All non-metallic beads used in "Local Stones" jewelry are made of stones from Alaska.

The only stone carved for commercial purposes in Alaska is soapstone. Contrary to what the tourist shops selling Chinese imports may tell you, those jade bears are NOT carved in Alaska. Nor is the jade they are made of even from Alaska--it's a chromite jade from British Columbia in Canada!

There is a new brand of jewelry made in Alaska called "Drops of Alaska". The stones are a greenish rhyolite and the description mentions that rhyolite comes from volcanoes and that we have many volcanoes in Alaska. That's true. However, the pretty green stones used in the jewelry at NOT from Alaska, but are an agatized rhyolite from Queensland, Australia, called "Rainforest Jasper"!

Some shops say that garnets come from Wrangell, Alaska. That's true. However, the polished garnets in the earrings and bracelets they sell are NOT from Alaska. Alaskan garnets are very dark red and are usually sold on their gray schist matrix, though some people do wire-wrap nicer crystals.

Some shops say that hematite is Alaska's "black diamond". That's true. However, the shiny hematite in the earrings and bracelets they sell are NOT from Alaska. Our hematite is fairly dull, very rare to ever see anywhere, especially tumbled or polished to sell, so it is not used in jewelry.

Although most stones occur in various locations around the world, usually each locality has unique characteristics, enabling mineralogists to determine their source. For example, the Canadian chromite jade is fairly uniformly bright apple green. Our jade varies quite a bit in darkness and color (shades of green from brownish to bluish), but usually displays characteristic black spots.

Thank you for buying my jewelry and supporting a local Alaskan artist.