Chisca!!

Another stone for me to fall in love with! This time it's muscovite: a relatively soft stone but with great sparkle! And sparkle does it for me! In the bracelet above (if you're not familiar with the gemstone) the muscovite is the purplish stone with flecks; there are ovals and rectangles - all smooth. Oh, but that sparkle, like little pieces of glitter stuck beneath the surface! The colour of muscovite reminds me of biting inside a ripe plum (the colour - I'm not chewing on the muscovite). I really like this bracelet, and not just because of the muscovite. I like the faceted Cape amethyst nuggets, the half strand made of opal-lined glass beads, the little rectangular charm from the Karen Hill Tribes that hangs from it, and of course the lampwork beads: the larger by James Derrick Reeves and the smaller by Burt Gumeson (my 2 favorite lampworkers). If it doesn't sell (it's up for auction on Ebay this week), I'm thinking about keeping it for myself.

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The Challenge of Polymer Clay

Along with making my regular jewelry, I have been playing with polymer clay, a very interesting medium that is fascinating to work with because of the ability to blend or swirl colours. The top pendant was just a colour experiment - I love the metallics, so I always have to introduce the copper, gold, or silver in with it. The next piece is my first attempt at making a rose; I made the rose, and fired it, but haven't yet sanded or smoothed it or coated it with a gloss. Keeping fingerprints and nail prints out of the finished product I see will be a problem already, especially if I can't sand them out. How do others get the finished product to look so perfect?

The next piece is actually two pieces blended into one bracelet. First, I am interested in chain maille, so the chain part of the bracelet was an experiment that ended happily I thought with mixing different rings together. Then I made the stone part of the bracelet in response to another Forum challenge at Art Jewelry magazine: my colours were soft blue, apricot, and lavender. Blue lace agate served for the soft blue, large freshwater pearls and sunstone for the apricot, and Cape amethyst for the lavender. When I combined it with the chain maille, I was quite happy with the result and felt I had risen to the challenge.

The final bracelet is one I made thinking about the crisp navy blues of Spring - especially navy mixed with white. The rainbow moonstone I used has tons of flash, and I adore iolite. I also like double strand bracelets a lot. So i was rather satisfied with this bracelet as well. Not a bad week for jewelry!

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Aquamarine: March's Birthstone

Aquamarine is a very popular stone named because of its colour (from Latin "water of the sea") which is actually caused by iron. It is a member of the beryl family (like the emerald)with a Moh's hardness of 7 1/2 to 8.
Sailors often wore amulets or talismans of aquamarine since they believed that it would protect them on ocean journies and repel sea monsters.
Aquamarine symbolizes friendship and also represents the astrological signs Gemini, Aries and Pisces.
Some believe that aquamarine will help with breathing problems and eye illnesses, and will cure the hiccups (how it does this I don't know!). Emotionally, aquamarine is believed to ease depression, grief, and rejuvenate love.
The most important deposits are in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Aquamarine can also be found in china, Australia, Burma, India, Kenya, Madagscar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the USA.
I like mixing aquamarine with lampwork (as you can see above). Aquamarine is also gorgeous with sterling silver.

I have more aquamarine on my website and Ebay store Studio G and on my website: Cluny Grey Jewelry.
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Inspiration and Perspiration or What Is Necessary To Make Jewelry

ERBLÜHENDE KATZE BLOMSTRENDE KATT BLOOMING CAT Hehkeys Katti
If the colours in this bracelet look unusual for me, it's because they were given to me as a challenge by the ART JEWELRY MAGAZINE FORUM (thanks Karlarei!) The bracelet includes lampwork beads, jade, and yellow calcite as well as sterling silver.

I love these challenges since they wake me up and force me to put things together that I would have shied away from before. If you make jewelry,even casually, but love to do it, try a colour challenge (or some other kind of design challenge) with other jewelrymaking friends - remembering to let them tell you what you must attempt. The results may surprise you!I am still entranced with amazonite and with ocean jasper (found off the coast of Madagascar; hmmm... there is a water theme there) and so I combined them both with some lampwork beads (by James Derrick Reeves, one of my favorite lampworkers). The faceted amazonite and the smooth ocean jasper beads are a delight to work with.

I've been trying to use up my stock of chrysoprase (so I can buy more, I guess) and green beads in preparation for Saint Patrick's Day. I especially like the way the earrings turned out with the green onyx bezel set at the bottom and the little dangles below. You can't really see them very well in this picture though. One of the charms is a bright sterling silver Karen Hill Tribe orchid - I adore these filigreed flower pendants/charms. Of course, I think that Karen Hill Tribe is some of the best silverwork in the world!

Before one of the Forum challenges, I hadn't touched my rhodonite for a while although I love working with faceted rectangles, ovals and carved beads and I had all of these in rhodonite. The Forum made me go back to the rhodonite container and check out all the beads. I also love leopardskin jasper - a stone that looks so wonderful you would almost think that someone had painted the pattern on - but it is natural. I put these two together and I like them so much that I am going to have to make a set for myself with gold or vermeil.
Most of the jewelry here is up for auction on Ebay this week (check cluny grey or user id: chloemarie99). It's also on the Cluny Grey website.
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Hail from Hot Springs

I'm working at my sister's house in Hot Springs this week because of a family member's hospitalization. I really thought it would be difficult to work here. Not so. I've made 11 pieces in the few days since I've been here. One is this fluorite and lampwork bracelet and earrings set. The lampwork is by James Derrick Reeves and goes wonderfully with the fluorite. The earrings have purple fluorite teardrops with slight lines running through them. Actually the only thing about working here is getting my pictures done and online. I have to use my digital camera, put them on my laptop, edit them, save them to a disk, then pull them up on her computer - it's a bit more difficult than it sounds.
My next bracelet (I just made matching earrings, but don't have a photo to upload yet) consists of lampwork beads, citrine, amazonite and a second strand chain made of smooth and twisted rings as well as filigree pieces. Amazonite looks so beautiful with yellow that I'm tempted to keep making jewelry these colours over and over. (I must restrain myself). These 2 pieces are for auction on Ebay this week: look for clunygrey or user id: chloemarie99 . I'll get some more pictures up soon, I hope, and I may be able to go home in a few days, or even this weekend.

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Moon Gold & Sea Shimmer

I am a total fan of gold; I suppose I will always love it. The bracelet above is a celebration of gold with lots of vermeil (24k gold layered over sterling silver) and exquisite lentil lampwork beads that have metallic gold swirled richly throughout. The faceted nuggets are rainbow moonstones from Spain. The earrings are also made of the same beautiful lentils. I made this just because I really like it. I really don't sell very much gold since sterling silver is the rage. Gold is supposed to be making a big comeback in the fashion world - I can't wait! My dream is to work with pure gold and precious gems.
The second bracelet I created as the result of Art Jewelry Magazine's Forum Colour Challenge. The colours given to me were light and dark topaz, silver, and French rose. What I love the most about this bracelet featuring rhodonite, lots of sterling silver, and smoky topaz are the vase shaped Botswana agate beads that are a pinkish-taupe colour. In fact, I liked them so much that I made a pair of matching earrings using them.
Chrysoprase and lampwork beads from James Derrick Reeves are punctuated by 3 large charms in the middle of the bracelet. The sterling silver "S" clasp has a very detailed rose on it.
I've made several of these mother of pearl bangle bracelets; I don't know what I'm going to do when I run out of this lot of mother of pearl. The size of the rounded rectangles and the wonderful gleam and shimmer and colours in these pieces are just phenomenal. Little keishi pearls are at the ends of this bracelet beside the hook clasp.
These pieces will be up for auction on Ebay this week; check for Cluny Grey or user id: chloemarie99 .
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Busy! Busy! Busy!

I've been very busy making bracelets (among other things) with earrings to match. The first bracelet features faceted nuggets of pietersite, sterling silver, and lampwork beads by James Derrick Reeves in a blue and tan. The bracelet has 2 strands: one main strand with heavy gemstones and the lampwork , and a second strand that is a chain with little pietersie charms and Karen Hill Tribe flower charms. The matching earrings featuring matching lampwork beads and faceted pietersite rounds as well as more sterling silver.
Ahhh, red, just in time for Valentine's Day. Deep red carved jasper beads, faceted carnelian rondelles, and one of the most beautiful silver-laced lampwork beads are combined with lots of Turkish and Karen Hill Tribe sterling silver. The matching earrings have the carved jasper rounds, special ruffled sterling silver Tahi beads with dangles, and carnelian.
Sea Shimmer: mother of pearl ovals and a large round, Turkish sterling silver accents, keishi pearls in a lovely silvery grey, and the sparkling silver laced lampwork beads by Annie Divilbliss all shimmer in this bracelet. A second strand is made up of swirled filigrees and large sterling silver rings. The pretty sterling silver "S" clasp closure with a rose on top is from the Thai Karen Hill Tribe. The matching earrings are made from keishi pearls and mobe pearls turned on their sides.
Saffron Spice: It is a portent of the summer to come: hot and spicy with a touch of light turquoisey-blue. The beads are yellow calcite and genuine citrine. The second strand are Karen Hill Tribe sterling silver bamboo beads with a floating charm or gemstone dangle hanging from it. The matching earrings are calcite hanging from curvy chandeliers.
Carnelian and red agate complement wonderful borosilicate beads that have a lovely shade of blue and a peachy orange in their depths. A little red agate turtle adds an amusing touch. The second 1/2 strand consists of curvey filigrees and large sterling silver rings linked together. The matching earrings are made of red agate ovals that have a beautiful carved design. This one is really special!


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