Isaac Jones, CEO @MyTeaFireAgates

I have been a lapidary artist for over 14 years. I began this art form shortly after I lost my father. Maybe I was trying to find something permanent in a temporal world and stones/gems/minerals seemed to be the closest thing to that. I started cutting geodes on a tile saw and got a lathe to do a simply polishing job on stones. Cutting open geodes was similar to discovering a universe inside each one. Every geode was completely different in terms of color, structure, geometric shape, and associated minerals.

I became more serious about enhancing my skills when I realized I could do something that fascinated me and make a living doing it. So I invested in wheels and tools to cut larger stones and work more efficiently. I branched out into labradorite, moonstone, opal, malachite, chrysocolla, and just about anything you could put a polish on.

Then, about 8 years ago, I started to learn about the truth behind a lot of gemstone mining. Child labor, environmental hazards, harsh chemicals and water contamination, slave labor, and unethical practices. I made a vow to mine all my own gemstones or be sure that whoever I was sourcing material from got it in an ethical manner. This was very difficult for me to achieve and I took a major hit financially when trying this approach. I didn’t want to support unethical mining and to compete with other countries made it almost impossible to achieve some sort of living wage. That was when I discovered fire agate. Fire agate only comes from a small area in the southwest US and in northern parts of Mexico..

I began to dig Deer Creek fire agates in Arizona after meeting the mine owner. Ever since 2015, I have focused on making ethically sourced jewelry from digging the stones themselves to digging the metals I use to make the jewelry. This has been the most difficult part of my journey as an artist but it has also been very rewarding to see the gemstones I have helped uncover and share with the world. I am very grateful that I can continue to do what I love and continue to gain recognition in the lapidary, rock hound, and mining community. Fire agates are the most fascinating stones I have ever worked with, and after cutting them for 5 years I still haven’t seen one identical to the other. They are a lot like people, we all have similar characteristics but are truly one of a kind. Cheers, blessings, and best intentions your way.

I currently live in Nevada City, CA with my beautiful little partner Jennifer, we have a 4 month old daughter named Oceanna. Jennifer and I met in Costa Rica 3 years ago. We decided to get a travel trailer because I have mined all over the USA from upstate Fonda, New York to San Diego, CA And she has always been a traveler her self. This enables us to stay longer in places to continue mining as the seasons and temperatures change. We are trying to obtain a mine in Arizona and the next step in my art process involves finding more precious metals (copper, silver, gold) in order to make more jewelry. I love pouring gong fu tea and talking about Chinese astrology. I also enjoy Tarot cards as I feel like we all have a hand of fate. Currently you can find most of my work on social media @myteafireagates and our ETSY.

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Check out these images of RAW vs POLISHED agate;