Shades of the Lake

Spinels Influenced by Wisconsin Lakes

Wisconsin is home to over 15,000 lakes, and Racine is situated on the shore of the 5 th largest lake (by area) in the World, Lake Michigan. The concept of “Lake Life” refers to a lifestyle or way of living that is centered around and influenced by the presence of a lake. It typically implies a strong connection to nature, water activities, and the overall ambiance of living near a lake.

Inspired by his drive to work each morning, headed east on 14th Street with the lake on the horizon, then north on Main Street and Lake Avenue, Joel is constantly amazed by the countless shades of blues, greens, and grays. It reminded him of his favorite gemstone, spinel. Spinel dates back to ancient times, and for centuries was mistaken for ruby. In fact, it wasn’t until the late 1700’s that gemologists recognized spinel as a different mineral than ruby. Spinel plays with light and “shifts” in shades of colors unlike most other stones. Because of that, they are notoriously hard to photograph well and capture their true color.

We could go on and on about them, but for more information on spinels, we recommend GIA’s site. Better yet, stop in to see the current collection and let Joel fill you in on all the unique characteristics of this amazing stone.

“Shades of the Lake” is a trademarked collection of “one of a kind” spinel, each named for a different lake here in Wisconsin. No two gemstones will have the same name. We can set these into an existing piece of jewelry or custom design a new remarkable piece around the stone you choose!