Snail Charms

These oh-so-charming snail charms just went up! Chock full of whimsy and personality, these lovelies can be made in copper or silver. Larkin solders the copper, then oxidizes and polishes it until gleaming. Silver is fused and polished bright.

Breezy Moss Agate Scroll

Another petite cabochon, this time about the size of a dime on the long axis. The moss agate stone has amazing detail, difficult to capture in a photograph! The spiraling silver scrollwork is positively luminous and frames the stone beautifully.

Ocean Cliff Chert

Larkin cut this blue-green chert cabochon from a stone found by the ocean in northern California. Wrapped mostly in copper, an argentium silver wire follows the most prominent veins in the stone. Accent beads are copper and silver.

Breezy Chert Scroll

Larkin cut this petite cabochon from a last corner of this beautiful pale blue-green chert we found in northern California. The cab, slightly smaller than a penny, has a vein of quartz cutting across one side. The spiral scrollwork gives the wrap a light, ephemeral feeling, but this adornment of copper and stone is deceptively solid!

Support Youth Art

Today, something a little different. Zoi the Creative is another teen artist whose work we learned about through the unschooling community. Her pieces celebrating Black History Month are some of my favorites. Check it out-- gorgeous stuff! https://www.artbyzoi.com/ and on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyzoi/

Rose Quartz/Obsidian Doublet

Larkin formed this doublet cabochon by backing a piece of rose quartz with obsidian, resulting in a gorgeous combination that really shows off the flash and detail in the quartz. Wrapped in argentium silver to complement the flowing, underwater feel of the stone.

Lace Agate Gate

Larkin wanted to play with a door/gate design similar in organic feel to the leaves, and here is the prototype! Even the jump ring was soldered to complement the piece. Larkin has some ideas to modify the design, but I like how this arched lace agate cab looks like a gateway into a secret garden!

Going On A Jade Hunt

We drove out to the Applegate yesterday, mostly for recreational reasons-- we never even saw another human outside of a car! For Larkin and Emile recreation = rockhounding. I am not, however, sure that Larkin's yoga swing rockhounding is going to catch on. ;)

They were wildly successful-- there are some super promising (BIG!) chunks of applegate jade I can't wait to see cut! I'm glad they knew what to look for after a trip out with the local rock club-- applegate jade almost always comes with a nondescript brownish crust that looks nothing like the gorgeous, glowing green stone within.

Ocean View Jasper

Larkin cut this cabochon from a jasper stone we found near our home in southern Oregon. Larkin sees the crown of a tree in the foreground at the top, with beach, water, and sky below. What do you see? The negative space in the wrap neatly mirrors the negative space cut in the stone.

All photos are taken with the stone from which the cab was cut-- I love the way the copper wrap beautifully takes the place of the copper-colored crust on the rough stone. Bonus shot of my heckling, cackling audience as I tried to take photos: "Can we eats it, my precious?"

Leaves, Glorious Leaves!

More leaves! These will be going live this evening as my churlish computer allows. ;) From top to bottom: applegate jade, serpentine, moss agate, green aventurine, chert, yellow jasper, mahogany obsidian. Also included a view of the backs since I don't think I've done that before. I learned that the leaf shape Larkin cuts these stones in is almost impossible to find at rock shops because the concave curves are difficult to achieve on polishing wheels-- traditional cabs have all convex curves. No wonder these always seem so unique! Larkin is now switching gears to a more complex wrap.

Layered Cab

Another day cutting and polishing cabochons! Larkin is playing with a new technique, inspired by a slab of rose quartz that is quite transparent when cut. Larkin backed it with a thin slice of obsidian so more of the color shows, including a couple of areas of blue flash that are apparently quite rare! Two of today's cabs are already wrapped into leaves, and most of these will follow suit. 

Copper-Veined Leaves Re-Stock

Larkin has been having a hard time keeping these copper-veined leaves in stock, and I can see why! These are hitting the shop today. Clockwise from top left: applegate jade, red jasper/agate, grossular garnet, applegate jade, red jasper. All found locally and cut, polished, and wrapped by Larkin!

Silver Fox

A customer saw the fox and loved it, but wanted it done in bright silver! This wrap will be on its way to its new home tomorrow.

Amphibious Kambaba Jasper

Throw back... Friday? This piece has a soft spot in my heart. The stone is a purchased kambaba jasper cabochon. I think it looks like it's held in by froggy fingers, and I swear that's Kermit's silhouette on the back! Some people have said it reminds them of the painting "The Scream" and I can definitely see that too (although it's harder to explain Kermit's presence). Someday, this piece will find its perfect person who loves the amphibious whimsey... or perhaps someone who is a big Edvard Munch fan... or maybe someone who is dying for an excuse to work "kambaba jasper" into more conversations (go ahead, say it-- it's fun!).

Quartz Moon Fox

Larkin finished this locally found quartz cabochon with a matte polish to capture the soft glow of the moon. It is a rough, crystalline structure, and while you might not be able to see it with the naked eye, the cab does have some pocking/texture if you run your fingernail over the surface.

The adorable fox kit and its frame are constructed from copper wire which has been oxidized and polished. Idle Talons hereby formally acknowledges the customer’s right to see this as a wolf cub if desired. ;)

Now That's Foxy

Larkin has been playing with copper solder again and these little foxes are my new favorite thing. I dare anyone to hold the baby fox in their palm and not lapse into baby talk. Background is a wet hunk of applegate jade (hello rain, old friend!). I included a penny for scale and it may be a bit of a spoiler for what Larkin has in mind next…

Sales Magic!

It's a bit odd having items disappear from a brick and mortar store without Larkin even being present-- we usually get a chance to say goodbye to each piece! These two wraps found their homes today-- lots more still available to see in person at Dragon Crystals! Larkin got a sales notification while socializing our chicks-- it seems to be working! 😂

Mother's Day Commission

Those of you who have been around for awhile may remember when Larkin and Emile pulled this giant stone up a very steep and muddy bank. It turned out to be a pretty nice deep green chunk of serpentine. Here is Larkin's mother's day commission for a wrap using this stone. The customer requested a frame that complemented the stone without any wires going across the face.

Unexpected Treasure

Larkin's having a machine day! Shaping and polishing a cabochon for a Mother's Day custom order, plus a few more leaf cabs since those keep disappearing. :) On a hike up our empty rural road yesterday, Larkin spotted some promising stones in the road cut. Seeing the polished end is enough to encourage us to go back and see if there's more! We're not sure what it is-- it's translucent like agate, but seems softer than agate. Looking forward to consulting the experts at the rock shop!

Artist Of The Month

Idle Talons was named May's artist of the month at Dragon Crystals, our local rock and gem shop! This was made official several months ago, and of course timing could have been better given... well, the pandemic. They are open, so stop by if you're local and would like to see some of Larkin's work in person! Please observe social distancing and wear a mask. It was a fun challenge deciding on layout and which pieces to include in their display case, and a brick-and-mortar display feels like a bit of a milestone!