Monthly Archives: November 2020

Nostalgic Jewelry for Debra

I’ve successfully completed many, many, custom pieces of jewelry over the years. People find that I do custom Lapidary and make custom jewelry. whether it be word of mouth or from a web search, somehow they find me. Often kharma plays a roll. They were meant to discover me.

I find that, many times, they have a treasured rock; a keepsake that means something to them. Perhaps something lost and re-found years later; a rock that stimulates fond memories of times past, or of a loved one long since passed. Whatever the reason, we are brought together by a single rock. I LOVE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. There is a story behind every “nostalgic” rock, and I often ask the owners to tell the story of their special stone.

A ordinary brown rock, turned into a beautiful Montana Moss Agate.

Debra sent a couple E-mails telling me how much the stone I made into jewelry for her has meant for her and her family, and how much her, her daughter, and her Grandaughter loved the pendant I made from it. I really appreciate her taking the time to write the “story’ behind her special rock. I made this jewelry while wintering in Tucson in 2018.

Debra’s Story

My story sadly starts with the passing of my parents.  My siblings and I were subsequently at their Minnesota farm house to clear everything out. As I was entering the front door, I saw a polished brown rock sitting on the hand rail.  How unusual that was, like it was just waiting for me to pick it up! I did so, put it in my pocket and forgot about it for several years. When I came upon it again, I was thinking that my dad must have been keeping that stone for some reason. It maybe was something special.  That is when I went on line and found Don at Snobappealjewelry.com. It was so easy to work with Don as he listened to my story and suggested I send him the stone and he would evaluate it.  I did as he asked and sure enough that old brown rock turned out to be a Montana moss agate!  That was kind of astonishing because my family had moved to Minnesota from Billings,  Montana over 40 years ago. I knew then what I would do. 

Debra’s gorgeous Montana Moss Agate Pendant

I asked Don to make me a heart shaped pendant for my granddaughter.  I fully trusted him to make a piece that would be a family treasure,  a gift from a great grandfather to his great granddaughter.  The one-of-a-kind pendant turned out to be beautifully crafted with, it seemed, as much love as it truly represented to  my family.  Both my daughter and granddaughter wear it with joy. One day, their prodigy will wear it as well! I feel so lucky to have come into contact with Don,  his wife,  and Snobappealjewelry.com. They are people who are truly trustworthy,  professional,  talented, and creators of lifetime treasures.  

That story is one of the reasons I do what I do. Special people send me special rocks, and I make special jewelry. Thanks so much Debra.

It just so happens that today is Thanksgiving. For Bonnie and I it means being thankful for many things. One of those is being thankful for our special customers that have supported our small, locally owned business over the years. We love people like Debra, that choose us for their custom creations. We are well aware that our work for people like Debra mean more than any amount of money.

Making Nostalgic Jewelry

I want to share the story of Cheryl’s rock which became a custom nostalgic stone jewelry set. One of our specialties is making custom pieces of jewelry using stones precious to our customers. It may be a stone found when searching a beach with Grandpa or Grandma, or a stone from Grandpa’s old rock collection. It may be that special Agate that was re-discovered in a drawer or lived in your pocket every day. It just may be a stone you’ve wanted to do something with for years, and just never discovered anyone who could transform it for you.

Cheryl’s Kazakhstan rock became beautiful jewelry

There are a multitude of reasons that someone may want a piece of custom jewelry made.

It does not matter how beautiful or ugly a rock might be; the true value of a stone is in the memories that it evokes.

Behind these nostalgic treasures; every one is treated by me as if it were the most valuable stone I’ve ever worked with. The utmost care is taken to produce a piece of jewelry that elicits fond memories.

Cheryl’s Story

Hello, Don, Here is the story of my rock.

In 1994 my husband went to a very remote area in southeast Kazakhstan near the Chinese border to advise a beginning sheep farmer. My husband was working with an organization called VOCA (Volunteers for Overseas Cooperative Assistance) and Mercy Corps International. There were many problems faced by farmers in the area due to the remote location. My husband would sometimes sit close to a nearby river while he tried to come up with suggestions that could be used by people who had so little to work with. Somewhere near this river, he found the rock.

My husband gave the rock to me when he returned. He suggested making a necklace out of it. I had no idea how to accomplish that. The rock was too big to use the whole thing. I looked at a few craft fairs for an artist who could turn the rock into jewelry, but the rock remained just a rock for many years. I even occasionally tried to find someone online without any luck. Finally, this year I came across Snob Appeal Jewelry as a result of a Google search. I now have not only a wonderful heart-shaped necklace but also a ring, thanks to Don’s talent and Bonnie’s feminine insight.

My husband was killed in a car accident in 1998, so he was not able to see the transformation of the rock, but I am sure he would have been pleased. I wear the ring all the time. It reminds me that my husband was always thinking about me.

Thank you so much for your personal story Cheryl.

It was a pleasure to make these pieces for Cheryl and know that she will always enjoy wearing them. I’m not certain what Cheryl’s rock is, but that really does not matter; does it?

I have made many custom “Remembrance Rocks”, and there are stories behind each one. I know some, but not all the stories. Over the next few months I’ll share some of the stories I know.

If you are interested in having a custom nostalgic jewelry piece made, be sure to visit our Custom Work page, visit and like us on Facebook, or send me some pictures of your rock.