Lapidary comes to my workshop
So I'm super excited about a new turn in my jewelry making. I've aquired some rock cutting equipment and am learning lapidary skills. I've always used regional turquoise from Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico and have been wanting to increase my regional offerings so last year I introduced jade sourced from Wyoming. To get hyper-local I figured I would be interesting to start cutting some of the stones I find while hiking here in my own county, Sublette County.
Sublette County is a huge piece of land and mostly public land. It's amazingly beautiful and varied in geography. We have high sage-brush desert in the southern half of the county and large granite mountains in the north. A lot of the land was carved by glaciers during the ice age so there are large boulders and glacial moraines at the base of the high peaks of the Wind River Range. The desert used to be a vast ocean and is part of the Green River Formation. People find all sorts of cool fossils in Wyoming and Sublette County and south is no exception. If you go a little farther south from Sublette County you get to Kemmerer, Wyoming, a small town known for the Green River fossils, millions of little fish fossils (below is a photo of one I have in my kitchen) as well as palm fronds, prehistoric crocodiles and birds.
The jade in Wyoming is found in the center of the state near Lander and Casper and it varies in greens to pitch black that shines up like a mirror. I love the jade found here and this is especially one of the reasons I am beginning my lapidary journey; I want to cut unusual shapes for my jewelry. Besides jade we have quite a bit of interesting agate and jasper of varying patterns and colors. So now that the snow is melting I can go rockhounding with pals, what a good time.
(fossilized algae with the corner polished up)
By the way...an interesting thing about the word 'lapidary'... it comes from the Latin word for rock: 'lapis'. You hear 'lapis' used for Lapis Lazuli is a popular blue stone, often found in Afghanistan, and that name simply means Stone Blue (lazuli coming from the word 'azure').
Tags
- wyoming (28)
- handmade (21)
- pinedale (21)
- one of a kind (18)
- isabel jewelry (17)
- custom (16)
- unique (16)
- inspiration (14)
- sublette county (13)
- artisan (10)
- jewelry (10)
- gemstones (9)
- wind river range (9)
- sterling silver (8)
- silver (7)
- 14K (6)
- artistry (6)
- artwork (6)
- gems (6)
- gold (6)
- pinedale wyoming (6)
- ring (6)
- gemology (5)
- green (5)
- hammered (5)
- hammered ring (5)
- jade (5)
- sculpture (5)
- turquoise (5)
- white gold (5)
- blue (4)
- bracelet (4)
- isabel jewerly (4)
- rocky mountains (4)
- wildlife (4)
- wyoming jade (4)
- art (3)
- citrine (3)
- colored stones (3)
- copper (3)
- earrings (3)
- elk ivory (3)
- engagement (3)
- engagement ring (3)
- gallery (3)
- gia (3)
- holidays (3)
- metal (3)
- metalsmith (3)
- nephrite jade (3)
- quartz (3)
- red (3)
- rings (3)
- rose gold (3)
- wedding (3)
- backpacking (2)
- bespoke (2)
- black (2)
- carving (2)
- casper wyoming (2)
- crystals (2)
- customize (2)
- diamonds (2)
- fishing the green river (2)
- fly fishing (2)
- fremont peak (2)
- freshwater (2)
- gannett peak (2)
- glass (2)
- green river (2)
- hammered earrings (2)
- happiness (2)
- happy (2)
- hiker (2)
- hikers (2)
- hiking (2)
- hip (2)
- ice (2)
- jackson hole (2)
- jewelry blog (2)
- lander wyoming (2)
- lapidary (2)
- lapis (2)
- leaves (2)
- metalsmithing (2)
- mica (2)
- mother's jewelry (2)
- necklaces (2)
- new year (2)
- paintings (2)
- peace (2)
- pearls (2)
- public art (2)
- public sculpture (2)
- repousse (2)
- rock (2)
- shapes (2)
- stones (2)
- summer (2)
- tucson (2)
- utah (2)
- winter (2)
- wyoming wedding (2)
- yellow (2)
- 14 K rose gold (1)
- 2015 (1)
- 5-year anniversary (1)
- african (1)
- agate (1)
- akoya (1)
- alissa davies (1)
- american (1)
- american west (1)
- amethyst (1)
- ann arndt (1)
- apatite (1)
- arizona (1)
- art exhibit (1)
- art reception (1)
- artisan engagement ring (1)
- artist (1)
- asymetrical earrings (1)
- australian opal (1)
- autumn (1)
- backpacker (1)
- backpackers (1)
- beading (1)
- below zero (1)
- best of wyoming (1)
- bicycle (1)
- bikers (1)
- birth (1)
- birthdates (1)
- birthstones (1)
- blacktooth (1)
- blue foam (1)
- boards (1)
- bohemian (1)
- boxcar arts (1)
- bracelets (1)
- bright colors (1)
- brown (1)
- buy art (1)
- buy art online (1)
- buy handmade (1)
- cabin fever (1)
- cabochon (1)
- canoe (1)
- canoeing the green river (1)
- care (1)
- carnelian (1)
- celebrate (1)
- center for the arts (1)
- chalcedony (1)
- changes (1)
- chasing (1)
- chasing and repousse (1)
- chert (1)
- children (1)
- cirque of the towers (1)
- cirque of towers (1)
- clasps (1)
- cleaning (1)
- cleaning jewelry (1)
- climber (1)
- cold (1)
- colored glass (1)
- colors (1)
- common (1)
- community (1)
- contemporary artist (1)
- contemporary western (1)
- continental divide (1)
- copper bracelet (1)
- coziness (1)
- crafting (1)
- crafts (1)
- cuff (1)
- culture front (1)
- custom engagement ring (1)
- custom jeweler (1)
- custom made (1)
- custom ring (1)
- custom wedding ring (1)
- customers (1)
- custum (1)
- cutting (1)
- cycle greater yellowstone (1)
- cycle of life (1)
- death (1)
- december (1)
- deep dark winter (1)
- delsa allen (1)
- designer (1)
- detail work (1)
- diamond (1)
- dinosaur bone (1)
- DIY photography (1)
- elk hunting (1)
- elk ivory jewelry (1)
- elk ivory ring (1)
- engraved (1)
- engraving (1)
- epoxy (1)
- equality (1)
- escaping winter (1)
- extreme cold (1)
- fabric (1)
- fabrication (1)
- faceted (1)
- family jewelry (1)
- family time (1)
- feldspar (1)
- fiberglass (1)
- folk dance art (1)
- fossils (1)
- freezing (1)
- fremont lake (1)
- frozen lake (1)
- garnet (1)
- gemestones (1)
- gemstone (1)
- get local (1)
- gold ingot (1)
- gold ring (1)
- goldsmithing (1)
- gouache (1)
- grand teton national park (1)
- granite (1)
- greater yellowstone (1)
- green river formation (1)
- green river rendezvous (1)
- green stones (1)
- grey (1)
- GTNP (1)
- hammered jewelry (1)
- hand-painted (1)
- handcrafted (1)
- handmade rings (1)
- handmake buckle (1)
- heart lockets (1)
- heirloom (1)
- high quality (1)
- hipster (1)
- his and her rings (1)
- holidaze (1)
- homemade (1)
- how to make a gold ingot (1)
- how to photograph jewelry (1)
- husband (1)
- i hope that you are happy (1)
- i hope that you are joyous (1)
- i want you to be happy (1)
- icy shore (1)
- ingot mold (1)
- iolite (1)
- isabel jewelry and gallery (1)
- isabels jewelry (1)
- istagram (1)
- jackson wyoming (1)
- january (1)
- jasper (1)
- jeffrey city wyoming (1)
- jewelry bench (1)
- jewelry making (1)
- jewelry photography (1)
- jewelry store (1)
- jewelry videos (1)
- kemmerer (1)
- kemmerer wyoming (1)
- kids (1)
- lamp shades (1)
- landscape (1)
- lapis lazuli (1)
- leaf bracelet (1)
- LGBT (1)
- lifetime guarantee (1)
- live music (1)
- local (1)
- locally sourced (1)
- lockets (1)
- lost wax casting (1)
- loves it (1)
- lull (1)
- magnesite (1)
- material (1)
- medallion (1)
- meg daly (1)
- melting (1)
- mirrors (1)
- mixed media (1)
- mold making (1)
- molten metal (1)
- molten silver (1)
- mom's jewelry (1)
- mookaite (1)
- moonstone (1)
- moonstone jewelry (1)
- mosaic mirrors (1)
- mountain climber (1)
- mountain range (1)
- mountaineer (1)
- mountains (1)
- music (1)
- names (1)
- native american (1)
- native artists (1)
- natural inspiration (1)
- necklace (1)
- necklacess (1)
- nevada (1)
- nevada mined turquoise (1)
- new artwork (1)
- new ideas (1)
- new jewelry (1)
- new technique (1)
- one of a kind jewelry (1)
- oneofakind (1)
- online gallery (1)
- opal earring (1)
- orange (1)
- painting (1)
- patio music (1)
- peak bagger (1)
- pearl earrings (1)
- peridot (1)
- petroglyph inspired designs (1)
- petroglyphs (1)
- photo blog (1)
- photo sharing (1)
- photocollage (1)
- photography (1)
- photos (1)
- pink opal (1)
- pinterest (1)
- polishing (1)
- prairie blanket (1)
- public land (1)
- puritan (1)
- rainbow (1)
- rainbow moonstone (1)
- rare (1)
- rawhide hammer (1)
- rebirth (1)
- recycled gold (1)
- repousse bracelet (1)
- retail store (1)
- ride the divide (1)
- ring× sterling silver (1)
- roadtrip wyoming (1)
- rock climber (1)
- rock cycle (1)
- rockhound (1)
- rockhounding wyoming (1)
- rocks (1)
- rope border (1)
- rose (1)
- rose window necklace (1)
- sagebrush (1)
- sagebrush desert (1)
- sculptural (1)
- setting (1)
- silver buckle (1)
- silver hook (1)
- sketchbook (1)
- small sculpture (1)
- snake river (1)
- snow (1)
- snowflakes (1)
- snowing (1)
- soldering a seam (1)
- solstice (1)
- south seas (1)
- spanise ivy (1)
- sparkle (1)
- stamped earrings (1)
- stone (1)
- stop motion jewelry video (1)
- storing jewerly (1)
- subzero (1)
- summer music (1)
- sunday (1)
- support (1)
- tahitian (1)
- taking photos of jewelry (1)
- tapestries (1)
- taste of the tetons (1)
- teton (1)
- teton mountains (1)
- teton range (1)
- tetons (1)
- texture (1)
- thanksgiving (1)
- topaz (1)
- torch (1)
- tough (1)
- tour de wyoming (1)
- travelers (1)
- trout (1)
- trying new things (1)
- turquoise earrings (1)
- turquoise ring (1)
- upkeep (1)
- usa gemstone (1)
- videos (1)
- vimeo (1)
- warm (1)
- wax carving (1)
- wax model (1)
- weavings (1)
- wedding ring (1)
- western artists (1)
- willow blanket (1)
- wind (1)
- Wind River Mountains (1)
- wire (1)
- wool tapestries (1)
- work (1)
- workshop (1)
- wyoming artist (1)
- wyoming artists (1)
- wyoming cowgirl (1)
- wyoming gemstone (1)
- wyoming hunt (1)
- wyoming made (1)
- yellowstone (1)
Archives
- October 2019 (1)
- July 2019 (1)
- March 2018 (1)
- December 2016 (1)
- October 2016 (2)
- July 2016 (1)
- March 2016 (1)
- January 2016 (1)
- December 2015 (1)
- November 2015 (1)