Category Archives: Wire-wrapping

Victoria Stone Pendant-Ugly to Beautiful

I met a lovely woman at our last show named Sue. She was wearing a beautiful dark blue Victoria Stone BUT this stone was wire wrapped (I just do not want to say ugly); OK, it was a really ugly, tarnished, wire wrapped job. The primitive prong setting covered much of the pattern of this stone. I never cover a gorgeous stone with wire. I seldom say anything bad about a piece of someones’ jewelry, but in this case I had to speak up and be honest.

The ugly pendant.

The ugly pendant.

No longer ugly-notice the back side is now out.

No longer ugly-notice the back side is now out.

Sue’s husband had purchased the pendant at a garage sale and obviously got a good deal by his reaction when I told them what the stone was and what it was worth. I suggested that they allow me to re-wrap the stone, so that this Victoria Stone could be presented in a manner befitting it. I talked to them about Victoria Stone and its’ rarity.

They came back later and agreed that I should re-wrap this lovely stone. I agreed to do this overnight and you can see the results. I re-wrapped using .930 Argentium and 14/20 rolled gold. I noticed that the poor side of the stone was selected to be the front by the original wire wrapper hiding the side with the most chatoyancy, so I turned the stone over so the back side was now the front side in my finished pendant. I made the pendant so that if it does flip over as it is worn, it still looks good. I and Sue were delighted with the results. If you have an “ugly” wire wrapped pendant, and want results similar to Sue’s, get ahold of me.

This is the rear now.  Noticed it was the front on the ugly pendant.

This is the rear now with little chatoyancy. Notice it was the front on the original pendant.

Opal Fish Jewelry

One of my favorite unusual things I enjoy wire wrapping are really fantastic fish carved from seam opal. The opal seam is very thin and would be a real challenge to make a cabochon from. These fish are carved overseas and it is one of the few stones I purchase. As most of you know I generally cut my own cabs, but these fish are a whole different thing. They are one of those things I can’t help but buy.

A fine opal fish

A fine opal fish

Rear of fish

Rear of fish

Originally I bought fish with no idea how I was going to wrap them, but after thinking about these for several months I had a dream of how to wrap them using a prong set method. By using prongs, the wrap does not distract from the stone. I find by hiding the bail behind the fish they appear to be hanging from a chain, but all that is seen from the front is the fish. Prong-setting is an advanced wire-wrapping technique, which I developed with some special proprietary methods for this “fishy” jewelry.

These fish are carefully carved on the rear, just as they are in the front, but there usually is no opal on the reverse. Some of these fish have their own personality. The carving is different and the rock appearance is different, giving each one a distinctive look. Different body and tail positions on the carvings convey different attitudes. Some people even name their fish!

The fish come in several sizes and it takes a bit of “fiddling” to set the prongs correctly. Hey if it were easy everyone would do it! Everyone that has acquired a fish raves about all the nice comments they receive. You cannot wear one and expect people not to see it.

I have several fish I purchased in Tucson this year, so expect to see a few on this site after the summer shows. If you need one before then, let me know and I will photograph what I have available.

This one was a special request to add a lure.

This one was a special request to add a lure.

Another fish-front side

Another fish-front side

fishfrt2

REGAL JEWELRY

Bonnie interrupted my Easter TV watching to tell me I had to write a blog about Regal Jewelry, and “maybe make a regal piece” ( I’ve got to keep her from watching all this stuff on the upcoming royal wedding). As an experienced and alert husband, I know this means “get off your butt and do something”. So, knowing full well, based on experience, I can watch a fishing show and make jewelry at the same time, I got right on it. Good fishing shows are all the same; catch the fish, comment on “what a hog” it is, then throw it back, and repeat. So you don’t have to concentrate on it like you would if something is exploding.

Vitoria Stone with Citrine

Vitoria Stone with Citrine

I found a beautiful piece of dark green Victoria Stone and experimented with assorted facetted stones to see which ones looked good with the Victoria Stone. I chose a couple natural Citrine’s and man did they pop! A couple hours later I produced my take on Royal Wedding Jewelry.

Green and Pink Topaz looks like Watermelon Tourmaline.

Green and Pink Topaz looks like Watermelon Tourmaline.

Kentucky Agate in red and black always looks regal.

Kentucky Agate in red and black always looks regal.

Victoria Stone with assorted Topaz

Victoria Stone with assorted Topaz

I have produced several “Regal” pieces in the past, so here is a sampling. Regal jewelry usually features faceted stones, but not always. I think sometimes rocks alone can be “regal”.

Dinosaur bone, Sunstone, and Moonstone

Dinosaur bone, Sunstone, and Moonstone



Muonionalusta Meteorite with Peridot

Muonionalusta Meteorite with Peridot and Topaz. This would be "Regal" if you were an E.T.

Prehnite with Peridot and Topaz.

Prehnite with Peridot and Topaz.

This stuff is about as “Regal” as you can get. What do YOU think? Enjoy Don

Thoughts on 2010

I first want to thank everyone that supported our business in 2010. Over this past holiday we made people happy from San Francisco to Boston. I am amazed that someone in Washington state would even know what a Greenstone is, or someone in Boston would be aware of Petoskey Stones. I think this is what makes the Internet amazing.

My daughter, visiting from Tucson, wished for a white Victoria Stone Pendant and amazingly, her wish came true.

white Victoria Stone pendant

white Victoria Stone pendant

Bonnie doesn’t ask for jewelry but expects a special piece. I made her a beautiful green Victoria Stone Pendant with facetted pink topaz enhancements.

Green Victoria Stone with pink Topaz

Green Victoria Stone with pink Topaz

I think I’ll make a few more of these for 2011 inventory.

I also made some cute Angel Pendants from gold wire a Swarovski Crystals. These were popular with the ladies this holiday season. Even though they contained no stone beads, they were great looking and fit the holiday season.angel

I will again in 2011 blog on a daily basis from the Tucson Gem Shows. Watch for this starting late in the first week of February.

We look forward to going to the Tucson Gem Shows again in February. My plan is to blog each day so you can pretend you too are there. You can follow me as I drain my wallet in a short period of time. There is really no place on earth you can spend so much money so fast and have such a good time doing it.

We wish all of you a very happy and prosperous (so you can buy more from us) New year.

Don & Bonnie

Lake Superior Agate Fish

Sometimes when I’m cutting a rock I come across one amazing slab from whatever I’m slicing. Well that happened recently when I cut a larger Lake Superior Agate.

I was amazed to observe a beautiful fish show up. This fish so astonished me that I had to make a pendant out of it immediately. So here is a photo. What else can I say? I did not re-touch the color of this fish. This fish lasted two weeks and sold off this website.

fish

Jeane’s Dragonfly

As a fun project I made a dragonfly pendant bead-dragonfly-11based on a design I found in one of Jessie Donnan‘s advanced wirewrapping books. The first dragonfly features glass beads for the body. I had the glass dragonfly out at a show in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and one of our customers, Jeane, liked it. She had the creative idea that I should make another copy using Michigan’s distinctive state gemstone, the Isle Royale Greenstone. Jeane is an avid lover of Upper Peninsula rocks and minerals as I am.

I am always up to a challenge, and I immediately thought that this was a wonderful idea. I used silver beads for the eyes of the dragonfly, but made it from 14/20 gold filled wire. The trick was in finding enough greenstones in the right size and having them drilled. dragonfly I may someday make another dragonfly similar to Jeane’s, but for now she has the only one. Thanks for the great idea Jeane!