Gemstone Trees

Wire branches, hand-threaded with chips of stone, one at a time.

A gemstone tree — sometimes called a wire tree of life — is built by threading dozens or hundreds of small polished chips onto copper or brass wire, then shaping the branches by hand, usually over a base of agate slice or orgonite. Ours run from mini trees of fifteen stones to large pieces of well over a hundred, in amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, tiger's eye, jade and mixed chakra sets. They are the crystal object most often bought as a gift, because the effect is immediate and they need no explanation on a shelf. Dust them with a dry brush rather than a cloth, which snags the wire, and keep amethyst ones out of direct sun — it fades.