Fashion Accessories: Summer Stones, Winter Jewels

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Summer Stones, Winter Jewels

When I mix gemstones for bracelets, I mix because of a paradigm that I've adhered to for quite a while. I see many gemstones in terms of season. That may sound stupid, but I simply can't help it, and if you look at many of the jewelry pieces that I design, you can see this particular mind-set of mine at work. First, let me say that I wear all gemstones at almost any time of the year - this is something that happens when I'm creating. And, let me add that the precious gemstones that I use: ruby, sapphire, and emerald seem to me to be seasonless - that is, they can be for the hottest day of summer or the coldest of winter, but with certain other coloured stones, I have a definite prejudice!
Above you see one example: a citrine bracelet with two strands of citrine and silver; now, that is definitely a summer bracelet as is the aquamarine bracelet that you see below:

Of course, the link is easy, you think: sea and sun! But if you look at the rainbow moonstone bracelet below because of the white (beneath the blue flash) most people would think of summer. Not I! Rainbow moonstone is a winter stone; I have the same idea about labradorite jewelry. I attribute it to the blue flashes that they have that always remind me of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights and conjure up visions of snow, reindeer in Lapland, the icy lands of Norway and Finland.

Sunstone is one of those stones that reminds me of hot summers - and also, hot days of Autumn, before that first chill sets in. It truly is a warm stone. And as one might think, when I mix pastel colours largely for one of my unique bracelets, it usually turns out to be a summer bracelet.

So what season is the peacock blue apatite and sunstone bracelet? The addition of the dark peacock blue makes it seasonless, adding the cool tones of winter to that hot summer sun. I've also de-seasoned a bracelet with labradorite as well - adding some aquamarine for summer and balancing the two stones with amethyst (which I think of as Fall and Spring)and a couple of dichroic beads for extra sparkle. To make the top citrine bracelet Fall-worthy, I would probably add some ocean jasper to it.
I know that some designers prefer to consult a colour wheel, but we all design in our own way - and sometimes in a way that perhaps makes sense only to one person.