My Myrtle Moment

Some of the woods David works with I just fall in love with. Oregon Myrtle is one of those woods. 

Here are a few examples of Touch Wood Rings incorporating Oregon Myrtle. The horizontal inlay on this juniper heartwood ring is Myrtle. The inlay is a 'full moon' ™  mother of pearl.

The interior liner on this Grenadilla / African Blackwood ring is Myrtle and it's also one of the spiraled inlays.

The single spiraled inlay on this juniper heartwood ring is Myrtle.

Brent and Sarah's Black Walnut rings have inlays of Myrtle wood. Sarah's ring also has a crushed shell inlay.  I'm partial to the wider myrtle inlay on Brent's ring as it lets us see the beautiful cross hatched grain that David coaxed out of the wood.

"These rings are simply amazing! We were just floored by how simple, clean and comfortable they were. They fit perfectly; like an old friend. My (Brent's) ring fits so well with (the unusual shape of my hand), I loved the way David didn't just taper it, but just made a space for my finger. It looks great and feels better. Sarah's looks amazing with her shell and she said its a perfect fit. Both of the rings go on quite easily but fit snug once they are on so there is no danger of them slipping off. Thank you for your amazing work and the love you put into it. We are so happy that we could share this experience with you. Brent and Sarah"

Myrtle has also been called pepperwood, spicebush, cinnamon bush, peppernut tree, headache tree, mountain laurel, and balm of heaven. 

Myrtle grows very slowly. The slow growth produces a close grained and fine textured wood. Oregon Myrtlewood offers a wide variety of beautiful colors and grain patterns.

As with most trees; the color of the wood is often influenced by the minerals in the soil. The colors of Oregon Myrtle range from blond to black with many shades of honey, browns, satiny grays, with reds and greens in between. 

The myrtle plant has long been a symbol of love and an emblem for marriage. It is also believed to be the flower of the gods, being sacred to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Myrtle wood is often used as a wedding garland or decorations for the marriage ceremony, and utilized in many wedding rituals.
The myrtle also symbolizes good fortune. It is believed that cultivating a myrtle plant will usher in peace and love to your home. Myrtle is considered a representation for long life, as well as joyful living.

Thanks to the Myrtlewood Gallery and Aunty Flo's website.  And as always, thanks to the awesome people we work with who wear a Touch Wood Ring.  

This Earth Day, We Thank You.

On this Earth Day, we'd like to send a huge thank you to all our Touch Wood clients. People who are making a positive difference in the world. And they are legion.

Chas and Jenna commissioned their rings in the summer of 2013. They sent David two woods from remote Mfangano Island in Western Kenya. Both woods were bits of old fence posts. The two woods are "Kang'o" which Chas believed to be a wild olive (the long lighter piece) and "sangala" which he understood was a species of Sumac. (short reddish piece).



They designed their rings incorporating their two woods and our heritage black walnut.



Chas and Jenna are part of an awesome group of people called Organic Health Response. The organization, founded by Chas, describe their mission as "supporting an ecosystem of diverse community health initiatives on Mfangano Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya." Jenna was a WWOOFer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) at Joel and Richard’s farm on Mfangano for six months and now serves on the board of directors of OHR.
We invite you to visit the OHR website, like their facebook page and please, get involved!



Kat and Scott's Touch Wood Wedding Rings incorporated a very special piece of wood that was connected to a beloved rescued elephant who lived out the remainder of her life at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee of which Scott was co-founder. Kat and Scott have dedicated their lives to the care and comfort of elephants.



This couple spearheaded the awesome organization called Global Sanctuary for Elephants. Please visit their site, follow them on Facebook and support their amazing work with Elephants any way you can. There's an online auction coming up on Bidding for Good, June 5th to 13th. 

Elephant Sanctuary Brazil

And, if you are looking for earth friendly rings that offer a kinder gentler way to proclaim your love ~ please be in touch. David and I would love to hear from you!
Thanks again to all our incredible Touch Wood friends ~ you never cease to inspire us.