A Tourmaline Ring Rebirth

Here's a ring I recently gave a new design and life to.  It was inherited, and my client wanted to do something different--something that would show off the large, hot pink stone to its full advantage.  This is what we started with--yellow gold simple band with prong setting surrounded by tiny diamonds:

A shot to show the scale of the stone--LARGE!!!

We discussed some of my bauble rings and reticulated jewelry and decided to design something along those lines.  This is the approved drawing of the ring--featuring a bezel set stone, reticulated band, silver bubbles, and diamonds:

And the finished ring!  It's truly spectacular!  I LOVE it!

A few additional shots to see the whole design.  My maker's mark stamped in the band, along with the year and sterling (upside down).

The stone is set in a fine silver step bezel with an open back to allow the light to pass through and reflect on the facets. 

A couple of little diamonds from the original ring are tube set among the bubbles. 

A success story for sure!

Heart Diamond Ring Story

One of my favorite things to do with jewelry is take something you own and don't wear and turn it into something you will.  I've been fortunate to create many pieces in this way for many people.  Just recently, I was working with a client who inherited some of her mother's jewelry and had promised she'd wear the diamond ring.  Unfortunately, mother and daughter's taste in jewelry was a little different.  But that's the wonderful thing about jewelry, take stones out of their current setting and new ideas are easy to imagine. 

Here's the original ring:

Yellow gold, asymmetrical in design, diamond baguettes, and a 4.72 ct heart shaped diamond.  The client wanted simple... classic... more "her."  I felt that was an easy goal to achieve. 

We came up with the design--a classic and pretty semi-mount, cathedral style band with a prong setting to hold the heart stone.  I worked with one of my contacts and used their cad system to create the ring design.  These are the computer generated designs:

After the ring came from the caster, it was time to put it all together.  There's an added level of anxiety that comes along with using a client's stones.  Often they are fragile and not replacable.  But, it's worth my stress to transform it. 

Nine small diamonds on either side were set first.

Then came the heart stone...and WOW!!!

A new contemporary classic! 
And she loved it! 
Thank you for the opportunity to create such an important piece of jewelry with deep meaning and lasting memories. 

Another amazing ring transformation to follow. 

Reticulation with Liver-of-Sulphur Patina

I love the look of reticulated metal and the jewelry I've made with it, but lately I've felt the need to play with it a little more.  So I thought it would be fun to really work with the texture by using liver of sulphur on the metal and then highlighting the baubles with a high shine.  The effect is wonderful!

This ring was the first experiment with the oxidizing effects of liver of sulphur and it's quite striking.  The apricot sapphire glows with the shine of silver surrounding it, while the blackened background sets a real mood. 

In this pin, I experimented with using less patina--I sanded away a lot of the black from the surface with steel wool, while allowing it to stay deep in the grooves of the highly textured surface.  I'm intrigued by the watery feel to this piece.

I'm loving this cuff!  The overlap, sprinkled peridot gemstones, and shiny baubles are set off by the blackened background.  I think this combination has a lot of potential and I'm eagerly looking forward to continuing with this new direction. 

Chandaliers --- Earrings that is.

They make a statement and are just plain fun!  I've been wanting to play with chandalier earring designs and finally had the time to play and create several pairs.  Here's the first pair:

Four tiny sterling silver daisies dangle alongside turquoise beads.  They wiggle and shake and are lighter than air to wear.

The second pair is simple, but oh so pretty:

Four tiny sterling silver daisies with centers, linked to eachother. 

Another playful pair features a larger daisy stud with dangling coral beads.  Sterling silver daisies dangle below.

And the final pair, for today:

Sterling silver graduated daisies with a little faceted blue chalcedony bead drop. 

Lots of fun new designs and lots more to come!

Inspirational Flowers

What an amazing time of year!  There are shades of green that you only see now, so I took the opportunity to walk around the yard and capture the colors and flowers of spring. 

The azalea shrubs are coming into full bloom and look beautiful! 

I like the up close and personal shots of the flowers.   I can definitely see some new flower inspired jewelry in my future!

The crabapples have also popped with color.  And the bumble bees are happy! 

It's a wonder I get much of anything done during this time.  The gardens call to me daily and today I answered!  No studio creating today--today, my hands were deep in dirt and pulling out weeds.  A much needed break to soak up nature and to inspire and refill my well. 

And here's a sneak peak of what's coming up next--

  It's lady slipper season and there are LOTS more on their way. 

Enjoy the season!

Deliveries!

It's that time of year--I've been running around delivering jewelry to my retails shops to start the season!  Be sure to check out Rock Paper Scissors in Wiscasset, Casual Interiors in Boothbay Harbor, and Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor.  Lots of new designs and the series continuation of some of my favorites.  Next Saturday I'll be delivering to CRAFT in Rockland. 

Reticulated cuff with Umba sapphire at Rock Paper Scissors

Coral necklace at Casual Interiors

Hydrangea cluster earrings at Gleason Fine Art

MCA Master Craft Artist Award 2013

I am honored and pleased to have been asked to create the Master Craft Artist pin for 2013's recipient Theresa Secord, a Penobscot basket maker from Waterville, Maine.  As MCA Exective Director Sadie Bliss says, "Secord was selected for this award equally for a career of excellence in her own craft work as well as deep contributions to craft in Maine, specifically support of native basket makers.  The Maine Crafts Association is proud to join a long list of organizations and institutions, such as the Maine Arts Commission and First People's Fund, who have recognized how Secord's basketry, dedication, relationships, and arts administration skills have contributed to traditional craft in Maine and throughout the United States."

I decided to play with my reticulated series and split the pin to create negative space.  I also liked the idea of joining pieces to make a whole.  Here's how the pin came together:

I hope Theresa will respond to the textural surface design, along with the addition of the shiny silver balls and 10x8mm black lace agate. 

This is the back of the pin--highlighting the award and event.  Supporters of Theresa Secord, Maine Indian Basket Makers Alliance, and the Maine Crafts Association are invited to attend the award ceremony Thursday, May 9th, during a special reception at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.  The public is invited to attend the award presentation from 6:30-­‐7:30pm, which will include the pin presentation. 

I am truly honored to be a part of such a special event!