production  process
C~J's
Gemstone Creations
from Jim.. the guy who creates all the beautiful pieces
see him working at his bench in the photo below
To bring a gemstone to a finished piece of jewelry requires not only finely tuned physical skills,
but also a ‘vision’.  Occasionally, upon seeing a gemstone, I’ll know how I want to set it; but many
times, gemstones will sit in my ‘collection’ of stones, until I get “inspired.”

Decisions regarding types of settings present endless options, such as single stone mountings with
or without accent stones; in addition to various combinations of stone colors and shapes. Most
designs are carefully planned, but, the fun part happens when, occasionally, a beautiful finished
product is purely accidental.

I buy either rough unfinished castings of gold or silver, or shape my own findings to receive the
stones.   Finishing the findings can be very time consuming, but watching the fine details and high
luster finally appear is rewarding.   

The stone setting process requires patience and a gentle touch. On more than one occasion, I have
applied a little too much pressure to the setting pliers, only to have the stone chip or break.

Final assembly of the piece can be done by soldering in place or linking together by various
joining methods. This is then followed by a final cleaning & polishing of the finished piece.

In addition to the gemstones that most consumers are familiar with, we make every effort to
locate some of the more unusual gemstones, many of which may not be readily available in the
larger national jewelry franchises; for example sphene, andalusite, andesine, Mexican fire opals,
iolite,  just to name a few.

I acquire my natural gemstones from a variety of sources, both domestic and internationally.  I
have no control over when a particular type of stone  will be available, and in what quantity.
When I find a particularly interesting stone, I'll purchase as many as possible; however
sometimes a single stone  is all that's available.
With that being said, please understand that each piece of finished natural gemstone jewelry
presented in our festivals or in our store should be considered one of a kind.  If you see it, like it
and would like to own it, buy it.. It may be gone if you wait.