Monthly Archives: October 2012

Datolite-A Borosilicate to be proud of

I always keep several hundred cabochons in my inventory, ready to be made into fabulous Snob Appeal Jewelry. After I cut my cabs I carefully place them in boxes, trays, or perhaps just lay them gently on the dining room table (this my wife is not fond of). She is misguided in thinking that the dining room table is only for dining on.

The workbench was a mess today; not to worry; I'll just put stuff on the dining room table.

The workbench was a mess today; not to worry; I'll just put stuff on the dining room table.

Fortunately she is married to a husband who thinks outside the box and can utilize the dining room table for several things at once. The table is an ideal place for putting new and old jewelry that may be in the loop for cleaning, posting up, washing, remaking, or just to lay somewhere where it “won’t get lost”. The issue sometimes is that the jewelry can get covered by several layers of newspapers or mail; then I either forget it’s there or lose it. That being said Bonnie enjoys saying things like: “Are you missing this?’, or “If you’d put it where it belongs, you’d be able to find it.” Comments like these disrupt the serenity of my retired life.

Today I went in search of my favorite borosilicate, Datolite. What is your favorite borosilicate? I re-discovered a beautiful pastel, copper-included Datolite from the Mesnard Copper Mine in the Keweenaw Peninsula of upper Michigan. The Mesnard mine was near the Quincy Mine but it seemed that the finest Datolite colors of yellow-orange, pink, and red came from the Mesnard. The Mesnard waste piles are now owned by a gravel company and are no longer available for hunting, making Mesnard Datolite ever more rare and more coveted every year.

I love this Mesnard Datolite.

I love this Mesnard Datolite.

The designer shape and the coloration of this cabochon warranted a tri-tone wrap. I used gold, Argentium silver and pink gold for the wraps. The pink gold beautifully draws out the copper inclusions in the cabochon. I love the dancing sunset colors of the stone. A picture cannot do justice to the true colorations of this remarkable gemstone.

A bonus Mesnard Datolite.

A bonus Mesnard Datolite.

The most common white Datolites are still out there, but colored Datolite is dwindling. The only place to find these fine old pieces of Mesnard are from old collections, and even these are becoming very limited. Fortunately someone who has inherited an old collection, or has an old collection and needs some ready cash sometimes approaches me. I really appreciate how hard these gems are to locate both then and now, and I am always trying to keep a good variety of Datolite jewelry available.

If you enjoy rare gemstone jewelry or have ever sought a piece of Datolite Jewelry, you should act now before there is no more of these beautiful rare hues available. Many a Mesnard has vanished in the piles on my dining room table, increasing the shortage of my favorite Borosilicate.

Whimsical Agate.

Lucy gave me an agate cabochon a few weeks ago and wanted a whimsical pendant.

Lucy's Agate on my workbench.  Do you see the face?

Lucy's Agate on my workbench. Do you see the face?

This cabochon had a big smile and little eyes. Lucy saw glasses on the face, as did I.

I thought about this face for a couple weeks and today an idea popped out. I saw the glasses and envisioned little curls.

This will make you smile.

Does this make you smile?

Here is the finished pendant. I hope it makes you smile as it does me. Lucy will really like this piece of jewelry in her collection and enjoy making other people smile.

Petoskey Stone Twins

Same stones; Different pendants.

Same stone; Different pendants.

Today I wrapped Petoskey Stone jewelry from a pair of cabochons of the same perfect stone.

The stone on the right was wrapped in Argentium Sterling and Pink Gold. The Pink Gold wire is a new product, so it is fun to try it out with different stones. This Petoskey stone really looks good in that combination, and result in a new jewelry look. This one is available for purchase today.

The next slab produced the stone on the left. I wrapped this one in 14/20 Gold Fill and Argentium. This one looks great also. This one will be for sale in Copper World in Calumet at the end of the week. You’ll have to call them!

I expect to make more Petoskey Stone Jewelry in the near future from some of the rare pick Petoskey’s I have, so watch for it.

Enjoy this pair; more to come.

Inside the A.E. Seaman Museum

The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum

The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum

I thought you would like to see a small sample of what you would see when you visit the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum.

THE most spectacular native Copper specimens in the world.

THE most spectacular native Copper specimens in the world.

Copper Included Calcite

Copper Included Calcite

The new museum opened just over a year ago under the direction of Dr. Ted Bornhorst and Curator Dr. George Robinson.

The famous "Grasshopper" (Native Copper)

The famous "Grasshopper" (Native Copper)

The Seaman is Michigan’s Official State Mineral Museum, located on the Michigan Technological University Campus in Houghton. A brand new museum building houses one of the most remarkable collections of rocks & minerals in the world.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline

There is no other museum, including the Smithsonium, that houses the premier collection of Upper Peninsula Minerals that you see at the Seaman. Also you will not want to miss the amazing fluorescent display room, and the many “best in the world” specimens scattered thoughout this museum.

All the new, locally manufactured, custom display cases seem to be a perfect fit, and the lighting in the Seaman Museum is just perfect. Much thought went into the entire structure, except,”what do you do if you hit an old mine shaft during construction?”. You can read the interesting story from the building construction at The Mining Gazette. And you know the story eventually had a happy ending!

One of the Mineral Galleries at the Seaman

One of the Mineral Galleries at the Seaman

Pegmatite Display

Pegmatite Display

A temporary display on loan from a private collection.

A temporary display on loan from a private collection.

Many people, from around the world, make a pilgrimage to this out-of-the-way locale just to see this world-class museum. YOU would be remiss if you missed this marvelous and incredible museum. You might even have a Pasty after your explorations in the A.E. Seaman Museum.