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...]
Confessions of a Jewelry Soldering Junkie
Yes, it's true. I love to solder. Next to hammering it is my favorite jewelry technique. Of course it was not always so. I have destroyed many a piece of silver during my early days. Life has gotten much easier since I have broken the code on this process though. Here's a piece that was one of my first soldering jobs. Not only did this take about 10 times longer that it … [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...]
I love turquoise
Yes this is one of my favorite gems. I adore how it is so versatile. It looks awesome with copper or silver. Turquoise happens to be my birthstone. Lucky me😊 Plus I complement it with any number of other gems. It is shown here with my signature sprinkled silver metal . Other gemstone combos include: sunstone, rhodochrosite, citrine, peridot and ruby! Which is your favorite? … [Read more...]
