Born of Fire and Time: The Amethyst Geodes of Rio Grande do Sul

Oct 6, 2026 · @Gabi

Crack open an ordinary-looking gray stone in the hills of southern Brazil, and a hidden cave of violet light may be waiting inside. I grew up in Rio Grande do Sul, where these amethyst geodes come from. Even now, every time I see one opened, it feels like a small miracle.

Here is the story of how they form: a story of fire, water and an almost unimaginable amount of time.

How an Amethyst Geode Is Born

1. Fire. About 135 million years ago, as the supercontinent Gondwana began to split into South America and Africa, enormous lava flows poured across southern Brazil. They hardened into thick layers of dark basalt that still shape the landscape today.

2. Bubbles. As the lava cooled, gas trapped inside formed pockets and hollows in the rock. Some of these cavities are small enough to hold in your hand. Others stretch several meters tall.

3. Water. Over the ages that followed, mineral-rich water moved slowly through the basalt and seeped into these empty chambers, carrying dissolved silica.

4. Time. Drop by drop, layer by layer, that silica settled on the cavity walls. First came a smooth rind of agate, then quartz crystals that grew inward, pointing toward the hollow center.

Scientists still debate the exact conditions. One study suggests the crystals grew from hot steam, around 130 °C, over 1 to 2 million years. A 2024 study suggests they grew from cool groundwater, mostly between 25 and 40 °C, slowly over tens of millions of years. Either way, each geode is the work of patience on a scale we can barely imagine.

Where the Purple Comes From

Amethyst is simply quartz with a secret. As the crystals grew, tiny traces of iron settled into their structure. Over time, the natural radiation present in the earth's rocks transformed that iron, and the clear quartz bloomed into violet.

The deeper the purple, the more prized the geode. Paler amethyst is often gently heated, which turns it golden. Most of the citrine in the world is made this way, because natural citrine is rare.

Ametista do Sul: The Amethyst Capital

In the far north of Rio Grande do Sul lies a small town whose name says everything: Ametista do Sul, "Amethyst of the South." Its hills hide a single basalt flow, 40 to 50 meters thick, filled with geodes. The region is home to most of the nearly 400 amethyst mines in the state.

Mining here is careful, patient work. Miners dig horizontal tunnels into the hillsides. When they find a geode, they drill a small hole and shine a light inside to glimpse the color before it is ever opened. Then they free it from the rock by hand, with chisels and the gentlest of blasts. The largest geodes reach up to 3 meters long.

The town has embraced its treasure. Some old mine tunnels now welcome visitors, with geodes still glowing in the walls, underground restaurants, and even a quiet space for meditation deep in the earth.

Bringing a Piece of the Earth Home

When you hold an amethyst geode, you are holding the memory of a continent breaking apart, of lava and water, and of millions of quiet years. No two are alike. Each one is a small cathedral that waited in the dark until the day it was opened to the light.

That is why we bring these geodes from my homeland to Aurora. Come visit us in Makawao and find the one that speaks to you.

Sources

• Hitching a ride in steam, Pesquisa FAPESP

• Amethyst geode formation in Paraná basalts, Mineralium Deposita (2024)

• Visit to Ametista do Sul, Brazil, Geodiversity

• Ametista Parque, Ametista do Sul, UFRGS Museum of Mineralogy

Meet the Maker: Victoria Kray of Vega Jewelry

Meet the Maker: Victoria Kray of Vega Jewelry

Oct 6, 2026 · @Gabi

Some jewelry is made to be noticed. Victoria Kray makes jewelry to be felt.

Victoria is the Maui-based artist behind Vega Jewelry, a line she calls "crystal power jewels." Her pieces join raw, natural stones with silver, brass and gold, and each one carries the quiet strength of the crystal at its heart. We are honored to share her work at Aurora.

A Maker Guided by the Stones

Victoria works with crystals the way a painter works with color. She lets each stone's shape and energy lead the design, so no two pieces are ever quite the same.

She is also part of the Aurora family, and you may find her in the boutique, happy to help you find the piece that's calling to you.

The Jewelry

Vega pieces are bold, earthy and quietly powerful. Victoria works with a rich palette of stones, including:

• Hematite and pyrite, for grounding and strength

• Lapis lazuli, sodalite and blue aventurine, deep blues of the sky and sea

• Labradorite, with its flash of hidden light

• Black tourmaline, a classic stone of protection

• Lepidolite and chrysoprase, soft lavender and fresh green

• Lemurian quartz from Colombia, prized for its delicate striations

Alongside her necklaces and bracelets, Victoria also creates crystal wands, sculptural pieces made for ritual, meditation or simply for beauty.

Vega is the name of one of the brightest stars in the northern night sky. It's a fitting name for jewelry that seems to hold its own light.

Find Vega at Aurora

A curated selection of Vega Jewelry is available at Aurora, 3620 Baldwin Ave in Makawao. Come see the pieces in person, hold the stones, and discover which one feels like yours.

Follow Victoria on Instagram at @vegajewelry and explore more at vegajewelry.com.

Meet the Artist: Photographer Kelly Hsiao

Oct 6, 2026 · @Gabi

Beneath the surface of Maui's waters lies a world most of us never see. Kelly Hsiao brings it to light.

Kelly is an award-winning fine art photographer based here on Maui. Her dreamlike underwater images feel less like photographs and more like visions. They are full of wonder, movement and the quiet magic of the ocean. We are honored to share her work at Aurora.

From New York to the Deep Blue

Kelly earned her BFA in Photography with honors from Pratt Institute in New York. She then found her true muse in the ocean.

Her work has since traveled far beyond the islands. She has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Vienna and Barcelona, and at art fairs including Art Basel Miami and the LA Art Fair. She received the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, and her photographs have appeared in luxury and fine art publications.

The Work

Kelly's photographs explore wonder, transformation and our connection to the natural world. Her ethereal subjects seem to float between light and water, somewhere between the real world and a dream.

Her NOCTURNE collection was born from night dives, when the ocean reveals an entirely different kind of beauty. It was exhibited at Agora Gallery in New York in 2025.

Kelly's love for the ocean goes beyond the lens. She donates part of the proceeds from her award-winning image "Emergence" to the Marine Institute at Maui Ocean Center to help protect sea turtles. Her collaborative work has also supported cleanups that remove plastic from Maui's coastlines.

At Aurora, her art sits naturally beside our crystals. Both are treasures shaped by the earth and sea, and both remind us how much magic is already all around us.

See Kelly's Work at Aurora

Visit us at 3620 Baldwin Ave in Makawao to see a selection of Kelly's photographs in person. They are even more breathtaking up close.

Explore more of her work at kellyhsiao.com.

Meet the Artist: Jay Joya

Oct 6, 2026 · @Gabi

Every piece of wood holds a story: the tree it grew from, the island winds that shaped it, the hands that gave it new life. Jay Joya listens to those stories and turns them into art.

Based in Kihei, Jay is a Maui artist who creates one-of-a-kind works from rare island woods. We are honored to share Jay's work at Aurora.

A Life Shaped by Art and Island

Art has been part of Jay's life since childhood. It has carried Jay through more than a decade as a working artist on Maui, and the island itself remains the greatest inspiration: its forests, its light, and its deep connection to nature and heritage.

The Work

Jay works with extraordinary woods gathered across the islands, including koa, monkeypod, palm and other rare reclaimed woods. Each piece is cleaned, restored and prepared by hand before it becomes art. The results range from flowing abstract works to pieces celebrating Hawaiian nature.

Some of Jay's most meaningful recent work uses wood salvaged from the Lahaina fire. From loss, something beautiful is born, carrying the memory of a beloved place forward.

In Jay's words, "Each piece is made with love. No two pieces are ever the same." Every work is a one-of-a-kind original, a collectible made to be treasured for generations.

At Aurora, Jay's art feels right at home beside our crystals. Both are gifts of the earth, shaped by time and given new life.

See Jay's Work at Aurora

Visit us at 3620 Baldwin Ave in Makawao to see Jay's pieces in person. Run your hand along the grain and feel the island in every line.

Explore more at jayjoyaart.com.