Collecting, carving and polishing the rarest rocks and minerals the Green Mountain State has to offer... Rising Rock Philosophy | Stories of Stone | Robert Reynolds | Photo Gallery | Contact

Rising Rock Philosophy

Stones are metaphors. In a material world, where even free time comes at a cost, it is ever easier to become separated from nature instead of a part of it. For as long as there has been civilization, philosophers, poets and pagans alike have gone to the river for respite, seeking connection and peace. Who hasn’t picked up a lowly pebble amongst many, holding it up to the sun, appreciating its patterns and polish? It evokes an inner emotion that defies words.

Rising Rock Stone Craft lets the beauty of the stone speak for itself. I, Robert Reynolds, meticulously search the rivers, streams and farmer’s fields of Vermont, collecting, carving and polishing the rarest rocks and minerals the Green Mountains have to offer.

I specialize in sandblast carving, putting “any word you want into stone." Welcome stones, family names, as well as pet memorials, are some of the stones I am regularly requested to create. I carve stone bowls, ranging in size from small keepsakes to large bird-baths.

I carve original sculpture from Vermont’s most exotic stones and am also available to do custom work, such as putting a polish on that “special” stone you may already have.

Stories of Stone

Every stone has a story. Jasper, Fossil Coral, Precious Serpentine and Chrysanthemum Stone are just a few of the kinds of stones I collect and craft and here is a bit of the history behind them. Each one is as unique and individual as the person who appreciates its beauty.

Jasper: Jasper is a microcrystalline quartz which has been sought after through the ages and is considered semiprecious. An ancient rhyme goes, “In many a king’s crown Jasper cabachons are found." Its color varies from bright orange and green to red.

Fossil Coral: Fossil corals found in Vermont are some of the oldest in the world. They are 400-600 million years old, existing at that time as the highest forms of life on the planet. When polished they exhibit a sublime honey-comb pattern.

Precious Serpentine: Precious Serpentine is a jewelry grade stone often confused with Jade. It is metamorphic in origin and was created during Pangea when the African Plate pushed into present day New Hampshire causing a great fold in the earth that extended from Megantic, Quebec to Eden, Vermont. Serpentine comes in a variety of shades of yellow and green and has been compared in color to a Vermont stream filled with autumn leaves.

Chrysanthemum Stones: Chrysanthemum Stones (plant pattern stones) have been sought after in the orient since the time of Buddha. The Chrysanthemum is a sign of immortality to the Japanese. Locally, they are called “fossil snowflake stones” by the farmers, but their designs are actually igneous in origin. Chrysanthemum Stones are formed deep in the earth by slow cooling lava. Many times their intricate patterns remind one of embers rising out of a fire.

Robert Reynolds

My quest began at the time in life when youth yields to adulthood. I never had the opportunity to identify with that part of myself called Native American. That all changed one night after having a dream of finding an ancient Indian spear head.

The next morning I loaded the canoe and Beagle into the truck and headed for the longest river in the state, Otter Creek, also known as the Indian highway. I paddled for half a day on a river I had never known before. As the noon sun filled the sky, I paddled toward a sandy shore to rest. I realized this was the riverbank I had dreamed of; then, as if I’d always known it was there, I reached into the sandy bank and pulled out a huge, ancient spearhead. It was the one from my dream.

This single event changed my life path and awoke in me a respect and desire to learn all I could about stone and how to create things from them of value and beauty. I sought out a job in the stone industry, but I soon became disenchanted with so-called stone ‘studios’ that imported their rocks from Mexico and timed their ‘artist’s’ production - all the while selling them under the guise of unique and Vermont artisan crafted.

This “art by the hour” attitude defied all sense of pride and integrity that my path had instilled in me, and it compelled me to create Rising Rock Stone Craft.

I take pride in all I create, no matter how long it takes, using only the most beautiful stones Vermont has to offer. I hope you will afford yourself the time to appreciate the stones I bring back from the rivers. Through their beauty you too will find connection to nature, even if you haven’t the time to find them yourself.

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