Thursday, November 24, 2005

A Definite Charm


I have been so busy selling that I haven't had much time for actually creating it, but I did put this together out of lucite gilia flower beads, some Preciosa crystal, for the flower centers, and some other and glass . There is nothing quite so soothing to me as putting together a charm . I go into one of those "flow" states that is better than meditation where I feel myself centered in one place while doing one thing and thinking of nothing else.

Another charm bracelet features the borosilicate beads of James Derrick Reeves and genuine natural . These have beautiful depth and are perfect with the aquamarine since they have mysterious swirls of blue and green. Currently the top charm bracelet is up for auction on Ebay; the aquamarine can be found on our webiste.
Cluny Grey Jewelry Studio G Jewelry

Friday, November 18, 2005

Time for Sparkle!















As it (finally) starts getting colder here, my thoughts turn to that sparkles. The November-December-January holiday period is that time of the year when many of us go to more gatherings than we may in all the other months of the year put together! When I think of parties, I think of attention-getting jewelry; when I was in grad school, jewelry was always important since I didn't have the money to spend on party clothes, so the jewelry I wore "dressed" up the outfit (quite often a dressy white silk shirt and a long black skirt) and made it seem more festive even though it may have been something I'd worn many times. One type of jewelry that I never wore during the day was so it was great for going out in. Earrings were especially important since they drew attention to the face and hair; a filled in the neckline and announced that I was going to a party.









The necklace set made with Preciosa crystals hanging down is typical of something I might have worn: it's fairly simple, classic, and it would draw attention to v of the silk blouse which would probably be unbuttoned one button lower than it usually was. The , at over 2 inches long add a nice glow and sparkle, and are certainly not gaudy so that they could go comfortably many different places. The set in the first picture is great, too, since it has attention-getting earrings and the crystal of the bracelet with its little butterfly makes it special also.
Cluny Grey Jewelry Studio G Jewelry

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Kyanite: Nature's Beautiful Blue

Kyanite is one of Nature's most beautiful ; the name comes from the Greek word for blue - another name is Disthene. Often a lovely cerulean blue with striations inside that look like long, fine brushstrokes, the kyanite that we see in the business is usually translucent although it can be transparent. The striations give kyanite a lovely texure even when it's smoothly polished so that it sparkles and has a lovely sheen to it.
For those who are interested, kyanite is associated with the astrological signs
, , and . It is supposed to balance the yin and yang, enhance tranquility and psychic awareness, and dispel anger and frustration. Perhaps more of us should wear it since it is also said to increase mental awareness and lessen confusion!
The
and earring set shown here is extremely feminine largely because of the great Thai Karen Hill Tribe sterling silver lily beads that hold small kyanite gemstone drums. The bright silver complements the kyanite in a way that couldn't be matched by gold or antiqued silver. The other elements of the bracelet are Turkish beads and cones of filigree, Bali sterling silver accents, and Karen Hill Tribe little flower .
This bracelet set is currently up for auction on Ebay; check user id: chloemarie99 or do a search for
.
For those of you who are interested in jewelry, making jewelry, or the jewelry business, check out The Beadboard. K. keeps up with the jewelry business so well that he even found my blog! The Beadboard covers everything from general information about jewelry to buying to setting up displays at shows. It's for professionals, hobbyists, and those who just like to keep up with what's going on in the jewelry world.

Cluny Grey Jewelry Studio G Jewelry

Saturday, November 05, 2005

The Allure of Charm Bracelets

is the first that is very Fall - Winter in spirit because of the wonderful dark colours and the by James Derrick Reeves of Gonzie and V3 Glassworks. The swirls in beads remind me of the rusts, tans, yellows, brown, and soft greens of leaves swirling outside in the Autumn wind. Bronze freshwater and smoky add to that Fall feeling and the heavily ornamented Bali silver adds to the richness of the . This is currently up for auction on Ebay under the user id: chloemarie99 or you can do a search for .
The matching
I am especially fond of because of the wonderful gem quality topaz squares that are faceted. I added a bronze freshwater pearl to each one then hung them from sterling silver Bali earwires.

They work wonderfully well with the bracelet.
The next charm bracelet, also at auction on Ebay this week is called Grapevine and features lampwork beads by Texas bead artist Lisa Sharik. Lots of in different forms give interest to this bracelet. There are carved amethyst ovals, carved lotus flower rounds, faceted ovals, smooth rounds as well as smooth rounds of and interesting faceted rondelles of violet crazy lace that has patterns that echo the swirls of the lampwork beads. The matching earrings are in the middle of the bracelet in the picture.

Sometimes when I work with
purple, especially amethyst or lepidolite, I just want to continue to work with it even though my current project may be finished. That's how my next project came into being. A large clear amethyst nugget got me started, then I found a lampwork bead I liked, and I had to go ahead with this bracelet! It makes use of most of the elements in the charm bracelet, the amethysts, the violet crazy lace, but I also add some sage violet or sage violet amethyst as I've seen it called also. Those are the little faceted briolettes that make one part of the bracelet looked scalloped. Even on this bracelet there are charms. The second strand is a chain with amethyst charms hanging from it at intervals. I haven't named this bracelet yet, so if you have any good ideas for a name leave me a comment!

You can find these and similar at Cluny Grey Jewelry and at Studio G Jewelry

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Mixtures: The Spice of Life

I've grown to love mixtures of gemstones and lampwork in a way that I never thought that I would. I mean, I'm a person who likes to wear one colour at a time where clothes are concerned: all black, all blue, all turquoise: I like the head-to-toe look of one colour. I vary that with my and with an scarf now and then, sometimes a pashmina (and yes, I still wear them; I probably always will now; they are one of the most versatile articles of clothing: they can be mufflers, shawls, a hood to keep my hair dry, and they help preserve a sense of modesty in Muslim countries). Anyway, even if my clothes are monotone, my jewelry isn't. The first example is the bracelet I call Indian Summer; it features , , artist's by Alyson Straley, and . The textures are interesting also, from the filigreed and beaded sterling silver to the "bumpy" lampwork beads to the floral lampwork beads, faceted stones, and carved agate. The next bracelet has a mixture of gemstones and silver, made at a time when I thought that I would never, ever, mix with lampwork or crystal or any non-natural material. I still love this.

It features tourmalinated quartz, (a mottled peach and green stone that takes some getting used to), and , a stone with wonderful Schiller effect (flash).Since the stones are all smooth with the exception of a small carved labradorite flower bead, the texture comes from the wonderful , the accents, beads, and the clasp, which is really beautiful.
Lately, it's hard to think of doing one colour, one stone!
The first bracelet is on auction at Ebay, ending tomorrow night; search for Cluny Grey or user id: chloemarie99. The second bracelet can be found on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website or in our Ebay store. Free shipping in the USA on our website! Also check out the Studio G Jewelry website with designs by as well as by