Navajo Spiny Oyster Cuff Bracelet by Charles Johnson 3f1f15f4580652d9bc1116b9e76f27b7

Navajo Spiny Oyster Cuff Bracelet by Charles Johnson 3f1f15f4580652d9bc1116b9e76f27b7At the early age of 15 Charles Johnson began his apprenticeship in lapidary and silversmith work, under the tutorage of his parents, His mother was a fifth generation jeweler and his father a second. As Mr Johnson continued to learn his art, his skills developed to where at the age of 20 he was a full time silversmith. Then, while continuing his silverwork, he tried his hand at lapidary work. Although he began in the practice of traditional Navajo

and weighing up to 47 metric tonnes

Specimens are found in pockets of dolomite limestone rock

With their graceful body lines one can understand why these interesting yet bizarre creatures have been nicknamed "The Butterflies of the Sea"

many unique eggs have now been discovered in Mazon Creek fossils

which when arranged in perfect geometry create the famous play of color associated with the stones

thus transforming the wood into very dense and heavy Ironwood (Olneya Testota)

spreading to Eurasia via the Bering land bridge before going extinct in North America around 10

They could grow between 4-8 inches in length

similar in look to the chambered nautilus

Corundum is a hard stone

and Cuperite in quartz

8 million years ago