Lately I spend my time creating new Pendants. Endless design ideas are floating around in my head. I adore bringing them all into reality. Keep in mind that each pendant is handmade and ONE OF A KIND.

While there are a few designs that I keep in the line and create in multiples, they each are still individually hand wrought. each one has it’s own unique marks that make it special.

My collectors group. (Yes you can JOIN … and it’s FREE) see the newest designs first. JOIN HERE and get 15% off you first order! Since each design is one of a kind, I encourage you to show off your purchase by wearing it as often as possible. Then keep it in a safe place to pass along to future members of your family. These designs make great heirlooms.

Visit my shop today to see all designs.

Want to become an Alene’s Adornments Collector?

It’s Free. Get 15% off your first order.

Here’s How

The post Pendants Anyone? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

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.

Shop for my designs 

Become an Alene’s Adornments Collector today.

Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts.

The post Jewelry Clasps; the bigger the better! appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Yes I love Arizona almost as much as I love to design jewelry. I moved to this awe inspiring state almost 30 years ago. I haven’t regretted it for even one moment. Yes we have the scorching hot weather in the summer. Yet the trade off is NO MORE SNOW AND ICE! Plus if I decide to escape the heat, we are only 3 hours from Flagstaff (which does get snow in the winter) and only an hour by plane to San Diego.

I am showing off two of my Gallery designs along with some backyard decor that I love. A cholla cactus skeleton nestled below a Texas Olive tree.

Shop for my designs here.

Become an Alene’s Adornments Collector today.

Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts.

The post Arizona… and jewelry LOVE appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

I have so much fun creating collections! Once I started designing jewelry, I noticed themes

starting to develop. So I named my first collection and began creating the designs for it. This is when the fun begins for me. I love knowing that when you wear one of my designs, you have a story and an inspiration to accompany it. That way you can be reminded of the sentiment behind the creation of the jewelry design.

Voila! The Dare to Dream Collection!

Dare to Dream is the collection that embodies our desire to dream and our wish to allow our dreams to permeate our existence, grow, expand, morph into even bigger dreams and become reality. Every design is a limited Edition of ONE. 

The fusing process is like our dreams… it starts with a concept (in this case my idea for the piece) and then it takes its own leap into the final design; one that I could not have imagined or predicted!

Wear your selection as a reminder to Dream Big and Take the Leap forward!

Shop for my full Collection here.

“Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean” 

Christopher Reeve

The post Time for a little Dreaming appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

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.

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.

My signature design process (copyrighted finally!) is called Sprinkled Silver.

Which means what exactly?  I KNOW this is what you are thinking! Sprinkled Silver is my name for the process of fusing sterling or fine silver into copper.

How and Why did I create this process?

The basic answer is… because it was fun!  I have been playing around with copper and silver since I began my journey into metals. Those of you who have read my book, Inside the Mind of a Jewelry Designer already know how I got into this ‘mess’ to begin with.  I was attracted to the metals process and once I took my first class, I was hooked! there is no looking back.  Fast forward 10 years to 2016 .. this passion grows and gets even stronger.

This is why I am so proud of these designs. They really speak to what I love about designing.. Each time I create another ‘Sprinkled Silver’ design, the passion grows.  This short video gives you a peek into the process.

Those of you who share this passion for your chosen field know the feeling already. The fire just grows and grows… and along the way is the fun of creating from our souls.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Feel Inspired Today; Wear a Work of Art.       Alene Geed[/tweet_box]

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