Agate Bouquet

This agate cabochon was a gift from a neighbor whose father did lapidary work in the 1960s. Its face is much flatter than most of Larkin's cabs and encapsulates a perfect still-life bouquet. Larkin thought that an oxidized copper frame without distracting embellishments would best highlight the beauty of the stone.

New Leaves!

Amidst all the recent exciting publicity, Larkin has been hard at work! Larkin rough cuts each of these stone leaves into its unique shape, then grinds and polishes the domed cabs to shiny perfection. A small hand-filed score at the tip of each leaf ensures the surrounding wires stay in place. Larkin then individually sculpts the stems and veins from copper wire and solder, pickles the result to cleanse it of any torch scorches, secures it to the intended leaf, dips the piece in liver of sulphur to oxidize it dark, and polishes to gleaming.

Each leaf is unique in more ways than one-- I've never seen another jeweler make anything like these! I think a fan said it best when they proclaimed these lovelies as "a pendant any hobbit would be proud to receive from Galadriel."

Rock & Gem Magazine Article

Today we made a special trip to Crater Rock Museum between bowling practices just to pick up real, paper copies of the December issue of Rock & Gem Magazine. Why, you ask? Because there's a four page article on Larkin's work!!! So much gratitude to Jim Landon who reached out to us about writing an article after finding Larkin's work on-line! (Also thanks to Larkin who gamely let me set up the young Einstein jeweler photo 🤣)

Rose Stud Earrings

Larkin is stocking up on these silver rose stud earrings. These are all shaped entirely freehand and no two are exactly alike, but all are perfectly lovely! This gleaming handful of shiny pretties will be featured at the Dancing Beads trunk show on the 30th!

Galactic Sodalite

Larkin's latest piece is this brilliant blue sodalite framed with a combination of wrapping and fusing in argentium silver. I said the stone in the wrap looked positively galactic with timey-wimey space waves and swirls and now I think Larkin is looking for a new copy writer. 😅 I didn't even point out that the blue in the stone was, in fact, TARDIS blue...

Vining Applegate Jade

Another piece using one of my favorite applegate jades found by our family! This particular swirly green stone has veins of translucence, but is mostly opaque. The picture with a gravel background was taken in direct sun and best shows the colors and patterns in the stone.

Oh yeah, and it's not *all* about the stone. 😅 Larkin set the cab in gleaming silver that has been shaped, fused, and wrapped into its final form. It's like an explosion of new growth! Measuring in at 6.6 cm long and 6 cm at its widest point, this is a gorgeous, bold statement piece.

Idle Talons News Update

There's a new "about the artist" page up here on the Idle Talons website! If you're new here, it might answer some questions about Larkin's craft. :) And Larkin is gratefully taking suggestions if there's something else you'd like to know! https://www.idletalons.com/about-the-artist

We've been trying hard not to put the cart before the horse, but a national lapidary magazine is due to publish an article about Larkin's work in their December issue!!! This issue may come out as soon as November 1, so if you've had your eye on a particular piece you may want to make your move before Idle Talons is brought to the attention of a much wider audience! More info on the article when we have it in our hot little hands!

Applegate Jade Tree

We’ve been calling this stone “half-cooked” applegate jade— it’s a beautiful green base with orange-yellow speckles, and is translucent at the thin edges of the cabochon.

Larkin has been frustrated with how messy the back of a tree of life usually is since each branch needs to be individually tied off on the back of the piece. For this piece, Larkin soldered each of the 72 wire ends of the copper tree to the inside of the frame, allowing a more decorative back than usual. This took a Very Long Time and may or may not ever happen again.

The twisted rope and tire swing are constructed from argentium silver— and the swing actually swings from the branch!

Lavender Quartz Jellyfish

Larkin cut this uniquely shaped cabochon from a rose quartz stone with more flashy blue in it than most, which the folks at our local rock shop affectionately dubbed “lavender” quartz. The frame and curling tendrils are constructed with a combination of wrapping and fusing, resulting in a piece that is amazingly sturdy while capturing the dainty, ethereal spirit of a jellyfish! Even the back features whimsical underwater bubbles!

Those spiraling tendrils were a labor of love! Larkin flattened 14 gauge wire slightly with the rolling mill, softened them with the torch and rounded the ends, shaped the curls, trimmed them with the jeweler's cab, filed the ends to fit the edge of the wrap exactly, then fused them to the frame while keeping all fingers and toes crossed that none of the metal was going to slump. Just in case you were wondering.

New Dragon Eyes

Larkin has been restocking dragon eyes! These are always most popular at in-person events and I can't help but think that's because it's so hard to capture their detail and personality in photos.

Lapis Lazuli Marquise

Larkin cut and polished this marquise cab from a piece of lapis lazuli gifted by a fellow rock enthusiast at Crater Rock Museum. The long swirls of wrapped and fused argentium silver are lovely, and Larkin is considering turning this design on its side with beefier copper wire as a hair clip design. (I'll take one in applegate jade please, Larkin!)

Worried about it flipping over while being worn? Larkin has you covered: the back is gorgeous, too! This piece measures 8.5 cm long and and 1.8 cm at its widest point.

Stone Cold Bouquet

Larkin put in a seriously long day of stone work yesterday. This isn't even all of them, but I love the way the cabs still on dop sticks look like a bouquet! It's looking like leaves will be back in stock soon-- and check out that wire wrapper's manicure! 😅

Moss Agate Tree Of Life

Okay summer, we're done with you! 😅 This latest piece is quintessentially autumnal. Larkin cut this moss agate cabochon from a slab gifted by a friend. The cab boasts gorgeous, earthy reds and yellows— the perfect backdrop for an intricate tree of life.

Möbius Rings

When I was a wee bairn of probably 3-4, my dad brought me a loop of paper and asked me to color one side red and the other side blue. I noticed it was twisted and pointed this out to him before getting down to work, but he said he didn't mind. I started on the blue side and had almost completely colored the whole thing before I realized I had, yet again, fallen victim to a mathematical practical joke.

Larkin made Möbius rings! That's right: rings that, through the awesome powers of mathematics, have only one face and one edge. The one on the left is a thinner comfort band ring, and the one on the right is a slightly thicker, squarer wire where Larkin polished the twist at the edge. These are copper prototypes (the final product will be in silver) and our family is split on which we prefer-- what do you think?

Side note: Larkin's mathematician grandpa is angling for Klein bottle earrings to go with these. ;)

Local Quartz

A "scarf" style wrap in argentium silver around a neighbor's tumble polished stone. This is a fun way to hang smaller stones that might not be suitable for cabbing! And with this piece, Larkin's current commissions are complete! If you have a project you'd like done before the winter holidays, now would be a good time to get in touch! 😉

Local Commission

Another custom piece for a neighbor who found this stone on their property. The reds and greens really polished up beautifully! This is another frame for which Larkin used a hybrid of wrapping and torch work, which helps minimize the bulk of pure wrapping.

First Wholesale Order

<Phew> This little bin represents a ton of work! This is the first batch of Idle Talons stock purchased by a local art gallery-- we'll let you know when they open! If you or someone you know would like an Idle Talons display in your brick and mortar business, send us a message and Larkin will fill you in on wholesale pricing. Larkin has two commissions to finish up, then it's time for some well-earned creative free play.

River Stone Scroll

Larkin cut this cabochon from a small stone our family found in the Applegate— before we knew how to spot applegate jade! 😅 It’s a beautiful grey-green with white and black striations, but we're not entirely sure what its actual mineral composition is. Larkin wrapped the unique cab in swooping silver scrollwork. I'm still really loving the wire doodles on the backs of Larkin's recent work!

We know we've been quieter than usual, but it's not because Larkin has been slacking! A local gallery owner is planning an Idle Talons display, so Larkin has been working hard on filling their large wholesale order... plus, summer market season is still in full swing. Larkin is enjoying this seasonal production work, but is looking forward to having a little more time to play with some new designs and techniques!

Licensed!

Larkin is licensed to drive! Life as a young entrepreneur just got a little less complicated. 😁

Owl Be Darned

Another trip to the coast to get out of the wildfire smoke! Not a bad office view, eh?

Larkin is working on a design for a repeat customer at the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market who likes to get something special for his daughter every month. He was hoping for an owl next. What do you think, cute caricature on the left or essence-capturing line work on the right?