It's already that time of the year again, nearing Valentines Day. This is such a beautiful holiday, where people in love can reinforce their commitment and feelings to each other. This day everything evolves around love, red, strong sentiments, hearts, all these being symbols recognised by everyone in the world.
Some beautiful artisan handmade jewelry dedicated to Valentines can be found in my Dawanda shop. A beautiful Valentines' heart wrapped in sterling silver, superbly hanging on a silver chain for the more sophisticated.
Or what about for the even younger among us, with a new love just now blooming? This gorgeous carnelian red heart wrapped in silver, on a faux leather cord will be just right for your partner: not too expensive, but not cheap either. It shows no strong commitment to scare away your newly found partner, but at the same time displays sensitivity and emanates the feeling that you are interested.
Or if you don't care much about hearts, but want to offer something unique and full of mystery and intrigue, check out the silver pendant displayed here.
And coming back to hearts, here is a beautiful jasper heart, wrapped in sterling silver on a silver chain.
And I have an offer for you until Valentine's day: if you mention in your purchase note that you've seen this post which has redirected you to my shop, I will send your item airmail express, for a super fast delivery, at no additional cost.
Back
I'm finally back from holidays. Two great weeks together with my family, even saw my grandparents whom I haven't seen in the last 14 years. Sadly even two weeks are too short...
I took my Koil Kutter and a few silver coils with me, as my father has a dremel and I wanted to learn with his guidance how to cut coils (he is very good with everything technical, he's actually a sort of genious in his field, but about that at another time). To our big and sad surprise, the KK was not working with any of the 2 dremels and one Proxon that my dad had, even though one of them was exactly what Dave said it is working with (the exact model). After carefully measuring, dad told me that the saw, key and everything else is in inches, not in mm, so I got pretty upset that I spent around $100 for nothing. Dad didn't get discouraged and spent most of the day fixing my KK to work with European dremels. He had all the equipment at hand and made it for me, so now I can screw on the KK to my dremel and cut coils without a problem. Without my dad I couldn't have been able to even use the darn thing and most probably would have had to send it back to Dave or something.
Besides this major annoyance, all was well, and finally I could cut my coils much faster than with the jeweler's saw, which is great!
While on holidays, I managed to make a few pendants as I started to already feel withdrawal symptoms without making jewelry. Good that I took some of my tools and silver with me. Here is the result below.
I took my Koil Kutter and a few silver coils with me, as my father has a dremel and I wanted to learn with his guidance how to cut coils (he is very good with everything technical, he's actually a sort of genious in his field, but about that at another time). To our big and sad surprise, the KK was not working with any of the 2 dremels and one Proxon that my dad had, even though one of them was exactly what Dave said it is working with (the exact model). After carefully measuring, dad told me that the saw, key and everything else is in inches, not in mm, so I got pretty upset that I spent around $100 for nothing. Dad didn't get discouraged and spent most of the day fixing my KK to work with European dremels. He had all the equipment at hand and made it for me, so now I can screw on the KK to my dremel and cut coils without a problem. Without my dad I couldn't have been able to even use the darn thing and most probably would have had to send it back to Dave or something.
Besides this major annoyance, all was well, and finally I could cut my coils much faster than with the jeweler's saw, which is great!
While on holidays, I managed to make a few pendants as I started to already feel withdrawal symptoms without making jewelry. Good that I took some of my tools and silver with me. Here is the result below.
A peek of another one of our pendants that found a wonderful home! I love how Lisa used a single charm sized pendant as the focal point of this simple, every day wearable necklace. Check out more of her lovely jewelry at http://www.lstonedesigns.com/
Away for two weeks
Tomorrow I'm off for two weeks, going to Hungary to visit my parents, and then we all go to Romania (that's where I'm originally from) to visit our relatives whom I last saw over 14 years ago, when I was last in the country. I'm looking forward to the trip but also am worried about a few things. My grandmom is very ill, most probably on her deathbead, so I'm just hoping to get there on time to say goodbye before she leaves this world.
The weather is very cold over there, and I don't have enough warm clothes (since in Cyprus you don't need really warm clothes anyway), so I'm dreading this a bit as well.
I won't have access to the internet during this time, so I'm going to miss my online friends and jewelry making and book reading/trading forums that I usually frequent.
I'll take the camera with me and hope to get some nice pictures to post when I'm back end of January.
In the meantime, here is a quick bracelet I made two days ago, red agate and yellow-green turquise with sterling silver. I quite like it, it was fun and relatively fast to make - compared to the big pendants I was busy making during the last few weeks.
The weather is very cold over there, and I don't have enough warm clothes (since in Cyprus you don't need really warm clothes anyway), so I'm dreading this a bit as well.
I won't have access to the internet during this time, so I'm going to miss my online friends and jewelry making and book reading/trading forums that I usually frequent.
I'll take the camera with me and hope to get some nice pictures to post when I'm back end of January.
In the meantime, here is a quick bracelet I made two days ago, red agate and yellow-green turquise with sterling silver. I quite like it, it was fun and relatively fast to make - compared to the big pendants I was busy making during the last few weeks.
New pendant
Here is a piece I've been working the whole Sunday and made the finishing touches last night. I see better wrapping here, but boy I did manage to hide the gorgeous shell in all my zealous working, lol! I guess it's like when you learn to drive, you can't focus your mind on everything, but on a few things at a time only: looking in the mirror at times, signaling when turning but also looking at the stop signs and don't forget the break and gas pedals!. Something's gotta be forgotten in the process! Once I'll be confident with the actual wrapping techniques, I'm sure I'll start to see the bigger picture and focus more on design...
Progress piece
I made today this pendant totally freeform. Hardly following any tutorial (just peeked at Remy's tute for the bail). Just went along with the wire where it took me. I see (of course) plenty of mistakes, but generally I think it's an improvement (?). Hubby said that this one's nice as well.It just takes so long time to make one - this pendant took me almost the whole day and it's hardly called 'elaborate'...not by the standards of the rainbow wrappers anyway, lol...
Aquamarine - as a mineral
| Aquamarine | |
|---|---|
 Aquamarine | |
| General | |
| Category | beryl variety |
| Chemical formula | Be3Al2Si6O18[1] |
| Identification | |
| Color | transparent (or can be translucent if included), greenish blue to blue green, typically light in tone[1] |
| Crystal system | hexagonal[1] |
| Cleavage | very difficult in one direction, almost never seen[1] |
| Fracture | conchoidal[1] |
| Mohs Scale hardness | 7.5 - 8[1] |
| Luster | vitreous to resinous[1] |
| Polish luster | vitreous [1] |
| Refractive index | 1.577 - 1.583 (+/- .017)[1] |
| Optical Properties | Double refractive, uniaxial negative[1] |
| Birefringence | .005 - .009[1] |
| Dispersion | .014[1] |
| Pleochroism | weak to moderate, blue and greenish blue; or different tones of blue with lighter tones associated with the optic axis direction [1] |
| Ultraviolet fluorescence | inert[1] |
| Absorption spectra | indistinct lines at 537 and 456nm. Depending on the depth of color, there is a strong line at 427nm.[1] |
| Specific gravity | 2.72 (+.18, -.05)[1] |
Composition
Aquamarine is a beryl with a hexagonal crystal structure and a chemical formula of Be3Al2Si6O18, a beryllium aluminium silicate mineral. It has a specific gravity of 2.68 to 2.74 and a Mohs hardness of from 7.5 to 8. Aquamarine typically is on the low end of the specific gravity range, normally at less than 2.7. The pink variety exhibits a high specific gravity of around 2.8. Refractive indices range around 1.57 to 1.58.
Locations of deposits
It occurs at most localities which yield ordinary beryl, some of the finest coming from Russia. The gem-gravel placer deposits of Sri Lanka contain aquamarine. Clear yellow beryl, such as occurs in Brazil, is sometimes called aquamarine chrysolite. When corundum presents the bluish tint of typical aquamarine, it is often termed Oriental aquamarine.
In the United States, aquamarines can be found at the summit of Mt. Antero in the Sawatch Range in central Colorado. In Brazil, there are mines in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Bahia. Zambia also produces nice aquamarine as well as Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya. Much of today's aquamarine is heated to give it a better color blue. The deeper the blue color, the more valuable the gem is considered.
The biggest aquamarine ever mined was found at the city of Marambaia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1910. It weighed over 110 kg, and its dimensions were 48.5 cm long and 42 cm in diameter.
Aquamarine is the official state gem of Colorado.
Culture and historical/mythical usage
- Aquamarine (along with Bloodstone) is the birthstone associated with March. It is also the gemstone for the 19th Anniversary.
- People in the Middle Ages thought that aquamarine could magically overcome the effects of poison.
- Ancient sailors traveled with aquamarine crystals, believing that it would ensure a safe passage, and guarantee a safe return; they often slept with the stones under their pillow to ensure sound sleep. They believed the siren’s (mermaid) fish-like lower body was made of aquamarine.
source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquamarine
New practice piece
This is what I've been working on last night. It took me about good 3 hours. Ton of mistakes in this one, the bail is too long, the actual frame is not nicely shaped (shaped it by hand, not with a tool), but I'm keeping at it. That's why it's a practice piece, not one to sell :)Picture showing front and back.
Here's another lovely felt bag by Carole of Thistle Wool WorksCarole's description states that the pendant is attached to a small, handwoven amulet, filled with thyme. The "fringes" are actually crottle-(a lichen)-dyed fleece locks, needle-felted onto the felt bag.
I think it's beautiful! What a neat way to see my ceramic pendants in use.
First Wire sculpture practice piece
So this is what I've been working on the last two days. I call it 'The Monster'. Coz it is.I have Remy's wire sculpture pendant tutorial, and after drolling over the metalworkers.org pieces, I just had to try it. It turned out really ugly (as you can see), but boy did I learn a lot in the process, about coiling wire, wrapping, making a bezel, setting a non-drilled stone...
Now that is finished, I'll take it slowly, with less 'elaborate' pieces, not only to learn more, but to also find my own style.
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