The Jewelry Blog

Monday, July 23, 2007

Fire and Water

Amazonite is a pretty stone (not just found around the Amazon but also in Russia and the United States). When it is a solid soft blue-green as it is in the bracelets above, it is truly beautiful although I like it when it has interesting inclusions as well. The top bracelet I mixed with peridot and with a rose quartz tulip bead to match one of James Derrick Reeves' pretty lampwork beads. The second bracelet again features Reeves' beads this time complemented by faceted black onyx. The colours of Reeves' lampwork beads and his patterns are really amazing.

Below I started working with some fire agate I 'd gotten in the last few weeks. The bangle bracelet below has a large oval with my favourite mixtures of translucency, cream, red, and orange. The rondelles are also fire agate. The carnelian necklace has fire agate ovals alternated with chunky faceted carnelian nuggets. A 14 karat gold filled chain holds a carnelian turtle, carnelian fish, vermeil disk, and fire agate smooth teardrop.

Finally, a wonderful aquamarine bracelet with a great swirling dichroic bead by Paula Radke at its center. The aquamarine stones on this bracelet are especially pretty, both smooth and faceted. Some sterling and a dichroic bead are all that's needed.

lapis

lapis lazuli

handmade beaded jewelry

juveelid

Thursday, July 19, 2007

A Little Lapis

I've been working with lapis lazuli a bit this week, a stone I've always loved, especially if it has a sprinkling of pyrite that glitters and catches the light, and most of this does. I also like lapis because it has a connection to the ancient world; I cannot think of it without seeing in my mind the gold and lapis harp or the little goat-god, Tammuz, with his lapis beard. I like gemstones that give me this link to the ancient past, a romantic notion of mine and I'm sure, many others. Still working with the new Fall colours, I mixed the lapis with glittering sunstone and the loveliest borosilicate lampwork beads I could find. I decided to forget about lampwork beads for the bracelet below, and instead just mixed it with 14 karat gold fill ; it's a simple bracelet with presence. See it on our Lapis Jewelry page.

I also worked with citrine and created this citrine necklace (with matching earrings although you can't see all of them here; they have cabochon citrines in the earwires). I love these clear pale yellow faceted nuggets, and they look great with the Bali sterling silver.

Finally, an amazonite bracelet that I mixed with sterling silver and Pacific Opal Swarovski crystals. I love this combination, but it only works with good, deeply coloured amazonite.
I finally have some auctions listed on Ebay; I'm thinking of closing my store there. Meanwhile, the bids start lower than the usual prices for the jewelry. Do a search for Cluny Grey or look for my user id: chloemarie99.
Meanwhile, keep beading and keep enjoying summer!

Friday, July 13, 2007

A Preview of the New Fall Colours

I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying summer; so far, the heat and humidity have not been that bad here in Arkansas. Of course, as I soon as I write this, we will probably be stricken with a heat wave and humidity so dense if feels as though we're breathing underwater. It has been what I think of as "pleasantly hot"; that is, hot enough to enjoy cooling off in the pool and to want nice cold drinks, but not hot enough to make me want to avoid going out of doors at all (wait until August!).
Meanwhile I've been working on some jewelry commissions, and even trying to get ready for Fall a bit (yes, already).
Above is a bracelet I made using some of the new Fall 2007 colours although the look definitely says summer also. The lampwork beads are some of my favourites; they are etched for a matte finish. (I think of them as having a "desert" look.) Fire agate and gorgeous aqua chalcedony complete the look.

Above and below are more new Fall colours. I made a trio of these bracelets that can be worn separately or 2 at a time or all 3 together. These colours are from a palette described as "forest". The colour I love is the muted aqua/teal colour; in the bracelet this colour is represented by the faceted kyanite coins. I'm not sure how to describe the colour, but it is referred to as "Stargazer", and I love that name. Smoky quartz is great with this colour, and the dark brown, the darkest brown is a big colour for this Fall also. Finally, the sparkly sunstone that glitters represents a bright golden dark peach colour that is a favourite of mine anytime.