A Few Pieces from the Fall Collection and Sapphires

If you've been following the fashion news, you know that the big color news this fall is black and navy, burgundy, and winter white. Since all are basically neutrals, that makes me very, very happy. I love to wear neutrals and add bright touches with scarves, and of course, jewelry. So this fall, where jewelry colors are concerned, almost anything goes!
    Above, a new style for Cluny Grey and one that I'm sure that you'll love!. Three strands of flashy labradorite faceted coins glimmer across the front of your wrist while two large nuggets of labradorite, also flashy, hold the bracelet in place. The labradorite clasp adds that special touch that makes the piece extra elegant.

Agate jewelry has been in vogue and shows no signs of going away. The agate bracelet that you see above illustrates the interesting patterns that can be found in the gemstone. It also blends wonderfully with many other stones as well as you can see in this agate bracelet that has large flat faceted agate nuggets separated by faceted ruby rondelles.  Gold is back stronger than ever!

We are well into September and here are some new pieces in sapphire, the September birthstone: above, a sapphire bangle bracelet in sterling silver with Thai Karen Hill Tribe dangles hanging from the sides. Below, a gold bangle bracelet with smooth oval sapphires.

Below, a simple chain necklace with a single drop featuring 3 faceted rondelles topped with a smooth oval sapphire. Last, the prettiest sterling silver chain made of cutout hearts with three smooth sapphire ovals hanging beside the swivel curved lobster clasp.

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Back from Paris: French Jewelry!

 I've returned from a trip to Paris - a wonderful time! Unusually cool weather made walking in Paris even more fun than usual.  Of course, I had to check out the jewelry, not always easy to do when I'm with my DH, son, daughter-in-law, and three-year-old grand-daughter.  I was especially careful to notice what French women were wearing, both young and old.

  Some eye candy first:  above is a wild creation I fell in love with (the matching earrings are below the necklace.  It's made of rhinestones and crystals and is certainly not what you'd call an everyday piece!  Crystals shoot out from long strands of silver in a way that reminds me of 4th of July fireworks!

   Below, another statement necklace from our Pantheon of French jewelry.  I think of this as a peacock necklace and believe that it would actually be very wearable with the right dress. It does not look cheap and is very beautiful in person!

 Below, more rhinestones and crystals.

 The French are known for their whimsey and their jewelry is often no exception. Below is a pretty necklace and earring set that is made from mother-of-pearl buttons.  It's really quite striking.

 Another statement necklace: I found quite a bit of what I would call the "tribal influence" in the jewelry in stores.  I didn't see many people wearing these however. The one on the bottom is made with lucite.

 Another necklace made from natural materials, such as bamboo, mixed with lucite.

 The skull trend is still on spot in Paris as you can see here.  The little turtle in the middle is made of colored rhinestones and I did see younger Parisian girls wearing them - on jean jackets!

 Below, I saw quite a few people wearing chandelier earrings, some quite elaborate. 

I also saw more frequently obviously Parisian women wearing something like this simple cross (but a very expensive antique) with a shorter chain.  And I saw that most women, especially those over 30, were wearing gold.  Almost all the gold here is 18 karat which is a richer, more yellow gold than the 14 karat that we are accustomed to.

  French women seem to wear pearls for everyday often.  Below is a Cluny Grey necklace, but it is very typical of what I saw French women wearing oddly enough.  Pearls mixed with softly colored natural stones were fairly common, as were pearls in white, cream, grey, pale pink, beige, and gold.

Many women also wore something similar to the Cluny Grey chalcedony necklace above when they were a necklace other than a simple pendant on a gold chain or pearls.  The gemstones were almost always in soft colors or pastels. But when they wore these gemstone necklaces, their earrings were very simple, a stone or pearl stud, and the only other jewelry they wore was a ring or a gold bangle or chain bracelet.

Above, dangling earrings that would look right at home in Paris.

  For all the glitz I saw in the shops, I seldom actually saw them on Parisian women, daytime or nighttime.

  What did I wear? Smallish plain gold hoops, a small mixed gemstone necklace and a bracelet that my grand-daughter would choose for me daily.  The bracelet wasn't always a perfect match, but she certainly enjoyed choosing it.  What did 3 year old grand-daughter wear? One of my good gemstone necklaces - yes, she really did!

Aquamarines, Emeralds, and Labradorite

March is the month for aquamarines although anytime is a good time for aquamarines!  Who doesn't love them?  From pale green to turquoise to strong blue, aquamarines are just luscious - and they go so well with so many other gemstones.  Above is a simple aquamarine bracelet with cultured freshwater pearls.  The smaller aquamarine nuggets are a gorgeous shade of blue with great faceting.

Below, aquamarine nuggets and rondelles are paired with a pretty deeper green peridot for a striking result.  The intricate braided-look sterling silver chain adds to the bracelet's complexity, and a single pendant-like charms has a faceted, bezel-set peridot in a pretty star or flower-like shape. 

I always love emeralds (I'm a May baby so I'm fortunate to have the emerald as my birthstone). Two views of the same emerald bracelet, below show how wonderful emeralds look with sterling silver.  There are two strands of emeralds, large and small, and little Thai Karen Hill Tribes sterling flower charms hang at intervals along the bracelet.

Labradorite with its blue and blue-green flash is amazing.  The photos here really don't show the great flsh of the main focal nugget, but it is great! The other labradorite stones all have flash as well.  And the toggle clasp is a sterling silver dragonfly!

Finally, a simple citrine necklace has a pretty dangle with carved, nugget, and gem-quality citrines hanging from the main strand.

Back from Africa!

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 Already September!

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

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.

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Finally! I'm Back at Work!

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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