New Years Rumblings with The Polished Pebble

Ever notice that when you are doing lots of things & have tons more that you should be doing & even more that you need or want to do...and suddenly life makes you stop? No warning, no advance notice...just stop? Well, that explains the last couple of months here. And in that moment....all things that are important - really important become crystal clear.

We won't go into details, but it appears that the storm has passed and the clouds are passing. Looking forward - we have a renewed focus that you will see here and thru our business. We have many adventures that we have had that - for many reasons - just didn't get written up. And plans are to get them posted.

We have been working on inventory, both in new Cabochons & Display pieces. And we will be expanding our "Natural Stone" inventory. There has been great reception & demand for those pieces that Mother Nature has supplied the shape & finish to. Along with that we are also offering Gemstone Slabs thru our other website http://www.thestonedragon.com/ for those that would like to make their own Cabochons. Expect the same high quality in the slabs we offer there - as the hand cut and polished Gemstone Cabochons that we offer thru http://www.thepolishedpebble.com/ .

Currently we are working on photos of finished work & researching additional info on our stones so we can provide you with a more complete look at each stone.

The weather has not been very good for going out rockhounding as of late. Although, all the rain is sure to have washed off some treasures & there are trips planned and on the calender. Many out into the desert areas where the temps are cool enough & the bad critters are sleeping.

The only real thing that might put a damper on the planned trips would be the gas prices :( We will have to wait & see.

 As always, if you have some great stone or know someone who does...we are always looking. And if you are looking to find a particular stone or a certain special Cabochon....drop us and email, we'll be glad to help!



The cloud pictures in this post we taken after a recent storm. We always find clouds and their different forms, streaks & designs fascinating. And the sky - especially after a storm - just reminds us of how small & trivial things can be sometimes in the world.

Here's hoping the NEW YEAR brings all of you Peace & Joy!

Connie    -    The Polished Pebble

Working with Horse Canyon Agate - The Polished Pebble

We have been pulling out some awesome pieces of Horse Canyon Agate from the pile here lately. It seems that it was time to work a few.

For those that don't know this stone, you are missing out. Found in the mountains just east of Tehachapi, CA - Horse Canyon Agate is a well known - if not world known gemstone. Most will easily recognize the green to blue green moss in clear agate that comes from this location. But if that is all you think there is....you are sadly mistaken.

                                                 Horse Canyon Moss Agate Cabochon

Beautiful moss agate - in colors not found anywhere else. But, that is just the beginning. There is an unbelievable range of agate found in this area. From a multitude of different colored mosses in clear, amber, blue & even black agate. Most are the signature wispy type - but there is MORE. There is tube agate, saginite, plume & agate that has a jumble of all of them.

Now the down side - it is not available for collection anymore. Yes, I know....we seem to be hearing that with more & more of the stones we work with. Either the landowner doesn't allow collecting anymore (which is the case with this stone) or it is totally extinct, or even better - it is in the middle of a military base. Even worse are the areas that some politicians lock up in "Wilderness Areas". Oh yea, you can still walk in. But who wants to walk 50, 60, 100 miles in to carry out a backpack full of stone? Never mind that most people could not physically do that if they wanted to.

Luckily, we have a stash of Old Stock material & we will be cutting some Killer Cabs from this stone. We just recently cut up a piece. And here is what we found.......

                                                                           

   An end cut! WOW!!!!!!

A slice......

                
                                                       A finished cab....well, sort of

As we were shaping this beauty, it became apparent that the vugs with the beautiful crystal druzy were being lost in the grinding & polishing. We were on the fence about either leaving them or filling them in. Even as I am typing this....I am still thinking. But I think in the long run, we will fill them in since there is so little left...they kind of just look lost. So tomorrow this little beauty will be listed on our website The Polished Pebble for those that might be interested. You won't be disappointed.

If you want to see more of what this gemstone can look like, you need to check out Agates With Inclusions for their amazing collection of Horse Canyon Agate. The owner, Pat McMahan has a collection of unbelievable agates. It is guaranteed you will have "Agate Envy" after seeing what is there.

Looking for that special Gemstone to complete your latest jewelry project? Or maybe you want to add to your collection of beautiful & rare Cabochons. The Polished Pebble could have just what you are looking for. If not, we do custom orders. Check it out!

Back Into The Blog - Gemstone Cabochons And More With The Polished Pebble

We are making an effort to keep up with all the different facets of this "social networking" aspect of our business. And sadly, our blog has been lacking....so from here on out we have a "NEW" commitment to start posting interesting info daily.

Discussions on gemstones and their influence on our daily lifes. Our current projects & stones we are working with. Rockhounding field trips with lots of pictures of where we go & what we find.

We are also going to bring alittle mystic perspective into our daily posts. If you are a believer or not, we think it will be an interesting addition. And those who are making and marketing their jewelry can add another layer of info to their pieces.

So, to our longtime friends who have followed our blog - We're Back. To our new friends -  Welcome!

As always, please check out our website for our lastest offerings of Designer Gemstone Cabochons in beautiful & unusual designs and materials. Many types of stone that are not available anywhere else - our "Polished Pebble Exclusives".    The Polished Pebble

 

Wind Polished Agates & Other Natural Stones.........The Polished Pebble

As a lapidary - one who cuts, grinds, shapes & polishes gemstones - I have also continued to collect & use "Natural Finish" stones in my personal projects. Heck, I even drag home rocks that I never intend to cut. They are just Pretty Rocks, and they are just as important to me as my other stones.

When I was young, on vacation, my mother would bring home unique looking rocks. Driftwood, bits of rusted metal & anything else that caught her eye. She would use them inside & out for decoration. So, I guess it was not surprising that I did much the same as I grew up & looked for inexpensive items to decorate my home & yard.

Now, don't get me wrong - my home & yard don't look like a junk yard or something like that. It is just that I tend to use rather unconventional items in different ways.

That brings me to my latest topic - the use of wind or stream polished stones in jewelry. Truth be told, I have been using such items since I was in high school. Even then looking for something different, natural & beautiful. Something that no one else had - or could just go to the store & buy.

I did a couple of Google searches, looking to see if anyone was marketing such items. The pickings were pretty slim. But not everyone even know what I am talking about so here are some pictures.........

Botryoidal Black Agate Pocket

The above picture is one of quite a few pieces I picked up on our last trip to Wyoming. Notice the natural polish. It is a sweet little piece 1" tall by 3/4" wide. There is some host rock attached to the back that I plan on triming. This little beauty would make a great centerpiece for a pendant.

  

Blue - Black Agate with a Druzy Pocket

Another Wyoming find, this piece has one of the most desired centers around. Druzy is "Hot" right now in jewelry designs. The demand for good pieces is thru the roof. Right now this piece measures 1 3/4" long by

1 1/4" wide. There is also some host rock to trim on this piece. It could also be split in half, depending on its final design.

  

Blue - Black Agate with white accents

One of my favorite pieces I brought back. When you hold it in your hand it looks like a heart that has kind of melted & deformed slightly. The only thing this little pretty needs is to be put into a pendant that will highlight it's unique natural design. It measures 1" tall by 3/4" wide.

What about something different?

Botryoidal Agate Nodule from the Geode local

This little bubbly ball needs some more cleaning, but it shows the fun design that could be worked into a unique jewelry piece. It measures in at 1" by 1" by 3/4".

And this?

  

Flat Jasper Nodule

This very earthy piece was found in a jasper local. There were large broken nodules pieces littering about a 100 ft area. Nothing really spectacular about the big pieces. But I found this little guy in the rubble. The chip was already there. This piece measures almost 1 3/4" tall by 1 1/8" wide and 3/8" thick.

Pieces like these are one of a kinds. And for the most part, unless you are the one out there looking for them, not available to buy. Until now.........

We are going to start listing some unique "Natural" pieces in our website. Pieces that will allow those up for the challenge, to design truely one of a kind works of art.

The pieces pictured here were from our latest trip to Wyoming. They were being sorted for use. I have additional pieces that we will also feature for sale starting 11-15. Until then, you can just dream.

We have also recently purchase a new camera & will be working on replacing the current pictures on the website to ones that give better detail. Please excuss our mess during this change over.

For your designer gemstone cabochons - ThePolishedPebble.com

 

Wyoming Jaspers, Agates, Opal & Geodes,OH MY!.........The Polished Pebble

Well, we have been home for a while. And some of the "Must Due Before Winter" jobs have been crossed off the  list. In between everything we managed to get alittle cutting done. And alittle closer evaluation of just what pretties we brought back from our Wyoming trip.

So I thought I would give you a few pics & some info.

Assortment of gemstone rough from Wyoming

The first picture shows a piece of chocolate brown jasper with bredicated common opal, a piece of jade & quartz, & a piece of golden japer. I am really excited about the jasper & opal piece. It was found as float & search as I may, I couldn't find anymore. It is waiting for us to fire up the big saw, as it is too big for the 12".

closer look

This picture also shows what we think is rose quartz. It is a monster piece & we hope it will fit in the large saw. You can also see the opal in the jasper better.

Geodes & Agate Nodules

Direct from my secret local, are a few Geodes & Agates Nodules. I brought home some last year along with some pieces. Figuring that I could cut the pieces for cabs. Was I wrong. You see, most of the geodes are a mixture of Agate & Calcite centers. So, when the Geodes broke open the Calcite got stained & broken down in structure. And if I did find some solid, it soaked up the cutting oil like a sponge. I tried - but for the most part it didn't work out well.

This year I concentrated on either whole Geodes or solid Agate Nodules. Here are some pictures of a few I have cut.

I will be cabbing a few soon - so we should know how they work out. Right now they look like some winners.

I also picked up some black agate, should make some nice cabochons. There are some pieces that are wind polished & I am thinking about using them as is. I LOVE natural finish items, the texture is so organic.

I found this great old jar on a trash dump at the Ranch

And there are NO empty jars at my house - it was only fitting that I filled it with smaller pieces of black agate for this trip.

That is just a peek at what we brought back from Wyoming.

Oh, we have recently been camera shopping & I think we have found something that will give us better pictures to share & not cost an arm and a leg. We'll have more info on that & MORE Gemstone & Lapidary stuff soon.

Don't forget - ThePolishedPebble.com for your Gemstone Cabochons

 

Jade, JADE & more JaDe The Polished Pebble

We have been working on adding more cabochons to the website - ThePolishedPebble.com and one of the finished cabs is Golden Rain Jade . We had gotten this gemstone rough from a longtime friend who's parents once owned a rock shop (here in Bakersfield) & a jade mine in the mountains above Fremont, CA.

The story goes, that there were many grades & different types of jade in this claim area. Some had black, feather like dendrites. Some had white inclusions, and most was beautiful gemmy green jade. Different shades where throughout the mine area.

But there was one inclusion that brought a premium price. That was the jade that had golden tendrils through it. It was called Golden Rain Jade. Sadly, I don't know the reasoning behind the popularity. I don't even know if our friends ever knew - there was one buyer that would pay a higher price than any of the others. Just so he would have all that was for sale.

Our friends sold tons of Jade from the late 1960's thru 1970's until there was a falling out with their partner that ultimatily lead to my friends losing their ownership of the mine. I don't know the statis of the mine at this time - but my friend thinks the new owner lost the claim many years ago.

When they were selling off their remaining stone I was able to get a few choice pieces. Some bigger than my saw can cut at this time. Many that are just waiting their turn.

Our friends were quite surprised when we uncovered this one piece of the Golden Rain Jade. They thought it had all been sold. I offered to let them keep it - but the declined. Too many rocks, not enough time & they were downsizing


That brings us to today. I had finally gotten around to slabing that piece & have one cabochon finished & listed on our website. It is a beauty, but that's what you would expect from Golden Rain Jade - right?


Don't forget to checkout the new Gemstone Cabochons on our website - The Polished Pebble  your source for quality designer gemstone cabochons for your jewelry needs.

Hey, what is that stone??????? The Polished Pebble

OK, so we have touched on the importance of knowing the actual name of the Gemstone material your are working with. And if you are a lapidary, letting your customers know so that they can pass that info on to their customers.

And at times that can be challenging. Because most of the rough stone is purchased from others. At Rock & Gem Shows, estates, online sellers - the list goes on. While I personally love to go rockhounding, I could never justify only working what I found. So, the quest goes on.

There are a number of ways to uncover the identities of different gemstones or minerals. Some are as easy as looking on others websites. Venture out and look around. On alot of the available material the names & origins are easily found. Other times the info you seek could be difficult to find.

Once you start handling assorted material, it is best to expand your resources. There are a number of books that will help you in your quest. And an added bonus, you may just learn alittle more about the stones you are working with.

One of my favorite sources of info is theimage.com . It is the website of Ron Gibbs. He shares his love of gemstones & photography with all that care to visit. Along with the most unbelievably beautiful photos, Ron sneaks in a lesson or two on just what make that stone so special. All in easy to understand text.

Ron has recently published a book - Agates and Jaspers.

A fantastic look at those wonderful works of art that could have only been made by mother nature.

This full color book is - in my opinion - a must for anyone that works with agate & jasper, in lapidary or in jewelry.

Check out Ron's website at TheImage.com or for more info on his book, go to TheImageBooks.com

Be sure & tell him Connie @ The Polished Pebble sent you!

The Polished Pebble - Working With Stone

Most people, when you talk about Gemstones, think Diamonds, Sapphires, Rubies & such. Faceted stones. Few will think - Agate, Jasper or any of the other wonderful stones used to make Gemstone Cabochons.

Faceted Gemstone Parcel

Truth be told, the first Gemstones used for personal ornamentation (jewelry) were these agates, jaspers, lapis, opals, quartz, jade, etc, etc.......... Rounded & polished to show of their rainbow of colors & designs. And only for the royalty. It wasn't until recent history that faceted gems became the standard for Gemstones.

Far from the signature "Bolo Tie" Cabochon. Today's Gemstone Cabochons come in many shapes & designs. While they still may be made of agate or jasper - they are just as likely to be made of unusual and beautiful minerals that until recently would never have even been considered usable in jewelry. And many of the new "Artist" style cabochons can stand alone as a Work Of Art.

Birdseye Rhyolite Gemstone Cabochon

And because of advanced mining & transportation thru out the world, we have new finds of beautiful stone available for use. Ocean Jasper - Madagascar, Royal Sahara Jasper - Africa, Condor Agate - Argentina, Cherry Creek Jasper - China and the list could go on & on. Not to mention all the wonderful stone right here in the US - old standards & new discoveries.

Royal Sahara Jasper Gemstone Cabochon

Finally it seems, that the lowly Cabochon is being seen for the true beauty it has to give. Being natural does not have to be drab & boring. There are many stones that offer MORE than just sparkle - check them out! ThePolishedPebble.com

The Polished Pebble - The Long Drawn Out Process.......

Welcome to the newest facet of "The Polished Pebble"! We have been working to expand our presence on the WEB. So, here is a little background & the direction we are working towards.

"The Polished Pebble" is the heart & soul of our fledgling Lapidary Business. A lifelong love of beautiful stone lead to the start of this adventure.

We uncover mother nature's artwork by carefully cutting & hand polishing the most amazing agates, jaspers & other wondrous stones. Finding just the right cut to highlight the natural design in the stone. Providing designer style Gemstone Cabochons for jewelry artists. Pieces that are simply not available anywhere else.

Natural stone adornments have been used thru out history for their beautiful colors & designs. Most of what we work with is classified as "Semi-Precious" Stone. A lot of the pieces come from locations that make acquiring rough stone difficult & dangerous work. Some stone has been completely mined out (extinct) or the location may not be open to collection (private, military base, wilderness, etc.) so what is currently available may be it. Making it more RARE than diamonds.

In addition, the designs are ONE OF A KIND. That is the true beauty & sometimes heartbreak of working with stone. It is never boring.

There are thousands of different stones that we will be working into beautiful pieces of art. To that end, we will use this space to update you on our journey & share what is going on. Along with a little education & background on specific stones.

Please feel free to join in. And if you have some stone you think we might be interested in - please drop us a line at ThePolishedPebble@yahoo.com

Be sure to check out our website too. ThePolishedPebble.com