The Placer (Hand-Turned, Stabilized)
Dimensions: Approx. 3 1/8" tall × 2" diameter Wood: Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
In the language of mining, a placer deposit is wealth carried and laid down by moving water — gold and mineral treasure sifted from the riverbed by the current itself, patient and unhurried over centuries. This piece takes its name from that tradition.
Turned from Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) harvested along Cherry Creek in Parker, Colorado, The Placer shares its origin — and its process — with its companion piece, The Lode. Both were stabilized, both were dyed Aztec Gold, both were shaped by the same hands from the same stretch of river corridor. They are a pair in every sense: same source, same craft, same dye, same finish.
And yet they are unmistakably different. Where The Lode is compact and barrel-shaped, broad and grounded, The Placer stands taller and more upright — cylindrical, with a slightly tapered crown that gives it a composed, almost stately presence. The grain sweeps in long, dramatic arcs from warm honey to deep amber and copper, threaded with dark mineral streaks that catch the light differently with every turn. A tight knot anchors the lower body, a quiet record of a branch long since gone.
Same water. Same wood. Same dye. Different story.
Finish: Sealed with a food-safe blend of polymerized walnut oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax for durability and lasting luster.
Care: Hand wash only. Do not soak.
Best For: A deliberate pour, or displayed alongside The Lode as a pair that tells the full story of a single stretch of Colorado creek.
Note: Product photos are the best available representation of this piece. Colors and grain character may appear differently depending on monitor settings, screen calibration, and lighting conditions.
