Spiny Oyster & Jewelry

Some of the most incredible Southwestern and Indian jewelry is made with Spiny Oyster beads. The colors of these beads vary from pink to purple and from light to deep orange. Spiny oyster beads come from the spiny oyster shell, or Spondylus, harvested from the Sea of Cortez, Baja California and Mexico. Different types of Spondylus may also be found in the warm waters off the coasts of Central and South America. Spondylus is Latin for “spines on its back,” which is appropriate for this beautify and difficult to harvest shell.

It was hard to find information about just the beads, but I did find out about the Spiny Oyster Shell from the Wikipedia. “Spondylus is a genus of bivalve mollusks, the only genus in the family Spondylidae. As well as being the systematic name, Spondylus is the most often used common name for these animals, though they are also known as thorny oysters or spiny oysters.

There are many species of Spondylus, and they vary considerably in appearance and range. They are grouped in the same super family as the scallops, but like the true oysters (family Ostreidae) they cement themselves to rocks, rather than attaching themselves by a byssus. Their key characteristic is that the two parts of their shells are hinged together with a ball and socket type of hinge, rather than a toothed hinge as is more common in other bivalves. Spondylus have multiple eyes around the edges of the shell, and they have a relatively well developed nervous system. Their nervous ganglia are concentrated in the visceral region, with recognizable optic lobes, connected to the eyes. Spondylus shells are much sought after by collectors, and there is a lively commercial market in them.

Archaeological evidence shows that people in Neolithic Europe were trading the shells of Spondylus gaederopus to make bangles and other ornaments as long as 5,000 years ago (Varna necropolis). The shells were harvested from the Aegean Sea but were transported far into the centre of the continent. In the LBK and Lengyel culture, Spondylus shells from the Aegean Sea were worked into bracelets and belt-buckles.

Spondylus princeps are also found off the coast of Ecuador, and have been important to Andean peoples since pre-Columbian times, serving as offerings to the Pachamama as well as some kind of currency. In fact much like in Europe the Spondylus shells also reached far and wide as pre-Hispanic Ecuadorian peoples traded them with peoples as far north as present-day Mexico and as far south as the central Andes. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and the sea and often depicted Spondylus shells in their art.


Browse our online shop to purchase designs in spiny oyster!

*Parts have been reprinted from the Wikipedia.

Mix of Natural Stones & Crystals

These two new designs are a mix using natural stones and crystals; creating a twist on both natural stone and bling of crystals for lovely statement pieces.

This first piece (to the right) has a unique focal pendant in dragon skin jasper with shades of pink-peach-red-tans. It is highlighted with medium colored round peach aventurine, lime green magnesite (dyed/stabilized), small smooth round silver beads and mixed with faceted crystals of smoky and pink/peach rondelles. The dangle earrings match perfectly in the same stones/crystals with a handcrafted swirl of non-tarnish silver wire.

Piece number two (to the left) shows of a very lovely murano glass pendant with a flower configuration inside; colors of peach, blue, green, and cream against a black background; highlighted by light peach aventurine rounds, sodalite disk rondelles, and chunky green prehnite. The crystals are faceted iridescent rondelles in clear and peach/pink. The dangle earrings are of the same stones/crystals with swirl handcrafted in non-tarnish silver wire.

Browse our online shop for these and many other unique mixes from stone, crystal and metals.

Jewelry Trend Watch: What’s Hot for Fall 2010

What’s hot for some people isn’t always considered hot for everyone, which means the trends in fashion, jewelry or even home décor and paint are changing with every season. Most people stay within their comfort zone, while others are watching with great anticipation for the latest trends in magazines, TV and the runways. For fall 2010, the jewelry trends are mixing it up slightly, more a mix of cross-fashion confections. Read on and determine your own trendy style as predicted by the experts.

If you are one who is into bold statements then this fall season is just for you. According to the runways, fashion magazines and websites, big, bold and eye-catching statement necklaces are going to be all the rage. For added spice, heat it up by stepping out with mixed metal and non-symmetrical looks. This means mixing it up with jewelry designs that feature multi-layers in stones, beads and chains mingled together; the more unique and unusual the better the look.

Sizzling mixes in metals is going to be another big trend and with the price of sterling silver and gold higher than ever before many designers are moving towards untraditional metals such as copper, brass, antique plated metals, and colored overly metals. For more versatility, many are blending textured or burnished patterns of plated metal into designs in place of the expensive traditional and contemporary shiny metals of sterling and gold.

Earrings step it up this fall season with much longer lengths; though small to medium earrings will remain the staple for some, the move is toward much longer looks. The look will be toward 2”-3” chandeliers made of links, chains, clusters, and charms in fashionable earrings. The key for the jewelry designer will be to keep these longer earrings lightweight, fresh and colorful.

Last but not least it appears that all roads this fall are leading back to complete sets; as in matching necklace, earrings and bracelets for an entire ensemble and less about the mixing and matching from multiple pieces of seasons past.

As with all trending watches, whatever your style it’s about the color and feeling comfortable that you’ve completed and captured the look you are going for. Whether it’s casual to classic, chic to trendy, spicy to bold, make your own statement and step out to any event in confidence.

Visit our collection online to find your next jewelry design to make your next statement!

Classy & Chic Artistic Jasper Designs

Artistic jasper is an incredibly beautiful stone; the array of colors is stunning with the creations of nature. The stones are mostly a shade of pink, but can have additional jasper coloring. These three designs are made from Japanese artistic jasper and include stones in ivoryite, black quartz, and faceted crystals in pink, copper, topaz, and black.






Jaspers: Protection, nurturing, joy, awareness; balancing of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies.

























Uniquely handcrafted designs from nature; see our collections to purchase your next custom piece.

Fun Styling in Southwest

Looks like Turquoise (but it’s not) and is still a natural stone in all Magnesite! I just fell in love with this strand of green Magnesite when I saw it; the raw edges of the disks just give it an all natural fun and stylish Southwestern look. I’ve matched it with teardrop Magnesite (pendant style) that has a really great beige/brown matrix, sliced in a hint of Amber chips and Sterling Silver fancy toggle and beads to match. To complete this set, I did the same Magnesite disks, adding in Amber chips to make large dangle earrings; you could pair this set with just about anything or wear them seperately to accent any outfit!

This and many other unique and unusual designs are available to purchase on our website.

Naturally Earthy Fossil

More of the great Tucson finds here, a beautiful Moroccan Goniatite in soft shades of green/cream/black wired in non-tarnish silver and accented with carved Jade in natural earthy colors, mixed in some dark green Aragonite for contrast that are in pewter star end-caps.

This and many other Tucson finds are available for purchase on our website.

Sneak Peek at New Designs

Here are a couple of new designs fresh from the studio, just right for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. Wear them casual or dressy for any occasion.

Agate slice wired non-gold wire; Swarovski Tabac oval crystals dangle to match.

Turquoise nuggets wrapped in silver tubes and accented by tiny black glass seed beads.

Many other unique or wired designs at website.

Shades of Purple Oyster

Many shades of purple from light to dark and a little creamy white; two exotic and rare natural stones of purple Oyster square chips and hidden among them are Arizona Ivoryite stones. The hoop style earrings are from the same natural stones, included to complete the set.

Find many other unique treasures for purchase at Timeless Designs.

What's in a Necklace Length

Wondering what length of necklace fits you? Many people just wear whatever looks good and that usually works. Then there are others that only wear a certain style or length, depending on what is ‘hip ‘n hot’ or the trendy, stylish, and chic. If you’re wondering what those different lengths are, read on…..

Choker Style: A choker is generally 15”-16” long and lies up next to your neck. Chokers look really nice with open necklines; round or v-shaped tops.

Princess Style: A princess length is 18”-20” long and lies lower than the choker style. With this style, it more of a relaxed length and works really well with high necklines, such as turtlenecks; or for a different look, wear it with a really low neckline dress or shirt. This style is also great for double-stranded necklaces.

Matinee Style: A matinee necklace is 23”-27” long and usually falls lover over a blouse and works great with layers of jackets or blazers. Matinee length allows freedom to design very striking multiple stand necklaces.

Lariat Style: The lariat length varies from short 36” to as long as 42”. This gives a very flowing and long line for necklaces; can end with charms or pendants.


Whatever your style, wear what looks and makes you feel best! For many different necklaces in these styles, browse and purchase from our website.

Custom Jewelry Pieces

Quite often I get a request from a customer to make a custom piece to match an outfit or dress for a special event. In this case, I recently got a request from a loyal customer who bought our beautiful Crazy Lace Agate Crystals Copper bracelet. She wore it to work and realized that she needed a matching pair of earrings! After her inquiry, I dug through my inventory to see if I see had the stones – we got lucky!

Here I’ve designed a nice pair of dangle earrings in the same matching pair of Crazy Lace Agate and highlighted it with off-set crystals and copper.

Agates: Balancing physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies; perceptiveness, strength, inspiration, awakening talents.

Interested in a custom piece? Contact us for further details or browse our website to purchase many other jewelry designs in natural gemstones.

Spicy Bling in Copper

This spicy hot design is highlighted by the glass lampwork beads in swirls of grey, brown, black/blue, yellow/gold, and browns just to name a few. Copper accents between white natural Magnesite gemstone nuggets and crystals; copper toggle and dangle earrings in the same stones finish off the sassy set.

Magnesite promotes relaxation and a positive attitude to life. It removes negative feelings, reduces oversensitivity and said to lift depression.

Browse and purchase any natural gemstone designs from Timeless Designs.

Turquoise & Arrowhead

Rooted in Texas this naturally carved arrowhead in a nice shade of beige with hints of dark shadows has been hand wired with natural copper. Highlighted with Turquoise cut in rounds, barrels and tubes and the dangle earrings from copper ear-hooks are double dangles in the same Turquoise gemstone beads, with a copper spacer. As with most of my pendant pieces, this one too I’ve made the bail a little larger so you may remove – wear the necklace without the pendant for an all Turquoise natural look or with the pendant to add that hint of Old West.




Turquoise: Spiritual attunement, cleansing, healing, protection, valor, soothing, peace of mind, guidance through the unknown, romantic spontaneity



Pendant provided by Panther Creek Minerals of San Antonio, Texas.

Browse and purchase many natural gemstone jewelry designs at our website!

The Coming of Beads

As jewelry artists and beaders our main material are beads. Bead making has been a highly valued skill throughout the world from earliest recorded times. In Ancient Egypt bead making was divided into specialist guilds according to the materials and technique used, and a similar system is used in modern India. Techniques invented by the Egyptians and Romans are still in use today and many skills have been shrouded in secrecy for centuries; the death penalty was even incurred for divulging trade secrets in Renaissance Venice. In Jablonec, the bead center of Czechoslovakia, the export of beads is severely rationed, despite high demand; in a typical factory there are only 80 skilled workers capable of producing 240 pieces each day.

Hand-worked beads
Early beads were made from substances used for other purposes such as bones from hunted animals and offcuts of stone tools. The rough carving and flaking techniques derived from making other implements. Many beads today are handmade, from sea shells cut and polished from the Pacific beaches, to porcelain beads designed in European markets.

Piecing Beads
Once shaped, a bead is pierced to make the hole. A cone-shaped hold, drilled in from both sides, is a sign of great age often seen in Pre-Columbian beads. Hand-wound glass beads are constructed around a metal wire which when removed leaves a hole.

Mass Production
The most seen today and cheapest in manufacturing of beads is the mass production. Cheap materials such as glass allowed everyone through-out the ages to have wares of beads. The Renaissance saw a great increase in mass production for export and today thousands of wooden beads are turned on lathes. The invention of molding produced perfectly shaped identical beads, easily recognized by a telltale seam between the poles and around the girth of a bead. In 1895 Daniel Swarovski invented an automatic process for cutting quantities of quality glass beads. Even today, the method is so guarded that workers do not have access to different parts of the factory.

Finishing
Once shaped, most beads are tumbled in a revolving cask to remove the molded seam and smooth or add polish. Substances added to the cask produce different effects; garnet paper or find sandpaper polishes wood, leather gives a soft shine to plastic. The concentric layers of colored glass in multi-tone beads rub away in different quantities during tumbling to give a two-three tone effect. Finishes, from lustering to coating of iridescence, enhance plain beads and are often added during tumbling.

Color
Color is either part of the bead’s material (natural or artificial) or is added after the bead has been made. Oxides are mixed into glass and into the glazes applied to ceramic beads. Precious stones are dyed or heat treated to enhance the color.

Whatever your taste in beads from glass, crystal, resin, polymer clay, natural gemstone, or wood; they have all been developed by nature with a touch of human hand.

*Experts from various bead books, magazines and web articles.

East Meets West

East meets West in this design of Southwestern culture; graduated AZ Turquoise nuggets meet together to center on a Chinese Turquoise pendant encased in a bold silver off elongated design. Wear this at a medium length or longer with the extender and fishhook hoop style earrings featuring the same AZ Turquoise nuggets.

This and other unique gemstone designs are at Timeless Designs!

Spring & Summer Exotic Heart Traditional

Various pendants for spring and summer! Whatever your favorite; Southwest Turquoise, faceted rare and exotic Pink Peruvian Opal, and even a little puffy Lapis heart charmed with pearls.

Southwest Turquoise; handcrafted brass wire coils and bail

Exotic Pink Peruvian Opal; handcrafted brass wire bail

Puffy Heart of Lapis with charmed accenting Pearls

Timeless Designs is your place for Pendants and other gemstone jewelry.

Spring & Summer Part 2

Hot, classy and elegant are all wrapped into these new designs.

All in Copper - Apple Sponge Coral Freshwater Cultured Pearls Swarovski Crystals

All in Brass/Gold - Jade Freshwater Cultured Pearls Amazonite

All in Copper – Freshwater Cultured Pearls Mookanite

Visit Timeless Designs for these and other gemstone jewelry.

Another New Design

Fresh from the design studio, this one again mixes Picture Jasper and Turquoise together in a

more choker style necklace. Turquoise in a puffy teardrop mixed among Picture Jasper and copper spacers; dangle hoop earrings complete the look.

Visit Timeless Designs for more gemstone jewelry.

Jasper and Ivoryite

One of our new designs from the finds of Tucson! Jasper, Wild Horse Jasper coming out of the mines of California with rich colors in red, burgandy and a slight cream; the cut of the bead is unusual with a minor twist to it. Here it’s been mixed between sterling silver open beads and rare Invoryite gemstones.

Jaspers: Protection, nurturing, joy, awareness; balancing of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies.

See this and many other gemstones finds on our website!

Red Hot Coral

Coral has been around for thousands of years; it is not a mineral but a skeleton of sea creatures, making coral an organic in origin. Developed over many thousands of years, it consists almost entirely of calcium.








Looking at history and legend; the ancient Egyptians placed pieces of coral in tombs as a protection against evil spirits because they believed that each piece contained a drop of divine blood. According to Greek mythology, when Perseus chopped off the head of Gorgon Medusa, some drops of blood splashed into the sea and there solidified into coral.

The healing properties say coral protects against negative energy while also preventing loss of energy, diplomacy, quieting emotions, and visualization.

Its magical properties symbolize joy and happiness, it enables the wearer to enjoy life; according to legend it consists of divine blood as we have already learned. Red coral is associated with Scorpio, black coral with Capricorn, and pink coral with Tarsus.

It is found in the reefs of warm seas, particularly east of Australia, around Japan, Africa, Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. It comes in several colors such as pink, salmon pink, red and also white and black.

Visit Timeless Designs for Coral and other gemstones designs.