Beryl Gemstones

I don't buy for myself very often but when I do it is often an impulse buy.  I recently bought these beryl semi precious gemstones with a view of making myself something with them.  Beryl is the generic name of aquamarine, morganite, heliodor, maxixe, goshenite and emerald.

Interestingly the dark green beryls are known as emeralds whereas the lighter tone ones are just called green beryl but aquamarine is still called aquamarine no matter the depth of the blue colour.  

 

I am happy that I have quite a few aquamarines on this strand.  I know they are only bead quality but they are aquamarines nevertheless!  Some have more clarity than others but the saturation of colour is pretty good on most of them.

The pink/peach stones are morganite and such soft and pretty colours.  Not too sure what I am going to make with these yet.  I shall have to put on my thinking cap.

Bunny Themed Necklaces

What is your best bunny?  Do you prefer the honey coloured bunny with the blue beads or the cream bunny with the green beads?  Are you naturally drawn to a particular colourway?

I have a few things lined up for my etsy shop including the necklaces above but something is preventing me from listing them.  I think it is a bit like stage fright - scared of being judged.   When I do put them in my shop though I will let you know.

It is blowing a gale here at the moment.  There are puddles in the conservatory and my husband is unwell.  It is very hard to keep spirits high.  I have spent many hours in making things this week.  Keeping busy to keep my sanity!

I hope you and yours are safe and well.  Spring will come again........................sigh........one day!

Just One More Necklace

 I just had to show one more necklace for the bunny lovers out there (Vivienne!)

I really enjoyed designing this necklace with a beautifully carved honey coloured quartzite rabbit as the main feature.  All the beads used are semi-precious and are made up of shell, sodalite, chalcedony and yellow faceted quartz.  The metal spacer beads are copper as is the chain and findings.

It looks very pretty on and very bohemian.  Imagine wearing on a warm spring or summer day, flowing skirts and flowers in your hair......................!

Plaited Necklace

Moving on from pretty but simple stranded necklaces, I have had a go at making multi-stranded plaited necklaces.  These are quite time consuming to make because of all the hundreds of gemstone chips they are made up of.  

This particular necklace is made of labradorite and rose quartz chips and faceted labradorite rounds.

A substantial piece of jewellery and cooling to the skin.

* I am sorry I haven't had much to say recently.  I have become quite introspective at the moment.  I know not everyone is into jewellery and gemstones and I will try to post something different next time.

Romantic Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is said to be the gemstone of love and romance and of friendship.  I used seven (an auspicious number) of faceted rose quartz ovals, two sizes of moonstone and silver tone seed beads to make up the necklace.

Here you can compare it against the aquamarine necklace that I featured yesterday.  They are both short necklaces and come just below the collarbone and look so much nicer against warm skin tones.

Both necklaces feature a twisted rope toggle clasp and sterling silver crimp covers at the ends. 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Some simple therapeutic stranding of necklaces has been required this week.  I delved into my gemstone collection and sorted out colours to make a rainbow necklace.  I am ashamed to say that I forgot what colours were in a rainbow and had to look it up. Red, Orange,Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

I selected gemstones to represent these colours, Rhodolite Garnet (Red), Carnelian (Orange), Citrine (Yellow), Peridot (Green), Sky Apatite (Blue), Iolite (Indigo), Amethyst (Violet).  Just working with all those rainbow colours really lifted my spirits.

Now I just need a pair of ruby slippers and all will be right with my World!

Pendants

 In between feeling rotten and fed up with having this cold, I have had moments of lucidity and creativity.  I made a couple of pendants using the gemstone blue chalcedony and copper wire.  I was quite happy with my attempts until my husband remarked that it just looked like I'd wrapped fuse wire around the gemstones!  I suppose he has a point but I was going for an organic effect and there WAS purpose in the designs.

 The second design has more structure with the coiled effect.

The stones really are quite large as you can see the comparison in size to my hand.  It is lovely working with these irregular shaped gemstones and copper wire as each design will be unique.

Social Media

I am having a hard time getting to grips with social media.  I love blogging but I really have not taken to facebook which is just as well as it is refusing my login at the moment.  I don't really understand it.  It feels so impersonal to me and I keep getting emails telling me that a friend of a friend had commented on a post etc. Why do I need to know that?   I tried to put a link to my etsy shop on facebook this morning but it put up the wrong photo with the link and then I didn't know how to delete it!  I really miss the camaraderie of blogging and feel that the blogging community is breaking down with so many bloggers defecting to facebook.  Please come back!

If my etsy shop doesn't pick up over the next few months I think I will stop trying to sell the things I make on line.  I may even keep them for myself!  I have considered doing an 'open house' for the neighbours to come and see/buy what I make but at the moment I just don't have the budget for buying more materials to make things with to put on a big display.  It is very difficult to know what to do for the best.

On my last post I mentioned some of the other bracelets I have been making.  The bracelets above are part of my 'transitional' range when we change over from one season into the next.  The idea is to wear the serpentine (or lemon jade as they are known in the trade) bracelets in the summer months when the slightly acid lemon compliments a sun kissed skin and then adding the dalmatian jasper as we cross over into the autumn months.  In the autumn the dalmatian jasper can be worn as a stand alone piece of jewellery that blends with the colours of the season.  They are so tactile and feel lovely worn against the skin.    Serpentine is supposed to aid in unblocking chakra's and removing stagnant energies and dalmatian jasper helps to decrease any disillusionment you may be feeling, and helps you to let go of the things that are no longer of value to you and encourages faith and loyalty in your relationships.  Whether or not you believe in the healing properties of the gemstones they are nice to look at and give a person a sense of individuality when wearing them.  I am sure that owners of dalmatian dogs would love a dalmatian bracelet!

Making Merrily in May

The garden projects will have to go on hold for the moment as it is far too cold and wet to be enjoyable.  Instead of being busy with beds in the garden, I have been inside getting busy with beads.  I have had so much pleasure in making gemstone bracelets and researching the folklore around the stones.  I have presented the beads in organza pouches with an information card and a positive affirmation attached to the ribbon outside.  I am hoping that they will prove to be a hit!  The stones above remind me of summertime but as the seasons progress I will be making jewellery that reflects the colours of the season.

If you want  more information about the above items then please do visit my etsy shop to see what is on offer.

Gemstone Jewellery

There is something special about working with natural gemstones.  The bracelets above are amazonite, moonstone and fluorite. Amazonite is said to be calming and enhance creativity, fluorite is for concentration and clarity of mind and moonstone is said to enhance intuition and promote inspiration.  I don't know if there is any truth in the folklore around the stones but I feel calm, creative, mindful and inspired when making things with them!  I will be putting the bracelets in my etsy shop sometime during next week. 

Charmed by Moonstone

Today I have been making some nature inspired charms using genuine moonstone, Lucite bell shaped beads and the most teeny of tiny leaping hares.  Just look at all the light that comes from inside the moonstone.  Beautiful!  I have threaded the charms onto organza ribbon but they can be added to any type of chain, ribbon or cord and worn as a pendant on a necklace.  I have used lilac, soft green and peach coloured beads that all complement the rainbow of colours that emanate from the moonstone.

If you would like to be the owner of one of the charms above then please leave a comment here stating your favourite semi-precious gemstone, flower and animal.  When I feel that I have enough respondents I will draw a name out of the hat or use the random number generator (if I can figure out how to use it!)

The only 'rule' I have about entering the giveaway is that you must have commented on the blog on a previous occasion.

Good Luck

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This Giveaway is now closed.  Thank you for entering!