Friday, July 30, 2010

Aquamarines, rubies, and Swarovski Crystals

Isn't It Charming? Aquamarines, rubies, and Swarovski Crystals


I am a great fan of charm bracelets. I personally prefer them in gold with weighty charms, some encrusted with gemstones; they are especially endearing when the charms have been collected over a long period of time and have a special or sentimental value for the wearer. The charm bracelet above is gold and has gemstones, but compared to those sentimental trinkets, it was put together rather quickly. Still, my favorite gemstones are in here, and the bracelet is rife with 14 karat goldfilled components so that it gives a nice golden glow on a wrist.
Below is a combination I'm quite fond of. Swarovski crystals in mocca, golden shadow and Indian sapphire combine to make this Swarovski crystal bracelet a real "shiner"! I've mixed it with 14 karat goldfilled accents to complement the colours of the crystals - and best of all - I made 2 of these! They are quite fetching when worn together for maximum sparkle (see the next picture). The first bracelet has larger elements than the second, but, boy, do they look great together!


Below, I so enjoy creating with aquamarines, especially when they are the true aqua blue colour. The aquamarine bracelet below is a true aqua blue; it would be a simple bracelet, but the special reticulated Bali beads of sterling silver and the many little aquamarine charms going around the bracelet give it a special status beyond simple. All sterling silver, of course!
I'm still working with rubies and have two offerings today: a sterling silver ankle bracelet with rubies for some lucky girl, and a pretty ruby bracelet with 14 karat goldfilled elements that is the epitome of simple elegance. It's small enough to be worn everyday, elegant enough to wear when you are dressed up!Yes, I'm working hard and will have more to blog about soon. Meanwhile, stay cool, but enjoy the summer days. I'm hoping to go kayaking on the Potomac tomorrow!



Ruby: The July Birthstone

Rubies are wonderful! Most of the rubies that I get are an opaque colour and usually a dark red or a pinkish red. I wish that I could find more rubies in different sizes (especially larger sizes) and shapes, but I do jump on any opportunity to get some that look out of the ordinary.
Rubies belong to the corundum family of gemstones and are generally the most valuable of that type. They register a 9 on the Moh's scale (with ultimate hardness a 10), so they are a perfect gemstone for jewelry. Almost every ruby is enhanced in some way (unless you are dealing with very rough natural stones), and you can assume that most rubies are heat-treated.
The lore surrounding rubies is legend. Rubies are believed to be able to ward off evil, to protect health, and to imbue a warrior with strength and courage. A ruby under the pillow is supposed to ward off nightmares (I love that one!) And of course rubies represent romance and passion to this day.
The first ruby bracelet features a hexagonal ruby at its center and lots of sterling silver as well as a ruby cabochon bezel-set in the toggle clasp. The ruby bracelet, below, is quite simple and symmetrical. Below the bracelet are three pairs of ruby earrings featuring shield-shaped rubies, faceted rondelles (with great drum-shaped sterling beads), and smooth teardrops.
Lapis bracelets
, below, are as deep and intense blue as the ruby bracelets and earrings are red. The first lapis bracelet is an especial favorite since it features 2 strands of variously shaped lapis stones and a Karen Hill Tribes strand dangling sterling silver charms. The second lapis bracelet features large, beautifully coloured lapis nuggets, smoothly polished and matched perfectly to some lampwork beads I commissioned from artist Robin Weber. Its pretty bird clasp makes it really special!

Stay cool, and stay tuned; my family, including my darling grand-daughter have left the country to be abroad. I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands!



The First Day of Summer!


Summer and the Sea


How Does Your Garden Grow?

I haven't been to my house in Arkansas this May; instead, I've stayed in the city with my baby grand-daughter. I have missed the flowers of Arkansas although I really prefer the city. My yard in Arkansas, both front and back, is filled with my favorite peonies, a pale pink with a gorgeous smell. The flowering privet has a fragrance that I can lingers all over the property and the privet itself hums with the activity of harmless bees. A climbing rose covers two stories of the entire back of our garage - white roses with a pale pink tinge to them. Hydrangeas are in the front, the blue ones with their little clusters of petals and huge snowball like blooms. May truly blooms in Arkansas, and the "April showers bring May flowers" is an apt saying there.
Here my "flowers" are beads that I put together in jewelry. They do lack scent, but they make up for that by never fading and keeping their colour and shape forever. When I combine the beads and components into a piece of jewelry, it's as though I have a vase of fresh flowers that will last forever!
I'm working a lot with coral as the days get much, much longer. Above and below are two coral necklaces, one with dark coral "fingers" alternated with freshwater pearls and borosilicate lampwork beads and one with red coral and gold. Below that is a blue coral bracelet mixed with sterling silver sea charms and beads and Thai Karen Hill Tribes chain.


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