Above ground, in the heat of the summer the solstice happens and nature turns ripe.
Below ground, in the heat of the earth magic happens and stones turn otherworldly.
The collection I am working on now features extraordinarily strange and otherworldly stones – stones that are said to vibrate with intensity.
Discovered in faraway Greenland in 1962, Tugtupite is a unique mineral crystal – rare due to the difficulty in unearthing them in an extremely cold, icy environment. Tugtupite, when left in the sun, brightens in intensity and can go from cotton candy pink to a luscious hot cherry – then fades in the dark. The heat of the color is said to stimulate passion, open and boost the health of the heart and enhance creativity.
This year, during Jewelry Week in Las Vegas, I selected some extremely scarce Leopard Opals – known only to be found in Zimapán, Hidalgo State, Mexico. According to researchgate.net this opal deposit may have been worked in pre-Columbian times. The play of light against the black & white basalt stone brings the opal glints to life – flashing and sparkling in the sun.
Another dazzling stunning stone I’ll be working with is celebrated for its intense green color and identified as Diopside Druzy – diopside meaning “double appearance” in Greek. The druzy, with its many tiny reflective crystals found on the surface of the diopside, creates a stone that truly dazzles as double appearance. Found in Thailand, China, India and Brazil, druzy crystal is a highly sought-after precious substance generally thought to promote fresh ideas, fortify strength and provide a calming effect.
I’ve just moved into a new studio and it’s a perfect workplace for creating stunning settings for these extraordinarily strange and otherworldly stones.
Yours,
