A soon to graduate Army Cadet contacted me for an Isle Royale Greenstone. The stone was for his class ring, and I went the extra mile to find and cut a perfect Stone.
Could it be the only Greenstone Class ring at West Point, EVER? I’m pretty sure of it.
The stone was provided to the largest Class Ring Company in the United States. Guess what? They broke the stone while setting it. This did not surprise me in the least. Greenstones are much softer than the more common jewels that are forced into these class rings. Greenstones require some finesse to set, and this lack of finesse broke the GS.
The ring company covered the cost of another stone, but did not have the knowhow to set it. This required a more experienced jeweler in New York to set the new stone into the ring.
As you can see, the ring turned out great. I asked why he put a Greenstone into his ring and received the following answer: “I am a Cadet at West Point and am set to graduate in May 2024 to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. I am a Michigan native and wanted a piece of my state to wear on my hand no matter where I find myself in the world. Snob Appeal cut a beautiful Isle Royale Greenstone to put in my gold class ring. I am very grateful for their had work and look forward to wearing this wonderful stone throughout my Army career”.
We appreciate the trust in us; Good luck Sir, and thanks for serving our great country.
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.
Our last blog addressed the most popular Rocks & Minerals we make jewelry from, and sell on line. This blog will show examples of what we make from those core stones shown in Part 1.
A silver-Copper Nugget (AKA halfbrees.
Dark eyed Thomsonite-A fan favorite.
Classic “Candy Striper” These are the Lake Superior Agates that we all look for.A rough Copper/Silver nugget I just wrapped as found.I wish you could see this in the sun! The common name for vintage industrial automotive paint is Fordite. This piece is from the Century Boat Company in Manistee, so you might call it Centuryite! This metallic paint was used on their line of ski boats, back in the day.My picture frame pendant contains Lake Superior Agate, white Datolite from the Isle Royal Mine, Petoskey Stone, Epidote, Quart Mix, Isle Royal Greenstone, and Kona Dolomite.Cockle Shells were combined with Greenstone (left) and Thomsonite (right) to create a “Snowbird” pendant for Northerners that suffer in Florida all winter. The shells nestle a Greenstone and a Thomsonite.I put these out in the sun on the picnic table. Pink Petoskey Stone, Quartz crystal Included float copper, and a beautiful Isle Royale Greenstone with Thomsonite inclusions. Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite. Yellow or Caramel Datolite has always been associated with Keweenaw Point . You have to dive for these little buggers.Pudding Stone; You can’t miss the Jasper in this one. Pudding Stone trivia; the bedrock for Pudding Stone in near Sudbury, Canada. You can figure out how far this material surfed in the glacier till, before it was deposited.
I realize I was a little “artsy”, with the pictures, in this blog. The pictures look great and I hope they make you as happy as they made me.
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 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.
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.
Twelve New handmade pendants for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Appreciate the stones and the short stories of each one. This should make you smile.
The stone stories are worth reading, and may enhance your Holidays
Phenomenal Copper Pendant I would not refer to this as a Copper Agate. as there is a lack of banding. This stone is actually Copper, Prehnite, Epidote, Datolite, and Chlorite. The odd and unusual is what made us famous, and this fits our niche for sure. We were camped in the Keweenaw near Lake Linden this summer, when Bonnie came in and said, “Look who’s just pulled into the campsite next to us”. They tuned out to be friends, from Wisconsin, that camp near us in a campground in Tucson many times, during the Tucson Gem & Mineral Shows. We’ve also hunted the rock spoil piles together in the Keweenaw. Small world. I discovered that our friends had some old stock Cabochons for sale. This, as well as some Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (Half Breeds), got me excited. This was A fun time with old friends; small world.Florid Daze Pudding Stone Pendant Pudding Stones are interesting; Quartzite containing other stones (especially Red Jasper) I’ve seen many other rocks in Pudding Stones. Lake Superior Agate, pieces of colored Quartz, Amethyst, and black Tourmaline. This special piece featured a larger that average piece of bright red Jasper. This Pudding Stone makes me smile whenever i gaze upon it. As a bit of trivia for you: Pudding Stones were glacially transported from their source near Sudbury, Canada. It’s fun to figure out how far they traveled. THE LAST PUDDING STONE I FOUND “SURFED” 326 MILES!!Warm Harmony Thunder Bay Seam Agate Pendant The best I recall, this happened back in 2000. I drove up to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior’s North Shore. I had very good luck digging Amethyst East of Thunder Bay. A small sign along the road said “Thunder Bay Seam Agate”. What is this (?), I thought. I recall a small retail building, where Seam Agate could be purchased, along with jewelry and baubles. People could also go seach the trenched area, and pick up whatever they wanted to purchase. There was a dirt covered employee working hard on breaking up and cutting, larger pieces for the store to sell. I saw one beautiful large, crystal and agate infested chunk of Seam Agate that the worker was ready to break up. This piece would have been around 40 pounds. Was this a good deal, or a bad deal? I offered him some American Cash and threw the rock in the back of my Dakota. After i left, I thought; was the minion suppose to sell me that rock? (or did he just need some American cash?) I did not know; or care, at the time. I think any statute of limitation has long since passed.. Research on “Seam Agate” later revealed that this deposit was exhumed when they were building a new road in the area. Someone purchased the property and opened the mine. I believe that the agate seam flowed all the way down to lake Superior, maybe a mile away. The area all the way down to the beach was all filled with housing and that property that the Seam Agate Mine was on, was probably no more than an acre of two. Eventually after maybe three years that Lode played out, there was some financial situation, and no other areas that could be searched. The mine closed up. I still have a large piece of Seam Agate, and this stuff is very scarce to find and pricey to buy; so I guess I did make a good deal. Being at the right place at the right time often pays off.Brush Fire Moss Agate Pendant Garden Agate from the island of Java in Indonesia, is a beautiful Moss Agate. This piece was located in a Gaylord box in Quartzite; way at the bottom. Back in the day rooting through these big boxes was fun. Today, I would never be wrecking my body “Dumpster Diving”. The background is bright dark red moss agate which allows the green crystals to stand out. Do they look like snow covered pines?Reverie Fordite Pendant “Fordite” is a generic name for oversprayed paint. Sometimes a close search on line, looking at old paint color charts may give a hint as to what the paint was used for. I am not sure about the vehicle, boat, or toy, this paint was used on. It is bright, quite metallic, and patriotic colors. Makes me want to salute. As a word of caution; Much Fordite is manufactured in China, or other countries, nowdays. My love for Victoria Stone goes back to the mid-70’s. Formally known at Iimori Stone, it was marketed in Tucson as Victoria Stone. You can read an extensive blog on this gorgeous man-made stone in my “Snob Blog”. It was fortunate I started purchasing Victoria Stone, when I could find it back then. Now the original Victoria Stone is very scarce, but there are a few simulates out there, (but none as spectacular as the original). I have a fair supply of Victoria Stone, but am bombarded by other collectors to sell some of my stash, which I don’t often do. You will find many brightly colored Victoria Stone pendants on our website. Very recently I was looking over one of my Victoria Stone cabs, and one spectacular bright green beauty called to me. Dark Green and Light Blue were always the most popular colors in Victoria Stone. I held onto it until the joys of Christmas, this year, convinced me to create one of the finest festive Victoria Stone Pendants I’ve ever created. I often have dreams of jewelry I should make, and this was pendant was made when I awoke with the idea at 2am. My jewelry dreams are usually very detailed, except I had to see if Bonnie brought along the beads I needed to create this masterpiece. Not wanting to awaken a sleeping bear, I waited until later in the day. Fortunately she had something that would work. I wanted to design something that could be worn at Christmas, but also during the rest of the year, as a floral wreath. Bonnie has worn the pendant several times this holiday season, and everyone seems to love it.Sunrise Lake Superior Agate Pendant Everyone that knows me well, knows that Lake Superior Agates are my very favorite Gemstones to make jewelry with. I have a friend that owns a cemetery in Minnesota. He has a large parcel of property in an urban area. On that property is a “Reverse” gravel pit. What is that, you are probably asking? Construction types pay him to dump stones on his property; roof ballast, landscape rock, and gravel. This is his private gravel pit. He allows us to hunt there for Lakers. Guess what else? Whenever a construction person needs gravel or rocks, he sells them what people have paid him to dump on his property. He makes money both ways. How awesome is that? I found this stone on that property. What makes this Laker unique is a couple things. First, it contains yellow (somewhat scarce in Lakers). The Agate is also a partial “Shadow Agate”‘ as well as a picture agate. The agate was crack free, and took a glass-like polish. It’s about a Quarter size.Dark Eyed Thomsonite is a North Shore Superior Treasure. Most of it is now found in a small beach, all privately owned near Gran Marais, Minnesota. If you tried to hunt that beach, you would risk injury or death, as the residents are very protective. On a Lake Superior Circle Tour in our RV we stopped at an RV park in Gran Marias. We saw one of the churches in town was putting on a breakfast to raise money. A random conversation with another man at our table, revealed an adventure may be in store. He noticed Bonnie was wearing a Thomsonite and he admitted he lived on Thomsonite beach. He said we could look for Thomsonite on the beach, but he would have to go with us, to ward off other beach residents. A short search produced several nice Thomsonite pieces. This gentleman was quite old, so we returned to his house , after a short beach hunt. I looked at some rocks he had found, and I do not recall if i bought any or not, but this was a wonderful unexpected adventure.Thomsonite Masked Hombre Pendant Another dark Eyed Thomsonite from the North Shore. This one I purchase from an individual that owned property covered with Thomsonite-filled Amigdaloidal Basalt. Thomsonite is very brittle and difficult to extract from its’ host. It is also VERY sensitive to harmonic vibrations and heat. The wheels on my Genie have to be true, broken in, and lots of water emitted on themRipples Lake Superior Agate Pendant Perfect “Candy Striped’ Lakers are classic. These are THE Laker everyone immediately associates with a Lake Superior Agate. I swapped some jewelry for this Agate. First Snowfall Agate Pendant You can invent any number of stories about this beautiful piece of Jasper/Agate. My story starts with a snowy day far in the north. Because of the icy conditions, no matter the weather, a trip out to find food, firewood, or use the outhouse is risky. You really do not want to stray too far out on the icy glacier. For whatever reason you go abroad, it’s aways nice to get back to shelter. It almost looks like a wizard with a pointed hat headed back home,. Telephoto lens picks up the wizard in the ice fog.Wasteland Deschutes Picture Jasper Pendant Imagine the devastating forces, it might look like a science fiction movie scene. The real creation of this is much simpler; Picture Jasper is a type of jasper that forms from mud that drips into gas pockets in molten lava.
Links have been connected to the pictures of the stones that we have for sale on line. Click on any picture to see if it is “linked”.
If you need more information on any of these Story Stones, send an inquiry to us at; Snobappealjewelry@yahoo.com
Winters in Florida are usually very pleasant.. Recently we had to deal with the uncertainty of Tropical Storm (later Cat 1 Hurricane) Nicole, as it hit the east coast of Florida. While “sheltering in place”, I had the opportunity to create some Pendants while watching the Weather Channel.
“Windy Beach” was created while storm force winds shook our RV. You can actually see some of the flying pieces of Spanish Moss. This “Moss” was everywhere.It’s not really moss, but you can look it up on line if you wish.Owyhee Picture Jasper.
It seemed like forever for this storm to finally make landfall in south Florida. Fortunately this was well south of us, but we did feel the effects in Jacksonville, with storm surge, beach erosion and two days of steady rain and wind. Owning a big RV gives us some feeling of security. If the power goes off, we still have a generator, in case it’s needed. We have water and food; we have each other. For “medicinal purposes’ we have adult beverages in the fridge. The locals say it’s no big deal, unless mandatory evacuations are ordered (in which case we pack up and move the house). Luckily November hurricanes have been uncommon.
A beautiful Petoskey Stone pendant in Rose Gold and Argentium Sterling was named “Gray Skies” The large species reminded me of Nicole, a very large storm. A slight maroon tinge adds rarity to this particular species (Hexagonaria Anna). Anna is one of the two largest species of Hexagonaria. Anna is an unusual find, especially a perfectly patterned specimen with coloration..This very unusual Painted Lake Superior Agate sported a blue-gray base with orange blotches. I called this “Weather Radar“. It resembled thesome of the radar images on the Weather Channel.This striking Pudding Stone brought to mind the “Scattered Debris” left behind by Nicole.“Coming Ashore” seemed the perfect name for this Lake Superior Amethyst Laker.This Michipicoten Agate was aptly named “Storm Surge”.
Rain for two solid days, and steady 45 MPH winds shook the RV. We pulled the slides in and hunkered down. It was an especially good time to make up some hurricane jewelry. I was not rushed or stressed, but I was inspired to create some storm related jewelry art. This also took my mind off of the remote posssibilty of Biblical flooding, or a tree falling on the bus. Fortunately the latter never happened, but great pieces of jewelry were created. I decided to give each piece a Storm-related name.
Some of our “Snowbird” jewelry. These Pendants are a cross between Florida andtheGreat Lakes region. Michigan’s State Gemstone, the Isle Royale Greenstone, and a lovely Eyed Thomsonite, From Superior’s North Shore, are “hatched” in common Cockle Shells, from Florida Beaches (or what’s left of Florida Beaches). Our 5 year old Granddaughter only brings me the best Cockle’s she finds.
All my new “Hurricane” jewelry will be available on this website, or available in our show inventory. If you call us, We can help you obtain any of these pendants. If a pendant is posted on one of our websites, it will link when you “click” on the picture.
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.
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!
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:
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.
I’ve been ahead of the curve as it relates to this isolation. In January, I opted for an Ankle Fusion (not as much fun as it sounds). I was in three different casts in 6 weeks, than a boot for another 6 weeks, now a walking boot. During that time I could not get out and about.
This isolation allowed me to be pretty much home bound in an RV in Florida. You cannot imagine how much jewelry a person can manufacture with so much time. I took the opportunity to up my jewelry game by making not only more jewelry, but more complicated and innovative jewelry.
This blog will be things I’ve made just the past month. All are for sale, but may not be on line or in our show inventory yet. If you are interested in any of these, call or message me.
I love reaching into a vug at one of the Amethyst Mines near Thunder Bay, Ontario, and feeling the sharp points of mud-encrusted Amethyst. Careful prodding and pulling will often dislodge an excellent specimen. this one had set around for a decade in my shop, finally attracting my attention.Condor Agates, from remote mountain areas in Argentina, are some of the most colorful agates on Earth. You have to wade through a lot of Condors to find exceptional ones. This designer cut beauty came out very nice, and sports some remarkable colors and patterns.A couple custom rings were recently made for a couple awesome ladies. The top is a Pink Topaz, while the bottom one is Isle Royale Greenstone with assorted Copper and Silver Beads.Yellow Cat Petrified wood is a rare limb cast wood from Grand County, Utah. Back in the day all of this material was bought up by Tiffany and made into jewelry. Parts of this wood glow green under the UV light. Small amounts at large prices are sometimes found at the major Gemshows in Tucson or Quartzsite.I found this piece of Dinosaur Bone at the Tucson Gen Shows a few years back. I was attracted to it because of the scenic picture, and unusual Agate/D-Bone mix.The top is an Actinolite mix from Canada, and the bottom is extremely rare Oppu Rhodochrosite from Japan. Oppu is easily recognized by its Raspberry color.A Centennial (Mine), blue Datolite and a Silver-Copper Nugget. Centennial Datolite is very rare, and is one of the most coveted varieties of Datolite. This one has so much Copper in it that it has a beautiful pink sheen.I found a large (2 1/2″h x 1 1/2″w) Fordite that had a wavy, gray surface. I thought to just his the high spots of the surface. WOW! How amazing is this? The rear (shown below) is also very fine.The rear of the above Fordite. Hey; I wrapped this one so you can wear either side to the front, as your mood suggests! Ruby in Fuchsite is a beautiful stone primarily from India. The striking combination of red Ruby and pastel green Fuchsite makes this stone very sought after.Under a UV light, the Rubies just glow like fiery embers. Ooooh!I love these little Silver-Copper and Silver Nuggets from Michigan’s Copper Country. They are not so easy to find since many of the waste piles at the Copper mines have been hauled away for road fill. A fun reminder of the Copper Country.A blue, pink, and orange Petoskey Stone. It’s got a lot going on. Chrysocolla, Azurite, and other things combine to make a stunning gemstone.Just a really nice Pink Petoskey with a simple Unisex wrap.Drusy (Druzy) Quartz’s are natural Quartz pockets that are sometimes dyed, sometimes treated with Titanium Vapor Depositions; sometimes both. They’s always popular and attention getting.Chrysoprase is the most expensive member of the Quartz family. Most of the “Prase” is scarfed up by the Asian markets and is known as Australian Jade. It rivals jade in beauty, if you find a fine pure piece, like this one.Big and bold, these Elrathia Kingii Trilobites from Utah, are in my opinion, one of the finest types of Trilobites. Most still have their “cheeks”, and make great jewelry.Lastly a large custom pendant, I made for a special lady. The large Silver-Copper was hers, and I added a large Greenstone and a smaller nugget of silver and copper. This one was over three inches and is a real stunner.
