Rock star

Many of you already know this but for those who don't: I love rocks. Yep. It's true. Rocks make me happy, and I have lots of them—pretty rocks, dirty rocks, shiny rocks, ugly rocks, contraband rocks (e.g., did you know the penalty for taking rocks out of Turkey is prison? And I've seen "Midnight Express," so the lovely piece of calcite I discovered near Denizli stayed where I found it, and I have this picture to remember it by instead. I could not comment, however, on how various other chunks of granite, pieces of basalt, or piles of green sand have mysteriously left their respective outcrops and ended up in my living room. OK, I'll admit it, the green sand is all thanks to my sister's sacrificing her tennis shoes!).

Long asides aside, what self-respecting rock lover doesn't have a favorite rock? Mine happens to be my first favorite rock—it has stood the test of time. I first discovered unakite during a geology field trip in college, and despite intensive one-on-one time during several research papers, some geochemical analyses, and a thesis, it's still my favorite. I guess I will always hold a special place in my heart for unakite. And now, thanks to my good friend Kate, it has a special place near my heart—literally.


Kate discovered these unakite beads during a recent trip to Costa Rica, and knowing my love for the epidote-and-feldspar metamorphic beauty, she decided to whip me up this necklace! I love it so much that I wanted to share it with all of you. Thanks Kate!