Slow and Steady
- GEMSTONE: Oregon Fire Opal, 228.5 carat carving
- ARTIST: Darryl Alexander, Arizona
- MINE: Juniper Ridge Mine, Oregon
- MUSEUM: Unassigned
We like whimsical, hence Slow and Steady. American Gemstones has made snail-like, but constant progress toward developing a museum quality collection of American Gemstones.
During this long adventure it has been our pleasure to travel, mine with and discuss plans for gemstones, gemstone cuts and, of course, building the American Gemstone collection, with Darryl Alexander. Before there was any sort of plan for this effort, we mined gemstones together at a number of places, often with other gem mining and artist friends.
On one of these trips we spent the day at Juniper Ridge Opal mine with Ken Newnham (the mine owner) and the miners from Sunstone Butte Mine. With two jackhammers working hard all day, the haul of Oregon Opal was significant. Luckily one of the pieces mined that day caught the artistic eye of Darryl. Naturally, the actual stone was not cut for several years and then, when working out how to display various gemstones, American Gemstones promptly dropped and broke it. Back to Darryl it went and slowly but steadily it made it’s way back into the collection.
A project like American Gemstones is fun while we’re in the field digging out beautiful gemstones but also a long and tough process made easier by the friendships of those willing to plod along with us.
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