Holiday Collection "Best of the Best" Sneak Preview

First of all "Happy Holidays" to all of you special people,  who make the Journey of being a Lapidary Artist a fun and informative adventure. As the old saying goes, "A leopard never changes it spots" is so true.

 In years past, when I would toil for weeks, over a special painting, at times I would feel like a portion of my soul ripped away and brush stroked it-self across the face of the canvas. When it was time to head to the gallery, I would grab that painting and hide it as far, in the back of the closet as I could reach, and all I could hear ringing in my ears was....."This is not the time for this painting". After a year or two, I open that closet like a treasure chest, and its a show of their own.

 Now almost a decade later, as I grab a piece of rough rock , and make that first cut on the slab saw! I wish each and every one of you could experience that moment. The anticipation, the hopes. Its a bit of just plain Magic at time. It has been the reputation of LostSierra, each and every listing for 3 years now, we have dug, packed, hunted, and countless hours, searching for those new, exciting, stones, that are not only beautiful, but
stones that Catch a buyers eye, for the silver-smith, once set in silver.

 100's of  different varieties of stones have past thru the Lapidary shop of LostSierra. Each and every listing has its memories,  may I add, over the course, of many beautiful stones. I had those moments, when  I would grab that piece of rough, and put it in the big box, in the back of the closet! yes, that box marked, "Touch this Box you risk your Life".  It just wasn't the time, for that piece of stone, to make its debut.
 

 As the end of 2011 approaches, the "Box of Rocks in the Closet", was its time, to shine! Like Christmas
times 10. What a thrill, it has been, bringing these stones to life. So what was in the box? First of all, I have made this statement many times, my preference in stones,are very graphic stones, with lots of color. Secondly, plumes in a stone, are just amazing, I can spend hours, just studying a plume agate. In jewelry there is nothing more beautiful than a Plume agate!

 OK, now I'm a typical artist, so when we cut into the Owyhee Flower Jasper. I could hardly keep my hands off of this stone. The coloring is perfection, right-down to the brush strokes. The salmon coloring, with the sage green, a touch of burnt sienna, and a stripe of Gold. This stone came from an old collection, in Parma Idaho,
Many of the pieces of rough are dated, 1947, 1953, 1958.  The Owyhee Flower Jasper, is an honor to own, and an honor to pass on to you! The Aqua Blue Chalcedony, with Vivid green stringers and Breath taking Druzy vugs, is exceptional. Now for the  Graveyard Point  Regency Rose Plume Tube Agate, this rough was prospected, in the early 1960's. Extremely rare, the tubes are exquisite,  and each tip is a sparkling piece of marcasite.

Exceptional group of Amethyst Crystals in Yellow Cat Jurassic Petrified Redwood are an agate collectors dream. The Dramatic Graphic Pictorial Jasper, from the Dead Camel  Mountains central Nevada, is beyond belief.
Big Diggins Sagenite Agate from Deming,New Mexico, is a sensory over load. Filled with opals, of blue, gold, and pinch of red. From opposite corners, Little Diggins Sagenite Agate also from Demings New Mexico, with forticated agate, and beautiful druzy vugs. Both of these agates are some of the finest Sagenites ever. Last but not least, the Attention getter "Confetti Agate" this stone has stole my heart, it is so beautiful, the color combination is like none other and putting this agate over the top... many cabochons have small sparkling duzy vugs!!!  Last chance to get your, Lava Fountain Plume Agate... need I say more....?
I did a few group photos,  for your enjoyment. You will be able to reserve your favorites, on Flickr tomorrow nite. Or join us for the Etsy listing Tuesday, December,6th, 2011, 10:00 a.m...