Technicolor Dreams....

Well, as it turns out this posting isn't actually about me and my dreams.  I very rarely remember my dreams as it happens - that talent has been firmly been placed with my sister Kat!  Oh, my she has a) the weirdest and often predictive dreams and b) she remembers them and recalls them in detail. 

But now I'm wandering off the point, this is actually about a very lovely customer of mine, who has the most amazing taste in color and gems.  She asked if I could make her a 'Rainbow' gemstone bracelet and this was the end result.   Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet - the graduated colors to appear flow gently into one another. The decadent and luxurious swathe of brightly hued gems are all AA-AAA quality (most being AAA) and include:

Garnet, Ruby, Carnelian, Madeira Citrine, Citrine, Lemon Quartz, Prasiolite, Peridot, Mystic Blue Quartz, lagoon blue Apatite, Kyanite, London Blue Topaz, Iolite, Amethyst, Pink Amethyst and Quartz (Rock Crystal).

This bracelet was such fun to create - full of bright sparkle it really does lift your mood and tickles your senses.  I think I may just be tempted to work with some more rainbow color schemes soon..... watch this space.  Thank you so much to the lovely Marta for her inspiration for this piece.

Wire Artisans Guild.... February Challenge

~o~ MON CHERI, MON AMOUR ~o~ My Darling My Love.

I am a member of a fabulous group of talented artisans called the Wire Artisans Guild (WAG for short) and each month a challenge is set to create a piece of jewelry based on a theme.  I am still playing catch-up a little on the themes at the moment (haven't been the most organized - oh, dear!), but I have managed to finish a piece for February's theme of 'Affairs of the Heart'.  Working on something of a romantic nature was great - I really enjoyed it.

This is a design I've had sketched out for a while now, and it all started on the day I received the gorgeous Solar Quartz focal briolette in the mail. On the same day I received another gemstone package - containing the most stunning raspberry pink sapphires - and there it was staring me in the face, with both gems sat side by side. I don't always get these Eureka moments, so I sat and sketched while it was still fresh in my mind. For me the design process often starts with the gems themselves - handling and looking at them, sitting them along with other gems. I don't often sketch out a design without having gems in mind first - it doesn't mean its a gem I already have - perhaps just a gem I've seen, and then the sketch gets filed away until I unearth it again a month or 2 later.

This necklace has been listed in my online shop.

A New Year, A New Start.......

Well, I have spent much time deliberating starting my own blog.  Do I have time? What do I say? What might I feature? Can I do this (Not being the most technologically minded individual - I was once, but since having my 2 kids and finding my 6 year old understands the remote control better than me I think I let them take over :)  So, I decided enough was enough - of course I can do this.  I can spend time rambling on for hours about one thing or another (I usually do :) So here goes.... my new blog.

As some of you might know, I am a self taught jewelry designer with a passion for gorgeous gemstones and an obsession with all things colorful.  I love to experiment with color and I have a great time using my jewelry design as an outlet for this.  I hope to showcase some of my newest designs and my design processes through my blog, whilst also showcasing the jewelry, fashion and art by other designers I admire and respect.

So, thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts, and I hope you all might find hidden treasures you like too :)

Claire x