February is the shortest, and often the longest, month of the year. Through the gray and dreary haze we dream of the trees’ bare branches full of leaves.
Indian Paint Stone (aka Death Valley Paint, or Navajo Blanket Stone) comes from the Death Valley area of California, where collecting is no longer possible. The interesting patterns and colors are created by trace amounts of iron and manganese being drawn into the rock by capillary action through minute cracks in the stone. Polishing this material results in a satin sheen rather than a glossy polish.
