HSN Blogs

December Finds

Well here they are again—the holidays once more!  I can’t believe how fast they’ve come around, and how much I have to be thankful for.
We’re now in full swing ramping up for 2010.  I’ve been making travel plans and setting up appointments with all our friends attending Quartzsite and the Tucson Gem Show.  For some of those miners and prospectors it’s the only chance we will get to see them for a whole year.  I just can’t wait to get started.
At this point we’re already finishing up on designs for April and May of 2010.  I have to tell you I’m so excited about what we have to offer in the New Year.
I feel like a little kid at times.  Some people who know me well, say I act like one at all times.  I just can’t wait to release this year’s December Today’s Special.  I feel it’s one of the greatest designs we have ever had the pleasure of offering.  I also know that you like to hear all about the “Mine Finds” coming up for December, so here they are:
Aztec Jasper:  This “find” is from the Southwest corner of Idaho.  This is a beautiful matrix stone.  When the miner looked at the design in the stone he couldn’t help but be reminded of art work, and he felt it looked a lot like Aztec artwork from Mexico—that is why he chose to name it “Aztec Jasper”.
Bauhinia: This “find” is from Vietnam.  This material was named for its color that resembles that of the Bauhinia flowers.  Many species of Bauhinia are planted in the tropics and are commonly known as orchid trees.
Californite Happy Camp:  This “find” is from California.  Californite was found when the miners where panning for gold in a stream.  The rough is all hand gathered and a lot of it was located by snorkeling in the stream to locate larger boulders.
Pilbara:  This “find” is from Australia.  Pilbara Picasso Jasper is a new material that is beautifully patterned.  It comes from only one location in Australia, therefore there is only a very limited quantity of the material available.
Porcelean Opalite:  This “find” is from Utah.  Porcelean Opalite comes to us from a family that loves to rock hunt together.  This material was mined in a valley with rolling hills.
Purple Orbicular Rhyolite:  This “find” is from Arizona.  This Rhyolite is very unique, when the rock was forming, there were gas bubbles and this is what helped to create the perfect circles that you see inside of the stone.
Queensland Petrified Wood:  This “Find” is from Queensland Australia.  Petrified woods are some of my favorite materials to work with.  Queensland was once a “conifer” tree that died and then was buried over many years and thru the help of minerals and sediments it became petrified.   This petrified wood was brought to us from a collector and is a very limited offering.
Please tune in December 26th, 27th and 28th to see our latest creations.
I want to send out a very heartfelt THANK YOU!!! to everyone who supported myself and our team this year.  As I always say, without our viewers we couldn’t do what we truly love to do.
I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and New Year.
Safe travels,
J

Jay at the airportJay in China
Answers to Questions:
Eileen, IN Yes, I’ve been to the Larimar mine. It only comes from that one location. The lore is it has something to with the lost city of Atlantis. This is the only location I’m aware of. They get very small quantities and it’s very expensive. J
Patti, NV I’m so glad you’re happy with the bowl. That always makes us even happier. The earliest you can expect the Lapis bowl is in February, but I can’t guarantee it. We’re looking for all kinds of new rough to work with. Thanks for your interest. J
Katie, AZ Hi glad you like the bowl. The answer is “yes”. We hand buff all these. The original master bowl was much more rustic. J
Cris, NY Thanks for your support. I can’t wait to show our December TS. It’s a great design and a ridiculous value.  Happy Holidays. J
Toni, TX I’m so happy you like it. We’re working on material for the lapis bowl. J
Elly, KS Thanks for your input. We have shot b-roll of them being made and we will share that on a future show. J
Lorn, MI Right now I don’t have anymore of the rough. I will be making a lot more rings in 2010. J
Linda, NY I’m glad you love it. That was a crazy price and great buy. We both share the love of turquoise. J
Mary, FL Thanks you so much for your input. J
SG, KY So many questions, so little time. We are working on the bowls not. I wish I could give you an answer. I will give you a heads up on the show or blog when I know. I’m on Dec. 26, 27 and 28. Wait till you see the TS. J
Tami, MI Thanks your support. I can’t say we will have those exact earrings again. I am designing with more tigers-eye for this upcoming year. J
Devo, CA Thanks for your comments. We are now doing stand alone pendants and enhancers. Unfortunately I can’t do it with everything. In almost every case because of packaging, freight, shipping and handling it would cause the prices to have to increase. J
Star, MN Thank you for your support. Happy Holidays. J
Deborah, CA Sorry that happened. I do stand behind everything I sell. If you want you can go to Customer Service keyword Jay King. Send us a letter with your information and we will take care of you. J
Margie, OR Thanks so much for your input we are working on some really cool garnet earrings and necklaces at this time. J
Ney, FL Thanks, I can’t believe you got three. Glad you like them. We’re working on the lapis now. J
Li, CA All I can tell you is this. I haven’t put water in mine, but I wash it out now and then. We have several in my house. J
Liz, TX Sounds like you’re married to a smart man. All I can say is you might want to check out the February TS. J
Joey, AR Thanks so much for letting me know of you’re new find. Without looking at it and having some rough material, it’s almost impossible to identify it. Sounds interesting. J
Donna, IL Thank you so much. We all with you a Happy Holiday. J
Pat, NC Thanks for your support. We’re working on the Lapis Bowls. I need more elves. J
E, CA Thanks we share the same feelings for stones from childhood. I’ll think about doing a star necklace. J
Maggie, IL Thanks for the support. Happy Birthday! Must be hard, since, Christmas and Birthday presents come almost at the same time. Happy Holidays! J
Susan, PA First of all Happy Birthday! I’m glad you loved the bowl. We’re working on new bowls now, but it takes time to gather this much material. I’ll keep you posted. Learning something new is always fun! J
Patti, NV Thanks, Happy Birthday! The lapis bowls will be next year. Hopefully in February. Right now I do not know. J
Thanks we share the same feelings for stones from childhood.
Linda, IN Happy Holidays to you. I can’t wait for the December show to release the TS. J
Carol, FL I want to wish you a Happy Holiday. Thanks for your support. Can’t wait to show you the December TS. J