When I first got this stone in hand, I knew it was something I wanted to keep for myself (I’m a big fan of purple, AND labradorite. Didn’t know it came in purple!!) I made this alongside the labradorite demi-parure in June 2015; a few pictures overlap.
This is the first demi-parure I’ve made (which is just a fancy way of saying a matched set.) Set completed in labradorite and sterling silver, in June-July 2015.
“A parure is a full set of matching jewelry designed to be worn together en suite. A demi-parure is a less elaborate suite of jewelry with two or more pieces. The French in particular were known to have delighted in wearing formalized and elaborate suites and indeed, the term parure comes from the French verb, parer, meaning to adorn.”
— Antique Jewelry University
If you follow my Instagram, you’ve seen that I’ve been busy this summer, making jewelry. I’ve been meaning to repost those progress photos here for a while, but, well, here it is, September. (I need to repost my Fabrication 3 class photos, too.)
I’ve been making a lot of pendants, and now I’m trying my hand at some earrings. Rings are always happening, I can’t make enough rings. A lot of the stones I have now are more pendant-size, but there will still be a few rings in there. And at least one pair of earrings. Stay tuned. [Read more…]
Before I post new things, let me show you some jewelry pieces I made last summer and fall…
In August, I made two labradorite rings (one for me, one for a friend), and a labradorite cuff bracelet that I adore, for me. Very pleased with how these three came out!
I then had a two month hiatus while my local teacher was out of town. In November, I made two pendants, both turquoise: one was a commission from my friend Annie, using turquoise from a specific mine (Morenci); the other used Hubei turquoise from China, and is rather large. I may wear it if I can figure out an appropriately big chain for it (and work up the nerve.)
In addition to my hoard of gemstone photos found on the internet (I have gobs, I tell you… GOBS OF PHOTOS), I collect photos of jewelry I find inspiring. If I like the materials, the stones, the settings, or the style, I file it away for later oggling. (I oggle a lot. I think oggling is sorta standard, in the gem and jewelry industry.)
Earlier this week, Sotheby’s auctioned off jewelry from the personal collection of Suzanne Belperron, a French designer who never signed her work (her style was her signature, she said.) A lot of things about her work appeal to me. It looks approachable, wearable; she mixes fine gems with common ones (a diamond set in a solid rock crystal ring, for instance, or the ring shown here, a sapphire set in blue chalcedony.) There’s something very clean, deceptively simple about her designs. I can dig it. (And I want this book on her work.)
I love this piece because it reminds me of my favorite strung bracelet, chock full of gems — my gems are certainly not as nice as these, but still! It looks like a happy bracelet, very fun to wear. And check out what’s on it:
Set with polished beads such as amethyst, pink tourmaline, citrine, emerald, sapphire and ruby, to an annular clasp partly decorated with rose diamonds, length approximately 185mm.
I love it, and if I were the winning bidder of this piece, I’d wear it every day! (Sadly, I’m not.)
Finally, this Ippolita Starry Night collection from late 2011 hits all my buttons: labradorite – faceted! Why faceted? There’s no reason to facet labradorite, but I love it! Also the crystal and geometric shapes, the celestial colors… and yeah, the name helps. What can I say? I’d happily wear the whole stack of bangles pictured below.
So the other night, I actually dreamed about gemstones:
I was in a big shopping mall — one of those indoor/outdoor galleria-type ones, upscale — in a hurry, trying to pick a flavor of ice cream to get. I was looking in a display case at the different flavors… but every time I looked, the case was full of gemstones, and not ice cream. (Are gemstones better than ice cream? Depends on the situation, I think.)
I vividly remember the chunk of labradorite I kept seeing in the case (not unlike this one I dug up on Google Images.) The stone was palm-sized, and had a lot of blue-green flash in it. Lovely to gaze upon, and to hold.
I also saw a pile of peridot crystals and gemstones, much like an image that arrived in my Gem-A newsletter the other day (thank you, subconscious, for bringing that one up.) I’ve had peridot on the brain, lately. More so than usual.
Those are the only two gems I remember, and I don’t think I ever successfully ordered any ice cream. Every time I tried to look at some uber-chocolate kind, it turned into labradorite.
Anyway.
I’m experimenting with a new WordPress theme this weekend, to see how it feels. (I may or may not stick with it.)
PS: What’s detritus, you ask? Geologically speaking, a rock made of random crap.
