Stone Cabochon Series :: #4

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Years ago, before we had our kids, my husband and I took a road trip through the Southwestern US. What a gorgeous corner of the world, and something that continues to influence me when I sit down to create jewelry. 

The red rocks and painted desert of the area are breathtaking and remain carved into my memory along with our hike down into the grand canyon as we watched a thunder storm erupt along the opposite rim. Mother Nature's light show was spectacular.

I will absolutely never tire of the bold, but simple colors and geometric shapes from local artisans. I am inspired by the Southwestern Native American tribes of the region with Navajo, Zuni and Hopi being personal favorites. If you have time to browse, check out my Pinterest board for some of the regions beautiful inspiration.

This set of red stone cabochons gifted to me from Melinda Orr were two of the first I paired together for this series. While they are not of the same stone, they seem to depict the shifts and changes of the rock layers throughout the region. It is one of the memorable things about visiting the Southwest. I love how you can see the the layers of sediment exposed to the elements over the millennium; a rich history you can study as you hike these magnificent natural wonders. You can see more inspiration on my South by Southwest Pinterest board.

Each one of these paired cabochons has taken on its own personality, and this one seemed to need a brass chain to draw out the flecks in the sandstone. As I think about it, the first time I ever saw sandstone was in the small market as you enter Monument Valley. The cluster of vendor stalls were full of local craftsmen selling items in the traditional native Southwestern styles, including pottery, blankets, clothing, bags or jewelry. I've been in love with the stone ever since and it continues to reminds me of our trek through this region each time I pull it out to create.