Entertaining Blogs Worth a Read

NC Black Co, follow their travels over the next 264 days as they cross the country and teach micro forming jewelry and engraving classes.  Stella a NC Black K hammer is ready to get her wings and go on a road trip.  "Every time an anvil rings, another hammer gets its wings."

 







Rockchaser writes about their rock collecting adventures in San Diego County including links to regional collecting blogs, online resources and rock and gem shows.  Follow Sesame Pooch the rock sniffing hound as she finds new mine shafts and survives her encounters with killer dog eating rocks.

Colored Glass

Olive and brown tones of antique glass bottles from San Francisco and other Western bottle companies.  All are bitters except the round bottle on the left.  Found these on Oregon Trail Antique Bottles and Glass website.

Galerie de Mineralogie et de Geologie

The National Museum of Natural History in Paris which I wrote about yesterday (Meet Me in Paris | Cabinet Bonnier de la Mosson) also has a Galerie de Mineralogie et de Geologoie.  Since a flight to Paris isn't in my plans right now, viewing their incredible mineral treasure online is nearly as good as being there in person.  The photos are incredibly detailed and with each there is the ability to pan and zoom in to see the mineral formations up close.  Use their search function to find minerals by name or by species.

Meet Me In Paris

Meet me in Paris at the Jardin des Plantes at the National Museum of Natural History, Place Valhubert, 5th arrondissement.  Together we will admire the wonderment of the Cabinet Bonnier de la Mosson.  "A unique manifestation of the intersection between aesthetics and science".  Dating back to 1735 the flora and fauna are fantastic and encased in the most beautifully carved cabinet.

Celeste Olalquiaga's well written column about the history of the cabinet, it's owner and it's place in society is worth the read.  Be sure to take a look at all the beautiful photographs by Joanna Ebenstein which can be found on her blog Morbid Anatomy and on her Flicker page astropop.

Photos above are from Morbid Anatomy's website.  Photo below is from Cabinet Magazine's article by Celeste Olalquiaga.

Mineral Collection

This antique rock and mineral collection of twenty-six glass vials each labeled with a specimen inside is listed for sale on Aldetha's Etsy shop.  Estimated to be from the early 1900's the collection includes specimens of Garnet, Chrysocolla, Graphite, Copper, Lepidiolite, Beryl and more.  This may have been someone's reference collection or a school project who knows, either way it is a wonderful bit of history.

Organic Pendant

This sterling silver pendant has a tube set Peridot stone, textured and smooth insets and is just ever so slightly convex.

Here are the steps from concept through stone setting that I took to make this pendant.

 Design sketch with my notes for fabrication.

Layers cut out.  Layer on right is the bottom layer with textured and smooth areas.

 Layers stacked, soldered and ready for doming.

 All soldering done, domed, tube and bail in place and polished.  Ready to set the stone.

 Peridot stone set.  Finished!

Progress

Progress on hoop earrings in silver.