sterling silver cuff links

Just a quick post to share a photo of some silver cuff links. The are very simple and have concave and convex elements. Also, flat sheet silver was added to the 'button' on the cuff link to create space to engrave a personal message.

thanks for visiting...

It's that time of year again... when my ClustrMap refreshes to a blank slate. While a blank slate is a new adventure, it also makes me a little sad to see everything disappear. So, take a peek at my map... maybe you can spot yourself ;)

moonie!

I finished the moon pendant and the moon pendants.

First... the moon pendant...


It is Palladium 950 with multiple family diamonds of all different sizes and qualities. This is a really sweet pendant. It was fabricated with diamonds from 2 different family members and is engraved in a third family member's handwriting...


But at the same time I finished up some very simple and modern silver moon pendants. These are thank you gifts a year in a half in the making. It's so sad that they have taken me so long, seeing how simple they are, but they are finally complete!


When I stayed in France last year I took a trip down to Inzago, Italy to visit with my friend Roberta and her family. While I was there we had a Lunar Eclipse that was RED! OOOOO! So, I made Roby, her 2 sisters and her mother a little lunar pendant (but Roby gets the Ruby.)

Isn't it funny how you can make the same object in so many different styles.

morning cup of tea...

As I sat down to my morning cup of tea to make the 'to do' list for the day, I thought it would be a great time to do a morning review.

Currently, I'm attempting to finish up a few jobs that have taken longer than necessary...

1. Moon pendant with Family Diamonds - need to finish setting the diamonds
2. Sterling Cuff Links - polish and engrave
3. 4 matching sterling pendants (a thank you gift for friends in Italy that's now a year and a half late) - polish and set 1 ruby
4. Swirl pendant - it's currently being laser welded and then final polish
5. Baby Spoons - I'm making a couple for clients and then a couple more blanks for later

Once I get all of that off my bench, then I can start into the new projects...

1. The pearl clasp
2. My cute little bug pendants (for the Holidays)
3. Glass and Gold cufflinks
4. Crazy Sapphire Necklace
And a few other pieces... but let's see what other paying jobs pop up before I put them on my to do list!

Okay... off to work! Hopefully photos to come soon.

swirls EVERYWHERE!

About a year ago, a client came to me with a severely damaged ring... it had been sucked up into a vac, through the beater brushes, and completely smooshed... and it could not be repaired. So we've sat on it, did some other jobs, and finally revisited it. This is the damaged ring...






It is (was) an antique platinum button ring with a mine cut diamond (not too sure of the ct size or quality... but it's approximately 7.2mm wide.) It must have been an incredible ring in it's day.

So... over the past year that I've spent time getting to know the clients. I discovered her love for diamonds and pearls and swirls (what a delightful combination!) And with that in mind I came up with this design for a three strand pearl clasp.



We will offset the diamond to the upper right corner. And then just go completely nuts with swirls EVERYWHERE! Different shapes and sizes with little diamonds and beads tucked here and there. How incredibly cool!!!

Now, to give the client a general idea of what these swirls would look like, I made a very very quick one out of silver (it's pretty crappy... but it gives you the idea.)



Now... the pearls we chose are nearly round (but with lots of natural inclusions and dings and stuff... she likes pearls that are more natural than 'cultured' looking) that are 10-11mm (pretty damn large) in a gorgeous silverish-misty greenish color. OOO. So the clasp will be 30mm x 15mm.

slacker

I know it, I know... I've been a slacker about posting. But my week has just been completely bizarre... my schedule has gone out the window, lots of catch up cleaning (my shop and our home), catching up on bills and such, a conference/expo down in Providence... I've been productive, but not in my normal way.

But I'll finally get a day in the shop today... so maybe, just maybe, I'll have some photos for you later today or tomorrow. Maybe.

almost finished!

Finally, we're getting close! Just a couple more steps!

on the south shore...

There may be a lack of posts over the next couple days due to the fact that I'm on the south shore at my folks place, house/dog sitting. I was planning on accomplishing all kinds of stuff (I brought supplies to fabricate a gaggle of baby spoon blanks... BABIES EVERYWHERE) but as of right now, I haven't even had a chance to take the lid off the box of supplies.

BUT it should give me some time to get some sketching accomplished (I need to do some brainstorming!) This is if I can get a break from the crazy wiener dogs and Lucy (my sister's fluffy Welsh Corgi)... currently they are all fighting over who gets to sit on my lap.

But stay tuned... there will be some very cool photos by the end of the week!

the glass i almost died for... literally!

I recently took a trip down to Putnam, CT visit some dear friends and pop into a couple of antique shops (just in case I came across a new tea set... because I have a dish buying issue.) Well, I came across a shop that had a very interesting character for an owner. I won't get into it fully... but he seemed to have LOTS of stories.

Well, he showed me these 'semi precious' stones that came from the late 1800's - early 1900's. They were the salesmen samples, so they were the best of the best because they were the example to sell from... and no two were alike. The stones came from a company from New York called Albert Lorsch & Co., on 5th Ave (there was some packaging with it, but I wasn't allowed to take it.) But when they say semi-precious they mean glass or porcelain... actually, the only information I could find about the company online was that they were sued by the United States over tariffs on 'imitation precious' stones... I have a feeling that was the beginning of the end for the company.

The 'stones' are amazingly cool! This first is a Greek style woman in cut Czech glass that is just over 1.5 inches in amethyst purple...


... this is hand painted porcelain black and gold, just over 1.75 inches tall, Asian motif...


... and this is one of my favorites! Jade green glass with a stamped Art Nouveau woman...


... now I found the same in a dark purple... but it has a small flaw in it that it looks like her throat was slashed (I guess there's a smidgen of goth girl in me!)...


... and finally, the wiener dog portrait! This will become a pendant for my mother. Seriously, how could I not get a wiener dog!


Now, the whole time I was in there, the gentleman that owned the store was... well... a bit scary to say the least. But the scariest point was when I realized he (1) locked me in the store alone with him and (2) gave me a bone crushing hug, pinning my arms down. I honestly had a brief moment of fear with thoughts of him killing me in the store... and I was prepared him in the family jewels and run. But, luckily, he let me go and unlocked the door.

See... I nearly died procuring for my craft!

nose ring...

I thought I'd post some photos of the client's grandmother's nose ring that's going to be laser welded into the swirly pendant.

They are diamonds set in either 18 or 22k. The diamonds have a little spot of orange in each one. I have to say... this is insanely cool!

all about Gowri...

I have a delightful client (who I now consider a friend) that has been more than patient about me putting her pendant to the side, so I could finish all of the wedding jewelry that I have been bombarded with. Well, no more! It is now ALL about that client. Nothing else is on my bench but her pendant!

Now... I have been taking photos while fabricating this pendant. So, here are the most recent photos... but trust me, it will move along really quickly from now on!


This was right after casting. The spru is still connected to the pendant...



... And this is after you saw off the spru. There is a TON of filing and cleaning to be done.



But I just wanted to say thanks to this client... because she's been more than cool about letting this slide.

Maori Koru wedding bands

As lots of my clients like to do, these clients wanted to have a symbol in their wedding bands specific to their lives. They had the idea of incorporating a Maori Koru (similar to a fiddle head fern) because they will be honeymooning in New Zealand.

Her band is platinum with the hand engraved Koru pattern...



... while his is palladium with the hand engraved Koru pattern.



Now, we decided on the palladium because it resembles the platinum, but is less in cost. Unfortunately I had NO idea that palladium is a b(*&^ to engrave into. It's honestly like a flipping rock! So, if you notice that her engraving is slightly deeper and wider than his... and that's because of the difficulty engraving into the palladium.

But I like to think everything happens for a reason... because I think the 2 bands look beautiful together! I feel they balance each other so nicely... her's being slightly more feminine and his more clean and simple looking.

Deco Engraved Wedding Band

I was approached to make a wedding band that would compliment her engagement ring. The engagement ring was very classic... a 1+ carat round brilliant center diamond with tapered baguettes on each side. So, we decided on a deco styled band that could fit snugly with her engagement ring and would look beautiful on it's own.


The bands are hand engraved platinum. Pretty sweet, huh?

Colored Pearls...

A bit ago, Kelly introduced to to Harper at Seams. Harper makes custom Wedding gowns and things of that nature... everything is made of the finest fabrics and to the highest standards. Her work is beautiful!

Well, she just opened up new shop in Wenham, MA, and has room for jewelry. And what do brides love more than diamonds??? PEARLS! So I'm going to bring up a few strands of pearls with simple custom clasps.

This is a strand of silver-green freshwater pearls with a palladium 'S' hook... strung on silk.

And this is a strand of pink-lavender button pearls with a 14K green gold clasp with a bezel set 1/4 ct SI estate diamond, strung on silk.




I've been on a pearl kick lately... I do love them! So, expect to see some more down the road!

flower engagement ring...

The flower engagement ring is finished!

The flower is really subtle, but it's there. Look closely... the bead set diamonds on each side of the head create leaves down the shank along with a tiny leaf with a bead set diamond is on the front and back of the shank. Also, the head holding in the main stone is not at the normal 70 degree taper, it has a slight 'trumpet' to it.

But the main thing is that we tried to make this 'antique' style because the main diamond came out of the great grandmothers engagement ring. We wanted to keep true to the original.

The main stone was a .6 ct mine cut with VS melee bead set around it, set in 18K palladium white gold.

whoa.

Seriously... I don't know what to say about these rings. Are they deco? Are the contemporary? Whatever the hell they are I can guarantee that NOBODY else in this world has wedding jewelry like this!

Do you remember this ring (or 3 rings) I did last fall?


So I just made the matching men's wedding band...



Now, you may question me on how and why I think these match (other than the obvious blue sapphire, yellow diamond and white diamond motif.) Well... lemme explain. The women's wedding bands are two arches that wrap around the center engagement ring... so we created alternating arches engraved out of the men's ring... and 2 of these arches were set with stones (just like the woman's bands.) Get it?



All together I think it's a pretty insane group of rings... and I mean insane in the best way... the most creative way possible!

But, and this is just my personal taste, I love the men's ring without any stones... just clean and simple...

can't do it all!

Sometimes I really wish I could do everything myself.

Like so many industries, it's virtually impossible to do EVERYTHING yourself. In the jewelry industry, some specialize in stone setting, others casting, enameling, repairs, you get my drift. While I have some knowledge and skill in each of these areas (some more than others) I will never be a master of any of these skills. A master is somebody that has been practicing their one and only skill for years. I will never be a master because, as I have been told many times from older jewelers at the building, I didn't start when I was 9... I'm sorry, we have child labor laws in this country.

Well, another speciality is engraving. I can do basic engraving work (straight lines in metal or random stuff in wax) but nothing really beyond that. So when I have a piece that needs a great deal of attention, I pass it off to an expert. Well, sometimes it takes a few tries to find the right expert!

For my men's China Pattern ring I needed a nice clean engraved line...


But my first attempt at having it engraved turned out like this...


As you can see, it was an unfortunate attempt. The jagged wonky line was just painful.

Ugh... I learn from doing. And at least gold can be remelted. I just wish I could do it all myself!