The perfect gemstone colors for fall, don’t you agree? I discovered this gem a few years ago while shopping at the Tucson Gem show. Instant love!

The color range includes hunter green, bright orange, burgundy red, caramel , and soft yellow. This provides me with endless design options.

Red creek jasper is also known as Cherry Creek Jasper.  The gem hails from Mainland China.. from the cherry creek and the red creek mines. Easy to see how they got the name isn’t it?

Jasper that features lots of deep reddish tones is said to provide balance and relaxation. WE all need a that don’t we? See all of my designs here

This is one of my favorite pendants.  You can clearly see the hunter green colors in this piece.

Want to see what I still have to work with? Who knows what new pieces I will discover on my next shopping trip at the Tucson Gem Show? The adventure continues..

The post Red Creek Jasper Love appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Ever wonder how we Artisan jewelry designers make our rings so round?? How do we determine the sizing?

I use two secret weapons. OKAY actually these are specialized tools. The first is this ring shank (officially called a mandrel but often referred to as a shank)  The mandrel is made of the finest quality steel. It’s calibrated along one side so I can determine the size of the ring.

The second tool is this Delrin hammer. Delrin is  a thermoplastic material used in precision parts. Since it is non-marring, I hammer away to my heart’s content. This hammer does not leave any marks on the metal, nor does it skew the metal.

Here is the process I use to design rings.

• Cut the metal to size.

• Stamp the back with my Alene branding (and the .925 if the metal is silver).

• Add texture or fuse metal to the shank

• Anneal it (heat it until the metal softens)

• Insert the mandrel into a vise or other holding device to keep it stable

• Form the metal around the mandrel to round it properly.

[tweet_box design=”box_02″ float=”none”] “Jewelry takes people’s minds off our wrinkles” Sonja Henie[/tweet_box]

Here are two of my new designs.  See all ring designs currently for sale here.

Want to know YOUR ring size?

Download the template here.

The post Tools of the Trade: Ring Shank 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

Check out my latest designs today

SIGN UP TODAY for Alerts from Alene. Get First-Look at new designs and subscriber only specials and discounts.

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

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 sense of course, and I have gone through more copper than I care to admit

In the process, I also discovered that I loved working with copper.  Patinas (the finish) with copper are amazing. Heating can produce a bronze color. Adding peanut oil deepens the color, Sesame oil reddens it, vinegar and ammonia turn it blue green… and so on. In my designs I fuse copper with sterling to achieve yet another unique and vibrant finish. 

FYI: If you are concerned about the ‘greening of the skin’ that can happen when copper oxidizes, remember that I treat all my designs to inhibit this process.

Did you know that copper was probably the first metal to be used by humans?  It was used by the Egyptians in 4000BC and also used as far back as 8000BC by the Neolitihic people. Copper is found in tandem with many other minerals, too. Chrysocolla is a great example of this!

Copper is a great conductor of electricity. When worn it is said to be an effective treatment for arthritis as it opens up blocked energy flow.  Copper’s energy flow enhances the properties of other gemstones too.

You can find my copper creations at http://www.alenesadornments.com

Here are two to drool over!

The post Do you love COPPER Jewelry?. appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

I have been playing around with a new technique I learned from a recent class with Eva Sherman. (instructor extraordinaire).    Once we had learned this process of crimping the metal, I put my own spin on it.. Because that’s the way creative people think. 

So I combined the crimping with corrugation, forging, mixed metals and different patinas.

Voila! A collection is born.

I will be photographing and listing the first 5 designs (each one is limited edition of one) on my web site. alenesadornments

If you want to have first dibs on purchasing one of these, please join my mailing list. My subscribers will get first notice AND their subscriber only discount!  

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The post Do you love Copper Cuffs? See my newest collection. appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.