New Work: Raw Point Pendants

Guess what?  I made some jewelry.  These three raw point pendants are the first pieces of jewelry I've made in a few years.  I'll be adding them to my Etsy shop once I finish editing the photos.  See more of these, and related work, here.

Inspiration: Peace Pendant

Peace Pendant

I'm an on-hiatus jewelry maker, but looking at jewelry is one of my favorite things to do when the toddler sleeps.  And since I'm not a metalsmith, looking at hand-fabricated pieces has always been fun for me.  The above piece, by Promethean Design, has stolen my heart.  It's recycled sterling silver made from scraps the designer had from previous pieces.  Lucky is the person who purchases it.  Baby A. would have too much of a field day swinging it around and bonking her head in the process.  Ah, toddlerhood.

Shop Sale!

Enjoy $10 off orders of $25+ when you apply XMASINJULY at Etsy checkout - excludes writing services.

Visit my shop: emeraldcut.etsy.com

Lately

The title of this post sums up how I've been feeling lately.  It's a simple - yet heavily used - word with a sometimes loaded subtext, a one-worded topsy-turvy conversation starter whose underlying meaning is simultaneously rooted in the mundane and the extraordinary.  At least for me.

Baby A. started crawling within hours of my last blog post, so we've been baby-proofing our living space and following her around on hands and knees to see what other shenanigans she could potentially get in to.  Now she can even kneel and push herself up onto her feet.  No pulling herself up just yet.  In awe I watch her, and almost miraculously, at least to me, she is becoming more mobile.  This natural growth progression amazes me.

On the shop front I've been thinking of new shop jewelry designs, which I briefly mentioned in my last blog post.  It's been a long time since I've made new jewelry (one year!), so I've designated this fall as my get-new-jewelry-made season.  I look forward to reacquainting myself with wire and stone, the sense of accomplishment felt when symmetrical coiling fits perfectly between the bail and the stone without the stone moving at all.  This technical aspect of jewelry making is actually my favorite part of the process besides the conceptual aspect of designing a piece, and requires a good visual estimation of how much wire to use, tight coiling, and technique.  Below is an example of what I mean:

Dainty Amethyst Ombre Earrings - Niobium

I've also recently been working on a few writing orders and shipped out a pair of linear moonstone earrings.  Next thing on the to-do list is to work on my main site, www.theintrovertedwriter.com, which is in need of a tone-specific overhaul.  Also recently been thinking of new business cards to replace my hand-stamped ones - yes or no?  I'm calling this summer the season of productivity.  Crossing my fingers.

Lastly, to all the dads out there, Happy Father's Day!

June

via Instagram

It's been three weeks since my last blog post.  Goodness.  In baby time, that's a lot of developmental growth.  However, in mama time, three weeks has slipped through my fingers; I've forgotten how crazy life has been lately with a teething almost-there crawler.  (I am amazed at how mamas of more than one baby manage work and family life, especially those who work from home.)  

As for my Etsy shop I am still shipping orders as time permits, usually twice a week.  Lately, my writing services have been inquired about the most, which has been a wonderful surprise.  I've also noticed that there's been a clustering, an ebb and flow if you will, of specific shop item inquiries - that only my jewelry work is asked about one week and only my writing services the next.  It's as if we're all connected somehow in this amazing vast universe.  And I love that.  I like to think that positivity perseveres over the negativity in our society, our world.  That goodness and kindness are more commonplace than we know.  It's my hope to pass this on to my daughter who is becoming more and more observant as the days go by.  More importantly, it is my steadfast hope to be the best mother I can be.  Mamas out there, I feel you.

* * *

In jewelry news, I hope to unveil new jewelry designs this autumn!

Be Happy

via Etsy

Gypsy Fleur Brass Necklace

Huge weekend jewelry sale! 

Take 35% off jewelry* when you apply SPRINGJOY at Etsy checkout.  *Valid only on jewelry purchases.  Enjoy, and happy weekend!  Enter my shop here.

August's Birthstone: Peridot

August jewelry for sale in shop

Peridot is one of my favorite stones to wear and work with.  So much so that my first engagement ring was indeed peridot!  Ranging from a glassy lime color to an earthy olive green, the moody mystique of peridot is in its characteristic "glow," which is absolutely spellbinding.  Peridot is also August's traditional birthstone.

The peridot beauties shown above are available for purchase in shop.  Complimentary gift wrapping is always included.  On that note, have a wonderful week!
SaveSave
SaveSave

Custom Order

A custom order in the making for a wonderful person.  

Hope you love your custom pieces!

Sale Ends Soon!

20% off Christmas in July sale ends soon...

If you're looking for a unique, minimalist piece of jewelry, take advantage of this sale (prices as marked).  The following pieces are still listed!  Plus, enjoy free US shipping on orders over $15 when you apply the following coupon code at checkout: FREESHIPPING

New Jewelry Designs

Two Dainty Pink Amethyst Dangles
(Best friends jewelry or interchangeable earring drops)

Fiery Raw Citrine Point Pendant - Copper Wire

Small Rose Quartz Cluster Pendant

* * *

New jewelry designs will be added weekly!  

Visit my shop here.

An Elusive Gem

Been rereading one of my favorite novels, Villette, by Charlotte Bronte, and found this inspiring gem of a quote that's pertinent to jewelry making:

"Pendant from the dome, flamed a mass that dazzled me - a mass, I thought, of rock-crystal, sparkling with facets, streaming with drops, ablaze with stars, and gorgeously tinged with dews of gems dissolved, or fragments of rainbows shivered.  It was only the chandelier, reader, but for me it seemed the work of eastern genii..."

* * *

Another 2016 goal of mine is to make more jewelry: ideas for both simple gemmy bits and funky color clashes have been brewing steadily in my mind--and have since been translated on to paper.  Shortly, I'll be making these paper- and mind-bound ideas a tangible reality.  Can't wait to share the process with you all.  Stay tuned...

Stone vs. Glass

A few weeks ago, I received an Etsy convo asking if the stones in a particular listing were actual stones and not glass.  Initially, I was slightly perturbed by the inquiry, confused by the question since I am fully forthright in listing descriptions.  But then I carefully reread the convo, and realized that the question was something more along the lines of a collective inquiry about the dishonesty and inconsistencies that even I myself have seen in some listing descriptions and photographs, rather than a direct questioning of my shop materials (I assume!).  This blog post further elucidates the structural and material differences between glass and stone; it also discusses my decision to sell predominantly stone--and not glass--jewelry creations.

Glass beads, especially those that resemble crystal glass, may contain lead.  This is the main reason why I tend to steer away from glass in my creations.  Sometimes suppliers do not know the country of origin of their glass beads, which is unfortunate because certain countries use lead more than others in a wide array of applications.  Rings & Things has a good article about lead content in glass beads, which can be read here.

To the naked eye, it can be difficult to differentiate between stone and glass.  Unfortunately, glass and glass-like materials can resemble stone and vice versa (ie: cubic zirconia and diamonds).  Stones can be eye clean or included, and so can glass.  However, glass beads can contain tiny bubbles, perfect swirls (if made to mimic certain stones) and crisp drill holes (like how a glass bottle looks like when broken).  Some stones--such as agate and rainbow moonstone--can be more readily distinguishable from glass because of their earthy surface textures and inclusions.  Hold the piece up to the light and see if any dirt remnants, inclusions, and internal fractures are visible.  If not, then the bead may be glass, or even resin or porcelain.  Remember though that stone quality (color, clarity, cut) differs widely per stone type, but the innate characteristics remain.  For example, the stone peridot is glass-like and typically has some inclusions:

Higher-quality peridot

Earthy, highly included peridot

Stone tends to be more expensive than glass.  So if you find something pretty and very affordable that appears to be a genuine stone, there is a good chance that it is not a stone at all, or that it is a lower-quality stone.  If an earthy piece is your style, this may be fine, but if it isn't, ask the seller questions about it.  The price reflects the materials used if the seller is reputable and honest.

More examples of jewelry stones:

For the reasons mentioned above, I use stones instead of glass beads.  Currently, all of my shop's handmade (by me) jewelry only contain stones--no glass, resin/porcelain components.  Additionally, many of the stones that I select for jewelry creations have visible inclusions and other "imperfections," so the buyer (and I) knows that the stones are, in fact, genuine stone.  

However, if I do use non-stone beads, it is clearly marked in the listing.  If I am unsure of the composition of a piece, I refrain from using it, no matter how pretty or unique the piece may be.   

I hope that this post clarifies some noticeable differences between stones and glass beads--and explains why I choose to use stones in my work.  

Some of My Favorite Etsy Rings

elephantine

onegarnetgirl

Lura Jewelry

metalicious

Sunday Owl

A Spring 2013 Sneak Peek

Happy 2013!  Here's a sneak peek of new pieces to be added to my shop in the spring:

 Sunstone, citrine, and yellow gold necklace

 Golden tourmaline and yellow gold necklace

Amazonite, gold-filled tube beads, and yellow gold necklace

I'm pretty proud of how these pieces turned out, all warmth and glow.  Follow me on Pinterest to see the rest of the Spring 2013 additions as they are added to my shop.

Stay warm, cozy, and optimistic...

Holiday Goods

Are you ready for the holidays?  I'm sure not, but I'm stocking up my shop with some holiday goodies for a visual fete, or at least in theory--see below.

These new items will be slowly trickling into my shop, all by month's end (crosses fingers).  Hope you are having a blast of a week--the weather has been fickle in these parts as of late... 

Autumn-Inspired Designs

With the changing of seasons are new EmeraldCut designs inspired by warmth and most of all, vivid, fall hues; an exploratory stroll in the post-summer woods wearing a cozy sweater-jacket, a well-worn pair of jeans, and warm boots to warm the crisp chill in the air...

 Stones: amethyst, garnet, opal, green aventurine, rainbow moonstone, tourmaline, peridot.

Look for these new designs in October in my shop: 

emeraldcut.etsy.com

Breathtaking Vintage

Okay, I quietly swore to myself that I would not make this blog a showcase for my ring obsession, but I found an absolutely breathtaking piece on Etsy...a linear, 1930s art deco ring.  My favorite aesthetic is embodied in this stunning, yet elegantly-stylish piece.  It's the linearity, the uniqueness of a ring that catches my eye, rather than the glint of a strategically-cut gemstone--and this ring fits the bill.

This piece is definitely not a contemporary girl's type of ring, for the diamonds are on the smaller side, it is not platinum, and the yellow gold is very prominent.  I'm not big on glitz and glamor, or its contemporary phrase, "bling," however, this ring is amazing, for a lack of a better adjective.  Drool-worthy.  Jaw dropping?  Yes...and YES in a times gone by, nostalgic sort of way.  So I had to share:

Click on the image to view the listing. 

Spending Power...for Charity

I do not categorize myself as a big shopper, but I do enjoy my rings and pendants--which is why I have a jewelry shop (that sells mainly pendants) on Etsy.  I design and create items that I would purchase, that I adore.  My consumeristic tendencies reflect my items for sale...good or bad?

Am I contributing to the consumerism by women, when women's salaries are still not, for the most part, on par with men's?  The moral dilemma on spending the money that I do not necessarily have is constantly bringing up these moralistic issues in me.  It's a woman thing, I think.

However, I spent the majority of my afternoon and night looking for items to purchase on Etsy, where the proceeds would go to relief efforts in Japan--when I should have been writing (but it was a fun break!).  :/  I just purchased a beautiful gray moonstone ring (see image below) from UmiDesign--she is originally from Sendai, Japan, and is donating 20% of each item in her shop.

JAPAN RELIEF: Moonstone Ring in Sterling

 

I also like ShihoYamashita's jewelry.  She is also originally from Japan--30% of all sales from her shop will go to disaster relief in Japan.  I especially love this necklace:

Earthquake Relief for Japan - Black and White Necklace

Another very cool item from the husband and wife team, iswasandwillbe.    I've been eyeing this pendant (see below) VERY intently--it is gloriously unisex in design.  They've created only 30 of these uniquely subtle pendants, each with 100% of proceeds going to charity.

11 of 30 limited edition every bit necklace FOR JAPAN, 100 percent of proceeds donated

 

100% of proceeds from the collective shop, loveforjapan, will be donated to disaster relief in Japan.  There you will find my donated my Unique Carnelian and Red Aventurine Pendant.   :)

 Please click on the shop banner below to enter the shop.

------ --- -- -- ---- -- - - -- --- --- --- --- ----- --- ---- ---- -- - - - -- - ----- -- - ----- ----- ---- -- - -- - - - - ---- - --

Moral of the/my (spending)story: 
 Spending money for charity is something that I truly enjoy and feel good about; it is spending power at its greatest.  Yet, women are the most prolific consumers in our society, even when our wages are unequal with men's (the facts show this-- last week, my husband and I saw a blurb on the gender wage gap on the national evening news).  I acknowledge that I am part of this group (even if I don't consider myself a prolific shopper).  However, it is okay to treat yourself to something nice once in awhile.  :) 


Good causes are good to donate to, but donation directly to an organization is even better, for what you get in return is more than just an item purchased in exchange for a donation: you relinquish the moral dilemma around purchasing "unneeded," aka "decorative" items.  You feel inherently good about getting nothing in return besides the giddiness that accompanies doing a good deed.  Like opening the door for an elderly man or woman.


Donating anything is a good thing, and is a rarity in our increasingly fragmented society, where donations are needed so greatly--yet are oftentimes unfulfilled.  Instead of the "me, me, me" mentality, we need to get to an "us, us, us" mentality, on a local and global scale.  Technology is a double-edged sword, for it allows us to connect globally, sell our wares for good causes and income, and also is so costly to our pocketbooks (think cellphones, laptops, etc.) and nullifies much of our face-to-face interactions.  Coldness, I say, but with a flickering glimmer of light.