Friday, April 27, 2012

Mother's Day Gift Ideas from JET Artisans!

For most American families, Mother's Day is a special occasion to show Mom love and appreciation. The little things like making her a special breakfast or taking your Mom to lunch are great ways to spend some time with her on this special day. But if you want your Mother to remember the occasion, a physical gift is the way to go. One of the most personal - and most often worn - gifts is jewelry.

When Mom puts on her new piece of jewelry, she will think of Mother's Day ... and she'll think of you. It could be a ring ... maybe a Mother's ring with a birthstone for each child. Perhaps a necklace with hand stamped discs, each for a child in the family. It could be a charm bracelet with charms or birthstones with a similar meaning. Or maybe a pair of earrings, made with her favorite color beads! Jewelry is a very meaningful gift, and will help make the day a memorable one.

Here are some fabulous gift ideas from JET members. Remember, some of these items may require stamping, engraving or custom stone setting ... so please order early!

Here is a pair of earrings from NancysCrystalFantasi featuring Green Aventurine, Emerald, Swarovski Crystal and Sterling Silver. The lovely combination of three shades of green in these earrings makes them versatile and suitable for year-round wear. Think these are the perfect gift for your Mom? You can find them, and a lot more here: Aventurine, Emerald and Swarovski Crystal Earrings


Ida of AdroitJewelers is offering a fantastic Mother's Day gift! This one-of-a-kind pendant is made from genuine Maine sea glass found locally. It has been soldered with non-lead solder. It has a rustic, bumpy, rough look, but is smooth to the touch. Because of the nature of the style there will be slight irregularities, which are part of the style. Ida hand-formed the word "Mom" and soldered it to the sea glass. The pendant measures approximately 1 1/2 inches from top of bail to bottom of sea glass and approximately 1 1/8 inches wide. Your Mom will treasure this pendant! You can buy it here: Genuine Sea Glass Pendant for Mom


Michelle of ELEVEN13 is offering a nice selection of gifts that would be very appropriate for Mom. One of my favorites is this pearl and Peruvian blue opal necklace ... If I were a Mom I would wear this! White freshwater pearls and natural Peruvian blue opal beads, Bali silver beads and a twisted sterling silver toggle clasp make this a beautiful, classic yet modern necklace for that special woman. This necklace measures 18 inches long. What an amazing Mothers Day Gift this would make! To purchase this wonderful necklace, please visit this page: Pearl Necklace with Peruvian Blue Opal



These pretty floral earrings were designed and made by Kerry at WanderingJeweler. They would be a great Mothers Day gift! These deep purple lucite trumpet flower and silver coloured ball earrings are very delicate and pretty. The silver coloured ball is made from a coiled wire. These earrings are about 1" long ... Visit this page to purchase them ...
Purple Lucite Flower Earrings for Mother's Day 


BeadznBling is jammed full of pearl jewelry - and you can't get a better gift for Mom than pearls.
Different, sure - but not better, cause ALL Moms love pearl jewelry. Pearls are a sure thing! The shining star of this design is the large heavy focal piece of a sterling silver box clasp with square cabochon set fluorite gemstone. The necklace is 22 inches when slightly twisted. The keishi pearls are 5mm x 8mm on average and the briolettes are 5mm by 8mm as well. The clasp is 32 mm long and 22 mm wide. Check out this fab necklace: White Pearl Necklace Double Strand for Mothers Day


The vivid, delicious colors in this necklace can mean only one thing - top quality artisan glass beads. I love the look of this necklace ... not too overwhelming, what I would call tasteful. Six handmade lampwork beads made with amethyst, green, and ivory glass, decorated with golden stringer, wire wrapped with sterling silver wire on a silver chain. Accented with 4mm Swarovski crystals,  the necklace is finished with a sterling silver lobster clasp and a Swarovski crystal charm. The lampwork beads are artisan handmade from Italian Moretti and American Double Helix Glass. The beads are about 14mm x 10mm. They're kiln annealed for strength and durability. The necklace is 18" but can be worn at a shorter length by placing the lobster clasp through any link in the chain. Visit Debbie Gilroy's fabulous shop, DGDesigns (stoutdg2) to buy this necklace:
Lampwork Bead and Swarovski Crystal Silver Necklace


So you think you need a combination gift. Maybe flowers AND pearls? Siany - of sianykitty - has what you're looking for! These pretty earrings show off both beautifully ... so why choose? Give Mom these lovely peach flower and gorgeous round fresh water pearl earrings. A pair of 8mm fresh water pearl in a subtle natural peach color, dangling on a resin made, darker peach -  almost orange - 12mm wide rose. Hand forged on a silver wire this pair of earrings is just a perfect gift for Mom!  Please visit Siany to purchase these here: Rose Flower Studs Freshwater Pearl Earrings


For this Mother's Day Necklace, Mollie of RoughMagicHolidays hand stamped Love Mom heart copper pendant dangles on a handmade Infinity chain! Mollie handcrafted the rustic alphabet letters and the small heart and then stamped them onto Joe's handcut primitive pendant.

Hammered for texture and strength, oxidized and buffed to a warm soft glow, the heart is about 1-1/4" across at its widest point. Including the matching wire wrapped connector, the pendant is approximately 2" long.

Mollie's handmade chain of oxidized copper figure 8 links is princess length, about 17-3/8" long. Because each heart and chain are individually handcrafted, no two will be exactly alike. Your necklace will closely resemble this one!
Find it here:
Mothers Day Necklace Love Mom Heart



This stunning necklace is made by Trace at TraceDesigns from a gorgeous genuine honey quartz triangle, wrapped in sterling silver wire and dangled from a sterling silver chain. The honey quartz triangle is slightly faceted to create dimension and interest. This stone is prefect in its quality. The color is gorgeous deep golden yellow, almost amber, that gleams in the light. Grab it fast! This stunning art deco piece will not last. The chain is 17 3/4" long; the pendant: nearly 1" tall and just over 1/2 inch at the base. You can find this beautiful and unique gemstone necklace here:
Yellow Quartz Triangle Sterling Silver Pendant




Visiting Michele's shop - malves1009 - is like stepping into a jewelry time machine
for a trip to the past. Her designs are vintage inspired - they are all original, but influenced by older styles. So it really isn't a surprise to see cameo jewelry, and that's a good thing ... because cameos aren't very easy to find.  Her Cameo Pin Brooch is a great example of what Michele does best! This vintage inspired etched glass lady cameo brooch pin was put together with a vintage glass cameo set in an antique brass setting. Cameos have been around for many years and seem to be popular for all ages, so why not start a tradition in your family? Brooch is 1 7/8" wide x 2 1/4" long or 45mm wide x 57mm long. Please visit:
Lady Etched Glass Cameo Pin Brooch  to buy it!

This keyring was made by artisan jeweler Denise Woodhouse at LoveStoneArts. Because this is a personalized design, your keyring would look similar to this one, but not the same. Obviously the names can be changed; but there are other options as well. This particular keyring features a large Lapis Lazuli heart cabochon; there are other stones available as well. If you think this is the perfect Mother's Day gift, head over to her shop - LoveStoneArts today and send Denise a convo. She will be happy to go over all the available options to make sure your gift is everything you want it to be ... and more! You can find this amazing Custom Stamped Silver Keyring here:

For Mother Made to Order Custom Stamped Silver and Gemstone Keyring 


I'm a metalsmith. But I look at wire wrapped jewelry like this in awe. It just amazes me how jewelry like this is made ... I have total respect for this talent. If you like wire wrapped gemstone jewelry as much as I do, head on over to LeesEarringBoutique. You'll find an amazing selection of fantastic jewelry suitable for a gorgeous Mother's Day gift ... and maybe a gift for yourself as well! I chose to feature this beautiful 14k Gold Filled pendant set with amethyst and aquamarine. To buy it, visit:
Amethyst, Aquamarine14kGold Filled Pendant


ArtMadebyTammy is a very cool shop. Full of very reasonably priced jewelry, you're sure to find a beautiful gift within your budget. Tammy makes, embellishes or customizes the jewelry she sells by hand painting, adding crystals or stones and a lot more. This is a unique shop that is fun to browse in, because you never know what you'll find! The pendant on the left is her hand painted Make a Wish Flower Necklace. It was designed and made by Tammy and is a one of a kind beauty. Mom will feel really special - knowing no one else has the same necklace you gave her! The pendant is 41mm x 21mm, and it comes with a matching chain. You'll find this fabulous floral necklace only in one place ... please check it out here: Hand Painted Dandelion Flower Pendant


Mother's Day is a spring holiday. Spring is also a great time for flowers! These earrings are made with lovely violet - purple amethyst ... carved into cute little blossoms! The flowers are about 8mm wide so they're not exactly tiny, but not so big that they're heavy (they ARE stone, after all). They're suspended on hand formed sterling silver wires made with Argentium brand sterling - so they are naturally tarnish resistant. They hang about 1" from the ear. Amethyst is the February birthstone so these would be a great Mother's Day gift for any mom with a February birthday! You'll love these ... please visit cserpentDesigns to purchase these earrings:
Hand Carved Amethyst Flowers and Sterling Silver Earrings


Debbie at TheBrassHussy has been selling brass jewelry on Etsy since September 2007! Her line of pendants, earrings, lockets and more includes some of the most popular jewelry designs sold on Etsy. That's easy to understand when you look at this fabulous floral design locket! Debbie added an antique style patina to darken the brass and bring out the beautiful rose motif. She also added the chain - and antiqued that also. The baby blue flower adds the finishing touch. You can add a family photo to complete this wonderful gift, making it a truly personal item. You can find the  Heart Locket with Bluebell Flower by clicking the link.



Here's a fabulous Rose Quartz ring in a combined fine silver and sterling silver setting. You'll want to visit laurastamperdesigns to explore her creations ... Laura makes some of the most creative, innovative and beautiful jewelry you can find - on Etsy or anywhere else. This ring is named "Pink Nebulae". The detail is amazing; and this is a truly unique ring. It has a class but very modern look and a bright, mirror polish. This ring is a size 7.




Terry of Jewelry24Seven created this sparkling green Peridot and Swarovski Crystal bracelet. This three strand bracelet is a real beauty. It features a sterling silver slide clasp, natural Peridot tube beads and glittering Swarovski beads. If your Mom has an August birthday, this is a perfect gift ... because Peridot is the August birthstone! Three handmade spacers keep the strands in order, and the bracelet will fit a small to average size wrist (length is 7"). Find this Peridot, Crystal and Silver Bracelet by clicking the link!


This wonderful aqua agate slice, turquoise, azurite and hand forged sterling silver necklace was made by Brooke of BrookeJewelry. Long and luminous, this necklace has a lot of shine going on. Brooke made the prong setting for the agate and the large chain links - they are all hand forged from sterling silver. The lovely turquoise, azurite, Czech glass and sterling silver beads are wire wrapped in place. The geode agate slice is a beautiful turquoise aqua blue. The necklace length is nice and long so it is in style right now. The chain is 28" to the bail and the agate adds an additional 3" in length. There is no clasp, this pretty gemstone necklace fits easily over the head.This agate, turquoise, azurite and silver necklace could be a fabulous Mother's Day gift for YOUR lucky Mom!


Made by Barbara of CapitalCityCrafts, a single cast peace dove in sterling silver hangs from an 18"
leather neck cord in a beautiful shade of turquoise blue. A universal symbol of love and peace, the Peace Dove Sterling Silver Necklace is highly polished to reflect every beam of light. It is about 1" across and 3/4" high. The back is hollow and textured so it isn't overly heavy and is comfortable to wear. This peace dove in sterling silver with turquoise leather neck cord is ready to ship. There are also other leather cord colors as well as suede available. The neck cord is closed with a lobster claw clasp and there is a 2" sterling silver extension chain so you can adjust the length slightly. This sterling silver Peace Dove necklace would look fabulous on your Mom!


Here's a pair of sparkling crystal earrings made by Cher - of DesignsbyCher that would be a gorgeous glittering gift to celebrate Mother's Day with! These fabulous earrings combine the world renowned flash of precision cut Czech crystal with the earthy look of antiqued brass for a truly lovely contrast. The color of these Czech beauties is emerald green; the AB coating gives them a fantastic rainbow effect. These earrings will definitely be noticed! The emerald green color also makes them a great gift for Moms with a May birthday, as Emerald is the May birthstone. Give your Mom these Antique Brass Emerald Crystal Earrings. What a gift!



Next we've got a very reasonably priced gift from ChristalDreamz! This attractive glass bead necklace will add a spot of bright color to your Mom's wardrobe, and is a perfect Mother's Day gift for shoppers on a tight budget. Made with top quality art glass, the color really pops ... The chain is a 20 inch length, a really nice size for wearing with a dress or over a sweater. And of course this cool necklace would look just as great worn with a complimentary colored tee shirt! Head on over to ChristalDreamz today and grab this Cherry Red and Black Bicone Beaded Silver Chain Necklace!


These pretty pearl earrings were hand knit by Chaya Robinson, of  ChayaGallery. The knitting is done completely by hand with 14k Gold Filled wire. The pearls are genuine freshwater pearls. Chaya can substitute the pearls with Swarovski crystal, if you wish upon request. The posts are 14k Rolled Gold Filled with silicone backs. These beautiful earrings are about 1.5 cm wide, which is approximately 0.6 inch or just over a half inch wide. Your mom would absolutely LOVE these fantastic earrings! You can purchase them directly from Chaya here:
White Pearl 14K GoldFilled Stud Earrings by ChayaGallery

 

Elizabeth of Foret handcrafted this fantastic Crescent Moon and Star Pendant from sterling silver wire and a natural blue chalcedony star. The metalwork was done completely by hand to give it a whimsical, dreamy, primitive look, reminiscent of a wonderful drawing from a child's book. It was made to be worn on either side, so it can depict the waxing or waning moon. The chalcedony star is suspended from a  beautifully made spiral. The star is a faceted blue chalcedony that sparkles as the pendant moves in the light. This pendant has a large 5mm diameter bail, so your Mom will have many choices when it comes to wearing it. The bail will fit a wide variety of  silk, satin or leather cords, ribbons, chains and many sterling silver collars. This beautiful crescent moon and star pendant is 1 7/8" tall; and the blue chalcedony star is 15mm x 15mm and 7mm thick. What a wonderful Mother's Day gift!


If your Mom is a fan of green and gold she will absolutely adore these Green Engraved Flower Stud Earrings brought to you by SatinDollCo. They have a really classic style that would look amazing with a nice spring / summer dress.  These pretty button studs feature genuine vintage green engraved flower cabochons on silver plated posts with silver plated backs. These green and gold colored floral stud earrings are a fantastic looking gift for the shopper on a budget, and your Mom will love them! They are a great way to add a pop of color to any outfit without being too bold.


This absolutely gorgeous double strand gemstone and silver bracelet offered at JemsbyJBandCompany is made with amazing smooth, round aquamarine and fluorite beads. The soft colors are just so pretty ... the aqua, blue, green, pink and violet colors go so well together! The box clasp is a unique aqua, turquoise and green moonstone with a square shape set in sterling silver. The clasp measures 3/4 inch long and 1/2 inch wide and has a safety catch. Like the colors of rainbow after a storm, this bracelet is the perfect accompaniment for your Mom's summer wardrobe. Soft and pretty with lots of sterling silver to offset the gemstones. This lovely, feminine Double Strand Fluorite, Aquamarine and Moonstone Bracelet measures 7 1/2 inches end to end.

From Norah of YourDailyJewels, we have this awesome pendant featuring a bouquet of gemstones! Norah guarantees this one will put a big smile on your mom's face ... A 100% recycled fine silver pendant is hand carved with, what else? "Mother". The heart shaped 'M" is about one inch wide and across (20mm). A bundle of gemstones spills over the front of it like a bouquet of flowers. The gems include ... peridot, pink quartz, citrine, amethyst, iolite, pink jade, crystal quartz and ... Czech glass. The sterling silver has a lobster clasp, accented with purple quartz rounds and sterling beads for a lovely detail at the nape of the neck. This fantastic handcrafted Fine and Sterling Silver with Gemstones Mother's Necklace is a gift your Mom will treasure forever, and will make this a really special Mother's Day!

OK ... we all know that "punk rock mom". She dresses in black and wears canvas Chuck Taylors and has multicolored streaks in her shoe polish black hair. Well, this Mother Necklace is for her. You can find it at RusticRockJewelry with the rest of the recycled, repurposed, rough rock stuff most people look at and say to themselves ... "why???" But that Mom has her own unique style, and she'll LOVE this pendant! Black-grey metal. Suspended from a 20" metal chain of same color. The chain closes with a lobster clasp that is blinged out with black and crystal clear Swarovski crystal, for a little added irony and contrast. The pendant is almost two inches long and a half inch tall ( 48mm x 13mm), and hung vertically.

Laurie of everydayapromise is offering this pretty Woven Bracelet. Laurie hand wove this colorful bracelet with white Crystazzi pearls as the center channel. For contrast, she surrounded the white Crystazzi pearl beads with fantastic deep teal and purple seed beads with hot pink accents, all in Czech glass. The tiny lobster clasp and the jump ring are sterling silver. The bracelet measures about 7 1/2 inches long. Laurie describes it as "quite stunning", and perfect for the Spring and Summer seasons or as a gift for Mother's Day!

We have 120 current JET members, and every one of their shops is a fabulous showcase of talent! Unfortunately we can't feature them all here. But I hope you visit as many as you can! You're sure to find many things you'll love ... and it should be very easy to get an amazing Mother's Day gift with so much to choose from. And you never know ... you may find a fabulous gift for yourself  too!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

On the Road Again, Oh, We Can’t Wait to Get On the Road Again …

By Debbie Gilroy


My hubby and I are really living our dream. Always on our bucket list was to buy a motor home and visit every state in the United States.

When we both retired we found a used RV and the rest is history.We have traveled to almost every state in the US as far west as Wyoming in the last 6 years. Traveling with your bed and food is great, and no searching for a clean bathroom.
We have met so many wonderful people along the way and visited so many wonderful places. I even got to meet my favorite lampworker on Etsy, Marcy at Etsy shop StudioMarcy. You see, I make jewelry and favor lampwork beads in my creations.
Here is a sample of Marcy’s beautiful lampwork seashells, used in one of my handmade bracelets:



Blue Lagoon Lampwork Seashells with Kyanite and Sterling Silver Scallop Shells Bracelet



Another highlight was going through New Mexico and Colorado. We visited Denver and Colorado City and then headed down the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico.

We were lucky enough to find a small out-of-the-way trading post and spent a few hours talking to the owner. He was the owner of a mine in Cerrillos NM. I bought a few pieces of turquoise and put together this necklace!

Cerrillos Turquoise and Sterling Silver Necklace

In North Carolina, we sluiced for rubies and emeralds and dug for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas. I did find a pretty nice ruby that would make a nice cabochon, but alas, no diamonds.


And, we stopped at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo TX!

There are just so many fantastic places in the United States that we visited, but are too numerous to mention. This year we are headed to the New England states; Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire. With the cost of fuel we are staying closer to home. Each year we average about 5000 miles traveling around. Try it some time, you’ll like it!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Susan goes Bead Hunting ... In Murano!

Susan of cserpent  went to one of our dream destinations ... Murano! Famous for the glass beads that have been made there for generations, this is a spot most jewelry makers would love to explore! Here's a quick look at the supplier she visited and what she found there ... Sounds like fun!

In February I visited Italy for the first time. Since I'm a jewelry designer I had to visit the island of Murano and see if I could find some gorgeous Venetian Murano glass beads to use in my designs. I was fortunate enough to contact a bead maker (Maurizio) and he let me dig through his boxes and boxes of beads. He had just moved his studio and hadn't started unpacking yet!

The very inconspicuous entrance to Maurizio's studioMe, my mom and mom-in-law
starting to dig through boxes of beads!
From those humble surroundings come beautiful beads and here are some used in designs by my fellow Jewelry on Etsy Team members ...














Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Jet of the Day 4/17/12 - Rustic Rock Jewelry

No matter How You  Spell it: Druzy, Drusy, Druse, Druze; Everyone Loves it!


The first time I saw druzy in a piece of jewelry, I knew I was in it for the long run. I am mesmerized by druzy. The beauty of it, and the science of it. The thought that I am holding or wearing something that has been millions of years in the making just fascinates me. There is no material I enjoy working with more. Druzy jewelry popularity has skyrocketed in recent years and it has become a gemstone in its own genre.  Exactly how these sparkling sugary crystals come about is a mystery to many. So I will try to explain as simply as i can.


First, a chart. (I promise it is the only one)


Ok, So, in a nutshell, the  constant moving of the earth’s crust and inner layers is responsible for the forming of most of the colored, sparkling, crystallized gemstones we see today. 


Millions of years ago, as molten rock was being forced up to the surface, heat and pressure changes caused gases to expand and create cavities within the solidifying rock.  Gazzillions of years later,  as the ground water,  rich with minerals, (i.e. dissolved silica) moved through the rock, it deposited  new minerals into the cavities, (or on the surfaces) of the rock, and cooling began to occur. 


Crystallization of these minerals on top of and inside the previously crystallized rock began the unique crystal formation called Druzy. Druzy colors are based on the particular stone that the mineral water leaked into all those years ago.


In the following photo you can see some of the filled cavities and you can see the tightly-packed matrix which creates a dense bed of individual crystals. Notice how each each crystal only has  a single termination pyramid exposed. This bed of crystals has a very fine crystalline structure similar to sugar or salt crystals. This is an "encrustation" crystal habit, or Druzy. This is why it is so sparkly. That pyramid catches light from every which way.


Naturally Occurring Druzy Crystals
Many different minerals  can form into druzy, and, as mentioned,  these  occur in a variety of colors. Druzy encrustation are found all over the earth; the colors listed below represent untreated crystals, unless noted otherwise.
  • Agate Drusy: Brown (Brazil) 
  • Quartz:  clear, white, tan, golden (citrine), and light purple (amethyst)
  • Black Garnet, Psilomelane: Black (Western Australia)
  • Carnelian Drusy (Chalcedony): Orangy-Yellow, Reddish-Brown (Brazil)
  • Chalcedony Drusy: Blue, Lavender (Brazil)
  • Chrysacolla: Greenish-Blue (Australia, Chili, New Mexico USA, Zaire)
  • Cobalto Calcite, Cobaltoan Dolomite: Pink, Rose (DRC Congo, Zaire)
  • Hemimorphite Drusy: Greenish-Blue (Yunnan Province, China)
  • Jasper Drusy: Brownish-Red (Madagascar)
  • Onyx Drusy (Agate): Black (Brazil) *may be dyed
  • Psilomelane Drusy: Indigo Blue (New Mexico USA)
  • Rainbow Hematite Drusy: Rainbow, Brownish-Green (Brazil) *very rare
  • Rainbow Pyrite: Rainbow (Volga River, Russia)
  • Uvarovite Garnet: Forest Green (Ural Mountains, Russia)

Enhancements made to Druzy
Vapor-coating (aka vapor-deposition) is one of the more common gemstone enhancements used to achieve the scintillation and myriad of colors and that are found in druzy quartz jewelry.

Titanium is used to create intense, permanent hues of blue, green, and purple, as well as adding an iridescent (Schiller effect) quality and/or play-of-color

Druzy crystal can also be vapor-coated with a variety of other metals to create interesting optical effects. Gold is used to create golden druzy, platinum is used to create pure white, or silver druzy, and silicone oxide is used to create vibrant pink and green hues.

Some countries have taken to straight out dying druzy. Dyed druzy will fade, unlike vapor coated druzy.

Example of Dyed Druzy



Grading:
Druzy gemstones are graded using the following criteria---color saturation, crystal size, purity (visual flaws), and crystal coverage (whether areas of underlying matrix shows). The highest grade Druzy is not always the prettiest. These earrings would not be considered high grade  because of the large crystals, but I think they are lovely!

Mink Druzy Earrings - Your Daily Jewels

Same with this pendant with much of the matrix showing. It would be considered "low grade"



Druzy Examples
Black Druzy - Your Daily Jewels (Sold)

Vapor Coated with Gold
Blue Chalcedony

Rainbow Hematite - (Excessive Handling Can Dull the Natural Coloration Of This Rare Druzy)

Druzy Chrysocolla






Cobalto Calcite Comes in a Wide Range of Pinks









Now some JET Druzy~


Agate Druzy Pendant - Your Daily Jewels


Twilight Drusy Ring - Love Stone Arts

Agate Druzy -Your Daily Jewels

Pyrite Druzy Pendant - JemsbyJBandCompany

Asymmetrical Agate Drusy Earrings - Laura Stamper Designs

Thanks for reading!

Oh, this is My Dream Bedroom, (I might need it a little bigger though)
Chalcedony Druzy