I kind of fell in love with dendritic agate while I was out in Pennsylvania on my road trip–not sure if it was due to the rolling hills or the amount of land free of buildings that I encountered while there, but it was abundant. The first one that started it all is the rectangular ring spotted while visiting the MaeJean Vintage sisters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The girls had so much eye candy to look at, but for some reason that ring was calling my name. It also should be said that my friend Jenn of @bellflowerbay was texting me the night before showing me her new moss agate ring, and she had mentioned that I didn’t have any myself (says a girl who knows my jewelry box just as much as her own ;)) And she was right! I love moss and dendritic agates, just never focused in on finding any or none have struck me enough to buy.
The rectangular dendritic agate ring decided to come home with me from MaeJean Vintage, but not without getting some interesting info that the sisters dug up about the piece! I love how passionate both Amanda and Laura are–they don’t just attain an inventory and sell it, they understand it, research it and teach others. There’s a lot to be said by treating your business this way and so much more growth comes out of it. The girls noticed a few extra letters after the 10k hallmark on the ring. The letters M S followed 10k which piqued their interest–they had to find out what that M S stood for! After researching, they found that M S stands for the firm Miller-Steinau which was based in Portland, Oregon and specialized in jewelry made from genuine moss agate, petrified wood, & rock crystal quartz. How cool!
The next day I was on the road again, this time headed to Grove City, PA. When you walk into Joden Jewelers, you immediately realize you haven’t planned enough time for all the amazingness that is in one store. I was right. After touring the store and trying on tons of jewelry, speaking with the owner Joe and listening to his fun stories, I had only a couple spare minutes to make some tough decisions–what to bring home with me?! My dendritic agate kick kept going, as I chose two more–these though had different shapes, one elongated oval and the other a skinny navette that was very long. It wasn’t until I was in the car headed back home to Tennesse that I realized all three rings had the exact same shoulders. Could it be, they were all made by the same company–that company in Portland, Oregon?! Turns out the elonged navette also says 10k M S but the other does not. The oval is stamped 10k on both sides of the ring, which I find odd, and the font is totally different.
These rings are definitely interesting and fun to wear. I especially love how they are easy to access, as they aren’t hard to find out there and are inexpensive for fine jewelry. I think it is important to buy a moss or dendritic agate that has a cool and unique pattern of inclusions. Thanks MaeJean Vintage and Joden Jewelers for the newest members of my personal collection!
