Moonstone, Opal, Coral, and Snow?

I was working on this moonstone bracelet today when the secretary came in and announced a 100% chance of snow! Now, everyone else is probably sick of the stuff, but we really haven't had a snow this year here in Northeastern Arkansas, so I'm looking forward to having a few inches fall - yes, even though I'm also dreaming of spring. I really am tired of the one day it's 55 and the next day it's 35 weather, so snow or spring, warm or cold, one or the other!
The moonstone bracelet above is made of rainbow moonstone in different shapes and sizes - no lampwork, just the rainbow moonstone and sterling silver (some great sterling from Bali came in this week). I always think of rainbow moonstone as a "Spring" gemstone, maybe because of warm, moonlit nights that lead up to the hottest days of summer. Anyway, you can see my mood.



The next bracelet is made of blue Peruvian opal with sterling silver. Some nice deep blue colour comes through on some of these nuggets - very pretty. More of that Bali sterling is here, mixed with sterling charms from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes (I have got to go to Thailand).

The lampwork this week is in the two coral bracelets below: the first is created of peachy and reddish-orange coral with beautiful, beautiful lampwork glass beads from a new lampworker (new to me; as you can tell from looking at these beads, this artisan has been doing lampwork for quite a while). The two tones of the coral match the two tones of the beads.

The bottom bracelet is made of blue coral and features gorgeous matte beads by Robin Weber. These lampwork beads have a strange depth for beads that do not have a glassy polish and an unusual matte look. They're perfect with the blue sponge coral; the large oval bead is Montana agate with its dendrites against the creamy translucent white creating fern-like patterns.
Now keep your fingers crossed for about 4 inches of snow (at least) that will not be troublesome and look pretty for a couple of days. Then, Spring can come blowing in!


coral
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Dreaming of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is one of my favorite gemstones, a member of the beryl family just like my own birthstone, the emerald. Aquamarine comes in a variety of colours, but my favorite is the pure "aquamarine" colour that is a light turquoise blue. Yes, I've been working this weekend, trying to get a bit ready for the March birthstone offerings on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. Of course, bracelets are my favorite! Making aquamarine bracelets is a real joy whether I'm making them with gold or sterling or with or without lampwork beads. The top aquamarine bracelet is a sterling bangle bracelet handmade with Karen Hill Tribes tube beads and one of the huge special aquamarine specimens I ordered from my dealer in Hong Kong. The lampwork beads on either side were made by Lynn Nurge of laffinggull beads.
More special aquamarine beads are in the bracelet below; these came from Thailand and are quite large so that they match the size of the large borosilicate lampwork beads. It's a nice chunky aquamarine bracelet for the person who likes for bracelets to stand out.

The third bracelet illustrates the difference in aquamarines; these are beautiful and quite gemmy, almost crystal clear for the most part with more of a green tint than blue. The lampwork beads by Robin Weber are laced with silver for a really special look.
The earrings both have flower themes - yes, I'm dreaming of spring, the beach in May, long hot summer afternoons by the pool, the smell of fresh-cut grass baking in the summer sun! (Watch, tomorrow the temperature will probably be back below freezing!) By the way, the last piece is an ankle bracelet.



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