Our Product
We use the best material for our jewelry. Everything is handmade with top grade natural turquoise and other gemstones. Learn more about what goes into the jewelry.
Sterling Silver
All of Bonecutters jewelry is solid sterling silver.
Semi Precious Stones
TURQUOISE
RED CORAL
Red Coral is harvested mostly out of the Mediterranean Sea. It has been used for thousands of years by the Western civilizations in Europe and different groups who have lived in the Middle East. Most modern day coral is processed in and around Naples, Italy. The Native Americans first had access to coral from traders who traversed the Southwest looking to do business with the Navajos and Pueblo tribes.
Bonecutters uses natural American turquoise. We have a long relationship with many miners and cutters who we see on a regular basis. Click below to learn more about the mines and types of turquoise you can find in our inventory.
SUGILITE
SPINY OYSTER SHELL
One of the newer gemstones to come onto the market in recent years is Sugilite. Sugilite is usually not well known for its name; however, if you are into gemstones and minerals, you have probably already seen it. Sugilite is wonderful semi- precious stone that comes in several colors, most notably a deep purple. Sometimes known as the Purple Turquoise, Sugilite is available in large masses and truly does have wonderful hues, especially when it is very deep purple.
Sugilite was founded in 1944 by the Japanese geologist Ken-ici Sugi. While only known for about 50 years, it is slowly becoming extremely popular, especially for its wonderful opaque purple color. Sugilite is made from a combination of many elements; however it mainly comes from potassium, sodium, lithium, iron and manganese. The primary source of sugilite is the Wessels mine in northern Cape Province of South Africa.
The Spiny Oyster gemstone is actually the colorful shell that comes from the oyster species "Spondylus varius" also known as the Spiny Oyster or Thorny Oyster. "Spondylus" is Latin for "spines on its back". As the name implies, Spiny Oysters are covered with menacing spines. Spiny Oyster shell beads are unique, beautiful, and also difficult-to-harvest.
Spiny oyster can be found around the world typically along the coasts of North Carolina all the way down to the waters near Brazil, also in the Sea of Cortez, and off the coast of Baja Mexico and Baja California. The shells of the Spiny Oyster are rare finds and are especially treasured by Native American Indian artists for their beautiful red, pink, brown, yellow, orange, purple, and white colors.
GASPEITE
VARISCITE
Gaspeite is a green stone that can range from light yellowish green to dark olive green. This beautiful stone is only found in two places in the world, the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Canada from which its name is derived and from Western Australia. Both of these mines are played out so gaspeite is rare and more stone will not be available unless another source is discovered.
Variscite is a relatively rare phosphate mineral that is sometimes confused with turquoise. It is usually greener, however, than turquoise. Variscite is sometimes used as a semi-precious stone and can make distinctive color patterns that are very attractive. Variscite from Nevada typically contains black spider webbing in the matrix and is often confused with green turquoise. Most of the Nevada variscite recovered in recent decades has come from mines located in Lander County.