I'm Back!!! And with Jewelry!

After 3 difficult years of health problems and the passing on of 3 close family members, I'm back on The Jewelry Blog.  I hardly know what to tell you except that I've been making jewelry, intend to make more jewelry, and I am as excited as I can be!
   Because July is the month of the ruby, I'm featuring my newest ruby bracelets today, as well as a couple of favorites from the past.

And these two bracelets look great when paired!  The top bracelet with the focal emerald should be on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site by tomorrow evening.

 Above, very special artist's lampwork beads with great depth and clarity combine with very large faceted genuine ruby nuggets and chunky sterling silver Bali beads. A pretty strawberry charm and a leaf charm hang beside the toggle clasp with a cabochon bezel-set ruby.

 Above, two strands of rubies are accented by 14k gold-filled beads and accents, including a 14k toggle clasp.  Small oval rubies, large oval rubies, and faceted rondelle rubies join together in a symmetrical design.

 Lapis and rubies with gold!

Genuine rubies and Sleeping Beauty turquoise with sterling silver.

I'll be back!!!

Rubies: Just a Bit Less Than Wisdom

 I've been busy working on rubies when I haven't been visiting my mother and my best friend in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  I do love working with rubies! Rubies are the July birthstone, of course, and how appropriate since it is the red-hot month of summer. Rubies, like Fourth of July fireworks are compelling; one has to look at them. 
   Rubies look good on everyone whether your complexion is dark or light, your haircolour brown, red, grey, blonde, or black (yes, rubies look soooo good on redheads!), whether you are big or small-boned, short or tall. Rubies are universal.
   Above and below, a sterling silver ruby bangle bracelet is so flirtatious with its dangling ruby charms.  The rubies here are faceted rounds that are a soft reddish-pink.

 In ancient India, ruby was considered to be the "Lord of Gemstones."  It symbolizes love and devotion and is the preferred gift for both the 15th and 40th years of marriage.

 Above and below, large faceted ruby nuggets are combined with beautiful sterling silver handmade beads, Thai Karen Hill Tribes sterling silver, and some of the finest artist's lampwork beads we've ever had. The toggle clasp has a cabochon ruby bezel-set into it.

   Rubies are supposed to help the wearer have happiness, good health, and wisdom.  One of the famous ruby quotations is Biblical: " Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. .."  Proverbs 31:10.
   Below, 14 karat gold-filled bangle bracelet features a large faceted ruby nugget with two smooth good-sized oval rubies on either side.

 Rubies are also said to bring good luck to gamblers as well as those who are in love.

 Above, rubies play well with other gemstones.  Here rubies are combined with apatite and 14 karat gold-fill. 
   Below, ruby earrings are made with large faceted nuggets and all 14 karat gold-filled components. 

 Above, 14 karat gold-filled fluted accents give these ruby earrings a formal touch, while, below, faceted ruby rondelles are cooled down a bit with genuine aquamarine and sterling silver.

 Below, a sterling silver and ruby necklace, great for everyday or formal occasions.

Celebrities wearing ruby jewelry: proof that everyone looks good in rubies!

Always FREE SHIPPING with purchases over $50; only $1.95 for purchases under $50.

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!!!

Rubies are Red Hot!

I love working with rubies! In the last post, I said that rubies will work with any other gemstone, but they work just as well on their own. Rubies are perhaps one of the most romantic gemstones because of the lore surrounding them and because of their vibrant colour representing love and passion. The ruby was also believed to prevent separation of lovers. The ruby was also believed to protect warriors, give courage and endurance, relieve blood diseases, protect one's home and possessions, bring wealth and good luck, and enhance love and passion. Plus, it's just downright pretty!

The bracelet above is from a new group of chain bracelets that I am making; this chain bracelet of sterling silver dangles four little faceted rondelle rubies. The chain I made myself; the toggle is sterling silver.

  Below, a pair of ruby earrings made with smooth ruby "pebbles" of bright red.  They feature sterling silver accents and are topped with a faceted cone of clear quartz crystal.  The ruby earrings hang from sterling silver earwires with an intricately made flower decoration.

Below are three more ruby bracelets (and you will find more on the Cluny Grey site). The first ruby bracelet mixes bright and dark red rubies with sterling silver and two artist's borosilicate lampwork beads. The lampwork beads pick up the colours of the rubies and add a flashes of blue and teal to the mix.  Little sterling charms from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes hang from the bracelet.  The toggle boasts an oval cabochon ruby set in it.

The next ruby bracelet is all about flowers and butterflies. Intricate sterling silver comes from both Bali and Thailand as well as Turkey.  A cluster of Thai Karen Hill Tribes charms, miniature flowers, is on one side of the bracelet.  A sterling leaf toggle is full of swirls.  The last ruby bracelet is a simple, slim bangle bracelet with small bright ruby pebbles and a beautiful sterling silver toggle clasp.  This is the perfect ruby bracelet to wear everyday. It won't get in the way, but those bright rubies make quite a statement!

Here are a couple of other pieces I've been working on. Above is an iolite bracelet that I am really pleased with.  That large faceted stone in the middle with the jolt of colour is a carnelian.  I just love how it pops out against the blue, but at the same time looks as though it is right at home.  The iolite here is pretty and there are a few larger pieces.  Plus, those Karen Hill Tribes sterling charms add a bit of zest, too. The second smaller strand is almost all faceted iolite rondelles that have a nice sparkle.

    Below, WoW!  I had to put two pictures of this quartz necklace to show how it looks against black and white.  Photographing quartz, especially very clear quartz has always been difficult for me.  I want to get that sense of depth and shine at the same time which can mean (for me) snapping picture after picture and discarding picture after picture!   These are quite large clear quartz faceted nuggets enhanced only by the smallest sterling silver accents and very special artist's lampwork beads. I need another picture just to do the lampwork beads justice.  They are red encased in clear with sterling silver on them and a sort of metallic glow when you turn them. Wonderful!  This could be very, very dressy, or it could be for everyday.  It is one of those necklaces that I thought, "Do I want to keep this for myself?"  But, no, I can't start doing that or it would never end!  So into its special container it went to await a new home.

Meanwhile, I love living here! I still say it's a bit cooler than Arkansas. And where else can you sit on the front steps of your townhouse, view the Washington Monument and watch the 4th of July fireworks!

Enjoy your summer everyone!

FREE SHIPPING WITH OVER 50.00 PURCHASE; 1.95 UNDER 50.00.

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.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another.....

This rhodochrosite bracelet really cheers me up, and wow! do I ever need cheering up! While I usually don't get into personal issues here on the jewelry blog, this last week (and it's been some kind of month, too, but that's another story) has really been rough.
Orders, orders, orders, and I have lost the person who does the packing/wrapping for me. Unfortunately, I'm not the fastest wrapper/packer in the world, so I'm behind on getting orders mailed out - tomorrow I plan another marathon day to catch up finally.
On Tuesday of last week, I ate some lemon frozen yoghurt. Sounds delicious, right? But even though it looked as though it could have melted and refrozen and there was a slit in the top, it was late, and I wanted, really wanted, that lemon yoghurt. Food poisoning is not fun. I had salmonella once in India, and this ran a close second to that and lasted almost as long. This food poisoning, like salmonella, makes you feel bad all over; all you can do is lie as still as possible - not that easy since no position is really comfortable and you feel too bad even to read.
In addition to everything else, Startlogic, the company who hosts my website, has put in a new server that is supposed(!?!) to be wonderful. Today, my site has been offline almost all day. In the last 2 weeks, my site has been offline more than it had in the 4 previous years totaled. I still can't check my e-mail through the site at this moment, and just when I thought it was back on, it's down again! Sometimes I hate "improvements."
But I do like the bracelet above (there are 2 different views of it) made with rhodochrosite, rubies, and the lampwork of Lynn Nurge. I've also been looking at a lot of Georgian and Victorian jewelry; the ruby bracelet below features rubies and tuquoise, a combination I found in a Victorian brooch and liked. The colours complement each other very well - I can't wait to try the combination with gold.
Aquamarine is featured in the jade earrings in the shape of lilies. A small smooth nugget of aquamarine forms the stamen of the lily. The earrings hang from sterling silver posts with a good-sized white freshwater pearl cabochon. Very elegant earrings.

The tiger-eye bracelet below features a focal carved oval tigereye surrounded by genuine aquamarines, a large aquamarine slab, and once again, the lampwork beads of Lynn Nurge.
Now if my website will just stay online, I'll be able to get these posted!
And keep your fingers crossed for me that this week will be a significant improvement over the last one!

jewellery accessories jewelry fashion shopping braceletsbeads handmade beaded jewelry beading helmi gioielli smykker takı juvelen lampwork beads The Jewelry Blog jewelry trends accessories jewelry ruby necklace ruby braceletrubies