Prologue:

It was in Colorado Springs that I found the necklace.  A small gallery on a side street off the main was featuring western artists and I wandered in; not really shopping, just sight seeing. 

The necklace caught my eye immediately.  Nestled amongst the trays of turquoise and sterling was a string of round rose quarts beads.  They were luminous in the sunlight that streamed through the window on that hot Colorado afternoon.  Each bead seemed to have depth and softeness; like the lustre of pearls.  The beads were spaced with tiny sparkling lilac and teale crystals; hanging from the center was a large quartz crystal topped by a simple silver bead.  The quartz crystal was raw; not polished or cut.  It was as it came out of the ground; small flaws and a fine spiraling silver inclusion.

As the gallery owner opened the display case he told me that it was only the third piece he'd had from that designer and that it had come into the gallery that morning.  The designer was a woman from Oregon, Kathleen Klooster.  He said that she was a somewhat reclusive and mysterious individual who had actually turned down a prestigous design award that spring rather than travel to San Francisco to accept it.  He said that her pieces came into his gallery from a a buyer in Eugene, Oregon and despite his repeated request for additional pieces, her production was very limited.

Needless to say, I bought the necklace immediately even though it was priced far beyond my means at that time.  From that day until this, the necklace has been my inspiration; the quartz beads are comforting as they rest on my skin; the quartz pendant is warm to the touch and inspires my dreams...