Happy Fourth of July!

It's July and that means working with rubies - those red gemstones that I dearly love. Rubies are great in jewelry alone, but it's most fun to mix them with other stones, especially those that may seem an unlikely mix as in the bracelet above where deep blue turquoise has been mixed with dark pinkish-red rubies. I love this combination; it's very Victorian, but also very versatile and goes with a lot more colours in your closet than you may realize. And yes, that is a cabochon ruby toggle clasp also - the perfect finishing touch!
The bracelet below is a good example of how versatile rubies are and how well they mix. Here the rubies join aquamarines, lampwork beads, and kunzite, one of the rarest of all gemstones, a light pink. The lampwork beads here are slightly "dimpled" which gives them an interesting look, and they combines all three colours of the gemstones in the bracelet. The sterling silver toggle clasp here came to me straight from Bali, and it has its intricate raised design on both sides! A very elegant bracelet.

Below, rubies show off their beauty accompanied by intricately decorated sterling silver and borosilicate beads that glow in the light. A second strand of this ruby bracelet is made of one of my favorite Karen Hill Tribes chains dangling little ruby charms. I've used the pretty lavishly decorated toggle clasp again here.

Aquamarine is a perrenial favorite, and a gemstone that is especially beautiful for summer; it looks great with clothing in summer colours and beautiful against lightly tanned skin. The bracelet below is accented by complex borosilicate lampwork beads with little "bumps" on them for texture. The aquamarines are a pretty light blue.
The last bracelet is made of blue lace agate and blue chalcedony and features little charms around the bracelet. It's another combination of stones that looks great for summer!
I'm hoping that we'll have a grand view of the D.C. fireworks this Saturday from my apartment. If we do, it's going to be wonderful to sit in the living room and watch the fireworks flash across the sky without having to park and walk to find a viewing place. It will be my new grand-daughter's first Fourth of July and while the significance of the holiday is lost on her, the fireworks should get her attention.

May: The Month of Emeralds

I adore emeralds: it's no secret. The emerald is my birthstone and I am delighted by its colours whether the palest green like pond water to the dark translucent greens that one can see in the Tower of London in the Crown Jewels of England. Emeralds also remind me of one of my favorite places, India, as do rubies. Say the phrase "emeralds and rubies" and India instantly springs to my mind with all its beauty, strangeness, and mystery.

It is a joy to work with emeralds whether they are gem quality or opaque or totally included and rustic. The very knowledge that they are emeralds still imbues them with mystery and exoticism (I have some very crude uncut emeralds that a friend brought me back from Mexico; they are rather rock-like, but I still cherish them).
I am still trying to organize my new studio, but did have some time for the emerald bracelets that you see here. As you can see, I do like mixing emeralds of different quality for a unique texture and range of colours. An AA emerald may be beside an included, opaque stone, but each acts as a foil for the other.
I will be writing more information on emeralds, their history and the beliefs surrounding them. By the way, the largest cut emerald is known as the Mogul Emerald, dates from 1695,and although it was discovered in Colombia was carved and set in, yes, India! I will be going to see it soon, for it belongs to the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.

March: Lion or Lamb?

March: this year, it has been totally unpredictable with a beautiful thick snow lushly covering the wounded landscape caused by February's ice storm. But it's milder now and here's hoping that the weather and life in general becomes much more lamblike here than lionlike!
March is the month of one of my favorite gemstones - the aquamarine. The top aquamarine bracelet is just one of many that has gone on our pages this month (or out the door). Below is a moonstone necklace with one of the gorgeous pendants I've been lucky enough to acquire lately. I've added Swarovski crystals in Azores, the most beautiful light blue, to pick up the blue flash of the moonstone - and some lampwork beads for that little je ne sais quoi.
As usual, when I've been working with a gemstone I tend to stick with it for a while, experimenting with different combinations. Below the moonstone necklace is a moonstone bracelet with rainbow moonstone and genuine sapphires.
Below is a Swarovski crystal bracelet , Green Pastures, Still Waters. I am still totally enamored of Swarovski large beads; they make spectacular jewelry.
Finally, a bracelet from our Bridal Jewelry collection. This bracelet features crystal quartz carved flowers in two types as well as light sapphire Swarovski crystals for sparkle and shine perfect for a wedding.

Winner of the Swarovski earrings for naming the ruby necklace: "Take Five" by EmandaJ.
Some other entries: Ruby, don't Take Your Love to Town; Sweet Caroline, Begin the Beguine, Music for Your Eyes, Musical Magic, Lyrics and Love, The Harmony of Rubies, Melody in Crimson.

Gemstones, Swarovski, and Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is always a whirl of last-minute gifts - people seeking presents for those they care for and want to remember on the holiday. In this business, I've been surprised, pleasantly, I must say, by how many men buy jewelry gifts or make arrangements for them well in advance of holidays whether Valentine's, Christmas, or a birthday. Strangely enough, it is often women who seem to wait until the last minute and decide that they want an extra stocking stuffer or that they want to get their daughters or daughters-in-law something for Valentine's Day. I'm surprised, I suppose, because my husband will wait until Christmas Eve to buy a Christmas present for me (but he always does a great job, so I'm not complaining!).
While we do have a special page with a few suggestions for Valentine's Day jewelry gifts, the best gifts are those that are meaningful to the recipient in some way. For instance, the amethyst bracelet makes an especially good gift if you know that she has a February birthday, since amethysts are the February birthstone. Or maybe you know that she is just crazy about amethysts - or even wears purple often. Some of the bracelets below are great for those women who take their faith seriously and wish to wear it. The gold-filled Salvation bracelet that you see below has a special meaning for Christians. The gemstones, or in some cases Swarovski crystals, each is a symbol of the progression of one's faith. The black bead represents being lost in sin; the red, the blood of Christ; the blue, faith; the clear bead (or in some cases a white bead) represents purity of heart or a clear heart; green, for growing in faith; and finally, the gold bead represent Heaven with streets paved with gold. I always try to add other Christian symbols as well, and most of my Salvation bracelets will have a sterling silver or goldfilled cross charm or a prayer box attached to them. The following 4 bracelets are each an interpretation in gemstones or Swarovskis of the Salvation bracelet:

Two more bracelets - just for fun. The fire agate and chalcedony bracelet, above, is an attempt to recreate a favorite bracelet - often very difficult to do because the special lampwork beads are so hard to come by. And, below, a sweet freshwater pearl bracelet with Swarovski crystal butterflies has a fresh, ingenue appeal.

We're offering FREE Priority shipping now until Valentine's Day!

Into the Light!

Last night was absolutely wonderful! Why? Because at one point, while we were staying late at the office (I think it was about 10:00 or so) we checked the Entergy map that was online and saw that instead of red lines marking our street, we had green! We packed up quickly to go home, hoping all the way that the electricity was really in, that it wasn't some kind of cruel joke that the electric company had played on us.
At the back door we were greeted by the cats and warm air and a hall light that we didn't know that we had left on. What bliss!

Yes, Thank God, we now have electricity once again. The difference is amazing. It's not that we're warm, strangely, the cold didn't bother me that much, or rather, I managed to stay warm. What is wonderful is having light again - how I missed lamps! - and the Internet connection. And of course hot water. Night before last I took my first cold shower; I wanted a shower so much that I didn't even mind that the water was cold. Luckily it wasn't the ice cold of outside water, but the milder cold of water that had been in the hot water heater for 2 days - cold, but not icy.
I spent a lot of time at the office, so I do have some work to show, thank goodness, since Valentine's Day is coming soon.
I've been working with rubies so much lately (a commission for a client) that when I take a break, I've been mixing them with everything. As you can see in the top necklace, I've mixed some rather pink rubies with apatite; because of Suzette Celestin's wonderful lampwork beads, it's a winning combination.
Below that is a 14 karat goldfilled bracelet with pretty textured oval links and wirewrapped gemstones: ruby (of course), apatite, chalcedony, and aquamarine. I especially like this one - and almost wore it home (I always try on my bracelets and wear them for at least 30 minutes to make sure that there are no rough spots, that they are well-balanced, and that the clasps work well).
In following order, a lampwork pendant, a fire agate necklace, blue pearl necklace, and an amethyst bracelet.




I did adapt to the lack of electricity better than I thought I would have, but it really isn't an experience I want to repeat anytime soon!

Garnets for January

Above, a Swarovski bracelet made with clear AB crystals
The birthstone for January is the garnet - probably named after the pomegranate whose seeds it resembles. If the garnet is your birthstone, you're lucky since the very dark red garnet goes with almost every colour in the wardrobe. But if you really don't care for the dark red, grossular (green) garnet is equally beautiful as is the yellow-gold of Hessonite garnets. In fact, garnets come in almost every colour except blue.
According to folklore, garnets have wonderful and magical qualities that are supposed to help one with everything from attracting love and success to curing depression and skin disease. It also inspires self-confidence and courage and bestows the wearer with energy.
Garnets look especially good with lampwork; they also play well with other gemstones as you can see in the picture below of the garnet and citrine bracelet. Garnets look equally good with gold or with silver so they never really go in and out of style the way many gemstones do. Of course, the Victorians were great aficionados of the garnet and mixed it with pearls and even with turquoise.


All of the garnet bracelets here can be found on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website on our Garnet Bracelets page.

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