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Eric Cifani Gem & Jewelry

@ericcifani

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Exclusively at CIFANIgem.com 💎 Jeweler, Miner, Lapidarist, Educator. FOLLOW for FREE Tutorials! ⚒️

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Returned home happy and safe from an awesome expedition digging: turquoise, variscite, White Buffalo, chalcedony, opal, rhyolite, jadeite, jasper + filmed a special project with David Otteson! ⛏️

A big THANK YOU to our friends Leif & Britnee for hosting us and letting us crash in the Bunkhouse. Also thanks to SNGMS. We had an absolutely perfect trip with fantastic company and found lots of pretty rocks to get us through winter! Make it a beautiful day friends! 🙏 #rockhound taken in Tonopah, Nevada by @ericcifani

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2 hours ago

Turquoise mining & filming were both a success! We’re now enjoying an evening walk before dinner with friends. This historic firehouse was built in 1905 between the mines and hotels. We 🩵 Tonopah. Wishing you all a pleasant evening! taken in Tonopah, Nevada by @ericcifani

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2 days ago

Traveling thru a storm to mine turquoise with SNGMS & film a very special project. En route to our friend’s bunkhouse in Tonopah now. Going to be epic, make it a beautiful day! ⛏️ #roadtrip taken in Paiute Indian Reservation @ Snow Mountain by @ericcifani

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3 days ago

Awesome Frybread Tacos & Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Snow Mountain Pow Wow 🥁 excellent dancing and art today, I’ll share video soon 🪶

Unfortunately Sundays Pow Wow is cancelled due to rain. We’re heading north to mine turquoise tomorrow, fingers crossed for better digging weather 🤞⛏️

Thanks for joining us mom. Wishing you all a pleasant evening! 🙏 #powwow #frybread taken in Paiute Indian Reservation @ Snow Mountain by @ericcifani

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4 days ago

Do you have a loved one’s cremains you’d like transformed into a one-of-a-kind cabochon or jewelry? Presenting ‘Ancestor Stone’

This one was made as a gift to a family member from Kokoweef ‘Cave Onyx’ stalactite slice inlaid with our dearly departed Snoopy’s bones (cremains), gem silica & titanium dioxide. I offer this service, details in comments🔻

Respectfully handcrafted using a lapidary technique I developed + self-collected minerals. We miss our beloved Snoopy every day and carry his memory with us. Make it a beautiful day friends! 🙏 #cabochonsupplier #cabochons taken in Las Vegas Nevada by @ericcifani

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5 days ago

Rainbow Petrified Wood on Long Logs trail @petrifiedforestnps Arizona. 200 million years ago this part of North America was near the equator as dinosaurs emerged. Ancient volcanic landscape supplied silica-rich material to rivers that carried and buried trees beneath layers of sediment. Over time mineral-rich groundwater filled and replaced the trees cellular structures preserving great detail. Mother Natures 3D gem printer 🌋🦖

Millions of years later erosion exposed these amazing fossils. Original wood grain, growth rings & microscopic cellular details can be preserved 🤯

Indigenous people used petrified wood as a tool-making material, and Ancestral Puebloans even incorporated it into structures like Agate House (see comments) 🔻

From tropical forests near the equator → to ancient rivers → to stone → to the Painted Desert we see today 🏜️

This is a National Park so NO collecting any natural resources! Please leave no trace to help preserve for future generations 🪶

We want to see your wood 🪵 comment with your best piece 👇

Make it a beautiful day friends 🙏 #PetrifiedWood #Fossils #Agate #Rockhound #geology taken in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. by @ericcifani

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8 days ago

Agate House is an 8-room pueblo built from rainbow petrified wood by Ancestral Puebloans, occupied from 1050 to 1300 CE. Located near agricultural fields and abundant petrified wood deposits in what is now Petrified Forest National Park. NO resource collecting, leave no trace please!

This structure offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient life in the Southwest. Artifacts suggest it may have served as a year-round residence for a single family. Imagine generations of people who lived, worked, and built their lives here nearly a thousand years ago🏜️ #PetrifiedForest #Agate #AncestralPuebloans #PetrifiedWood #Arizona #NationalParks taken in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. by @ericcifani

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13 days ago

Ever notice a raven’s “eyelashes”? 🐦‍⬛
The whiskers between their eyes and mouth aren’t eyelashes or hairs. They’re rictal bristles, specialized feathers that are surprisingly useful. These stiff, hair-like feathers help ravens sense objects close to their bills protecting their eyes from debris, especially while feeding. Ravens are remarkably intelligent with problem-solving abilities comparable to primates. They can grow up to 2 feet tall, are excellent flyers, and have incredibly powerful talons and beaks.

We met this friendly bird while hiking the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park 🏜️
Make it a beautiful day, friends! ❤️ #BirdPhotography #Ravens #GrandCanyon #Wildlife #naturephotography taken in Grand Canyon by @ericcifani

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14 days ago

Desert View Watchtower built in 1932 designed by architect Mary Colter, this tower was created as a place to experience @grandcanyonnps from 70’ above the rim. Arrive early to climb ladder (included with park entry).

🎨 art by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie
🏜️ inspired by Ancestral Puebloans
🔭 panoramic views of the Grand Canyon & Colorado River

@gaea_and_heather & I shared a wonderful vacation and just returned home safely. Wishing you all a beautiful day! 🙏 #grandcanyon #Arizona #nativeamerican #nationalparks #sunset taken in Watchtower-Grand Canyon by @ericcifani

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16 days ago

Telescope Pluto was discovered with at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. 🔭✨ Blessed with clear skies for an amazing viewing experience, we learned many new facts and will share more soon!

This has been a fantastic vacation. Heather & I are having a wonderful time and are now en route to Grand Canyon! 🏜️

Make it a beautiful day friends! ☀️
#Observatory #Pluto #Flagstaff #Astronomy taken in Lowell Observatory by @ericcifani

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18 days ago

Having a perfect vacation and really enjoyed Petrified Forest National Park. It’s amazing here, we’ll post more soon. Off to our next adventure at Walnut Creek now. Make it a beautiful day friends! #petrifiedwood #petrifiedforest taken in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. by @ericcifani

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19 days ago

Ready to ride 🚲⛰️ We ❤️ Flagstaff and are having a good vacation! Ps yes we wear helmets and are safe. Make it a great day friends! #mountainbiking taken in Schultz Creek Mnt Bike Trails by @ericcifani

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21 days ago