Yellow-Red Earth Spectrum Quartzite Earrings – Handcut Stones

Description

I was able to make two pairs of Earth Sprectrum earrings from this found quartzite rock.

Since this is such a beautiful rock I decided to keep the design simple and the metalwork minimal so the stone would be the star. I fabricated a hammered silver bail and loop on top. These are large statement earrings but I tried to carve the stones thin enought so they wouldn’t be super heavy but still be strong. 100% one of a kind and never again to be reproduced.

This is a quartzite stone that I found in the sagebrush desert of Wyoming. When I picked it up I noticed the outside looked multi-colored and when I sliced it open I was thrilled to see this spectrum ranging from green to yellow to orange and that red stripe. So amazing. I was only able to get a few slices since it was a smaller stone. Quartzite is a quartz based metamorphic stone with other minerals such as iron mixed in that make the various colors.

I started polishing my own gemstones a few years ago and have been trying to include regional stones in my jewelry that I either find or purchase from rockhounds. To get to this final look I begin by slicing the rock in a large diamond bladed “slab saw”, then I rough out the shape with a “trim saw”, then I sculpt the stone using 6 different diamond lapidary wheels and finally a final polish wheel. And when I want the stone to have a hole, I use a diamond drill bit to slowly and carefully drill that hole. For this pair of earrings I then created a tiny rivet with silver wire to go through the stone and attach to the hammered hanging pieces.

Earrings are about 3 1/4″ long including the hammered silver circle and earring wire. Stone is about 2 1/4″ long.

Quartzite, sterling silver