Treasure: Devils Dice Rocks

Collecting unusual gemstones, minerals and rocks has always been a favored hobby of mine.

Several years ago I was on a quest to find small natural stones for creating jewelry. Plenty of beads and findings were available but I wanted something different, something out of the ordinary from nature that I did not have to buy.

The property I was renting at that time was in a rural area and had a long winding farm lane. Once or twice a day I walked the length of the road hoping to spot something different. One day I found what I was looking for.

Perfectly square stones seemed to be just strewn everywhere. Where were these stones yesterday or the day before that? It puzzled me. Even if I collected as many as I could find, the next day there would be more just laying on the top of the ground. They seemed to magically appear.

None of the stones was large in size. The largest being about a quarter inch square. Some of them could be picked up with a magnet and others could not.

I began by wire wrapping some of them and creating jewelry in the hopes that someone would comment and tell me what the stones were. Whatever these stones were made of it couldn’t be sanded or drilled with a regular bit. Some were dark in color and others had a reddish tint.

Eventually I learned that these were called Devil's Dice. Children had used them as jack rocks and in other outdoor games.

Today I can’t help but wonder if I was able to go to that property - would I still find these stones?

There are several brands of beading wires but we recommend Darice. They have a variety of sizes, thickness's and colors. Use a heavier wire for larger rocks and thinner wire for smaller ones.

When choosing wire remember that the larger the number the smaller the wire will be. In other words 18 gauge wire is much heavier and thicker than 24 or 26 gauge.

Other treasures have been found in my daily walks. Though the gravel in my driveway was brought in from a quarry I have found several stones that contain what looks like streaks of gold. They are small but they’re still a treasure. These can also be wire wrapped for jewelry and key chains

Another favorite place to find unusual stones is at the bottom of smaller rivers and creeks.. You never know what treasure you may bring up with each handful. Heart shaped stones, stones that look like an airplane; even arrowheads are waiting to be found.

Much more can be created with found stones than the usual pet rocks.They can be polished in any rock tumbler and will come out looking like brilliant gemstones.

Many years ago I was employed at a public Laundromat. One night as I was sweeping up I was deep in thought about how long it had been since I‘d been able to go treasure hunting as I called it. I really missed it. My broom hit something and it went flying across the Laundromat and banged against the bottom of a dryer.

I picked them up thinking that they were probably gravel that stuck to someone's shoe or they were quarters that had been dropped. No they weren’t quarters they were pieces of rock that had streaks of what looked like gold in them.

I couldn’t help but think the universe had given me my hearts desire because I hadn’t had time to go looking for it. These stones have always been a reminder to me that our hearts desires and unspoken wishes can be manifested in ways we do not expect.

As a small child I dreamed many nights that there was a treasure chest under my bed. It seemed so real that I always looked under the bed for it when I awoke. The treasure chest was never there but the dream kept coming back. This dream has caused me to always look for the treasure; not just in material things but in people also.

Many more necklaces will be made and each one will hold treasures that are special.