Carnivale Necklace

No, I was not experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs the day I made this necklace.  I realize that the color combination is a bit wild for me, but I LOVE IT!

Hot pink chalcedony, golden honey colored chalcedony and bright orange carnelian.  It looks like candy at a carnival!  Click the photo to go directly to the listing in my etsy shop.

Rutilated Quartz ... to die for

The strand of briolettes that these 2 came from was amazing ... and these are the only 2 that made a pair.  I find that incredibly frustrating.  I guess many necklaces will follow.

These brios are quite large and I didn't want to cover much of their beauty, so I used the "large-hole-silver-bead" method of finishing them for earrings.  This method secures the bead and hides the wire wrapping above the bead without obscuring any of its beauty.  Plus it makes a nice little nest for the pearl to rest in.

These earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.  Click on the photo to go directly to the listing.

Matte Finish Chalcedony

I must admit that I don't really understand these beads, but I knew I had to have them as soon as I saw them.  They are honey colored chalcedony with a matte finish.  I have no idea how they do that and I didn't think to ask at the time of purchase.

While making these earrings, I was about to attach the drop to the earwire, when I thought "booooring".  Then I had a stroke of brilliance -- it happens so rarely.  I added that beautiful vermeil spacer to the mix.  Wow, I thought, that looks great!  It adds to the warmth of the chalcedony and golden pearl and provides a nice contrast to the oxidized silver.

Just when you think you've run out of new ideas ......

Brand New Whiskey Quartz Earrings

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I love marquis shaped gemstone briolettes.  There's just something about the way they taper to a point at the bottom.  It is so very graceful and appealing to my eye.

These earrings feature whiskey quartz briolettes in that shape.  The color is like warm honey.  Working with that warm theme, I added a small briolette of orange-y mandarin garnet alongside each one.

These earrings are for sale in my etsy shop.  Click on the photo to go directly to the listing.

Golden Citrine

The citrine briolettes featured in these earrings were purchased at the Bead Shack in Anchorage. They are incredibly clear and smooth. I'm usually attracted to faceted gemstones, but these just spoke to me.

I've suspended them from a short length of sterling silver chain. From each link, I've added a gemstone, alternating iolite rondelles and peridot briolettes.

This color combination is regal and also makes me think of spring!

Click on the photo to be taken directly to the listing in my etsy shop.

Little Earrings

Some women like large earrings that make a statement and some prefer smaller, simple earrings that are more subtle. Here are 3 pairs of earrings that fit that second criteria.

This first pair features some small garnet briolettes that I wrapped (messy style!) with sterling silver wire. The garnets are diamond shaped and are highly faceted for maximum sparkle. These deep red garnets are perfect for the holiday season.

These citrine earrings are very similar to the garnets. The stone has a similar cut, but I've wrapped the briolettes in a slightly neater fashion.
The last little pair I'd like to share features some of my favorite pearls. I purchased these little teal coins in HUGE volume (don't ask) because I loved them so much. Here, I've topped them with a small sterling silver bead and an aqua colored crystal. Swarovski calls this color "Indicolite", which is the name of torumaline when it occurs in a blue-ish color.
All of these earrings are for sale in my etsy shop. Remember, all items are shipped USPS Priority and are packaged for gift-giving.

Lampwork Earings

I started with lovely lampwork beads from Deronda Designs. They are of and indescribable golden hue, with touches of aqua and soft pink. Emerging from the bottom is a collection of glass beads in coordinating colors, including some tiny aqua colored vintage glass beads.

These earrings are 1 1/2" (3.6 cm) from the bottom of the sterling silver leverback earwires. They are available for sale in my
etsy shop.

Striped Lampwork Earrings

These artisan lampwork beads feature stripes in shades of golden yellow and cinnamon-y orange. I have surrounded them top and bottom with amber beads.

From below hangs a chain: each link of the chain holds a bead of amber, ranging in color from a rich, buttery yellow to a pale honey color, finishing with warm cinnamon. Some of the amber is transparent, some is translucent and some are completely opaque.

All of the silver is sterling. Length from the bottom of the leverback earwires is 1 3/4" (4.5 cm).

Clusters!

I recently created a series of pendants using some of my larger beads. Finding new ways to use these larger components has been a challenge for me. Here are the latest creations in this voyage of discovery.

I love the minty blue-green of amazonite. This large bead is top-drilled and is softly faceted. The cluster above is made up of freshwater pearls, Peruvian opals, apatite rounds and white cupped keshi pearls.
The deep pink stone is a sapphire --- yes, they come in many colors besides blue. I have topped it with golden freshwater pearls, garnets, smooth ruby rondelles and citrine rondelles. The red and gold color combination has a regal feel.

Grand Entrance - The Necklace

This is one of the newest items I've posted to my Etsy shop. The assemblage of items includes a brass escutcheon, an antique skeleton key, an amber glass leaf, a small Swarovski flower bead and my favorite vintage glass bead -- it's the amber colored twist. The chain is brass and is finished with a simple hook clasp. Enjoy!