Tag Archives: Datolite

Wire Wrapped Pendants- All New for 2021

Favosite Pendant Snob Appeal Jewelry — What should I do with this remarkable Favosites? I’ve saved this fossil for the better part of a year, awaiting inspiration. I don’t see many Favosites specimens so clear, and showing every single Polyp. I had to add some color using Swarovski bi-cone Beads. Bonnie made the matching earrings. Favosites (common name Charlevoix Stone) and Hexagonaria (common name Petoskey Stone) were both colonial Corals and were important reef builders in the Silurian and Devonian Periods (400 million years +/- ago) Favosites is an extinct Genus of Coral. The Favosites corals’ corallites had perforated walls, and shared nutrients between Polyps. I make no political statement with this piece, but it does suggest a “sharing” vibe.

In many ways we’re glad 2020 is over. In other ways 2020 has been great. Our business has been surviving despite the Pandemic. Our Loyal customers have continued to support our small business, but being semi isolated has allowed me to expand my jewelry line, produce some great pendants, rings, and many custom pieces of jewelry for a lot of people.

I made many very special pendants for the New Year of 2021. Beginning January 1st, I’ve been remarkably productive and creative. I keep cabochons in jewelry trays and pull them out as they inspire me, or are “Begging” to be wrapped. My goal for 2021 is to improve my wire wrapping and creativity. I hope you enjoy all my new things.

From a deposit 20 miles south of the Agua Nueva Ranch, in Northern Mexico, Agua Nueva Agate became very popular in the 1970’s. The Agua Nueva deposit is about 40 miles from the famous depostit of Laguna Agate. Agua Nueva Agate is famous for its’ variety of colors, eyes, and moss. This one had everything and is an impressive 2″ round. The Apple Red in this stone is pretty impressive.

Several years ago, while “rooting” through a bin of scrap slabs at Quartzsite, Arizona, I found a less than stellar looking slab. What attracted me was the red coloration. I decided to adopt the slab, and took it back home with many other homeless slabs from that “by the pound” bin.

One day I’m looking through the stuff I bought that day, and again was attracted by the unusual red in that same, large slab. I cut, ground, and polished that particular slab; working around several cracks and issues. The more I worked on it, the better it became. This was a three hour, three coffee, cabochon. That ugly duckling was transformed into a gorgeous, big, round, Agua Nueva Agate cabochon, featuring bands, tubes, moss, eyes, and still retaining the unusual red coloration. This cab had amazing character!

I took it to Florida, where it was made into my first pendant of 2021. A big, bold, beauty, wrapped in lots of shiny Argentium Sterling. The cabochon was so fantastic by itself, I felt it best to keep the wrapping precise, neat, and simple. This pendant can be worn by a man or a woman. The large 3/8″ bail can accommodate a cord or a chain. Find more agate jewelry on our Agate Treasures pages.

Another New Year’s pendant was made from a very unusual Datolite slab from the old Clark Mine near Copper Harbor. “Unusual” is an understatement. The stone features a picture of chaos. I named this pendant “Datolite Explosion” for it’s resemblance of a landscape “EXPLODING”. The Datolite has a hint of pink. This Datolite reminded me of how 2020 seemed at times. You will find our Datolite pendants are each very different.

Another 2021 Pendant is one of my now famous “Yooper Special” pendants featuring a Firebrick Upper Peninsula, and an Isle Royale Greenstone, floating on an angry Lake Superior made of Blue Lace Agate. This one is in silver with 14kt gold fill wraps. I change the metals on each piece, and the Greenstones offer up different characteristics, so each one is a little different. I’ve actually made three new Yooper Special Pendants. You can see current offerings on our Greenstone pages.

Here are several other pendants made this year.

The Pantone colors for 2021 are gray and yellow, so I made this really crazy, Crazy Lake Agate to adhere to the 2021 colors.

Just a very fine Laker was transparent, with beautiful banding .

Chevron Amethyst is always beautiful; especially when cut into a designer shape.

From the Wheeler Shale of Delta,Utah, comes Elrathia Kingii Trilobites (among many other fossils). The fossils in this Cambrian Shale are over 500 million Years old! During the Devonian Period most Trilobite Orders became extinct. I love how large and perfect some specimens are. Most have full cheeks that you do not often see in Trilobites from Morocco and other places. Trilobites actually lost their cheeks during their “Molting phase” On a whim, I wrapped this in Pink Gold and Silver. I think it turned our great!

Coprolite is petrifided feces of prehistoric animals. I’m not an expert as to if this piece of crap came from a Dinosaur, a prehistoric Tortoise, or something else, I did name this pendant “2020”; a year that was pretty crappy at times.

This Pendant is different under UV light. Sodalite-infused Granite from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, in the top; Ruby in Fuschite from India in the bottom. The Sodalite and Ruby are Fluorescent under the UV light.

It’s difficult to take a good picture under UV light. I played around with camera settings and got some advice from my friend Johnny Gladstone. This gives you an idea what this Sodalite/Granite looks like under UV light.. Rubies are also Fluorescent, as you can see. Johnny calls these “Yooperstones”. I like to call them “Firefly Granite” Since I bartered with Johnny, I will call them Yooperstones. TRIVIA: **Rubies are actually red Sapphires!**

**Isle Royale Greenstone**; Michigan’s Official State Gem, This small pendant is very nice in both coloration and pattern.

Many have tried to duplicate the famous Victoria Stone from the early 1970’s; some of the copies are actually pretty good. No one has been able to match the colors and chatoyancy of the original. This particular color was called “Reddish Purple” and shows wonderful silky flash when moved in the light. Very rare and very coveted.

Our exclusive YOOPERLAND Pendant. Firebrick, Isle Royale Greenstone, and Mexican Blue Lace Agate. Lots of time and trouble to create, but one of our most popular original designs.

A Lake Superior Agate Pendant made from Many Striped Agates Bonnie gave me for Christmas. This one turned out great! I have lots more of similar banded beauties to work with. Lakers are my Favorite stones.

A Leland Blue Heart…Valentines day is just around the corner. Hint Hint!

Bonnie often has fun checking our multitude of buckets around the shop area. This is a Datolite she rooted our one day last summer. I immediately cut it. WOW! I’m not exactly sure what mine I discovered it at.

A close-up of the Previous Datolite, with more light on the Copper in it.

This Lake Superior Agate (also made from gifted Agates) is about dime size, and has wonderful coloration.

A small, but amazing dendritic Opalite I called “Lone Tree” for obvious reasons.

I do not believe I have ever made this many pendants, in one week, since my times at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts, many year ago. I have no idea why I have been so inspired recently, but it’s been a boon to our jewelry inventory.

Bonnie said, “Isn’t that about enough Blog Pictures?” This Blog was many hours of work, and I need sleep and/or coffee. I think 17 Pendants, so far, this month is a good start for the New Year. Only a few of these have been posted up so far. Some are going into show inventory, but if you are interested in any, let us know.

Bonnie and I sincerely wish everyone has a happy 2021. Keep us in mind if you wish to stimulate the economy by supporting our small business.

Remember; I can cut, polish, and wire-wrap your own treasured stones. Visit our Custom Work page.

Wire-wrapped Pendant–Best of 2020

Some meticulous wire artistry enhanced beautiful Keweenaw treasures.

2020 brought many challenges to all of us. For me, self-isolation brought the opportunity to focus on my craft; with more time to create some special pendants. Jewelry making takes my mind off these trying times. I always try to improve my work, even though, people say, I’m a fairly skillful and competent wire artist.

Recently a “major” pendant was created from a combination of inspiration, a dream, and the need for a challenge. If a piece of jewelry takes me several hours of total focus (with coffee breaks), over three days, that’s a “Major” pendant.

Can I pull this off? Until a multi-piece pendant is created, the answer is “Maybe”. When the project turns out as you envision it, or better in this case, I feel satisfied and worthy. I know all the mind-challenging work was worth the effort. Bonnie knows when I am in “the zone” I am so totally focused, everything except the piece of art is blacked out. The Zone was active on this work of art, for sure. She does not come near me when I’m in “the Zone”, but she knows something good will result.

Deciding on Color and Shape

Let us talk about the procedure end result, shall we? Four totally different Keweenaw rocks and Minerals were chosen for their coloration. PINK was my choice; so every piece was associated with the color pink. In my mind was projected a three-piece pendant with amazing colors, textures, and shapes; eligant in detail.

The top stone selected was a banded Lake Superior Agate, with beautiful pink waves of banding, some shadow effect. In some Lakers the banding is very fine and the bands are close together. When you move these agates in the sun or in bright light, the shadow of one band is cast on the adjacent band. Since there are many bands casting their shadows on their adjacent bands, you get a shadow effect. The agate in the pendant has some “Shadow” for sure. Lake Superior Agates, as many of you know, are my favorite Gemstones. I cut a lot of “Lakers”, but not often one with so much rich class. It just screamed for attention, and made the top tier.

The middle of the pendant is Firebrick. Firebrick formed from the Copper smelting operations in the Keweenaw. The smelters were made from brick when they were built. Over the years Copper vapors and molten copper permiated into the brick walls of the smelter and replaced all the material in the bricks except the Quartz/Silica. That is why you see small white specks in the Firebrick; the Quart resisted permeation.

The bottom stone is a stunning pink-hued Datolite from the Mesnard mine on the Quincy Hill in Handcock. The small Mesnard Datolite needed to step up in order to fight the bigger cabochons in the top. I added a pair of Isle Royale Greenstons with pink Thomsonite inclusions, making the Datolite more than equal to the other two cabochons up above it. My personal opinion (shared by others) is that there are only two true precious gemstones in Michigan, Isle Royale Greenston (Michigan’s Official State Gemstone), and Datolite.

The Michigan Quarter allows you to see the finisned size. I was very happy with my work.

The stones being selected instigated the shapes required. Datolite, Greenstone, and Lake Superior Agates can all be polished to a glass finish, but the Firebrick required a proprietary industrial Epoxy coating. This coating protcts the Firebrick from tarnishing, and adds a glass finish like the other two stones in the pendant.

Engineering the Pendant

Each of the three major parts of the pendant “swing” individually from the others. If all three were wrapped as one piece, they become very stiff and just don’t have that pizzazz required. The pendant will move with the wearer.

The top and the bottom stones are elegantly wrapped in double 14kt gold fill, while the Firebrick is enhanced by a double gold fill Pink Gold. The pink gold brings out the Copper in the Firebrick. Who says a piece of jewelry has to be one single type of precious metal?

Happy Results

Now, several hours later, the results made me smile; Bonnie approved, and this Major art work was complete. I named this pendant KEWEENAW SPLENDOR

I’m hopeful some lucky person will find this one in their stocking.

Making Custom Great Lakes Stone Jewelry

Among our Great Lakes stone jewelry pieces, every year one or two pendants stand out as very special. One extraordinary stone pendant this year was a triple segmented pendant of three semiprecious gemstones from the Great Lakes area. A gorgeous Minnesota Thomsonite, a Keweenaw silver nugget, and a copper-filled Keweenaw Datolite show off the great influence of metals in stone through this fancy piece. The photo does not do it justice. In person, it shines in many directions and swings freely, and the pinks in the top and bottom complement each other.

This special piece was custom made for a most discriminating customer. Annually she searches through my inventory to find my best new pendants. Also she picks out stones that fit her bold and eclectic tastes, offering design challenges in the late summer and allowing me to create something very special over the winter months. She is an advocate of Michigan artists as well as loving Michigan stones and the great jewelry that can come from Great Lakes stones.

Great Lakes Stone Jewelry

You can see that the size of this pendant is big and bold; this one is around five inches in length. The silver nugget was most likely picked from a mine ore crusher many years ago somewhere in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The Thomsonite was an inch tall and even wider, and dug in Grand Marais Minnesota years ago before the famous Thomsonite site was filled and and a park was created. The Datolite with loads of copper inclusions, was located on the Delaware Mine waste piles, making the entire pendant from places no longer existing. Most of these stones I’ve had for many, many years.

In order to make these large, multi-stone pendants, I think freedom or movement in the pendant is vitally important for comfortable wearing. When sitting, the pendant conforms to the different body positions.

Next year’s Extraordinary Pendant is being designed and, to be honest, I do not yet have the perfect stones. I’ve been feverishly searching my stash. I am not satisfied yet.

Recently I have created several custom pieces for other customers, and I can create one for you. I’ll work with your stones or mine. Christmas is approaching fast. Please think of us for your gifting needs.

Here are a couple custom pieces I’ve recently done from customer stones.

From one jasper a customer found on a romantic getaway. I love these nostalgic pieces.

A beautifully, customer cut CZ. It was a big faceted stone. The wire wrap challenge was matching the carefully calibrated stone with the wraps. The flowing design in the top directed the eye down into the stone. Michael’s wife will wear this on a romantic cruise in the near future.

You can see earlier examples of our Custom Work.

See a recent bridal set at Custom Rock Cutting,Lapidary and Wire Jewelry, Created Just for You!

Datolite Jewelry from Keweenaw Datolite

Caledonia Gem Red

We offer a wide selection of gemstone jewelry from Great Lakes stones, but a favorite gem of ours may be one you have never heard of. We are pleased to offer a great selection of Datolite Pendants, because it is so unique, colorful, coppery, and generally surprising. Datolite is not one of those “pretty sounding” jewelry names like Larimar or Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, but it is indeed very beautiful and exceedingly rare, particularly in bright, pastel colors that some of the mines were famous for. Datolite is a Michigan gemstone that should be better known.

Franklin

Mesnard

Quincy

Clark Mine

The old Copper Mines of Michigan’s historic Copper Country have produced colorful Datolite of which there is no comparison. We are fortunate to have hunted Datolite, and bought old collections over the last 30 years, always looking for great colors. Finding coveted, colorful Datolite today is rare because of several factors.

Caledonia

Closeup showing massive copper content. This Datolite virtually shines in the sun from the copper content.

HUNTING DATOLITE TODAY

Over the past 5 years many of the old copper spoil piles have sadly been crushed and used as road fill, both under paved roads and to stabilize forest roads for logging operations. Most of the few old mine dump piles left are privately owed and unfortunately, but understandably, in this lawsuit-happy world, the owners are hesitant to permit rock picking on their piles. Unstable rock piles can be quite hazardous and we hear of injuries every year caused by many factors. Frivolous lawsuits can totally dissuade what used to be rockhound-friendly mine owners from allowing anyone on their piles.

Copper, Calcite, and Datolite from the Central Mine.

Deleware

Gorgeous Mesnard

I have always felt that if I am collecting rocks it’s my owe damn fault if I injure myself. i always have my mind trained to automatically think “If i do this, then this might happen”, especially while climbing around on, or moving rocks. Money hungry specimen miners have even tunneled into rock spoil piles in the winter for valuable, colorful Datolite in years past.

MINERAL INFORMATION

Like most of the minerals and metals in the Keweenaw Copper Country, Datolite was formed in the amygdaloidal basalt through hydrothermal precipitation. It is associated with prehnite, epidote, native copper, calcite and a variety of zeolites. You could also say it is associated with chlorastrolite as it may be included in the greenstone, as can zeolites.

The Mohs hardness of Datolite is stated to be 5.5, but from my cutting experience, the hardness can vary even within a nodule or Datolite piece. Other minerals mixed in with Datolite can also be of different hardnesses, which makes cutting and polishing a copper-included Datolite quite challenging. A Datolite from the Keweenaw Peninsula can either form in seams or as nodules with a texture of cauliflower, with no hint of what is within. The most Datolites are white and have been found in all the Datolite collecting areas. Savvy Datolite hunters look for Nodules that have a light colored, cauliflower-looking skin and often porcelain-looking shards of white on the piles. Often what is found may indeed be some old dinnerware, but other times it is Datolite. Datolite is a Calciumborosilicate and it’s not unusual that it may resemble glass or porcelain. Some high temperature, high strength glass, such as Pyrex, is a BoroSillicate. One of the most glass-like, solid Datolite, from my experience, was found at the Isle Royale Mine #7 near the now Walmart location in Houghton. The Datolite from the Isle Royale Mine #7 has been made into very stable beads in the past, harder and higher in Silica than most other area mines. It is normally a translucent very pale white-green, but very nice blue Datolite has been found at the Isle Royale.

Quincy

Isle Royale Mine pendant and beads.

Isle Royale Mine Blue

DATOLITE COLORS

Experienced Datolite hunters are able to make educated guesses as to what mine a Datolite came from, based on color and crust. Keweenaw Datolite has long been treasured for jewelry and offers a broad spectrum of the rainbow. The Canary yellow from Keweenaw Point, the blue/greens from Centennial, and apple reds from various mines, and bright orange/yellows from the Quincy/Franklin/Mesnard mines are some of the most coveted. A great source of pictures to identify Datolite colors from different mines is Jeff Anderson’s Dwarves Treasures page. His favorite mineral is Datolite and he has sample Datolites from many locations.

My metaphysical friends tell me that Datolite can sharpen all mental abilities. I’m afraid that even though I have worked with Datolite for many years I still forget things. I tell people I’m in my “Wonder Years”; just today I wondered what day it was, where my TV tuner was, where my car was parked, and where Bonnie (wife) went to.

Even though I’ve owed this spectacular 38 Gram piece of luscious canary yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite for some time, you’ve never seen it. I have not decided what I’m going to do with it yet. High Grade Yellow Point Datolite is the most rare of Keweenaw Datolites, therefore the most valuable Datolite there is. I did not enhance this Datolite; This is exactly what it looks like.

The prices of Datolite Jewelry can vary widely based on scarcity, color, size, and quality. Remember that because of the vanishing mine dump piles, Datolite hunting is now very limited. Many prime locations of the past are long gone, buried, flooded, or ground up. These factors combine to make Datolite jewelry pieces great heirloom treasures which can be passed down through your family with their story. Many times someone will be seeking a Datolite from a certain mine because a relative had worked there many years ago. Quincy or Delaware Datolites are popular because people want to remember their tour of those mines.

Datolite pendants are very popular at Copper World, our retail outlet in Calumet. You may be able to purchase a rough Datolite there also.

Really good Datolite (jewelry) is a great investment, and like Western Turquoise, many the sources are no longer available. Any jewelry from Michigan’s Copper District is a good investment with a historic backstory, but for color and variety you can’t beat Datolite Jewelry.

Yellow Datolite from the Delaware Mine (and Other Places)

Classic Delaware Yellow. The color is corrected in this picture to reflect the true color.

What I bought in Tucson-Part 3

Sometimes I find unusual things in odd places. Bonnie was perusing my friend Gary Wilson’s booth at one of the major Tucson Shows, when she spotted three slices of Yellow Datolite. All were from the same piece of Datolite. Yellow is one of the most sought after colors in Datolite.

Most Keweenaw Datolite sports a wide range of coloration caused from small copper inclusions ranging from orange to red to pink. White is the most common color and was found in all the Keweenaw mines. Yellow Datolite is rarer, getting it’s color from manganese, which is not as abundant as copper. The finest bright yellow is found around the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the northernmost land in Michigan. Fine yellow Datolite has been found at the Quincy, Franklin, and Mesnard mines. Often these three mines had mixtures of colors that looked like they were stirred together, and not quite mixed enough. These three mines as well as the Centennial (blue) are historically the gourmet Datolite collectors Favorites.

Yellows are also found in other mines including the Delaware and Connecticut. Often, Datolite colors can be fairly specific to one mine, and yellow shades are ones you can often determine the source from the hue of the stone, but we Datolite collectors can sometimes be fooled by yellows.

The Delaware Datolite cut into three pieces. I have a couple more to wrap.

The king of yellow Datolite; The ultra rare Kewenaw Point.

The Quincy Mine produced a wonderful caramel yeollow. This little beauty I made for this blog.

The Delaware mine tailings pile has all been hauled away and that historic site for hunting Datolite is now extinct. Enjoy these Datolites while they are still available.

Datolite: One of the Keweenaw’s Colorful Mineral Treasures

I tried to do justice to a customer’s Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite. earring and bracelet set.

You already know that Datolite is my favorite Calcium-Borosililicate. I just love the way that flows off the tougue, and it sort of makes you look smart when you say it. Datolite commonly occurs in the the Keweenaw in the Copper deposit host rocks in veins and vesicles. We also find Datolite in mine waste piles, often in the form of round, Califlower-looking crystals that have popped out of the host rocks left from mining Copper. If you find Datolite in the Keweenaw, you can be assured there is copper nearby..

Quincy Yellow

Franklin or Mesnard (?)

White Datolite can be from anywhere. This one containing classic Datolite Crystals.

The most common color of Datolite is white, and can be found in all the copper deposits in the Keweenaw. Pink is the second most common color. A close microscopic study of pink Datolite will reveal the pink hue is the result of micro copper within the stone. the darker the pink, the more copper in the Datolite.

Copper is the star in these three I’ve been saving for a personal piece of jewelry. From right clockwise: Keweenaw point Yellow Datolite, Copper Replacement Agate (Kearsarge Lode), Dark Chlorastrolite with Copper.

Centennial Blue (#2 Shaft)

Copper “Lightning” in Centennial Blue

Colors in Datolite run the entire color palette. Impossibly rare is the Canary Yellow from the Keweenaw Point. Unlike most Datolite in the Keweenaw this yellow Datolite gets its’ color from manganese and not Copper. This Point deposit is primarily under water, but has been covered with green algae for quite a few years now, making it almost impossible to find in the host basalt.

Most mines, where Datolite occurs, sport particular colors in their respective Datolites. I, and many other serious Datolite hunters can make educated guesses as to where a particular Datolite might have come from. I find my friend Jeff Anderson’s website the go-to site for Datolite ID. Check it out at http://www.sailorenergy.net/Minerals/MLDatolites/MineralMainDatolitesMI.html

Another rare Datolite is the Centenial, a white Datolite stained blue-green from oxidized copper. Several hundred pounds were removed, from a muddy pocket deep in the mine, in 1962 by miners. This was all that were found, and after the mine was closed, it flooded. If you have one of these “Tidy-Bowl” colored beauties, you are fortunate indeed. All Centennial’s were either full of copper flecks, or had less copper, making them lighter blue. Some blues came from other areas, like the Phoenix Mine (Phoenix), and the Isle Royal Mine (Keweenaw County). Even though blues are found in other locales, the best blues have always been from the Centennial.

Mesnard in the classic colors Mesnard is famous for.

Quincy Caramel!

Caledonia Mine. The red is Microcline (var Adularia)

Beautiful and striking Datolite colorations came out of the Mesnard, Franklin, and the Quincy. These three mines were eventually tied together by adits. The Orange/pink/red combinations are amazing from the Franklin and the Mesnard, as is the caramel Yellow’s from the Quincy.

Datolites of all colors were prolific at the Delaware and Connecticut Mines over the years. Many of the mine waste piles, including the Delaware, have been crushed in the last few years for road fill. Finding any Copper Country mineral is not as easy as in years past, mostly because of the incessant crushing of the old mine waste piles.

Bonnie found a wonderful bag of Datolites, I obtained several years ago, in my shop. I thought you would enjoy what I’ve been doing with them.

My Datolite jewelry is very popular at Copper World in Calumet, on our website, or see us every year in August at art shows in Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor where you can choose your jewelry (Including Datolites) in person. All the types of Datolite’s mentioned in this blog are still available from us, but are becoming depleted as people realize if they don’t get one know, they may never get the ones they want.

Owyhee Picture Jasper and other Great Lakes Gemstones

Can you guess why I called this pendant “Sleeping Bear”

North Shore Thomsonite

Now that the Tucson shows are done, the jewelry creation process is moving forward. Over the past week I’ve made several pieces of jewelry, especially Michigan stones, from Lake Superior Agates, Datolites, Dark-eyed Thomsonite, and a really special and amazing Laker pendant.

Yellow Snow-don’t eat it. I did not enhance the color in this at all.

Sugar and stripes.

This is why Lake Superior Agates are my favorite gemstones. This one is “Stripes in Stripes”

I love these. I called this “The Red Continent”.

I have had this particular Laker slab that shows the classic Laker reds, but also Citrine. When you find the reds and the yellows together it is surprising and fantastic!

Even I was amazed. This one is called “Lady Luck”, a unisex piece of jewelry. I test wore it and won a fifty-fifty drawing. Do you need some luck?

A really odd Waterlevel Laker with a lot going on. It is not named yet.

Other Lakers I made into pendants are so very unusual with the banded Laker floating in Sugar Quartz or with the more common sugar Quartz surrounded by the colorful laker.

Peachy-pink Mesnard Datolite.

A Yellow Quincy-Outstanding!

Colorful Datolite is always a winner, and a gorgeous Peach from Mesnard, and a Quincy Yellow are new pieces. Really nice colored Datolite is getting very hard to find. The old piles are held by private interests (not allowing hunting for liability reasons), or crushed and hauled for road fill. Any colorful Datolite demands premium prices. I’ve been advising people to buy Datolite Jewelry now, if they like it. Old stocks of Datolite are being used up.

Greenstone-Central Ex pile (when there was a pile)

Just for variety I did a North Shore Thomsonite, which is another beautiful stone from the Lake Superior Region, especially Minnesota and the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Amongst all these Michigan gemstones, why did I feature a western Owyhee Picture Jasper? Well, when we saw it at a show, it looked so much like a picture of a Michigan lakeshore. If you have ever visited Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, you will recognize the resemblance to this beautiful Owyhee Picture Jasper. Welcome to my creative world!

Great Lakes Gemstones Make Amazing Gifts

One of the best things of the holiday season is passing along beautiful jewelry gifts to new owners. Great Lakes gemstones are the cornerstone of our selection. Our best sellers are our many amazing Isle Royle Greenstones. Our acquisition of a collection of old Greenstones found on Isle Royale over 60 years ago has enhanced our status as the webs’ go-to site for Michigan’s State Gem. Our wire-wrapped Isle Royale Greenstone pendants come with various mixes of tarnish-resistant argentium wire and 14/20 yellow gold or pink gold wire. The pink gold is especially prized for combining with the Isle Royale Greenstones that have Thomsonite inclusions. We also sell cabochons so that people can have rings or other items created just for them.

Centennial Datolite

Mohawkite

Thomsonite

Snob Appeal Jewelry is also the go-to site for any Great Lake Gemstone. We really enjoy the appreciation notes we get after Christmas from many happy new owners. Many of these stones are not widely known outside of the Great Lakes area, so when we get orders from Texas or California or other far-flung places (even Australia) we always wonder what drew them to select Datolite or Mohawkite or Thomsonite. We know these are beautiful stones, but often there is another connection, such as a family member who worked in a particular mine, or even if it was just a visit to the enchanting area.

Our selection of Lake Superior Agate pendants is Superior! We have water level agates, sagenite agates, tubes, and eyes, candy stripers, gray stones, pink, brown, “Laker” reds, even some yellows. Some have copper, some have quartz centers or even amethyst. Don loves these stones and classically wire wraps them to enhance their natural beauty and variety. Pick one to give to your favorite rock hound!

Lake Superior Agate

I thought I might show you some new jewelry especially made for Christmas.

What’s in that Safe Deposit Box?

My wife asks: “Do you know what’s in our Safe Deposit Box?” Having not looked in there for at least two years, I only knew of a few things that COULD be there. Important papers and other things, but obviously I forgot a few things.

Because of the time involved since the last time I opened the box, the keys somehow did not work. I thought maybe some WD40 might work, but the bank lady said that she had to call their locksmith. A couple days later I met at the bank when the locksmith came. The locksmith fit the keys in, and just turned them open. (Don’t YOU feel dumb, bank lady?)

Box finds: Top is a Greenstone with massive Native Copper, Center is a Copper Replacement Agate, and bottom is a Keweenaw Point rare yellow Datolite with Native Copper.

I had placed a plastic vial containing my very best Copper Country Gemstones. I totally forgot I had these, and totally forgot they were in the Safe Deposit Box. (Don’t YOU feel dumb rock guy?) It was like Christmas. If you are friend of Snob Appeal Jewelry on Facebook, you have seen these, but I did not tell you this story behind them. I don’t have Alzheimer’s but I admit to having “Some-Timer’s“; Sometimes I remember, and sometimes i don’t. Now that Dr. Don has diagnosed this common affliction, you surely realize you too are effected. Don’t say you are not; but at least you now know what it is called.

I also know there are two signs of aging. the first being you forget things…I can’t remember the second….

When I saw these gemstones, I had Total Recall. I had personally found a remarkable Greenstone/Copper and a Copper Replacement Agate. I purchased a Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite containg copper years ago. I personally cut and polished all three. I had, and still have intentions, of making something for myself.

I’m speeding along here because I want to get to the end before I forget where I’m going.

I hope you like my Lock box finds.

Here’s a little poster I created using the above stones:

Remarkable Datolite and other Upper Peninsula Gemstone Treasures

Yelow Datolite from the Quincy Mine

On our most recent trip to the Keweenaw I successfully found some wonderful gemstone rough material to work into new jewelry pieces. When I say I “found” great gemstone rough: I mean I found several friends who were willing, for cash, to part with some wonderful local minerals! Rare colored Datolite is drawing a premium price, even in the rough.

Iron Lace Agate is now extinct.

The annual Ishpeming Show is always interesting, and most of the time if you look in the crevices of this show, good, and sometimes great treasures, can be found. Being an experienced, senior rockhound sometimes has its advantages at times. Being around the block with some of the old, now extinct, gemstone materials has advantages over younger rockhounds. I often recognize old material from back 30 years or more that is seldom seen. This happened at the Ishpeming show.

I saw some Iron Lace Agates from the Republic mine that were briefly available… I’m betting that not many know what these agates really were, and the history of them. A seam of Iron Lace Agate (named by the Ishpeming Rock Club) was very briefly mined back in the 70’s from the North wall of the New Republic Mine near Marquette. I purchased a few and will make jewelry for the Agate Expo next year.

Ultra rare Keweenae Point canary yellow Datolite

Deleware Datolite with Copper inclusions

The other wonderful things I sought out with success was some caramel yellow Mesnard Datolite, a piece of impossibly rare, canary yellow, Keweenaw Point Datolite, some wonderful, Copper included, Delaware Datolite, some classic Yellow Quincy Datolite, a slightly different yellow than the Yellow Point datolite. It’s always a good day when I find some rare Centenniel Blue Datolite. Blue Centennial Datolite is now very hard to find. I also found several spectacular Lakers to work with.

Blue Centennial Datolite. These pieces seem to flow to pink toward the bottom

Mesnard Mustard.

The Isle Royale Copper Mine had some of the hardest Datolite of a light green color, and also some Blue Datolite, much of it a softer, requiring some stabilization in order to work with it for jewelry.

Copper included Agates are a wonderful find. I love these things

I just started working with all my new rocks, so you will see jewelry soon.