I recently was working on some silver-copper nuggets from the Keweenaw, when I discovered a beach-tumbled nugget that I forgot I had.
A beach-tumbled Copper Nugget. It looked amazingly like a Penguin.
I thought “that little nugget looks exactly like a penguin”. This got me thinking of what I could do with this small discovery. I love penguins; they are so cute, and I really enjoy watching them at the Jacksonville Zoo, at the recently visited Tennessee Aquarium in Chatanooga, or in documentaries (or the cartoon movies adds my wife).
I thought of the Emperor Penquins, and their lives. nesting in their harsh Anarctica environment.
Rough Tampa Bay fossilized coral.Examining a nice piece of Fossilized Coral.There are infinite possibilities here. Botryoidal agatized Coral fromTampa Bay.
At this same time I found some beautiful Fossilized Coral from Tampa Bay. (Fossilized Coral is the State Stone of Florida). This was the perfect environment in which to set my copper penguin. He (or she) fit right in to this ice-cave-like Petrified Coral.
I’m going to reveal this piece of jewelry at our annual rock club show this month in Traverse City. But since you are reading this blog, you deserve the reveal.
I have claimed this for myself (for now). I have been wintering in Florida, and lived in Michigan all my life, so this is my Florida/Michigan piece.
The rocky coastline of Maine, near Pemaquid Point, delivered nostalgic rock fragments.This small cove in Maine has meant a lot to Jeff and his family for over 70 years.
I love making nostalgic jewelry for people. It really doesn’t matter whether plain or fancy. The value is in the memories that a particular stone brings back. “I found this with grandpa when I was a child”; We found this in a special place or on a special vacation. The value is really in the memories.
Jeff P somehow found me on line, and recognized that I love making custom nostalgic jewelry for people. Some back and forth E-mails followed and I subsequently was mailed a small piece of Quartzite in the mail while wintering in Florida.
A small piece of Quartz was the beginning of Jeff’s vision.Butterflied and precisely fit back together. After careful cutting I was able to cut a perfect triangle.
It was evident that in order to make anything substantial, I needed to “butterfly” that stone and glue it back together. Jeff’s vision was a very simple triangle shape; silversmith.
Since I was within a few weeks of heading back north to Michigan, I suggested that the project be delayed until I could use my Intarsia Machine in my home shop. An Intarsia machine allows for very precise fitting of stone components together.
Ken silversmith A perfect, simple, Sterling mount to accept the stone I cut.
After fitting the butterflied stone back together, and precisely cutting the triangle, I turned the piece over to my buddy Ken. Ken is a master silversmith, and created a simple mounting for the stone.
The finished product.
Jeff was delighted with the results and mentioned that his son had another piece of the same rock. This was a much smaller piece and I was given a more free rein with the second stone. I made it look as if the Quartz actually was part of the Fossilized Coral.
Since Jeff and his son have ties to Florida, and specifically the Tampa Bay area, I decided to place the second Quartz stone into a lovely botryoidal orange cabochon I cut from Tampa Bay Coral. Thanks for the free rein to make this one, Jeff.
I really appreciate JP writing the following. Thanks for the opportunity that allowed me (and Ken) to make your long-time vision come to fruition. I know how much this means to you.
“A quick story of origin about a couple rock fragments that come from a large quartzite boulder at the far edge of a small cove in Pemaquid Point, ME that has been frequented by my family for more than 70 years. Many generations of relatives (to include my own) both know and love this special place and describing it alone brings back a slew of incredible memories. Early one morning on the last day of a recent family visit my son went down to the cove in the early morning hours on a mission. While the tide was still up and after scaling another rock he managed to hack two small pieces of it off as souvenirs. It was dangerous proposition at the time considering the waves crashing against the rocks, the high tide, and the fact that he was alone. I was so touched by the thoughtfulness of this act that I embarked on my own quest of creating something unique from his original gift. With the help of Don Reed’s superb skills and artistry my vision of transforming these small shards from a special place into the precious keepsakes you see displayed here was realized. Thank you Snob Appeal Jewelry!”
One of our primary services, at Snob Appeal Jewelry, is custom lapidary services.
Polished slabs of Ocean Jasper
Stones are fascinating and invite us to pick them up and enjoy their uniqueness. Sometimes we want to do a bit more with them, requiring custom lapidary work. We realize most people do not have the skills of equipment to bring their dreams to fruition. Here are some of the lapidary techniques we use to assist our customers in enjoying their rocks.
Rock Cutting
With several sizes of saws I can cut rocks up to 12″ tall, or slice your rock into pieces, chunks or slabs. I can face polish these rocks in most cases. (Face polishing means polishing just one side, leaving the other outer crust natural.) People sometimes request slabs of certain sizes to fit a backsplash or tabletop. Some rocks would not be suitable for a tabletop, but for a backsplash or wall trim piece, they may be perfect. I cannot guarantee your rock’s stability. Any solid rock may have cracks in it that you don’t see.
Rock Slabbing
Slabbing: rocks and minerals are generally slabbed in order to cut cabochons or custom shapes. We do this.
I wire wrapped this CZ for the person who cut it. It turned out very striking.I never did figure out what this was, but the customer found it and wanted a pendant. I re-worked it by cross etching, so the fossil would stand out.Doesn’t this look better?
Cabochon Cutting
Yes; I can cut your African rock into the shape of Africa.
Shaping and polishing cabochons: We can cut almost any shape from a slab or rock. We make cabochons both calibrated (round, oval, square, triangle, and such), and freeform designer shapes as well. “I found this rock in Africa, can you cut out the shape of Africa, out of it?” YES! I can. “Can you make Christmas Tree ornaments from my Petoskey Stones?” YES! I can.
Datolite Cabochons ready for jewelry,
CustomBeading
We can make a custom beaded necklace and matching earrings. Tell us your vision, and we’ll work with you to create a special piece of jewelry. Bonnie is professionally trained in beading, including hand knotting. She doesn’t just go buy beads at a craft store and throw them on a string. This is not “art” to us.
One of Bonnie’s creations. Petoskey Stone, Datolite, and Leland Blue. I polished this for a lady whose husband had terminal cancer. I had no idea there would be an angel in it. It was really a good omen for them. He saw it before he passed on.A customer sent these stones from a nostalgic family outing. I drilled and stacked them into a 2″ tall pendant. Happy Camper!Perhaps you have found a Greenstone that needs polishing.A Greenstone like the one above, might look this good. Have you found one you think is nice. Let me cut it.
Custom Lapidary Work
Making Jewelry from a Special Rock. People often call or send me an E-mail, for example, that they have a certain nostalgic rock, found many years ago with Grandpa, found on a memorable trip, or found in the basement of garage of their Rockhound grandparents. These are perfect candidates for custom lapidary work. I’ve made a pendant for a lady whose husband had terminal cancer, and she wanted me to cut and wrap a rock that he had given her years ago. I was able to get this done before he passed away, so he could see it.
I can get backed up on these custom orders, but I will advise you of my estimated backload, and when you should expect any custom work. No matter how homely that nostalgic stone is, I treat it as it is the most treasued Diamond; as if it were mine. You are always kept “in the loop”, with progress reports as your project is made.
A customer sent these Star Crinoids, he found, to be made into pendants and earrings. The material was not very stable, and was a challenge.
Polishing your rock: Polishing is often combined with cutting, but not all the time. As an example, we live in an area where people find Michigan’s Official State Stone, the Petoskey Stone. These stones are almost pure Calcite, and some of them get pretty beat up in the surf of Lake Michigan. Barely any Petoskey Stones are water polished, so the crust needs to be removed, and a nice polish needs to be added. If you are looking for someone to polish your Petoskey, or most other stones, look no further.
One of my all-time favorite projects, A Greenstone and Petoskey Stone Turtle I made for a Christmas gift for one of my friends’ wife. A Christmas present of a lifetime.Did you find any Yooperstones in the U.P.? Let me make something of them.Datolite with copper Lightning.Very unusual Laguna Agate.
My Busy Workbench
An average day on my workbench. Several things happening at once.I cut some deluxe Lake Superior Agates for myself. I could cut yours’ also.
We are like that guy on the TV commercials, that’s seen it all. When it comes to rocks, I have not seen it all, but I’ve been around long enough that I have seen a lot, and done a lot, with rocks.
Even though I make jewelry from Precious Metal Wire, I have studied Lost Wax, Silversmithing, Chain Making, faceting, and other disciplines at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts. I have settled on Wire wrapping, because it is very a very creative art form. My wire wrapping skills are a step (or many steps), above most. This is because I try to improve every aspect of what I do, each time I do it. I never settle on “Good Enough”. I strive for perfection, but realize there is always room for improvement.
Send me a picture of what you have, and there is a possibility I could make something amazing for you.
Wire Wrapping
The stone is the star with my wire wrapping. Our custom lapidary work enhances whatever gemstone I use. I do not hide my gemstones in a lot of wire. Some Wire Artists use lots of wire with loop-de-loops and curlicues galore, but it is not my style. I spend too much time cutting my unusual, and/or rare stones, to hide them in a tangle of wire. I have been taught wrapping using a lot of wire, often referred to as “Wire Sculpture”, but my personal style is considered “classical”, with a more restrained use of the wire as decoration.
We are not a big production shop, so if you want multiple. production line, type work, I’m not your guy. We are a small business, based on honesty and integrity, creating one-of-a-kind pieces. We always treat our customers as if they are friends and family.
If you have a Lapidary project that you have been thinking about, let us know. We look forward to working with you. If I can’t do your project, I may know someone who can.
The variety in both pastel coloration and pattern in Ocean Jasper in phenomenal.
I have never written a blog about Ocean Jasper, even though it has been one of my favorite non-Michigan stones. I expect this blog will atone me of that sin–Amen!
When Ocean Jasper appeared in Tucson at the gem shows, around 2000, it was the hottest stone in town! Paul Obeniche discovered Ocean Jasper in 1999 after years of searching. Eugene Mueller, of the Gem Shop in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and Paul Obeniche introduced Ocean Jasper to Tucson in 2000. Gene was responsible for the trade name “Ocean Jasper”. For several years, Ocean Jasper was all over Tucson, and I purchased a lot back in the day. The orbs, veins, and crystal pockets make each piece have its own special character.
Obicular Jasper from Madagascar was readily available back in 2010I wish now I’d have purchased more.This is a closeup of and Ocean Jasper intarsia tabletop. Tucson 2011.Classic Ocean JasperOcean Jasper beads. We may still have some of these.Surprising colorations are not uncommon.
Discovered in NW Madagascar, this colorful Obicular jasper was ripe with patterns and colors, as well as crystal veins throughout the gemstone. There were two mines, one on land, and one on the shore. The deposit on the shore was mostly harvested during low tides. Even though the name Ocean Jasper was copywrited, others tapped into the demand for this material. The veins were depleted in 2006. Most of my Ocean Jasper has been purchased from Enter the Earth (Entertheearth.net). Enter The Earth owns the now depleted Ocean Jasper Mines in Madagascar.
“Crystal Glory” was this one’s name.We called this one “Flowers”A selection of Ocean Jasper pendants of various colors
Obicular Jasper from Madagascar can still be found at rock shows, and it remains one of my favorite pendant-making stones. Even though the fun days of searching though 50 gallon drums, or Gaylord Boxes of OJ are over, still, searching through my barn piles might produce Ocean Jasper. I bought a lot of Ocean Jasper back in the day. The colors are so varied and unique it is hard to resist.
Bonnie, while editing this blog, mentioned that I should make some new Ocean Jasper Pendants. I told her if she could find some, that I would. She rooted around and found some beautiful slabs from 2011. I guess I have to get busy.
By 2002 this jasper-agate was all over the Tucson Gem show as beads, slabs, spheres, bookends, and all other things lapidary. By 2006 the source was pretty much depleted, but the stockpile must have been huge. Ever since around 2011, availably is becoming less and less.
The demand for this Obicular Jasper has decreased over the years, but I still produce an occasional pastel Pendant; Ocean Jasper just makes me happy! Our pendants are elegantly wire wrapped with top-quality 14/20 yellow gold, pink gold, and tarnish-resistant argentium silver wires–Check out our Ocean Jasper jewelry page to see what makes you happy!
Some stones confuse or surprise rockhounds by looking different from the norm. For April Fool’s, let’s take a look at some of these Rock Foolers!
Fluorescent Sodalite Granite Pendant from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This stone has many names, Filrefly Granite (my own name), or YooperStones, found by Johnny Gladstone. It is a fine grain granite found on the shores or near Lake Superior when hunted with UV lights at night. It is typical granite in the daylight, but….but under UV lighting, this granite sports amazing bright yellows and oranges.
If you have ever attended the Tuscon Gem Shows you know how massive they are. 50 some shows with hundreds of dealers at each. Anyone experienced at Tucson knows that many times the same stones are sold by different dealers, but have different names. This is done for marketing purposes and fools many unwary buyers. Blue Pectolite, for example is sold as Larimar. A picture jasper might be sold under three different names even though it is the same thing.
Cold Mountain Thunderegg is surprisingly like Butterfly Jasper
Sometimes these deceptions are intentional, but sometimes a dealer might not know or remember what it is, and randomly gives it a name. You can be fooled at the shows! I have also benefited from dealers not knowing what they have. One time in a major dealer show in Tucson, I purchased an amazing Black & Red Kentucky Agate because a facetted gen dealer did not know what she had.
In my own barn I have come across material that has fooled me into thinking it was something else. In this blog I show you a few surprising variations, that might fool us into thinking it is something other than what it really is!
In my business, I won’t sell something that I’m not sure what it is. Sometimes it takes a lot of research to discover the identity of a stone.
I know that turquoise is somewhere in the turquoise range. Sometimes people say they have white turquoise, but there is no such thing. There is white buffalo which is sometimes sold as Turquoise.
Petrified Wood from Holbrook, AZ, just outside the Petrified National Park. Here it is dressed in rainbow colors with no indication of the normal patterns associated with Petrified Wood.Another fooler is Picture Petrified Wood from Holbrook AZ.Thought for the day….Just Sayin!The common Rhodochrosite is basically pink, or even brown. Rhodochrosite color varies from brown to brightr pink. This piece has yellow bands alternating with pink Rhodochrosite.Michigan’s State Stone is the Petoskey stone. Ocassionally we find Petoskey Stones that are very unusual and might not be readily identified as our statre stone. This stone has a crushed pattern with unusual blue mottling….This close up clearly shows the Hexagonaria patterns. It takes a close examination to determine the true identity of this April Fooler!
It isn’t often that a write a blog about one pendant, but I had to do it with this one.
A challenging pendant yet to be named. My two suggestions are “Extravagant Wire Whimsy” or “Don’s Wrestling Match”. Since I’ve already sold it, I told the new owner, she could name it.
Sometimes when wire-wrapping, things happen that you wish had not happened, and you end up going in a totally new direction. This is how I made a Great Lakes Gemstone Pendant on Steroids, and it started by an accident.
Closeup!
It was a heartbreaking moment. While creating a really nice Blue Datolite Pendant a week ago, during the final setting, the top of this rare gem fractured. I am capable of reworking a stone, but I decided, as a challenge, to use the wire frame; adapt it, so to speak, to make another totally different pendant.
The decision to change tracks in the middle of the race, was spurred by thrift, I didn’t want to waste the wire frame I had just built! I looked through a couple trays of Great Lakes Cabochons, and plucked out an amazing dark-eyed Thomsonite that fit well in the bottom of the original wire bundle, but it wasn’t nearly as big as the Datolite I had started with. So I paired this with both a slender Isle Royale Greenstone, and a very unusual Green and dark pink Prehnite. Wow, now I had the challenge I was looking for. How do you securely fit three Great Lakes stones in a space designed for one?
Fortunately, Bonnie (my wife), was not around for all the expletives, as I wrestled to re-shape this wire frame to accommodate new stones. There was much bending, pushing and pulling involved . Most of you do not wire wrap, so I have to explain that it is a finesse skill. Precious metal wire will harden as you work with it, and eventually, if you work it too much, will get brittle and break. After a couple decades of wire wrapping, I generally get a feel for when the wire will break. I HATE when this happens–it means you have wasted wire and time. You have to start all over again. I have to admit, the wire (and myself), were right on the edge of breaking.
Notice the Copper included Calcite in the bottom of the long Greenstone.
The pendant took large quantities of coffee over three days, to get it right. I finished the original cage for the stones, but the pendant lacked balance. This is an artistic term that means that it looked “not right”. Not quite that it looked like crap, but something else was needed.
How about some Greenstone beads? Now that would be decadent, wouldn’t it? I strung 8 tiny Greenstone beads along on edge. After this more messing around took place. How do I fit this stone in, how do I attach this all together, that doesn’t look just right, this needs to be fit in and so on. Finally I added a Thomsonite Bead on the top. NAILED IT!! I just know when things have melded.
Thomsonite, Prehnite, Greenstone
Bonnie liked it also. If it passes the “Bonnie inspection” all is good. She may say “it’s nice” and bring me a cup of coffee, I feel worthy when she does this.
I REALLY liked the rear of this pendant. Doesn’t it look like an abstract art project?.
One of my favorite parts of this pendant, is the back. The wire design on the back, accidentally; No wait; purposely came out amazing. Usually when we sell a pendant, the buyer will examine the front AND the back. I can’t wait for someone to carefully look at the back of this pendant.
When I finish a new pendant, and it passes the Bonnie quality control inspection, I always say that I “Got Lucky Again”. I think I got lucky on this crazy Great Lakes Gemstone on Steroids!
Visit our jewelry pages to see current selections:
Great Rough makes great pendants.Small is often wonderful. A dime sized Candy Striper will make someone happy.
My Favorite Gemstone
Those that know me and/or follow my Snob Blog, know that my Favorite Jewelry Stones are Lake Superior Agates. I love the variety of types, and the amazing natural designs and colors.
The different banded patterns of Lakers is amazing.The deep Maroon red and bright whites makes this Candy Striper “Classy”.
Refined Pendants
My self-isolating and social distancing has provided time and inclination to make the perfect piece of jewelry. Even if most people cannot readily discern any difference in my pendants, I can tell I’m using new techniques and liking the results. My designs are becoming often more complex and intricate, and I’ve been experimenting more. My recent pendants have reflected these refinements.
Pinks were the colors I tied together in this free-swinging triple-stoned pendant. The top is a Delaware Datolite with the pink that that location is famous for. The middle gemstone is, of course, a pinkish banded Laker, and the bottom is a grouping of Isle Royale Greenstone beads with pink Thomsonite inclusions.I love the unusual! There is a lot going on in this stone, including a bit of Smokey Quartz.One of the most eye-appealing Lakers ever. Unusual coloration with lovely Shadow-effect banding. The transparency is amazing also.Banding and designer shapes flow perfectly together in this remarkable Lake Superior Agate treasure.Small and simple, requiring nothing but neat wire wrapping. The stone is definitely the star here.
Since “Lakers” are my favorites, they have been imbued with some extra special thought and development as of late. Many of my recent Lakers have been combined with other gemstones in diverse ways.
Lake Superior Agates are a Great Investment
Why do we sell so many Lake Superior Agates? Several factors are involved. I look for the very best rough material, perfect agates; mostly fracture free, with spectacular colors and banding. These qualities are difficult to obtain, and I’m never really sure how an agate looks until I cut it. I reject the majority of the Lake Superior Agates I look at Our customers appreciate quality. I refuse to compromise when it comes to jewelry.
I try to match the shaping and finishing to the particular agate. Many of our pendants are wrapped in more than one precious metal. This makes buying easier if you are not certain what a special person might wear regarding metal. I try to match the metal to the stone pendant I am making.
The best Quality Control Available
My wife, Bonnie, serves as quality control. She is brutally honest with me. I appreciate her opinions, and make any adjustments she recommends (sometimes). I can trust her to match any pendant with the correct chain.
Our jewelry always looks better in person; this delights our customer base. Many of our customers become old friends as they purchase jewelry repeatedly from our inventory. We also produce jewelry for our customers stones.
It’s always heartbreaking when a good friend passes away. I hope you will indulge me as I remember Beth Harland, a loyal member or the Grand Traverse Area Rock & Mineral Club.
I recall that John and Beth joined our club in 2005 or 2006, when they moved up after retirement to Traverse City. John became Club President shortly there after and Beth took notes for the Club Newsletter that I edited.
Over the years Beth invested in many pieces of jewelry that I made, and I mentored John in Wire Wrapping. We became close friends.
In 2009 John handed me a Greenstone, and asked if I could make a pendant for Beth. The Greenstone was 3 1/2″ by over 2″! “You want me to cut this Greenstone; are you sure?” Over the course of the next week, I asked him if he was still sure, and the answer was yes every time.
The following incorrect information was found on the internet:
“The largest gem quality stone is in the Smithsonian Museum and measures 1.5 by 3 inches. It was first described from Isle Royale, Lake Superior by C. T. Jackson and J. D. Whitney in 1847. Chlorastrolite, also known as greenstone, is the official state gem of Michigan.”
John found this Greenstone on Isle Royale back in the early 60’s, and it sat on a shelf for all those years. The above information was on Pinterest and is obviously incorrect . John’s Stone was the REAL world record. The finished stone easily covers a half-dollar with room to spare! It was 1.75 by 3.25 inches! It actually covered 2 silver dollars! The finished pendant is substantially larger, or course.
The Greenstone had previously been worked by someone unskilled in cutting Greenstone, so my challenge was increased by correcting someone else’s errors.
This was, and still is the most challenging and scary rock I’ve ever cut. It was especially scary, when I found out that I was working on one of the largest Gem-grade Greenstones ever found. Those that are skilled at cutting Chlorastrolite, know that there are numerous pitfalls that could happen. Holes and pits (which this was full of), cutting through the pattern, or not developing the pattern to its fullest (this also had taken place. So how do I proceed?)
I studied this Greenstone for several hours, and developed my plan of attack, based on my experience of cutting thousands of Greenstones. Mostly working slowly and carefully, using my intuition and hoping my choices were correct. I actually took three days on the cutting alone, and the results were fabulous. That stone had full pattern and was very hard.
Beths World Class Greenstone
I was finally able to produce both an amazing pendant and a set of large earrings from that monster.
The back of the above Greenstone.
Beth loved that piece of jewelry, and I was honored that John ask me to make it. I personalized the pendant, and she wore it often.
Her recent passing brought up one of many good memories of Beth. We’ll miss her and think of her often. I can see her wearing that stone as if it were yesterday.
Here’s another Pendant I made for Beth. She loved Bling!
A Quartz pocket containing pink and blue topaz–Beth loved Bling!
Valentine’s Day is coming soon! As a result, I have created several new Gemstone Heart Pendants, and I also will show you a few hearts in our inventory.
Beautiful Royston Turquoise from Toropah, Nevada. Ruby Crystals in Fuchsite from India.Very unusual coloration for Ocean Jasper. This agate type is mined out in Madagascar.Leland Blue Stone is a Slag Glass from an old foundry in Leland, MichiganBeautiful “eyed” Thomsonite from the North Shore of Lake Superior.Variscite from Clay County, Utah, is one of the worlds best.I found this piece of Ametrine was found in a bucket in my barn. Ametrine is a cross between Amethyst and Citrine.If cut properly, Rainbow Obsidian will show lovely hearts.Luna Agate from Chihuahua, Mexico.
I would not count on the USPS to deliver any of these at the last minute, nor would I count on any of these hearts to still be available; so order quickly.
Several years ago I purchased an amazing Mushroom Jasper/Rhyolite slab at the Tucson Gem Shows. I was attracted by the bright orange of the matrix , and the amazing gray, Perlite “Mushrooms” floating like gardens in the Silica matrix. Much of Mushroom Jasper, if it has a matrix color, it is redish hues, and not bright orange.
Mushroom Jasper’s source is NW of Phoenix on BLM land. My sources testify that it is very difficult to cut through all the bureaucracy to even get a permit to mine for it. In general, it is a money losing proposition, digging for this Ryolite.
Mushroom Ryolite/Mushroom Jasper looks like Mushroom Gardens floating in the matrix.
As is my norm at the Tucson Shows, I shipped large flat rate boxes back to Michigan, full of goodies purchased at the shows. Try as I will I just can’t seem to organize all my rocks as I should. This Mushroom Jasper/Ryolite slab was relegated to a drawer in my slab cabinet. The Steel cabinet has about 50 or more drawers containing assorted slabs, ready to cut, shape, and polish. Long story short, this beautiful Rhyolite was covered by other slabs, and forgotten.
Rhyolite is an extrusive igneous rock formed when the magma rapidly erupted from a volcano, and is cooled rapidly on the surface, rather then cooling slowly underground. There are many forms of Rhyolite including Rain Forest Jasper, Butterfly Jasper, and Obsidian. Those mentioned are attractive, but Pumice is also a Rhyolite, and not a jewelry stone.
Ten years later, while rooting through the drawers I reconnected with the Mushroom Jasper, and immediately took it to my shop for cutting. This cutting produced one of the most amazing cabochons I’ve ever produced.
Last year I loaded some trays filled with cabs that I thought I might work on while “suffering” as a snowbird in Florida. Subsequently, I chose the Rhyolite one day, repolished it, and wrapped it in Argentium Silver.
impressive in every way with triple pulls of wire around the edges. Anyone that wears this can expect loads of complements,
Since the cab was 2 3/4″ X 1 1/2″ is a good sized cabochon, for an eye catching Pendant. After a few hours of careful wrapping, a gorgeous pendant, meticulously wrapped in Argentium Sterling was produced.
Even the back looks spectacular!
I used three times the precious metal wire I normally use for a pendant. This stone demanded the extra attention. Rhyolite is not an uncommon stone, but what I was working on, was an uncommonly attractive Mushroom Rhyolite Cabochon.
