THE BEACH STONES
I have collected 99.9% of all the stones that I work with. (Every now and then, someone will gift me a pocketful of stones that they collected from a far away place) The finish on all of the stones is their natural finish in the state in which I found them. You can rub an oil or Mother’s Wax on them to darken the color a bit but I find that, with handling, the natural oils in your skin will do that as well. It can be scrubbed off with soap and water if you want it brightened up.

STERLING VS FINE SILVER
I am often asked about the difference between Fine Silver and Sterling Silver and why I use both. Sterling silver is .925 % pure silver and is alloyed making it a bit harder than fine silver. Fine silver is .999% pure silver, is slightly more malleable, has a ‘softer or less bright’ color, and tarnishes a bit less. I prefer the color of the fine silver and it’s great for setting the stones. All of the components that demand a bit more durability are made of sterling, most of the bezel bands (the silver that encircles the perimeter of the stone) are of fine silver.

HOW HEAVY ARE THE PIECES?
All of the stones that I work with have been either cut in half or flattened down on a grinding wheel to make them thinner and lighter. Rarely will someone say a piece is too heavy - more often customers say that it is lighter than they were expecting. If you are concerned about a certain piece, I am happy to weigh it for you prior to purchasing - you just need to send me a note.