I never wrote a blog post about my purchase of a Diamond Pacific Genie several months ago, which surprises me. How could I have missed the opportunity?!

Since then I have cut several dozen cabochons, and the pleasure has been all mine. What a joy, to have my own machine, and my time not limited to one hour increments, as they are at the local rock and mineral club in Quartzsite, AZ.

My skills improved, and I am now offering a selection of my stones available for purchase within my shop on Etsy. My specialty is American-Mined Jaspers, though I do occasionally buy material which has been sourced elsewhere in the world. I am particular as to whom I buy from, and stay away from sources that aren’t confirmed as ethical mining operations. I’d rather not work with the *material of the year* if that means I might be supporting a business that uses slave labor or works their employees in unsafe conditions.

Most of my material is purchased from miners who have dug the rock directly from their own claims, or have purchased rock directly from such miners. Lucky for me, our American western states produce such gorgeous Jaspers like the ones above!

I am the sole lapidary artist for the cabochons I offer. I don’t outsource my cutting, and employ no assistants.

If you are a jewelry maker and are looking for artistically shaped and cut cabochons to use in your work, and also want to support ethical mining and processing of minerals, perhaps my stones will be of interest to you. View the available collection at my shop, Talisman Too.