Specimen Jewelry

The only thing better than jewelry, is jewelry that no one else has.  And after people started wearing massive clocks as necklaces, it is getting harder and harder to be original.  My strategy is to go with specimen pieces.  The picture above is of three necklaces.  The gray beads are labradorite, the interior green speckled beads are Chinese turquoise, and the exterior set of beads are chrysocolla.  The first two I bought as strands and made them into necklaces, but the later was purchased from one of my favorite local makers/suppliers, Nature's Art.  I really respect people who can make jewelry well.  Honestly, it is one craft that I just never got that into.  Not that I don't love it, it just never seemed to make it onto my list of skills to work on.

That being said, I did line up a new project for myself.

I just purchased this fantastic little ammonite fossil.  Generally, most fossilized ammonites are just filled with agate-type crystals... but this one is filled with pyrite.


I have been loving these pyrite specimens since I saw some finished jewelry made from them about a year ago.  Needless to say, my heart skipped a beat when I saw an opportunity to buy this guy (also from Nature's Art).  These ammonites are unusual; the pyrite ones are only found in one deposit in Russia.  So I guess I won't be picking them up on any walks any
time soon.

The exterior of the shell is iridescent.  It looks like it is made of actual nacre.

And there is already a hole in the center, so mounting should be a breeze.

Now I just need to figure out a mounting/wire wrapping, inevitably jury rigged solution.  I really wish I had a better idea on what to do.  I just feel bad covering up the fossil.  I mean, that is the special part.  Maybe a chain might just be the best option.

Kind of makes me want to buy more beads.

Some rock solid info (oh yeah, I went there):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labradorite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turquoise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysocolla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrite

Supplier of all things awesome:
http://naturesgifts4you.com/