WHEN MOUNT ST HELENS ERUPTED IN MAY OF 1980, IT DRASTICALLY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OVER MAJOR PARTS OF THREE STATES. MILLIONS OF ACRES OF FORESTS AND FARMLAND, TOWNS AND CITIES WERE SUDDENLY COVERED IN A GREY PUMICE-LIKE ASH. COMMUNITIES WERE OVERWHELMED BY WHAT SEEMED LIKE THE IMPOSSIBLE. WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THIS ASH????
 
HOWEVER EVEN AS THE CLEANUP WAS GETTING UNDERWAY, SOME PEOPLE WERE BEGINNING TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF THIS NATURAL DISASTER. FARMERS AND GARDENERS TILLED THE ASH INTO THEIR FIELDS AND GARDENS, PROVIDING RICH NUTRIENTS FOR THE SOIL. ARTISTS AND POTTERS BEGAN EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW MEDIUM FOR THEIR CRAFT. YET, IT WAS THE EMPLOYEES OF A LOCAL LOGGING COMPANY WHO DISCOVERED HOW TRULY UNIQUE THE ASH WAS.

AS IT HAPPENS, THE WEYERHAEUSER COMPANY WAS HARVESTING TIMBER IN THE SPIRIT LAKE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ERUPTION. ALL OF THEIR HEAVY EQUIPMENT WAS LOST TO THE POWERFUL MUD FLOW THAT FOLLOWED, AND WEYERHAEUSER SENT IN A SPECIAL CREW WITHIN DAYS OF THE BLAST TO SALVAGE THE EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT. AS THEY USED ACETYLENE TORCHES TO REMOVE THE ENGINES, THEY NOTICED THAT THE UGLY GREY ASH WAS MELTING AND TURNING A GREENISH COLOR. THAT IS BECAUSE THE GREY SUBSTANCE WASN'T ASH AT ALL, BUT PULVERIZED VOLCANIC ROCK THAT IS RICH WITH SILICA, ALUMINUM AND IRON, AS WELL AS TRACES OF OTHER METALS INCLUDING CHROMIUM AND COPPER. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS THE CREATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL GEM-LIKE STONE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. THE FIRST STONES TO BE PRODUCED FROM THIS ROCK DUST WERE A YELLOW-GREEN COLOR MUCH LIKE THE VOLCANIC OLIVINE THAT IS FOUND IN HAWAII.

STONES THAT ARE CREATED TODAY COME FROM THE MATERIAL BLOWN OUT OF THE SECOND ERUPTION IN 1981. COLORS OF THE STONES MAY VARY BECAUSE OF THE MINERAL TRACE ELEMENTS IN THE ROCK DUST. THE HARDNESS OF EMERALD OBSIDIANITE IS BETWEEN 5.5 AND 6 ON THE MOHS SCALE OF 10, AND WEARS MUCH LIKE AN AMETHYST OR CITRINE. IT IS PERFECTLY SAFE TO CLEAN THESE LOVELY STONES IN AN ULTRASONIC CLEANER OR OTHER JEWELRY CLEANING SOLUTIONS.