The Sparkle of Swarovski

For the longest time, I wouldn't use Swarovski crystals in my jewelry. I wanted the jewelry to be pure gemstone jewelry with only sterling or gold - I didn't use lampwork beads either. I soon learned what I was missing! Now my only quandary is how much mixing to do with Swarovski. Do I want to add lampwork beads? Pure Swarovski? Should I add some gemstones? And with the addition of the new Graphic, Helix, Cosmic, and other special beads in the very large sizes, Swarovski is more fun to work with than ever.
The first bracelet is one of my favourites: aquamarine, golden shadow, light amethyst, and alexandrite reflect the colours in the two small lampwork beads by Lynn Nurge. These beads have all the colours of an Austrian opal and a certain iridescence also. The Swarovski bracelet is assymetrical as are many of the bracelets I make from a variety of materials.
I stuck with the large Graphic and Cosmic crystals in the bracelet below. The Indicolite Swarovski crystals are accented only by sterling silver Bali beads. The bracelet is nice and chunky and sparkling, and those are good things! Plus, the colour of Indicolite is one of the most mysterious dark turquoise blues I've ever seen.
The last bracelet below is made of Caribbean Blue Opal Swarovski crystals (AB); once again I've only added sterling silver - delicious large filigree beads from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes as well as the neatest ring beads, about 8mm in diameter, that are also wide with some imprinting on them.
You'll be able to find these bracelets and others on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site on the Swarovski Crystal Bracelets page.



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Lariat Necklaces

I like to wear lariat necklaces myself, so it's a bit odd that I don't make them that often or make that many. I got started on these simply because I happened to catch a glimpse of one of the new Swarovski crystal rings as I was looking for some other beads. The ring was in one of my favorite colours - Copper - so I couldn't resist seeing what I could do with it. I decided not to do that much. I used 14 karat goldfilled chain and wire and attached the Swarovski crystal ring to one end, and a large copper bicone to the other with a few little bead accents. I put a Swarovski butterfly in copper to one side of the ring - and I'm in love with this lariat necklace.
Another of my favorite Swarovski colours is blue Montana and since to me it seems to be much more the colour of a real sapphire than Swarovski's actual sapphire colour, I used the Montana crystals to make a lariat that would also work as a birthstone necklace for September. This necklace is outstanding because of the wonderful Karen Hill Tribes chain with little links holding together huge hammered rounds and large flower shaped sterling. This is a rather long lariat necklace; one thing I like about it is that you can wear the back of it facing front during the day when you're at the office, then when you're ready to go out, you just turn it around and you have tons of sparkle! The large Swarovski crystals fit through the hoop, but I also added an almost indiscernible little ring clasp for those who may wear it out dancing.
Finally, a green aventurine lariat necklace made of aventurine disks, faceted olives, and carved flower beads. Here the loop that the other side goes through is made of the faceted olives, and because of the size of the loop, the other side can be looped through more than once to shorten the remainder.
All of these lariat necklaces can be found on the Lariat Necklaces page of the Cluny Grey website.

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What's New? Gold, Bangles, Ankles, and Coral

May is not just my birthday month, but the month of weddings, it seems, and I have been busy which has delayed some putting some pieces of jewelry online. I am very fond of gold; in fact, for years, I really did not wear silver at all or rarely until my son gave me a multi-strand liquid silver necklace that I fell in love with and my husband gave me a Yurman cable bracelet with only touches of gold. Silver became a major part of my jewelry wardrobe although I've never banished gold completely. I make many sterling silver bangle bracelets, and now I am adding a page of gold bangle bracelets to the website. The butterfly bracelet above is made with Golden Shadow Swarovski crystal butterflies and 14 karat goldfilled curved tube beads. Does it sparkle! The lapis bangle bracelet is also part of the new gold collection of bangles that I hope to get back to soon.

I've also started a page of gold ankle bracelets; here are two ankle bracelets that are gold and gorgeous and will show off those tanned legs. The first one is very simple: a 14 karat goldfilled chain with a single faceted genuine ruby rondelle hanging beside the clasp. With a red bikini...very sexy (but take it off before you go into the water: chlorine and saltwater are not good for sterling silver or for gold filled metals). The next ankle bracelet has little aquamarines dangling at intervals from the gold filled chain.

The exquisite lampwork beads of Lynn Nurge of Laffingull lampwork were the impetus for this coral necklace featuring one of her focal lampwork beads in the shape of a flower.
Finally, a citrine necklace features some of my favorite faceted citrine nuggets and gold lampwork beads in an interesting nugget shape. Summer is a wonderful time to wear jewelry with all the bare skin showing! And skin is the most beautiful backdrop for any jewelry piece - whether it's an ankle bracelet, necklace, or bracelet. This summer keep cool - wear more jewelry than clothes!

All of the jewelry here and much, much more can be seen on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

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