Fluorite, Sunstone, and Swarovski

 I saw with dismay this morning that at 6:00 a.m. it was still dark.  Yes, summer is over, and where did it go so quickly?! Fall is almost here and with it will come the new Cluny Grey Fall Collection. Meanwhile, here are a few pieces I've finished lately.
Above, a fluorite bracelet with a dichroic focal bead echoing the colors in the green and purple fluorite.  This bracelet is made with some of my favorite faceted fluorite nuggets in beautiful shades including a blue fluorite.
Below, a sunstone bracelet with flashing sunstone and a 14 karat gold-filled large-linked textured chain with a pretty cross dangling from it.  Vermeil spiral beads and toggle clasp.

 Above and below, a Swarovski crystal bracelet in my favorite Swarovski color of Pacific opal.  Alhambra, (name of the bracelet) features a wonderful focal cloisonne beads with the aqua color as well as gold and coral.  Vermeil accents accompany the pretty crystals.

 Below, large hunky Swarovski cosmic crystals in Golden Shadow complement the single cloisonne bead. The oval cloisonne beads not only has a peach background and blue and yellow flowers with green leaves, but has a rhinestone on each side.

Back to work on the Fall Collection.  See you soon!

Don't forget that shipping for purchases over $50 is always FREE; for purchases under $50, just 1.95.

Swarovski Crystal Bracelets for Summer!

The sparkling days of summer need a bracelet to match!  I've been busy and here are some of the newest creations:  Swarovski crystal bracelets.
  Above, I adore red magma, a deep mysterious red that is even more beautiful in the large cosmic bead size.  They are mixed with gold, copper, indigo and sterling silver - tiny beads so that the Swarovski crystals get all the attention.  Sterling silver toggle clasp.
   Below, this wonderful summer green and pale topaz mixes with sand opal and sterling silver.

The bracelet above is a favorite Swarovski mix of mine:  morion, a strange deep blackish-green, and the light-hearted silk.  There are two strands for twice as much sparkle and interest.
  Two strands make the bracelet below special, too. Red magma and tiny little sterling silver beads from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes make this Swarovski crystal bracelet a real winnder.  Little free-floating Thai Karen flower charms are on the second strand.  A gorgeous toggle clasp, square-shaped with intricate handwork on the top is the closure.

For bangle lovers, a Swarovski crystal bracelet with gold-filled bangles and other accents.  A large amethyst crystal is the focal; other cool blues and purple are enlivened with a hot shot of pink.

Pretty colors are what this bracelet is all about; it's a tropical paradise on your wrist.  Sterling silver and a pretty Swarovski crystal starfish hangs from one side.

Another double strand Swarovski bracelet features Pacific opal and cyclamen opal. The colors are cool and beautiful; the second strand with an oxidized sterling silver chain adds depth and interest to the bracelet. Sterling silver toggle clasp.

The last bracelet is another favorite of mine.  I am extremely fond of the opal colors that Swarovski has; two of my favorites are together here: sand opal and Pacific opal.  Mixed with gold-filled accents, these wonderful crystals are great together.

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Jewelry for My Valentine!

Cluny Grey Jewelry has a special Valentine Jewelry page on the site, though every piece of jewelry on the entire site would be a perfect Valentine's Day gift for someone! We have a few pieces on this page that you won't find anywhere else on the site yet, and a few jewelry pieces that are there because they are pink, red, peach or have hearts or some theme that seems to target love or romance. These are just a few offerings on the page. First, one of our favorite necklaces made with Swarovski crystals that you won't find anywhere else on the site. The Swarovski crystals are pink and pale golden shadow and work beautifully together especially since those are the two colors found in the special artist's lampwork heart that is the focal of the necklace (close-up picture is above). Sterling silver filigree beads are pretty, feminine and perfect for this necklace.

Pink also plays a major role in this charm bracelet on our Valentine Jewelry page. The bracelet itself is made of oval links of sterling silver from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes (with a much higher silver content than is required by law here in the USA). The Swarovski crystals are sparkling pink rondelles grouped romantically in twos and alternated with different sterling silver hearts, three from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes. For the closing touch, a lobster clasp (sterling, of course) in the shape of a heart holds it all together!

Above is another charm bracelet, this one with a sterling silver double-linked chain (you can add more charms to it later if you wish) and little bezel-set, cabochon garnet charms and heart charms from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.
Below, a very dainty sterling silver charm bracelet features mostly open hearts hanging from a chain whose links are hearts. One large faceted briolette of red chalcedony hangs from the center of the bracelet. A ropey toggle clasp is the closure (all sterling).

 

Swarovski crystals just seem right for Valentine's Day for some reason.  The necklace above features an artist's lampwork heart (from Laffingull) in a pretty opal-like pink color sprinkled with black.  Taking a cue from the heart, Swarovski crystals in rosewater opal pink and jet black make up the necklace itself, along with sterling silver from Bali.  For an extra special touch, a double-triangle sterling toggle clasp has a cabochon onyx embedded in the toggle.
Below, more Swarovski crystals sparkle in this Valentine Jewelry. The Swarovski crystal hearts in copper, crystal, and red form the centerpiece of the necklace. Two little copper Swarovski butterflies appear to be flying up the sides of the necklace which is formed of more Swarovski crystals and little tiny sterling beads from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.

The bracelet below features one of Cluny's favorite chains that she uses when she makes jewelry for herself. It is a twisted 14 karat gold-filled chain with largish oval links; the twisted 14 karat gold-filled toggle clasp is a perfect match for the chain. The bracelet features only two charms: one is a beautiful Swarovski crystal cross in golden shadow, the other a puffed 14 karat gold-filled heart.  It's classic and simple and perfect for someone of Christian faith.

Free shipping with any over $50.00 purchase; just $1.95 with purchases under $50.00!!!

Cloisonne Bracelets and Pearl Necklaces

I have a terrible case of Spring Fever, made all the worse by allergies and being too busy to do almost anything other than work (and the allergies seem to make me sleepy - whatever I do I can't seem to get enough sleep lately!). So those are my excuses for not posting for such a long time and for the brief post today.
I've always liked cloisonne; I like to mix it with gemstones and with Swarovski crystals so the cloisonne becomes a focal point instead of the entire piece. The cloisonne bracelet that you see above features sterling silver (there is no gold on the cloisonne although that is usually the metal used) and red magma Swarovski crystals, a favorite new colour of mine. Below, white quartz and onyx complement white closionne beads decorated with pink flowers with darker pink centers. The pretty calla lily bead in white quartz has a string of red magma Swarovski crystals sprouting from its center. The metal is vermeil (sterling silver layered with 22karat gold.

The yellow opals in the cloisonne bracelet above picks up the golden yellow of the pretty cloisonne beads, and a vermeil flower charm from Bali continues the floral theme. I especially like the "dogbone" shaped cloisonne beads. Below, green reigns with cloisonne fans with a green background and a gorgeous lampwork flower bead. The gemstones here are prehnite and tourmalinated quartz (neither of which are showing up as green as they actually are).

Coin pearl necklaces are a favorite of mine and the one that you see above features the prettiest coin pearls accented with goldfilled chain and vermeil. The coin pearls themselves are a strange bronzey colour and quite irregular on the surface which gives them a big gleam factor. It gives the appearance of a lariat necklace although it fastens in back; the chain holding coin pearls and a dragonfly charm work as a pendant.
Running a close second to coin pearl necklaces are these pearls necklaces featuring freshwater Biwa pearls mixed with gemstones and/or Swarovski crystals. For those who like their colours discreet and feminine, the first pearl necklace has mauvey/peach Biwas mixed with pale porcelain jasper; the focal is a gorgeous jasper disk with lovely faint patterns and colorations on both sides. The accents are sterling silver.
The bottom pearl necklace is a luscious colour somewhere between deep pink and burgundy - once again I've used my favorite red magma Swarovski crystals, this time in large sizes, to add interest, texture, and sparkle to the necklace. Beautiful!


Give me time to get these posted on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. Don't forget that we ship any purchase over $50.00 free!

Sparkle and Gleam

The Austrian crystal earrings above (Swarovski Austrian crystal) are a perfect match for the Swarovski crystal bracelet that you see below. Both earrings and bracelet feature the ruby Swarovski crystals in the Graphic shape, perfect for earrings and bracelet. The Graphic shape is an elegant, dressy shape, perfect for bracelets since it will lie flat on the wrist, and the shape is a classic, timeless look for earrings. I find Swarovski's labeling the colour "ruby" interesting since it is not what I think of a ruby colour immediately. Swarovski's "ruby" has a pink, well, really, a fuschia tinge to it, while I think of ruby as being a totally clear but dark red. No matter what you call it, the colour is gorgeous as are the Graphic crystals.
Below the ruby bracelet is another Swarovski crystal bracelet, this one made with pale golden topaz crystals and morion crystals. I love the morion crystals; at first, they appear to be a translucent black, then maybe they have a blue tinge? Then you realize it's a teal-green, maybe? Whatever, I love the morion because it looks so great with the lighter Swarovski crystals.

The lampwork bracelet below has gorgeous lampwork with a partially pink opal look to it. Swarovski's pink crystals work well with them. The sterling silver disks are special beads I just received from Bali; they are completely covered with hand-decorated flowers. A Swarovski butterfly in pink hangs beside the toggle clasp.
The new gemstone bracelets posted are below. First, a smoky quartz bracelet made with some of Robin Weber's beautiful silver-laced lampwork beads. The faceted smoky quartz beads in this bracelet are especially pretty. Below, the smoky quartz bracelet are two bracelet sets (although they are sold separately, I will give a discount if you wish to buy them as a set). The first is a favorite gemstone of mine: sunstone. The sunstone bracelet and earrings are made with sparkling sunstones that glitter in the light - artificial or sunlight. The bracelet also features some more of those special sterling beads from Bali.

Finally, the amazonite jewelry that you see below is handmade from turquoise-blue amazonite of unusually even colour. Faceted teardrop earrings have special earwires with a rose decoration on the front. The bracelet has one of my favorite huge nuggets, faceted, as its focal; it is accented by lampwork beads by Suzette Celestin and sterling silver.

If you are considering buying handcrafted jewelry as a Christmas gift, now is the time to buy. You will avoid the worry of whether your gift will arrive on time, and you'll still have time to return it to get it resized or to exchange it if something isn't quite right.
Also, consider taking the pledge to "buy handmade" this holiday season. Go to Why Buy Handmade to learn how buying handmade articles can help the environment, the economy, and the satisfaction you receive when gift-giving.

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