You've most likely seen this tag line on my jewelry designs. Did you ever wonder what handmade means? Here's the official definition: made by hand, not by machine, and typically therefore of superior quality. Each of my designs starts with metal sheet or wire. I use a variety of tools to texture, fold and mold the metal. Texturing hammers add subtle or bold finishes, … [Read more...]
Because Kindness Matters…
The Sacred Spiral collection 'Because Kindness Matters' The Spiral is an ancient symbol representing growth and evolution. It has been found in cave carvings, shells and the Milky Way. A Spiral starts as a smaller tight circle expanding quickly to infinity. Each of our actions.. a quick smile to a stranger, holding the door for someone, a kind word to a friend..seem like … [Read more...]
Forget the Ruby Slippers Dorothy…
Wear the ruby jewelry instead! OK, I know that technically Dorothy needed the slippers to get her out of OZ, but none of us have that excuse do we? A couple of years ago a customer asked me to design a ring using a ruby gemstone. I had not worked with rubies before so was excited for the challenge. When researching the options we ultimately chose a lab grown gemstone. … [Read more...]
Gem Shows Mania
Yep. it's the only way to describe a trip to Tucson for the once a year Gem Shows event. I use the plural for shows because there are virtually 43 different shows during this 3 week time frame (late January through mid February) Each show highlights different products. Some specialize in tools and equipment, while others are known for their precious gems. Even more feature … [Read more...]
Sawing, Filing and Sanding: a Jeweler’s life
These 3 processes are essential to my life at the Jewelry Bench. My least favorite is the sawing. I think it’s because this process is used towards the beginning of the design process. Whereas the filing and sanding are done once the piece is close to completion. Moreover both the filing and sanding have an almost meditative effect for me. I can let my mind relax and dream a … [Read more...]
