stone stories
Before a stone even leaves the Earth, it has traveled! Heat and pressure, tectonic movements, the slow movement of water through rock over long periods of time – many processes cause beautiful gemstones and interesting rocks to form. Here, we present the stories behind the jewelry – what is it, where did it come from, how did it form? Over time, we will add new stories to this page to enhance your appreciation of each stone’s unique passage through space and time.
“We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and to be willing to take care of it, we have to love it”
Wendell Berry
Agate
Agate is a banded, fine-grained silica – the same composition as quartz, but the grains are so fine, you can’t see them with the eye or with a hand-lens. By definition, agate is banded. It is a common form of silica, but some places are known for the beautiful banding.
Amazonite
a distinctive colored microcline, a k-rich feldspar
Basalt
In 2018, all eyes are on the erupting volcanic magmas of Hawaii – rivers, fountains, and vertical plumes – all producing a dark, fine-grained rock known as basalt.
Bronzitite
This dark stone is an igneous rock – similar to basalt, this rock cooled under the Earth’s surface and dark, bronze colored pyroxenes crystallized.
Chalcedony
a cryptocrystalline form of silica
Fossils
Fossils – the evidence of life over time.
Garnet
Garnets are one of earth’s great travelers!
Jasper
Opal
Opal is silica, just like quartz, agate, jasper and other silica minerals. However, opal does not have a crystaline structure, but is made up of tiny amorphous balls – lined up and organized to various degrees.
Serpentine
This fine grain, banded serpentine rock is commercially known as riccolite, commonly used as an ornamental stone in building.
Smoky Quartz
Natural smoky quartz is the same composition as clear or white quartz, but there is a small amount of radiation damage causing the smoky color.
Tiger‘s Eye
Tiger’s Eye is a name for a beautiful stone – not a mineral in itself, but with a characteristic luster. Originally a metamorphic rock containing the highly dangerous asbestos mineral Crocidolite, the asbestos formed crocidolite was replaced with quartz, preserving the original texture. NOW Tiger’s Eye is quartz, and it is found in very old geologic regions of the Earth. Western Australia and South As known for fine Tiger’s Eye and Sou