Ian Crossman has been working with Maine gemstones since he first picked up a piece of green tourmaline at Mount Mica as a teenager. That piece of rough stone — cloudy with inclusions, glinting in the Maine sun — started everything.
PineTreeRelics is a one-person studio in coastal Maine. Every piece is designed, fabricated, and finished by Ian. The gemstones come from Maine’s storied mines: Mount Mica in Paris, the Dunton Tourmaline Mine in Newry, the Bumpus Mine in Albany Township. When Maine sources run dry for a specific stone, Ian sources the closest equivalent — but the Maine connection always comes first.
The Sourcing
Maine has one of the richest pegmatite gem deposits in North America. The Oxford County pegmatites have yielded some of the finest tourmaline in the world — rich greens and pinks from Mount Mica, watermelon specimens from the Dunton Mine that stop collectors in their tracks. Ian works directly with mine operators and local prospectors, selecting rough stone rather than buying cut gems.
The Making
All metalwork is hand-fabricated — no casting, no assembly from findings. Sheets and wire are forged, textured, soldered, and shaped at the bench. The result is jewelry with the same one-of-a-kind character as the stones it holds. No two pieces are alike. When a piece is sold, it is gone — but Ian is always working on the next one.