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The Where & Why of Recycled Metal

An overview on recycled metal providers (see links below) and the reasons behind them can be found at:

The Responsible Jewelry Council http://www.responsiblejewellery.com

Christine Dein’s  “Green Jewelry News” email newsletter http://www.christinedhein.com/about.html

Ethical Metalsmiths http://www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org

No Dirty Gold   http://www.nodirtygold.org/

Earth Justice http://earthjustice.org

Hoover & Strong http://www.hooverandstrong.com/blog/archives/117/

 National Geographic Magazine The Real Price of Gold   http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/01/gold/larmer-text

more links about the real price of gold from National Geographic, CBS News, and other sources

new mines that have popped up, and are trying to pop up, because of the boon in gold sales. Plus some attempts to curb the impact

Recycled Precious & non-Precious Metal Suppliers

Indian Jewelers Supply Co, in Albequerque NM
http://www.ijsinc.com/
Indian Jewelers Supply takes its responsibility to the planet seriously, and that’s why we only offer silver manufactured by foundries certified by the Responsible Jewelry Council. The silver is only made using recycled scrap that originated from a RJC foundry and ore from certified responsible American mines. We also recycle tons of copper, red and yellow brass, and nickel every year.

Hoover and Strong
A refiner and a caster that sells raw materials. They have a couple of comprehensive pages on their website stating why they sell recycled metal
http://www.hooverandstrong.com/category/Environmental+Responsibility/
?http://www.hooverandstrong.com/blog/archives/117/

United Precious Metal Refining, Inc.
Sells recycled fine silver and fine gold
http://www.unitedpmr.com/

David H. Fell & Co
http://www.dhfco.com/ourProcess.htm

Precious Metals West
http://www.preciousmetalswest.com/index.php

Hauser & Miller
http://www.hauserandmiller.com

 

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Outta My Head, Into Metal

The 2011 summer edition of San Francisco’s Metal Arts Guild newsletter showcased me as an artist member. Since the newsletter is printed in black and white, we thought you might like to see some color pictures of the inspirations and work described in the article.

On a SCUBA diving trip to the Sea of Cortez in 2009, a pod of dolphins played with the boat while we traveled to the dive site. Luckily I was taking a picture of a flying dolphin in the boat wake at the same time one of the larger dolphins did a belly flop, soaking my back.
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The flying dolphin that saved the camera
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The dolphin who soaked us with a belly flop near the bow

Once we were in the water, the dolphins apparently stayed close, although out of sight.

Under water we were treated to an amazing experience of being encircled by a large school of sardines during the entire dive. Usually a school will come across divers, or vice versa, and keep traveling. The three of us watched in amazement as the school changed shapes and directions and yet stayed close to us; we all knew this was a special treat.

When we surfaced from the dive, we noticed that the dolphins were nearby and asked the boat captain if he’d been watching them during our entire dive.

The captain told us that the dolphins were circling us throughout our dive, thus explaininig the mysterious behavior of the fish school. The wall of sardines had been so thick that we missed seeing the dolphins on the other side of the ‘wall’.

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The eye of the swirling school
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“Swirling School” Pendant

 

Even while diving, I knew I had to recreate this experience somehow in jewelry. I wanted to elicit the sensation of the school swirling around us, and the individuals in the school, as well as the space in between the fish and us.

 

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“Reflections” Earrings

I began by creating swirling filigree forms. And, I also designed and made some earrings that incorporated open space, togetherness, and yet non-uniformity.

Something was still missing that tied the whole experience together. I had a vague idea that I wanted the “Reflections” style earrings to be static yet kinetic. While I let the idea simmer in my head, I wore a pair of earrings that reminded me of my goal.

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Prototype Earrings

Almost eighteen months after the dive, here are the earrings that were percolating in my head all that time

Sterling silver "Sea of Cortez 3D Kinetic Earrings"
“Sea of Cortez 3D Kinetic” Earring Extenders with Stud Earrings
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Whitemouth Moray Eel Chasing a Manybar Goatfish

Luck

As I was taking video of the coral encrusted lava surfaces underwater, a fish swam very closely past my left shoulder chased by a moray eel. Luckily the camera was already recording video.

Slowing the video down and looking carefully, I see the white line on the tail of the moray and the bars on the side of the fish, leading me to surmise that these creatures are a Whitemouth Moray Eeel and a Manybar Goatfish.

The still picture in the beginning of the video is from the first part of the chase, and is there to give you an idea of what you are looking for once the action starts.

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The Pelican and the Seagull

Pelican landing at Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz
Coming in for a landing

The pelican decided to take a rest on the rock out at Steamer Lane

Pelican and seagull, Santa Cruz, Steamer Lane
Moving seems like a good idea

The seagull who’d been resting on top thought it was a good idea to move

Pelican and two seagulls
All is settled
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Sea Glass at the Beach, Part 2

Rare find: beach full of sea glass still being worked on by the ocean in large quantities
A rare location: sea glass still being ocean tumbled in large quantities

At the beach in all these photos, the sea glass is protected and it’s illegal to collect any. The beach is amazing, sea glass has replaced the sand normally seen on beaches. The tinkling sound of the glass being tumbled is wonderful to hear. The beach is such a treasure that it’s been designated an official state park.

The world as a sea glass tumbler
The world as a sea glass tumbler

Beaches after a storm, and beaches after high tide are great places to look for sea glass. Sometimes there’s sea glass in the water still being tumbled. Many beaches with such a high concentration of glass such as this one are often full of glass because they are near a closed dump of some kind. Or, as seen in yesterday’s post, Sea Glass at the Beach Part 1, the dump is still active.

Protected sea glass glistening in the sun
Protected sea glass glistening in the sun

Some were a public dump and some are, or were, a private dumping ground for a glass artist or community of glass artists.

Protected sea glass
Protected sea glass and rocks
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Sea Glass at the Beach, Part 1

Harbor, sunken ship, sea glass
Harbor where the workers still encourage sea glass production

In this Mexican harbor I found so many pieces of broken bottle glass that my pockets were full.

Glass found at a working harbor
Glass found at a working harbor

Notice the high percentage of jagged glass; that means the harbor workers are throwing bottles into the ocean. I’d like to go back in a few years and see how much tumbled sea glass is there and if the harbor has a new policy about trash disposal.

Sea Glass and Driftwood
Sea Glass and Driftwood

Beaches with a lot of drift wood and glass are great for photo opportunities. And, of course for collecting.

Sea glass finds in Northern California
Sea glass found in Northern California
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Blues, Greens and Browns

Ocean blue and sky blue meet via vog (volcanic fog)
Ocean blue and sky blue meet via vog (volcanic fog)

View of Kona Coast from off the Kohala Coast.

While our friends went diving we stayed on land so we could fly the next day. I took some pictures of them and one of the dive sites from a new vantage point: above the water.

Friends diving off the North Kohala Coast
Friends diving off the North Kohala Coast
Lava field being grown over
Lava field being taken over by plants
North of the dive site
View looking north of the dive site
North Kohala Coast, Hawaii
North Kohala Coast, Hawaii
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Shades of Green

Looking up the mountain from the sea
Looking up the mountain from the sea

The North Kohala countryside has many shades of green

Part of Kohala Mountain
Part of Kohala Mountain

Morning

Road on Kohala Mountain
Road on Kohala Mountain

Yes, there are roads here. And, ravines.

Sun is almost setting over the ocean
Sun is almost setting over the ocean

The sun sets over the ocean

Sun setting over the ocean on New Years Eve
Sun setting over the ocean on New Years Eve
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The Year of the Whale

One of two whale skeletons at Long Marine Lab
One of two whale skeletons at Long Marine Lab

2009 turned out to be The Year of the Whale. In March, for the first time I listened to whales singing underwater while I dove.  I watched them spouting, and breaching, and diving quite a bit during boat rides in March and December. Last year I went to Point Reyes for the first time where they have whale bones displayed.

Long Marine Labs Seymour Center
Long Marine Lab's Seymour Center

And, in November I visited the Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz where they have the skeletons of two whales displayed.

whale vertebrae
Whale vertebrae

At the Long Marine Lab, I learned that whales have hind limb girdle remnants and pelvic remnants

Closeup of vestigial arms
Closeup of rudiments

And, we all know they have huge skulls

Whale skull
Whale skull

To end The Year of the Whale, I listened to humpback whales singing on 7 out of 8 SCUBA dives.

Whale flipper closeup
Whale flipper closeup

Here are some pics of a tail of a whale I might have been listening to on the dives

Whale tail
Whale tail

The humpback in these two photos barely lifted its tail out of the water

Humpback tail - barely surfacing
Humpback tail - barely surfacing