“Seascape Series: Ink” — The minute I saw this breathtaking agate with a natural amethyst crystal “top,” cut by lapidary artist Keith Dull, I knew I would turn it over to make the upper part of a squid. I made Ink's arms and tentacles with metal clay. Two freshwater pearl beads make Ink’s eyes. The base under the stone is Argentium silver, the head, legs and bezel are fine silver, and the chain is sterling silver. $385
“All that Glitters” — This large Argentium silver bracelet cuff sports a big piece of simbircite — a stone named for the Simbirsk region of Russia, the area where these pyritized ammonite fossils are found — and a small piece of rainbow pyrite. I added a texture to the silver and a rich patina that ranges from a golden color to blue. The patina will gradually darken over time. The cuff will fit a medium to large wrist, male or female. $545
"Sea and Sky" -- For this piece, I paired two varieties of fossilized coral with a beautiful Regency Rose plume agate with a postcard sunset on fluffy clouds. I worked up a design to display the three stones as a set and reated celestial cutouts to provide a peek to the backs of each stone. I added a patina to the silver so the light colors of the stone would pop. Pendant is Argentium and fine silver. Necklace is sterling. $395
"A Drop of Roses" --Recently, I experimented with water casting, a technique that involves dripping molten silver into water. Ths most interesting of the resulting shapes looked like a rose blossom. I paired it with a lovely garden moss agate, cut by lapidary artist Ardi Maulana, and created leaves and stems as a bail. Sterling, Argentium and fine silver. $205
“Convergence” – I have never been to Morocco, but I understand African, Middle Eastern and Western European cultures converge there, with marketplaces that explode with color and variety. Before I knew where these two big agates were from, their brilliant colors and detailed patterns drew me in. Together, set in silver, they showcase a natural convergence of color, light and lines. I paired them with mookaite and garnet beads. $685
“Serengeti Series: Born to Run” — One of the most exciting animals I saw in the wild in Kenya was a cheetah. She was sitting under a tree, not running, but beautiful nonetheless. I found a cheetah hiding in this aptly named cheetah agate. One day, maybe I will get to see one of these powerful felines running at full tilt like the cheetah I hand-sawed on the back of the pendant.The base of the piece is Argentium silver. The bezel is fine silver, and the chain is sterling silver. $235
Even though I have many jewelry projects waiting in my queue, this colorful little Laguna lace agate shouted over the others, “Me! Me! Pick me!” The sides of the agate were too beautiful to cover with a bezel, so I prong-set the stone. The band, created by soldering three wires together, echoes the lines in the agate. I intentionally offset the ring band to align with the stone’s patterns. Setting is 0.935 Argentium and 0.925 sterling silver. Size 10.25. $150
"Crackling" -- This one-of-a-kind necklace features a rare shrinkwood cabochon, from Winnweiler, Germany. "Shrinkwood" refers to wood that, after preservation, broke apart, resulting in small cracks that naturally sealed back together with chalcedony. The stone and hand-sculpted copper flower are set on tarnish-resistant Argentium silver. The chain is sterling silver. The stone's pattern reminded me of patterns I have seen on geckos. Hence the "crackling" on the back. Available Aug. 9. $245
"Purple Dreams" -- I purchased these two stunning Morado opals separately, but when I laid them out together on my work bench, they seemed like extensions of each other, with their swirling, dreamy purple cloud patterns. The layout came together organically. I ran Argentium silver sheet metal through the rolling mill with a paper towel to create the soft mottled texture on the choker necklace and added a hematite bead in a little handmade flower cup for an accent. $345
"Color Me CockaTEAL" -- This statement-sized piece of chrysocolla with native copper displays a natural edge and druzy pockets. It is so filled with bright colors and textures that it brought to mind the tropical colors of Indonesia where the stone is from. I paired it with three flashy Australian opal doublets that reflect the hues in the bigger stone, and did a cutout on the back that is loosely based a cockatiel found in Indonesia. Setting is Argentium silver. Chain is sterling. Aug. 9. $335
“Cubism” — The lines and patterns in these beautiful Red Creek jasper stones are naturally occurring artwork. I have framed that art on tarnish-resistant Argentium silver and extended the lines beyond these miniature “canvasses,” using a combination of copper wire and sterling silver half bead wire. The chain and lever-back ear wires are sterling silver. Available Aug. 9. Necklace: $210. Earrings: $125. If purchased as a set, $300.
Rare kyanite, with its shimmery shades of blue, dangle from flashy Australian opals on these one-of-a-kind, artisan-created earrings. The dangles turn on fine silver chains to showcase beautiful hand-sawed iris flowers. Sterling silver hooks. $169
"Abstraction" -- The rich, warm colors and patterns in this Cherry Creek jasper jewelry set bring to mind jungle scenes, with palm fronds, vines and branches, as though represented in an abstract painting. That is why, for the “frame,” I added extensions that aligned with natural lines in the stones and why I impressed a palm leaf pattern on the silver backs. Pendant and earrings are tarnish-resistant silver, accented with copper "dewdrops." Chain and ear wires are sterling. $340 for set.
This statement-sized cuff bracelet features a one-of-a-kind high-quality sodalite stone, with orange and white patterning across the bright blue background. The tarnish-resistant argentium silver cuff features a subtle texture that complements the pattern on the stone. Medium, adjustable bracelet. $295
Cut by lapidary artist Robert Johannes, these lavender-colored jadeite teardrop earrings are set in sterling silver and paired with dangling amethyst beads. The earrings are designed to be reversible, with the backs featuring hand-pierced iris flower peekaboos to the Turkish jadeite. $150
“Footpath to the Heavens” – When I first saw this stunning piece of Red Falcon jasper, I immediately thought of the mountain settings in Taiwan that are home to beautiful pagoda temples. I incorporated diamond-shaped red garnet beads reminiscent of the pagoda roofs, along with a two-sided bale that mimics the gentle flare often found on those rooftops. The pendant is tarnish-resistant Argentium silver, suspended from a sterling silver chain. $235
“Serengeti Series: Memory Maker” — They say elephants never forget, but I will never forget the elephants I saw in Kenya. When I received this Indonesian jasper, the unforgettable face was staring out from the stone, with a tiny sparkling vug for an eye. I paired it with some little ruby beads that bring out the red in the larger stone. The pendant is Argentium and fine silver. The chain is sterling. $255
The settings for these Cumobabi turquoise earrings are hand-hammered 0.935 Argentium silver. Cut by lapidary artist Robert Johannes, these turquoise stones are all natural. The finished earrings are approximately 24 x 33 mm, not including the sterling silver hooks -- big enough to be showy, small enough to not be too heavy. $145
"Bones" — This beautiful piece of fossilized gem dinosaur bone, with its rich, warm colors, inspired the design of this reversible necklace and the playful namesake frolicking on the flipside, playing with a bone that is more manageable in size. I created “Bones” with Anderson Humane in mind, so I will donate proceeds from the sale of this piece in the name of whoever buys it. Argentium and sterling silver. $225
"Sandy" -- Bruneau jasper, a favorite mine, is becoming quite rare since access was cut off 10 years ago. This piece is exceptional, and I wanted to showcase the "dunes," so I extended the lines in the stone with 14k gold wire and applied a patina to darken the 0.935 silver setting so the gold wires would pop visually. I cut a small peekaboo to the back of the stone, where you'll meet Sandy, hanging out by her favorite palm tree. The reversible pendant is 70 x 62 mm. Chain is sterling. $385