![]() The semi-precious stone was first discovered by Floyd Anderson in 1995. Shamrock Mining is located in Hanna, Utah at 42660 West SR 35 and can be reached at 43. On March 16 th, Governor Spencer Cox signed off on House Bill 188 which recognizes honeycomb calcite. With a doctorate in psychology, Shamrock Mining founder Joseph Anderson likes to say that he “traded studying rocks in the head for rocks in the ground.” Anderson is still involved in Shamrock Mining - the name of which his wife chose for her fondness of shamrocks. In 2017, Jean’s brother-in-law, Joseph Wavra, said, “How about if I buy the mine for you?” She said her family just cracked up laughing. Jean, getting bored staying at home, also was hired by Shamrock Mining and now runs the office there. Rick was searching for Spanish gold and such and went to work for Anderson. ![]() Jean Stott and her husband Rick relocated from Salt Lake City to Hanna in 2007 in order to do some mining of their own. So he looked for someone to take over his mining business but wanted to leave it in good hands. If you're in the Dallas area, be sure to stop by Scott's shop at the address noted above.Shamrock Mining states that “The stone is transparent and translucent, offering a luminous glow when accentuated by artificial, direct or indirect lighting.īy 2017, Floyd Anderson was ready to take a break. ![]() For additional information, check out the main US distributor here. The firm that distributes this stone for the mine has been experimenting with acid etching and I've seen some awesome results. You should be able to see the difference in the luster between this heart which is highly polished, and the "happy coin" disc in the first photo. If you click on the photos, you can see larger versions. I would love to see lots of different sizes, both smooth and faceted, along with puffed coin, square and rectangular shapes. I also hope that some bead supplier will discover this stone and start making honeycomb beads available to the jewelry artist industry at large. If this stone is slice too thin, however, the color will looked "washed out." I'm hoping we can get the smaller discs cut thin enough to be used for earrings. ![]() There are various shapes and sizes available. Some of the stone comes with the reddish streak you see here which I suppose is caused by the presence of iron. I'm looking forward to experimenting with brass or copper wire and various beads. This half barrel pendent has slanted grooves carved into the face for wire-wrapping. At least we have these pretty carved and highly polished hearts! I already have one necklace completed and it's in Scott's store on consignment. He found that beads are possible, but I'd have to order a quantity that only a bead shop would use! Since I can't possibly use 10,000 beads of any given size, I've had to satisfy myself with what little already being offered. I don't use a lot of cabochons, so I asked about beads and other shapes with holes drilled for wire and jump ring insertions. He wasn't familiar with this stone being used in jewelry making, but with just a bit of research, he found that there are some uses, especially with the stone being cut and polished for cabochons. When I first encountered his store and this pretty rock, I inquired about jewelry applications. I've seen his portfolio and it's amazing! Scott also builds wine cellars, and he has used honeycomb calcite slabs for tiling and other purposes. The light glows from within the honeycomb translucence to provide a warm, beautiful and inviting affect. Scott's store features this stone used for lighting, especially cylinders of various heights placed on stone slabs with a tealight candle or wired with a mini-bulb in the center. Scott doesn't have his website live as of yet, otherwise I would gladly provide the link! But if you're in my area, do yourself a favor and visit his shop at 1018 E. absolutely spectacular! I discovered this pleasing rock in a local store in the historic area of downtown Plano called Tuscan Lights. I've seen pictures of its use in bathrooms, entryways, bars and wine cellars. Because of its structure, it's solid and sturdy and is used in both architectural and artistic applications. Unlike other forms of calcite, its color doesn't readily fade in sunlight. It's luster is vitreous, but it does accept a gleaming high polish. Honey-colored calcite with the crystals in tubular cells outlined by predominately white membranes gives this stone a definite look of honeycomb.
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