Tag Archives: Minnesota State Gem

Great Lakes Gemstones-Our Core Products

Isle Royale Greenstones, Thomsonite, Datolite, Lake Superior Agates, Petoskey Stones, Pudding Stones, Kona Dolomite, Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (aka Half-breeds), have always been the base for our business.

The popularity of Thomsonte has been on the upswing. Most of the goos Thomsonte comes from secret spots on the North Shore of Lake Superior. There’s something about this beautiful, pastel pink, Zeolite, that people love.

Our main products consist of Great Lakes Rocks & Minerals. Some of these core stones have been found by us, Others were purchased from collectors in the Great Lakes Region. I will publish this blog in two parts. I have loads of pictures to show you and will share images of some of our most popular jewelry gemstones. The second part will be jewelry made from those Great Lakes gemstones.

Michigan’s Official State Gemstone may be out most popular, and most rare of anything we sell. Greenstones are found nowhere else in the world; only on Isle Royale and on the old spoil piles of some of the copper mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Copper Agates are found in some of the mine spoil piles in the Keargarge Lode. They are very coveted, and hard to find.

Our customers search our Snobappealjewelry.com or ETSY site for jewelry made from all these Michigan Gemstones.

Our pride in Michigan, and the Gemstones found there, reflects in our jewelry. We have many happy customers, that return again and again to purchase more pieces of jewelry to add to their collections, or to give as treasured gifts.

Unakite (top) is a Granite comprised of Pink Feldspar, Epidote, and Quartz. It is commonly found on the Lake Superior Beaches. I personally think it makes wonderful jewelry.
On the bottom is Mohawkite from several Mines near Mohawk, Michigan. Some people love it, but we that cut it, must be careful because of the Arsenides in it. It is safe to wear, as we seal it with a two part industrial epoxy.
Datolite is another Copper-associated rock. Where you see Datolite, there is usually copper in the neighborhood. Copper often permeates into the Datolite, causing the Datolite to have a pink tinge. Sometimes you can see the Copper in the stone, as you do here. The above Datolite also contains Green Epidote.

Orders come from all over the country. We wonder and are often awestruck at how people, in Utah or California for example, know about Isle Royale Greenstones or Copper Agates. Sometimes we have the chance to ask them where they heard of Petoskey Stones or Datolite, and more often than not, they have some connection to Michigan. They may have hunted the rockpiles in the Keweenaw, or the beaches of Lake Michigan. Their family has roots in Michigan, or they attended Michigan Tech in Houghton (Go Huskies!). At times they may have found a piece of jewelry at Copper World in Calumet, or bought something from us at an art show in Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor. Customers can have Nostalgic memories of hunting the beaches with their families in the U.P. for rock treasures.

Sure evidence that Greenstones and copper can be found together in many copper mines. This little gem is a lucky strike for sure, a rare find!

Nostalgia often is associated with the custom jewelry pieces we make. People send stones they have found, saying things like “I’ve been looking for someone, for years, that can make a piece of jewelry from a Laker (or other rock) that I found while with my Grandpa decades ago on the shores of the Lake Superior or Lake Michigan”. “YES; I can do this for you; What did you have in mind”?

Copper Firebrick was formed when the bricks used for construction of Copper smelters, got permiated with Copper Vapors and molten Copper.
The Datolite was a lucky cut, with an interior in the form of the Lower Peninsula.

This blog includes, but not limited to, rocks and minerals we most often make jewelry from. Since we live in Michigan we specialize in Michigan State Stone (Petoskey Stone) and Michigan State Gem (Greenstone).

Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone. We make many things from this, and other Devonian Fossils. Cladapora is the other fossil seen in this picture.

Our website contains well over a thousand unique pieces of jewelry. We’re proud to individually make each piece. We do not have cheap “Buy-sell” things made in foreign countries. We are a locally owned Michigan small business, proudly sharing our handcrafted Great Lakes stone jewelry with people across the country.

Have fun looking at our core Great Lakes treasures. If you see something you like, call or E-mail us. If you have an idea for a custom wire wrap, or beaded treasure, get ahold of us.

Multi-Stone Lake Superior Agate Pendants

In my quest to have jewelry that no one else has, I’ve created a line of multi-stone Pendants. My first ones were scarfed right up by discriminating buyers that wanted something no one else has.

These pendants are all comprised of two or three individual parts tied together by hinges or eyes so they can all move individually. This is such a complicated procedure, it may take up to ten hours to make a pendant (I suppose if it were easy, everyone would do it). I use a multitude of precious metal wires: 14/20 rolled gold gold, Pink Gold, and Argentium Sterling, often in multi-colors.

In this blog, I’ve taken a few Triple Threat Lakers and broke them down to show you why I like the varieties of Lakers. Although the Dinosaur Bone pendant pictured is nice, all three pieces are cut from the same stone, whereas in the Lakers I wanted to mix varieties.

This transparent Gembone gave me the idea for my Triple Threat Laker Pendants.

Movement is important to me in these multi-Stone Triples.

In the past I have created some multi-stone pendants, but the Lake Superior Agate ones I recently finished, are in a class of their own. I mixed metals as well as different types of Lake Superior Agates for each one. Even though many feet of precious metal wire is used, it is used in my usual classical style; neat, precise, and elegant, yet not used in a way that takes way from the inherent beauty of the Lakers

This made the perfect Mother’s Day Gift for a great mother (and wife).

Great “Shadow” effect in this one; very deep.

A beauty; Mauve, banded, perfect!

Red and White Paint Agate.

 

Unusual Tube Agate

Gorgeous Candy Striped pastel Fortification

Paint Agate with Water Level (Gravitationally Banded)

The Lake Superior Agate is the Minnesota State Gem. Incorporating some of the different varieties of agate colors and patterns, (paint, tube, candy striper, fortification) you see here why this is such a prized stone throughout the Great Lakes region.

As you can see, the construction process began with finding wonderful agates and winnowing them down to three special pieces that go well together. Skillful cabochon cutting and careful jewelry design are the next steps. The spacing and careful blending of shapes requires patient and masterful wire wrapping. Creative work requires time to think through and create each pendant. The work is so meticulous, I need many breaks, thinking through the next steps, how the pieces will connect. Lake Superior Agates are my favorites and this jewelry has become my new way to showcase them. I have also enjoyed wearing them and talking with people about these multi-stone agate pendants.

A lot going on with this Floater

A Floater with floating banding. A special featutreat the banding shows the the bands actually are red Quartz Phantoms

A classic “Painted” Laker

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