by Richard Turner

I created this display as a gift for my girlfriend to mark the one-year anniversary of our first date. She found the stone in the eastern Sierras where we had stopped to admire the spectacular rock formations. I found the gnarled cypress branch by the roadside in Lake Tahoe. Neither the stone nor the branch is especially remarkable, but, united in this display, they are clearly more than the sum of their parts. The gold leaf is perhaps a celebration of the unexpected magic of that union. 

Why go to the trouble of making a viewing stone display for someone? First of all, it is a labor of love – something that you love doing. It’s a gift to yourself as well as to your partner, family member or friend. It’s also a way of sharing your enthusiasm for viewing stones. The gift might awaken his or her interest in viewing stones. They might be inspired to accompany you on your next stone hunting expedition.  At the very least, the gift could enhance their tolerance for your obsession. Who knows?