Press and Articles
Our contributions to Renee Newman's newest book "How to Identify, Evaluate and Care For Unusual Gems" includes a variety of our jewelry work with gems such as Sugilite, Dinosaur Bone with Pyrite, Tugtupite and Psilomilane.
Our spider pendant project article, as seen in the September 2010 issue of Art Jewelry Magazine. Step-by-step project covers the fabrication of a pierced webbed pendant design and an usual two-prong setting for a hand carved Andamooka opal spider. Our opal spider carving project is scheduled for November, 2010…. so stay tuned!
November 2010 issue of Art Jewelry magazine, featuring our step-by-step Andamooka spider opal carving article. Spider carving and carving expertise by Martha Borzoni with writing and photo assistance by Jessica Dow. This article was the follow-up to Jessica's "Webbed Opal" carved opal pendant project in the September 2010 issue.
This is an online companion piece to our opal spider carving article.
How to Heat-Treat Andamooka Rainbow Matrix Opal to Darken It
by Jessica Dow
Published: September 28, 2010
To bring out the play-of-color in naturally chalky-white Andamooka rainbow matrix opal, you can use this nontoxic heat-treatment to darken the stone.
This is the front cover to Renee Newman's upcoming book Exotic Gemstones Vol 2, the second volume in her "Exotic Gemstones" book series. This book will feature an incredible variety of exotic gemstones, including a full chapter on gem dinosaur bone! Our jewelry, gem and specimen photos have been featured throughout the chapter on gem dinosaur bone. Mark's 14k gembone ring was chosen for the cover of the book.
Our dinosaur bone has been featured in this beautifully photographed book "Agates Inside Out".
Agates Inside Out by Karen A Brzys
Photography by Thomas Shearer
This comprehensive book helps readers to think like an agate so they can be more successful in finding them. The book features photographs taken by Thomas P. Shearer. He uses innovative techniques that have never before been employed to take pictures of minerals. Also included are helpful diagrams that illustrate how agates formed.
If you're interested in learning more about this incredible gemstone material please visit our Gembone Blog
We were thrilled to contribute about 15 of our gem and jewelry photos to Renee Newman's first volume in her new series on rare and exotic gems, "Exotic Gemstones". Our photos were included in chapters on ammolite, rhodochrosite, sunstone and "other feldspars" (our spectrolite jewelry and gem photos were in this chapter). Keep an eye out for our contributions in Renee's follow-up, Exotic Gemstones Vol. 2,expected to be on the shelves within the next year!
This is the first in a series of books that will explore the history, lore, evaluation, geographic sources, and identifying properties of lesser-known gems. Exotic Gems Volume 1 has 288 color photos of mounted and loose tanzanite, ammolite, zultanite, rhodochrosite, sunstone, moonstone,
labradorite, spectrolite, andesine, amazonite, bytownite, orthoclase and oligoclase. Some of the pictures are close-up shots that show how to make visual judgments about clarity, transparency, color, cut quality and brilliance. A few pictures show how the gems are cut and many others show
creative jewelry designs with these stones. Exotic Gems also provides tips on caring for the gems, selecting an appraiser and on detecting imitations and gem treatments. The healing and metaphysical
properties of the gems are also addressed. Written for both consumers and professionals, it’s easy to read, well-organized, and packed with fascinating information and photos. If you’re interested in colored gemstones, you’ll find Exotic Gems to be a valuable resource that will help you discover and buy unusual gem varieties you may never have seen before.”
*Renee Newman is a respected gemologist and author of eight guides on gems and jewelry. Her books are used throughout the world as buying guides, sales-training tools, class texts and references for jewelry professionals.
Different Seasons Art Jewelry Magazine Cover Feature!
Mark and Jessica fabricated this black opal and sapphire floral pendant for a three section article for Art Jewelry magazine's September issue. This was the magazine's first article that covered the art of hand engraving. Mark's inventive tension "V-Setting" bail was included as an alternate advanced third section to the article.
Jessica's in-depth interview with Robyn Hawk of the Daily Jewel and Jewelry and Gem Artisans.
From Art Jewelry Magazine editor Hazel Wheaton's Art Jewelry blog:
"For my first pick, well... Jessica Dow and Mark Anderson made me do something I thought I'd never do — single out fire agate for praise! There's no point in denying that some stones I flip over, and some just leave me cold. It's nothing personal, fire agate, you understand... I know that there are a lot of people who love you to bits, but I never really saw a future for us. To me, you always looked like you were, well, melting. "
Metamorphosis by Jessica Dow and Mark Anderson is made of Argentium silver, Australian opal cabochons, and faceted pink spinel. Anderson cut the opals; Dow did the piercing, which she says is her favorite technique. “After years of handling a jeweler’s saw on a daily basis I have found it has become an extension of my hand, somewhat like a pencil is to a sketching artist.” 1 1⁄2 x 1 1⁄4 in. (38 x 32 mm). This piece appeared in the November 2009 issue of Art Jewelry magazine.
This design was made from pierced and engraved Argentium silver, Andamooka gem matrix opal pendant, and a 4mm faceted teal tourmaline gem. This gem bail is a design Mark made for a recent magazine article; he calls it the V-Setting.
It is featured in July 2008 issue of Art Jewelry magazine.
This carved African sunstone pendant was made by Jessica Dow and Mark Anderson for a step-by-step project in Lapidary Journal's Jewelry Artist magazine.
Mark made a custom Argentium silver cast ring with inlaid Mexican agate and also made a cast Argentium silver ring with gem dinosaur bone for the Contributor's Gallery.
This scrolled silver opal pendant was made by Jessica Dow and Mark Anderson for a step-by-step project in the June 2007 issue of Lapidary Journal's Jewelry Artist magazine.
