It's All About the Rocks

My obsession with Okenite continues…



The gentleman in the above video mentions that the puffs can tolerate a little bit of petting. Good news, as I assumed it was so fragile that breathing on it was risky.

This Saturday at the Dallas Market Hall, the International Gem & Jewelry Show will be occurring. From their list of dealers, it appears that a heavy amount of bead vendors will be present.The majority of my current designs do not feature beads; therefore, I should be able to navigate through the show fairly quickly.

As I literally have buckets of uncut rocks to be slabbed or formed, I am having difficulty justifying the need for more stones. The issue lies in expertise; I know how to cut cabochons but faceted gems are not in my skill set.

The Pleasant Oaks Gem and Mineral Society was nice enough to send me a free admission ticket, so I really don’t have an excuse not to go. I’m certain my wallet won’t thank me though.

Trip to Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Earlier this month, my husband an I went to Washington, DC. I had timed the trip during the cherry blossom festival and the trees did not disappoint. We visited several museums, but my personal favorites were the Renwick and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I spent an almost absurd amount of time in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals. It’s a shame that the website doesn’t have more images of the permanent collection- I believe it is still under construction.

I found several gems in the collection to be more interesting than the infamous Hope Diamond. The Napoleon Diamond Necklace has several old mine-cut diamonds in an elegant design. I was especially interested in the construction of the piece which did not look to be as well-built as more modern works. I was expecting cleaner looking settings, but thinking back, it was likely due to the rough and irregular shapes of the diamonds. More information on the piece can be found here.

The Napoléon Diamond Necklace. Photograph by Chip Clark, Smithsonian

The number of cases containing minerals and cut gems from every corner of the planet is a bit overwhelming. I was amazed and shocked at not only the multitude of specimens in cut and natural forms, but also the number of minerals I had never heard nor seen before (though I am admittedly no expert). Stibnite and okenite had to be included in my notebook for future research. Both are either soft or fragile, which explains why neither are mentioned in my jewelry references. Somehow, Smithsonite, had also escaped my notice.

My current obsession is Okenite, though. More information on its properties can be found on webmineral.com

Photo Copyright © John Betts - Fine Minerals

I am aware that one false move, and the delightful fuzzy crystals will break off and shed worse than my cat. I suspect my attraction to the mineral is due to my love of hamsters and tribbles.

I haven’t reached a solution to the display/wearablity problem but I’m letting the issue stew a bit before experimentation.

Trip to Washington DC- The Renwick

Earlier this month my husband and I had the opportunity to museum hop in Washington, DC. One of the highlights of the trip was the Ornament as Art: Avant-Garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection exhibit at the Renwick Museum. What an outstanding show! Not only were the pieces well crafted, but the displays were well thought out. Hand cut plexiglass supported collar/bib necklaces and half round metal tubes prevented straight/collapsed alignment of pendants on chains. Enough room was left in the display cabinets to allow viewers, like me, to peek around at the backs. Looking at pictures online or in books is always inspiring, but rarely are the backs of the pieces photographed. As my interest is technical in nature, it was nice to be able to see how the items were constructed. On a couple of brooches, I noticed double pin closures or multiple tie tacks.

The pieces are not for everyday, and would take a special kind of person with an outgoing personality to pull off wearing them. Most are not practical and some, I believe, were both designed and collected for their sculptural qualities rather than wear-ablity. Mrs. Drutt also collected design sketches of several of the works; a real treat to see a little bit of the creative process.

The piece above is by Gerd Rothmann, With 81 Fingerprints- a necklace made of gold discs.

I went ahead paid the $$ for the exhibit book, which is not a light tome by any means. By the end of the day, I felt like I had been dragging around a half grown kid. If I truly enjoy a show, I will purchase the book. I’ve never understood why people take pictures in museums (photography was prohibited in this show- to boost book sales I imagine). The glass creates such a terrible reflection and getting the details is very difficult. I’ll leave it to the professionals! Bonus: the book has a fuzzy touchable orange cover. Yes, I am a sucker for good design.

If in the area, I highly recommend viewing the exhibit which ends July 6, 2008.