Today: Sapphires and Cameo Necklaces

It is already September, and that means that the Cluny Grey Fall Collection comes out this coming week! September also means that the sapphire is the gemstone of the month. So for those of you looking for birthstone jewelry, or those who just love sapphires, above is a sapphire bracelet made with sapphires and sterling silver. And yes, even the golden yellow gemstones that you see is a sapphire as well! The sterling silver filigree and flowers makes this unique bracelet pretty and feminine. And below are sapphire earrings, also with sterling silver, that hang from leverbacks. Happy Birthday to all the Virgos and other September birthdays!

Below is an iolite bracelet made with the gemstone that is also known as the "water sapphire". In fact, some people actually prefer iolite to sapphires since it is easier to find less expensive iolites that have a translucent or transparent blue colour - especially in beads. This three strand iolite bracelet has a pretty true pink rose quartz faceted rectangle and a sterling silver toggle with freshwater pearls bezel set into the ends of the bar. The following 3 pairs of earrings are also made of the gemstone iolite; the iolite earrings include faceted rondelles of iolite, iolite coins hanging from sterling chandeliers, and faceted iolite nuggets hanging from sterling posts set with white freshwater pearls.

The rose quartz bracelet below features some of our favorite lampwork beads which have an incredible depth that isn't showing up that well on camera. The bracelet is punctuated by sterling silver Karen Hill Tribes charms and a single smooth emerald nugget.
Below is the latest antique style jewelry: first, a golden necklace with pretty rhinestones in a peridot colour that sparkle and shine; second, a silver art deco style pendant hangs from a silver chain and flashes small clear rhinestones surrounding a large Azores blue rhinestone.



Following are cameo necklaces (remember that these are made usually of plated metal). Below a blue cameo is surrounded by rhinestones and set in silver; a second fan-shaped piece has a single rhinestone. The cameo pendant hangs from an oxidized silver chain.
The gold cameo has 6 little rhinestones set into the gold filigree. The cameo hangs from a gold and freshwater pearl necklace. Another gold cameo is set into a heavy metal bronze oval, surrounded by pearls and accented by three dark aqua rhinestones. This cameo necklace hangs from a freshwater pearl necklace also.


Immediately below, a silver cameo with a single tiny rhinestone on the neck of the cameo.
CLUNY'S NEW FALL COLLECTION OF JEWELRY WILL BE FEATURE ON THIS BLOG ALL THIS WEEK! STAY TUNED!

Always FREE SHIPPING with purchases over 50.00; 1.95 under 50.00.

The Fall Collection IV: More Colour!

The first two pieces today, top and bottom, will be listed under chalcedony jewelry on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. The chalcedony necklace above is a single strand necklace featuring faceted nuggets of aqua chalcedony along with the prettiest faceted coins of a strong pink chalcedony, Bali sterling silver and the unique lampwork beads of Suzette Celestin. The lampwork picks up the aqua and pink and adds a creme colour to the mix as well. The necklace would look great against a dress or blouse in one of the season's hottest neutrals, a deep creme with a touch of brown called creme brulee.
Below, more chalcedony, this time faceted nuggets of a golden yellow chalcedony that positively glow! The only silver: the tiniest Karen Hill Tribes silver beads, barely noticeable, between the beads, and the pretty sterling toggle clasp. Why? Because the nuggets themselves are so beautiful and so strong in colour, I wanted a very gemmy look for the bracelet, a look that calls for very little silver. This is a simple nugget bracelet with a lot of impact!
One of the Fall 2009 season's colours is "rapture rose." It is a colour that is epitomized by the rhodonite bracelet that you see below - a strong but soft deep pink or rose colour. Sterling silver and two borosilicate artist's lampwork beads add a dash of different colour to the bracelet which consists of two strands of different shapes and sizes of rhodonite gemstones. If rose is not your colour or you can't afford to add this colour to your wardrobe right now, this is a perfect way to get a dash of the colour! Rhodonite is a matte gemstone making it suitable for daytime or nighttime wear, so the bracelet is quite versatile - it also looks great with the iron grey that is one of the most popular neutrals this Fall.
The last two jewelry pieces are a necklace and bracelet and both feature blue. Above, the simple sapphire necklace is made entirely of blue sapphires with the addition of a focal dichroic that sparkles in natural or artificial light. (It's also this month's birthstone).
The last piece is a double strand bracelet that features amethysts and kyanite. Very special lampwork beads add a magical touch to the bracelet and the geometric toggle with the amethyst cabochon keeps it from looking too froufrou.
Next: See more from Cluny's Fall Collection 2009 in a couple of days! There is still more colour to come!

A Few Bracelets Before Fall

Today had a coolness in the air despite the bright sunshine; a portent of Fall. And I'm working on the Cluny Grey Fall Collection still! Remember that I will start posting from the Fall Collection on Labor Day.
Meanwhile, here are some bracelets that haven't made it to the website yet, and that I will price in the next two days. If you want to know when these are available to buy, go to the end of this post and sign up for my Twitter feed. I don't tell you when I'm having coffee - or really much of anything except when I've made a new bracelet or other piece of jewelry and/or posted it on the website so that it is ready to purchase. I didn't see the point of Twitter personally until I realized that I could use it to announce each new piece that I made for those customers who want to see what's new, but don't have time to scan 100+ pages of the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. And several times people have called me or e-mailed me to reserve something that they had seen here on the blog before I got it posted. So this gives you first chance at finding the perfect piece to complement your wardrobe!
Today's offerings (these have not been priced on the website yet, but I will tweet when I price them): the first two bracelets are both predominantly sapphire and will be found on the Sapphire Bracelets page. The first bracelet features a large pink chalcedony nugget and a borosilicate lampwork bead. The second bracelet is from the Raj Collection and has genuine rubies and 14k goldfilled accents..
Directly above are two Aquamarine Bracelets . Aquamarines surround a flat smooth rectangle of fire agate in the top bracelet, all accented with vermeil ; in the bottom one, faceted aquamarine nuggets are punctuated by a single nugget of amethyst. The accents here are sterling silver.
The last bracelet on the page is made of tourmalines - two strands of varying sizes ranging from smooth nuggets to small faceted hearts. You will be able to find it on the Tourmaline Bracelets page.

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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.

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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