Worldly Agates

Another favorite natural gemstone that I work with are Agates; giving me much inspiration to create. A common, semiprecious type of chalcedony, Agate is the compact, microcrystalline variety of quartz. In general, its physical properties are those of quartz. Most agates form in cavities in ancient lavas or other extrusive igneous rocks. They are characterized for the most part by color bands in a concentric form, and less often by moss-like inclusion (Moss Agate). The characteristic bands usually follow the outline of the cavity win which the mineral has formed. The band colors are determined by the differing impurities present, and occur in shades of white, yellow, grey, pale blue, brown, pink, red, or black. Much of the sliced agate offered on the market in particularly bright colors is dyed or stained to enhance the natural color, an easy process because of its porous nature. It is found in former volcanic regions such as Black Forest, Saxony, Germany; Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, United States, and Indian peninsula.

History & Legend
Historically, the name Agate is derived from the river Achates in Sicily. The Greek philosopher Theophrastrus described this gem as early as 300 b.c. and in Byzantium people already knew how to enhance the color of agate by burning.

Agates are among the oldest good luck and healing of natural gemstones. Because of its layered structure, agate was often used for the cameo engraving of heads and coats of arms against deeper underlying color.

Agates enable the wearer to choose between true friends and false ones. It is said to avert storms and lightening, protect children from danger, bring prosperity and prevent miscarriages. Traditional properties include balancing physical-emotional-intellectual and spiritual energies, perceptiveness, strength, inspiration, and awakening talents within the wearer. Red agates are related to the solar plexus chakra; blue agates are associated with the throat chakra. Its star sign is for Taurus and Capricorns to sensitize and strengthen willpower. Agates should be worn directly on the skin and cleansed once a month under warm running water.



*Information reprinted from various rock, mineral and gemstone books.

Red Flame Agate

I came across this beautiful cabochon Red Flame Agate at Tucson and couldn’t resist it! I did traditional wire work in copper and hung it from an off tone matching ribbon cord. It is removable like most of the pendants I create and can be put on another cord or chain.


Agates: Balancing physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies; perceptiveness, strength, inspiration, awakening talents.




For more pendants visit Timeless Designs.

Tucson in Review

A week in Tucson, the weather was great at about 80 degrees everyday; vendors were wonderful and I was able to find many new and unusual stones for new designs this year! Whew, it was a wild and long week, hand picking thru all the merchandize, looking for that perfect strand that reflected the personalities of many of my great clients!

The week started out by visiting across the freeway from the Tucson Convention Center to the Street Vendors….miles and miles of vendors selling wears; anything from raw materials strait from the mines, polished undrilled stones to strands of beads; for as far as the eyes could see! The afternoon was spent at JOGS a favorite buying ground for many wholesale purchases. They play host to many international dealers from as far away as Poland for Amber to China for Pearls and many great U.S. dealers from AZ, NM, TX, CA, and NY. Here you could find many types of stones, finished jewelry pieces and geodes of many shapes and sizes.


The next several days included highlights to GL&W shows Gem Mall and Holidome, JGX (a miniture AGTA show), and back to JOGs and the Street Vendors.

Many great finds from deep red coral, apple red sponge coral, turquoise, ivoryite, pipestone, white magnesite (howlite), lapis, crystals, freshwater cultured pearls, agates, jaspers, pendants, copper, sterling silver and gold vermeil findings and on the very last day I was able to come across some Wild Horse Magnesite – WOW, what a find direct from mine!!



I’m very excited to begin designing with the unusual cuts, colors and stones that I found in Tucson! In the coming weeks I’ll be premiering the designs here on the blog and also on our website. For now, I’ll be busy over the next few days getting everything inventoried and then begin working in the studio!


In the meantime, over the next few weeks we will continue to mark down and deeply discount existing designs to make room for our new ones! Get in on some great deals while you can, before the original pieces and Sale are gone gone gone!

Unusual & Exotic – Turritella Fossil Agate

Turritella Agate is not right. It is not an Agate, but more closely related to Jasper, like Petrified Wood. It is not a fossil of Turritella Gastropods, but a fossil of Elimia Tenera Gastropods. Elimia Tenera are fresh water snails (gastropods) that share a very similar shape to ocean born Turritellas. Which means these dear little crystal companions are in desperate need of a more appropriate name.

The story of these lively prehistoric gems begins in early Tertiery times (approximately 60 million years ago). A series of geological events were causing the uplifting of mountains that eventually would be known as the Rockies. As the land lifts upwards it forms three Eocene Age lakes in the area of Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Utah. Geologists have named them the Fossil, Ulinta and Gosiute Lakes. Life thrived within the waters and along the shorelines of these lakes. Other fossilized material from the area shows that plant life, reptiles and fish flourished along with the millions of fresh water gastropods and bi-valves. During those long ago days, residents of the lakes enjoyed a subtropical climate, but also lived under the constant threat of volcanic eruptions.

Mortality layers containing volcanic ash throughout the area suggest that there were numerous cycles of life and extinction over the millennia. It was the violent eruptions of the nearby volcanos which helped to create a pristine environment for fossils to form. Whole schools of the primal Kenightia (looks like a Herring) fish have been found in the fossilized beds of the Eocene lakes. Palm Trees, Turtles and Crocodile imprints have been found along what would have been the lakes' shorelines. The poorly named gemstone, Turritella Agate comes from the floor of these primordial lakes. Continued eruptions and fallout from the region's volcanos allowed much of the lakes' bottoms to be buried in ash as the lakes retreated or dried up (geologists are not sure what really happened to the lakes).

Essentially the mud and everything in it became petrified; frozen in stone. Besides the mis-identified Elimia Tenera gastropods, these fossil crystals also contain prehistoric bi-valves called Pleisielliptio and Sphaerium. Other varieties of ancient snails like Hydrobia and Valvata, plus some rarer Biomphalaria and Lymnaea are also found in Turritella Agates. In Sweetwater County Wyoming the petrified lake floor is up to two feet thick covering several acres (and miles in some cases).

While Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Montana are the only sources for Turritella Agates, there seems to be some evidence that other such deposits may exist on the planet. An archeological dig in the Czech Republic revealed beads containing fossils of Gastropods that are almost 30,000 years old.

Traditional Properties & Beliefs
All Fossils are very well tuned for journeying into past lives. The extra high energy in the Turritella Agate adds a turbo boost to your journey. The abundance of frozen life within a single gem helps you to "see" clearer and understand more quickly the impressions and images you receive during your journey.

Are you having trouble solidifying a solution to a nagging problem? Every time you reach for the answer it slips away? Or you get bogged down in your own muddy thoughts and emotions? Try a quiet meditation with this dark crystal. Its long ago past was also muddy and slippery. Anytime something moved upon the surface, muck was stirred up and vision was clouded. You see this same entity today, everything is crystal clear. Every curve of every snail or clam is easy to see, easy to understand, easy to deal with. Just like problems, if we are patient and allow time for the dust to settle.
An excellent crystal for healing and clearing the Base and Crown Chakra. It may also increase physical energy, especially when the body is being challenged by fatigue or stress. Turritella Agates may also aid with the absorption of vitamins and minerals like Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium and vitamin A. Most importantly in healing, this gem teaches survival against all odds. No matter how mucky and gross things are right now, eventually everything crystallizes into perfection.

Reprinted from Ore’s Featured Gemstones – Turritella Agates

Morocco Agate, Kamaba & Sandy Jasper, Butterscotch Quartz

A few more designs from the studio, a mix of natural gemstones with wire sculpture.


The first two designs feature Morocco Agate a very nice stone that is a conglomerate of colors; one design is 3 strands of floating gemstones; accented with glass pink lined seed beads. The second design features the same Agate but mixed with copper, Swarovski crystals, and freshwater cultured pearls. Both designs draw on the Morocco Agate, but give totally different looks when mixed with different combinations of beads, glass, crystals and colors.




The third design is mixing bold Kamaba Jasper with Butterscotch Quartz, Sandy Jasper and beige lined glass seed bead accents, and then finished with non-tarnish brass wire links.

You can see these and more of our new (and current) designs available for purchase on our website!

Turquoise Agate & Pearls

A brand new design for 2009 and in to two of the most requested colors/gemstones of Turquoise and navy blue. A natural gemstone combination of China Turquoise with a nice brown/rust matrix grain, navy Madagascar Agate that is slightly marbled in gray and cultured freshwater Pearls shaped in natural teardrops; all accented by glass beige lined seed beads and sterling silver open spacers.





This piece is bold and classy for the Spring/Summer 2009 collection and would look just great with any business suite or a pair of jeans, white t-shirt and jacket. Whatever the occasion, this little number will add a touch of spice to your outfit!


Healing and Traditional Properties
Agates: Balancing physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies; perceptiveness, strength, inspiration, awakening
Pearl: Purity, faith, charity, innocence, integrity, focus, wisdom, spirituality, sincerity, fertility.
Turquoise: Spiritual attunement, cleansing, healing, protection, valor, soothing, peace of mind, guidance through the unknown, romantic spontaneity.

It is available for purchase along with many other designs on our website. Bookmark and watch our website, this is the first of many more designs to come for our Spring/Summer 2009 collection!

Wire Favorites

These are my favorite designs done over the past year that have been accented with wire sculpture. I enjoyed making these designs and coming up with more and more wire sculputre to accent the beauty of the gemstones. Next year I'll be taking advanced wire working classes and as I perfect the designs, will be adding more wire sculpture to many of my jewelry designs!


The first is made with an unusual gemstone in Turritella Agate accented with cultured freshwater pearls, Smoky Quartz and put together with handcrafted wire coiled links made in non-tarnish silver. This was one of the first designs I did with coiled links, I later graduated into double coiled links in different designs.

The second one is a more bold, flirty and classy look all in one! This piece again has the coiled links, but in black artistic and non-tarnish brass wires. Charmed in the center of each coiled loop is an awesome faceted Sardonxy Agate in marbled colors of black, brown, white and cream. I dangled 3 of the Agates from the center of necklace to act as a swing pendant. The matching earrings are made of Agate, including a dark brown round agate and Onyx.

The next design is a favorite of almost everyone who sees it. Beautiful handcrafted spiral links in non-tarnish silver and then accented with stabilized Turquoise nuggets and a medium freeform pendant that I accented in the same wire. The earrings are made of the same wire in smaller coils and have the same Turquoise nuggets.

Gemstone Pendants

Gemstone pendants, all natures’ beauties in their own right, in Peruvian Blue or Pink Opal, Red Jasper, Red Quartz/Jasper, and Amazonite.


Wire work is handcrafted in non-tarnish silver and brass wire of spirals, twists and turns, then hung from multi-colored ribbon cords with silver lobster claw claps.



Some are listed on my website, while the entire collection will be available at the Holiday Shopping Extravaganza this weekend. A very inexpensive gift or stocking stuffer for anyone this holiday season, and comes complete with a gift box ready for giving!

Lapidary Natural Gemstone Rough Slabs

I found a really great website for those who are looking for rough slabs. Natural gemstone slabs can be cut, drilled and polished for making your own beads, pendants, cabochons, and lapidary items. The site is called Great Slabs, offering a huge selection of rough slabs; some very hard to find and some that are very common. They offer either slab assortments or you can browse thru their wide selection of individual natural gemstone lists. Whatever you are looking for, check them out. Their front page displays a new material from Uruguay, Dendritic Agate, and a beautiful almost transparent agate from the quartz family.

Gemstones In Agate Turquoise Ivoryite

Natural gemstones in navy blue Agates, Turquoise and Ivoryite (white buffalo Turquoise) make up this beautifully bold piece. I was lucky enough to come across the Ivoryite on the Tucson adventure and is not a common gemstone to find.

A little about Ivoryite; Ivoryite with the Silicate present, is a bit Ivory in color, hence the name. In addition to the opaque material in slabs, it can also be found in crystalline form, and can be faceted into a clear stone resembling a white Zircon. The stone is often referred to by Native Americans as White Turquoise or White Buffalo Turquoise, and it should not be confused with white Howlite, a more common found gemstone. So many geological chains of events must synchronize to create just one thin vein of turquoise that the mineral Turquoise can rightly be envisioned as a fluke of nature, so the white is considered by most to be impossible.

So what is called White Buffalo Turquoise, which should be correctly called ‘Magnesite’ or better yet ‘Ivoryite’ which forms near Turquoise deposits, but as a totally different chemical compound. Magnesite will be a pure white or creamy white in color, opaque and normally without any veining. It is so rare to find, that only a couple of dealers in the United States are allowed on the Shoshone Reservation where it is found to dig the material. Similar material can also be found in smaller quantities and size in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada. Magnesite and Ivoryite however are not the same as Howlite, yet another gemstone meant for another educational lesson!

This necklace is a longer length than I usually design, it is 26.5” long and has matching hoop earrings. Some of the Turquoise has been caged in silver wire; then accented with beige lined seedbeads. The design will make a huge statement for anyone…causal with a jean blazer, t-shirt and jeans or dress up for an evening with a dark blue or beige dress. Any way you look, it’s a great piece to be adding to your natural gemstone jewelry collection!

This lovely set is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Sun Zodiac Gemstones

Everyone knows what their Birthstone is; but how many know their Sun or Zodiac gemstone? According to the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), “Most gem scholars agree that the tradition of birthstones arose from the Breastplate of Aaron: a ceremonial religious garment set with twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel and also corresponded with the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the year.Because ancient people did not always classify gemstones by mineral species like we do, there is some debate about which gemstones were set in the breastplate and why. Because of this, different cultures around the world have developed different birth stone lists. The modern day list that you know is only the most recent list: some older lists still exist. Some also argue that the proper way to assign gemstones is according to astrological sign and not month.”

Below is a list of the Sun/Zodiac Signs and their corresponding gemstone or birthstone. If you’d like to choose yours based on your actual birth date, you can go the ICA website and use their Gem-o-Matic to discover your actual or preferred gemstone for your birthday, anniversary or any other date you like.


Sun Sign = Birthstone
Capricorn 12/22 – 1/20 – Ruby, Agate, Garnet
Aquarius 1/21 – 2/19 – Garnet, Moss Agate, Opal, Amethyst
Pisces 2/20 – 3/20 – Rock Crystal, Sapphire, Amethyst, Bloodstone
Aries 3/21-4/20 – Bloodstone, Diamond
Taurus 4/21-5/21 – Sapphire, Turquoise, Amber, Blood Coral, Emerald
Gemini 5/22-6/21 – Agate, Chrysoprase, Pearl
Cancer 6/22-7/23 – Emerald, Moonstone, Pearl, Ruby
Leo 7/24-8/23 – Tourmaline, Sardonyx, Onyx
Virgo 8/24-9/23 – Jasper, Carnelian, Jade, Sapphire
Libra 9/24-10/23 – Opal, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot
Scorpio 10/24-11/22 – Aquamarine, Topaz
Sagittarius 11/23-12/21 – Sapphire, Amethyst, Turquoise, Topaz

Agate Gemstones a Worldwide Beauty

Agate gemstones are one of my favorite and most versatile gemstones to design many of my jewelry pieces. Agate is the Mystical birthstone for September, the birth stone for the Zodiac sign of Gemini and the accepted gemstone for the 12th and 14th wedding anniversaries. Agate, a hard stone can be found in all colors of the rainbow, though green and blue are quite rare. It is a variety of chalcedony formed from layers of quartz which usually show varicolored bands, usually occurring as rounded nodules or veins. Some of the beauty of an Agate comes from the tiny quartz crystal formations within the stone, each one causing a uniqueness and individually to every stone. These pockets of crystals are called drusy and lapidaries often cut the drusy from the agate as cabochons to accent with stones in jewelry designs.
Common varieties of Agates include; moss agate, eye agate, plume agate, and Mexican lace agate. Some named varieties are: banded agate, blue lace agate, Botswana agate, crazy lace agate, fire agate, turretella agate, and Indian agate, just to name a few. There are literally thousands of localities worldwide where agate specimens can be found and mined. Many of the agates are named for the localities from which they are mined. Most common places are Africa, Asia, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Napal and the United States.
Agate is believed to discern truth, accept circumstances, and is a powerful emotional healer. Legend says that Agate improves memory and concentration, increases stamina and encourages honesty. Agate is said to be particularly beneficial to people born under the sign of Gemini as it helps them to remain calm and focused
It is believed to prevent insomnia and insure pleasant dreams, to enhance personal courage and protect one against danger. Agate provides a calming influence, improves perception, concentration and helps to develop and increase one's analytical talents.

Visit my Etsy shop for designs that include the Agate gemstone.

Dramatic Saradonyx Agate & Links Necklace – New!

This is my newest design hot off the design board and making a bold and mystic debut at 24.5” long! I really love how this one came out; I might even say it is my ‘newest’ favorite for a while. This one took some time, about 4 hours to complete.


Each spiral link is handcrafted using non-tarnish brass and black wires and then ‘charmed’ together. I was going for a dramatic look by adding Saradonyx Agate gemstones in beautiful tones of black, brown and white in a suspended dangle from each link, adding three as a center pendant. Full of fall colors for an elegant evening out or just casual wear.

Coils, Spirals, & Links Oh MY!

I took a wire class last March and found that my jewelry making passion was in wire. It has become almost as addicting as my passion for silver jewelry! My instructor told the class that if you can push a string into any type of a position, then you can ‘push and pull’ wire into any design as well. There are the more traditional forms of wire work done by wire wrapping a cabochon gemstone pendant…several can be seen in my Etsy shop. I do enjoy wire wrapping, however I’ve found that wire sculpture is more my style and passion.
I call it wire sculpture because you are literally sculpting the wire into any design. Working with the wire to create any design in any direction is much more ‘free form’ for me. It lets me mold the wire into anything my imagination can create. Whenever possible, I try to incorporate wire into my designs, whether via a simple link or a more in-depth spiral design. And I don’t limit it to just necklaces; I also use the wire sculpture in earrings and pendants.

You can learn to work with wire by taking a class at your local craft/hobby store, buying a book or by visiting one of these sites: Wire WigJig or Wire Sculpture. As for me, I’ll be back in class as soon as I can learning much more advanced techniques from my favorite instructor!


For jewelry designs in wire, visit my Etsy shop!
Note: Etsy prices are shown in USD.

From Studio Creative Desk to Finished Jewelry Designs

Many ask ‘How do you create these designs?’ Well, many designs come from the inspiration of the stones themselves. Here is a picture from my studio design desk, where I design all the jewelry. You can see that it is a mass of ribbon cord, wire, tools, a design board, stones, and much more. This particular set of stones I’m working with was hand-picked and purchased at the Tucson International Gem Show this past February. They are an array of gemstone pendants from Green Seraphine, Pink Peruvian Opal, Blue Peruvian Opal, Icy Opalite, Agates, and Jaspers.
I create and design whatever comes to mind as I shape and mold the wire with the gemstone pendants. Sometimes the designs are just wire and sometimes I add accents in other stones, crystals, or metal beads. These particular gemstone pendants are then hung from coordinating ribbon cords, ranging from 16” (41cm) to 22” (56cm). Each pendant bail is made large enough to remove and wear on another style necklace or put one your own pendants on the ribbon cord. You are actually getting a multi-functional necklace with these designs.



Once completed, I then photograph with different backgrounds and props; download to the computer and crop; list into my inventory and then put in my Etsy shop, available for purchase!