Above shows Hematite, which is an Iron compund as being a shiny metallic grey. Hematite is quite weighty. Labradorite is the paler, see-through material with darker grey veining and blue flashing (top right).

 

Above shows Leopardskin Jasper in both rounds and cubes. There are many different kinds of jasper-Leopardskin is one of the loveliest. It has a random patterning of yellows, blacks, reds and creams. Each bead has a unique pattern.

 

The above shows Hematite again, and white Howlite. White Howlite is often dyed to imitate Turquoise as its grey patterning is very similar. It is a completely opaque white bead.

 

 

The flat beads above are Dream Agate beads. They are a mixture of red and black and are semi opaque. The oval bead is Brecciated Jasper. They have a lovely broken, patchy colour with earthy tones of red and semi transparent patches. The small round beads are Tiger Iron, which is bands of tiger's eye sandwiched between red jasper and hematite. They have bands of red and a darker, almost brown colouring.

Above shows a Paua shell otherwise known as Abalone. There are wonderful green and turquoise hues with an almost metallic sheen.

This donut is called Zebra Jasper for obvious reasons! It has wonderful black and white markings and is not commonly seen.

This donut is Lapis Lazuli, a sought after stone due to its wonderful blue colour. It has bands of Pyrite (also know as Fool's Gold) in it which sparkle as they catch the light. Lapis is one of the earliest desirable stones and was highly prized by the Eygptians among others. the pigment Ultramarine is made from this ground up stone.

 

 

 

I will upload more images of the stones I use at a later date.