50 Little Isle Royale Greenstones awaiting new homes
Have you always wanted to own and wear something from Isle Royale? How great would it be if it was a Greenstone Pendant? Greenstone pendants made with Greenstones from Isle Royale are treasured for their beauty and rarity.
Several years ago I purchased a Greenstone collection that had been hidden in a garage in Lake Linden, Michigan for 50 years.
Over the years this stash has been my go-to trove for creating some of my best Isle Royale Greenstone Jewelry, although I already had some Isle Royale stones from other sources.
Our best sellers, by far, are small Greenstone pendants. While in Florida this last winter, my goal was to produce an entire tray of little Greenstone dazzlers. A “tray” consists of 50 Greenstone Pendants (each one fits in a 1 1/8″ X 3/4″ Acrylic container).
Isle Royale Greenstone with Feldspar in this one.
The smaller the Greenstone the more difficult it is to make a pendant, using conventional wire wrapping tools and techniques. I make many of my own tools to facilitate wrapping these small gemstones. The circumference of these stones are generally between an inch to an inch and a half. Good tools are one secret to producing good jewelry with precious metal wire. I purchase quality tools and adapt them, so I can create delicate pendants. Some of the handtools I create don’t work quite right, but after a couple decades of trial and error, I have invented just the right tools to make small pendants. Although the pendants appear simple, they are not easy to make.
A little Thomsonte inclusion adds to the excellent Chlorastrolite.
If I ever write a book on wire wrapping, I’ll show some adapted wire wrapping tools, but for now I keep some secrets. My best sellers are these small Greenstone Pendants, and I just don’t want the market to be flooded with Snob Appeal Knockoffs.
My small Greenstone pendants have some common traits. 1. They fit in 1-1/8″ X 3/4″ round acrylic gemstone jars. 2. They are made from my finest Greenstones from Isle Royale. 3. They are simply wrapped so as not to distract from the beautiful Greenstones 4. They have small bails that match the small stones (IF you put a larger bail on a tiny stone the proportions become incorrect). 5. The wire wrapping is fairly simple (again so as not to distract form the pattern of these little shiners. 6. Most are under $200! (not bad for a Greenstone actually from Isle Royale).
Each Greenstone has its’ own character, coloration, green shade, and pattern. Greenstones from Isle Royale are generally distinctive from greenstones from the mine dumps in the Keweenaw. Although I have found many mainland stones that you cannot tell from Island Stones, on the whole, and on the average, Island stones are more solid with better patterns.
I sell these little beauties on line, as well as at Copper World in Calumet, Miners North in Traverse City, and The Miners Den in Royal Oak.
Think you can’t afford a Greenstone? As an investment or heirloom, these small Isle Royal Greenstones top the list. They are made from delicate-looking 24 gauge double gold fill wire (Rose or Gold), Argentium Sterling (Tarnish resistant sterling silver), or a combination of the three precious metals. In any setting they make a graduation gift like no other, or a Mother’s Day gift that won’t be forgotten by next week!
These pendants are exceptional examples of Michigan’s official State gemstone, that can be worn with anything. Add a pair of Greenstones earrings, for a beautiful ensemble.
Did you ever think about how similar Marra Mamba Tigers Eye and Binghamite are? NO, you mean you haven’t? It’s amazing to me how unrelated rocks, that came from places so remote from each other, resemble each other. Let’s first look at Binghamite, then talk about Marra Mamba.
Characterstics of Binghamite
Binghamite/Silkstone Is a highly sought after gemstone material from Minnesota’s Cuyuna Iron Range. The mine where Binghamite was found is long closed, and even the spoil piles are depleated. Binghamite can still be found at swap meets and rock & mineral Shows. Binghamite is also sometimes known as American Pietersite, because of its’ silky chatoyancy. My opinion is that it has the appearance of fine Tiger Iron from Australia more than Pietersite from South Africa. Pietersite generally contains no iron and loads of chatoyancy. Tiger Iron, Marra Mamba, and Binghamite, all contain the iron element, and in my opinion have much more character than does Pietersite.
A flashlight on the face of this amazing Binghamite shows the “glow” of the Goethite and the Hematite in this gorgeous pendant. Binghamite, like this beauty, are very difficult to find.
Do Old Collections Yield Rare Stones?
Purchasing old collections is a wise investment most of the time. When you find things like high grade, picture Binghamite, in an old collection, it’s a special day. Every time I looked at one particular little slab of Binghamite I found in an old collection, I saw new things. I thought I would bring this Cab to the top of my “make jewelry” list; but guess what? I put it in a “safe place” and forgot about it for 10 years! I rediscovered this shiny stone, and put it in a tray to travel to Florida with us this winter. I placed it on my work bench, and looked at it for a couple months. This Binghamite Cabochon was begging me to make it into a pendant, all that time. I cut and polished it with My Pixie Machine out on our picnic table. Man, that stone sparkled in the sun. I cut and shaped this slab into a square picture, a Magical and Ethereal Cabochon indeed.
Binghamite is a rock containing Chalcedony (a form of micro-crystalline Quartz). In the case of Binghamite the Chalcedony contains fibrous iron oxide, Hematite and/or Goethite. It has been explained to me that Binghamite is a Chalcedony replacement of Fibrous Goethite-Hematite. It’s hard to get my head around how this causes a play of color not unlike Tiger’s Eye, but it does.
What is undercutting?
The hardness of Binghamite varies. The more Hematite in the stone, the more difficult to cut and polish. The term “Undercutting” is applied. Undercutting occurs when cutting material with different hardnesses within one stone. Because some areas are softer they tend to cut deeper than surrounding areas. A lot of finesse is involved when cutting, and this is the case with Binghamite. The best polish obtainable may be a Matte Finish.
Really good Binghamite will certainly outshine Tiger Iron, but will not hold a candle to Marra Mamba.
Characteristics of Marra Mamba
Marra Mamba is considered the finest form of Tiger’s Eye ( I refer to Tiger Eye and Tiger’s Eye in this Blog. Both are acceptable) by many collectors and lapidarists. In the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in Australia, there are a iron rich areas where Australian tiger-eye has been found. The best-known area is near Mount Brockman. A ridge of hills a few miles long has produced good quality golden-colored material from a number of small deposits. The “true” Marra Mamba is a very rare type of Tiger Eye, and was only found in two areas. Vivid chatoyant blues, reds, yellows, gold, and greens! (see note below) can all be present in Marra Mamba.. These areas have been mined out of Marra Mamba since the early 70’s. Hematite is also a major component in Marra Mamba, and in the case of this particular cabochon, makes polishing it very tricky.
Is Marra Mamba still available?
Marra Mamba may be scarce but I found some in Tucson a few years back.Seven years ago I was checking out the tables of Australian Outback Mining at the Tucson Shows. Looking through Glenn Archer’s stash of Tiger Eye and Tiger Iron, I noticed unusual blue colorations in one of his rough pieces. I mentioned to Bonnie that I really thought it was Marra Mamba, but rough MM is very difficult to find and quite expensive. AFTER I bought the rock, I showed it to Glenn, and he confirmed that it was Marra Mamba; “I guess I missed that one”, was his comment. I would not have seen the telltale signs had the bright Tucson sun not been shining on the rock at precisely the right angle. If you are lucky, you can still find this gemstone. What I look for in Marra Mamba that is different from Tigers Eye, is some Blue areas, that you don’t see in ordinary Tigers Eye.
Here’s Binghamite Out in the Florida sunlight,,,AMAZING!! See the picture of the Tigers Iron slab below, and compare to the Binghamite.A large and spectacular, polished piece of Marra Mamba for sale by legendary Miner, Glenn Archer (Owner of Australian Outback Mining) several years ago at the Tucson Shows. I intentionally inserted the short movie of my Binghamite Pendant to directly compare it to the Marra Mamba slab seen at the Tucson shows. It’s unfortunate you cannot see these stones in person. No picture can do this justice!
Another picture from a Tucson gem show trip: Looks like giant Bacon Slabs; and I LOVE Bacon!
About my Finished Binghamite Pendant (It passed Quality Control)
I decided on Gold wire, and I did not “cheap” on the quantity. I piled those wires into a 12 wire high bundle. My usual rule in no more than 10 wires. I wanted to achieve a simple, elegant, yet expensive look, and nothing does this like being extravagant with the gold. Careful planning and excecution, and a couple hours of intense concentration, produced a wire wrap job befitting this stone. Quality Control (Bonnie) smiled, and declared it “elegant”. Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!
Piles of Tiger Eye are occasionally seen in Tucson and Quartzsite. You won’t find piles of Marra Mamba though. These piles are better searched when they are wet.
I understand, from my metaphysically inclined friends that Marra Mamba is a favorite of female Shamans, and has multiple benefits. It is said to invoke the powers of the far seeing eye, and bring health and well being. I know it makes ME happy. I see new things each time I look at this gemstone; amazing landscapes, and fantastic colors seem to reflect different features within. The evening sun shines thru, reflecting rich, chatoyant colors, and mysterious places. Trivia Alert! The Dalai Lama often wears Tiger’s Eye Beads. That may, or may not be and important fact, but I love trivia.
Beautiful Marra Mamba pendant.
Beware of False Claims.
I have noticed much of the Australian Tiger Eye on line, being sold as Marra Mamba, is not real Marra Mamba. Buyers must beware.
Ordinary Tiger’s Eye from Australia is somewhat dull as compared to Tiger Eye from South Africa. Tiger Iron from Australia, on the other had, can be very gemmy.
In Conclusion
Tiger Eye is found in many places around the world, but Australia is the only place where Marra Mamba was, and is, found. While Tiger’s Eye is quite common, Marra Mamba is not. I would love to have more Marra Mamba, as would most Lapidarists and Jewelry Makers, but it is quite scarce. Occasionally I exhume a piece from my old rock piles.
I do not believe I can channel all the metaphysical powers of Tiger’s Eye or Marra Mamba, like the Dalai Lama, but making jewelry from Marra Mamba certainly makes me happy.
I’ve learned that Michipicoten agates are sometimes difficult to polish. They seem to be somewhat of a “peeler” agate, prone to flaking. They sometimes look really nice shaped and polished! This one is Opaque, but not all are.The back is as striking as the front!
Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior is the 6th largest Island in the Great Lakes, way out west of WaWa (Now you’re asking where the heck is Wawa?) Ontario. Travellers tip: Visit Wawa and see the giant Canadian Goose. OK, break out your Canada map. I have a feeling by the time I’m done typing this blog, I’ll be sick and tired of typing “Michipicoten”. I think Michipicoten is an old Indian name meaning “fairly remote place with no satellite TVs”. . My middle name is “Sarcasm”, so the winter residents of Michipecoten Island (Mostly Reindeer, and the wolves that eat them) must forgive me in advance for anything I say in this blog; also I tend to make stuff up, or factiously write things. Since I have never been to Michipecoten Island, I have to use the Internet for research. I always trust the Internet to be honest…NOT!
The word Michipicoten is an Anglicization of the original Ojibwe word Mishipikwadina, meaning “big bluffs” in Ojibwe, and is a reference to the geography of the nearby Michipicoten River.
Try as I may, I just can’t work the word “Michipicoten” into my daily vocabulary. I’d like to, just because it is so much fun to say. Even though Michipicoten Island is the second largest Island within the Great Lakes, it’s a wild and remote place. I understand that there is a healthy population of Woodland Caribou (introduced to Michipicoten Island in 1980); and Beavers seem to be thriving there. I believe that the Duluth Trading Company’s Logo Beaver may have come from there. Santa’s vacation home is located there also.
I’ve never been to Michipicoten Island, and may never go there. No, let’s get real; I will NEVER visit Michipicoten Island. I live vicariously through Agates I have purchased from a friend in Sault St. Marie, Canada. I now occasionally find one of these Michipicoten Agates in the barn, and make jewelry from it.
An example of Carrot Agate from Michipicoten Island.
Michipicoten Agates tend to be either oval shaped or ‘Carrot shaped”; like stalactites. These are shockingly refered to as “Carrot Agates”. Most of these carrots I have are pretty much Quartz Crystal, while a few are pretty nice agates, and can be sliced like bread. Agates on Michipicoten Island are very common in the local bedrock, but they are just for looking at, and are illegal to collect.
The inside of a Michipicoten Agate can be Common Quartz or beautiful agate.
Michipicoten Island became a Provincial Park in 1985. A Provincial Park, in Canada, is like National Park in America. Provincial Parks are protected areas, and like our National Parks, any “Natural Objects” cannot be removed. Michipicoten Agates, I’ve learned, are classified as “Natural Objects”.
You could book a hotel room on Michipicoten Island, except there are no Hotels. I could take our RV, except there is no RV Campground, 40 mile long bridge, or ferry. There are a few privately owned camps and cabins, that have grandfathered in, or you could simply take a boat to the Island, and camp on the beach. Not my cup of tea. We don’t tent camp anymore, and “Rough camping”, for us, is the satellite Antenna is not working on the RV. I hate it when a tree is in the way of the Dish. My understanding is that Kayaking is a popular Island activity (there are tour companies that sponsor Kayak tours to Michipicoten Island), as well as enjoying the Black Flies that live there. Actually Kayaking around Michipicoten island is on many Kayaker’s bucket lists (Sea Kayaks recommended). I use the word “around” as circumnavigating this Island.
I checked Tripadvisor for lodging and food on Michipicoten Island. Nothing available. I guess you have to book years in advance.
My wife and editor suggests that I keep on the subject; That being Michipicoten Agates.
OK, I enjoy all Lake Superior Agates, but I especially like unusual and rare types. Michipicoten Agates fall into that group. Unless I’m 100% sure a Laker is from Michipicoten Island, I do not refer to it as such. The few Michipicoten Agates I possess, or the jewelry I make from Michipicoten Agates, is guaranteed to be from Michipicoten Island, and was removed from this island decades ago.
I’m sure, if Michipicoten Island was not so remote, more agates would be available. I covet the few I have, and will continue to make some jewelry available in the future. By the way I am tired of typing Michipicoten.
Footnote: No agate jewelry can be delivered to Michipicoten Island. The closest thing to a post office is a lighthouse. Agates, as mentioned before, cannot be removed from Michipicoten Island. My wife (Bonnie) strives for a certain number of steps on her FitBit each day. Why can’t I strive for typing “Michipicoten” a couple dozen times? My editor (Bonnie) later suggested I spell Michipicoten Island correctly one time, then copy and paste it wherever I needed it. Hits self in head; Why did I not think of this? Possible answers: 1. It’s 3am 2. I’ve had no coffee 3. I should not risk awakening my Editor.
HEARTS have been on the workbench off and on lately. This blog is to simply show some of the hearts we have available for your Valentine. Your Valentine gift choices are plentiful at Snobappealjewelry.com and
Megalodon Teeth could be your ticket to Love. The largest one here is about 5″.A North Shore Thomsonite sporting classic eyes and coloration.Ocean Jasper (Now mined out) is a colorful choice that can be worn with anything.There were a wide variety of colors and patterns in Ocean Jasper. This coloration is unusual. I love the eyes in this one also. You could wear this with anything.This Triobite couple has been cuddling for over 300 million years..
As a celebration of Valentines day, I want to introduce you to a longtime couple (Mark & Mildred Trilobite), celebrating 537 Million years together. That’s a true Love Connection! They became a couple in the Cambrian Seas, near what is now known as Delta, Utah.
True Love
It was not love at first site, but eventually a close bond was formed; a very strong bond indeed; a bond not broken until mid 2015, when these lovebirds were extracted from a fossil pit on a hot desert day. They were given a bath and a quick cleanup, then carried to Tucson, Arizona, where I discovered them in a hotel room, at a fossil show, still cuddling.
The pair were not quite a heart-shape, but close enough for a bond of this strength.
As I wire wrapped this stunning Trilobite couple, tears formed in my eyes thinking about how they were together in life and death; a true love story.
My wife said this was such a great true love story I had to share it.
Here are a few other Trilobites for you to enjoy.
Single Utah Trilobites can be very special, large and flaw free. Most still have their “cheeks”, making them better than most Trilobite fossils I see. Most Trilobites were smaller, like this one, but I have seen them over 16″ tall. This one is Elrathia Kingi, one of most common Trilobites from Delta, Utah. A lovely Family group.A nice little family of Trilobites from UtahSometimes people will ask “Are these actually real? To prove that they are I usually just show them the backs.
You can visit Mark & Mildred as well as other Trilo family members on our Trilobite page. You may see some other unusual love couples there.
Every Christmas the question is; “What should I make for Bonnie?” Bonnie is my bride of 44 years. She already has her choice of thousands of Pendants, and hundreds of beaded treasures she makes for her Etsy site. I have to start thinking way ahead, when it comes to a special Christmas gift for the jewelry maker’s wife.
While cutting, from my large selection of rocks and minerals, I will usually discover a very special piece of material (or several), worthy for a Lapidary Artist’s wife to wear.
Bonnie enjoys wearing simple, yet elegant, pendants; not too showy, but noticeable, none the less. She has a massive collection of “jewelry shirts”. These shirts are usually solid colors that can show off a Pendant, or a set of beads with a wide variety of colors and patterns.
Luck was involved in cutting a Petoskey Stone and finding beautiful, dark eyes. This Petoskey Stone spoke to me, and demanded to be Bonnie’s Christmas Gift.
This past summer’s shop work first produced a very special Petoskey Stone cabochon. Sometimes Michigan’s State Stone is surprising in its multiple variety of colorations, patterns, and uniqueness. The quality of a Petoskey Stone is very subjective, but in general high quality Petoskey Stones are mud free, solid, with a clear patterns.
The primary thing I look for in a fine Petoskey Stone is clarity of pattern. It is not very common to find a solid Petoskey Stone, showing perfectly clear patterns within all the individual Polyps. In most cases the “eyes” of the Polyps, (that are actually mouths), are filled with mud to some extent. This mud can seldom be removed. I usually do not use Muddy Petoskey Stones, but in the case of this stone the “mud” was a good thing, and added some character to a stone. It was a case where Black mud is good.
In the Petoskey Stone I chose for Bonnie’s Pendant; the mouths were filled with Petroleum-rich material, making them almost solid black, BUT the rest of the fossil displayed beautiful, perfectly clear Calcification. The black “Eyes” were so striking; so stunning; that I immediately knew I had the start of a spectacular piece of jewelry. I imagined one of the little Polyps talking to its neighbor; “Hey Harry, you should try some of this grease, it’s really tasty”.
The darkness of a Petoskey Stone, is indicative of the percentage of Petroleum that permeated into the Petoskey Stone during Calcification. Darker Petoskey Stone exude a strong petroleum odor when they are cut. The odor this stone emitted was strong in its a petroleum scent. Petroleum-rich, dark Petoskey Stones also take a better polish than light colored Petoskey Stones, simply because of this petroleum content. This cabochon took an excellent glass-like finish.. OK, I hid this stone from prying eyes for a few months. Hiding any stone in my shop is a dangerous proposition. Fortunately, I was lucid enough to keep track of it for a few months.
Isle Royale greenstones were tumble polished and drilled for the top of Bonnie’s Pendant.
Do I just want to wrap a Petoskey Stone and call it good? NO WAY! A jewelry showpiece, for a special lady, needs more bling than that. Michigan’s State Stone (the Petoskey Stone) needed to be accompanied by Michigan’s State Gemstone (The Isle Royal Greenstone). Several Greenstone, from a decades old collection actually from Isle Royale, were polished and drilled for the top of this pendant. I make them on a bead drilling machine. I admit, drilling Greenstones is a bit extravagant.
The bottom segment of Bonnie’s Christmas Pendant involved Drilling Datolite Beads (from one of the Isle Royale Mines behind the Houghton Walmart) and Unakite beads, (made from Lake Superior beach material) were also added to the pendant mix. I just kept piling on the goodness.
Common white Datolite explodes into something else, when Copper is stirred into the mix. added a pair of Datolite Beads and a pair of Unakite Beads dressed the top of the bottom segment of Bonnie’s pendant.
The last stone added was a Copper rich Datolite. It was a gorgeous white Datolite with lightning-like streaks of Copper exploding within the Gemstone. Like the Petoskey Stone, this special Datolite told me it wanted to be part of this project. The Datolite was shaped to add as a second component to the Pendant. Bonnie is very fond of copper in her Datolite. The Lightning Datolite swings freely from the bottom of the Petoskey Stone. This configuration is one of my signature features in many of my pendants.
My choice of gold and silver wire allows this pendant to be worn with any color chain or cord.
Here is the finished pendant. You can make your own judgment, but I think it is pretty nice.
An amazing Float Copper Cabochon, with a perfect Quartz Crystal inside, inspired me to wrap up a great pendant. This pendant is named “Float Copper Marvel”.A close up of the included Quartz Crystal included in my piece of Float Copper.Another picture of the Crystal under different lighting.
Quite a few years back, at the Tucson Gem & Mineral shows, I, as usual, checked in with my friend Ken Flood. Ken owns Keweenaw Gem & Gifts in Houghton. We go back a long way, and he knows I enjoy making jewelry from the rare and unusual Rocks & Minerals from the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Ken sells multiple Keweenaw products that his business manufactures. Ken said he had something special for me to look at. He produced a quantity of Float Copper Cabochons with beautiful Quartz inclusions. I have never seen such unusual Float Copper. He has a special wire saw that he uses to cut Float Copper. You need this special saw, as pure Copper really gums up the normal Lapidary saws. Normal Lapidary saw blades produce so much heat they tend to warp.
Usually Float Copper pure native copper, but in these special pieces it contained Quartz; some gorgeous Crystals. It was a surprise when to find this Quartz in the copper.
For those that do not know, Float Copper is copper that was ripped from copper-bearing basalt by the Glaciers thousand of years ago, then transported in the glacial till (floated) and deposited in other locations, usually not far from the source.
From many years ago–my buddy Chris Cooper. I told Chris to check a newly logged property in the Keweenaw for Float Copper. Chris headed out and within 10 minutes I heard a “YELP”! He came out and lo and behold, his first piece of “Float”Here is Chris’ Keweenaw treasure all cleaned up.The world record, 19 ton piece of Float Copper at the AE Seaman Mineral Museum.
Today, diligent searching with metal detectors, sometimes yields these transported pieces of copper. Smaller chunks are normally sold as specimens to rockhounds. Sometimes the Float Copper is very massive in size. The official Guinness World Record Float Copper specimen is 19 tons and resides at the AE Seaman Mineral museum (Michigan’s Official stare Mineral Museum) on the campus of Michigan Tech in Houghton.
Quartz Garden Pendant-Quartz Crystals in Float Copper.
I have wire wrapped a couple of the cabs I acquired from Ken. One has a group of Quartz Crystals we call “Quartz Garden”, and one has a beautiful single Quartz Crystal. Completion of this pair or pendants has been a long time coming. I’m so pleased with these.
Isle Royale Greenstones are already beach tumbled. Normally I grab a few hundred and after flattening the backs, they’re ready for dopping.
The blog pictures may be a bit out of the order they were accomplished, but you’ll get the idea by reading the text under each picture.
After the finish polish, my Greenstones are sorted into trays according to size and coloration.A handful of awesomenessMy dop sticks of choice are brass rivets.A typical, beach tumbled, Isle Royale GreenstoneOne of these was finished from the above beach tumbled Greenstone. Both stones are ready for Turtles of other jewelry.One of my favorites are “Picture Frame” pendants. This one is Top to Bottom: Lake Superior Agate, Isle Royale Greenstone w/ Thomsonite, and Datolite from the Isle Royal Mine near Houghton.Sometimes Greenstones wil be hollow (not good), but on rare occasions the viugs may contain some copper of Crystals (VERY GOOD).A Drumline of Turtles near completion.My turtles have Jade undersides. Not that is a bit extravagant! Pendants made with Islae Royale Greenstones are our best seller.A finished Turtle pendant.. I’ve assigned them names: This one is “Rocco”.This was the very first Turtle Pendant I made as a Christmas gift for my buddy;s awesome wife.
TURTLES
Let’s talk about one of the most challenging Pendant projects I’ve ever finished; TURTLES!.
I have actually been thinking about this for a few years, but realizing how much time, materials, and troubles it would be, I’ve put it off. Admittedly I took the cowards way out—it seemed I always had something that was more important to do! I needed to get my Mojo back.
My goal this year was to create what was a roadblock in my brain. Here is the idea. Michigan’s Official State Stone is the Petoskey Stone, and the State Gemstone is the ultra rare Isle Royale Greenstone. We live in NW Michigan where, if you know where to look, nice Petoskey Stones can be harvested.
Petoskey Stones are sometimes referred to as “Turtle Backs” because they resemble turtle shells. Isle Royal Greenstones are said to have an “Alligator Pattern”. Greenstone, if they have a nice pattern, also look like turtle appendages. What if I could combine these two beautiful Michigan stones and made a turtle pendant?
One of the major problems is matching Greenstone patterns so the turtle appendages have a cohesive look.
Recently I manufactured a set of these pendants which were challenging in many ways.
Each turtle required five greenstones that closely matched in size, pattern, and color. This required cutting and polish around hundreds of greenstones, which has taken place over several years. Most of the greenstones used in this project are from an Isle Royale Greenstone collection that I purchased several years ago. These are even more rare than Keweenaw Greenstones. Picking greenstones on Isle Royale is against National park policy. Decades ago authorities on the island were not that particular about guests picking us a few greenstones. Today rangers are quite strict about the regulations regarding picking up rocks and minerals in the national park.
After cutting and polishing all these small stones. Cutting small stones involves gluing them on dop sticks or holding them in your finger with the risk of scuffing your finger tips. Foolishly and unnecessarily I chose the bleeding option many times. Separating them off the dop sticks, pouring out on a table, sorting for size, shape, and color, and finally choosing stones that might be used together for turtles were some of the steps taken over time. Some had to go back for shaping so they could pass muster as heads or tails. Many of the greenstones are up to 10mm in size which makes them large for greenstones. The appendages are all nice enough they could have been used for feature stones in jewelry such as rings or necklaces.
The Petoskey Stones are found by us in several secret locations in northwest lower Michigan, but rarely from beaches. They were sorted 2-3 times for top quality nicely patterned for the turtle backs. They were cut and shaped, mounded in ovals, and polished to a glass-like finish.
The next problem was how to attach the appendages to the turtle; how was I going to join the Petoskey stones and the Greenstones? I looked for a material that could be a backer. What material could be thin enough and strong enough to do this? Jade is strong and tough, often used for guitar picks, so it is strong even when thin. The Petoskey stones and Greenstones were glued onto green jade wafers using a strong 2 part epoxy.
Cutting the turtles requires special lapidary tools and a careful touch. Believe me when I tell you that this procedure was challenging, complicated, and time consuming.
After cutting the turtles out, I developed a procedure for wire wrapping them, which hides the wires behind the turtle. When the turtles hand on a chain, you do not see the bail, or most of the wire wrapping, allowing for no distraction from the beauty of the the Patterns of the Petoskey stone and Greenstones.
It took me months of thought and work to create these pendants.
I cut out a dozen turtles, and posted them on Facebook, receiving over 2,600 likes. It seemed everyone wanted a turtle, but not everyone realized what these turtles might cost.
People wanted them for desk ornaments, or to add to their turtle collections. I think for a turtle collector, this may work, but for someone that wants to put a turtle comprised of sizable Isle Royale Greenstones and Jade just our on a deck; not so good. I would sell these without a bail on the back, but they are designed for wearing.
The first turtle release will be six pendants as Christmas gifts, and perhaps more of the dozen I’ve made, depending on popularity. The scarcity of Gem-Quality Greenstones will severely limit my product every year.
Making Turtles from Greenstones that otherwise could be rings or necklaces is somewhat frivolice, and from a business standpoint, perhaps not wise; but so be it.
Unakite is a wonderful, quite common, rock comprised of Pink Orthoclase (Feldspar) and Green Epidote, magnetite, chromite, ilmenite, apatite, zircon, and other minerals. If I see Unakite, I always pick it up because it is so irresistible. Something about the Pistachio Green and the Pink Orthoclase that makes it irresistible.
Feldspar is divided into two groups: 1. Orthoclase Feldpar contains Potassium, while 2. Plagioclase Feldspar contains Calcium and Sodium. Sounds like things that would be healthy to eat. I suppose you could try it IF you have a good dentist.
Some Unakite rocks we’ve recently found. This shows a bit of variety of this stone.Bonnie makes some lovely jewelry from Unakite.This set shows the color variety of Unakite.
Unakite is a rock used for jewelry, carvings, beads, headstones, sinks, and many other things.
TRIVIA ALERT: Unakite is sometimes used as an architectural and decorative stone. Slabs of unakite are used as flooring tiles, facing stone, stair treads, and windowsills. Its most prominent use is as a trimming to the front steps of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It is also used as floor tiles on a landing at the south entrance.
Unakite has a MOHs hardness of around 6, so it is a sturdy rock for any use (except eating). Bonnie likes a few larger pieces in her rock gardens.
Bonnie has suggested, in the past, that I write a blog about Unakite. Whether we are rockhounding in the Upper Peninsula, or locally, we always find Unakite. It deserved to be featured.
I generally do not write boring, complicated, detailed, scientific explanations of how rocks are formed, but you should know that Metamorphic rocks, like Unakite) were formed by heat and pressure converting one mineral into another. You can read enough about these types of rocks to totally fill your brain, and explode out your ears. There are actually educated people that do nothing but study types of Feldspar.
I would call the upper cab “More gem”, but the pendant more amazing.
Orthoclase is in the Potassium Feldspar Group of Feldspars (as I previously mentioned). Other materials I use for jewelry from this group include Albite, Amazonite, Moonstone, and Labradorite. In the Upper Peninsula some rocks contain a Feldspar called Adularia. Chlorastrolite (Greenstone) sometimes contain this orange/pink Adularia.
Enough of this scientific trivia; lets talk about my latest creation.
During one of our recent rockhounding trips, I picked up assorted Unakite rocks, from dirt roads that we sometimes hunt. One of the Unakite stones I plucked had an Epidote “bullseye” on it. Never in 40 years of hunting rocks, have I seen such a pattern. That rock was thrown into a bucket and later sorted.
Sorting, after hunts in NW Michigan, involves separating out the Petoskey Stones by quality, and all the other random rocks by whether I want to make jewelry from them, put them in grab bags, or throw them into the driveway. That bullseye rock was dumped in the “do something with this container”, and promptly forgotten. This was perhaps a couple months ago.
This Unakite had a circle of Epidote surrounding a center of pink Feldspar yielding the finished “Eye Catching” Pendant. What is not seen in this stone are the specks of Silver-colored metal. I’m not sure what the metal is.Even with my Micro lens this metal is not real clear.
I looked down yesterday and noticed that “Bullseye” looking at me from a container under my workbench. I swear, that rock was ordering me to do something with it. So I cut out the bullseye, and used it as a base for cutting a cabochon. As I looked at the polished cab, I also see it is sprinkled with a metallic silver-colored mineral, that I will have to look at later under a microscope. If you are fairly sure what these little bits of metal are, let me know.
I did not get stingy with the wire wrapping. Ir featured more Argentium Sterling than in most of my Pendants.
I brought that Unakite right up to the house, and wrapped it up into a sharp piece of jewelry. To say this piece of jewelry is “Eye Catching” would be an understatement. Eye candy with an eye in it. I have named this piece of jewelry…don’t be shocked..”EYE CATCHING”. Check this one-of-a-kind Unakite out!
Meeting Facebook Friends is often an amazing thing. My FB friend, Gary, called me from the Chicago area and ask if he could stop in and find some Mexican Crazy Lace Agate.
He knew I had some fairly good Old Stock, and he had previously purchased a Crazy Lace Pendant.
He stopped in and after a tour of the shop, we sat outside and swapped stories while Gary picked out some old Crazy Lace. I told him to pick out a piece he loved and I would cut it while he watched. His end game was to have me make a new manly pendant for him. I have to say he had good taste. This stuff from a couple decades ago is so much nicer than the Lace Agate available today.
His challenge was figuring out what side of the slab would be the front. A choice was made and I was prepared to tell him that the side he chose was the side I would have chosen. Both sides were wonderful.
It did not take me long to produce a drop-dead gorgeous cabochon. Since he was staying in the Traverse City area for a couple days, I wrapped it up overnight and we relayed it to him when we did errands in TC. It turned out so well that I guess I have to make one for myself.
Thanks Gary, you own a real bragger.
Custom work is one of my favorite things. Until you have a custom piece made, you can shop our available Crazy Lace Pendants.
