Turtle Old Man Jewelry: What's in a Name?
“Old man jewelry? What are *you* selling?”
This question came from a gentleman who, while walking past our sales tent, had not seen the word “Turtle” in our business name, and it is far from the extent of iterations of our title. Everywhere we go, we are met with joyous shouts of, “Hey, it’s the old turtle man!” or “Oh, the turtle jewelry people are here!”
Although it doesn’t sound quite as natural as some of these variations, there is a great deal of intentionality behind the name “Turtle Old Man.” Blessed with a love of stories, our founder, Jim Rice, is a prolific reader of all genres, including folklore from around the world. During his youth, one such volume of folktales featured a collection of regional Native American stories, several of which contained recurring characters. Jim’s favorite was a frequently appearing character in trickster tales, named Turtle Old Man.
Jim’s love for turtles was evident from an early age, as one of his first pets was a turtle he caught as a child, raising the little reptile from the time it was the size of a half-dollar until it was as big as a dinner plate. Years later, when filling out his first art festival application, it seemed intuitive to write “Turtle Old Man Jewelry,” a name that has since become well-known and beloved, even if only some of the words are recalled.
Jim’s love for stories shines brilliantly through the materials he works with. Avoiding lab-grown crystals and modern glasswork, he prefers to focus on unique materials, bringing their long-forgotten stories to new audiences. From fossilized dinosaur bone to ancient Native American pottery, every piece he sets has a story to tell.
Left to right: Anasazi Pottery Fragment (North America), Ancient Roman Glass (Europe), Anasazi Pottery Fragment (North America)
From the sky above to the ocean beneath! Left to right: Campo Del Cielo Meteorite Section (Mexico), Fossil Alligator Scutellum (Morocco), Jeweler's File
Picture a volcano erupting, billowing black smoke for miles around and flooding the ground around it with molten lava, burning everything in its path. Now take a closer look at these red-hot flows, and see… bubbles? Yes indeed, air bubbles in the lava and volcanic ash. After all of this material cooled off, water trickled through the cavities left by these pockets of air, bringing with it dissolved silicon from the ash and rock. As the silicon concentration increased, it began to crystallize in the hollow spaces, often resulting in a solid agate or a crystal-lined geode. However, in rare instances, the water became trapped inside the newly formed geode, creating a seldom-seen stone known as an Enhydro agate. Since the agate that is formed is semi-translucent, the water can be seen when the agate is held against a bright light and gently shaken. In some larger specimens, one can even hear the water sloshing when in a quiet room! And once wire wrapped in .999 fine silver in Jim’s signature style, you can take it with you as part of your daily outfit wherever you go.
Enhydro Agate (Rio Do Sul, Brazil)
Or take the dawn of the Christian faith, when churches secretly met inside homes or even underground and when professing faith in Christ alone as Lord was enough to get someone executed by the reigning emperor. However, as time passed, one such ruler declared that he had a heavenly vision and not only legalized Christianity but made it the state religion. While the impact of such a decree has been debated numerous times, it unquestionably left its mark in history, especially on Byzantine currency. A little over 1,000 years ago, the first Byzantine coins bearing the image of Christ were minted. These coins became known as “Anonymous Folis” because, rather than showing the face of the presently reigning earthly emperor, the obverse side displayed the face of Christ, with the reverse displaying the Greek phrase “ISXS BASILE BASIL” — Jesus Christ King of Kings. Why settle for viewing these historical coins in a museum or online when you are able not only to own but to wear one in a custom-made mount hand-forged in .999 fine silver?
Obverse (top) and reverse (bottom) of bronze coin from the reign of Constantine X (A.D. 1059-1067)
And this is only the beginning. Every geode, artifact, meteorite, and fossil has a story to tell. As he creates custom mounts for these specimens, Jim is doing more than just making jewelry — he is displaying a relic from another time and another place, making it available for anyone to enjoy, not only as a wonder from the past but as a family heirloom to become a part of your story for generations to come.
Left to right: Fossil Dinosaur Bone, Fossil Turtle Shell, Fossil Sycamore Wood
To learn more about Turtle Old Man Jewelry, please visit our website at shop.turtleoldman.com. There, you can browse our collection, view our calendar to find out when you can see these treasures live and in person, and contact us with any questions.