My family and I have been rockhounds for the past 30 years. Ten years ago my husband and I acquired used lapidary equipment and began designing natural stone jewelry, beads, and buttons from rough rock.
There are several processes the rock goes through before my work is complete. This includes cutting, shaping, drilling, grinding, sanding, and buffing. With a 14” diamond saw blade I cut a slab off the rough rock. I examine it, identifying interesting patterns and colors. From there I determine the size and shape of the piece I will work. The transformation from rough rock to a finished piece is always fascinating.
Types of stones used:
Chrysoprase \ Golden Oak petrified wood \ Larimar \ Namibia Shattuckite \ Polychrome \ Arizona Sunset \ Arizona Sunset \Red Aventurine
Tacy L. Jones
Eagle Creek, OR
503-936-3507
www.thespiralgallery.com
tacyjones@rocketmail.com
The transformation from rough rock to a finished piece is always fascinating.
I have been working with rough rock as an artist for twelve years. When I began my current lapidary "flow" I was fortunate enough to have already spent a great amount of time in my life rockhunting with my family. So, with a barn full of rock and some old lapidary equipment I began my journey.
Although I do continue to work with personal "treasures" from the field, much of the material I work with is rock from around the world, purchased at shows across Oregon and in Arizona. With well over 100 different types of rock in my collection, it is sometimes difficult to choose what the next project will be. Rocks are all so different, so fascinating in their own way.
The process of creating a finished pendant or cabachon from a chunk of rough rock includes several steps. This includes cutting, shaping, drilling, grinding, and sanding. With a 14" diamond saw I cut a slab off the rock. Upon examining the slab's colors and patterns, interesting features are identified. At this point I determine the shape and size of piece I will work. Using a trimsaw, a tabletop drill press, and a 6 wheel lapidary machine with varying diamond grit the piece is worked until it has been transformed to a finished cabachon.
As a lapidary artist for the past ten years, I've always loved silver and stone. Several years ago I set a goal for myself. To create stone and silver pieces, start to finish. After a few metalsmithing classes and dabbling on my own I have finally begun to create my own stone and silver jewelry. This is a new path and I am quite excited. My first show including the silverwork was held April 2023 at The Spiral Gallery in Estacada. I have been working with silver for about a year. Working with a new medium has given me permission to honor the imperfections of my work, and rejoice over the endless opportunities for new design.
Tacy L Jones
Eagle Creek, Oregon
Tacyljones@gmail.com
Thespiralgallery.com
