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Art Nouveau Labradorite Pendant

March 9, 2019 By Danielle

Blue labradorite pendant with Art Nouveau-inspired bail, private commission, March 2019

Blue labradorite pendant with Art Nouveau-inspired bail, private commission. March 2019.

Blue labradorite pendant with Art Nouveau-inspired bail, private commission, March 2019

Blue labradorite pendant with Art Nouveau-inspired bail, private commission, March 2019

Blue labradorite pendant with Art Nouveau-inspired bail, private commission, March 2019

Blue labradorite pendant with Art Nouveau-inspired bail, private commission, March 2019

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, jewelry, labradorite, pendants

Electric Blue Labradorite Pendant

September 14, 2018 By Danielle

Electric blue labradorite pendant in fabricated sterling silver setting. September 2018.

Electric blue labradorite pendant in fabricated sterling silver setting. September 2018.

Electric blue labradorite pendant in fabricated sterling silver setting. September 2018.

Electric blue labradorite pendant in fabricated sterling silver setting. September 2018.

Electric blue labradorite pendant in fabricated sterling silver setting. September 2018.

Electric blue labradorite pendant in fabricated sterling silver setting. September 2018.

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, jewelry, labradorite, pendants

Green Labradorite Bespoke Ring

February 5, 2018 By Danielle

Green labradorite ring in fabricated sterling silver setting, gift. February 2018.

Green labradorite ring in fabricated sterling silver setting, gift. February 2018.

Green labradorite ring in fabricated sterling silver setting, gift. February 2018.

Green labradorite ring in fabricated sterling silver setting, gift. February 2018.

Green labradorite ring in fabricated sterling silver setting, gift. February 2018.

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, jewelry, labradorite, rings

Faceted Labradorite Slider Pendant

August 25, 2017 By Danielle

Faceted labradorite slider pendant, sterling silver, August 2017

Faceted labradorite slider pendant, fabricated in sterling silver, August 2017.

Faceted labradorite slider pendant, sterling silver, August 2017

Faceted labradorite slider pendant, sterling silver, August 2017

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, jewelry, labradorite, pendants

A Purple Labradorite Pendant

January 24, 2016 By Danielle

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.

Stones with bezels and decorative borders.

Bezels with backs cut out.

Pendant, ready to file and set.

Pendant, ready to file and set.

Set pendant, ready to polish.

Polished, oxidized pendant in the workshop.

Finished pendant in sunlight.

Another shot of the purple flash.

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, jewelry, labradorite, pendants

Labradorite Demi-Parure

January 23, 2016 By Danielle

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

The unset stones.

Stones with bezels and decorative borders.

Bezels with backs cut out.

Cut out and ready to file.

Finished pendant, ready to set.

Finished earrings, ready to set.

Polished  and oxidized earrings and pendant.

Finished earrings, with labradorite rondelles.

Finished necklace, with labradorite rondelles and sterling drops and chain.

Detail of finished necklace.

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: earrings, goldsmithing, jewelry, labradorite, necklaces

Just keep making.

September 13, 2014 By Danielle

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…]

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, jasper, jewelry, labradorite, pendants, rhodochrosite, rings, ruby, turquoise

Wayback Machine: More jewelry, more stones

January 13, 2014 By Danielle

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!

Labradorite cuff bracelet, sterling silver, August 2013 Labradorite rings, sterling silver, August 2013

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.)

Morenci turquoise pendant for Annie, sterling silver, November 2013 Hubei turquoise pendant, sterling silver, November 2013

Filed Under: Goldsmithing & Jewelry Tagged With: goldsmithing, labradorite, turquoise

Inspiration Book: Belperron, Ippolita

May 18, 2012 By Danielle

Jewels from the Personal Collection of Suzanne Belperron: Chalcedony and Sapphire Ring, circa 1935
Chalcedony and Sapphire Ring, circa 1935

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.)

Jewels from the Personal Collection of Suzanne Belperron: Gem Set and Diamond Bracelet, circa 1935
Gem Set and Diamond Bracelet, circa 1935

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.

Starry Night collection by Ippolita

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: bracelets, celestial, chalcedony, ippolita, labradorite, rings, sapphire, suzanne belperron

I Dream of Gemstones

April 7, 2012 By Danielle

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.)

Labradorite

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.

Filed Under: Detritus Tagged With: labradorite, peridot

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My Other Jewelry Blog

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