The Jewelry Blog

Back from Africa!

2012-01-22T21:36:00.000-08:00

Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa - it's been a real treat to go there again - and to wonderful Swaziland with its friendly people and beautiful land for the first time. I will have some pictures later.
But now it's time to get back to work! I'm slow getting back to things - it must be the change of climate, going from 90 something degrees to snow (hurrah!) which is on the ground now. Just two garnet bracelets to celebrate the month of January.

Lovely large flat, faceted garnets are in both these sterling silver and garnet bracelets. The top garnet bracelet with its beaded heart toggle would be a great Valentine's Day gift!
Below, a garnet bracelet with two strands of marquise, rondelles, nuggets and a charm and lampwork beads. Note the swirling flowered sterling toggle clasp.

And here's hoping for more beautiful snow!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-04T12:42:00.001-08:00

I only have 3 bracelets to show today; I am busy trying to get all my special orders done. But a shipment with these rubies, above, made me decide that I needed a break from the things I was working on. I put together this ruby bracelet with these gorgeous faceted ruby oval nuggets. They are a lovely dark red color - no brown. The artist's lampwork beads are the same colour, but with lashings of real sterling silver winding around each one.

I always like aquamarine. It's a favorite because it looks good on everybody. I haven't yet met a person who cannot wear aquamarine. This aquamarine bracelet features three of my best large faceted nuggets in a lovely blue colour complemented by artist's lampwork beads and Karen Hill Tribes sterling silver. It is a substantial bracelet, but one that is easy to wear since it is only one strand and has just the one charm. The colours here are gorgeous!

Finally, a labradorite bracelet with Swarovski crystals in tanzanite. Don't know what it is, but tanzanite looks wonderful with labradorite, a seemingly unlikely pairing.

You have a bit less than two weeks to order before I take off for Africa - Mozambique and Swaziland! I can't wait to see the jewelry and what gemstones and beads I can find there. Meanwhile, don't forget that shipping is FREE when you purchase anything over 50 and only 1.95 when the purchase is under 50.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T14:07:00.001-08:00

It is my favorite time of the year! I love the Thanksgiving holiday. Good food, good wine, and conversation with people we love. What could be better? I have much to be thankful for this year (as I have other years as well). We are all well, happy, I have a wonderful trip to Africa planned; I will see my son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter and get to spend time with my husband. Work is good, family is good, and life is good. Thanksgiving is a time to remember that daily annoyances mean little; that people mean everything. That the worth of our lives cannot be counted like money. It is in the way we face each day and the people we meet.

We always dress for Thanksgiving whether it is at my house or we are going out. Tomorrow we will be having Thanksgiving out, and that means a dress for me and wonderful jewelry!

Today I am showing a citrine necklace with a pretty carved carnelian flower at its center. I love this necklace because of its simplicity and because of the large flat faceted nuggets. I have a similar necklace I will probably wear for Thanksgiving dinner (only in gold, of course!).

Below are three chunky bracelets that would make great Christmas presents or stocking stuffers. The first chunky bracelet is made of a pretty agate and has a carved elephant as its centerpiece. But each of the other beads is special, too, carved ovals with an Asian flair.

Above is a sunstone chunky bracelet. Huge sunstones have a faint glitter in them and are accented only by the smallest sterling silver spacers. A pretty filigree scalloped toggle is the closure.

Below is an aventurine bracelet in a golden yellow. The olive shaped beads are especially appealing with little translucent spots in them. The colour is marvelous. Once again, the sterling silver is minimal so that the gemstones steal the show.

Above and below are some of the pieces I showed on my blog a few months back. These Victorian style jewelry and antique style jewelry pieces are made of plated materials and in some cases feature rhinestones and other glass stones as well as freshwater pearls and natural gemstones. Most of the rhinestones and colored glass stones are vintage stones from the '30s and '40s. The filigrees are usually silver plated or gold plated. The pendant necklace above, for example, features a gold-plated filigree with a rhinestone center and genuine freshwater pearl drops. The chain is also gold-plated. I am now listing these pieces on two different pages on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website on the Victorian Style Jewelry page and the Antique Style Jewelry pages.

Above, the necklace features vintage rhinestones, gold-plated metal, vintage givre marquise glass stones.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

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A Few Citrine Pieces for November

2011-11-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

The word "busy" does not begin to describe the last few weeks! Here are some of the citrine jewelry pieces I managed to make along the way when I could find quiet stretches of time to work. I am one of those people who has to have hours ahead of me to create - knowing I have a spare hour or two just doesn't work for me. I've been mixing citrine with some of my favorite gemstones (citrine is a personal favorite that I wear often in the form of 2 rings, earrings, and bracelets). Above is a citrine and ruby bracelet with sterling silver. Below is a citrine bracelet with a mixture of artist's lampwork beads, crazy lace agate, yellow calcite.

Below are two views of a bracelet with aquamarines and citrines mixed with sterling silver. The two colours are a wonderful combination, and the pretty box clasp with a bezel-set citrine really makes it special.

The bracelets below are first, a citrine and silver one-strand bracelet with a carved amethyst flower atop the focal citrine. The center of the amethyst flower is a deep yellow sapphire.

Next is a first for me: a bracelet with a magnetic clasp. I've stayed away from magnetic clasps thinking that they were probably ineffective and because not many look very good. This one however is really pretty with a carved lion on both sides; it is sterling silver, and the magnet is very, very strong!

The earrings above are made of fantastic faceted rectangles of citrine. They have a very elegant look.

Below, the earrings feature carved citrines and faceted citrines in one set of earrings.

Above,gorgeous carved gemstone leaves have dark yellow faceted nuggets hanging in front of them.

Below, more of the pretty dark citrine earrings with a flower them - all sterling silver, of course!
Citrine jewelry can be found on our Cluny Grey Jewelry website under Citrine Bracelets and Citrine Earrings.

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October Opals

2011-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

October actually has 2 birthstones: opal and tourmaline. Lucky Octobers get to choose from quite a few different colours since opals commonly come in blue, yellow, pink, white, and of course, the fiery opals of Australian origin. If October prefers tourmalines, they too come in many colours, the most common being pink, green, and black.

Above is an opal bracelet made with some of the loveliest blue Peruvian opals I've ever had. They are quite translucent and boast a lovely turquoise colour. For fun, I decided to use some artist's lampwork beads with them; the touch of orange in the lampwork sent me looking for some of my best carnelian. These orange faceted diamonds are gorgeous and really add a Fall vibe to the bracelet. The dragonfly toggle clasp is very special. All sterling silver.

Below, the same blue Peruvian opals star in this bracelet which has only one artist's lampwork bead for a focal so that the opals can shine! Two little Thai Karen Hill Tribes flower charms hang from one side of the bracelet.

Below is a tourmaline bracelet with three strands of multi-coloured tourmalines of different shapes and sizes. (There are two views of the same bracelet). Pinks and greens predominate, but there are even some yellows and pale aqua stones as well. The sterling double flower toggle is a favorite.

I always work with sunstone in the fall although I wear it all year round. Sunstone just seems like a Fall stone with it's golden orange colours and the sparkles that are in so many of the stones. Good sunstone also seems to glow - and that glow seems right for fall, too. Both sunstone bracelets here have two strands and beautiful sterling silver toggle clasps. I especially like the lizard one shown in the bottom 2 pictures above although the first sunstone bracelet has an especially feminine feel with its swirling toggle clasp.

Enjoy the crisp Fall weather!

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Cluny Grey Jewelry

It's Already September!

2011-09-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

It's already September - and that means sapphires. Actually, it's the middle of September and I am behind in everything. The cool air yesterday and today is wonderful though, and I enjoyed getting out my long sleeves and my fall and winter jewelry. Yes, I do have certain pieces that I wear more in the fall and winter, and it has much to do with the style of the jewelry more than the components or colours or gemstones. I find that in the fall and winter, the pieces I want to wear tend to be more elaborate; I'm more likely to layer necklaces and pile on bracelets than I am in these hot summers we have here. While I wear coral all year long, I tend actually to wear more of it in the fall simply because I like coral in elaborate designs. And coral colours are a staple in my wardrobe as is turquoise.

Today, we start with three sapphire bracelets. The first, above, features opaque sapphires, 14 karat goldfilled accents (very large gold fluted beads), and Lightening Ridge opals from Australia. It's a true luxury piece with a second strand featuring a 14 karat goldfilled chain with gold charms.

Below, I mixed sapphires in dark blue with small gem-quality London Blue topazes. I love this mixture; it's the first time I've tried it and I will be repeating it. The accents are all sterling silver, mostly from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes, and the bracelet has a second strand made of tiny Thai sterling beads. Finally, the bottom sapphire bracelet is simply with a heavy dose of sterling silver and larger faceted sapphires. A single sterling silver charm hangs from one side of the bracelet.

Next are bracelets made of varied gemstones and materials. First is a kyanite bracelet with lovely blue kyanite and two artist's lampwork beads for added interest. A decorated sterling chain winds around one side of the bracelet. The sterling heart-shaped toggle is a stand-out with a beaded design, and the three kyanite teardrops look wonderful on the wrist.

Above and below are pictures of the same bracelet: an abalone and emerald bracelet with vermeil (22 karat gold layered over sterling silver). These rough, opaque emeralds look wonderful with the iridescent abalone. The two strands are both chock-full of emeralds, abalone and gold.

The bracelet above is a favorite; I love green and purple together. This two-strand fluorite bracelet is special for the beauty of the gemstones, the artist's lampwork beads, and that beautiful floral clasp in sterling silver.

Below, a simpler fluorite bracelet still has the green and purple mixture, and one of our best artist's lampwork beads as a focal. Charms and a pretty gemstone clasp complete the piece.

One of my favorite Swarovski colours, and I hope that they never discontinue it, is Pacific opal. The Swarovski bracelet above illustrates the intensity and beauty of the colour which is accented by a single floral artist's lampwork bead, and intricate sterling silver.

Below are two peridot bracelets. The first mixes peridot with pretty intense pink rose quartz, artist's lampwork beads (especially pretty ones), and sterling silver. The second strand is a Thai Karen Hill Tribes chain with charms.

The second peridot bracelet is also double-stranded with a generous helping of peridot of different shapes, artist's lampwork and sterling silver.

Here's to trying to keep up! Enjoy the beginning of Fall!

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Summer Bracelets for All Year Long

2011-07-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people think my colour sense is a bit crazy, but look at the bracelet(above and below) and tell me that it isn't beautiful! Dark faceted citrine nuggets, faceted peridot rondelles, faceted amethyst nuggets,and faceted ruby rondelles make this bracelet a colourful knockout! It has one of my favorite second strands also: a simple strand of sterling silver tiny cube beads from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes; two little bezel-set amethyst charms dangle from it. This bracelet epitomizes what I love about handmade bracelets. It is a combination that you would likely never find in any commercial jewelry store. I probably like these colourful bracelets a lot because of my personal wardrobe; I wear a lot of black and white, usually with all white or all black with a touch of one other colour. The mixed gemstone bracelets add a bit of dash to my outfits which, although I like to think of them as sophisticated,could also be thought boring otherwise.

I really like chrysoprase, the gemstone that I believe is most often mentioned in the Bible. It was often used in ancient times, both in jewelry and art, and still has an undeniable beauty. This chrysoprase bracelet features artist's lampwork beads, a second strand sterling silver chain, and one of our prettier toggle clasps in sterling.

The peridot bracelet (pictured above and below) illustrates my penchant for mixing different gemstone cuts of the same stone. The artist's lampwork beads have a flash of metallic colour that adds sparkle as well. (Peridot is the August birthstone, so watch for more peridot jewelry).

Sparkle works great in the summer! Imagine this Swarovski bracelet with an all-white outfit. The Pacific opal Swarovski crystals are a favorite with me. I adore their glow, and they remind me of the water in the Bahamas. The sterling silver chain adds that "something extra" and dangles three Swarovski charms.

Turquoise is also great for summer. Below,the lampwork beads in this turquoise necklace determined the colour scheme. The beads are turquoise,clear, and dark amber. Sleeping Beauty turquoise and other genuine turquoise stones are complemented by brown chalcedony that picks up the dark amber colour in the lampwork beads. The carved gemstone flower is actually carnelian.

Below the necklace is a hunky, chunky turquoise bracelet with wonderful large turquoise nuggets mixed with golden vermeil from Bali. A single golden key charm hangs from one side of the bracelet.

A favorite combination of mine is emeralds and abalone, and in this last bracelet, you can see why I love it so much. The rough emeralds look great with abalone; the vermeil accents really adds to the glow of this bracelet.

FREE FIRST CLASS SHIPPING WITH 50.00 PURCHASE OR ABOVE; LOW 1.95 FOR PURCHASE UNDER 50.00!!! at Cluny Grey Jewelry.

Rubies are Red Hot!

2011-07-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

I love working with rubies! In the last post, I said that rubies will work with any other gemstone, but they work just as well on their own. Rubies are perhaps one of the most romantic gemstones because of the lore surrounding them and because of their vibrant colour representing love and passion. The ruby was also believed to prevent separation of lovers. The ruby was also believed to protect warriors, give courage and endurance, relieve blood diseases, protect one's home and possessions, bring wealth and good luck, and enhance love and passion. Plus, it's just downright pretty!

The bracelet above is from a new group of chain bracelets that I am making; this chain bracelet of sterling silver dangles four little faceted rondelle rubies. The chain I made myself; the toggle is sterling silver.

Below, a pair of ruby earrings made with smooth ruby "pebbles" of bright red. They feature sterling silver accents and are topped with a faceted cone of clear quartz crystal. The ruby earrings hang from sterling silver earwires with an intricately made flower decoration.

Below are three more ruby bracelets (and you will find more on the Cluny Grey site). The first ruby bracelet mixes bright and dark red rubies with sterling silver and two artist's borosilicate lampwork beads. The lampwork beads pick up the colours of the rubies and add a flashes of blue and teal to the mix. Little sterling charms from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes hang from the bracelet. The toggle boasts an oval cabochon ruby set in it.

The next ruby bracelet is all about flowers and butterflies. Intricate sterling silver comes from both Bali and Thailand as well as Turkey. A cluster of Thai Karen Hill Tribes charms, miniature flowers, is on one side of the bracelet. A sterling leaf toggle is full of swirls. The last ruby bracelet is a simple, slim bangle bracelet with small bright ruby pebbles and a beautiful sterling silver toggle clasp. This is the perfect ruby bracelet to wear everyday. It won't get in the way, but those bright rubies make quite a statement!

Here are a couple of other pieces I've been working on. Above is an iolite bracelet that I am really pleased with. That large faceted stone in the middle with the jolt of colour is a carnelian. I just love how it pops out against the blue, but at the same time looks as though it is right at home. The iolite here is pretty and there are a few larger pieces. Plus, those Karen Hill Tribes sterling charms add a bit of zest, too. The second smaller strand is almost all faceted iolite rondelles that have a nice sparkle.

Below, WoW! I had to put two pictures of this quartz necklace to show how it looks against black and white. Photographing quartz, especially very clear quartz has always been difficult for me. I want to get that sense of depth and shine at the same time which can mean (for me) snapping picture after picture and discarding picture after picture! These are quite large clear quartz faceted nuggets enhanced only by the smallest sterling silver accents and very special artist's lampwork beads. I need another picture just to do the lampwork beads justice. They are red encased in clear with sterling silver on them and a sort of metallic glow when you turn them. Wonderful! This could be very, very dressy, or it could be for everyday. It is one of those necklaces that I thought, "Do I want to keep this for myself?" But, no, I can't start doing that or it would never end! So into its special container it went to await a new home.

Meanwhile, I love living here! I still say it's a bit cooler than Arkansas. And where else can you sit on the front steps of your townhouse, view the Washington Monument and watch the 4th of July fireworks!

Enjoy your summer everyone!

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Finally! I'm Back at Work!

2011-06-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

How I've missed work! When I finally had enough supplies set up and organized so that I could actually make something again, I sat in front of the workbench just staring. It has been long enough that I just didn't know where to start! Luckily, I took a deep breath and began with something simple: the Swarovski aquamarine bracelet below. Aquamarine is such a lovely colour in Swarovski's collection; the colour reminds me of the waters along the Emerald Coast (maybe they should call it the Aquamarine Coast), a translucent blue that is deep and light at the same time. The large Swarovski graphic bead is a full 16mm and is one of my favorite shapes because of the lush look that it has. Some of my favorite Bali sterling silver and I was off!

Next came the aquamarine bracelet above. I am getting ready for July (the ruby birthstone) plus I just love mixing rubies with almost anything! Any gemstone - believe me, rubies will look good with it! Of course, rubies look especially good with natural aquamarine, and I love these rubies that have a pinkish look to them. This bracelet is three full strands, but easy to wear because it isn't at all chunky despite those rubies having a healthy size.

Of course, it is still June, so I was tempted to play with some rainbow moonstone. The first rainbow moonstone bracelet has a sharply faceted nugget as a focal; it's a simply bracelet but has good flash and Bali beads with flowers in relief twining around them. I love rainbow moonstone and I don't see very many people wearing it. When I have worn it myself, people always comment on the gemstone. It is considered a sacred stone in India, and before showing any rainbow moonstone jewelry, a jewelry will get out a special cloth to lay the pieces on so they won't touch the counter (they don't do this with all the jewelry).

The second rainbow moonstone bracelet has little faceted rondelles with really good flash - and there are two strands of them. Despite the two strands, it is a dainty bracelet with a butterfly bead and a flowered toggle clasp.

Above and below you see pictures of the same necklace. I had these pieces of Swarovski crystal coral that I wanted to play with, including the largest piece of crystal coral they sell. It is a bit strange, this crystal coral, but perhaps that is why I like it. I wanted to highlight the coral pieces so the necklace is all Swarovski crystals; clear bicones make up the main part of the necklace and the coral pieces dangle from it. Just to give the merest hint of colour I added little bicones of black diamond. They dangle above the coral pieces and continue past the coral a bit. I wanted the necklace to look great with black or white (I was thinking white or black linen, my two favorite summer looks). It will look smashing with either. It is sterling silver with little Thai Karen Hill Tribes beads finishing where the crystals end.

I told you that I mix rubies with everything! Here is a citrine and ruby bracelet to die for. Carved and faceted citrine are complemented by the dark red ruby faceted rondelles. The bracelet has plenty of sterling silver accents including a second strand of sterling silver with only a single ruby in the middle and a lotus charm on either side. This is another bracelet that has presence that you can also work in without having to take off.

I'm working on an iolite bracelet at the moment because I got some delicious iolite in and I just had to use it in something. I've also got pretty blue Peruvian opal and more rubies coming that should result in some knockouts! I'll post on twitter when I get these all priced and on the website.

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The View from Up Here

2011-05-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Finally! I am in the process of moving the studio into our permanent building - on the fourth floor - and no, there's no elevator. I am happy to have my extremely large desk and workbench set up with all my already made jewelry on shelves. However, the beads, gemstones, and all the things necessary to make the jewelry are on the first floor! Right now, I'm just happy to have what I have in place. The studio has great windows on the south and the east walls, and I also have a flat-screen television!

While I haven't been able to make any jewelry at all for the last two weeks (and I'm suffering, believe me!), I do have a couple of pieces I made before the madness started. These little bracelets are some of my favorites, and I wear similar ones everyday. When I go out, I generally pile my jewelry on, but now that my office is in the same place I am (and the VA one has been for the last 2 years), I tend to wear these light chain and gemstone bracelets all the time, usually several at once, or one on the same wrist as my watch or on the wrist with my large link chain bracelet that I never take off. These are going to be for sale on the website under Gemstone Bracelets since I thought others might need lighter bracelets because of the work they do during the day. Enjoy!

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Jewelry Is Magical

2011-04-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Jewelry is magical; I don't really mean that in the sense that many people do who believe that certain gemstones can imbue them with positive qualities or cure their ills. Jewelry is magical to me because it can cheer me up, make my day brighter - and make me look better. The right jewelry makes my blue eyes more noticeable, complements my complexion (which I'm a bit vain about), and can bring an outfit together (which is why I love gemstone jewelry containing more than one coloured gemstone). I'm lucky; because I make jewelry, I get to look at it all the time. And just looking at it makes me happy. I've been known to take a collection of bracelets and arrange them on my nightstand so that they are the last thing I see before I go to sleep and their colours are the first things I see when I awake.

I have a "happy-making" collection of jewelry today beginning with the top bracelet of blue topaz and citrine. Gem quality London Blue topaz and gem quality citrine in an imaginative rectangular cut are spectacular together. The citrine gemstones have pointed backs the way gemstones set in rings do, so they are interesting on both sides. I've added 14 karat goldfilled accents to the gemstones, but I like this combination so much that you can expect one soon with sterling silver.

Below is a rainbow moonstone bracelet with gold vermeil and 14 karat goldfill. The blue flash of these sharply faceted moonstones looks great with the gold. Robin Weber's truly excellent ancient gold lampwork lentil beads add more colour and even more gold. I got lucky with the photo of this bracelet since not every single inch of each moonstone gemstone has flash.

Above is a turquoise bracelet made with Sleeping Beauty turquoise in a light blue. Dark blue and the lighter blue rectangles echo the colours of the square lampwork beads which have a side of light blue and a side of transparent darker (aqua) blue divided by a swirl of silver. Sterling silver accents include the second strand chain that dangles a turquoise charm with a bezel-set cabochon turquoise in its center.

Below - more moonstone! These moonstones are a peachy-mauve colour (put them with a peach outfit and the peach comes out, with pink or mauve and they pick up that shade) with little sparkles and a wonderful sheen to them. The second strand is one of our favorite sterling chains, rather sturdy with charms from the Karen Hill Tribes dangling. A pretty flower-decorated sterling clasp finishes the moonstone bracelet.

Below the moonstone bracelet is a hefty fire agate necklace that just glows! I love the colours here and I've added a few Swarovski crystals in the crystal copper colour to really make it sparkle. Doesn't it look fantastic with black?

Finally,two bracelets have a winning combination of gemstones that have been quite popular! For a long time, I couldn't find any of the faceted coins of apatite to use, but the moment I did, I grabbed them! The combination of smoky quartz, apatite, and sunstone has proven to be very pretty and versatile. I've got one bracelet with sterling silver accents, and the other with vermeil.

Enjoy the spring weather and don't forget about FREE SHIPPING!!!

Aquamarines, Blue Topaz, and Other Delights!

2011-03-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

March is the month of aquamarines, and aquamarine is truly one of the most popular gemstones that I sell. It's probably because they are not just beautiful whether they are a greenish colour, dark or light blue, or filled with inclusions, but because they mix so well with so many other gemstones. The first offerings here are aquamarines of varying colours and quality.

Above is an aquamarine bracelet made with faceted slabs of blue aquamarine with 14 karat goldfilled accents and artist's lampwork beads. Below is an aquamarine necklace made with large faceted rondelles in graduated size. These aquamarines have a greenish colour and even a yellowish tint occasionally. They have a high polish and really shine; small accents are of sterling silver.

The following three aquamarine bracelets illustrate just how different aquamarine jewelry can look. The first bracelet has light blue aquamarines with gold vermeil accents, the second mixes sterling silver with fiery sunstone. And finally, the last aquamarine bracelet is one of my favorite combinations: rubies and aquamarines with sterling silver. The second strand is a sterling chain dangling a few rubies.

The two bracelets below are a kyanite bracelet with sterling and artist's lampwork, and a turquoise bracelet with vermeil.

The last three bracelets are made of blue topaz. It is difficult for me to keep blue topaz jewelry on my website; it generally sells very quickly. The blue topaz that I use, whether it is the lighter Swiss Blue Topaz or the darker London Blue is always gem quality, and such fun to create with! The middle bracelet features Swiss Blue topaz while the top and bottom bracelets feature gorgeous tiny (3mm) faceted London Blue topaz in sterling silver and 14 karat goldfill respectively.

NOTE: My clunygre @clunygreyjewelry.com e-mail has been down and while the hosting service said that they have resolved the problem, there is at least one week of emails that I apparently will never get back. If you sent an email and didn't receive an answer, please email again!

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Almost March!!!

2011-02-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

I have an unusual grouping of jewelry today; perhaps I should say "eclectic" since there are a variety of gemstones and colours and textures. I am still working on my "African Rhythms" collection and you will be seeing and hearing more of it. Meanwhile, today's group includes from the top: a fire agate bracelet accented with carnelian gemstones and one of my favorite sterling filigree toggle clasps. Below are fire agate dangling earrings.

Below is a classic Swarovski crystal bracelet with large clear Swarovski crystals and 14 Karat goldfilled accents. The gold pieces are rather large and include fluted accents on either side of the large crystal cube in the center, a gold flower charm, and a gold toggle clasp. Remember with care (keep it out of the pool; store it properly) 14 karat goldfill will last as long as 14k gold.

Citrines and chalcedony cluster near the large artist's lampwork which is the focal of this citrine bracelet along with a filigree flower charm in sterling from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.

One of my favorite bracelets is the kyanite bracelet with its very pretty sterling silver additions. Ropey rings are near the center; little cluster charms hang from the patterned oval linked chain, and a sweet flower toggle features three flowers on the toggle and one on the toggle bar. Kyanite is one of the softer gemstones, so be sure to store it properly. It will, however, stand up to everyday wear.

From above, Austrian crystal earrings have two sizes of Swarovski crystal butterflies hanging from each earwire for a dangling delight. Next is a bracelet with a phenomenal drusy flashing sparkling crystals. The Montana agate and Botwana agate play supporting roles. Below, carnelian faceted nuggets and beautiful diamond facets flank another drusy of orange and cream. The second strand is a chain of larger oval links with three sterling Thai Hill Tribes flower charms.

Finally, the last two bracelets both have two strands: the first is a chalcedony bracelet with artist's lampwork and blue chalcedony. A pretty sterling chain and scalloped toggle clasp complete the feminine look. The last bracelet is made of very blue turquoise; this turquoise bracelet benefits from the addition of clear Swarovski crystals for sparkle and a slightly more formal look. These blue faceted rectangles are some of our favorites!

African Rhythms

2011-01-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

I'm still catching up from my trip to Africa, but here are a few samples of jewelry pieces that are in my new collection called African Rhythms. It's going to take me a few days to get them on the pages of the website since I am still behind on shipping, but they will be there soon with more to come! Enjoy!

To the left, a lampwork bracelet with special lampwork beads, a sterling silver bird toggle, and Swarovski crystals in a copper colour. Below, Swarovski crystals in rainbow colours grace the Swarovski bracelet with sterling silver.

Above is an iolite bracelet and below:

a fire agate bracelet; followed by bracelets of lampwork and Swarovski red magma; smoky quartz with gold vermeil; leopardskin jasper; carnelian, citrine, and amethyst, and a necklace made of sterling silver and chalcedony.

Back from Africa!

2011-01-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

When I looked at the last date on this blog, I was shocked to see that it was November 30th! I think that this is the longest I've ever gone without a blog entry. I'll blame it on the Christmas rush and our trip to Mozambique and South Africa, but now I'm back and everything is in full swing.

Although this is a jewelry blog, I am including some of the photos I took of the wildlife at Kruger in South Africa. The animals roam free and will walk around you and your car (hopefully you IN your car; it is not recommended to get out). I saw amazing things, including two hippos crashing into the water to take an evening dip - they swim like dolphins, lifting themselves partially out of the water - and real, live lions within 30 feet of me (5 of them at one time!). The sights and sounds of Africa have already had an affect on the colours and lampwork beads I am using and I have just begun to translate experiences and sights into jewelry.

Above, the pattern of some fire agate stones reminds me of giraffes (Fire Agate Jewelry) while the Swarovski crystal bracelet below has the colouring of a lion.

The chalcedony bracelet, above, features lampwork beads with the giraffe pattern. Below, a chalcedony bracelet is the "zebra bracelet" for obvious reasons.

One of the most amazing things to me is that it can be so very, very hot and humid one place in the world and be so very cold in another, and that we can go from one to another in the span of two days!

Countdown!

2010-11-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

I can remember a time when I was quite small when the month of December was one of the longest in the calendar. Those days are long gone! Time is flying quickly toward Christmas Day and even faster to the day I leave for Africa. I have been busy with custom orders and all sorts of preparations, so I have only three bracelets today. The first is a Swarovski bracelet with five strands of Swarovski bicone crystals in Pacific opal, white opal, white opal starshine, white opal sky blue, violet opal, peach, tanzanite, and Montana blue. It features a sterling silver toggle clasp.

The next jewelry piece is a garnet bracelet with a very special large clasp with seven cabochon garnets bezel-set into the top. A few rose quartz gemstones are scattered throughout the five strands for a difference in colour and texture.

The last piece is a blue topaz bracelet that is made as a bangle with sterling silver hand-decorated tubes from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes. I usually make blue topaz pieces using London blue topaz, a darker blue, but I fell in love with these Swiss blue topazes because of their intense blue colour . They are faceted rounds set off by all Hill Tribes elements reminiscent of flowers and vines with a toggle that is made of leaves. All sterling silver.

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Thanksgiving Eve

2010-11-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday although this year our gathering will be a small one. Still, it is the one holiday where one eats, drinks, visits, and generally feels absolutely justified in doing nothing except feeling thankful that one can eat, drink and visit.

I am not one of those who will show up at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning to get all the "good" sales. Ugh! The very thought of it strikes terror in my heart. I have become increasingly an online shopper since it is so simple and I can shop when I'm in the mood, not when the store happens to be open. With so many stores having liberal return policies and free shipping, some of the last barriers to easy online shopping are disappearing.

For those of you who follow this blog and are thinking of Christmas jewelry, be warned that I am leaving Dec. 17th to go to Africa for Christmas, so get in the jewelry order early! I'm still doing custom orders, too, but do arrange with me soon to have your piece made.

Today, some of the latest pieces: above, a chrysoprase bracelet with artist's lampwork and two strands of sterling silver and chrysoprase. Below, an agate bracelet with pretty speckled agate. The next gemstone bracelet is made with some of my favorite prehnite; it's chunky and sharply faceted. The artist's lampwork with the prehnite is some of our prettiest from Enchanted Dreams.

I am very fond of bracelets with more than one strand; that is only one reason I like the blue lace agate bracelet below. The flower theme is present in the prettiest artist's lampwork bead of dark blue with light blue flowers, stamped flower charms and a pretty sterling silver flower-themed clasp. The bracelet is all blue lace agate with the exception of the focal gemstone which is made of darker blue chalcedony.

Above is the first prayer box necklace I've made in gold. The prayer box itself is a bit different than one usually expects. It is a filigree style round shape (and it does open) topped with a pretty cabochon garnet. The prayer box itself is made of vermeil (gold over sterling silver) and the very long chain is 14 karat goldfill.

The earrings below are, in order: briolette earrings; aquamarine earrings created from lovely faceted aquamarine briolettes of an intense blue; ruby earrings handcrafted of ruby briolettes, vermeil, and goldfill.

The last piece is unusual for me; it is a watch and not just an ordinary watch. The face of the watch is encrusted with Swarovski crystals; the band is made of Swarovski crystals and faceted black onyx and, of course, sterling silver. It would be great to wear to a Christmas or New Year's party.

I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you get to spend it with people you love!

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Stocking Stuffers Ideas

2010-11-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes, Christmas is no longer creeping closer and closer; it is galloping with the resounding sound of hoofbeats and will be upon us before we know it! I did my first Christmas shopping yesterday and although that is good for me (I almost always wait until after the first week of December to begin), I know many of you are aghast that I've waited so late. I would use the excuse that, being in the jewelry business, Christmas is my busiest time, but I must confess that when I taught, I did the same thing. I usually waited until the last final was over, the last theme graded and my grades turned in before heading out to begin shopping in earnest.

One thing that I often found first, oddly enough, were little gifts that we call "stocking stuffers" , great small gifts that go into those Christmas stockings hanging from the mantel (and my daughter-in-law in a stocking stuffer believer, too, I'm happy to say). For those of you who have trouble finding those gifts that will fit into stockings, here are a few at different price points that will make the stocking stuffer dilemma easy (not to mention romantic if you are a male looking for something to stuff into your wife's or girlfriend's Christmas stocking).

I have a special page devoted to stocking stuffers at the Cluny Grey Jewelry site: Stocking Stuffer Ideas, and I will be adding more and more for the next 2 weeks. I am attempting to feature jewelry pieces from around $20.00 to ? as long as they will fit in a stocking.

Above is an apatite necklace that is very simple: tiny coins of apatite make up the necklace and a piece of sterling silver filigree dangles three apatite "rice" beads; it is very elegant and feminine, perfect for the girl/woman who doesn't wear big jewelry.

Below, another "minimal" necklace that is a lariat featuring three very nice faceted rectangles of chrysoprase that drop through a ring and end with a cute cherub. Very romantic! All sterling silver, of course.

Above and below two bracelets that are both statement makers. The top bracelet is handmade of cultured freshwater keishe pearls in a beautiful coppery gold colour with a gorgeous focal of aventurine in a faceted olive bead. Below, the pearls are a light yellow colour and accented with Swarovski crystals in jonquil. (I have two pictures of this bracelet; one is on a dark and one is on a light background. All sterling silver.

I have a lot of favorite combinations. When I work with Swarovski crystals, I love the combination of the strange "morion" colour with "silk" crystals. The two colours play off one another beautifully and are amazing versatile. Here the morion and silk are in cubes and helixes and mixed with dragonfly bangles from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes (I adore their exquisite sterling silver). Below the Swarovski bangle bracelet is another bracelet with different colours of Swarovski crystals; it is rather bold and colorful since it has two amazing dichroic beads that boast a rainbow of iridicent colours which the Swarovski crystals pick up. Wear this "stocking stuffer" when you want to sparkle because you surely will! It is the perfect party bracelet!

Another lariat is a simple sterling chain with only three beads: they are all Swarovski crystals, two stars and a crescent moon in clear crystal. Again, it is more minimal despite the Swarovski crystals and can actually be worn to work as well as out to dinner. It's beautiful against bare skin and almost any colour!

The necklace below the crescent moon is super simple; it consists of a sterling chain with a single smooth sterling bead as a focal. The abstract look of the bead makes this necklace very modern..

Earrings are perfect for stocking stuffers since they are small, but pack a lot of punch in a tiny package. These Swarovski butterfly earrings are favorites with their sterling silver earwires that feature forward-facing flowers and Karen Hill Tribes sterling silver lotus beads.

Christmas Note: If you are thinking of a custom order this year, please put your order in now. On December 17th, I will be winging my way to Africa to spend Christmas with my son, daughter-in-law, and grand-daughter who have recently moved to Mozambique. Everything has to go out before that time!

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Five Easy Pieces

2010-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

These are easy pieces to wear, especially the bangle bracelets! They are classic pieces with classic gemstones: above, gorgeous faceted rock crystal oval nuggets have a dash of colour added by the genuine ruby rondelles places between them and then again at the very ends of the bracelet's sterling silver sides (from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes). Below is a sterling silver bangle that is made with one of the favorite gemstones of customers, London Blue topazes. These are gem-quality blue topazes that are finely faceted and complemented by Thai Karen Hill Tribes sterling silver.

Below are bracelets for fire-lovers!The first is a fire agate bracelet and has a gorgeous focal stone with a beautiful pattern and faceting juxtaposed against exquisite lampwork beads in tan colours with turquoise flowers (2) and swirls of darker brown (1). The sterling includes a beaded toggle clasp, a swirled round, a reticulated round, a folded bead and sterling silver flower charm. The bracelet below is a classic combination of sunstone, lapis and golden vermeil that gives a nod to the ancient while appearing very contemporary. Bali vermeil has the strength to stand with these two dominant gemstones.

Last, a purple and silver lampwork bracelet made with lampwork beads from a favorite lampwork bead artist. Silver gleams in the lampwork and is picked up by two sizes of little flower charms that hang around the bracelet. It's a fun bracelet that can go casual or extremely dressy!

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Contest: Dragonfly Beads is having a contest/drawing for some of her lovely lampwork beads. Go to her blog at Dragonfly Lampworks to enter.

More Fall Bracelets and Earrings

2010-10-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's the busy season; fall is here, winter is on its way, and that means that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Sometimes it's hard to get a moment to take a breath much less write a blog post, but I am quite overdue and here are a few new pieces I've got to get on the site.

The aquamarine bracelet, above, gets a kick from saucy lampwork beads that echo the colours of the aquamarines and black chalcedony and add a soupcon of hot pink for fun. Of course, three colours means that the bracelet can also be worn with more outfits. The bracelet that you see below is what I call a "one-note" bracelet: it has three rows of pretty faceted prehnite rondelles that comprise most of the bracelet, but a large lampwork glass bead adds special interest. This exquisite lampwork bead is one of our best made by a master lampworker; it introduces the only other colour (besides the sterling silver) in the bracelet. A special Israeli clasp features a tulip on the ring part of the toggle; a largish sterling flower charm hangs between the prehnite and the lampwork. This bracelet looks prettier in person since for some reason the prehnite is really hard to photograph so that I get its real colour; it seems to wash out in the photos, but this one is finally close to the original.

The Salvation Bracelet below is one that I've made a series of; it's called Magdalene, and it's made with precious as well as semi-precious gemstones. This bracelet has black chalcedony, a large faceted ruby nugget, a smooth sapphire nugget, gorgeous rock crystal, a large faceted emerald nugget, and a large faceted citrine nugget. Two beads on either side have a relief cross on both sides. A scalloped toggle clasp is the closure; a small prayer box hangs beside it. Although the prayer box is small, it still opens and allows you to put a prayer on a small piece of paper into it.

The bracelet above is made with yellow opal (opal is the October birthstone) rondelles and for a dash of colour has a large slab-like aquamarine nugget. The turquoise bracelet below mixes pretty blue turquoise with sterling silver and clear Swarovski crystals for a dressier look than you might expect from turquoise.

Finally, two pairs of earrings both feature aquamarine: the first earringscombine the aquamarine with yellow opal (a perfect match for the bracelet above) and the second pair are aquamarine with sterling silver. These aquamarine earrings are made with some of the prettiest aquamarine faceted briolettes I've ever had; they are an intense blue colour. For a special touch, they hang from sterling posts that have a freshwater pearl cabochon in the middle.

Enjoy the crisp fall weather and I'll try to be back with more soon!

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Opal: One of the October Birthstones

2010-10-09T18:14:00.001-07:00

October is one of those months that has two modern birthstones: the opal and the pink tourmaline. Opal jewelry seems to be more popular today, perhaps because jewelry made with pink tourmalines is harder to find. (We do have jewelry on the Cluny Grey site with pink tourmalines on our Tourmaline Bracelets page.) Today I have a few of the new opal bracelets and opal earrings I'm about to put on the site. I will also have a couple of pieces made with Australian opals, the opals that many people first think of when they think of opals. Australian opals with their pink or bluish fire are very difficult to get in bead form, probably because of the difficulty of drilling them. Most of our opals are pink Peruvian opals, blue Peruvian opals, and yellow opals.
Peruvian opals are quite versatile. The opal bracelet above has pink opals mingling with beautiful lampwork beads (some of our favorites) and green chalcedony. The opals here are highly polished, light pink nuggets. Below, the pink Peruvian opals are faceted ovals that are very pink with very few inclusions. These pink opals give a dressier look to the bracelet as does the tiny beaded second chain with three floating heart charms.The faceted nuggets in the opal bracelet (shown in pictures above and below) have many inclusions in both black and brown; the black inclusions in particular give them a distinctive look making them perfect for pairing with faceted black chalcedony nuggets. The inclusions also give the bracelet a more casual look that would be great with jeans as well as office attire.
I am an ardent admirer of gold which I paired with the very nice faceted ovals below for a classic, dressy looking bracelet. All the metal is 14k gf; two charms give it a fun touch. And below this bracelet is an opal bracelet made with Peruvian blue opals. Here are blue opals with inclusions that look great with black chalcedony. I do have some very blue, almost inclusion-free blue Peruvian opals, but I often like to use these that have a translucent look with black inclusions. Although many gemstones are truly flawed by inclusions, opals are often enhanced and more interesting with them.

The opal earrings above would look great with our opal bracelets.
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Fall Collection 2010: Turquoise and Chalcedony

2010-09-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is somewhat misleading since I have pieces made from Swarovski, amethysts, aquamarine and lampwork along with the turquoise and chalcedony. I simply decided to have a post full of pictures, and to put some pieces here that haven't made it into some of my other posts.
Above is my favorite piece this week: a handmade necklace with two strands of richly coloured gemstones including aquamarines, peridots, citrines, and rose quartz with a "watchchain" third strand with long charms featuring aquamarines, jade, peridot, rose quartz, and citrine. The aquamarine, citrine, peridot, and jade are colours that are "in" this Fall. Below, an amethyst necklace is made from rough, chunky amethyst points, refined sterling silver from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes, and artist's lampwork. I love the special Hill Tribe leaf beads which are a very shiny sterling silver with an interesting twist to them.
The last necklace, a lariat, below, is made from Swarovski crystals, sterling silver, and artist's lampwork. The necklaces have been running a bit longer to look great with the new Fall fashions.
An aquamarine bracelet reflects a growing interest I've had lately in making my own chain and sterling silver elements, as does the lampwork bracelet with the twisted coil immediately below the aquamarine. The lampwork bracelet features a single disk of porcelain jasper with an intriguing swirling pattern.

The next three bracelets, above and below, feature turquoise. Above, a pretty large nugget of turquoise is complemented by orange carnelian and two special lampwork beads that pull the colours of the bracelet together. One of my favorite types of second strands is made of tiny beads from the Karen Hill Tribes and has charms hanging from it. The turquoise bracelet below is simpler, but full of sterling silver and amazing blue lampwork beads. The last turquoise bracelet has one of our favorite clasps, a sterling silver bird with an oval, one of our favorite chains, deep blue faceted turquoise rectangles, and an artist's lampwork bead with a desert scene (not painted on).

The last group of jewelry is all chalcedony in its many different colours. The gold colour in the earrings above is especially striking, while the earrings below, topped with sterling butterflies have faceted chalcedony rectangles in a delicate green (referred to as "endive" in the fashion mags). The two chalcedony bracelets following are perfect matches for the earrings. (All chalcedony jewelry can be found on our Chalcedony Jewelry page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

The next two bracelets are in one of my favorite chalcedony colours, a pretty turquoise; the first features sterling silver accents, the second 14k goldfilled metal. Finally, a three strand charm bracelet showcases the many pretty colours of chalcedony in different shapes and sizes.

The high today was a wonderful 67 degrees! Lovely! I hope it's nice where you are, too!

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Jewelry Trend: A Colourful Fall

2010-09-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

I love Fall and Winter colours, and this Fall/Winter is great for colour since brights are in! Of course, greys are big (see the rutilated quartz bracelet above), but some of the season's best colours are bright and bright darks as in the bracelet below. This handmade bracelet features mookite and artist's lampwork beads in two of the season's greats: deep gold and cocoa. The chain element is still big and you see it here (two lengths of the chain have been turned inward so that you can see the Karen Hill Tribes charms more easily in this shot). Although many of my clientele still seem to prefer sterling silver, gold metal is everywhere and dominated the September issues of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. For those that are gold lovers, and I am, see the pietersite bracelet below with its gold charms and chains and marvelous pietersite beads with a dark brown base and, in this pietersite, a gold chatoyancy that gives even more gleam.

One of the biggest colours this Fall 2010 is red - bright, lipstick red! And our red carnelian is the perfect red. The carnelian bracelet below features the ever-present charms in sterling silver, a studded and intricate toggle clasp, and carnelian beads in a beautiful red that is translucent. Below are pairs of carnelian earrings and a fantastic double-stranded carnelian necklace.

Above, this handmade necklace is one unique to Cluny Grey, but you will see versions of it everywhere from David Yurman to John Hardy. The great bonus to the necklace is its versatility: in the bottom photo with white background, you see the long, long necklace with its cultured freshwater pearls (trefoil shaped) dangling at intervals the whole length of the necklace. Wear it this way with a plain turtleneck sweater dress for a dramatic statement. The picture above shows the necklace doubled - and because the closure is a large curved lobster clasp, it can even be worn as a lariat necklace.
I'm working and working every night to get the pieces on the website with the shopping cart. If you see a piece that you want here on the blog, e-mail me, and I'll make the shopping cart button for you right away. I've had customers e-mail me about pieces that they've seen on the blog, but can't seem to find on the website anywhere. That is usually because someone has sent me an e-mail requesting that piece before I can get it listed; the most popular pieces can sell out fast. By the way, you will eventually see more pieces of each kind on the website - we will have more than one carnelian bracelet, for example.
Enjoy the Fall and I'll see you later this week with some chalcedony and turquoise that you won't want to miss!

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Jewelry Trend: Majestic Purple

2010-09-12T15:38:00.001-07:00

So much for thinking that I would write a post the next day! Life intervenes, and in this case, the blog suffered. However, I am back now with the next jewelry trends for Fall 2010. The colour is purple and here the gemstone is amethyst. The amethyst bracelets on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site range from pale amethysts which are known as "Cape Amethysts" to the dark nuggets you can see in the bracelet below. Above is an amethyst bracelet with lighter (although not "Cape") amethyst, clear and pretty, to dress up those purple outfits or add a new touch of purple for this Fall. The bracelet has 2 strands: one is amethysts and sterling silver while the second strand is one of our favorite sterling chains from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes. In contrast, the amethyst bracelet below features dark purple amethysts with a purple fluorite carved flower as the center. The next picture shows a pair of earrings with the same dark nuggets topped by filigree and hanging from filigree earwires.
If you are not a purple lover and new purple clothes won't be making their way into your wardrobe this season, the bracelet below may be just the touch you need to add for a pop of new colour and to update last year's outfits. These amethyst nuggets and the amethyst charms around the bracelet are complemented by special borosilicate lampwork beads that contain purple, shades of blue, and pinkish red. It's perfect for integrating a touch of purple with a red, blue, or pink outfit - and it also looks great with white.
The earrings above are some of our favorites because of the transparent nuggets, the gem-quality coins, and especially the posts which have a peacock pearl bezel set into the middle of a dome. They would look great worn with the amethyst bracelet, below, made with the same amethyst nuggets, with a pretty blue aquamarine nugget. The sterling silver bead has flowers in relief for a nice touch.
Below are lampwork earrings in purple (no amethysts). These gorgeous earrings feature lampwork beads from the same set as the amethyst bracelet pictured under them. A gorgeous rutilated quartz focal adds a touch of pale grey and elegance.
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Jewelry Trend: Clear and Chunky

2010-09-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

The First of the new Fall Collection. The jewelry trend is clear and chunky with chains. Yes, chains are still in, and are not about to go away anytime soon. The trend with chains is to wear them with gemstone or other jewelry. While there is a "minimal" side of jewelry (and you'll see some more of that later) most of what was on the Fall runways and in the fashion magazines is big and chunky, glittery and glitzy. Although not all of it looks wearable (especially for daytime wear), crystal quartz is a great exception. This natural stone is sparkly and looks great when cut into big chunks and sharply faceted as you see with the bracelets here (above and below). The quartz bracelet above is mixed with gold (high quality 14k goldfill - and gold is everywhere! Don't worry though, if you are a silver fan, it is still a staple in jewelry this Fall. Below is another quartz bracelet that combines faceted quartz crystal with sterling silver chains in three different sizes. It gives a wonderful edgy look to a business suit, and of course, it looks great for going out. We often think of the drama of quartz crystal against a black background, a black dress, a black cashmere sweater, but quartz also looks fantastic with white! And white is big this season.
Below are two pieces of jewelry made with what looks like quartz but is actually a very high quality, beautiful resin; it's wonderfully sparkly! The earrings are accented with flower decorated earwires in white sterling silver. The good news is that while the earrings have lovely faceting and flash, they are actually much lighter than they would be if they were actual quartz crystal. The same is true of the handmade necklace below; although it looks just like inclusion-free quartz crystal, it is actually a lightweight resin (this resin jewelry showed up everywhere on the runways this year, Spring and Fall) making it much easier to wear for a longer length of time. The large olive shaped chunks hang from a sterling silver textured chain. It's a personal favorite!Tomorrow: More from the new FALL COLLECTION 2010!