About the Dark Side
About the Company and Materials
Recycle. Reduce. Reuse.
Dark Side of the Wood started out as a jewellery company making plugs/gauges from scrap guitar lumber in Maryland in 2011. Luthier Matthew Barrett was working in a production line for Paul Reed Smith as a finish hall worker. In late 2017, Matt relocated back to his hometown Langhorne - a small suburb in Bucks County, PA - to care for his family. Now, the company collects and dries wood from diseased, dying, or storm fell trees in the area. The goal of the company is to provide sustainable lumber practices for the local community to support.
In 2021, crystal enthusiast Courtney Rankin joined the team, creating a sparkling addition to a growing craft. Her talent brought new jewellery and specimen to the tables at our craft shows, so we decided to brand her handmade goods as Dark Side of the Quartz to have a distinct separation between product makers. She collects quartz crystals from around the globe, as well as locally sourced from rivers and mountains in Pennsylvania. Her handmade wire wrapped amulets and earrings can be seen at local shows, Attic Mice 2, and on her Instagram/Facebook page Dark Side of the Quartz.
Materials
MSDS sheets and/or information for the materials used:
Care Instructions*
Limited lifetime warranty* is valid as long as proper care is administered. Please use items as intended and follow these guidelines:
Please be mindful of indoor and outdoor conditions when wearing or storing handmade items.
Do not leave in direct sunlight for long periods of time. This will change the color and cause it to crack. Exposure to moonlight is OK and recommended for cleansing.
Do not expose to extreme temperature changes. Organic products expand and contract at different rates, inviting the possibility of constriction.
Do not expose to extreme humidity changes. The items will dry out and crack, or swell up and become stuck. Think of your doors at home. It will also patina faster (i.e: Statue of Liberty).
Do not ingest or insert anywhere other than the proper healed piercings.
Do not let your animals and/or children within reach. Organic materials attract all species to eat/play with them, making them a possible choking/digestive hazard or breaking from misuse. Please keep them safe by storing the items out of sight and reach.
Avoid submerging in water. Please do not swim or shower/bathe with jewelry on.
Do not put in microwave or dishwasher. Clean your items separately by hand (with appropriate cleaners) and air dry.
Do not wear items while working. We cannot be responsible for OSHA violations causing damage to you or your item.
All items are food safe to eat off of or store food in.
*Failure to follow these care instructions will void the limited lifetime warranty
Please contact us if you have any questions about the care process or the materials we use.
Nomenclature
To the best of our ability, we have simplified identifying your product based on a numerical system. All of our wood and crystals are classified by the following method:
XX &.@
Year Species . Location
E.G.: XVIII III.I = 2018 Juglans Langhorne
Below you will find a detailed list of species and location, depending on product type.
Wood Species*:
I: Prunus serotina (Black Cherry), pensylvanica (Pin Cherry)
II: Pyrus communis (Common Pear)
III: Juglans nigra (Black Walnut)
IV: Betula nigra (Black Birch)
V: Quercus alba (White Oak) , rubra (Red Oak)
VI: Fraxinus americana (White Ash), pensylvanica (Green Ash)
VII: Ulmus americana (American Elm)
VIII: Olea europa (Olive wood)
IX: Acer: rubrum (Red Maple), saccharinum (Silver Maple), platanoides (Norway Maple), negundo (Box Elder)
X: Castanea dentata: Chestnut
XI: Swietenia macrophylla (Honduran); Khaya sp. (African); Entandrophragma sp. (Sapele)
XII: Dalbergia latifolia (East Indian Rosewood)
XIII: Diospyros crassiflora (Gabon Ebony), malabarica (Tiger Ebony)
XIV: Guaiacum officinale (Genuine Lignum Vitae), Bulnesia sarmientoi (Argentine Lignum Vitae)
XV: Berchemia zeyheri (Pink Ivory)
XVI: Brosimum rubescens (Bloodwood)
*Your product may have burls or spalting, which is not directly tied to a specific species.
Location:
I: Langhorne, PA 19047
II: Playwicki Park, Langhorne, PA 19047
III: Bristol, PA 19007
IV: Levittown, PA 19056
V: PRS Guitar Factory Stevensville, MD 21658
VI: Construction or furniture scraps
VII: Josh Hensley Exotic Plug scraps
VIII: Bethlehem, Palestine - olivewood only
IX: Bensalem, PA 19020
X: Mike's Tree Service Bensalem, PA 19020
XI: South America
XII: Central America
XIII: Africa
XIV: Australia
Crystal Species:
I: Amazonite KAlSi3O8
II: Amber fossilized tree sap
III: Agate SiO2 varieties
IV: Ammonite
V: Apatite Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH)
VI: Apophyllite (K,Na)Ca4Si8O20(F,OH)·8H2O
VII: Aquamarine Be3Al2Si6O18
VIII: Aragonite CaCO3
IX: Bismuth Bi
X: Calcite CaCO3
XII: Chalcedony SiO2
XIII: Charoite K(Ca,Na)2Si4O10(OH,F)•H2O
XIV: Creedite Ca3Al2SO4(F,OH)10·2(H2O)
XV: Danburite CaB2(SiO4)2
XVI: Emerald Be3Al2(SiO3)6
XVII: Fluorite CaF2
XVIII: Garnet [Mg,Fe,Mn]3Al2(SiO4)3 or Ca3[Cr,Al,Fe]2(SiO4)3
XIX: Green Aventurine SiO2
XXI: Hematite Fe2O3
XXII: Herkimer SiO2
XXIV: Kyanite Al2SiO5
XXVI: Lapis Lazuli (Na,Ca)8(AlSiO4)6(S,SO4,Cl)1–2 with calcite, pyrite and sodalite
XXVII: Larimar NaCa2Si3O8(OH)
XXVIII: Mookite
XXIX: Moonstone (Na,K)AlSi3O8
XXX: Mother of Pearl
XXXI: Obsidian volcanic glass
XXXII: Onyx SiO2
XXXIII: Opal SiO2·nH2O
XXXIV: Petrified Wood
XXXV: Prehnite Ca2Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
XXXVI: Pyrite FeS2
XXXVII: Quartz SiO2 varities
XXXVIII: Ruby Al2O3:Cr
XXXIX: Sandstone
XL: Selenite (CaSO4·2H2O)
XLI: Sodalite Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2
XLII: Sunstone (Ca,Na)((Al,Si)2Si2O8)
XLIII: Super 7: Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Cacoxenite, Rutile, Goethite and Lepidocrosite
XLIV: Tourmaline (Ca,K,Na, ▢)(Al,Fe,Li,Mg,Mn)3(Al,Cr,Fe,V)6(BO3)3(Si,Al,B)6O18(OH,F)4
Tourmalated, rutilated, dendridic, DT (double terminated), phantom, singing, crackle, smoky along with a variety of colours can accompany a mineral or crystal type, depending on how it is grown. Please contact us if you have any questions about your purchase.
Location:
I: USA
II: Brazil
III: Argentina
IV: Uruguay
V: Africa
VI: Mexico
VII: Russia
VIII: Peru
IX:
X: Pennsylvania