Gemstones and More! Bracelets, Earrings, and Necklaces

Ah, the frenzy of the holiday season begins! And no where is it more frenzied than here on the fourth floor in my studio.  I watched heavy snowflakes today (that unfortunately melted right away) only when I chanced to look up from my busy workbench.  I will be closing shop starting December 13th this year, so be sure to get any custom orders right away!
   Above, a multi-gemstone bracelet with sterling silver contains several shades of touraline including pink and green, aquamarine, citrine, apatite, and chrysoprase.  Three sterling silver charms dangle on one side of the bracelet which features sterling silver chain; a sterling toggle clasp is the closure.
   Below, cloisonne earrings with vermeil earwires and Swarovski crystals.

   Below, Swarovski crystals in Indocolite look wonderful with special cloisonne beads; the cloisonne contains a rhinestone embedded on both sides. A vermeil toggle clasp is the closure.
   Next, another cloisonne bracelet, this one features pretty blue genuine faceted agate stones with cylindrical gold and blue cloisonne.

   Above and below, a fire agate bracelet that is full of fire. Charms in vermeil and fire agate hang from 3 points of the bracelet.

   I'm in love with this beautiful turquoise bracelet.  The borosilicate lampwork beads are stunning and streaked with the colors of the turquoise and gorgeous shades of pink.  Sterling silver charms are from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes; the hefty sterling toggle clasp is from Bali.

   Above, the romance of rose quartz deepens when paired with rose gold-filled accented and lobster clasp.  Rose gold and rose quartz? They're perfect together.  And this rose quartz is an especially pretty pink.
   Below, blue fluorite bracelet is one of my favorites! Blue fluorite is unusual and so pretty, and is more striking when it's paired with sterling silver.  The two strand bracelet features one strand with faceted blue fluorite nuggets and another of tiny Karen Hill Tribes beads and charms.

Below, fluorite in different shades is complemented by very special artist's lampwork beads that are exquisite. A pretty Thai Karen Hill Tribes "S" clasp has a flower atop it.

Below, fire agate earrings with gold-filled beads and accents.

I am closing for Christmas vacation on December 13th.

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!

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Summer Romance: Jewelry to Fall in Love With

Citrine Necklace with Sterling Silver

Everything goes in cycles, and making jewelry is no exception. What seems exciting and absorbing for months will suddenly become old, and I'll search for new gemstones everywhere, even though I have an unbelievably large inventory in the studio.  
Then, there are times when I go back to the gemstones that first piqued my interest when I began making jewelry so many years ago.  Precious gemstones are perennials with me, but here are some of the other gemstones in jewelry form that I have long had a romance with.
Above, citrines are one of my favorite gemstones.  I love sunny yellow. The citrine necklace above is very simple, large faceted nuggets with minimal sterling silver accents. It does have a sterling silver dog-shaped clasp (the dog is stylized but resembles a dachshund).  I love this necklace because it has absolutely wonderful sparkle.  Oh, and I adore sparkle!

Ruby Bracelet

Above and below, this ruby bracelet features smooth large pebble-shaped opaque rubies that are a fairly strong red.  They look perfect with accents of 14 karat gold-fill and little faceted ruby rondelles.

Ruby Bracelet with 14 Karat Gold-fill

Fluorite Bracelet

I found fluorite to be one of the most intriguing gemstones to work with because of the purples and greens that look so great together.  It is one of the first gemstones I started using artist's lampwork beads with; I loved the way the right lampwork would draw the two colors together. This bracelet has a large lampwork focal, sterling silver beads, and a pretty sterling silver box clasp with a faceted amethyst.

Fluorite Bracelet

Aquamarine Bracelet with Citrine and Sterling Silver

Blue aquamarine (not the greener aquamarine) is fantastic with citrine.  Think of the sun and the sky, the sun and blue water.  I love this gemstone mix especially for the way that it perks up whatever I'm wearing. One gemstone alone can be classic and beautiful (see the ruby bracelet above), but put two primary colors together and you suddenly have a statement piece.  This bracelet will be on our Aquamarine Bracelets page.

Aquamarine Bracelet with Sterling Silver and Citrine

Fall in love.  And whatever you do, wherever you go, wear your jewelry!

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Jewelry in the Merry Month of May!

 

I love the month of May, and not just because it is my birthday and wedding anniversary month; it is the month that the privet and peonies bloom and fill the air with a wonderful aroma.  I'm awakened here in Virginia by the sound of birdsong; azealas and dogwoods are blooming everywhere and the landscape is enhanced with their colors.
   May is the month of emeralds, my birthstone.  I work with beads, so getting to work with emeralds is special since most emeralds are cut into stones for settings.  But sometimes I find emeralds that are worth working with.  I like the faceted nuggets in the emerald bracelet above because they are chunky and they do have a true "emerald" green.  This bracelet is made with 14 karat goldfill although I make lots of emerald jewelry with sterling silver.
   Below is a fun emerald bracelet made with with pretty little emerald charms fashioned from faceted emerald rondelles.  If the emerald is your birthstone, feel blessed!

 

Rubies and apatite are luscious together.  These big ruby nuggets are perfect to play off the translucent little apatite rondelles. The cabochon ruby in the sterling silver toggle makes this ruby bracelet even more special.

  

Above and below, fluorite is a favorite gemstone of mine because it so often combines purple and green in one single gemstone.  The colors of fluorite are soft and beautiful, and in this case, mixed with sterling silver and little charms of green aventurine.

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The true season of coral is beginning! Above and below, chunky red coral combines with some of our best artist's lampwork beads and gold vermeil for a fantastic mix!

 

 

Turquoise pairs with gold in the turquoise bracelet above; the gold is 14 karat goldfill.  Below, turquoise is also a wonderful partner with angelskin pink coral.  Sterling silver and little coral dangles make this a very feminine bracelet.

 

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Just for fun: a carnelian bracelet, above, gets a kick from a sparkling drusy focal as well as 14 karat goldfill, while below, emeralds around the ankle are beautifully luxurious in this emerald and sterling silver anklet.

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Jewelry and the Economy

I do not want to make light of our troubled economy, but I had to shake my head when I read in my WWD (Women's Wear Daily, the insider rag for fashion retail) about a scenario reported on by one of the editors of the paper. Apparently, a woman was looking at two sweaters, one very trendy and wildly patterned and one plainer in a neutral colour. According to the editor, because of the economy, the woman chose the plainer, neutral sweater - and this was a bad thing. Now, I fail to see this as a sympton of our problem economy at the moment, and more as evidence of the woman's savvy as a good shopper and possibly a true fashion lover; I would have done this in the money-flowing '80s (and did) , the '90s, and I still do.


What does this have to do with jewelry? Well, first of all, although many people believe that jewelry is generally an impulse buy, I don't think that is often as true with the people who buy handcrafted jewelry, especially those who buy on a regular basis. First, they know the worth of what they are buying, jewelry that is made with sterling silver that will last with real gemstones, not costume jewelry that often sells for the same price but is made with base metals that "turn" making the piece unwearable, made with glass or plastic stones that are glued in, with no intrinsic value to the piece past the season when it is bought. Handcrafted jewelry made with genuine gemstones, artists' lampwork beads, and sometimes goldfill and vermeil (both of which will last a lifetime if cared for properly) is the equivalent of the neutral sweater - only better because it lasts much longer. An added benefit is that you can "go wild" with handcrafted jewelry since unusual colour combinations and designs will change the look of all those neutral outfits that make so much sense to buy. And even if you wear a piece for a few years, then put it away for a while, ten years later, you will pull it out again and it will give a whole new look to whatever clothes are current at the time!

What usually happens during times when the economy is slow is that people don't really stop buying - they stop buying poor quality, they consider purchases more carefully if they are smart, and they will spend more money buying one good thing instead of the same amount (or larger) buying many cheap ones.

Above, the first bracelet made of fluorite is an example of a bracelet that will dress up the neutral outfit - and a piece of jewelry that will last, even though fluorite is a softer gemstone. Below are fluorite earrings with a classic look.

The look of jade never goes out of style, and the jade bracelet has the added appeal of lampwork beads (by Lynn Nurge) as well as some candy jade beads.

Finally, below are chalcedony earrings and a chalcedony bracelet made with my favorite chalcedony smooth nuggets in aqua (called Peruvian chalcedony from the dealer I bought them from). The bracelet has the most marvelous taupe and aqua lampwork beads by Suzette Celestin of Gaslite Lampwork.

Although all the jewelry I've shown today is made with sterling silver (which does occasionally need polishing a bit), the goldfilled and vermeil jewelry on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site will also last. The secrets: keep the jewelry in a plastic baggy when you're not wearing it or inside the pouch that comes with it; do not swim or bathe while wearing it, especially in a chlorinated pool, and you'll find that the gold jewelry stays bright and shiny as well.

P.S. I'm trying the look of white background with black print for those of you who find the black background with light print hard to read. Let me know which you prefer!

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