FINELAPIDARY ARTS

Flagship jewelry collection

Cradle to Grave

A jewelry designation reserved for finished pieces that begin with material I collect directly from the mine, then cut and fabricate in my studio.

Finished Cradle to Grave turquoise pendant resting among hand-cut turquoise cabochons
01

At the source

Collected at the mine.

Open turquoise mine site with snow-covered Nevada mountains in the distance
At the mine
Turquoise mine workings overlooking the Nevada desert
The working area
02

Reading the rough

Finding what the material holds.

Mine-collected turquoise rough arranged after the dig
Collected rough
Close view of turquoise running through its natural host rock
Turquoise in its host rock
03

At the wheel

Shaping the stone.

Beginning to shape mine-collected turquoise at the cabbing machine
Beginning the cut
Developing the turquoise cabochon shape at the wheel
Developing the shape
Refining and polishing the turquoise cabochon
Refining the surface
04

Control at the wheel

From the dop to a finished cabochon.

Turquoise rubs secured to dop sticks during shaping
Secured to the dop
Shaped and polished turquoise cabochons still attached to their dop sticks
Cut and polished in the studio
Turquoise from Montezuma Mine, Royston District, Nevada
Material
Turquoise
Origin
Montezuma Mine, Royston District, Nevada
Variscite from Broken Arrow Mine, Candelaria District, Nevada
Material
Variscite
Origin
Broken Arrow Mine, Candelaria District, Nevada

The jewelry designation

Four criteria.
No exceptions.

01

The rough is collected directly from the mine.

02

The stone is cut by our hand.

03

The setting is fully fabricated, never cast.

04

The material’s provenance is recorded.