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November 1999 Gemstones & Pearls: News Turning a New Leaf For those of you who enjoy the fall, here is a way to make the vibrant colorful leaves linger longer. Rare Earth Mining Co.'s drusy agate leaf collection was inspired by the fabulous autumn colors in Trumbull, CT, where owner Bill Heher lives. "I've been stockpiling the right kind of agate for years," says Heher. The glittering nature of the drusy quartz also reminds Heher of an early morning frost. At the Tucson gem and mineral shows in February 1998, he quickly sold out his stock of 500 pieces, all carved by Greg Genovese, in fewer than two days. His stockpile for Professional Jeweler's PrimeTime Marketplace & Conference in October and the Tucson gem and mineral shows in February numbered more than 2,000 pieces, he says. Heher, who has a background in biology, carefully studies the curved pieces of agate that originate as the interior treasures of geodes. He searches for the right combination of colors and patterns before Genovese carves the leaf outlines. "Some people prefer birch, beech or maple – others go for the oak, willow or ginkgo leaf," he says. These gems are well-suited for use in one-of-a-kind designer jewelry.
– by Robert Weldon, G.G.
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