As you can see I made some progress since the last blog! In that episode I had just selected the designs I wanted to work with, including several new gemstones.

So I skipped as step before showing you this video. Basically that step showed the first soldering done. This one shows the soldered designs attached to their backing plus I have indicated a few of the components I am using for the ring shanks or pendants. If you read the first blog, you will have seen other gems that are not shown here. I had to dumb down my work so I could complete it in a reasonable time. As you may have guessed, I have a tendency to see a bigger picture than i have the time or energy for! I guess in the long run this is not a horrible habit. But I do have to ‘pin my ears back’ as my father used to call it. To take smaller bites and achieve more.

this also means there will have to be a follow-up blog to show the other gems. Rose Quartz, Druzy quartz, serpentine, Moonstone and Amethyst geodes will become finished designs too. Just not this week!

I am especially excited about this new gem discovery shown here. It’s called petrified palmwood root. I adore the black and caramel inclusions in this gem!

The next steps include final cleanup (some still need filing and shining). shaping and sizing the ring shanks, soldering the back of the silver and attaching to the ring shank and of course, final cleanup, polish and setting the stones.

Lots of individual work goes into each design. and I love every minute of the process!

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The post Moving into phase 3 of my new designs appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

These 4 metals are my raw materials! (along with my gemstones of course). When I first began my jewelry designing journey, I worked exclusively with Copper and sterling silver. We were trained on copper since it’s value was much less than silver, yet it reacts very similar to silver when heated or textured. I fused silver to copper as an experiment and fell in love with the process and the result.

As you can see from this example, the vibrancy of the copper melds so well with the richness of silver. I still use this technique often in the creation of my jewelry designs. As I gained confidence working with silver, I created more and more one of a kind pieces. Many are considered heirloom designs.

This design highlights my love of texturing and especially my love of gemstones. This druzy quartz is pure white. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it. It really is a gorgeous piece of art. My journey took me inevitably to gold. First I experimented with Gold Fill. I created many designs combining gold with silver. Another Stunning combination.

This year my journey continues with the addition of steel. Yes I said steel! I am mesmerized by the brilliance of 18k gold on steel that has been blackened. Truly statement jewelry at it’s finest. I have spent hours getting up to speed in working with this new metal. It requires many changes to my routine. Now I feel more comfortable with the process. You will see LOTS more designs in the near future.

I invite you to follow me on my design journey by becoming a collector. My collectors receive first look at my newest designs plus Collector-only discounts and specials. It’s Free. And you Get 15% off your first order.

Here’s How

Shop Here for all my Designs.

The post A Tale of Four Metals appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

The Sacred Spiral Jewelry collection is one of the first designs I created all those years ago. I wanted a design that embodies the sentiment. “Because Kindness Matters”. Using a spiral was the perfect way to portray this. Here’s the story.

The Spiral is an ancient symbol representing growth and evolution. It starts as a smaller, tight circle and expands quickly all the way to infinity,  Just like the spiral, each of our actions; a quick smile to a stranger or a kind word to a friend; seem like a small gesture but the ripples of joy created is infinite!

“No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” Aesop

This particular earring features a copper main component with sterling silver ‘dust’ and a sterling spiral fused into it. The dangles are sterling silver and the spiral ear wire is a custom design exclusive to my earrings. It is available now in my online shop.

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My friend Peggy is elegant. There is really no other way to define her! She even makes wearing blue jeans (yes the old fashioned kind) look classy. Her hair and makeup are always perfect. (How DOES she do that?) Ever since she moved to Montana I have watched her absorb some of the rustic environment.. AND maintain her classic demeanor. She is clearly the best dressed person for any event.

Setting about creating the perfect earring for her meant combining these two elements into something that could enhance an earlobe. Voila the Copper and sterling diamond shaped earring with cultured pearls and Swarovski crystals. Classic AND Rustic!

Want a pair ? Shop here.

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My kid sister is a lover of all kinds of jewelry.

Lately though she has become obsessed with super long designs. Of course this inspired me to create a design just for her. These earrings are created using copper with sterling fused into the metal for many of the components. the remaining part of the design is sterling silver. And the best part.. They are SO lightweight.

Shop my earring collection here.

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The post You Gotta see these earrings! appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

The OPEN SPIRAL Pendant! I have been playing around with new pendant designs centered around the Sacred Spiral. From all this playing emerged the Open Spiral concept. The frame is copper with a sterling silver spiral. And of course I have to add gemstones! These natural turquoise beads are from the Sonoran mine in Mexico.

The neck chain in sterling silver is 36″ long! this means you can wear it doubled up as shown here… or Super long as shown below.

The Spiral is an ancient symbol representing growth and evolution. 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 small gestures but the ripples of joy created is infinite.  “No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” Aesop

Shop my entire Sacred Spiral collection here.

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Provide your Email and first name to Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts

The post What’s New in Spirals? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Ear candy that is! Select a scrumptious pair of these earrings to wear and forget all about munching on candy this Halloween.

Have some Spooky Scary Fun today. Shop Alene’s Adornments for your favorite designs.

Become an Alene’s Adornments Collector

Provide your Email and first name to Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts.

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Turquoise for the most part is quite porous. This means it is vulnerable to chipping or fading over time. Some of the earlier turquoise mined in Persia was more stable but sadly those mines are depleted.

What is done to protect the stones so we can wear our jewelry without worry? The primary processes are:

• Stabilized Turquoise: The rough material is soaked in an artificial resin. This hardens the surface for cutting. Cabochons (which are used for pendants and rings) are often backed with a black resin to stabilize even more. This process results in natural turquoise gems

• Enhanced Turquoise: The gem is infused with vaporized quartz, resulting in a harder, more uniform stone. It also enhances the color. This process also results in natural turquoise gems but the colors can fade over time.

• Reconstituted Turquoise. Turquoise is crushed and bound with other stones to form a mineral paste. the paste is then heated and dyed to form a turqoise-like substance and can be shaped and made into beads. While technically this still involves natural turquoise, it is not considered the finest solution. Prices are much lower too.

I work exclusively with natural stabilized turquoise. The gems are hard enough to resist wear and tear of course. Mostly though they are beautiful! check out my turquoise jewelry collection here.

The post Visions of Turquoise Dance in my Head.. appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Here is the 2nd in a series of posts about turquoise. The cuff shown here features a bright blue turquoise gem from the Bisbee, Arizona mine.

I am sure you have seen many types of turquoise stones over the years. The colors vary from blue/green to deeper blue. What is the reason for the different hues? It all depends upon what other minerals are found with the particular deposit. If there is more copper, the colors tend to be deeper blue such as the gem on this copper/silver cuff bracelet.

If the deposit contains more iron, then the colors tend closer to green. This ring gives you an idea of the green hues.

The greener hue is very popular in Tibet, where turquoise is treasured as the national stone. The bluer tones tend to be more popular here in the United States… particularly in the Southwest. Other inclusions found in some mines include Pyrite (which adds luster), quartz and chalcedony. Each of these minerals will alter the turquoise. When you get ready to buy, look for the design and the hue that speaks to you. This way you will wear your individual design with the knowledge that it is truly one of a kind made especially for you.

Stay tuned for my next post and more tidbits on turquoise. You can check out my turquoise designs here. All designs are handmade by me in my Arizona studio.

The post Tantalizing Turquoise appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

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 small gestures but the ripples of joy created is infinite.

Each time you wear one of these designs, whether it be a pendant, a ring, earrings or cuff… please carry the thought behind the creation of the piece with you. 
“No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” Aesop

The post Because Kindness Matters… appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.