[J Marcus]

My big mabe' is finally ready to present to the "world," I believe. (Or at least any one who's interested...) I have taken GemGeeks advice and given it a name, The Cascadia Moon. This mabe' is made from a natural, wild-grown, abalone blister-pearl. I also decided to go a bit further with this one and covered the back with an intarsia-like arrangement of semi-precious gem materials including: abalone shell, gold lip MOP, white MOP, charoite, lapis lazuli, "strawberry" quartz, malachite, black obsidian and velvet obsidian. What are your opinions of this? There's a bit too much glare in the photo's as well as too much yellow because of the light used, but I will take time to set up conditions for some better photo's soon. I was just a bit anxious to show it off. Let me know what you think.

Oh yes--it is a double. I almost forget about the lower one when I see the big pearl.

Regards
J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/buyabalonemabes.html

[jeanpn]

Wow! Great colors!
Jean

[Nerida]

Wow, that's truly breathtaking! The name is beautiful, and descriptive, and your work on the piece just fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

[jerin]

Originally Posted by Nerida

Wow, that's truly breathtaking! The name is beautiful, and descriptive, and your work on the piece just fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

I´ll second that! Very creative work that must have taken quite some time, I think!

[GemGeek]

Wow, beautiful job! That lump does look like a mountain! Did you open the back? I'm really curious about what was inside that would make such a big blister pearl. Great photos.

[J Marcus]

Hi Pearlers,

Yes, I did open it up and clean it out. Like the majority of natural blister pearls, It was too thin and therefore fragile to not clean it out and fill it with a resin for durability. The space contained the remains of a large Toredo Clam--otherwise known as a "Shipworm." Most of these seem to be "glued" in place by copious amounts of conchiolin, apparently serving to prevent the clam from moving, boring further and doing more damage. This one appears to have been a precociously strong one that seems to have broken loose more than once and continued to bore and grow.

I did take quite a while completing this. It was as much a result of my anxiety about damaging it during the cleaning-out as from anything else...

I'm interested in hearing honest feedback about this baby. I'm always grateful for the kudos, but if there is something that anyone doesn't like about what I've done here, than I would be glad to hear that as well. I promise not to be offended.

Best regards,

J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/buyabalonemabes.html

[Caitlin]

That stonework on the back is a really nice idea. I love that mountain and its little friend. It kind of looks like a reflection of the moon in abalone water.......

[knotty panda]

I think I see a face in those pearls. Could it be? Why yes! It is! IT'S JEREMY!

The colors are gorgeous

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by knotty panda

I think I see a face in those pearls. Could it be? Why yes! It is! IT'S JEREMY!

The colors are gorgeous

Hi J Marcus,

Lovely mabe! Cool multi-inlayed back.


Knotty,

OMG, you are right! It is Jeremy! Just look at that cranium! Unmistakable. Freaky, even.

Slraep

[WeeGem]

I think the mabe is absolutely stunning!! I love what you did with the back as well; reminds me of American Indian multistone inlay work like Calvin Begay's.

[Sueki]

Phew !
Now here's a word I never use, but I can't think of a suitable adjective. The work on the back is awesome !
The front's rather nice, too.....

[pattye]

Hello J,

Thank you for telling the process on this lovely Mabe. The colors on the inlay are nicely balanced, and adds a "little secret" to the piece!
I agree with others that the name is perfect, and would love to see this one is person! My small collection of mabes are Sea of Cortez, and although lovely, are dwarfed by The Cascadia Moon! The delicate colors are exquisite-----what comes next?????? White or yellow gold? Silver????

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[smetzler]

J,

Very nice piece and name. Last Saturday when you proposed it we were at our Skagit River cabin, enjoying a half moon over the Cascade Mountains through a few breaks in the clouds! Was going to post at the time, but couldn't break away from the view. Half moon/mabé…quite appropriate!

Look forward to seeing this and other of your pieces when we are next up your way.

Steve

[J Marcus]

I just got to thinking--Maybe folks would enjoy seeing Cascadia Moon's picture newly received and "in the raw." Here she is with a couple of her "sibs." Also, I'm including a photo of her "kid sister." She's located on the edge of the muscle scar area almost directly beneath CM in the first picture. She's only about 25mm and about half as high as CM.
Enjoy!
________________
J Marcus
http://www.flyrodjewelry.com/home.html

[airdancer]

I echo everyone else in saying the inlay is beautiful and surprising.