Sapphire: September's Exotic Birthstone

Reminiscent of the notorius "Star of India", admired by kings and queens, given as an engagement ring from Prince Charles to Princess Diana, the sapphire has an imperial and exotic pedigree. Persian rulers believed that the sky was the reflected blue of sapphires, and many believed that the Ten Commandments were originally written on sapphire (although in both cases the word sapphire likely referred to lapis lazuli). In the middle ages, the sapphire was prized by wizards and savants alike for what many believed were its magical powers and efficacy as a lucky charm. At times, because sapphires are known to change from a blue during the daylight to a purplish or violet blue during the evening, sapphires were used to test a woman's chastity. The legend goes that if a sapphire turned blue-violet, then the lady was unfaithful while remaining a steady blue meant that she was true. Poor women who were unlucky enough to be tested under the evening light! Sapphire belongs to the family of minerals known as corundum (just as the ruby does). While the word "sapphire" most likely came from the Greek language, the word "corundum" comes from the Tamil language (spoken mainly in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in India). The sapphire gets its blue colour from iron and titanium dioxide. Corundum is the second hardest stone (the diamond is the first) registering an 8-9 on the Moh's Scale of hardness. Most sapphires are heat-treated today to obtain their dark blue colour, a process which really only mimics what Nature would do more slowly.

I love to work with sapphires, especially when the sapphires are of a larger size. I was fortunate enough to find some largish faceted rondelles that you see in some of the jewelry here. All the sapphire braceletshere can be found on the Cluny Grey Jewelry page of Sapphire Bracelets including the bracelets which also feature lampwork beads and mother of pearl. The sapphire earrings can be found on the Sapphire Earrings page.

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Copper and Sterling and Gold, Oh My!

As I look over some of the jewelry pieces I've made in the past few days, I'm surprised by how varied they are. Do you see a theme here? I don't! Or perhaps the theme could be called "what is on top of the pile"! Because I've been trying to get ready for a trip to Washington this week, I'm attempting to clear off the work bench a bit. Believe me, it's slow going! Why? Because not only is everything piled high, but as I look through the different layers of beads, gemstones, wire and lampwork beads, a particular bead (or group of them) will stand out and suddenly I get an idea for a bracelet or necklace or. . . well, you get the idea.
So, above is a bracelet resulting from a strand of lampwork beads I failed to put away sitting next to Swarovski crystals newly unwrapped. The lampwork beads are from James Derrick Reeves, and I hope he starts lampworking and selling again soon before I run out of the precious stash of his beads I've been hoarding.
Below, a jasper bracelet that got made because I just had to use those dear little donuts in something! They are so cute! Therefore, I built a bracelet around them - and some more of Derrick's incomparable lampwork beads.

Copper was on my mind after an e-mail from a customer; I had copper chain and wondered just how Swarovski's crystal copper crystals would look with the metal. The result: the charm bracelet below with Swarovski large crystals, flowers, and butterfly. I will pair these two up again most definitely!

I can be subtle; the jasper bracelet above is beautiful with swirls of greyish-purple, mauve, and colour mixtures that I can't think how to describe. Hmm, I sense a theme: more Swarovski crystals (tanzanite, this time) and a large lampwork bead by James Derrick Reeves. The addition of a small flat drusy only adds to the low-key beauty of the bracelet.
The huge lampwork beads below were meant to be put in a necklace. Their impressionistic quality reminds me of a Monet painting. Rose quartz and amethyst echo the colours in the lampwork; the only other addition is sterling silver - and that's the only other thing that this necklace needs.

The smoky quartz bracelet, above, is about subtle sparkle since every smoky quartz stone is beautifully faceted. Again, a bit of sterling silver is all that is necessary here.
Below is the opposite of the smoky quartz bracelet. Listen to the Warm (below) features vermeil, pink Peruvian opal, aquamarine, and yellow and orange carnelian. It's a crazy sort of bracelet, but then, it sums up my last week perfectly!
In keeping with the crazy week,if you go to the Cluny Grey Jewelry website, you will notice that while I have pictures posted of most of the pieces here, most do not have the prices or descriptions yet. Patience, they are coming!


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