Unique Bracelets

I've been doing a lot of catch-up work since returning from Paris, but have made 4 rather different bracelets in the last week.  Each unique bracelet has something about it that I love.  

  In the top bracelet, I love the combination of the warm sparkly sunstone with the cool aquamarine and sterling silver.  The little Thai Karen Hill Tribe beads in the second strand are an accent I am especially fond of because of their sparkle.

  Below, the drusy bracelet that you see here has one large sparkling focal drusy with a bluish tint to it.  The agate beads (which are smooth in contrast to the rough drusy) are a wonderful mixture of black, bluish grey and grey with some translucence.  The sterling silver charm here is a faceted blue topaz bezel-set in sterling silver. I love this bracelet because of its versatility; with jeans, it has an organic, semi-hippy look; with a little black dress or a suit, it's very sophisticated.

The third bracelet, above, is one of my favorite mixtures: turquoise, lapis, and carnelian.  The turquoise here is especially beautiful, a deep blue, and the large lapis nugget has sparkling gold pyrite in just the right amount! The accents are all 14 karat gold-filled with the exception of the clasp which is vermeil.

The fourth bracelet is made of cherry quartz (this is glass, not a real gemstone) with cloisonne and vermeil accents. Cherry quartz is such a cheerful material to work with that I don't mind that it isn't really a gemstone; when it works (as it does here with the cloisonne), it just works!
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Rubies and Heat!

I am one grateful person! Close to noon on the Fourth of July, after being without electricity for 5 days, we regained power! I LOVE air conditioning, tv, and most of all my computer and the internet! I didn't make jewelry during that time since my studio is on the fourth floor and you can just imagine what the heat was like (it was 100 degrees outside for at least 2 of the days). So in celebration of July (ruby is the birthstone) and the power returning, here are some red-hot ruby bracelets!

   Above, my favorite flat faceted rubies team up with dragonfly bangles in sterling silver.

   Below, rubies bring some heat to the cool creamy white freshwater coin pears you see here.  The sterling toggle clasp with its bevy of flowers is an extra pretty touch!

A bangle bracelet, below, features pretty faceted ruby nuggets and bangles from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes of sterling silver.  The sterling toggle clasp has a cabochon ruby bezel-set in the teardrop.

Quartz faceted nuggets are cool and classic and each is separated by pretty neon aqua apatite.

Above, the colors of turquoise and coral are echoed in the lampwork beads.  A scalloped filigree sterling toggle is the closure; two charms, one fish and one seahorse, hang near the center of the bracelet.

STAY COOL!!!

Our Favorite Jewelry Pieces Under $70

I am busily making jewelry and trying to enjoy the summer, too! While the prices for my supplies, especially sterling silver, continue to rise, we do have some great deals on our Cluny Grey website. All the bracelets here are on our website and are under $70.00!!! Naturally they are well made with genuine stones (unless otherwise specified) and sterling silver, vermiel or 14 karat goldfill. The earrings that you see here are mostly under $30.00! So if you are looking for a bargain, a gift, or just something special to spice up last year's summer outfit, check these out! They are the tips of the iceberg in our lower-priced jewelry!

  Above, on our Nugget Bracelets page, we have a blue opal and amethyst bracelet with sterling silver. The soft blues of the opaque blue opals complement the wonderful purple translucence of the amethyst.  At $53.99, it's a real steal!

  Below, one of the few glass stones we have ever used is strawberry quartz.  We just had to have these because the flat, faceted stones are so pretty and chunky.  The horseshoe-shaped clasp and charm hanging beside it are both sterling silver.  And it's under $50.00!

My favorite thing about this chalcedony bracelet (found on our Chalcedony Jewelry page) is the chalcedony gemstones.  They are a wonderful yellow that seems to glow!  How perfect for summer! The sterling silver toggle clasp is large enough to carry these pretty faceted nuggets. We also have yellow chalcedony earrings found on the same page (there are more yellow chalcedony earrings, too). These earrings are special because of the pretty earwires which have intricate roses on the front.

Some of our best bargains in bracelets can be found on our Freshwater Pearl Bracelets page. About 5 years ago I was fortunate enough to buy a huge quantity of freshwater pearls in different shapes, sizes, and colors. I bought so many that I received them at a wonderfully low price and I still have some stockpiled!  Below, this freshwater pearl bracelet is made with creamy marquise freshwater pearls and rainbow moonstone rondelles with pretty flashes of blue! The flower charm and curved lobster clasp are sterling silver. At 51.99, this bracelet with its quality rainbow moonstone is a bargain!

The bracelet below is composed of larger yellow freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals.  The sterling silver really adds to the feminine look of this bracelet.

   The brown freshwater pearl bracelet below boasts 14 karat goldfilled accents and a gorgeous faceted olive bead of smoky quartz.  It will be on our website shortly.

The earrings you see above can be found on our Coin Pearl Earrings page.These bronze-brown earrings have Swarovski crystals and sterling silver. These are gorgeous and they are only $19.99!

   The earrings below are from our Coral Earrings page and mix peachy-pink coral rounds with vermeil and pretty black onyx faceted teardrops.  They have a wonderful Deco look to them and would be perfect for your summer wardrobe.

Above and below are ruby earrings, yes, genuine rubies! Above, the rubies are mixed with 14 karat goldfilled accents, and below they are mixed with gold vermeil. Can you imagine owning ruby jewelry for under $70.00 - and these are not microscopic ruby chips, either.

Here is a pair of my favorite earrings, found on our Unusual Jewelry page.  These gorgeous earrings are made with 14 karat goldfill, gem-quality Swiss blue topazes and rectangular citrines, and amethysts carved into the shape of flowers.  I love these! Unique and beautiful!

Another good source of bargains on the Cluny Grey website is our Bangle Bracelets page.  Here are two sterling silver bangles, the top with citrines, the bottom with Swarovski crystals. The bottom bracelet is made with older sterling silver stock bought when it was much cheaper. The result: this silver bangle bracelet is only 56.99!  With today's materials, it would be close to twice that much since it not only has Thai Karen Hill Tribes sterling curved, hand-decorated sides, but intricately made accents of Turkish sterling silver.

Also, to keep costs down, don't forget that we ship first class FREE in the USA with every purchase over $50.00 and a low $1.95 for purchases under $50.00! Enjoy shopping!

Jewels for Summer!

I adore summer! Everyone is out and about, especially now before the full heat of the mid-atlantic is upon us, and new outfits are popping up everywhere. And to go with those new summer outfits, you need jewelry! A customer I spoke to mentioned liking lapis and sunstone just in passing and that got me started. First, I put lapis and sunstone together in the two-strand bracelet that you see here. And because lapis is one of those stones that just begs to be played with, I had to make a couple of other lapis pieces as well.

Below, for those who like something simple, a lapis bracelet with one pretty blue borosilicate lampwork bead for a focal; it's surrounded by Thai Karen Hill Tribes sterling silver then finished with thick disks of lapis sprinkled with sparkling pyrite.  The sterling silver toggle has a flower on both the bar and the ring as well as a flower charm hanging to one side.

I really love lapis with gold. Here all the gold is 14 karat goldfill.  Lapis with gold always makes me think of the riches of early Sumer and Egypt.

 I've had these beautiful and odd lampwork beads for some time. They were made by Lynn Nurge and while the three long pieces at first make one think of coral, they have tiny "bumps" all over them which makes them look like octopus tentacles.  Sounds creepy? They are gorgeous!  I mixed the colours with Swarovski crystals in copper and light tanzanite.  I can just imagine this necklace worn in the early evening with a white dress - or an orange one, or a light purple one or . . . . After I finished this I tried it on wearing a khaki coloured shirt and it was wonderful.  Major sparkle!

This necklace has been on the site, but I made it in the winter (I guess I was longing for warm weather).  This fantastic necklace is made with sterling silver and all Swarovski crystals, including Swarovski crystals in the clear coral shape. This is chic and very, very elegant with plenty of sparkle.

Are you enjoying the warm weather?  I'm getting ready for a trip to Paris soon, so I'm trying to find things to take that are cool but dressy at the same time.  You can bet I will have plain basics and lots of not-so-plain jewelry!

Emeralds and Rubies

 It's already May, one of my favorite months, for reasons other than my own May birthday.  I love this time of year when the weather changes, my wardrobe changes, and my outlook changes.  I feel the urge to walk, an inclination to dress up, and an overall sense of well-being. Does anyone else feel this May mood? It could still be because for many years that I taught, May signaled the coming of summer vacation.  The emerald is the May birthstone (I am so lucky!) and of course, emerald jewelry is classic and luxurious even when it is made with the roughly faceted nuggets that you see in the bracelets here. Above, the emerald nuggets reign supreme, with sterling silver their only companion.  The second strand of the emerald bracelet is a sterling silver chain with charms.  A pretty toggle clasp decorated with tulips is the closure (all sterling silver, of course).

Below, the large emerald nuggets are joined by smooth emeralds, a pebble emerald, little dark green faceted emerald rondelles, and sterling silver.  The second strand of the emerald bracelet is made of tiny Thai Karen Hill Tribes hand decorated tube beads; the emeralds are both in the strand and dangling from it.

 I adore gold, thus the emerald bracelet with goldfilled beads, toggle, charms, and chain.  A large roughly faceted emerald nugget is the focal; other emeralds include faceted rondelles, soft green smooth rounds, faceted round, and dark green pebbles mottled with black.

 The emerald necklace above is simple.  A single briolette teardrop hangs in the center; faceted emerald rondelles are on either side. the sterling silver of the necklace is made from delicate little tube beads from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.
  Below, a bangle bracelet with rubies.  I rarely work with emeralds or sapphires that I also want to work with rubies. The ruby bangle below has some pretty cherry red plump ovals as well as faceted ruby rondelles and goldfilled bangles and toggles.

 Below, a ruby bracelet with goldfilled beads and ruby gemstones of different sizes and shapes. The large oval faceted rubies are some of my favorites with their dark red colour and high polish.

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Happy Easter!

I've been using Swarovski crystals lately.  For some reason, I will go for a long period and hardly use Swarovski crystals at all; then, suddenly, I want them for every bracelet.  You can see my obsession with them especially expressing itself in the Swarovski bracelet above.  It is a charm bracelet made only with Swarvoski charms of rounds and bicones in fairly bright colours with a few pastels thrown in.  It is gratifyingly full and sparkles like the dickens!  I attached the crystals in groups of three so that the bracelet would be especially lush - and it is!

  Appropriate for Easter Sunday are the two Salvation Bracelets that you see below.  Again, both are made with Swarovski crystals.  The first salvation bracelet is made with larger bicones, rounds, helix and cosmic crystals.  It has flat beads with a cross in relief on each side, and a little prayer box charm near the toggle clasp.  And yes, this tiny prayer box charm opens!

 The second salvation bracelet is a bit more conventional and has round Swarovski crystals, sterling silver and a pretty cross by the toggle clasp.  It has two extra Swarovski crystals on the sides to represent purity.

The handmade bracelet below is a favorite combination: artist's lampwork beads, carnelian, and lapis with plenty of golden pyrite in it. Little lapis and carnelian charms hang from two places on the bracelet.  All sterling silver.

Below are some charm necklaces that I have been working on. Charm necklaces are very, very much in style now and can be seen on everyone from celebrities to teenagers.  I like these charm necklaces because they are simple, and unlike many of the charm necklaces that one sees, these are made with real gemstones, Swarovski crystals and sterling silver and goldfill.

The first charm necklace has a gorgeous faceted flat garnet nugget surrounded by two charms: one filigree, and one textured ring.  Two little bezel-set garnet charms hang from the chain just above the larger garnet.

This charm necklace is my favorite.  A sterling silver flat hammered wire forms an odd teardrop shape and has a pretty aqua faceted chalcedony teardrop hanging inside it.  A sterling silver horseshoe charm hangs just above (and the horseshoe is upside down so the good luck won't spill out!).

  The next charm necklace features a filigree cross in sterling with a small angel (or putto) hangs beside it.  Just up from the charms is a dangle in the salvation colours made from Swarovski crystals.

The last charm necklace is in 14 karat goldfill. It features a unique harmony ball.  The sterling silver filigree harmony ball holds a brass ball that can be removed so that the sterling silver filigree "cage" can be worn alone. The top of the harmony ball features a black agate cabochon.  A Swarovski crystal in crystal copper hangs on either side of the harmony ball. The harmony ball makes a very faint gentle chiming sound.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter this beautiful day!

Bracelets for Spring: Part I

It is now officially Spring, and I am loving it! Thank goodness I live in a place with four seasons, since the change into each one seems to rejuvenate me.  Spring here in Washington is beautiful; the cherry blossoms are everywhere and they are truly beautiful (I'll have some cherry blossom bracelets up soon).  Our daffodils started blooming about three weeks ago.  I don't know about you, but I'm sleeping with the windows cracked so the cool night air can come in (forget the pollen count!) and I've been cleaning everything in the house. I have found some time to make some new jewelry, including the bracelets that you see on the page today.

   Above, a handmade bracelet that is truly unique combines emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and amethysts for a different looks.  Tiny little flower charms from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes are at intervals around the bracelet.

I recently found these gorgeous blue lace agate faceted nuggets at a favorite source; they have a high polish and beige and brown "skin" at one end.  The artist's lampwork glass beads are some of my favorites. Karen Hill Tribes sterling swirl and arrow charms are at three places on the bracelet.

The rest of the bracelets today are made of moonstones.When many people think of moonstones, they only think of the rainbow moonstone with its "flash", but moonstone comes in many colours.  The first bracelet, below, is made entirely of moonstones with sterling silver and artist's lampwork beads.  The dark greenish-grey faceted nuggets are moonstones as are the white faceted nuggets.  I love the dragonfly toggle clasp.

The next three moonstone bracelets are made from dusky peachy-pink faceted moonstones of different sizes. First, large faceted nuggets are complemented by a single special moonstone artist's lampwork bead.

If you look carefully at the pictures,you can see that these moonstones have a gleam to them, so while they may not exhibit the "flash" of rainbow moonstone, they have a pretty sheen to them and a flash that is the same colour as the stones themselves. 

Below, this moonstone bracelet has gorgeous silver studded artist's lampwork beads with a frostiness that goes perfectly with the moonstones. 

 The last moonstone bracelet features smaller faceted rectangles with a gorgeous sheen and plenty of sterling silver.

I hope you are enjoying these Spring days as much as I am!