April 05, 2023 | Permalink
September 08, 2022 | Permalink
I designed this 24" Argentium silver chain to complement the Malachite stone that I bought from my friend, Chris Whitley. The stone is approximately 2" long and can be worn on either shoulder or in front at the bottom. It can also be removed and the chain can be worn by itself. Since the back of the stone is also polished, I did some decorative hand-sawing to reveal the deep green stone. The chain is made from 12 gauge silver for a solid feel.
September 08, 2022 | Permalink
I asked my friend, Chris Whitley, to cut me a few pietersite cabachons from some high quality rough from Namibia that he had. The stone has a mix of rich dark blue and black shimmering mineral and reminds me of the dark night sky. This pendant is reversible with an image of a cat looking at the full moon on the "back" side. The pendant is just over 2-1/4" high & the stone is 7/8" x 1-1/8".
April 19, 2022 | Permalink
November 01, 2021 | Permalink
These photos show some of the new pendants that I created for the NC State Fair which was originally scheduled for October 2020. Now that that has been cancelled, I am posting these pieces to my website. They incorporate a variety of natural stones that inspire me to design these different pendants. If you have a question about a particular piece, please send me an e-mail. As with many of my jewelry creations, these are "one-of" and are first come, first served!
September 02, 2020 | Permalink
The green tones of this natural Mexican Chrysocolla made me think of the lush foliage that we have enjoyed this summer. I constructed this 2-sided pendant so either side shows off the various colors. I concealed my maker's marks inside the loop at the top. Since the NC State Fair has been cancelled for this year, I am not holding back my inventory. This makes this special "miniature sculpture" a first come, first served piece!!
August 31, 2020 | Permalink
Fresh off my work-bench for 2020, this is my new bolo that features a cabachon of ribbon cut turquoise. I bought this stone last year from my friend, Andy Brown, who mined it in the Hachita Mountains of southern New Mexico. He calls this a ribbon cut because the seam of turquoise goes across the surface of the stone like a colorful ribbon. I decided to use the antique brown 6 strand leather bolo because that color is also in the surrounding matrix of the stone. I made the tips to look like rattlesnakes, crawling up the tips of the bolo cord. (In Andy's honor, since he was bitten by one a few years ago while walking home one night. But don't worry, he's fine now!)
January 15, 2020 | Permalink
Just in time for Christmas, I made this angel pin/pendant using a natural white veracite stone from Cerrillos, New Mexico as her skirt. She measures 1-5/8" high and 1-7/8" across. Designed primarily as a lapel pin, I am including a converter that I made from sterling tubing so she can also be worn on a choker or a chain as a pendant. To get the "feathers" on her wings, I rolled the sterling sheet through my rolling mill with lace on both sides, which crushed the lace into the surface of the silver.
November 15, 2019 | Permalink
October 02, 2018 | Permalink
I asked my local friend, Chris Whitley for some North Carolina stones to feature at the 2018 State Fair & he brought me a few interesting cabachons. This one was found in Johnston County, the next county to mine. Chris polished both sides & I noticed that on the back side, I could see the head & face of a deer, looking out through the foliage. So the back of this pendant has an opening in the trees on the right side and the deer image is just to the right of the center tree!
September 30, 2018 | Permalink
I have always been fascinated by psilomelane, since I first discovered it years ago at a gem show. It is a black, banded manganese oxide that is formed deep in the earth under great pressure. My challenge was to design a pendant from this piece that would mimic the curving bands of the mineral. It will look good if worn with a solid choker, as shown, or on a chain.
March 12, 2018 | Permalink
I have long been attracted to the shimmering chatoyancy of the blue, black and gold grain of Pietersite. My friend, Chris Whitley cut and polished both sides of this stone so I could design a pendant that is reversible. This stone was first found and is still mined in Namibia, South Africa. My design reflects my love of the out-of-doors, with a combination of leaves and other vegetation. My maker's marks are hidden in the loop at the top and the pendant is about 1-1/4" in length.
February 18, 2018 | Permalink
I bought this piece of rich blue Kyanite from my friend, Chris Whitley, because I loved the wonderful bands of color. I often keep a stone for a while before designing a piece of jewelry that accents it. This pendant is a result of several months of that waiting process. I created this piece so it can be worn with either side exposed and my "makers marks" are concealed inside the loops at the top. It measures just over 2" in length.
February 18, 2018 | Permalink
I bought this amazing piece of Kingman, Arizona turquoise from Andy Brown in Los Cerrillos, N.M. in June. It has a combination of areas of rich sky blue, of black and of shiny silvery pyrite. Quite unlike any piece of turquoise that I have ever seen.....I had to have it! It can be worn on a choker or a chain necklace.
October 04, 2017 | Permalink
This my last piece of unused turquoise that I brought home from my latest trip to Santa Fe, N.M. in June. It was mined, cut and polished by Andy Brown of Los Cerrillos, N.M. I was reminded of looking up at the clear blue sky through the trees in Andy's backyard and decided that this would be the inspiration for this pendant. It can be worn with the stone showing or with the reverse side of solid silver vegetation visible.
October 01, 2017 | Permalink
I bought this opaque dendritic opal cabachon from Madagascar from my friend, Chris Whitley, several years ago. I have been waiting for the right inspiration for how to best use it. The colors reminded me of a snowy winter sky, especially if you hold it up and let the light come through. Because Chris polished both sides, I was able to make a pendant that is reversible.
September 27, 2017 | Permalink
I bought this elongated teardrop turquoise cabachon from my friend, Andy Brown, this past June. He mined it in Hachita in southern New Mexico. I wasn't sure how I was going to use it, so I waited for an inspiration to come to me and this inverted design evolved. I will have it for sale at the 2017 NC State Fair in the Village of Yesteryear, beginning on October 12th.
September 13, 2017 | Permalink
July 01, 2017 | Permalink
When I saw this special piece of turquoise from the Hachita mountains of southern New Mexico, I knew that it would be the centerpiece of a unique pendant. It has a natural cross image that is formed across the tan matrix stone. It inspired a 2-sided piece with the stone on the front and 3 crosses on the back. It was bought by the very first lady who saw it!
June 21, 2017 | Permalink
I recently returned from a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico with a fresh supply of stones from the Southwest. I saw the Pueblo Natives using a combination of spiny oyster shell from Equador with a variety of local turquoise to create their jewelry. Trading was very common among ancient peoples for many centuries and these mixtures of stones were common. This necklace incorporates these stones with my own design ideas for a fresh look.
June 19, 2017 | Permalink
This is a new necklace that I will be showing for the first time on October 13 in the Village of Yesteryear at the NC State Fair. I bought this beautiful turquoise stone in June, while on a trip to Santa Fe. My New Mexico friend, Andy Brown, got the rough stone at a mine in Royston, Nevada and then cut and polished it. The pendant can also be removed and the open front necklace can be worn by itself (but why would you?!?).
October 03, 2016 | Permalink
I designed this open front choker necklace to feature a piece of turquoise that was mined and cut by Andy Brown of Cerrillos, New Mexico. This area is part of the "Turquoise Trail" that has been mined by Native Americans since about 700 AD. I designed this piece so it can be worn with the stone in place or as a simple choker by itself.
September 17, 2016 | Permalink
This past May 2016, I bought this beautiful piece of turquoise that was mined in Royston, Arizona. I like to design necklaces that can be worn by themselves or with a well-crafted pendant that features a one-of-a-kind stone like this one. Andy Brown of Cerrillos, New Mexico cut and polished this stone.
September 17, 2016 | Permalink
July 14, 2016 | Permalink
Once again, I am inspired to design a creative open front necklace to feature a beautiful stone cut and polished by my friend, Chris Whitley. This agate has a center of black druzy quartz that is visible from either side, since Chris carefully polished both sides. The necklace can be worn with the pendant attached or by itself, after the pendant is slid off.
May 30, 2016 | Permalink
May 04, 2016 | Permalink
March 22, 2016 | Permalink
This is another beautiful piece of turquoise that tempted me on my last trip to Cerrillos, New Mexico. I just created this choker-style necklace to frame the shape of the stone. Andy Brown of Cerrillos mined the stone and polished it, so one again there are just two people between the ground and the customer!
March 18, 2016 | Permalink