“Big Sur Mushroom” was carved into two articulated pieces from an exquisite Big Sur, California Jade. This means that the stem moves independently of the cap and will make a tinkling bell sound when shaken.

This piece is strung with a matching accent bead and two matching sliding beads for adjusting the length of the black nylon cord.

Note from the Artist: Mushrooms have many powerful meanings. Growing up, my grandmother would take me into the woods near her house in Northern California. There, she taught me how to identify and responsibly harvest wild mushrooms. Every fall, her and I still venture into the woods and visit our secret sweet spots to collect the delicate fungi together. My first carving ever was a design of three little mushrooms, paying tribute to this wonderful fungi and to her: my teacher, critic and matriarch.

This jade is a Big Sur, California nephrite from a private collection that was offered to me by happenstance at the Big Sur Jade Festival in 2018. Big Sur is one of the only places on earth (that we know of) where the jade deposits are beneath the ocean’s surface. Some brave folks traverse the rocky coast with dive gear to collect the jade and bring it back to shore. One can visit beaches in the area and find jade on the beach, though most of what can be found by the untrained eye is not carvable material.

Pendant approximately 2 3/8” L x 1 1/8” W x 7/16” D

Carved in 2019.