The Stones of Summer

I wrote a blog entry once about how some gemstones are seasonal; that is, they seem to belong to a certain season or seasons (the main division being, however, winter and summer). This really doesn't have anything to do with the Color Me Beautiful idea that women should wear certain colours based on their "season" (meaning the season they fall into determined by their complexions, eye colour and hair colour). This is simply a subjective feeling I have for probably very silly reasons. For instance, I think of rubies as summer gemstones because they are the July birthstone (although rubies do work well in the winter - probably because of the red we habitually see at Christmas?), sunstones are summery because they are reminiscent of the summer sun, bright, orange, glinting, aquamarines because they echo the colours of the ocean, and of course, corals because of the colours and the relationship to the sea (meaning the beach, of course). So some of the most recent bracelets here are summer bracelets from the ruby bracelet at the very top of the page to the last coral bracelet below.
But despite my designating these as "summer stones", they do work well at other times of the year, especially with the addition of a "wintry" stone such as the pietersite in the aquamarine bracelet above.
However, the ankle bracelets that you see below, one ankle bracelet of gold and sunstone and one with aquamarine and sterling silver both sing out summer loud and clear!



Above, coral bracelets page, and   the turquoise and coral bracelets page on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

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.

More To Come

Yes, I actually had some time to make jewelry! The three bracelets here are the beginning of what I hope will be a constant stream of new jewelry! Although I have not had time to add them to the website, they will be on there in the next day or two. The top bracelet is fire agate and carnelian and will be listed on the Fire Agate Jewelry page, the middle is black onyx ( Unique Bracelets, and the labradorite bracelet can be found on our Labradorite Jewelry page.

A Quick Post

Busy is the byword here at the studio, so just a quick post to show the latest - a set (but sold separately) created from soft peach aventurine and smoky quartz. These are two colours that I put together because I wear them so often myself (I really don't wear black everyday!) The peach is lovely, but the faceting on the smoky quartz is what really makes both the necklace and the bracelet special. See the necklace on our Handmade Necklaces page, and the bracelet on the Unique Bracelets page.

The Ancient Appeal of Coral

Summer means coral jewelry! Although beautiful coral can be worn any time of the year, it is very common in the USA to think of coral as being a "summer stone" (although it isn't really a stone, but the remains of a tiny marine animal). The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans utilized coral in their jewelry also, but first carved it into scarabs or intaglios or cameos. How insightful that first carver of coral must have been, for when coral is first taken from the sea, it is fairly ugly. It has to be cut, in some cases carved, and polished before it takes on the luminous quality we think of coral as having. The Medieval Era in Europe found coral being used for rosaries and as a decorative element in religious paraphernalia such as reliquaries and in churches. The Victorians used coral in broaches, often mixed it with diamonds, and gave coral rattles to their children. Coral is still used in Tibet and China in religious ceremonies (Tibetan Buddhists use coral rosaries).
The best coral today can be found in the waters of southern Ireland, in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Mauritius, the Malay Archipelago, and in Japan, although in many places the harvesting of coral is banned as some species are becoming endangered. Most coral is treated in some way - especially inexpensive coral; it is often treated with resin because it is so porous and usually dyed to improve colour. Above, you see a coral bracelet with pinkish coral, lapis, and lampwork beads; second picture, an ankle bracelet, and below, a coral bracelet with blue coral.

Not in the coral family, but new this week is the chrysoprase bracelet that you see below with wonderfully chunky chrysoprase nuggets.I should be back to a more regular posting schedule as the studio move is about completed.

Summer Is Almost Here!

It's a crisp, cool night here in Arlington, Virginia, but really lovely, clear and cloudless with stars which you can see despite the lights of Washington and the surrounding city. I do love it here on the top floor looking out across the cities; it's a great place for a studio! Now, if I can get some work done, I'll be doing really well! If you live in the free world, you probably know that I am a first time grandmother - and a very lucky one at that. It's not just that my new grand-daughter is healthy, beautiful, clever (yes, I can already tell!), but I actually get to spend time with her and with my daughter-in-law, a rare treat since we have never lived in the same city before. They are usually very, very far away. I find it inspirational, and although I'm still behind in my work, I'm working much harder and will be caught up soon. The excitement of being in a place I love and with people I love makes me work more efficiently; I want to make the most of every moment.
So far, I haven't made a lot of jewelry since I've been catching up on orders, but I did make a couple of labradorite bracelets that you see above and below. I've gotten in some new coral, tourmalines, and a lot of sapphires that I will be working with soon. The two labradorite bracelets will have prices on them soon, I promise!



Meanwhile, enjoy the beautiful days!

May: The Month of Emeralds

I adore emeralds: it's no secret. The emerald is my birthstone and I am delighted by its colours whether the palest green like pond water to the dark translucent greens that one can see in the Tower of London in the Crown Jewels of England. Emeralds also remind me of one of my favorite places, India, as do rubies. Say the phrase "emeralds and rubies" and India instantly springs to my mind with all its beauty, strangeness, and mystery.

It is a joy to work with emeralds whether they are gem quality or opaque or totally included and rustic. The very knowledge that they are emeralds still imbues them with mystery and exoticism (I have some very crude uncut emeralds that a friend brought me back from Mexico; they are rather rock-like, but I still cherish them).
I am still trying to organize my new studio, but did have some time for the emerald bracelets that you see here. As you can see, I do like mixing emeralds of different quality for a unique texture and range of colours. An AA emerald may be beside an included, opaque stone, but each acts as a foil for the other.
I will be writing more information on emeralds, their history and the beliefs surrounding them. By the way, the largest cut emerald is known as the Mogul Emerald, dates from 1695,and although it was discovered in Colombia was carved and set in, yes, India! I will be going to see it soon, for it belongs to the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.

Finally! Getting a Little Work Done!

The work that a move entails is mind-boggling! But finally things are starting to calm down although I still don't have a place for everything and everything in its place. Here's hoping that will happen soon.
My new favorite necklace is the one above made from chalcedony, big faceted slices of chalcedony in soft aqua and yellow colours. The lampwork beads are some of Suzette Celestin's best and echo the colours of the chalcedony (or do the colours of the chalcedony echo the colours of the lampwork?). You will find it listed on our Chalcedony Jewelry page.


These faceted rectangles of rutilated quartz have streaks of black in them that emphasize the iciness of the rest of the stones. The pretty flower embossed sterling beads are a nice contrast to the quartz and add a touch of femininity to the bracelet - the double hearts a bit of sweetness! On our Rutilated Quartz jewelry page. Finally, the blue lace agate bracelet gets its softness from the lampwork beads that have just a hint of pink in them.


April is almost gone; my favorite month is May with its warm, warm Spring weather and flowers everywhere. May is fresh and inviting invoking all the wonder of the summer that is to come.
Enjoy!

JUST CALL ME NANA!!!

The last week has truly been eventful! My first grandchild decided to arrive a full month early! Since they are about a thousand miles away, I got a ticket and jumped on the first plane I could get out of Arkansas that same day, arriving after 10:00 p.m. in the hospital lobby pulling my carry-on luggage. We had lived in suspense already the last 3 days - worrying about mother and child. My grand-daughter and my only child's first child was born the next day, on a Thursday a bit before 5:00 p.m.
Although she is still in neo-natal, she was a fairly good size and absolutely beautiful. She should get to go home tomorrow.
I know that I usually communicate readily through e-mail to my customers - and respond fairly quickly. However, this one time, I did not even take my laptop computer with me and was almost totally out of touch. I apologize, but know that my customers will understand, in fact already do understand.
Please rejoice with me at one of the happiest times of our lives.

The Jewelry Report: Sparkling Stones for Summer

Hurrah! I am one of the featured artists on Jewelry Report's Trend Watch! The trend is sparkly stones for summer. Also featured is a gorgeous necklace by Evette Rana from Rings and Things and a "juicy" bracelet by Anna Lee of Gahoole Tree Designs in Canada.
I'll be posting soon!

March: Lion or Lamb?

March: this year, it has been totally unpredictable with a beautiful thick snow lushly covering the wounded landscape caused by February's ice storm. But it's milder now and here's hoping that the weather and life in general becomes much more lamblike here than lionlike!
March is the month of one of my favorite gemstones - the aquamarine. The top aquamarine bracelet is just one of many that has gone on our pages this month (or out the door). Below is a moonstone necklace with one of the gorgeous pendants I've been lucky enough to acquire lately. I've added Swarovski crystals in Azores, the most beautiful light blue, to pick up the blue flash of the moonstone - and some lampwork beads for that little je ne sais quoi.
As usual, when I've been working with a gemstone I tend to stick with it for a while, experimenting with different combinations. Below the moonstone necklace is a moonstone bracelet with rainbow moonstone and genuine sapphires.
Below is a Swarovski crystal bracelet , Green Pastures, Still Waters. I am still totally enamored of Swarovski large beads; they make spectacular jewelry.
Finally, a bracelet from our Bridal Jewelry collection. This bracelet features crystal quartz carved flowers in two types as well as light sapphire Swarovski crystals for sparkle and shine perfect for a wedding.

Winner of the Swarovski earrings for naming the ruby necklace: "Take Five" by EmandaJ.
Some other entries: Ruby, don't Take Your Love to Town; Sweet Caroline, Begin the Beguine, Music for Your Eyes, Musical Magic, Lyrics and Love, The Harmony of Rubies, Melody in Crimson.

Cloisonne, Et Al

I've been working with cloisonne a bit; it seems that when I get some cloisonne on the site, it sells (a good thing), but it does make keeping the cloisonne page full difficult. Cloisonne has been around for a long time - supposedly since the Yuan Dynasty in China (approximately 1279 A.D.) although some sources say that it originated in the Middle East and was perfected by the Chinese and the French (in fact, the term cloisonne is French). Little wire filaments (usually gold) are applied to metal then filled in with enamel. The cloisonne can be made with base metal, bronze, copper, brass, gold-plated, goldfilled, or genuine gold, or sterling silver. The cloisons are the spaces or sections within the wire that are filled with enamel, thus making the design. All of the Cluny Grey Cloisonne is on one page: the Cloisonne Jewelry page.For me the challenge is finding cloisonne with sterling silver filigree instead of gold since sterling silver is very popular now. I've been finding also that much of the silver cloisonne that I've come across tends to be very finely made - usually a bit superior to the gold cloisonne (which is usually gold-plated or goldfilled). The three bracelets that you see here are some of my favorite cloisonne colours mixed with, top, Swarovksi crystals in Dark Indigo AB, the red with a long cinnabar bead and tube "bangles" from Thailand in vermeil, and below with cherry quartz. I've used vermeil and goldfilled components with the cloisonne.
Below are a couple of other pieces I will also be posting soon: a Turquoise Bracelet with the addition of pink chalcedony and pretty lampwork beads of pink and turquoise; a double-stranded Garnet Necklace with a pretty cross pendant with garnets and green and black onyx.

Contest News: Leslie Turtle will be choosing the contest winner of the "Name the Necklace" contest. We've had quite a few entries (customers are sending their entries to the clunygre @ clunygreyjewelry.com address). I will post some of the finalists in the next day or so.

Blogs: Got an honourable mention in Marie Cramp's blog about beginning jewelry-making. She's located in Calgary (why does Canada so appeal to my imagination?) and you'll be hearing more from her, I'm sure. See her blog at: Skye Jewels.

A woman after my own heart: L.L. draws, loves animals (volunteers at her local nature center), has cats, and on top of that, loves Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton! See her blog at Tiaras and Talons.

Colour: Monochromatic or Mixed! CONTEST

I love to read passages that start with "there are two kinds of people in the world..." because of course there never are. But I am still always interested in the way many would divide the world and feel that their choices often reveal a great deal about themselves. So...there are two types of people in the world: those who like great expanses of one colour, with maybe a touch or two of another, the monochromatics, and those who prefer colours many and mixed. Now to show you how ridiculous such a statement is, I will announce that I am both. Of course, to add an element of veracity to the statement, I will say that when I dress, I prefer the monochromatic to the many: no prints, good solid colours that make a statement whether the statement is gentle, muted, loud, or strong. In jewelry, however, I love to mix as you can see from the unusual bracelet below. While I personally prefer to wear the aquamarine bracelet that you see above, I delight in creating and looking at the bracelet below. Circus colours, brightly coloured and patterned lampwork beads, and just a hint of sterling silver - can you hear the colour? It is a cacaphony. The aquamarine bracelet is music, beautiful, but definitely not the 1812 Overture. Debussy?
The last two pictures are of the same ruby necklace. If it were music, what would it be? Send me the name of a piece of music that you think would make a good name for this necklace and win a pair of Swarovski earrings in the colour of your choice!



If you are interested, not just in jewelry but in all types of art, see Best of Artists, a great site that concentrates on art from painting, pottery, and photography to sculpture and jewelry. And yes, yours truly has been listed: see, Best of Artists: Cluny Grey.

Gemstones, Swarovski, and Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is always a whirl of last-minute gifts - people seeking presents for those they care for and want to remember on the holiday. In this business, I've been surprised, pleasantly, I must say, by how many men buy jewelry gifts or make arrangements for them well in advance of holidays whether Valentine's, Christmas, or a birthday. Strangely enough, it is often women who seem to wait until the last minute and decide that they want an extra stocking stuffer or that they want to get their daughters or daughters-in-law something for Valentine's Day. I'm surprised, I suppose, because my husband will wait until Christmas Eve to buy a Christmas present for me (but he always does a great job, so I'm not complaining!).
While we do have a special page with a few suggestions for Valentine's Day jewelry gifts, the best gifts are those that are meaningful to the recipient in some way. For instance, the amethyst bracelet makes an especially good gift if you know that she has a February birthday, since amethysts are the February birthstone. Or maybe you know that she is just crazy about amethysts - or even wears purple often. Some of the bracelets below are great for those women who take their faith seriously and wish to wear it. The gold-filled Salvation bracelet that you see below has a special meaning for Christians. The gemstones, or in some cases Swarovski crystals, each is a symbol of the progression of one's faith. The black bead represents being lost in sin; the red, the blood of Christ; the blue, faith; the clear bead (or in some cases a white bead) represents purity of heart or a clear heart; green, for growing in faith; and finally, the gold bead represent Heaven with streets paved with gold. I always try to add other Christian symbols as well, and most of my Salvation bracelets will have a sterling silver or goldfilled cross charm or a prayer box attached to them. The following 4 bracelets are each an interpretation in gemstones or Swarovskis of the Salvation bracelet:

Two more bracelets - just for fun. The fire agate and chalcedony bracelet, above, is an attempt to recreate a favorite bracelet - often very difficult to do because the special lampwork beads are so hard to come by. And, below, a sweet freshwater pearl bracelet with Swarovski crystal butterflies has a fresh, ingenue appeal.

We're offering FREE Priority shipping now until Valentine's Day!