Ever since I can remember (long before I started designing jewelry)  I have been frustrated by the tiny clasps on jewelry. Seriously, how are we supposed to get these hooked?  Especially since they are on the back of our neck. 

I used to move the mechanism to the front and look in a mirror. Not an ideal situation.. and sometimes this does not work. Even having a spouse or significant other that can perform the task is not a great alternative. Is this person always handy when you are getting dressed?  Do they have delicate fingers to perform this task? Way too many variables. What happens if you are single (as I was much of my life?) Do you call a neighbor over? or wait to put on your necklace until you get to work?  Silly, right?

Once I started designing my own jewelry, I knew that larger, easy to use clasps were essential. Huge toggle clasps, Gigantic lobster clasps and easy to use hook clasps create less stress and make the task of donning  jewelry fun again. The styles here are examples of what I use instead. The clasps at the top are the typical smaller lobster clasps you see on most jewelry.

Next time you purchase jewelry,  Pay attention to the size of the clasp.

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When you put on a certain color in the morning… does it make you feel energetic? empowered? calm? Do you tend to gravitate towards certain colors in your home and wardrobe?

How about the jewelry you wear? are you attracted to certain gemstones and colors?

Blue is one of my favorite colors! It is associated with open spaces… like the sky and the ocean.  Furthermore blue is a friendly color. Did you know that almost everyone likes some shade of blue! Furthermore corporate America embraces blue as well. Business (power) suits, ties, company logos … and the US FLAG all use blue. The key feelings associated with blue are: calmness; confidence; unity; intelligence; conservatism

If Blue is your favorite color you :

• are Reliable, trusting and conservative

• love to be needed & tend to rescue others to gain the love

• are approachable and friendly

• prefer to stay within your comfort zone

• most of all you are spiritual and devoted to family and God

As a result gemstones in blue (lapis, sapphire, chrysocolla and turquoise) aid in relaxation and open the flow of communication.

Check out my blue designs today

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The post The Color BLUE; Calming and Stabilizing appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Geodes are one of nature’s finest gifts to us. Officially a geode is defined as a rounded stone with a hollow center that is lined with crystals.

The word geode comes from the Greek ‘geodis’ meaning earthy or earth-like. So how do these crystals form? First keep in mind that this process may take thousands of years.. or longer. Basically water or mud gets inside a hollow rock and becomes trapped inside. As the water moves through the center, it leaves tiny crystals behind. They cling to the sides of the center. Eventually these tiny crystals become tightly packed and form the gorgeous geode!

Amethyst is my favorite. Especially the darker purple rocks. Did you know that if too much heat is applied to these geodes, the purple tends to lighten and even turn yellow? In fact many people mistake overheated amethyst for citrine. Both are quartz but not the same!

The largest Amethyst Geode is on display in Australia. Named the Empress of Uruguay, this gem is just over 11 feet tall!

Last year at the Tucson Gem Show, I found a supplier from Uruguay that offered smaller amethyst geodes. I was so drawn to these smaller gems! My mind started spinning, dreaming of the designs I could create using these tiny crystal structures. Of course I purchased these beauties.

The challenging part was figuring out how to best encase these gems to show off their beauty and protect the crystals.

Here is one of my favorites.

Shop for my geode designs here.

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The post What is a Geode? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Gold jewelry has always been coveted. Even though gold prices have come down over the last 2 years, they are still over
double the price of 10 years ago.[tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]

Today, gold is $1267 an ounce.  Compare this with Silver at $17.75 an ounce!

I really feel that wearing beautiful baubles enhances our self image. In the past I eagerly wore gold designs. Now that I create my own pieces, I gravitate to silver and copper.

in 2007, when I first began designing, I took multiple classes to improve my skills. My instructors had us experiment with copper metal before creating the finished design in silver.

And guess what happened!  I fell in love with copper!  Copper’s rich color is enhanced  when you add heat or other elements. The resulting colors can range anywhere from bright copper to deep red, teal blue, vibrant purple and more.

I love adding in Fine Silver or Sterling silver . What’s the difference?  Fine silver is 99% silver. When working with lighter weight designs, the pure silver is too soft. Thicker alternatives (like ring shanks) work the best. 

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper (needed to strengthen this softer metal).[/tweet_box]

The combination of the two colors is explosive.  In fact I decided to copyright the name I use for this process.  Sprinkled Silver is fun to create. Every single design is different depending upon how the metals combine.

A bit of history:

[tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]Silver was used in coinage beginning around 550 BC. IT was also popular for use in photosensitive materials used in photography. .. before the digital age! And of course silver has been used in jewelry over the ages.

Copper was probably the first  metal to be used by humans and is considered sacred to many cultures. Copper has a natural ability to conduct electricity so, when worn, is said to harmonize the body’s energies, clearing any blockages or imbalances.

There will always be a place for gold in our bauble wardrobe of course… But consider copper or silver for your next purchase. I think you will be surprised and delighted by your selection!

The post Is Silver the New Gold? Is Copper the new Silver? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

The color brown is a serious, down-to-earth and comforting color. 

Officially brown is a mixture of red, yellow & blue. All shades (beige, taupe, tan, chocolate) tend to convey feelings of warmth and comfort.

Brown has been used in art since prehistoric times. Paintings of brown horses and other animals have been found on the walls of the Lascaux cave dating back about 17,300 years. The female figures in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings have brown skin, painted with umber.  Furthermore, in the Middle Ages brown robes were worn by monks of the Franciscan order, as a sign of their humility and poverty

Is brown your favorite color? If so you are..

• a home body. You prefer your own home to outside social gatherings.

• structured and dependable

• stable and put family first

• genuine and approachable.

• drawn to the earth, most likely loving gardening and exploring the out of doors.

Any negatives?? you probably tend to be very serious and are NOT spontaneous!

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Did you know? Brown was a popular color for clothing worn during the great depression… because it naturally concealed dirt![/tweet_box]

Most of all, brown is prevalent in the gem world. Many varieties of agate and jasper exhibit brown tones. Tigers Eye is my favorite brown gem.

Here’s a sampling of some of my designs using brown as the primary color.

Picture Jasper Pendant

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Thanks to all you lovers of brown for helping the rest of us stay grounded.[/tweet_box]

Check out my recent post on the color white. Is White Really a color?

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The post Craving Comfort? Add brown to your life appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Did you ever have one of those weeks? or months?

So much is happening in your life and you feel like things are spinning out of control? Recently I was in this exact place. I had so many plates spinning in the air with only 2 hands to catch them. Now my life is normally filled with extra ‘plates’ but for some reason this time it got to me. I was in overwhelm mode with no idea what to do or how to fix it.

What did I do?  Here’s an encapsulated version of what worked for me. I

• Carved out some quiet time. In my case this was a meditation. However it could also be a quick nap, walk in the park or  coffee break. During this time I contemplated my dreams and aspirations. I knew I wanted to move my Jewelry Design business forward using Social Media and Wholesale purchases.

• Wrote down all the tasks I would accomplish in an ideal world. I added in some FUN stuff too. A mini vacation and a Date with my Husband.

• Picked 2 tasks that were vital and concentrated on them entirely.  What can you do right now to move one of those tasks forward towards completion?

• Picked out 3 of the tasks I considered least important. One I took off the list and two of them I gave to someone else to do. What can you eliminate? Can you find someone else to accomplish some? Delegating will ease your mind, believe me!

The rest of the list took care of itself. Once I completed the two vital ones, I looked over the list and picked two more to work on, plus another one to delegate. This process gave me such peace of mind. I felt aligned with my goals and dreams. More importantly I was energized once again and OFF the Merry-go-round.

I encourage you to look at your life and see what you can do to feel more relaxed while working towards your dreams.

If you enjoyed this post you might like. You Had The Power All Along

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The post How Do I get off this Merry-go-round? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

I am often asked where my ideas originate when designing a jewelry piece. The answer is… everywhere! 

Yep, that is pretty vague. I get it. Let’s see if I can give you a few examples.

• Nature. Anytime I can get outside away from the day to day events and distractions.. I get inspired! Sometimes a simple walk around our pond can do the trick. Other times I need to hike into the mountains. When my mind has a chance to unclutter, it is amazing what ideas flow! Try it yourself. it works!

•   Architecture and shapes. Often I will see a product completely unrelated to jewelry design. An unusual structure or building, a window treatment, a pattern in clothing.. the list goes on. I immediately start to think of ways to incorporate that design into my pieces.

  

•   Gemstones. Two years ago I discovered these Malachite cabochons while attending the Tucson Gem Show. I was enamored with the rich green color. Since malachite is often found in copper deposits I knew I had found something special. I started playing around with design to complement each and every gem. They started to come alive for me when placed in sterling and copper pieces.. and combining them with emerald and other faceted gems created an entirely different look. Fun!

• Texture. the veins and lines in a single leaf, a cactus skeleton, textures in pottery or other pieces. All of these start the creation process for me.

I see ideas and designs everywhere. I guess this is what the creative process is all about. 

What makes your head start spinning with ideas for your passion or work? We all have that creative streak inside. We just need to let it out

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The post Jewelry Design: Where Does Inspiration come from? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

I love working with metal. Can you tell?

Creating my collection of Copper and Sterling Silver PURE METAL earrings requires lots of elbow grease.

First I texture the raw metal. This is usually done by hammering but can be done with a rolling mill as well. The metal must be softened (heated) before starting the texturing.

Since the metal becomes distorted from the hammering, it is vital to texture the metal BEFORE creating the shapes.  Want to know how I discovered this? By doing it wrong several times before the light bulb in my head finally went on!

Next I create the shape using my disc cutters, a saw or metal cutting shears.

Once created I place all the metals on to a board (see image) to determine which components will work together for the individual design. I photograph the board so I can remember it, too! (VERY IMPORTANT)

After that I apply the patinas.

Liver of Sulfur: for an antiqued, blackened effect,

Vinegar and ammonia: for the blue/green color,

Peanut oil: for the rich golden bronze effect

 Heat: for the reddish colors. There are other patina processes as well. These are the main ones I like to use.

Finally: I add a coating to maintain the finish, Form and shape the final pieces, assemble, add earwires and photograph!  and VOILA they become part of my collection.

Is there any way to have more fun than this?

Lots of steps and each one performed with love.

Check out the full collection at www.alenesadornments.com

The post How do I create Pure Metal Earrings? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Do you have any idea how much fun it is to get a new tool?

OK,  I know this sounds like a ‘guy’ thing… but any metals jeweler will tell you that we get so much pleasure from being able to do something creative with our new ‘toy’

This new disc cutter cuts squares from metal.  So what you say?

Now I can create my own designs more quickly. Plus I now have endless ways to add new components to my jewelry. For instance, I have been purchasing a square washer piece. Basically this is a square with a square hole in the center. My one issue with these was that they were too heavy a gauge for many of my designs.

NOW I have complete control of the process.  And as any Type A personality will tell you..   Complete control rocks!

This idea board shows you some of the current squares I have been either hand cutting or purchasing. Just wait until you see the new stuff.

A couple of years ago I purchased the circle disc cutter shown here. You can see some of those shapes on the idea board. So this new Square style is sending me to Nirvana. 

See my current designs at http://www.alenesadornments.com

The post Tools of the Jewelry Trade: Disc Cutter appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

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 Spiral’s center is where we find our spiritual balance and our connection to our higher self.The oldest spiral symbols are found in Ireland at Newgrange. It was carved at least 2500 years before the Celts reached Ireland!

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Each of our actions: a quick smile to a stranger, holding the door for someone, a kind word to a friend, seems like a small gesture but the ripples of joy it causes is infinite.[/tweet_box]

 My Sacred Spiral Designs start from this basic concept. We are all in this life together. Let’s take the time to appreciate our fellow travelers and realize that our smallest actions affect others. We may not see the results instantly but the seed has been planted nonetheless.

I have fun creating these pieces. Each one features …a spiral!!

Some are created using pure copper, others with sterling silver. Many have added gemstones. Ideas and possibilities are endless. Additionally  I experiment using both copper and sterling in the same design. I love the results!

Purchase my Sacred Spiral designs here

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The post Sacred Spiral; Your Spiritual Connection appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.