Aqua Green Helenite X Ring

It is always exciting for someone like myself to come across a new gemstone and the story of this recent find does not disappoint. Helenite was first discovered after the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state in 1980. The erupting volcano lasted for quite some time and the blowing ash affected the weather across the United States for several weeks, as I recall. Volcanos are an incubator for many of the world’s treasures and the eruption ejected igneous rock from 10-20 miles deep underground. Workers from the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company were attempting to salvage equipment damaged after the volcanic eruption when serendipity occurred. Using acetylene torches, they noticed that the intense heat was melting the nearby volcanic ash and rock and turning it a greenish color. The minerals found in the ash and rock combined with the heat of the torches, transformed the volcanic particles into a compound that would later be commercially replicated as Helenite. Helenite is also available in various colors of red, green and aqua blue. The simplicity of this modern “X ring is designed to highlight the cantilevered beauty of the elongated baguette Helenite stones in both blue and green. Mounted in sterling silver, this simple yet dramatic design is certain to be a conversation starter. Size: Size 6