Thursday, January 22, 2009

Smoky Quartz ... Two Ways

This cut of smoky quartz has tremendous appeal. It' s large, it's twisted and it's faceted. What more could a girl ask for? These beads are perfect for earrings.

The first pair of earrings is brand new. Here, I've topped them with a loose cluster of tourmaline rondelles in various shades of green. They sit below sterling silver leverback earwires. The combination is both earthy and elegant. Click the photo to see the earrings from some different angles.earrings smoky quartz sterling silver oxidized faceted Too formal, too dressy, you say? How about these? The same beautiful smoky quartz beads, but with a completely different look. These earrings are much more casual. The circles are fine silver, which I fused from 16 ga wire. I handcrafted the earwires. In this case, oxidizing the silver adds to the casual look of these earrings.The takeaway message? Just because a gemstone is highly faceted and super sparkly, doesn't mean it can only be used for formal, dressy pieces of jewelry. Experiment with combinations and you might surprise yourself and your customers!

1 comment:

Shirley said...

I say have both!! One can't have too much jewelry! They are gorgeous!