ROMANCING THE STONE

Snake Eye: Circular stones, typically on the smaller side. Snake eye stones are common components of clusters and, as the name implies, can often act as eyes for stone-and-silver depictions of critters or characters.

Petit Point: Essentially a teardrop shape. Because they are narrowed to a point on one end, wider and rounded on the other, they inherently work well in circular arrangements, perhaps as petals of a flower or a ring in a radial cluster.

Needlepoint: Slender slivers, pointed at both ends. Needlepoint turquoise lends a very delicate, intricate aesthetic to a piece and is often found in Zuni creations, particularly clusterwork and dainty dangle earrings.

Freeform: These are stones not shaped by the artisan. While they may have been treated or polished, they exist in their natural irregular and often asymmetrical shape. Rather than cutting the stone to suit the setting, an artist will create a setting that accentuates the stone.

BONUS: Cabochon vs. Nugget

A cabochon is a stone that’s been polished and shaped but isn’t faceted. A nugget is more textured turquoise, a stone with all its bumps and ridges that appears to have been plucked right out of the mine and popped into the piece. Cheat code: cabochon is convex, nugget is natural.