“Beneath the Surface” - form carved from Wyoming Black Jade, strung on brown cord with matching hand-carved accent bead and adjustable sliding beads for adjusting cord length.

Note from the Artist: This design is inspired from my travels to Suzhou, China. The reddish brown side of the pendant is the rind or the skin of the jade. After being exposed to the elements for hundreds of years, the stone oxidizes and weathers on the outside, forming the rind. I wanted to incorporate the skin of the stone with the black jade because the contrast is so striking. I undercut the form, right under the skin and carved holes in the top layer.

This jade is a Wyoming nephrite called “Edwards Black Jade” for the name of its first founder, Newt Edwards. Wyoming jade is by far the best jade in North America. Only discovered in the 1930’s, the jade fields were extensively covered by prospectors from 1940 to 1960 after a popular scientific article was published with the title “Green Gold”. People quit their jobs in search of the treasure. Because of this, the Wyoming jade fields are pretty picked over today. You would be lucky to find a good piece, if any jade at all. Of all jade found in Wyoming, the “Apple Green” and “Edwards Black” are the most exquisite and the most valuable.

Pendant approximately 1 1/2” H x 1 5/8” W x 3/8” D

Carved in 2018.