Category Archives: Stones

Royston Conquest in the Treasure Chest….

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Isn’t it wonderful how there are always new goodies to share? I’ve recently acquired a vast amount of beautiful, natural, turquoise from the Royston Mine, Southwest…

~Royston Turquoise Mine~

Royston is actually a district that contains 3 different mines in Nevada. Royston mines, along with the Pilot Mountain mine, are known for their extreme color variations. Blues, greens, rusty bronze browns and dark colors spin together with or without matrixes to make these lovely stones look like landscapes. This rare turquoise is still being mined today and continues to be one of the most popular.

***all cabs below are great quality, no pits,

and currently all are up for grabs!***

for extreme stone detail-double click on a picture. please excuse the working hands…

this lovely especially is of very high quality, and features a stunning colouring and patterns:

the darlings below are great for matching (earrings or gauges):

The Royston Mine is similar to the pilot Mountain, Crow Springs/Bluebird, and Ajax Mines in that they all have some serious variation in colours, patterns, and quality. They are all roughly around the same area and the more variation on one stone, the more desired.

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Other new turquoise conquests have led me to matching pairs! These NATURAL BEAUTIES are from the White Buffalo Mine in Tonopah Nevada, and the Nacozari Mine in Sonora, Mexico. The round Nacozari pair would be perfect for any gauges 00 gauge or larger, or just huge statement earrings….all of these pairs are perfect for dangling earrings or hoops, see examples below that are in the GaugedbyStasia Etsy shop,

the White Buffalo hoops have already sold and are being worn with love ❤

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In other news, two new pieces have been added to the Shop today~

a sweet little pair of wampum studs, and a new necklace featuring wampum and Kings Manassa Mine turquoise…

the “West of the Woodlands” necklace

a blending of Woodlands Native (wampum) and Southwestern Native (turquoise)…

~*more jewelry coming next weekend*~

xx StrayArrow

“In The Golden Air”…

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Well, I have returned and the Etsy shops are back in action. The final batch of “made to order” items purchased while I was away will ship out Monday at the latest. Commissions will be resumed this weekend. For now, a few of the pieces recently completed that will hit the shop Sunday evening…

Men’s Water Feather Ring– featuring a piece of high grade turquoise from the Kingman Mine with pyrite in it that I acquired in Bisbee, Arizona. This lovely has been stamped with feathers like my “Feathered Bands”. A perfect rugged piece for the gents who dig the Southwestern look.

“In The Golden Air“, a necklace for the month of October. The quote is from William Cullen Bryant’s poem “October”. This necklace shall be part of the Romantics Line. It features a beautiful crazy lace agate with swirls that look like orange flowers towards the bottom. A green gem and faceted rainbow moonstone follow bronze and silver leaves up the chain. A little oak leaf has been sawed out in the back, to let the beauty of the stone come through….

And, for the Gauged Folks…

its time to gear up for Hallows Eve!

Ruby Saucer Blood Droplet plugs…these little *garnet gemstone* guys are currently made in a 10 gauge, but can be made in any size up to 1/2″…

and of course, skulls aplenty in any gauge size…

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Now for some new gemstone and rock goodies, all up for grabs for custom orders:

RUBIES!

also, everyone’s favourite: Herkimer Diamonds

and last but grandest, a superb olive coloured natural turquoise from the Crow Springs Mine, a perfect oval size for ring, bracelet or necklace:

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Well, thats it for now folks. Thanks for all the patience while I was away. Expect frequent blog posts, NEW Halloween packaging, and plenty of new pieces to celebrate the upcoming Samhain on the way!

in the meantime, I’ll be taking a break from the sweets I’ve been surviving on the past two weeks….maybe…

xxStray Arrow

Neglect

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I have truly been ignoring updating this blog of jewels, life, and any imaginative light bulb moments.

Throughout the past few weeks I’ve been struggling to find time to create new goodies for both Etsy shops-and only just now have some fresh bling to share! Being a “one woman show” not only entails creating and photographing items to list, but commissions (convos, sketches, etc.), packaging-cards, decorating parcels, networking, supplying boutiques, and add to that gem/stone hunting and an actual day job and we get a burnt out Stasia. While both of my shops are not taking on any commissions this month (thank you for your patience!), I have literally spent the whole month *catching up* on commissions and finishing them. Don’t even think about interpreting any of this as complaining! The only things that may be sad here are my fingers. I love personalizing and creating for specific moments. I also love to brainstorm more on all the half finished projects in the corners of my studio. I find the pieces I let sit around in stages the longest always come out the best.

What I am essentially building up here to, is a break. *NOT* a break from my beloved Etsy shops, but a vacation for next month. Between September 3 to the 16th, I will be on retreat in Europe with an artist friend. During this time, *my shops will remain open*. Anything purchased between these dates will ship out Monday September 19th. I will be posting this little reminder on EVERY single one of my listings so there is no confusion, as I know many “laid back” folks like myself occasionally won’t read a full shop announcement, etc. During the vacances, I won’t have constant internet access, so I will answer convos whenever it is possible.

I shall come back relaxed, ambitious, and full of new shapes, colours and concepts floating in my mind. I will also have time to do some concept sketches to build my Romantics Line and start a new line that I’m planning for the near future, called the “Atsenhaienton” line, which loosely translates to “the fire still burns” in Mohawk Iroquois (i.e. Kanien’gehaga). For most that don’t know, the word “Mohawk” is actually an Algonquin word meaning “MANEATER”…these tribes didn’t get along much. This jewelry line will be semi rooted in the revival of lesser known Native myths, theories, quotes, etc., and feature stones and gems that either reflect on the history or landscape of the specific myth/concept the jewelry piece is based on. I want to create something that will be cherished, rooted in history, and enjoyed by anyone who appreciates learning and sharing.

AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, NEW PIECES

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Lab Created White Sapphire, 14k Rose Gold Fill and Sterling Stackers:

these lovelies will be made to order in your own size, I currently have 3 sapphires in stock (all roughly 1-1.3 carats)

^Sweet Kings Manassa Turquoise Posts with 14k Gold bezels

^The Holy Dirt Necklace:~

This necklace features a beautiful blue chalcedony teardrop gemstone, a nice clean slice of stalactite, a NATURAL microfaceted Columbian emerald gemstone, and soon some other mini gemstone goodies. It is 80% finished! Chain length to be adjustable. The stalactite rests in a “dirt mound” of PURE, FINE SILVER that has been sanded, oxidized, chemically patinaed, buried, and beaten to literally resemble pebbles. The finish on this is fantastic in person. I love the idea of putting dirt on a pedestal, the primordial goo still exists in us all, and comes out from time to time when we walk outside barefoot, and roll in the leaves. Celebrate it!

^ The Siren Ring:~

This ring features a stunningly deep natural variscite stone from Nevada, Southwest. The patterning looks exactly like thick seafoam in the deepest green oceans pounding each other in a storm. The bezel of this ring is highly polished (Not my usual!) while the back and ring band remain oxidized, sanded and rustic. The patina is protected by a museum quality jeweler’s wax.

Also in mid-production are new WAMPUM earrings. I have gabbed about wampum a lot in earlier posts, I can’t get enough of it.

These are part of the new Atsenhaienton line…:~

featuring mini natural genuine wampum shell beads in sterling jump rings and oxidized chains. On one earring mini sawed out circles are stamped with “WAM” on the other earrings “PUM”. To be added are sawed out silver arrows and my jeweler’s tag on each earring..

~~~**FOR THE GAUGED SHOP**~~~

6 gauge lapis lazuli (GOOD stuff! not denim lapis) plugs in sterling, and 6 gauge Pilot Mountain Turquoise set in 14k bezels with sterling. These turquoise lovelies are natural, high quality, and have the most BEAUTIFUL water webs…

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NEW ROCK GOODS

Columbian microfaceted emeralds, White Buffalo ribbon cut natural Turquoise, and mini Royston Mine Turquoise ribbon cut-matching pair for gauges! These would work for anything 10 gauge-0 gauge, or anything 00 gauge and up with a border or design around them.

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NEW ITEMS WILL BE IN THE SHOP THIS TUESDAY NIGHT!

xx Stray Arrow

Turquoise Conquest

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Well, what else is new. I’ve acquired more turquoise…

Recent conquests yield 3 pairs and one large cabochon of natural turquoise. The first two pairs are perfect for the gauged folk or those desiring earrings…

NOTE: THESE ARE UP FOR GRABS!

First up, we have mini Pilot Mountain mine turquoise with water webbing. “Water webs” in turquoise is like your basic spider web pattern-which is a web between the turquoise and host rock (the higher of qualities among turquoise). The difference is a water web is a webbing pattern entirely out of turquoise! As you can guess, this means its an even higher quality than your normal webbing. This mini pair is adorable, sweet, and roughly 7mm diameter for each cab. These would work in a plain style for anything 4 gauge and smaller, or higher gauges if given some kind of border…

For our second pair, we have water webbed natural turquoise from the Kingman Mine in Arizona, Southwest. This is the *highest quality* Kingman I’ve gotten my fingers on thus far. These lovelies have a very defined web to them, and are roughly 14mm in diameter. They would work in a plain style for anything 00 gauge and smaller, or anything above 00 gauge with a border of some sort…

Our third and last pair are free form triangles-great for dangling bits/bottoms on gauges or normal sized earrings. They are Nacozari turquoise- a mine located in Mexico that is highly sought after for its extreme “blueness”. It occasionally can have black inclusions-this pair and one additional cab are all that I currently have from this mine. These lovelies have a very slight water web to them. They are roughly 20mm tall. I can see these swinging with open tunnels, moonstone, rose quartz, or more turquoise…

For our last turquoise cab…we have a gem.

This natural webbed cab is from the Pilot Mountain Mine, and is not only the highest quality I’ve had from this mine, but one of the higher quality turquoise stones I have. period. The tight webbing is incredible, these photos are *unaltered*, and the depth of the lush green teals and rusty ochre patterning is drool-worthy (and collector’s quality, too).  I’m thinking about keeping this gem for myself, unless someone

*really falls in love with it*…

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In other news, just dropped off *FOUR NEW RINGS* for lady Karin at The Muse’s Window in Concord, MA. Behold…what you’re missing out on!

White Buffalo and Kings Manassa Mine rings:

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New GEMSTONES in…
goodies are just waitin’ in the pot!
new gems include: AZ turquoise, white crystal, rainbow moonstone, prehnite, garnet, amethyst, and white topaz…
Well folks, that’s it. We’re having a heat wave in New England, and anyone who knows me knows I hate heat to begin with. No A/C in the studio…it is an official sauna. Today has been a break day (in other words…restocking packaging goodies). New items will not hit the shop until the weekend after this coming one…commissions are in progress!
xx
Stray Arrow
stay cool ladies ‘n’ gents

Guillotines are Handy + Preview Night

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So I now have two amazingly new handy and…well…*A-MAZING* tools to work with. Firstly, my new guillotine, compliments of lady Alice-the best non-grandma-grandma ever. Alright….it is *really* called heavy duty shears for cutting sheet metal-with all the class of a medieval chopping block….now instead of sawing ring bands slowly and filing them perfectly straight I can just chop them straight and smooth in seconds! Talk about a time saver!

 

 

The second new goodie is my new, glorious, and overall self-promoting jeweler’s stamp! Custom made for me from *my hand drawn logo design* into carbon steel. Now all jewelry pieces (except plugs) shall be marked with this! It simply says “Stray Arrow” with an arrow underlining it. Look for it on all new work!…

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and now. a preview

rings coming soon in square labradorite (design and size undetermined) and American Southwest variscite (size undetermined)

Also a soon-to-be ring is the Southwest History ring with natural King’s Manassa Mine teardrop turquoise and a stunning Wild Horse Magnesite in sterling, possibly 14k rose gold fill embellishments (size undetermined)

***ALMOST FINISHED AND COMING THIS WEEKEND:…***

another version of the King’s Manassa and rose gold droplet ring, in a size 8. Patina and oxidation are almost finished.

AND! The King’s Feathered Ring, featuring a really funky rare natural King’s Manassa Mine turquoise stone, and a thick fat feathered satin finished ring band. Ring size is 5.5 on a mandrel, but because of the width of the band will fit *at least* 1/2 size smaller…

can you tell that I am in love with this one? Good thing I made it too small for myself. The way the satin feathered ring band is done is so nice and soft against the skin-I hand sanded the insides vertically so they slip onto your fingers smoothly. I will most likely be making plain fat ring bands in this style-made to order in ye own size.

ALSO COMIN’ TO THE SHOP FOR YOUR SHOPPIN’ SOON:

-black leather fringe dangle earrings with sterling in two sizes

-mini “Chained and Charmed” bracelets, earrings and necklace

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So, not as many new goodies as I had hoped, but I have been slaving away on commissions, commissions, commissions. All of them are REALLY groovy, I am excited. Fear not! If you have commissioned something from me it is in the works. Here is a taste…

below~finished lapis lazuli with pyrite inclusions plugs, King’s Manassa Mine turquoise and feather silver dangle plugs…

Also recently finished were a pair of 1 inch hollow sterling plugs featuring 3 King’s Manassa Mine turquoise stones on each plug earring, ornate borders, and secret Joni Mitchell quotes on the the inside backings! 

*ONE* of the many commissions in the works…Candelaria Mine (rare rare rare!) Turquoise ring and Apache Mine Turquoise and crow bracelet. This is all one commission, and includes a STUNNING old stock rare Damele turquoise, but it is currently in the studio and I refuse to venture out when I hear coyotes..so photos of it will have to wait. These will be done completely within the next few days!…

Well folks, that’s all for now. The new finished pieces will hit the shop this coming Sunday by 8pm. There are new pieces just posted in the Gauged shop and more on the way Sunday. This week I am off to hunt the fields at the Brimfield Antiques Show, wish me luck and good turquoise finds!

xxStray Arrow

Glories of Couture Shtuff from ToryNovaCouture and New Turquoise!

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Recently, my friend and fellow artist Tory Novikova of Tory Nova Couture released a fashion line with many unique and wonderful items. I am now the proud owner of two lovelies! So naturally, bragging must ensue.

I acquired these leggings from her Etsy shop (http://www.ToryNovaCouture.Etsy.com). I’m not a huge fan of leggings, but these are made of lycra which is thick, dense, and *glides* onto your legs. They are also surprisingly light! This stuff is made of dreams. What’s more, the sewing is perfect, the print lies on the legs in an attractive manner and is bold, original, and completely killer. All of the prints from her shop she has initially drawn *by hand*, colored *by hand*-all illustration work is done by her. Many are based on Shakespeare themes. I admit, I got these leggings for the skulls. This is part of her Carmen print. Now what I think is bloody fabulous about these are not only are there skulls involved, but it is done in such a tasteful and artistic manner that it in no way can be seen anywhere else or be considered cheap or cliche. As a painter, I consider the colors delectable. The reds are rusty instead of boring crimson, and the skulls and skeletons aren’t white but a nice warm gray-like the color of actual bones. The ‘blood’ almost has a paint splatter effect, which I adore-and the packaging was not only professional but slick to boot..

The second Tory Nova item I have acquired, is something I’ve secretly stalked and lusted after for awhile now. It is my absolute favourite print of hers, for Swan Lake. She has dresses, ties and scarves for this print. The scarves come in two color options-the full original saturated version and a lighter, airy version for Spring/Summer. I love the original print-the colors are romantic without being too girly or feminine. I completely adore this and *live* in scarves. The fact that this one is super long (also comes in a square version for kerchief style) but also extremely light is grand for all seasons in my book.

How wicked are these!? And they perfectly match my Romantics Jewelry line as well 😉 More for that line coming this summer.

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In other news, for all the gauged folk-I couldn’t wait. I photographed the new natural Kings Manassa Mine turquoise, and it is all top notch. I am pleased with the quality-there are no cracks, fractures or “blemishes” on these stones and all have great polish. They are all brilliant colors! Unfortunately, there are few stones on the round side for gauges. These are what I’ve picked out from the lot that could work as pairs for plugs or for regular earrings:

 

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AND NOW~ I BRING YOU ALL THE OTHER GOODIES TO CHOOSE FROM-these are separated into groups roughly by shape. If you desire anything custom with any stone(s) of your choosing, just say the word…

 

 

Great stuff right? Now a little info on the mine:

~~**Kings Manassa Mine Information**~~

This American mine is located east of Manassa, Colorado. It has been mined for centuries by Native American Indians and is thought to be the oldest mine in Colorado. This kind of turquoise was named after I.P. King, who came upon the mine around 1890. The King family owns the mine and it is most famous for its green and blue/green colored turquoise. The highest of qualities and rarest of Kings Manassa turquoise are a deep green, and green with golden matrix.

 

Also acquired recently!!! :

Beautiful, beautiful GENUINE WAMPUM. This lovely wampum has been carved by artist Mark Changing Bear of buffalocarvings.com . Mr. Mark is one of the few wampum carvers left. He also does amazing work carving wampum into feathers and totem animals. He is currently carving my totem: deer, for me! Check out the “custom” section on his website, or the Etsy shop he and his lovely wife Candida run : http://www.SomethingWiccan.Etsy.com  As the wampum I have photographed below was gifted, it will not be used in any custom orders, *however*, if you desire anything custom with wampum just say the word and we can most likely collectively make something special for you…

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Last, but not least…

I consider my jeweler’s trademark to essentially be an “S” with two opposing arrows on either side. Please know that I am working on creating a one of a kind metal stamp for a more unique jeweler’s signature! This will be my brand and alter ego, “STRAY ARROW”. This will be coming within the next month or two and be stamped onto all of my future jewelry pieces for a more unique and recognizable signature to last the ages! Get ready.

New Pieces, New Stones

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I’ve been neglecting this blog, so this is going to be a long long post.

First up, pics of recent commissions and pieces…

#8 Mine Turquoise Ring-SOLD-made with rose gold, oxidized sterling, natural turquoise from the rare #8 Mine, and a gemstone iolite on the back ring band.

Burning Bright Ring~RESERVED~featuring a striped montana agate stone in oxidized silver with the quote “Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright”, from William Blake’s poem stamped on the back.

Fossil Necklace~Coming soon to the shop! Features a cephalopod fossil in pure silver on a sterling backing and long chain. This has a dragonfly sawed out on the back!

These PEACOCK PLUGS were a custom order~LOVED making these. They’re actually detachable. Sterling scalloped tunnel plugs with oxidized sterling chains. From the chains dangle mini crystals and freshwater pearls in peacock feather themed colors. The peacock feather earrings with hand forged sterling clamps/earring hooks are separate.

This was a custom order. TALISMAN NECKLACE~I loved creating this one. It features a Kings Manassa Mine turquoise, all hand forged sterling goodies and an amethyst gemstone flower clasp. The back features a raven and a quote by Emerson. I will definitely be making more of these domed gemstone flower for gauges and earrings!

Another custom order~Walt Whitman Statement Ring~This has to be one of my favourite quotes of all time. The ring features a bloodstone and genuine Baltic Amber, with Whitman’s quote from his poem “O ME! O Life!” on the front and back:

“Answer: The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse”

Matching Wampum Set~custom order~This set featured a matching ring and necklace (second ring is MINE).

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ROCKS. STONES. AND GEMSTONES.

In the past 3 weeks I’ve been to 2 gem/mineral show…so I have MANY new goodies. Also new goodies from other sources, most pictures are on top of or near hands to show rock sizes. All pictures are left unaltered in terms of color, etc. These have only been cropped and photographed in natural sunlight.

If you see anything you like for a custom piece, feel free to email me or send me an Etsy message…

Lace Agate

Amethyst sage

Calico Lace Agate-matching pair for earrings. These are a bit more lilac in color than the photo 

Campitos Mine Turquoise~Natural stone from the Campitos mine, similar in color to the famous and huge Sleeping Beauty Mine but a touch lighter. This would make a great long “finger shield” ring.

Natural Candelaria Mine Turquoise~This is the only stone I’ve found from this mine. It has a beautiful beautiful webbed matrix and amazing colors.

On the left-a *high quality* Crow Springs Mine turquoise-similar in color to the Cripple Creek Mine. On the left-a Pilot Mountain Mine turquoise.

Damele Mine Turquoise-this is a stunning old stock natural stone from the Damele mine which is rare! This is high quality with the rarer color scheme of lime/white/yellows and dark dark blues/browns/blacks. Because of how rare this is, I can offer a “Certificate of authenticity” on the mine for any jewelry pieces created with it.

Botswana Agate-this one has sweet little white dots on it which is a little more rare-a very romantic stone.

Eudialite (Eudialyte). These are rare, and even more rare to find one faceted! This stone comes from Russia and has beautiful wine like colors. This would be a great pendant with a little gem above the top.

Fordite-its debated whether these stones are natural or man made, but the colors in this are lovely.

Garden Quartz-this is fairly hard to photograph. It is suspended minerals in a quartz matrix-this stone features all red/flame colors. It basically looks like flaming moss, very great in the light.

Indian Mountain Mine Turquoise-THIS.STUFF.IS.RARE…

This is the only stone I have ever had or seen from this mine, it is very very collectable. This sweet little button features a bright blue colors with black inclusions. Because of how rare this is, I can offer a “Certificate of authenticity” on the mine for any jewelry pieces created with it.

Kings Manassa Mine Turquoise~This is one of my favorites out of the rare American Southwest Mines. They features amazing color patterns and great webbing. These two cabs have a fantastic polish and are roughly a little bigger than a USA half dollar. Really, really great quality.

Matching Geodes! These are so nifty. Great for earrings or gauges~these are mini geodes split in half (so quite tall and domed). These sparkle and shine in the sun or the dark.

Matching Eudialyte cabs for gauges! These would be best with 1/2″-1″.

Matching Kingman Mine Turquoise cabs for earrings/gauges

*these are currently reserved!*

Faceted quartz gem with pyrite (fool’s gold) inclusions! These are rare, and these ones have great clarity.


Mini genuine Wampum

The focus isn’t great for this one, but I wanted to get as close as I could. This stone is a picasso jasper-and has an amazing image within it. Can you see a horizon line? See the girl in the middle with the orange blouse, and black skirt walking along in the meadow? This stone is just stunning. Perfect pendant size at roughly 1 1/2″

This one is a RAW RUBY. Yes. That’s right. Genuine ruby-this is what you start with before you grind, cut, and facet it down into a gemstone. This stone is fairly large, and raw. A lovely light wine color.

White Buffalo Turquoise Ribbon~this stone is a “ribbon” or “boulder” cut because there is a ribbon of white turquoise in the host rock (black chert).

Matching pair of natural super sparkly drusys! Great for gauges or earrings

Smaller matching natural drusy for earrings/gauges

A STUNNING Pilot Mountain Mine natural turquoise stone-seriously high quality, great polish and amazing amazing colors! This lovely is roughly 1″ tall.

Variscite-also from the Southwest like Turquoise. The bottom pic is of a matching pair. Top pic the larger stone is roughly 1.5″ tall.

This is a stone similar to labradorite called larvikite. This is a mix of rainbow moonstone and some other black stone-incredible flashes of a more slate blue/gray. Perfect for gauges (0 or 00 gauge).

THIS. THIS IS MINE.

I am still in shock of finding this, yes this, little tiny square thing. It is a natural stone from my favorite turquoise mine of all time-The Red Mountain Mine. This stuff you just don’t find anymore.period. This has an amazing webbing, and the rusty red patterning within the blues that the mine is famous for. This is rare rare rare, collectable, and impossible to ever find. This stone I’m keeping for myself, but just had to share.

So, I know I keep gushing about turquoise mines and how rare the ones I find are. I know most people out there don’t know about turquoise. I’m going to give you two example pictures, which will hopefully help all realize how rare the stones I collect are, and how much they go for…

The pic below is a *high quality* Red Mountain Mine turquoise, it retails for something around $500USD…

The picture below this is from the most famous and collectable Southwest mine out there: the Lander Blue Mine from AZ. There were only 98 lbs. of turquoise recovered from this mine-famous for its black webbing and blue blue colors. The LOWEST I have seen this kind of turquoise go for is $100USD per CARAT. That is more than emeralds and rubies my friends..this stone would be over $1,000 USD….:

Turquoise can be easily faked these days, unfortunately. If people don’t know their mines and sources they can be easily tricked. All of my turquoise is bought from collector’s, those that acquire it from the actually mine owner’s, or those that actually mine it themselves.

Well, there you have it. New goodies, new gems-New Etsy shop update with MORE jewelry pieces will be Tuesday.

Western Massachusetts Gem/Mineral Show

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I know…I have a problem.

I just can’t seem to contain myself, I keep buying rock after beautiful rock. But….at least I can share….

2 new drusy cabs-the lovely seafoam colored one has a little dendrite (plant fossil) on the bottom-see? These both have incredible sparkle, the seafoam one is currently being made into a honkin’ ring…size yet to be determined…

 

This is an old gaspeite cabochon I acquired yesterday. These stones are a rare mineral to find (this one was the only one I saw at the whole show). They can be anywhere from this color green to a bright neon green, and will occasionally have a brownish matrix in them. This mineral usually hails from Australia, or Quebec, Canada as this one did.

 

Next, we have (above) genuine Baltic Amber. This piece is FAT, and like all amber very light. The white splotch is the price tag on the other side (lazy lazy me not removing it). When looked at closely…closer than my silly camera will allow…you can see a couple of bugs. Gross, but cool, right?

 

I have so much of this, but I couldn’t resist. This is a lace agate, not uncommon, but these pinkish tones are so romantically themed I just had to snatch it up. I love the very circular ones as this that look like tree rings. Please note~ there is already a pure silver scalloped bezel around this one that I whipped up, as I have a ring design in mind for the cabochon.

 

 

This is a pair of tear dropped drusy cabs (roughly 10mm tall). They are incredibly sparkley and light reflective, perfect for gauges and earrings. Its so hard to find good matching pairs so as soon as I saw these I grabbed them. I know they’ll make someone happy.

 

Koroit Boulder Opal~

Finally found one! These stones have been getting VERY popular, and I haven’t gotten my hands on any at all, so I finally buckled down. Along with Opal being the October birthstone, it is also the birthstone of the Zodiac Libra sign. ALL of it is found in Australia, and the browns are from iron mixed with the opal. This kind of boulder/matrix opal from Koroit, Australia is very sought after, and this piece has great light reflective, glow and a very nice pattern.

 

Alright, saved my favourite stones for last, and I’m sure anyone that knows me can guess they’re turquoise….

 

CARICO LAKE TURQUOISE~

I’ve never gotten my hands on any of this mine before until now. Because of this, please know that the stone on the left is *not for sale* ~ I’m keeping it for my collection…The Carico Lake Mine Turquoise is from Nevada, Southwest and named after its location (dried lake land). It produces a highly collectable and unique green color because of the amounts of zinc in the area. This teal/green is similar to a lot of dark variscite stones.

 

~~~**COMING SOON**~~~

To the StasiaSalvucci.Etsy.com shop….herkimer diamond rings!

 

 

Soon to be in for the Gauged by Stasia shop:::

1/2″ black onyx sterling and deer hide leather dangles…IN PROGRESS….

 

ofcourse, these are all along with the commissions that are in progress, soon to be finished for the lovely folk who’re waiting ever so patiently 🙂

 

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on a side note, in other news my dear friend miss Tory of ToryNovaCouture (whom I warmly refer to as “the Russian Doll” when she ain’t around) is soon to be releasing scarves of her exquisite Shakespearean themed fashion line for Spring/Summer! The color and printing quality is sublime, the compositions and fabric a dream, the color palettes are true, blissful romance wrapped around your neck, all for you. Love them.

View the preview scarf of her “Swan Lake” illustration (my favourite!) at her Etsy shop:

http://www.ToryNovaCouture.Etsy.com

 

Tucson Turquoise

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So I found more gems than I could have hoped for, Tucson was an absolutely divine blast! I met the nicest people there and was able to track down stones from some really rare kickass mines.

Here’s a little (but heads up! long…) taste of my treasures and some info on the different turquoise mines, so you know how incredible these finds are and why I drooled over everything the entire trip!

~*if you see any stones you’d like for a custom piece, email me*~

#8 Turquoise Mine

The Number Eight Turquoise Mine is in Nevada, USA and was mined in the early 1900’s until its depletion- no more of this stuff is coming out of the ground! It is famous for its extreme spider wedding matrix, and the deeper the blue in the golden brown to black matrix-the higher the quality. These are the two that I found and adore-perfect for rings or necklaces~

Apache Mine Turquoise~

Now this is a mine I’ve barely heard of and didn’t expect to find at all-this super nice couple after hearing I was hunting for turquoise dug through all their cabs to show me their lot-what sweeties. These two were so nice I had to scoop them up! The Apache Mine is known for its green turquoise in black matrix, and is still operated today but is a very small mine so not much is produced.

Alright….so can I just say…HOLY CANOLI. When I saw this rock I just had to grab it, it is magnificent. This other couple had cabs (stones for bezel setting in jewelry) that they cabbed themselves, knew and had all the mines labeled, and were so nice in helping me pick things out. I found great stuff from them but these next two stones I fell in love with…

~MORENCI MINE TURQUOISE~

This mine is rare. Rare, rare, rare. It is mined in Southwestern Arizona, USA. It is known for its light blue turquoise and black pyrite (fool’s gold) mixed in that often looks like silver when polished. It is so well known because, not only is it one of the first turquoise mines to come on the market, but it is completely depleted and hard to find! This stone is beyond perfect and has a tone of pyrite in it, there are no fractures or divets in the stone and its got a great polish…This is 1 of 3 Morenci Mine turquoise stones I’ve found in my 4 years of obsessing and hunting down turquoise…

Another stone I got from this couple is this great cab, from the rare

Turquoise Mountain Mine Turquoise~

Mined in Arizona, Birdseye turquoise and Turquoise Mountain turquoise come from the same mine. This mine has been closed since the 1980’s, and thus is hard to find…this stone would make a killer “statement” ring…

Another vendor there that I stumbled upon towards the end of my trip was this rad fella named Casey of lovenlifedesigns.com (CHECK IT OUT!). I swear I was drooling over everything, the stones were so nicely displayed and cut/polished it was grand. The next photo are turquoise stones all from him-numbers 8&10 are from the Royston Mine, and the rest are CRIPPLE CREEK!!! For the 99% of you who have no idea who I’m on about, get excited. This wasn’t even on my hunting list as I never expected to ever find any. Ever.

~Royston Turquoise Mine~

Royston is actually a district that contains 3 different mines in Nevada. Royston mines, along with the Pilot Mountain mine, are known for their extreme color variations. Blues, greens, rusty bronze browns and dark colors spin together with or without matrixes to make these lovely stones look like landscapes (you can see why this painter *loves* these mines). This turquoise is still being mined today and continues to be one of the most popular!

~CRIPPLE CREEK TURQUOISE MINE~

Cripple Creek turquoise is actually found in Colorado, USA. It is a by product of some small gold mines, and yields turquoise from light green/blue colors with the occasional darer blue/green matrix. This is the only Cripple Creek turquoise I have found. These lovelies are sublime sizes for rings!…

The Cripple Creek Mine Turquoise hunk below is *mine*, but I just had to share…

Now for some mini turquoise. These rocks I specifically picked out in pairs for gauged plugs (stretched ears) or earrings. These stones I got from the nicest older man named Jim, who’s set up was right next to Casey. He had a fantastic collection and I must’ve spent over 1/2 hour going through everything and came back the next day for more. I love nice people who dig talking about the rocks and the mines, theres always more to know

~Fox Mine Turquoise~

The Fox Mine is one of Arizona’s biggest producers, and also known as Cortez turquoise. It is rare, and comes in all colors with and without a matrix. These little ones I picked out are more of a teal green color that remind me of deep variscite stones…

More assorted turquoise from Mr. Jim…all but #20 is from the Royston Mine, #20 is Morenci Mine with a little flash of pyrite. #21 has a great tiny spider web and #19 is rare as green green turquoise doesn’t show up much anywhere…

Another find from the couple I got the large Morenci Mine and Turquoise Mountain Mine pieces from is this pair of Royston Boulder Cut turquoise stones. “Boulder cut” turquoise is extremely popular and doesn’t refere to the mine its from but the style. It is a vein(s) of turquoise through another rock matrix, often leading to funky and unique designs. This pair is perfect for earrings or gauges…

So those are selections of the turquoise treasures I found…yes there are more…but those are just for me, or for later! I was surprised to find a multitude of other gems at the many gem shows in Tucson. I found some really great and rare stones there, so here are a few of those goodies too!

more labradorite, because everyone loves the flashy “butterfly wing” stones. These are perfect for fat cocktail rings…a little tip-the more blue the flash, the higher the quality!

Crazy Lace Agate-a favourite of everyone, this one has great clear formations and coloring, love love love it-but a little too pink for me, so it can be yours 🙂

TOURMILATED QUARTZ GEMSTONE–

This is so wicked. Really. This faceted gemstone is a quartz, featuring slices or “needles” of black tourmaline within it. This rock is NATURALLY like this, and rare for this many needles in this clear a matrix. Usually you’ll see golden rutilated quartz, but the black stuff is hard to get man.

The big reason I’m going to remember the vendors Casey and Jim for awhile is because of their killer selections. Vendorman Casey had WAMPUM. Yeah, wampum. What the heck is the New England beauty doing in the Southwest? Most likely traded. Let me explain…

Wampum is carved from the quahog clam shell found on the shores of the East Coast. If you don’t know about it, but have heard the word before, you may have been told in was like “Native American Indian money”. Nope. It was only thought to be used financially because the Europeans assumed so from the importance the Natives bestowed upon it. The carved wampum has actually been used for hundreds of years as trade, or for treaties. It could be strung into beaded strings called “condolence strings” for a mourned one, or expertly beaded into belts-famously known and seen in many museums- for peace or war treaties between tribes. Although used by many different Woodlands (Eastern) tribes, it is most famously seen used by the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee). The Iroquois Confederacy consists of the 5 tribes of the eastern longhouse-one tribe for each beam, or one tribe for each part of the “Hiawatha belt”. The tribes are (in the Europeanized names and spelling): Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk (me!). I could go on for hours gabbing about the two origin stories of wampum and the different museums it is kept in, but for the sake of making this post not quite long enough to make your eyes blurry I’ll refrain!

Needless to say, you can hardly EVER find it. Oh sure, people make imitation wampum out of glass, but it looks nothing like the real thing. It is harder and harder to find true Native wampum carvers anymore, and I know of only 3 existing in Massachusetts. Not only did vendorman Casey have 3 wampum pieces, but instead of just polished shell, they were beautifully formed cabochons….! The white color in the shell stands for peace, the purple for war~these cabs are 50/50 for perfect beautifully colored balance…

Now vendorman Jim also had some rocks that got my in a tizzy. He had wild horse magnesite. Wild horse is another popular and rare stone from the Southwest (Arizona) and its seen in a lot of Native American Indian jewelry. This type of magnesite is essentially magnesium mixed with carbonite. These colors are reminiscent of the Appaloosa horse and thus its name. The higher the quality of this stone, the more the brown and white matrixes are defined from eachother. I love love love it, it reminds me of drums and thunder and tree bark…

All great stones, all great quality, all rare, all here for custom work…I’l be using these for designs soon to be found in my Etsy shops, so if you see something you like and can envision on yourself, don’t be quiet for long!

 

Also coming soon-GOLD BEZELED GEMS, AND GOLD “NO-SEE-EM” STACKING RINGS!!!