The Mystery Stone

I saw this lone strand unmarked and loved it immediately. I didn't know what it was or how much it cost, but I really wanted it. When I asked the dealer more information about it, he wasn't sure either; but finally decided that it was Spectrolite. I think he was completely wrong. I purchased this gorgeous strand of mystery gemstone anyway. I know I'll find wonderful things to create with it, but I'm hoping someone can tell me what it is.

Sneak-Peak Tuesday: New Gem Purchases

I missed last week's Sneak-Peak Tuesday. This post was actually supposed to be last week's post, but I was a little procrastinator in getting my pictures transfered from the camera to the computer. Oops!

I went to a gem show last weekend, which any gemstone user can attest to it's dangerous nature. There was a strand of large london blue topaz 3D cubes that were stunningly perfect....the 8 inch strand was over $400. It unfortunately did not come home with me, but here are a few pictures of the stunning gems that did.

Pink Amethyst, Rhodolite Garnet, Moss Amethyst, Multi-Spinel, Mystery Stone, the most stunning Beer Quartz I've ever seen, Champagne Citrine, White Topaz

Beer Quartz, Champagne Citrine, White Topaz, White Moonstone, Tourmalinated Quartz, Grey Moonstone, Labradorite

up close views

Very Exciting!!!

Sneak-Peak Tuesday ... A Very Sultry Necklace

This is a project that hasn't been started yet, but I have all of the materials to do it and it's planning has taken months. When finished it will emit a very moody, sultry attitude; but will be amazingly sparkling. It's stones will be grey moonstone, champagne citrine, gem quality australian opal, andulasite, shaded brown zircon, color changing garnet, with a show-stopper of a focal: an amazingly perfect, large dark-grey tahitian pearl. The stones will be linked together in a beautiful way by oxidized fine and sterling silver.

Feature From An Etsy Friend

One of the things I love about Etsy is that it is not just an online marketplace for made-by-hand treasures, it really is a community also. I love how Etsy has created a venue that contains so many applications for sellers (and buyers) to help and encourage one another. In the Fall of 2008, after I began listing some of my jeweled creations in my Etsy store I made a connection with another fairly new Etsy seller named Jen of Polestar. She was starting to experience really great success on Etsy and her simple, yet amazing jewelry designs were picking up a lot of exposure. Through the months since then, we have shared positive emails, kind words, and featured one another's work through Etsy treasuries from time to time. We are both great fans of one another's work and it is evident that we have similar tastes.

I was recently blown away to see Jen's sales numbers reaching over 850 (now over 900) and sent a little message to offer my congratulations of her hard-earned success. She was unfortunately having a personal struggle that day and I felt compelled to create a gift for her as a congratulations and a pick-me-up. When I asked for her address I didn't know what exactly I would create, but sat down that night and finished a most lovely necklace, using stones I knew she liked from a pair of earrings I had recently sold.

It really is so encouraging and empowering to see such great success as hers on Etsy and is completely motivating (for me at least) to know that I can do the same. I am so proud of her and I really wanted to bless her with a "knock-her-socks-off" kind of gift. Here are some of the gorgeous photos Jen took of the necklace I sent. How I wish I could send her all my designs to photograph!




She was quite blown away when she received it, and in response has written the loveliest blog entry about the experience and my shop. Here is a link the the blog article she wrote: Polestar Blog

I was really inpsired by this necklace and created another that is somewhat similar in idea, but different, for my Etsy shop . Here is a picture below of the necklace, called Lovely Lucia.

Sneak-Peak Tuesday (a few minutes late)

Today was a busy day surrounded mostly by tasks and activities pertaining to my lovely daughter Eva. We met with out-of-town friends at a park with a large play fountain, ate lunch out, and spent a bit of time at our central Portland library. Oh I must not forget that we spent A LOT of time searching for a certain pet mouse that is running loose in our house right now. Quite a day.

I do have new pictures of a bracelet that is nearly done for this week's Sneak-Peak Tuesday. It doesn't have a name yet, but I learned a few great lessons with this bracelet. It is a bit different in style than I usually do. I usually create a hand-fabricated chain of gemstones all interlinking together. I like this look a lot and I think it is more technically challenging and therefore less common of a style. With this bracelet pictured below, I wrapped gemstones to an existing chain. I found there are a few advantages to this. The largest advantage is that larger-sized stones can easily be used without making an overly chunky design. The design below features some lovely beer quartz rondelles that would have been a bear to use in a typical Faichild Designs bracelet. One of my lessons is that before I started, I had it in my head that the bracelet would take less time. I was wrong. It may be due to all of the perfect smooth prasiolite hearts that I wire wrapped to the chain, but this bracelet creation took about the same amount of time as my others. All it needs now is a clasp and a name and it's ready to be photographed for real. Below is a sampling, but I do look forward to seeing this design in my Etsy shop this week.