I pick a suitable pebble for my project and drill a hole in it underwater - to avoid breathing in silica dust - with a rotary tool. Drilling the hole is the most demanding part for the stone; if it doesn't crack with that, it's good to go. Then I often carve one of my little designs on it.
You know how the bright, beautiful pebbles you pick at the beach often look dull when you get home? I do, too. I condition the finished stones with mineral oil and organic beeswax. This is to make the natural colors of the pebbles shine. Also, this keeps the stone jewelry from discoloration, created by contact with skin's oils.
I pick all my beach pebbles from my favorite beaches all over Rhode Island, and leave them as the Atlantic Ocean has shaped them; I never tumble my stones. I store them in an overwhelming number of containers around our home, sorted for shape, size, color and purpose.
The sorting process is extremely time-consuming, yet oddly satisfying. I always look forward to doing it on the porch in the morning sun.
