· By Rachel Dazey
Opal Showcase 2024
I was 18 years old on a cross country motorcycle trip when Seth Dillon, my past and current crush, recommended I stop at his uncle's place in Illinois. He said his uncle Keith liked motorcycles and rocks so we'd probably get along. I had a little fishing tackle box of jewelry-making supplies and a tiny case of jewelry I was selling strapped to the back of the bike as I pulled into his uncle's driveway. He helped me change the oil on my Honda Rebel 450 and then invited me in for dinner with his lovely wife and a tour of his "rock shop." The shop was an office-like room where he cut gems and stored his decade long rock collection in tidy drawers. I could have spent days in that small room, but my mission was to make it to Maine before seasons turned, so I kept on my journey. Lucky for me, I continued to woo his nephew and have returned to his rock shop many times since.
Keith cuts many stones - some of you know him from the sapphires he has cut for us, but his true specialty is opals. He has gone to Australia multiple times and his skill as an opal cutter has earned him a reputation as the very best in the trade. Miners and even other cutters send their trickiest and most valuable stones to Keith. He has a special way of knowing where the opal vein is within a rock and how to cut it just so to enhance and preserve the natural wonder within.
Opal is the birthstone of October and we will be showcasing an incredible, rare collection of Keith's opals in the studio for the entire month.
Join us Thursday, October 10th for a special Opal Showcase Happy Hour with opal inspired bites from Prism Cafe and glittering, rainbow cocktails and mocktails created by Kate Sheckarski.
