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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Beaded Earring Tutorial

I originally wrote this tutorial back in 2008 and have had a couple of people ask about it lately, so I'm posting it here free for anyone who wants to try it. :-) If you give them a whirl, let me know how they turn out, or better yet, send pictures!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

New Work

moissanite halo ringMoissanite and recycled 14k yellow gold 'halo' ring
{ to be listed soon in my Etsy shop }

green tourmalineCalifornia green tourmaline, recycled sterling silver, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring
{ to be listed soon in my Etsy shop }

rose gold garnetFair trade grape garnet, recycled sterling silver, and recycled 14k rose gold ring
{ to be listed soon in my Etsy shop }

blue tourmaline ringAfghan tourmaline and recycled 14k yellow gold ring
{ to be listed soon in my Etsy shop }

wide moissanite bandMoissanite and recycled 14k yellow gold ring
{ to be listed soon in my Etsy shop }

rose gold bandRecycled sterling silver and recycled 14k rose gold band
{ custom order; sold }

New Stones

Because of the limited availability of fair trade / ethically sourced gemstones, it is pretty rare for me to come across a new type of stone that is really beautiful and lives up to my ethical standards. But I am happy to say that today I have made just such a discovery - green moissanite!!!

I had heard vague whispers about green moissanite a few times, but for some reason I always imagined it as a muddy, murky light green (don't ask me why?!?) - in reality, these stones have the most incredible, lovely blue-green color - similar to Afghan tourmaline - but since they are moissanite, they are harder than tourmaline, have better clarity and sparkle, and less environmental footprint (since they are lab created).

I can't wait to work with these beauties!!!

green moissaniteDark green moissanite, 5.5mm

blue moissaniteLight green moissanite, 6mm