My Rockhound Grandparents: Harold & Pearl

While farming was the lifestyle for my grandparents, specimen collecting became a passion. Being connected to the land for growing and supporting dairy cows, they noticed the cultural and geological beauty and bounty of the region. My grandpa became a lapidary hobbyist, and he and my grandma traveled to Rock Hound club meetings around the state of Wisconsin. His collection included a significant trove of flint arrowheads found in the farm fields, left by the indigenous hunters who worked the land before them. He also amassed a renowned collection of Lake Superior agates, pearls from freshwater rivers and creeks, and buttons made from clam and oyster shells. I was lucky to get back a bounty of these pearls in a fortunate overlap of passions - for buttons. Some historical button tools and notions had been donated by my parents to a Vintage Button Club in Wisconsin. It was a full-circle moment when I reached out for a social call with a button collector in Fall of 2022; She showed me the box in her storage with HEMPEL written on the side, and the lovely sorted pearl contents, undisturbed (as she was not sure what to do with it all). I was reunited with the family jewels!

As my grandmother’s name was Pearl, this collection has especially sweet provenance. I am excited about showcasing these unique vintage water-sourced gems in new designs I’ve been working on. May they be a beacon for the water we need - for life.