A Rock from Everest (And What It Taught Me About Custom Jewelry)

In 2004, I applied for a patent on a stone-setting technique I invented. The idea was simple enough: take naturally beautiful rocks and set fine gemstones into them. My first collection using this technique was called "Rocks that Rock" — and it's still going. I'd comb the Yellowstone River banks near my house in Paradise Valley, pick out rocks that had something going on visually, and then embellish them with diamonds and Montana sapphires.

It was a good idea. What I didn't anticipate was that it would one day land me a commission involving a rock from the summit of Everest.

The Commission

One afternoon, Conrad Anker walked into the gallery. Conrad is a legendary alpinist — you may know him as the man who discovered George Mallory's body on Everest in 1999, or as the subject of the documentary Meru. He and his wife, Jenny Lowe-Anker, had been customers for a while. But on this particular visit, he wasn't browsing.

He asked if I'd be willing to turn a rock of his own into a "Rocks that Rock" pendant. Before I could answer, he reached into his pocket and set something on the counter in front of me.

"This is from my last ascent of Everest. It would be so meaningful for me and Jenny to have her wear this."

It wasn't like the Yellowstone River rocks I'd been working with. But the technique holds. I made the pendant.

The Spotlight

When Jenny published her book Forget Me Not in 2008, she made the rounds on the major morning shows. She was kind enough to give me a heads-up before each appearance so I could watch. On the Today Show, Ann Curry noticed the pendant and asked about it on air. Jenny explained both the rock's origin and how it became the piece she was wearing.

That's the kind of thing that's hard to manufacture. You can't buy a story like that at a mall.

What This Has to Do with Your Custom Piece

Here's the part that's relevant to you, even if you're not married to a world-class alpinist.

The essence of the bespoke process is taking an object that already means something — found, inherited, purchased, or hauled down from 29,032 feet — and giving it a form that lets you wear it. As long as the material is durable (and sometimes even when it isn't), a skilled custom jeweler can work with it.

You don't need a rock from Everest. You might have:

• A stone from a meaningful place
• An inherited piece that isn't wearable in its current form
• Diamonds or gems sitting in a drawer, doing nothing
• An object that is purely sentimental and you've been wondering if something could be done with it

The answer, more often than not, is yes.

If you're looking for custom jewelry in Bozeman, the place to start is a custom design appointment. We offer both 15-minute and 60-minute sessions depending on where you are in the process. For pieces that involve repurposing existing materials, Giving Old Jewelry New Life covers a lot of the same territory from a different angle. And if you're curious about why Montana sapphires are such a natural fit for custom work, What Are Montana Sapphires? is a good place to start.

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FAQ

What is the "Rocks that Rock" collection?

It's a body of work built on a patented stone-setting technique I invented and applied for in 2004. The technique allows fine gemstones — diamonds, Montana sapphires — to be set into naturally found rocks. The collection started with river rocks from the Yellowstone and has since included pieces made from considerably more traveled material.

Can you work with a rock or object I already have?

Yes, in most cases. The key variable is durability — whether the material can handle the setting process and the wear that follows. The best way to find out is to bring it in or send photos. Some materials that seem unlikely turn out to be perfectly workable.

Do I need something extraordinary, like a rock from Everest, to commission a custom piece?

Not at all. The Everest piece is a good story, but the collection started with rocks from a riverbank. What matters is that the object means something to you. That's what makes a custom piece worth making.

What's involved in a custom jewelry appointment at Alara?

We offer 15-minute appointments for projects that are well-defined — you know what you want, it's a matter of working out the details. Sixty-minute appointments are better for more open-ended projects or anything that involves a lot of variables. You can read more about the process on our custom design page.

Where is Alara Jewelry located?

We're in beautiful and historic downtown Bozeman, Montana. We also work with clients remotely via phone, email, and video — so geography isn't necessarily an obstacle if you're not local.