Thinking of Spring, Weddings, Bridesmaids, and Pretty Things!

 It's never too early to begin thinking of wedding season.  While I don't do a lot of bridal jewelry, one thing that I've done since I began jewelry-making was making jewelry for bridesmaids. After being my friends' and son's weddings, I was familiar with the frenzy of wedding planning, and especially the difficulties of finding gifts for the bride to give her bridesmaids.  I thought bridesmaids' bracelets were the perfect answer to the problem.  Not only does the bride have a long-lasting gift to present those who are in her wedding, but the bridesmaids can actually wear the bracelets as part of their bridesmaid attire. Also, it's easy to personalize each bracelet just a bit, so that each bracelet is a slightly different from the other while keeping with the wedding theme.  For one wedding, a very caring bride sent me an email with a description of her bridesmaids' personalities so that I could make a bracelet that would fit with their styles.  All of the bracelets were made of amethysts, but each was unique!

The bracelets and earrings here feature two staples for bridesmaid jewelry: Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls. The first bracelet, above, with creamy white freshwater pearls, a large cosmic Swarovski crystals, and a single blue heart is my favorite. With the blue heart (something blue) it also makes a great bridal bracelet. The bracelets are made either with sterling silver or 14 karat gold-fill.

Above, genuine coral mixed with Swarovski crystals is great for a beach wedding.

Earrings are also great for bridesmaids.  Again, Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls with sterling silver or 14 karat gold-fill is not only on trend, but a classic look!

Bracelets for the Hot Days of Summer

Summer calls for looks that are as cool as can be, or conversely, as red hot!  Today's handmade bracelets answer both requirements.  Above, a double-strand bracelet mixes cool sterling silver with cultured freshwater pearls, keishis, including a large Baroque centerpiece that is lovely.  Swarovski crystals in Pacific opal lend their cool as water touch for a bracelet that is perfect against summer skin.
   Below, this hot as can be carnelian bracelet features some our favorite chunky faceted carnelian nuggets that are further warmed by the addition of gold vermeil, including little vermeil charms of flowers and a dragonfly.  Artist's lampwork beads contribute a touch of coolness but have orange carnelian-colored circles on the beads. Delicious for a summer day.

Pretty faceted quartz crystals are reminiscent of chunks of ice; the crystals are separated by large rondelles of 14 karat goldfill. A gold-filled toggle clasp is the closure for this chunky icy bracelet.
   Below, the wonderful iridescence of abalone takes center stage in this silver bangle bracelet created with handcrafted Thai Karen Hill Tribes components in sterling silver. A bali toggle clasp is the closure.

Perfect with jeans, office clothing, or dress-up, this bracelet with lapis lazuli, Sleeping Beauty turquoise and carnelian is a classic favorite. Thai Karen Hill tribes charms hang from three sides of the bracelet. 

Hope that you are enjoying your summer! We certainly are! Don't forget that SHIPPING IS ALWAYS FREE with purchases over $50; only $1.95 with purchases under $50.00.

Summer Bracelets for All Year Long

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.

Back from Africa!

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!

I

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.

T

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.

Shipping is free with any purchase over 50.00; a low 1.95 with any purchase under 50.00

Swarovski, Swarovski, and Gemstones

Not officially part of the Spring Collection, but still an integral part of the Cluny Grey Jewelry Collection are our Swarovski crystal pieces. Whether the crystals stand alone in a jewelry piece or are mixed with freshwater pearls, as we often do, or with gemstones, Swarovski crystals are classics and the jewelry pieces we make from them are classic also. Above, this Swarovski crystal handmade necklace is very special with its two circles of golden crystals defining the ends of the necklace and the special Swarovski crystal rings hanging from them. This is really a type of short lariat necklace. Below, Swarovski crystals in the silver shadow colour mix very well with silvery freshwater pearls and sterling silver in this freshwater pearl necklace. Large cosmic and graphic Swarovski crystals are at intervals throughout the necklace for discreet sparkle. Because the crystals do not have an AB coating, you could actually wear this to the office with a business suit.

Although not sold as a set, the Swarovski crystal bracelet below looks great with the first necklace, above, while the Swarovski crystal bracelet below it looks great with the silver shadow pearl necklace. The third Swarovski crystal bracelet is made of uncoated Swarovski crystals in large sizes for a sedate sparkle that is still full of WOW!

Of course, we always have gemstone bracelets, and the labradorite bracelets you see below are some of our favorite. The flashing gemstones with its blue, yellow, green and aqua fire is always beautiful!
Below the labradorite is a gemstone bracelet handcrafted of pretty tourmalinated quartz. The paler green is perfect for Spring, and the toggle clasp features a cabochon of green onyx set in it.More favorites: a sapphire bracelet with a borosilicate artist's lampwork focal bead and some of our favorite sterling silver; a spectacular aquamarine bracelet that is surprisingly mixed with rubies and has an outstanding hexagonal thick opaque ruby for a focal. The second strand is a simple chain maille chain with a single charm boasting a cabochon ruby set in its middle. The aquamarine slabs are gorgeous, and the bracelet has a cabochon ruby bezel set into the toggle clasp as well.


The last two bracelets star smoky quartz; one smoky quartz bracelet rocks with pretty faceted and carved beads of rose quartz; the other has lovely lampwork beads and sterling silver spiral charms that add colour and texture to it.
Below are two more views of the necklaces featured today. Please give me some time to get these priced and on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. I have so much new jewelry that I've made that I am really running behind!