Tourist trap

Have you ever heard of Helenite? It's supposedly the fused ash from the 1980 Mt St Helens explosion. Have you ever seen obsidian? It's essentially the same composition as ash. So, it follows that, if you melted and fused the ash, it would be black to dark brown in color, right? Well, people trying to make money say differently. There's something funny going on, whether it's an additive or even made from the ash at all. And, since I thought it was funny (and pretty, too) I asked Mike to buy me this ring.




That was two years ago. What the picture doesn't show is how honkin' tall that thing is. It catches on everything and gets in the way big time. So I didn't wear it. But then...I got the bright idea...of taking it to the local lapidary teacher and asking for help. So, three hours later, I have a set I will wear. (And that I made. Picked the settings and put 'em in.)



Since I'm not a professional jewelry photographer, the picture is kind of crummy, but you get the idea. The earrings are posts, since I couldn't find a dangling setting I liked. The setting was finicky and slow, but worth it. I hope we can stay in Socorro so I can take a Lapidary class.