This blog is now hosted on my website at mcfarlanddesigns.com/blog-posts; please update your bookmarks to follow the latest posts. Thanks!

Friday, November 9, 2012

New Work

recycled wedding rings
 Recycled 950 palladium and 14k yellow gold wedding band

tourmaline ring gold
Afghan tourmaline and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

one carat moissanite
 Forever Brilliant moissanite, recycled 950 palladium, and 14k yellow gold ring
 
custom engagement ring
 Chatham alexandrite, recycled 14k rose gold, and 950 palladium ring

square moissanite ring
 Moissanite and recycled 14k white gold ring

silver wedding rings
 Fair trade sapphire and recycled sterling silver rings

alexandrite ring
 Chatham alexandrite, recycled 14k rose gold, and recycled 18k palladium white gold ring

pink sapphire ring
 Fair trade pink sapphire and recycled 950 palladium ring

rose gold band
 Recycled 14k rose gold wedding band

sapphire engagement ring
 Fair trade sapphire, moissanite, and recycled 14k rose gold ring

rose gold ring
 Fair trade sapphire and recycled rose gold ring

recycled wedding band
 Recycled sterling silver and recycled 14k yellow gold band

forever brilliant moissanite
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite and recycled 14k palladium white gold ring

ethical engagement ring
 Chatham aqua spinel and recycled 14k white gold rings

green moissanite ring
 Green moissanite and recycled 14k rose gold ring

moissanite engagement ring
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite and recycled 14k white gold ring with peekaboo bezel

open bezel ring
 Here's a side view of the same ring - this is a new bezel design that combines the best aspects of a full bezel setting (a clean, seamless, modern look that protects the stone and won't scratch your kids or catch on clothing) with the sparkle-enhancing appeal of a more open prong setting underneath. 

recycled gold earrings
 Recycled 14k yellow gold hoop earrings

silver hoop earrings
 Recycled sterling silver earrings

recycled silver earrings
  Recycled sterling silver earrings

moissanite sapphire ring
 Fair trade Australian sapphire, moissanite, and recycled 14k white gold ring

sapphire engagement ring
 Fair trade Malawi sapphire, recycled 14k yellow gold, and recycled 18k palladium white gold ring

aquamarine ring
 Fair trade aquamarine and recycled sterling silver ring

palladium wedding band
 Moissanite and recycled 950 palladium wedding band

ruby engagement ring
 Fair trade ruby and recycled 14k yellow gold engagement ring and wedding bands

moissanite wedding ring
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite, recycled 14k yellow gold, and recycled 950 palladium ring

ethical engagement ring
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite, recycled 14k yellow gold, and recycled 18k palladium white gold ring

recycled engagement ring
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite and recycled 18k palladium white gold ring

emerald engagement ring
 Chatham emerald, recycled sterling silver, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

moissanite engagement ring
 Moissanite, recycled 14k yellow gold, and recycled 18k palladium white gold ring

garnet silver ring
 Fair trade grape garnet and recycled sterling silver ring

tourmaline ring
Afghan tourmaline, recycled 14k rose gold, and recycled sterling silver ring

Friday, September 21, 2012

New Stones

At long last, I have found a source for at least a limited supply of ethically sourced labradorite. Behold! :-)

ethically sourced labradorite
 7mm x 5mm

custom labradorite jewelry
 16mm x 9mm

custom labradorite ring
 15mm x 10mm

fair trade labradorite
18mm x 15mm

New Work

forever brilliant moissanite
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

moissanite palladium ring
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite, recycled 950 palladium, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

moonstone rose gold
 Ethically sourced moonstone and recycled 14k rose gold ring

moissanite palladium ring
  Moissanite and recycled 950 palladium ring

rose gold ring
 Moissanite and recycled 14k rose gold engagement ring and wedding band

rose gold moissanite ring
 Moissanite and recycled 14k rose gold engagement ring

fair trade ring
 Fair trade sapphire, moissanite, and recycled 950 palladium ring

recycled wedding band
 Chatham sapphire, moissanite, and recycled palladium sterling silver band

moissanite engagement ring
  Forever Brilliant™ moissanite and recycled 14k white gold engagement and wedding ring set

rose gold engagement rings
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite and recycled 14k rose gold engagement and wedding ring set
{ engagement ring available for purchase in my Etsy shop; wedding bands available by special request}

palladium engagement ring
 Forever Brilliant™ moissanite, recycled 950 palladium, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

And last but not least, some gorgeous poppies blooming outside my studio...


:-)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

New Work

Lately I've been inspired to repeatedly play around with a new band style that involves a lot of sawing and piercing... here's a plain 14k yellow gold band -

bubble wedding band

 - that I later polished and added a stone to -

spessartite garnet ring
Ethically sourced spessartite garnet and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

blue spinel ring
 Another one in a similar style, this time with Chatham lab created aqua spinel and recycled 14k white gold

two tone wedding band
 Next up, a layered band made from recycled 950 palladium and recycled 14k yellow gold, which also eventually asked to be embellished with a stone :-) ...

forever brilliant moissanite
  Forever Brilliant moissanite, recycled 950 palladium, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring


Monday, September 10, 2012

New Stones

fair trade sapphire
 Ethically sourced sapphires, 4.5mm

andalusite
 Ethically sourced andalusite, 5mm

green moonstone
 Ethically sourced rose cut green moonstone

ethically sourced moonstone
 Ethically sourced moonstone, 11mm and 10mm

fair trade moonstone
 Ethically sourced moonstone, 8mm x 6mm

custom moonstone jewelry
 Ethically sourced moonstone, 8mm

rainbow moonstone jewelry
 Ethically sourced moonstone, 9mm

 Ethically sourced rose cut moonstone

 Ethically sourced spessartite garnet

Afghan tourmaline, 5mm

Saturday, September 8, 2012

New Work

 Chatham emerald and recycled 14k white gold wedding/engagement rings
{ custom order; sold }

 Afghan tourmaline and recycled 14k yellow gold ring

 Fair trade sapphire (purple and blue) and recycled 14k white gold rings
{ custom order; sold }


 Fair trade AAA sapphire and recycled sterling silver ring

 Ethically sourced moonstone and recycled sterling silver ring








Moissanite and recycled 14k rose gold ring

Thursday, September 6, 2012

New Skills / New Work

About a month ago I drove up to Bend, Oregon to learn how to fabricate in palladium. The class was taught by the talented and kind jewelry artist Jim Dailing. I had a wonderful time learning how to create beautiful things with this incredible metal, and I'm excited to start offering many new designs in 950 palladium, which is a noble metal in the platinum family that is nickel-free and hypoallergenic, and has a brighter silvery-white color than any of the white gold alloys. It is slightly more affordable than gold as well. 

On the way home I took a slight detour to take in the beauty of Crater Lake, which I last visited on my honeymoon 15+ years ago.

Since I have my priorities straight, the first order of business was to take a picture of an adorable tiny chipmunk.


Then, on to the amazing non-furry-friend-related scenery...



What an incredibly beautiful spot! Here's a photo of my very first palladium ring, which I made during the class...
  

palladium sapphire ring

It was a super inspiring experience for me, and made me realize that this is the first professional development I've enjoyed in four years! Yikes... I need to prioritize that, especially now that Carlos is getting older. Of course, even after the best travel experience, it's always nice to come home to the family, both human and non-human. :-)

 Foster dog Pedro on the studio couch