ancient legacy

My Grandfather, Guy, was a stone hunter and agate cutter. When he passed away several years back, he left behind literally thousands of agates and other stones. I am now the lucky owner of several bins of rare stones.

Some of my favorites are the Dryhead Agates he found - from the Bighorn Canyon area of Montana, just north of the Wyoming border. This is a remote area which, even today, is largely unsettled.

"Historically, the area was used as hunting ground for Native Americans, who used the cliffs to drive buffalo to their deaths. As part of their hunting rituals, the tribes of this region stacked the heads from the buffalo to dry and bleach in the sun. These stacks of bleached skulls gave the area its famous name – DRYHEAD." - from rocksonline.com

A few of Grandfather Guy's Montana Dryhead Agates L-R: raw, slab, polished
photo by Cecilia Doan

The bands inside the agates formed when layers of silica crystallized. Agates with bands, such as the three shown above, are called "fortification" agates. The origin of the word fortify stems from the Latin word fortis, meaning strong. Like a fortress viewed from above, they are truly magnificent.

It is hard to describe how it feels when I'm sorting through the stones my Grandfather left behind. Many are cut and polished, ready to set. Others are much like rocks you'd see while hiking, you'd never notice them. I often wonder what his plans for each stone were. Perhaps an ornate belt buckle, or ring, or cuff. I also wonder what year it was, what clothes he wore, and if my Grandmother was there.

There are so many things I'm curious about. Which is exactly how he would want it.

it's been a month

As it turns out, I knew a few people, who knew a few people, and then, well, things just took off! The g r a y l i n g blog is now a month old.

I've had tons of fun compiling photos and links; the phrase "there's so much out there" doesn't even begin to describe it all! Fear not - the best is yet to come. I have several exciting stories and interviews planned featuring local and national designers, shop owners, and industry insiders.

In the meantime, I'll be updating my website with a shopping cart and working on a new cast metal line.

Thanks for reading - your support means everything!

-Katy

In closing, I thought I'd share some pictures from my trip to Montana this Summer.

Montana: home to dinosaurs, cowboys, and half my family.

A hard-rock hamburger and fries at the Earth & Sky Gem Show, held in Billings, Montana. The show brought more than 3000 rock collectors to town. I also snapped pictures of key lime pie, baked potatoes, steak, and sausages - all made of solid rock.

A handsome buck near the Stillwater River. There were nine in all. As cute as they were, I kept thinking how much I wanted a set of their horns for the wall in my office. Don't worry. I love animals and I would never do such a thing...