Posts

Showing posts from January, 2011

Bead Trends Magazine - January 2011

Image
  The highlight designer for the January Bead Trends Magazine is Lorelei Eurto .  Lorelei has a beautiful 11 page spread of her wonderful jewelry designs.  Be sure to pick up a copy. My design for January is called "Ice".  It was created with vintage crystals, Sari silk and sterling silver.     If you would like to submit to Bead Trends here is the August 2011 call for artwork!     You never know unless you try!  

Antique Tuesday - Victorian

Image
A touch of history ... Victorian parure in Classical style with ancient Roman coins, wire works and lotus. Fashion in the last quarter of the 19th century was strongly inspired by Etruscan archaeological finds and the Pompeii excavations. Combine this with the impact on the fashion of Egyptian motives caused by opening of the Suez channel in 1870 and then take a good look at this magnificent parure. We see original antique coins, skilfully elaborated filigree work, big red stones and stylized lotus flowers. circa 1880 - Retail Value $5,768 for the set It then becomes obvious that the jeweler who made this was not only an excellent craftsman but also very creative in combining the distinctive styles into a typical 19th Century Western European interpretation of different styles of ancient jewelry. To have the piece look even more authentic the good man in his enthusiasm incorporated no less then nine original ancient silver coins. The age of the coins is around a

And the winner is............

Image
Shannon C. For My Sweet Daughter Congratulations on winning the bracelet.

Earthenwood Design Team - Bracelet Give-a-way

Image
Earthenwood Design Team     Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio has formed her own design team and I am proud to be apart of this fabulous group of designers.   Andrew Thornton Gaea Cannaday Erin Prais-Hintz  Erin Siegel Heather Powers Lorelei Eurto   Lori Anderson Jean Yates Marie Dodd  Lauren from Laurel Moon Kristie from Colliebug and Company     This months theme is "Cabin Fever".  Melanie sent us lumber components.  I decided to make a bracelet and I am giving it away on my blog.      To win the bracelet all you need to do is leave a comment with your email address.  I will announce the winner on Monday, January 23.   Good Luck! 

Antique Tuesday - Victorian

Image
Victorian  Combo Jewelry This week for Antique Tuesday I am featuring Victorian combination pendant/brooch jewelry.    Circa 1880 - Retail Value $5,058 The 1880 Griffin brooch/pendant above shows how the clasp actually unscrews to transform into a pendant.       Circa 1890 - Retail Value $2,862    In this Victorian diamond rose cut piece the bale folds up to be worn as a pendant or down for a brooch. Circa 1850 - Retail Value $7,920 Thanks to a discreet placed system in the back, the parts that enable this jewel to be worn as a brooch or pendant can be easily switched. Once again, I would like to thank Adin Fine Antique Jewelry for use of their photos and information.  Please visit their site for more examples. 

Free Projects at Michaels.Com

Image
    Bead Gallery Beads Michaels Craft Store     I wanted to share with you a few free projects I designed that are now listed on Michaels.com .  All materials for these necklaces can be purchased at Michaels .  The fabulous beads used in these designs are Bead Gallery beads manufactured by Halcraft U.S.A .  Please click the link for free project instructions.     River Stone Necklace       Amethyst Art Necklace     Night and Stars Silk Cord Necklace      Royal Iris Necklace      Aqua Dream Necklace   

Antique Tuesday - Victorian

Image
A touch of history ... Victorian gold archaeological-revival necklace attributed to Fontenay. Circa 1870 - Retail Price $33,548 The continuous uniform fringe decorated with beads, wirework and florettes of this necklace is typical for the work of Eugène Fontenay. A demi-parure of very similar design is illustrated in French Jewelry of the Nineteenth Century, Henri Vever, translated by Katherine Purcell, p. 643. and a similar necklace plus matching earrings were sold at Sotheby's for $52,000 (Important Jewels auction, New York, February 2008 sale N08410, lot 110).   Eugène Fontenay (1823-87) was one of the foremost goldsmiths in France during the second half of the nineteenth century. He was a great admirer of the ancient techniques of granulation and filigree, and became best known for his outstanding work in the 'archaeological' style. Fontenay was no doubt inspired by the Campana collection of ancient jewelery, acquired by Napoleon III in 1860, and his

A Jewelry Accord

Image
Please head over to the "A Jewelry Accord" blog to check out my interview and some of my new designs.  While you are there please click the follow button!  The book is due out in spring 2012. Here is a sneak peak at one of my designs. All of these new designs are listed in my Etsy Shop .

Antique Tuesday - Art Deco

Image
Please note this bracelet is Art Deco STYLE - Circa 1955 - Retail Value $30,733   The Art Deco style is a very famous and popular art movement that had a lot influence in the world of jewelry. Art Deco was introduced in the 1920s as protest against the Art Nouveau style. Art Deco ended in the 1930s. The style emphasized a very abstract design with geometric patterns and as most favorite colors: black (onyx), blue (sapphire), green (emerald), white (diamond) and red (coral). The baguette and emerald-cuts, which had been developed in the nineteenth century, where very popular in the 1920s because they blended so much with the geometrical lines of the Art Deco style .  Circa 1930 - Retail Value $2,606 Most of the Art Deco jewelry has a very luxury design. This is because of the large amount of money that was made in the war of 1914. All this money gave the opportunity to buy the best fashionable materials like: diamonds, platinum, red gold and yellow gold for the desig