back to my nerdy roots

i will admit it. i was one of those kids who collected minerals. lots of them. while all the other girls would drool over thew newest barbie in the sears wish book, i was the kid who asked for the rock tumbler set. i had it all--pyrite (more commonly referred to as "fools gold"), tiger's eye, crystal, various types of quartz, etc. i didn't actually do much with these minerals other than look at them, which was enough for me. in the past several months, i have wanted to get back to my mineral loving roots and figure out a way to tastefully add things like druzy, geode slices, stalactite and dendritic agate to my designs. i have been casually sourcing for minerals that inspire me. i am in no rush since i figure my pieces will be one-of-a-kind and not part of any particular line i have going on currently. take a look at some of my recent finds. i have some preliminary ideas, but they require a lot of tweaking and planning before i jump in. these are amethyst from uraguay. aren't they lovely?