Last December we went to the Pecos Valley to look for Pecos Valley diamonds and other types of rock. I was most interested in finding the quartz rock. I love the desert especially at sunrise and sunset! It is beautiful!

A homemade gift is nice to receive but it is even better when it is personalized for the receiver. My sister grew up in the Pecos valley and has missed it so much that she chose the nick name Pecos Pearl. I wanted to make her something out of the Pecos valley diamonds for Valentine's Day. The map shows the area where they can be found. Here is a link to read about this particular type: http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/downloads/25/n3/nmg_v25_n3_p63.pdf. This instructable will show you what I made from the rocks I found that day. There are several quick and easy projects to make. Follow through and let's get started.

Step 1: Pecos Valley Diamond Necklace

Supplies for the Pecos Valley Diamond necklace:

Several very small diamonds.
1 Leather cord cut to desire length for necklace.
1 Small glass tube with cork or lid. A small empty container of mint flavoring might work.
Glue

Tools:

Scissors

Method:

Place the diamonds in the jar using the unshaped ones first.
Arrange the attractive ones in the jar where they look the best.
Glue the inside rim of the bottle. Push the cork in the bottle.
Cut the desired length of the necklace chain from the leather cord.
Make a loop to attach the leather cord to the bottle.
Slip the loop over the lid section and pull the string to tighten.
Tie a knot at the ends to make a circle so it can be worn.
You can use a hammer to break up the unattractive large pieces and use them for the bottom section. The bottles are very small.
That's it!

Step 2: Heart Necklace

Supplies and tools:

1 Heart shaped rock
1 Small attachment for the back of the necklace or use a tiny metal ring
1 18" Leather cord
1 Small love charm
1 Rhinestone
All purpose glue
Pliers and hammer might be useful
Scissors

Method:

Clean the rock
Cut the cord the length you want
Glue the attachment on the back of the heart
Glue the charm on the heart.
Glue the rhinestone in the o part of the letters
String the cord through the back
Tie a knot in the cord to form a full circle
I had planned on outlining the heart with black shiny paint but I did not have any on hand.
It looks better than the picture.

Step 3: Rock Necklace

Supplies and Tools:

1 Long thin flattish rock
Thin black metal wire
Neck chain or make your own from a leather cord
Heart charm
Wire cutter
Scissors

Method:

Cut the cord the length you want.
Clean the heart.
Wrap the wire around the heart as shown.
Glue the heart charm on the rock.
Thread the cord through the loop.

On the back I twisted the wire to tighten it a bit. You can get fancy and twist the wire into different shapes and loop it around the rock.
This was my first try and it turned out OK. I really want to make a pair of sandals for the foot looking rock but I need to pick up some fine wire.

Step 4: Paper Weight

Supplies and tools:

Large rock with unique patterns
Felt
Glue
Scissors

Method:

Cut the felt to cover the back of the rock to protect the surface from scratches.
Glue the felt to the rock.
Use after it is completely dry.
Someone has a great paper weight!

Step 5: Pecos Valley Diamond Ring

Pecos Valley Diamonds or a pretty heart shaped rock and turn it into a bracelet. please read note at the end of this page.
Tape measure to measure finger
Metal fork or spoon for a classy ring it would be cool to make it from stainless steel or sterling silver.

Rubber gloves only for the diamonds
Bar keepers friend or Wood Bleach at your own risk! It is an acid! only for the diamonds
Glue suitable for metal
Old pan only for the diamonds
Scrub brush only for the diamonds
Water
2 Pair of pliers
File only for the diamonds
Plastic container, bowl, or bucket
Plastic long handled ladle only for the diamonds
Rubber gloves and a mask (not shown) only for the diamonds
Pretty box for the ring

If you are not using a Pecos valley diamond you probably can just clean the rock with soap and water and follow the instructions to make the band and glue the rock to it.

Step 6: Wash the Rocks

Clean The Diamonds:

Clean the diamonds with a good household cleaner or dish soap and a scrub brush.
Or at your own risk use Wood bleach. Wood bleach is a very bad acid!
Read the directions on the Wood bleach jar if using it.
If they are not clean enough you can use Barkeepers Friend or Wood bleach as follows:
It helps to heat the water in a pan until it begins to boil.
Then take the pan outside and dump the hot water into a plastic container.
It is important to be in a well ventilated area.
Put on gloves and a mask for protection.
Then add Barkeepers friend or (Wood bleach).
Stir.
Let set in this solution for a couple of days in a perfectly well marked (Poison) container, safe from pets and people and in a well ventilated area.
Rinse diamonds with clean water.

I broke down and washed the diamonds with Wood bleach. It helped but they still have some type of mineral deposit and a little iron left so I am not sure what to use on them. I was aiming for a more clear diamond look. After using the Bleach bath and rinsing the diamonds thoroughly I heated a pan of water and added the diamonds. I heated them on a low heat for a couple of hours. This removed more unwanted minerals and you can see on the left are the cleaned diamonds and on the right are the diamonds before thoroughly cleaning them.

Step 7: Bend the Spoon

I wanted a double fingered ring.

Mark the cutting point on the spoon.
Using the pliers and vise grips cut off the handle of the spoon.

Bend the handle section into a ring shape, using pliers and a pair of vise grips.
File down the sharp edge.

Step 8: Glue the Rock to the Ring

Glue the rock to the ring as shown.

Step 9: Try It On

Have someone try it on for size.

Step 10: Place It in a Box

Place it in a pretty box for the lucky gal!

Step 11: Sunshiine"s Final Thoughts

You can find a lot of fun things in the desert. I found small rocks, Pecos valley diamonds, thick glass, barbwire, and a large rock with fossils. All of these made very nice gifts. The glass is much like the sea glass only this glass had smooth edges because of the desert sand. I filed the edges to make it very smooth. Now you can go on a day trip and find some rock and make some jewelry!

I wish to thank Instructables, our sponsors, and all of our loyal readers for making this a great place to share!
Thanks for stopping by and go have some fun in the desert!
sunshiine