The Jewelry Blog

The Sparkle of Christmas

2009-12-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

It is truly the Christmas season! Every year, it creeps up on me, it seems, earlier and earlier. NO, I don't have my Christmas shopping done; the tree is not yet up (it should arrive by Fedex on Thursday, a nice fresh Fraser fir) and I am as busy as I can be! And it's only the 7th of December - I can remember when that date would have meant ages and ages until Christmas, but not any more.
I do really love the Christmas season. Here in Arlington, we've already had our first snowfall, big, fluffy flakes that looked like feathers falling from a goosedown pillow. Lovely.
Today, just a small sampling of some of the new pieces going on the website. I can't seem to get them all on there and priced fast enough!
First, above is a labradorite bracelet that is a bit different from most of those I make. It's a smaller scale, and it has apatite in it to match the flash of the labradorite stones. Below, a sunstone bracelet features lots of sterling silver charms, a sterling Thai Karen Hill Tribes chain, a special lampwork bead, and pretty, flashing sunstone nuggets, rondelles, and triangles. Adding to the sparkle is a special marcasite toggle clasp. Sunstone looks great with many colours since its sparkle perks up black and other neutrals and it's a great complement to blue and green. If you like to wear coral jewelry in the summer, sunstone is the fall and winter equivalent.
The freshwater pearl bracelet also features chain from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes and charms and beads (sterling of course) in an ocean them. The lampwork bead that is the focal is one of master lampworker Robin Weber's special beads.
And in keeping with the idea of the ocean, next is an abalone necklace with an unusual pendant. The abalone shimmers and shines; the pendant is reminiscent of seaweed waving in the ocean currents. The middle branch holds a large oval of abalone; one side has a faceted oval smoky quartz and a faceted marquise rhodonite garnet, the other, a round faceted peridot and an oval faceted blue topaz.

The bottom unique bracelet bracelet (2 views) features a large focal emerald nugget, faceted rondelle sapphires. faceted rondelle emeralds, large faceted ruby rondelles and faceted rectangle rubies. The sterling silver bracelet has a pendant with a cabochon ruby in a bezel setting.

If you are still Christmas shopping, we are starting to send everything by Priority mail (no charge to the customer) to make sure that it reaches you by Christmas. Give a unique gift to someone special! If we don't have something you like, please see our blog list for other "indie" jewelry dealers!

The Aftermath of Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T15:16:00.001-08:00

I love Thanksgiving; it is my favorite holiday of the year. This year was especially good because we had children at Thanksgiving - my new grand-daughter and a three-year-old guest. What was remarkable was that we managed to have Thanksgiving here in Arlington, in an ill-equipped apartment instead of at home where all the good china, crystal, and pots and pans are. I hope that we are better equipped next year!
Tomorrow is what is known as "cyber-Monday", supposedly the day people do online Christmas shopping. I'm not sure about that, but just in case, I've been trying to tidy the website and get things listed by tomorrow. There will be a few new jewelry pieces also.
Above, a labradorite bracelet flashes its iridiscent colours, while below, a unique bracelet has a favorite mix of mine: lapis, turquoise, and carnelian.
Below are salvation bracelets, both made of genuine gemstones, that make marvelous Christmas gift for those who wish to show their faith. The second salvation bracelet features a large emerald nugget, a large ruby rondelle, and a large, smooth sapphire nugget as well as onyx, rock crystal, and citrine. It also has unusually elaborite sterling silver accents.

The bracelet that you see above is not rose quartz, but a very, very pretty pink chalcedony. Its matching chalcedony necklace also features a sterling silver chain with extra charms hanging from it.

Finally, a special piece: a smoky quartz bracelet has a special turtle clasp that features a golden Biwa pearl as well as a cabochon peridot set in its back.

I hope that you've recovered from your Thanksgiving feast and are getting ready to enjoy the holidays!

Gleam, Glimmer, Shimmer!

2009-11-12T12:33:00.001-08:00

According to Vogue and other important fashion magazines, gold is back in fashion. Of course, I don't think that it was ever out! I love the gleam of gold, and while I will concede that there are certain gemstones that are best served by sterling silver or white gold, (think rose quartz) I generally prefer my own jewelry to be gold or a mixture of silver and gold.
One of my favorite combinations is lapis, carnelian, and turquoise; all of these gemstones look great with silver (although lapis always looks better with gold), but put them all together and you've just got to have yellow gold to match the richness of the colours! Above, a unique bracelet with lapis, carnelian, and turquoise accented with 14 karat goldfilled elements (with the exception of the toggle which is vermeil), and below, the matching necklace and dangling earrings.

Above is a charm bracelet using vintage lucite flower beads and Swarovski crystals. I used to make different versions of these quite often, but they can take an extraordinary amount of time to make. They catch the light wonderfully.
Below is the shimmer of labradorite - a favorite stone. This bracelet has very good flash that is accentuated by, believe it or not, tanzanite Swarovski crystals. Although the mixture may sound unlikely, it is one that works.

And because it is November, below are two more citrine pieces: a citrine bracelet with the addition of apatite, and a pair of citrine earrings that hang from sterling earrings with citrine cabochons.

If you have a custom order, please start thinking about it now; things get very busy the closer Christmas gets!

The November Birthstone: Citrine

2009-11-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

I'm very fond of citrine, the gemstone ranging from a pale yellow to a dark orange. First, I just love the colour yellow; second, citrine is an extremely versatile gemstone that looks great with many different colours. I wear it often with black because I like the contrast of the yellow against dark colours. I like a neutral colour that I call champagne or sand - it's a version of khaki almost, but with golden tones instead of brown - Anne Klein calls it safari. A paler citrine is gorgeous with it. In the summer, nothing looks fresher than citrine bracelets and necklaces paired with white linen or cotton.
Citrine is a variety of quartz with a moh's hardness of 7, a relatively durable stone although it can be scratched, and prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight will change its colour .
Citrine is believed to have many mystical qualities. It is known as the "money" stone or "merchant's" stone; some merchants will put a citrine in their cash registers to draw money to them. The ancients believed that putting a citrine on the forehead would increase psychic powers, and it supposedly will increase memory, aid in curing depression and diabetes, and foster creative expression, especially for writers.
The citrine's name comes from the French word for lemon, citron. The yellow colour is from the presence of iron. Ironically, if you own a citrine, you probably also own an amethyst! This is because the natural citrine is rather rare and most today are made by exposing an amethyst or smoky quartz to high heat to turn it into a citrine. You will be able to find the citrine bracelets on this page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website at Citrine Bracelets.
Happy Birthday, November!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-11-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Christmas rush is upon us already! This is going to be a short post, just to get out some of the newer things that will be on the website soon. Above a pretty blue aquamarine bracelet that features matte lampwork beads in soft blue and khaki and a second strand of sterling chain with 3 little charms. Below, a long aquamarine necklace that drops just at or below the bustline (depending on where yours is!)
The next jewelry piece is a thin silver bangle bracelet that has faceted rondelles of tourmaline at intervals. And finally, some of the prettiest carnelian earrings I've ever made of lampwork beads and deep, dark, gorgeous red carnelian!

An Odd Assortment

2009-10-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ah... the air is getting colder. . . I love this time of Autumn when the leaves are changing everywhere and the air is nippy in the morning. I'm looking forward to next weekend when we "fall back" and set our clocks back an hour since when I leave at 6:45 in the morning it is as dark as can be. I actually like the feeling that I am getting a jump on the day, but it does make the day seem especially long.
The jewelry pieces here are a motley group, no real theme, just pieces made because the gemstones intrigued me usually.
Above, you see an iolite bracelet (iolites are also known as the "water sapphire") with 5 strands of iolites and one silver-laced lentil bead that has a hint of purple along with the blue. The clasp is a large oval box clasp set with a cabochon rainbow moonstone that has a beautiful blue glow almost every way that you look. These multi-strand bracelets look especially good with blouses and sweaters with 3/4 length sleeves since every strand will show.
Below, a prehnite and tourmalinated quartz bracelet has three large, gorgeous lampwork beads as focals. They glitter and shine in the light and make a huge statement. All accents are sterling silver.
Below is a bracelet of London blue topaz; I dearly love London blue topazes and have quite a few pieces featuring these lovely dark blue topazes. They are rather hard to come by - the deeply coloured gem-quality ones, that is. And those are the only ones that I really care for. This blue topaz bangle also has Karen Hill Tribes beads from Thailand and a sterling toggle clasp.
Next, a necklace made with some unusual gemstones; they are amethysts, but they are large roughly hewn amethysts nuggets that have been sanded to give them an earthy look, sometimes almost a frosty look. Not only is purple one of Fall's most "in" colours this year, but huge chunky necklaces were worn by a majority of the models on the runways during New York Fashion Week.
Finally, the last two pieces are a bracelet and a pair of earrings, both featuring rose quartz. The bracelet has lovely artist's lampwork beads that pick up the pink beautifully; the earrings are made from some of my favorite rectangular faceted rose quartz beads.

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Back from Arkansas!

2009-10-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Arkansas, and am I glad to be back! It took 2 days for the drive and it rained the entire two days, making the trip fairly miserable - sometimes parts of it can be pleasant. I had to drive because of all the beads/findings that I was bringing from the Arkansas office which is still full. I'm exhausted, so here are some more pieces from the Fall Collection. They will be on the website soon. Enjoy!

Sunstone bracelet, above; below, sunstone earrings.

Above, blue Peruvian opal bracelet and earrings and immediately above a tourmaline bangle bracelet. Below are tourmaline chandelier earrings, and another tourmaline bangle bracelet.
Above are smoky quartz earrings; below, rainbow moonstone earrings.

Below is a Swarovski bracelet in the season's great American Beauty red colour and below that a true red carnelian bracelet.

Fall Collection: Part V

2009-09-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not finished posting the new Fall Collection - not by a long shot! Because I am doing the photos, pricing, and web myself without help since my move, it means that I am going much more slowly than I would prefer. However, if you like anticipation....
Today I have another mixture of bracelets beginning with the blue lace agate and amethyst bracelet that you see at the top. The focal is actually a blue chalcedony faceted nugget, the amethyst is transparent and the lampwork beads are some of the absolute best I've had (from an artist whose work sells at a premium). Below is an amethyst bracelet that is complimented by rutilated quartz, thus combining two of the season's hottest colours, purple and grey. I love the amethyst gemstone toggle clasp. The lampwork beads are the perfect purple and grey!

The tourmaline bracelet above features three strands of all shapes and sizes of tourmalines and includes little tourmaline charms hanging at intervals from the bracelet. There is only one lampwork bead, a green transparent lentil with mauvey purple swirls, but it is wonderful. Tourmaline is a great gemstone for this fall since it either has the most popular colours or accents those clothing colours wonderfully well.
The blue lace agate bracelet below is all about flowers: sterling silver flower beads, sterling flower charms, and a focal lentil lampwork bead that has the look of a flower also. Below the blue agate bracelet is one of my favorite combinations: sunstone and dark blue apatite that has the slightest hint of teal in it. Another favorite of mine is the little sterling bird charm that hangs near the center of the bracelet.There are just three pairs of earrings here, but many more will be appearing on the Cluny Grey Jewelrysite.

The Fall Collection IV: More Colour!

2009-09-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

The first two pieces today, top and bottom, will be listed under chalcedony jewelry on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. The chalcedony necklace above is a single strand necklace featuring faceted nuggets of aqua chalcedony along with the prettiest faceted coins of a strong pink chalcedony, Bali sterling silver and the unique lampwork beads of Suzette Celestin. The lampwork picks up the aqua and pink and adds a creme colour to the mix as well. The necklace would look great against a dress or blouse in one of the season's hottest neutrals, a deep creme with a touch of brown called creme brulee.
Below, more chalcedony, this time faceted nuggets of a golden yellow chalcedony that positively glow! The only silver: the tiniest Karen Hill Tribes silver beads, barely noticeable, between the beads, and the pretty sterling toggle clasp. Why? Because the nuggets themselves are so beautiful and so strong in colour, I wanted a very gemmy look for the bracelet, a look that calls for very little silver. This is a simple nugget bracelet with a lot of impact!
One of the Fall 2009 season's colours is "rapture rose." It is a colour that is epitomized by the rhodonite bracelet that you see below - a strong but soft deep pink or rose colour. Sterling silver and two borosilicate artist's lampwork beads add a dash of different colour to the bracelet which consists of two strands of different shapes and sizes of rhodonite gemstones. If rose is not your colour or you can't afford to add this colour to your wardrobe right now, this is a perfect way to get a dash of the colour! Rhodonite is a matte gemstone making it suitable for daytime or nighttime wear, so the bracelet is quite versatile - it also looks great with the iron grey that is one of the most popular neutrals this Fall.
The last two jewelry pieces are a necklace and bracelet and both feature blue. Above, the simple sapphire necklace is made entirely of blue sapphires with the addition of a focal dichroic that sparkles in natural or artificial light. (It's also this month's birthstone).
The last piece is a double strand bracelet that features amethysts and kyanite. Very special lampwork beads add a magical touch to the bracelet and the geometric toggle with the amethyst cabochon keeps it from looking too froufrou.
Next: See more from Cluny's Fall Collection 2009 in a couple of days! There is still more colour to come!

The Fall Collection III: The New Motley Crew

2009-09-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

There is no real theme for today's jewelry - part of the Fall Collection. I know that I should group the jewelry pieces in some intelligent way, but WOW! getting all the jewelry on the site is a ton of work and I've been at it for several days now! So this is really a random sampling of some of the new bracelets that are going to be on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site.
Above, a moonstone bracelet with touches of genuine aquamarine. It really has quite a bit of flash and the aquamarine accents that flash. Below is a bracelet pairing aquamarine with sunstone; I love the hot and coolness of the two gemstones together, and together they are smashing mixed with the great sterling silver that you see here. I am especially fond also of second strands consisting of those tiny Karen Hill Tribes beads that you see here. And the bird clasp is a real favorite! (Can you tell that I am partial to this bracelet?)

More colour here when great lampwork in soft yellows and blues with a touch of pink is mixed with faceted citrine nuggets. It's a soft, romantic bracelet that will look great with all those ruffled blouses that are in style this Fall. And if you are like me, you like to keep up with some trends, but some I cannot do in a big way. Animal prints are still big, but I never feel comfortable wearing them. To the rescue, this lampwork bracelet with the great tiger stripes that give you that touch of the trend without overwhelming.
Above, moonstone in a dusky mauvey-peach colour and greys. I love these beads with the raised symbols (moons, stars, other shapes) on them. They give a mystical feel to any jewelry piece. Below, two tourmaline bracelets, one with one of the largest faceted garnet nuggets I've ever had. What can I say about tourmaline that you don't already know? That it goes with just about everything. It's perfect for Fall and Winter, and it looks equally good with bright or dark clothing.
And stay tuned - there is still more jewelry to come!!!

The New Fall Collection - Part II

2009-09-09T16:59:00.002-07:00

The following jewelry pieces feature gemstones in colours that are based on Pantone's colour guide (Pantone produces the dyes that are used by the fashion world, so that they are the true forecaster of the hottest colours). Above, the double strand bracelet has three of the season's hottest colours: olivine (in Swarovski crystals); majolica (kyanite); grey (rutilated quartz). The second strand is a type of bangle accented only by the Swarovski crystals.
Below, more rutilated quartz celebrates another big trend for Fall: the chunky necklace. The large, flat faceted nuggets (over an inch long) are primarily grey with touches of tan/brown. Each nugget is over an inch in length.
Citrine is always a favorite stone, and one of Fall's newest colours is honey yellow. With its range of colours from pale yellow to a deep golden colour, citrine can add a touch of this year's colour to an older outfit or blend with a new one.

Below, this unique bracelet has quartz (creme brulee), chalcedony (majolica), and carnelian (American Beauty) for a blend of colours exceedingly versatile. The next bracelet has chalcedony and yellow opal (majolica and honey yellow), and the bottom bracelet of African opal and vermeil will go equally well with both the off-white creme brulee and a neutral colour called nougat that is a pale taupe.

More tomorrow!

The New Fall Collection!

2009-09-07T16:41:00.002-07:00

This week I will be posting different pieces almost every day from the new Cluny Grey Jewelry Fall Collection. Most of the pieces are made to match or to complement the new colours for this Fall. Chunky gemstone necklaces are really in right now, but so are long chains with charms - and we'll be showing you both. Our pieces will show up here on the blog before they are actually on the website. Give us a couple of days to put the jewelry on the website with the price and description.
Above, chunky gemstone necklaces are really in this Fall, and this necklace is certainly chunky! It features sanded rock crystal nuggets (they have a frosty look). This great necklace dresses up or goes casual - very versatile!
Above, an aquamarine bracelet with gold vermeil and 14 karat goldfilled accents (gold is quite the thing this season!); sunstone is a great partner with aquamarine and brings in the sienna colour that is one of the season's best.
Below, a feminine chalcedony bracelet has gemstones echoing the colour of the lampwork beads.
Below, the iolite bracelet has a sparkling druzy as well as very special silver-laced lampwork beads. The Fall colours represented? Majolica (blue) and creme brulee.

The bracelet below is, believe it or not, moonstone - a dark peachy moonstone that represents Fall's sienna colour; again, gold is really hot this season.

Fire agate bracelet features a focal that is gorgeous!

One of the season's big colours is purple. These amethyst bracelets will be the perfect accessory to accent many of the Fall season's outfits.
We'll have more tomorrow!

A Few Bracelets Before Fall

2009-08-24T17:11:00.001-07:00

Today had a coolness in the air despite the bright sunshine; a portent of Fall. And I'm working on the Cluny Grey Fall Collection still! Remember that I will start posting from the Fall Collection on Labor Day.
Meanwhile, here are some bracelets that haven't made it to the website yet, and that I will price in the next two days. If you want to know when these are available to buy, go to the end of this post and sign up for my Twitter feed. I don't tell you when I'm having coffee - or really much of anything except when I've made a new bracelet or other piece of jewelry and/or posted it on the website so that it is ready to purchase. I didn't see the point of Twitter personally until I realized that I could use it to announce each new piece that I made for those customers who want to see what's new, but don't have time to scan 100+ pages of the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. And several times people have called me or e-mailed me to reserve something that they had seen here on the blog before I got it posted. So this gives you first chance at finding the perfect piece to complement your wardrobe!
Today's offerings (these have not been priced on the website yet, but I will tweet when I price them): the first two bracelets are both predominantly sapphire and will be found on the Sapphire Bracelets page. The first bracelet features a large pink chalcedony nugget and a borosilicate lampwork bead. The second bracelet is from the Raj Collection and has genuine rubies and 14k goldfilled accents..
Directly above are two Aquamarine Bracelets . Aquamarines surround a flat smooth rectangle of fire agate in the top bracelet, all accented with vermeil ; in the bottom one, faceted aquamarine nuggets are punctuated by a single nugget of amethyst. The accents here are sterling silver.
The last bracelet on the page is made of tourmalines - two strands of varying sizes ranging from smooth nuggets to small faceted hearts. You will be able to find it on the Tourmaline Bracelets page.

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Getting Ready for Fall

2009-08-16T13:49:00.001-07:00

Women's Wear Daily is already showing the Spring 2010 fashions, but luckily here at Cluny Grey we don't have to get that far ahead! We are working feverishly on the Fall Collection which we will be posting soon. Meanwhile, custom orders are keeping us busy (as well as my new grand-daughter). And, as usual, it is just a challenge to keep our site pages filled with fresh jewelry as other jewelry sells. Today I have a few "odds and ends" - no special theme here!
First I have a couple of copper bracelets. Copper has been in fashion for a couple of seasons now and it is getting better and better! No more thinking that copper belongs to those medicinal bracelets; it is a chic accessory colour and copper jewelry looks great when you're wearing copper-coloured shoes and/or carrying a copper-coloured bag. An added plus is that it looks great on all skin types. And copper looks great with many of the new Fall colours. Above, a classic turquoise bracelet gets its extra punch from copper in the form of accents and a large linked copper chain. The copper bracelet below is a combination I love: copper Swarovski crystals and copper accents.

I'm very fond of blue Peruvian opal; here you see two opal bracelets, one with sterling silver and one with borosilicate lampwork beads and sterling silver. I'm especially fond of blue Peruvian opal when it has a whitish tint and black inclusions as in the bracelet below.

I can never keep enough ankle bracelets, whether gold or silver, on the site pages. The one above is made with sterling silver and abalone, a great summer combination. Finally, below a pair of dangle earrings made from pretty dark blue lampwork beads.
COMING IN SEPTEMBER, RIGHT AFTER LABOR DAY, THE CLUNY GREY FALL COLLECTION!!!!

Peridot: The August Birthstone

2009-07-27T19:00:00.001-07:00

Peridot is a gemstone that I feel is often under-rated. It is beautiful in its purest form: a clear almost spring grass green, but equally appealing when included and opaque in colours from a milky green to an olivine colour. The only problem I have with peridot is that I like to work with larger gemstones much of the time, and it is quite difficult to get large nuggets - or any other cut for that matter - of peridot.

I do love the folklore surrounding peridot. Early on, from before the time of Cleopatra, peridot was mined on the Egyptian island known today as St. John's Island (called Topazios previously). Mining peridot was difficult because the island was infested with snakes - probably the reason that peridot came to be associated with protection from snakes and snakebite. The miners also worked at night since they believed that the peridot was invisible during the day. To this day peridots are sometimes confused with emeralds; supposedly many of the "emeralds" that Cleopatra wore were, in fact, peridots.

Peridot was said to have many powers including the power to heal asthma, promote good luck and good fortune (it is known as a "money" stone), to guarantee a happy marriage and a good night's sleep. It releases negativity, draws love to you, and soothes the nerves. It is also thought to help one with spiritual enlightenment. No wonder those miners braved serpents to procure this gemstone!

I cannot guarantee that the peridots in our bracelets will perform all the feats listed above, but these bracelets will certainly look good on your wrist. We have them for every taste (and will have peridot bracelets with gold soon). So if you wear peridot, you will be wearing it in good health!

Find all these peridot bracelets soon on Peridot Bracelets page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

The Stones of Summer

2009-07-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

I wrote a blog entry once about how some gemstones are seasonal; that is, they seem to belong to a certain season or seasons (the main division being, however, winter and summer). This really doesn't have anything to do with the Color Me Beautiful idea that women should wear certain colours based on their "season" (meaning the season they fall into determined by their complexions, eye colour and hair colour). This is simply a subjective feeling I have for probably very silly reasons. For instance, I think of rubies as summer gemstones because they are the July birthstone (although rubies do work well in the winter - probably because of the red we habitually see at Christmas?), sunstones are summery because they are reminiscent of the summer sun, bright, orange, glinting, aquamarines because they echo the colours of the ocean, and of course, corals because of the colours and the relationship to the sea (meaning the beach, of course). So some of the most recent bracelets here are summer bracelets from the ruby bracelet at the very top of the page to the last coral bracelet below.
But despite my designating these as "summer stones", they do work well at other times of the year, especially with the addition of a "wintry" stone such as the pietersite in the aquamarine bracelet above.
However, the ankle bracelets that you see below, one ankle bracelet of gold and sunstone and one with aquamarine and sterling silver both sing out summer loud and clear!

Above, coral bracelets page, and turquoise and coral bracelets page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's July and that means working with rubies - those red gemstones that I dearly love. Rubies are great in jewelry alone, but it's most fun to mix them with other stones, especially those that may seem an unlikely mix as in the bracelet above where deep blue turquoise has been mixed with dark pinkish-red rubies. I love this combination; it's very Victorian, but also very versatile and goes with a lot more colours in your closet than you may realize. And yes, that is a cabochon ruby toggle clasp also - the perfect finishing touch!
The bracelet below is a good example of how versatile rubies are and how well they mix. Here the rubies join aquamarines, lampwork beads, and kunzite, one of the rarest of all gemstones, a light pink. The lampwork beads here are slightly "dimpled" which gives them an interesting look, and they combines all three colours of the gemstones in the bracelet. The sterling silver toggle clasp here came to me straight from Bali, and it has its intricate raised design on both sides! A very elegant bracelet.

Below, rubies show off their beauty accompanied by intricately decorated sterling silver and borosilicate beads that glow in the light. A second strand of this ruby bracelet is made of one of my favorite Karen Hill Tribes chains dangling little ruby charms. I've used the pretty lavishly decorated toggle clasp again here.

Aquamarine is a perrenial favorite, and a gemstone that is especially beautiful for summer; it looks great with clothing in summer colours and beautiful against lightly tanned skin. The bracelet below is accented by complex borosilicate lampwork beads with little "bumps" on them for texture. The aquamarines are a pretty light blue.
The last bracelet is made of blue lace agate and blue chalcedony and features little charms around the bracelet. It's another combination of stones that looks great for summer!
I'm hoping that we'll have a grand view of the D.C. fireworks this Saturday from my apartment. If we do, it's going to be wonderful to sit in the living room and watch the fireworks flash across the sky without having to park and walk to find a viewing place. It will be my new grand-daughter's first Fourth of July and while the significance of the holiday is lost on her, the fireworks should get her attention.

More To Come

2009-06-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I actually had some time to make jewelry! The three bracelets here are the beginning of what I hope will be a constant stream of new jewelry! Although I have not had time to add them to the website, they will be on there in the next day or two. The top bracelet is fire agate and carnelian and will be listed on the Fire Agate Jewelry page, the middle is black onyx ( Unique Bracelets, and the labradorite bracelet can be found on our Labradorite Jewelry page.

A Quick Post

2009-06-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Busy is the byword here at the studio, so just a quick post to show the latest - a set (but sold separately) created from soft peach aventurine and smoky quartz. These are two colours that I put together because I wear them so often myself (I really don't wear black everyday!) The peach is lovely, but the faceting on the smoky quartz is what really makes both the necklace and the bracelet special. See the necklace on our Handmade Necklaces page, and the bracelet on the Unique Bracelets page.

The Ancient Appeal of Coral

2009-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Summer means coral jewelry! Although beautiful coral can be worn any time of the year, it is very common in the USA to think of coral as being a "summer stone" (although it isn't really a stone, but the remains of a tiny marine animal). The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans utilized coral in their jewelry also, but first carved it into scarabs or intaglios or cameos. How insightful that first carver of coral must have been, for when coral is first taken from the sea, it is fairly ugly. It has to be cut, in some cases carved, and polished before it takes on the luminous quality we think of coral as having. The Medieval Era in Europe found coral being used for rosaries and as a decorative element in religious paraphernalia such as reliquaries and in churches. The Victorians used coral in broaches, often mixed it with diamonds, and gave coral rattles to their children. Coral is still used in Tibet and China in religious ceremonies (Tibetan Buddhists use coral rosaries).
The best coral today can be found in the waters of southern Ireland, in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Mauritius, the Malay Archipelago, and in Japan, although in many places the harvesting of coral is banned as some species are becoming endangered. Most coral is treated in some way - especially inexpensive coral; it is often treated with resin because it is so porous and usually dyed to improve colour. Above, you see a coral bracelet with pinkish coral, lapis, and lampwork beads; second picture, an ankle bracelet, and below, a coral bracelet with blue coral.

Not in the coral family, but new this week is the chrysoprase bracelet that you see below with wonderfully chunky chrysoprase nuggets.I should be back to a more regular posting schedule as the studio move is about completed.

Summer Is Almost Here!

2009-05-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's a crisp, cool night here in Arlington, Virginia, but really lovely, clear and cloudless with stars which you can see despite the lights of Washington and the surrounding city. I do love it here on the top floor looking out across the cities; it's a great place for a studio! Now, if I can get some work done, I'll be doing really well! If you live in the free world, you probably know that I am a first time grandmother - and a very lucky one at that. It's not just that my new grand-daughter is healthy, beautiful, clever (yes, I can already tell!), but I actually get to spend time with her and with my daughter-in-law, a rare treat since we have never lived in the same city before. They are usually very, very far away. I find it inspirational, and although I'm still behind in my work, I'm working much harder and will be caught up soon. The excitement of being in a place I love and with people I love makes me work more efficiently; I want to make the most of every moment.
So far, I haven't made a lot of jewelry since I've been catching up on orders, but I did make a couple of labradorite bracelets that you see above and below. I've gotten in some new coral, tourmalines, and a lot of sapphires that I will be working with soon. The two labradorite bracelets will have prices on them soon, I promise!

Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful days!

May: The Month of Emeralds

2009-04-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

I adore emeralds: it's no secret. The emerald is my birthstone and I am delighted by its colours whether the palest green like pond water to the dark translucent greens that one can see in the Tower of London in the Crown Jewels of England. Emeralds also remind me of one of my favorite places, India, as do rubies. Say the phrase "emeralds and rubies" and India instantly springs to my mind with all its beauty, strangeness, and mystery.

It is a joy to work with emeralds whether they are gem quality or opaque or totally included and rustic. The very knowledge that they are emeralds still imbues them with mystery and exoticism (I have some very crude uncut emeralds that a friend brought me back from Mexico; they are rather rock-like, but I still cherish them).
I am still trying to organize my new studio, but did have some time for the emerald bracelets that you see here. As you can see, I do like mixing emeralds of different quality for a unique texture and range of colours. An AA emerald may be beside an included, opaque stone, but each acts as a foil for the other.
I will be writing more information on emeralds, their history and the beliefs surrounding them. By the way, the largest cut emerald is known as the Mogul Emerald, dates from 1695,and although it was discovered in Colombia was carved and set in, yes, India! I will be going to see it soon, for it belongs to the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.

Finally! Getting a Little Work Done!

2009-04-23T21:38:00.001-07:00

The work that a move entails is mind-boggling! But finally things are starting to calm down although I still don't have a place for everything and everything in its place. Here's hoping that will happen soon.
My new favorite necklace is the one above made from chalcedony, big faceted slices of chalcedony in soft aqua and yellow colours. The lampwork beads are some of Suzette Celestin's best and echo the colours of the chalcedony (or do the colours of the chalcedony echo the colours of the lampwork?). You will find it listed on our Chalcedony Jewelry page.

These faceted rectangles of rutilated quartz have streaks of black in them that emphasize the iciness of the rest of the stones. The pretty flower embossed sterling beads are a nice contrast to the quartz and add a touch of femininity to the bracelet - the double hearts a bit of sweetness! On our Rutilated Quartz jewelry page. Finally, the blue lace agate bracelet gets its softness from the lampwork beads that have just a hint of pink in them.

April is almost gone; my favorite month is May with its warm, warm Spring weather and flowers everywhere. May is fresh and inviting invoking all the wonder of the summer that is to come.
Enjoy!

JUST CALL ME NANA!!!

2009-04-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

The last week has truly been eventful! My first grandchild decided to arrive a full month early! Since they are about a thousand miles away, I got a ticket and jumped on the first plane I could get out of Arkansas that same day, arriving after 10:00 p.m. in the hospital lobby pulling my carry-on luggage. We had lived in suspense already the last 3 days - worrying about mother and child. My grand-daughter and my only child's first child was born the next day, on a Thursday a bit before 5:00 p.m.
Although she is still in neo-natal, she was a fairly good size and absolutely beautiful. She should get to go home tomorrow.
I know that I usually communicate readily through e-mail to my customers - and respond fairly quickly. However, this one time, I did not even take my laptop computer with me and was almost totally out of touch. I apologize, but know that my customers will understand, in fact already do understand.
Please rejoice with me at one of the happiest times of our lives.

The Jewelry Report: Sparkling Stones for Summer

2009-03-31T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hurrah! I am one of the featured artists on Jewelry Report's Trend Watch! The trend is sparkly stones for summer. Also featured is a gorgeous necklace by Evette Rana from Rings and Things and a "juicy" bracelet by Anna Lee of Gahoole Tree Designs in Canada.
I'll be posting soon!