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Direct Links to popular gemstones and cabochons:
Amazonite
Opals, Boulder
Parrot Wing Understand mm sizes: Quick guide: 1" = 25mm 1/2"=13mm 1/4"=6.5mm Change can help: 1 quarter= 24.2 mm 1 dime= 18mm Both coins: 42mm |
For jewelers who tend to think of metals as existing outside our gemstones, this page might come as a surprise. These unusual cabs contain copper, silver, or pyrite, in visible form. The stones have their own glimmer and gleam, making for all sorts of exciting design possibilities. Scroll down and savor, or click on one of the following choices: Copper Silver Titanium Covellite Next Page: Opals Previous page: Matte-Finish Stones
Native Copper and Copper Ores Chalcopyrite Chalcopyrite is a copper ore, or technically, a copper-iron-sulfide mineral. It's also known as copper pyrite, and is different in crystal structure from regular pyrite, known as "fool's gold." These pieces of Chalcopyrite are especially beautiful, with lustrous "gilvery" (a cross between a gold and silver color) areas that contrast nicely with polished charcoal-black matrix. Unpolished backs. This is my entire supply.
MT188 $50.00
Note: The following two pieces, MT184 and 185, can be used as a pair. However, they are a bit heavy, which is why I am offering them individually.
MT184 $30.00
MT185 $30.00
MT186 $38.00
Copper in Matrix and Copper Ores Copper long slumbered as a "cheap" material, but recently copper prices have skyrocketed and jewelers are taking a second look at the possibilities of this colorful metal. Below are the creme de la creme of copper cabochons: Heavy with real copper, their gleaming surfaces also boast interesting patterning created by the surrounding matrix. Gary Wilson, lapidarist extraordinaire, gets these copper beauties from his home state of Michigan.
MT271 $85.00
MT72 $42.00
MT272 $48.00
MT257 $48.00
MT163 $38.50
MT161 $38.00
MT162 $40.00
MT131 $28.00
MT134 $22.00
This delightful stone has a field of creamy white interspersed with copper that has a bright metallic shine in some lights, and turns a beautiful wine red in others. From the Campbell Mine in Bisbee, Arizona. Click on the photos for a better look. Most of the darker or brownish areas in these photos are beautiful shining copper, often with rich red accents.
MT127 $52.00
MT190 $70.00
Kingston Conglomerate Copper What a pretty stone this is, a mosaic of rich chestnut and shining copper. It comes from the Kingston Mine, located on the Keweenaw peninsula in the upper peninsula of Michigan. According to Mr. Jack Keck of Houghton, MI, who wrote in with firsthand information as he worked for the mining company, the mine itself has been closed since 1967, making the supply of this material limited. The metal gives each stone both beauty and heft. Click on photos to see more detail.
MT97 $49.50
MT100 $52.00
Copper Fire Brick This isn't an official "mineral," nor is it pure metal: It's the copper that stuck to the fire brick walls of the smelters in copper ore processing plants in Northern Michigan. It's really interesting material: Smooth and glimmery without being too shiny, with glints of red here and there, and the cream-colored mosaic pattern of fire brick chips caught forever in the metal. Most of these smelters are no longer in operation, so each cab contains a little bit of the history of the Upper Midwest. Each piece has the weight of metal, and a patina like antique copper. A really wonderful stone for people who work in, or just love, copper.  Copper Fire Brick Michigan 21.5 x 21 mm MT63 $32.00
MT64 $32.00
These are stunning stones, composed of silver just as it is taken from the ground, in a creamy white matrix. I can't explain why, but the silver in these stones these just doesn't seem to tarnish over time. Perhaps it's because they haven't gone through a refining process. Silver doesn't like to be photographed: To understand what you're seeing in these photos, just picture that the dark grey and black areas of the stones are, in person, very shiny polished silver that looks very smooth to the eye. The metal makes them heavier than usual, so they feel very substantial, as well. I have included the weights of the heavier (more than 10g) stones. Remember that one ounce = 31 grams. All pieces have satin-finish backs. Click on photos to get a better look.
MT199 $40.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 27.5 x 17 mm MT226 $40.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt Canada 22.7 x 22.5 mm MT202 $38.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 30 x 15 mm MT222 $42.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 24.5 x 19.5 mm, 7 mm thick MT224 $32.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 25 x 17 mm MT228 $34.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 26 x 19 mm MT229 $32.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 22.5 x 14 mm MT233 $26.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 19 x 12 mm MT234 $22.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt Canada 25 x 18.5 mm MT235 $26.00
 Native Silver and Cobalt
Canada 18 x 14.5 mm MT236 $24.00
MT238 $20.00 reg. $24.00
This should really be on my "rare finds" page, because it really IS rare: It comes from a closed mining area near Butte, Montana. It is probably the most unusual stone I've ever seen---It's a deep, metallic midnight blue all over, accented with faint streaks of silvery pyrite. NOTE: It is relatively soft and is not suitable for hard-wear jewelry. At this time I can offer a limited supply of Covellite which was mined in 1975. I was lucky enough to stumble across it at the last show I attended.
MT265 $46.00
MT270 $30.00 Parallel-Growth Quartz Crystals These cabs, by Greg Genovese, are composed of actual quartz crystals which have grown side-by-side into a solid mass. The structure of the crystals makes wonderful, three-dimensional designs, accented by a coating of titanium in colors that shift from deep marine blue, to glowing magenta. All are about 5 to 6.5 mm thick, so they can be easily bezel-set.
MT254 $120.00
Next Page: Opals Previous page: Matte-Finish Stones To get an overview of all our stone pages, go to: Designer Gems To check what you've ordered so far, click:
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Heart of Stone Studio Gemstones
Cabochons
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