Shopping information for Samsilverhawk
Offered here is a striking cabochon cut from seraphinite, which hails from Russia's Lake Baikal area in eastern Siberia. Seraphinite is technically clinoclore, a gemmy form of chlorite in mica. It strongly reminds me of charoite, another Russian material, though it has beautiful shades of green with radiating fern-like patterns of paler green and silver, rather than purple. Like charoite, it has marked depth and chatoyance, and this one is a splendid example. The stone has a high rounded dome of nearly 7mm,
Offered here is a cabochon of beautiful blue lace agate, from Africa. This classic old favorite material has become pretty scarce and spendy over the last few years, no surprise there. This cab features pastels of an attractive blue with some frilly edged banding in translucent agate. One thing I've noticed that all blue agates seem to share in common is their tendency toward what I term 'moodiness'. The dimmer the light, the deeper the color appears to be. The stone has a high and well rounded dome of 7mm,
Offered here is a cabochon of lace agate, from Australia. I guess you could call it the Down Under version of crazy lace. This cab is a delightful example, with fortification bands, a neat bullseye focal point, and even pools of crystalline quartz, all in pastel shades of yellow. The stone has a high rounded dome of 6mm, a gracefully curved designer shape, and a fine glassy polish both front and back.
Offered here is a fascinating cabochon of turritella agate, from Wyoming. This ancient fossilized material is chock full of turritella shells, from which it takes its name. The white shells contrast sharply in this nicely composed example, the largest of which are quite impressive, and have several cells filled with sparkling drusy crystals. Other shells are filled with black, clear, or brownish agate, and the center shell has pale blue. Turritella agate was never a favorite of mine until not so long ago,
Description Rainbow cal silica cab Offered here is a designer cabochon of rainbow cal silica, from Mexico. It is easy to see how it got the 'rainbow' moniker, as it really does have a rainbow of colors, and my wife Rain absolutely loves this stuff! Is it natural? Well, folks have produced documentation that this allophane material is naturally occuring rather than man-made, but I'm far from convinced... I've also heard there's a photo in circulation showing of a piece with a modern aluminum pop top embedded
Description Morenci Chrysocolla cab Here is a cabochon of top quality chrysocolla, from Morenci, Arizona. This vibrant cerulean blue material is wonferfully brilliant, with gorgeous patterning too. Some areas appear to be gem silica, meaning the agate itself is stained blue, and there's a splash of coppery reddish pink too, making this a truly outstanding natural example. Highly silicated material like this is quite durable, wearing well in any type of jewelry you can dream up. The stone has a very high
Description Turritella agate cab Offered here is a fascinating cabochon of turritella agate, from Wyoming. This ancient fossilized material is chock full of turritella shells, from which it takes its name. The white shells contrast sharply in this nicely composed example, the largest of which are quite impressive, and have several cells filled with sparkling drusy crystals. Other shells are filled with black, clear, or brownish agate, and the center shell has pale blue. Turritella agate was never a favorite
Description Amethystine sowbelly agate cab Offered here is a cabochon of amethystine 'sowbelly' agate, from the Last Chance silver mine in Creede, Colorado. This high grade material certainly cuts fabulously rich looking stones, I must say! This example features beautiful purple amethyst crystal, very gemmy, with interesting feathery wisps inside. Below that are agate bands of palest blue alternating with clear, purple and white, followed by crystalline lavender lace. The tiny dark metallic flecks are
Description Owyhee picture jasper cab Offered here is a distinguished cabochon of Owyhee jasper, a long recognized classic from Oregon. This well marked example has an artistic pattern of both earthy and vibrant hues that includes the most prized dark reds. Excellent contrast here! And the graceful shape of this stone frames the figure beautifully, which should make the creation of an outstanding piece of wearable art jewelry almost effortless! The cab has a high rounded dome of 6mm, and a slick glassy
Description Lapis lazuli Offered here is a lapis lazuli cab Chris cut, from Afganistan. This superb material is just wonderful to work with, and features deep, dark royal blue coloration, with but a few speckles of shiny metallic pyrite and white inclusions in one area. My personal preference is silver for setting deep blue lapis like this, but no doubt the contrast with bright gold would look splendidly rich too. The stone has a nicely rounded dome of 4.5mm, and it is polished both front and back. Size: