New High Grade Bisbee Turquoise

Mark's Brothers was here again with some beautiful new High Grade Bisbee Turquoise cabs - just waiting to be set in jewelry! The smaller cabs are approx. 125cts total and the large cab - near the Silver Dollar is Gem Grade Bisbee Turquoise - 116cts total! Beautiful one of a kind rare stones - almost impossible to come by!

Pine Sawyer Beetle

We see these guys every once in a while. He was on our porch this afternoon. Looked him up and he is a Pine Sawyer Beetle - usually don't attack healthy trees. Larvae help decompose dying, recently dead and felled conifers. They may have a little city going in our wood pile right now! Mark put his finger near him and he latched on to his nail with his mandibles. Creepy little amazing beetle!

Tree of Life Jewelry Casting Process

I thought it would be interesting to document the casting process that Mark uses to create our Tree of Life Jewelry and Sonora Star Jewelry. 1)Pulling the wax model from the rubber mold 2)Sizing of each ring - in the wax - he does this so each completed ring does not have a solder seam 3)Wax 'Tree' - he attaches each individual ring to this. A step that is missing is when he surrounds the Tree with plaster, lets it harden then bakes in a kiln to burn out the wax. 4)He then casts them with a centrifical caster. Here are Cast 'Tree's 5)Pieces are cut off the 'Tree' to work on - here you see raw and semi-finished castings. From here they filed, sanded, polished, bezels soldered, colored, stones set then polished again! Overall, there are a total of 14 steps to create each piece of Tree of Life Jewelry.

Each one is made by Mark with care and love.

Sunflowers

Belle, Sam and I went for a walk today and I found this beautiful Sunflower. As soon as I took the picture it started hailing and we had to run to the car! I love this wildflower time of year!

Great Weekend

Had a GREAT visit with Bert & Kristen this weekend! I wish they could have been here longer. Went to lunch at the Bear Wallow Cafe before they left today (this picture.) Hopefully they'll come back again soon. :)

Visitors

I am so excited! Kristen, my friend and designer of our website and her husband Bert are coming up this weekend to celebrate her birthday. I have a batch of Chicken Marbella marinating right now - it's so nice to cook for people you love. I look forward to friends visiting - it makes me appreciate where we live - I can see it through their eyes. We live somewhere so beautiful and when we're busy working we take it for granted. NOT this weekend! Going to have some fun in the great outdoors!!

Lots of exciting things in the works for Black Mountain Jewelry right now. I'll keep you posted!

New Bisbee Turquoise Ring

Mark just made this beautiful High Grade Bisbee Turquoise ring in 18k and Palladium with diamonds - hand wrought, one of a kind.

Summer Wildflowers

Took a drive around and found these beautiful Mountain Lupine, Wild Columbine and Daisies.

We Are Silver Circle Finalists!

The results are in and we are Silver Circle Finalists in the 2008 Halstead Bead Business Development Grant competition! It is a total honor to have this recognition amongst our peers.

http://www.halsteadbead.com/Grant/2008_Results.html

July Jewelry Winner

Claudette Field of Scottsdale, AZ won our July Jewelry Drawing. Her choice - Sonora Star Desert Rose Drop Earrings in Dusk. We'll be sending them out to her this coming week.

If you know of someone who would like our jewelry please refer them to sign up for our mailing list and they'll be entered into our August Drawing - winner will be drawn 9/1. Thanks!