.P. rocks and minerals. I have fun sometimes in my shop when I see a certain stone, cut it, and immediately get a feeling that Shirley would like this stone. I make a pendant and when I get to a show where I know Shirley will appear immediately when the show opens, so I hide this special pendant (in plain sight) in my local pendant case. Shirley’s sharp eye and discrimination tastes, invariably spots this special pendant. The next time I see it, it’s around her neck.

This year she found a Greenstone Geode at another booth. The vendor had made a pendant with the stone glued into a spoon. I know, why would anyone do this? Shirley wanted me to free the Greenstone from the spoon and make a pendant from it. I had fun making a big, bold pendant. She likes Big, Bold, Pendants; she was very pleased with the finished results. This is a real one-of-a-kind..

Greenstone in matrix I found at a vendor booth.

The Greenstone pendant I made from that rock.This pendant is almost 3" tall. That's a biggun folks.

I found another Greenstone, entrapped in matrix, at the same vendor’ booths, and made a cash exchange with him. I put together a unisex pendant, and expect to wear it myself until someone makes me an offer I can’t refuse.

Before we went to the Keweenaw, I took a side trip to Canada to look at a rock collection. I bartered jewelry (plus some cash) for some of this large collection. One of the rocks was gorgeous;

A close-up view of a beautiful, odd, mystery rock. If you know what this is, let me know.

green and white in color, and even though it has been posted on the Lapidary Facebook site, no one has positively ID’s it. I made a pendant for John, the collection’s owner, and will make more jewelry in the future. My Facebook friends are hovering to get some of this stuff, but I think I will retain the 7 or 8 slabs I have until it is positively ID’d. It has the chatoyancy of Victoria Stone, and the color and starlike quality of chlorastrolite, but much bigger. Some of the material in this collection was obtained 75 years ago, so no telling what this is. It has been a fun research though.

Bonnie's Garden.

Amethyst in a salmon colored Laker. I called this one "Samethyst"

Our 36th Wedding Anniversary was last month. In honor of that and Bonnie’s love of gardening, I created a U.P. Thomsonite Pendant that I called “Bonnie’s Garden”. It is now in her private collection.

I have to show you a couple Laker’s I recently completed for our inventory. One is a red and white “Candy Striper” which is always a popular color combo, and one a rare Salmon colored Laker with Amethyst. Every amethyst Lake Superior Agate necklace I do sells as soon as I put it out!

It is not too early to start thinking of Christmas, especially if you have custom work for me. Now is the time to get your special stone to me; so I have time to do it justice.

Now is also the time to check out this website for special Christmas gifts.

There is so much happening right now with our business. We have grown every year, and expect 2014 will be no different. We try to treat our customers as friends, and if you order from us, like our website and/or like us on Facebook, you too can be kept up to date on all our adventures and jewelry. Let me know if I can do anything for you.

A "Candy Stripe" Laker with tubes.

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.

Snob Appeal Jewelry-The Good and the Bad

April 11^th was so good, yet so bad.

One of our new shirts. Pretty sharp I think.

I picked up new Snob Appeal Jewelry Logo shirts today from our favorite business apparel manufacturer, Alfies, in Traverse City. We will be looking sharp at all our shows this year. (Good News)

Defrosting April 12th.

On the way home it started to rain and freeze, and fortunately I made it home before all the roads really fell apart. As I write this on April 12^th all the roads are iced and all the schools are closed. We are expecting 10″ of snow tonight and tomorrow; “Inconceivable” This means a good jewelry making, sit by the wood stove, watch TV (unless the power goes off), type day. (Good and bad)

After I got home I checked the E-mail and found a wonderful note from a new customer in California that recently bought an Isle Royale Greenstone Pendant:

Don and Bonnie,

Just wanted to let you know that I received the Baby Alligator Greenstone Pendant yesterday and absolutely love it!

My family is from northern Michigan and both Grandfathers worked at the Calcite Plant in Rogers City. My Mother was an avid rock hound which rubbed off on me. Family lore is that my Dad’s paternal Great Grandmother was the first white woman to be buried on Isle Royale. The greenstone from Isle Royale is, for me, a remembrance of this family member.

I found your website while looking for Petosky stones, and am enjoying your interesting blog.

Thank you for your quick response in filling my order. I will definitely be back for more.

Andree

Andree’s testimonial was wonderful, and represents the feedback we always get. I cannot remember that one of our customers has ever been disappointed with what they purchased on the Internet. You can read more feedback in the “Testimonials” section on our home page.

Royal Imperial Jasper. I'll remember this as the one I broke my favorite pliers while making it.

I had an inspiration today for a couple Royal Imperial Jasper cabochons I cut after I got back from Tucson. While wire wrapping this complicated pendant I broke my long-time favorite wire wrapping pliers. While pinching wire together I heard a loud “SNAP”, looked down, and saw shockingly saw one of the jaws broken right off. These were an irreplaceable pair of pliers I bought years ago, made of Damascus Steel, and just the right size. I would give anything to have them back, having made over a thousand jewelry pieces with them. (Bad) My intentions are to find someone that can make custom pliers and duplicate this set.

Made me cry. Broke after over 1000 pieces of jewelry.

The pliers broke in the middle of making the aforementioned Jasper pendant, so I continued with another pair. After 15 years of using the same pliers, you develop a “feel” for them, naturally gripping your wire perfectly. I was not used to the new pliers and they slipped off a wire and cut my thumb. (Bad) (OUCH!). Ok, bandaid and back to work.

I finished the pendant, and it turned out perfectly.

One of my best buddies, John, gave me a geode cab to make a pendant for him a while back, and I have found I put it somewhere safe and cannot locate it. (Bad) While looking for this cab today, I located three trays of my best Greenstone cabs that have been missing since I came back from Tucson. (Really good) Many of these stones were from Isle Royale from years ago. Now I have to catch up on wrapping these.

Greenstone/Thomsonite from Isle Royale.

I also have purchased several nice Greenstone Cabs from an old collection in the U.P. I cabbed them and made a very nice pendant. Greenstone and Thomsonite combinations instantly sell, and especially ones that were actually found on the island years ago like this one. Greenstones from Isle Royale are commonly lighter green with finer patterns than most from the Keweenaw, and are very coveted. (Good)

I am hopeful that only good things happen today.

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!