Lapidary offers museum-worthy gemstone jewelry at MarketFair.
By: Ariana Markowitz
A patron of Barnes & Noble might stop by the first kiosk outside the store en route to the food court, enticed by the abundance of glittering finery on display. A museum curator, on the other hand, might be likely to hasten over, anxious to see rock specimens that trump his own.
Welcome to Tomorrow’s Heirlooms: Hand Crafted Jewelry.
"We have a unique business here, and a unique shop," said John Miller, a lapidary from Erial (Camden County), who established Tomorrow’s Heirlooms in 1983. Mr. Miller, his wife, Peggy Milstein, and his assistants craft semi-precious mineral gemstone jewelry from one of the most extensive stone selections on the East Coast (between 165 and 185 in total). They are involved in every step of the jewelry-making process, from design concept, to stone cutting and polishing, to making beads and setting the stones, to knotting and finishing each piece. All necklaces and bracelets are silk-strung and knotted between every individual bead to ensure strength and flexibility.
"I tied somewhere in the neighborhood of a million knots last year," Mr. Miller said, a proud note to his voice.
This distinctiveness is apparent in other aspects of the business, as well. Unique to Tomorrow’s Heirlooms are pendants adorned with carvings (usually animals), much like cameo jewelry. Although the carving and the base are completely dissimilar, they are both from the same rock, however; one layer is used for the carving itself and the base is made from the layer directly below.
Additionally, Mr. Miller designs what he refers to as "picture jewelry," that is, cutting a stone such that a definitive picture emerges out of the layers and varied colors. These pieces often look as though they have been painted.
"I’m not actually an artist," Mr. Miller conceded. "I’m a technician who has learned to extract the beauty from nature. It’s all in there, you just have to figure out how to get it out."
Further, Mr. Miller has devised innovative jewelry-making techniques. He developed "mirror-image stone cutting" to make nearly perfectly matching earrings. This process involves selecting and cutting an area of rock, slicing it in half, and then opening the pieces like the pages of a book. Mr. Miller also created his own bondage process, which ensures that the stones stay together without any gaps or discoloration. Ultimately, his jewelry looks like it was created naturally, not put together in a shop.
Clearly, John Miller knows his rocks.
"This is not a sales pitch," he assures people who stop by his stand. "I just want to tell you about the stones."
Depending on the interests of the passer-by, Mr. Miller will launch into an explanation of the polishing process, the linguistic and historical origins of the word "lapidary," the origins of the strands of copper inside some of his quartz, or the left hipbone of a tyrannosaurus rex, certified by the University of Southern California, which he found while searching for rocks.
Mr. Miller also conducts seminars for earth science students and does voluntary educational programs for children with emotional and behavioral problems. A favorite subject, though, is the specific significance that each stone possesses.
Some people maintain that different gems will induce particular sensations or will bring them a certain type of fortune. "Whether it means I’m going to have a great life, I don’t know." Mr. Miller shrugged. "But I do know that there are energies in the stones."
According to holistic healing beliefs, jade forecasts wealth and prosperity, malachite wards off evil, aquamarine helps the wearer to be insightful, and tiger’s eye brings fertility. Especially potent is jewelry strung with three different types of tiger’s eyes. "I wouldn’t go there," he advised a young woman when she inquired about a bracelet of the latter combination.
Likewise, stones are also believed to emit energies when they are being cut. "It makes sense," explained Mr. Miller. "It took energy to create the stones, it will take energy to create out of them." Malachite, for example, is allegedly a "sad stone."
Scientifically, the heat released during the cutting of malachite, along with several other rocks and mother of pearl, produces small amounts of harmful toxins, Mr. Miller said.
Fifteen years ago, Mr. Miller took an early retirement from senior management in the corporate world to collect rocks and make jewelry professionally, both of which had been engrossing hobbies of his for half a century.
He now goes on excursions to South America and Arizona expressly to add to his stone supply and has many friends searching on his behalf when he is at home. People unearth new mineral combinations every year through mining and construction, however, so there is hardly a shortage.
Mr. Miller smiled. "Every discovery just adds to our inventory of beautiful natural things," he said.
After so many years, Mr. Miller has observed the rise and fall of countless trends in jewelry, most recently hot pink and the advent of stretchy bracelets.
"I recognize trends, colors I try to have I’ve got some strawberry quartz," he offered. "I’ll make you anything you want, but I’m a designer who will not jump onto everyone else’s bandwagon." In fact, the motto of Tomorrow’s Heirlooms is, "If you’re looking for the perfect gift, try a different kind of jewelry store."
But this philosophy has not in any way detracted from Mr. Miller’s commercial success.
"The keys to doing good business are having unique presents for people who have everything, having new and fresh things every time you come back, and being courteous."
One customer requested a necklace that resembled "something like a state, but not." Mr. Miller pulled out a box containing a thick silver necklace with an iridescent, irregularly shaped gem in the middle. He held it up to the light, admiring the piece’s brilliance and multi-colored hues.
"I used to work at a real job, and now I play with rocks full time. It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done."
For more information about Tomorrow’s Heirlooms, call (609) 951-0303 or visit www.bandsofstone.com.
Ariana Markowitz is a resident of West Windsor and a second-year student at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.