Well those of you who follow me KNOW that I adore copper. When I first started taking metals classes, the instructors always had us making the designs and templates with copper. Copper was considered a low cost alternative to silver and gold (Duh!) So we could make lots of mistakes on our journey to become designers... without the financial burden. That made lots of … [Read more...]
The Taurus Personality plus Gemstones for your sign!
If you were born between April 21st and May 20th... your astrological sign is Taurus! Family and peaceful surroundings are a vital part of the Taurus personality. Are you a Taurus? if so, do you find that you are more methodical than most, taking the time to make the right decision? Not much spontaneity in your life, right? You are also known as a problem solver. Someone who … [Read more...]
Sacred Spiral; Your Spiritual Connection
Are you as fascinated by Spirals as I am? A Spiral starts as a smaller tight circle and expands quickly to infinity. The spiral is an ancient symbol representing growth, spirituality and evolution. furthermore it has been found in cave carvings, burial sites, shells, weapons and the Milky Way. Skipping a stone on the water creates a spiral too. Many believe that the … [Read more...]
Stone Setting: An inside look at Bezel settings
Have you taken a peek lately at your jewelry? How are the stones and gems set (or held in) on the design? There are a variety of ways to set stones in metal. Bezel setting is perfect for cabochons (gemstones that are cut flat on the bottom). And it is my GO-TO process! I start with a bezel strip. This is normally fine silver but I have also use sterling silver when I want … [Read more...]
The Nitty Gritty on Jewelry Patinas
Patina is a term widely used by jewelers who work with metals. After reading the real definition, I see that I was loosely defining this word to include colors other than the natural color that comes from oxidation. So perhaps I need to re-title this blog as 'The Nitty Gritty of coloring metals' I LOVE seeing the different ways I can make the metal colors shine and … [Read more...]
