Photos Courtesy of Danielle LoMonaco
In 2022, Steve Rosier backed his pickup next to the door of a homespun jewelry studio overlooking a small lake in Edgefield County. He wasn’t sure if his truckload of treasure would combine his hobby of rock hunting with Danielle LoMonaco’s profession in fine jewelry.
Weeks earlier, Rosier heard LoMonaco give a presentation at the Aiken Gem, Mineral and Fossil Society at the University of South Carolina Aiken that piqued his interest in her one-of-a-kind fine art.
Being a rockhound like his father, Rosier spent decades combing the Savannah River’s edge, amassing a large collection of rough agate. He wondered if the right artisan could use some of the pieces from his lifelong agate collection.
It is believed that Savannah Agate is between 30–35 million years old and from the sea floor. This area of the country was a shallow ocean when this material was forming so layers of ancient life are embedded in the characteristics of these stones.
“That day, Steve and I picked out a few pieces that had small ‘windows’ in the hardened kaolin clay skins, with the hope that once ground and polished, they would prove captivating in a small setting,” LoMonaco recalls, smiling. Both were pleasantly surprised with the glossy finish that beautified the ancient form.
Early Obsessions
One of man’s oldest obsessions, petrofilia — the love of rocks — dates back thousands of years with some claiming its roots to scholars and artists of the Song Dynasty in 12th-century China. Today, it affords LoMonaco bright days in her studio beside a tranquil lake with native birds gliding overhead.
Originally trained in custom engagement rings, diamond settings and fine jewelry repair, LoMonaco branched out on her own in 2021 to create her trademark artful expressions. Her previous training suits the detailing of her current collections. “I make heirlooms. They are investment pieces that are crafted with 25 to 30 hours [of hand labor] in each piece,” she says.
The vision was to pair the native agate with other familiar but less recognizable stones. “People have heard of sapphires, but they might not know that sapphires come in pink and yellow. I also have a Montana sapphire — a beautiful teal color — that I picked specifically to coordinate with the agate collection,” LoMonaco explains.
Unique stones like Red Rhyolite Cabochon, Blue Pietersite, Maligano Jasper and Mookaite, among others, are cut by hand, ground and polished by the artist, then finished with textured silver casings and chains.
After polishing the stones to show off the highest-definition of druzy crystal pockets and natural colors, she then fabricates a refined backing: a millimeter-thin silver sheet illustration, cut by hand and then fastened to cradle the stone in the pendant.
A particularly interesting aspect of her Savannah Agate collection is the reputation of the stones. “It is not found anywhere else in the world — it is a resource uniquely part of our landscape, and the history of it will blow your mind,” she says.
LoMonaco points out that the stones have stories to tell. She draws my attention to a white wispy line on the side of an oblong agate. To the naked eye, it looks like a puffy smoke curl left over on the surface, but under a high-powered microscope, I could see the ancient fossil preserved in the layers beneath. “These are very early aquatic life forms,” she explains.
There is another revealing fact about this ancient rock. “I would say 95% of agate is neutral in colors like orange, browns, creams and whites. But the colorful ones contain a significant history. The Paleo-Indians heated these materials to produce attractive knapping that was then traded. Savannah River Agate has been found as far away as Ohio!” she exclaims.
Treasured Statements
LoMonaco also receives custom commissions from clients for commemorating life occasions: wedding bands, heritage pieces, personalized designs. “I have one client who wanted me to create a statement family bracelet with stones representing her, her husband and her two sons,” she says.
LoMonaco led her around the bins of rock and slab stones in her studio until the client made a few choices: Maligano Jasper, Blue Pietersite, Mookaite and Gary Green Bog Wood. The finished product, completely hand-fabricated, was a rectangular “family-stone” 20g-silver bracelet with rope detailing for added strength and durability.
Among her online products, she includes “ripple” rings and cuffs of wavy silver and “flare” rings with heavy sterling bezels (the edging around the stone).
The Savannah River Agate collection features supporting stones like pink sapphires, Mozambique garnets, and aquamarine in 14-carat rose or yellow gold, with genuine gemstone or diamond accents.
The Savannah River Agate collection contains native agate foraged from the banks of the Savannah River. LoMonaco creates drawings inspired by the watery hues of the stones, then includes silver sheet backing which is designed using a millimeter-thin saw blade under a microscope. The watery wisps on the surface of the stones are often fossils of early aquatic life forms.
To view the artist’s collections, visit Aiken Center for the Arts or online at daniellelomonaco.com.
Seen in the November/December 2024 issue of Augusta magazine.
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