Rhonda Saavedra wraps the stone
She owns Skyriders Gems and Minerals. Bohemian copper, genuine stones, and a chain that never needs a clasp.
Duke City Live · October 15, 2026 · 3 min read
Rhonda Saavedra owns Skyriders Gems and Minerals. The studio is mobile through Albuquerque. No storefront to wait on. She sets up where the city already gathers, and the shop now lives at skyridersgems.net.
The signature is bohemian wire wrap. Copper, because it shows the stone and because her studio treats the metal as a conductor. A turquoise held in a coil. A quartz point left bare so the cut stays visible. Pendants, moons, one-of-one pieces. On the bench: a dragon eye, a blue kyanite broom, a green sandstone cauldron, a plume agate pumpkin.
The case is genuine stone. Spheres, flames, pyramids, towers, and the little tiny obelisks. Figurines too. She will cut a stone and build a piece around a person. She asks first. The vision gets built, not guessed. Her line for it: jewelry should tell a story and reflect the person wearing it.
There is also the chain with no clasp. Permanent jewelry, from $45. Bracelet, anklet, or necklace. Sterling, 14k gold filled, or rose. Figaro, cable, box, paperclip, or rope. She measures it on you. A micro torch welds it shut. Shower in it. Sleep in it. A jeweler can open it later if you ever want it off.
Saturday mornings she is at Los Ranchos, 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW, 8 to 11. Sundays at the Rail Yards, 777 1st St SW, 10 to 2. First Friday downtown. Temple Lodge once a month. Fittings by appointment. Call (505) 315-9495 or write skyridersgems@gmail.com.
Skyriders Gems sponsors this magazine. The work on this page is hers.
