Coral Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings: Gifts from the Sea

 I adore coral; it's an organic material straight from the sea with all the magic of the sea. Coral combines well with pearls and other gemstones, and of course, it looks wonderful with artist's lampwork beads. I'm especially fond of peachy-pink colored coral of any kind, and I am bewitched by  branch coral with long twiggy-looking sprigs.
Above, a coral bracelet with peachy-pink coral nuggets mixed with irregularly shaped freshwater pearls and sterling silver.  The sea-themed charms include a mermaid, a seahorse,and a fish.

 Above and below, coral bracelets with slices of red coral.  The bracelet above has deep red coral mixed with brightly colored artist's lampwork beads; a second strand features a super-heavy length of sterling chain and tiny Thai Karen Hill Tribe beads and dangles sea-themed sterling charms. The coral bracelet below has brighter red slices of coral with special artist's lampwork beads and vermeil accents.

 The coral bracelet below combines slices of darker peachy-pink coral and short twigs of coral as well as golden coral tubes.  The mix in this bracelet includes charms of sterling and artist's lampwork beads.

    Above, a wonderful mixture of corals with accents of genuine turquoise and sterling silver. 
    Below, golden tube coral with special golden and sterling silver leaf artist's lampwork beads, sterling silver charms.

Above, star-fish themed coral bracelet with red coral slices.              

    Below, a double-strand branch coral necklace with coral rounds and special artist's lampwork beads including a lampwork flower.

    Below, a black coral necklace with golden coral tubes and artist's lampwork beads.

    Below, huge red coral slices and coral nuggets with vermeil and artist's lampwork beads.

    Above, black onyx, vermeil, and coral earrings.
    Below, large coral slices with Bali sterling silver and special earwires with diamond-shaped decorations.

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Summer Trends for Jewelry!

Coral is always great in the summer! Ever since I had a peachy coral and lapis necklace (fake, though) when I was in my twenties, I have been in love with this mixture.  So I decided to translate my fake '70s necklace into the real thing - this coral necklace is the result.  I had to have a bit of sparkle in it to make it really special, thus the Swarovski clear crystals and the Swarovski large crystal coral drop.  It's a discreet sparkle that you can wear out and about; you don't have to be going to the opera at the Kennedy Center!  The sterling silver clasp has a cabochon lapis set into it.

Using lapis got me onto a roll, so I made three pairs of lapis earrings.  The first pair has a cabochon lapis set into the earring post and sterling silver Thai Hill Tribes accents. 

Lapis and pearls are classic together. Not only do these lapis earrings have lapis with sparkly gold pyrite and crystal Swarovski rounds and  clover shaped freshwater pearls, they have large cabochon pearls bezel-set into flower shaped earring posts. I love these!

Lapis and gold together is my favorite combination. The fluted 14 karat goldfilled beads give a more formal look to these earrings.

This amethyst bracelet with 14 karat goldfilled accents is simple but fantastic!  The flat, faceted amethyst nuggets are translucent and gorgeous with wispy inclusions.

   Below, one of my handmade bracelets from the Raj Collection full of faceted and smooth rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and amethysts. All sterling silver with little flower charms from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.

Above, this is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill freshwater pearl bracelet!  These lustrous brown freshwater pearls gleam amid tiny 14 karat gold-filled accents while a gorgeous faceted smoky quartz olive-shaped focal takes center stage.

   Below, a salvation bracelet that is also a bangle bracelet. Round Swarovski crystals are in the salvation colours.  A heart-shaped toggle clasp is the closure. Sterling silver. 

The moonstone is the traditional birthstone for June.  Here is a piece of rainbow moonstone jewelry that will make you think anything but traditional! Two pretty strands of sterling silver and rainbow moonstones are accented by three clover-shaped freshwater pearls.  The real stunner is the clasp: a little frog with a cabochon freshwater pearl bezel-set into its back.

Hope you are enjoying your summer and have plans for a great vacation!

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Summer and the Sea

I've had a short vacation which I thoroughly enjoyed. My family and I went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a few days. The waves were awesome and the weather hot, but agreeable nonetheless. It was a special thrill to see my grand-daughter view the ocean for her first time. The noise of the waves was so loud that I'm sure she felt rather daunted by the sea, but she adored the sandy beach. Outfitted with her bikini, a cover-up, sunscreen, a hat, and the new beach bag I bought her, she used her shovel and pail to play in the sand and spent her time digging holes and examining pieces of shells which she found immensely interesting.
Needless to say, I didn't make jewelry during this vacation. However, I have done a few custom pieces since I've been back and have barely been able to get a couple of pieces of jewelry made. Top, is a mother of pearl bracelet with a cloisonne butterfly accented by gold. And yes, that is orange mother of pearl!
Below is an agate bracelet with yellow calcite and a sharply faceted citrine nugget enhanced with a pretty little artist's lampwork bead covered with flowers.

The salvation bracelet above features black onyx, genuine ruby and sapphire, rock crystal, a genuine emerald, and citrine along with a freshwater pearl cross. This is a smaller scale bracelet than some of the salvation bracelets I make and is perfect for anyone, young or old.
Finally, the coral necklace features large sealife sterling silver beads from the Karen Hill Tribes and sealife charms, a turtle, a sand dollar, a shell. The blue coral is accented with some of my best artist's lampwork beads. The second strand, a sterling silver chain with charms, can be detached from the main part of the necklace and worn alone.

I'm trying a new template; drop me a line and let me know how you like it. I will probably be changing it more soon.
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How Does Your Garden Grow?

I haven't been to my house in Arkansas this May; instead, I've stayed in the city with my baby grand-daughter. I have missed the flowers of Arkansas although I really prefer the city. My yard in Arkansas, both front and back, is filled with my favorite peonies, a pale pink with a gorgeous smell. The flowering privet has a fragrance that I can lingers all over the property and the privet itself hums with the activity of harmless bees. A climbing rose covers two stories of the entire back of our garage - white roses with a pale pink tinge to them. Hydrangeas are in the front, the blue ones with their little clusters of petals and huge snowball like blooms. May truly blooms in Arkansas, and the "April showers bring May flowers" is an apt saying there.
Here my "flowers" are beads that I put together in jewelry. They do lack scent, but they make up for that by never fading and keeping their colour and shape forever. When I combine the beads and components into a piece of jewelry, it's as though I have a vase of fresh flowers that will last forever!
I'm working a lot with coral as the days get much, much longer. Above and below are two coral necklaces, one with dark coral "fingers" alternated with freshwater pearls and borosilicate lampwork beads and one with red coral and gold. Below that is a blue coral bracelet mixed with sterling silver sea charms and beads and Thai Karen Hill Tribes chain.



Above, a touch of coral enlivens a turquoise and coral bracelet with sterling silver and artist's lampwork. Turquoise and coral are a favorite combination of mine and warrants its own special page on the Cluny Grey website.
Other than coral, I've been working on briolette earrings, below are candy jade, but I have many more pairs on the briolette earrings page. I've recently found some interesting agate and you'll be seeing much more than just the 3 agate bracelets with crazy lace agate featured below.



It is also the season of graduations, proms, and weddings, hence the crystal jewelry below. The Swarovski crystal jewelry below can be found on our Swarovski Bridal Jewelry page. An especial favorite of mine are the large briolette earrings in Swarovski crystal below the Swarovski starfish.




Enjoy the longer May days! Don't forget that shipping is FREE!