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    Made in Houston

    Making jewelry out of Texas rocks: Perfect rodeo pieces come out of stumbledupon treasures

    Whitney Radley
    Feb 22, 2012 | 8:22 am
    • Expect to see feathers incorporated into Agate Ranch + Marfa's spring line.
      Photo by Andrea Gibbs/AGPhotographix.com
    • Kathy Bracewell (left) almost stumbled upon her jewelry career.
    • Turquoise will be another prominent material, shown here setting off white Marfaagate.
      Photo by Andrea Gibbs/AGPhotographix.com
    • The trunk show at Tootsies will launch the spring line.
    • Photo by Andrea Gibbs/AGPhotographix.com
    • Photo by Andrea Gibbs/AGPhotographix.com
    • Photo by Andrea Gibbs/AGPhotographix.com
    • Photo by Andrea Gibbs/AGPhotographix.com

    Houstonian Kathy Bracewell started making jewelry by accident.

    "Shortly after we bought our ranch outside of Marfa, I was walking through the dry creek beds and looking for Indian artifacts when I found some interesting rocks," Bracewell tells CultureMap.

    She gathered up a handful, drove 20 miles north to Marfa and asked Paul Greybeal at Moonlight Gemstones about the specimens. Bracewell had found Marfa agate.

    Bracewell serves as the brand's walking billboard, an ebullient personality decked out in agate — a pair of earrings, an antique ring, and a set of chunky necklaces hugging her neck.

    Greybeal has since become Bracewell's tutor, teaching her how west Texas soil changes the rock, explaining how plumes and crystallization are formed and helping to cut the hard stones to make pendants, which Bracewell uses for her Agate Ranch + Marfa jewelry line.

    Back at her ranch studio, Bracewell affixes handmade bales to the cut stones with lapidary glue, adorning the smooth rock with Mexican milagros, antique rosaries, beads or other natural elements.

    Every piece is an individual work of art, stringed on a gold or silver chain or a strand of leather. Each rock is collected by hand; some agates are filled with clusters of crystals, some are decorated with striated lines or jet black plumes, others left rough around the edges. No two pieces are the same, and with each cut of the rock saw comes a complete surprise.

    The jewelry is sold at the Marfa farmer's market and local boutiques, but the appeal of Agate Ranch + Marfa reaches far beyond the deserts of west Texas. Since the official launch last year, Agate Ranch + Marfa's popularity has skyrocketed, and Bracewell has been spotted at pop-up shops and trunk shows all around Houston. Several stores around Texas now carry the jewelry.

    You'll see plenty of it at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In many ways, it's perfect big city rodeo jewelry.

    Bracewell serves as the brand's walking billboard, an ebullient personality decked out in agate — a pair of earrings, an antique ring, and a set of chunky necklaces hugging her neck.

    "I've sold pieces right off of me before," laughs Bracewell.

    Agate Ranch + Marfa will introduce its spring line at Tootsies during a trunk show on Feb. 24 and 25, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. — expect feathers, turquoise, lots of color-blocking and rodeo-appropriate accessories.

    The line is also sold at Muse Boutique in Houston; J.M. Drygoods in Austin; Meadow Boutique in San Antonio; Coastal Closet in Port Aransas; the Gage Hotel in Marathon; Thunderbird and Hotel Paisano in Marfa, or at the Farm Stand when she's in town.

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    news/fashion
    series/lets-go-rodeo-2012

    SPRING FORWARD

    3 Houston designers unveil bold looks and colorful collections for spring

    Gabi De la Rosa
    Feb 16, 2026 | 3:30 pm
    Hunter Bell
    Photo courtesy of Hunter Bell
    Hunter Bell celebrates 20 years with a Spring 2026 collection featuring exclusive artwork by Isabel Wislon woven throughout key pieces.

    Although the official start of spring is still a few weeks away, Houston designers have been busy creating their latest collections. Available now, these seasonal debuts feature bold designs, saturated colors, and an interplay between elegance and playful charm. In Houston, where dressing for the spring season is practically a sport, these statement skirts, flowing dresses, and eye-catching jewelry are not just wardrobe updates; they are a part of what makes the city come alive with seasonal style.

    Hunter Bell

    Houston designer Hunter Bell commemorates her 20th anniversary with a Spring 2026 debut that feels both celebratory and personal. She tapped fellow Houston creative, Isabel Wilson, for an exclusive painting for this collection. The painting isn't featured in just one print; its element are layered throughout the collection's key pieces.

    Alongside Hunter Bell's signature bold prints that feature floral motifs and bright spring colors, customers will also find hidden quotes woven into select pieces. They're inspired by the cities and spaces that have shaped the designer's two-decade journey. The brand will be celebrating its 20th anniversary all year long, making this launch the first of many to come.

    Hunter Bell Hidden quotes and signature floral prints define Hunter Bell’s anniversary collection, marking the first of several releases planned for the year.Photo courtesy of Hunter Bell

    Christy Lynn Collection

    On the heels of opening her first boutique outside Houston in Healdsburg, California, Christy Lynn Lee unveils her Spring 2026 collection, Aurielle. Inspired by California, where she was married and began dreaming of launching her own brand, the collection channels California vibes filtered through Lee's romantic lens.

    Aurielle features warm hues alongside pops of color and doesn't stray from the hand-painted floral motifs that are the brand's cornerstone. In addition to flowing dresses, the new collection offers lightweight layering pieces and several two-piece sets that easily mix and match with other prints and silhouettes.

    Christy Lynn Spring 2026 Flowing dresses, lightweight layers, and mix-and-match sets highlight the romantic direction of Christy Lynn’s latest seasonal launch.Photo courtesy of Christy Lynn Collection

    Susana Vega

    Jewelry designer Susana Vega is once again moving her label forward with surprising materials and innovation in her latest collection, Soto. Known best for her elegant sculpted beadwork designs, Vega most recently launched her first collection of mixed metals and has now unveiled organic designs made from reclaimed cedar wood sourced from Petén, Guatemala.

    The Soto collection consists of earrings, ear cuffs, and bracelets, each hand-carved to preserve the integrity of the wood's grain. The pieces are then inlaid with either silver or gold elements and finished with beeswax for a lived-in, natural look.

    Susana Vega/Soto Hand-carved cedar earrings and cuffs are inlaid with silver or gold and finished with beeswax in Susana Vega’s newest collection.Photo courtesy of Susana Vega

    Hunter Bell

    Photo courtesy of Hunter Bell

    Hunter Bell celebrates 20 years with a Spring 2026 collection featuring exclusive artwork by Isabel Wislon woven throughout key pieces.

    hunter bellsusana vegachristy lynn collectionhouston fashion designersshopping
    news/fashion
    series/lets-go-rodeo-2012

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