Sassy Southwest Design for Fall

This design in a little different and full of soft colors for the coming fall season. Featured is a lovely agate pendant; cut square with a nice polish on both sides. The pendant is lovely colored in soft shades of tan with white and splashes of dark purple.

  

I hand twisted several faceted rondelle crystals accent above the pendant and act as a bail; then I added in more faceted crystals in complimenting colors, golden rutilated quartz faceted hexagons and metal accents in gold tone pewter spacers.

 

 

A little southwest with a touch of brilliant bling in crystal; visit our Timeless Designs online store to browse and shop our custom designs!

Chic & Bold in Black & Purple

I love this necklace set, it is fast becoming one of my favorites! I started at the focal with a beautiful black agate pendant in the shape of an off-set donut; it has a nice smooth high polish. I have accented and bailed it using non-tarnish silver wire. 

   

The strands of the necklace are what really make this one rich in color; faceted graduated deep purple amethyst. The natural stone is just striking against the black and cream colors. 

There are also faceted barrels of onyx that have been painted in cream geometric patterns. The metal accents are braided light-weight silver tone pewter disks. It has been finished with a textured t-bar goggle and includes matching dangle earrings in the same amethyst stones.

Visit Timeless Designs online at Ruby Lane to shop and browse our uniquely artisan crafted jewelry collections!

A Heavy Mix of Amethyst & Turquoise

In a previous post (just a few down, find out all about amethyst) I posted about amethyst and in one of the pictures there was a large chunk that I had wire wrapped as a pendant. Here is the finished product of that pendant and what I ended up mixing with it.

The pendant is a nice chunk of raw amethyst from Uruguay, hand wire wrapped in non-tarnish silver wire.

I have made it the center focal to this heavy necklace set; mixed with nice barrel turquoise (stabilized), beautifully faceted agate that is a matrix coloring of black-dark blue and tan and a few faceted amethyst rondelle crystals.

Browse and shop our artisan jewelry collections store Timeless Designs, online at Ruby Lane.

Back by Popular Demand -- Single Wired Pendants

I haven’t done many single wired pendants in a while and many people have been asking for them this summer. A jewelry trend shift for the summer and maybe the fall; many people have been asking for single pendants then mix and matching earrings. So I brought back this popular line using different stones, fossils and minerals; giving everyone a mix to choice from!

These pendants are found in our Wiry Legends and Rock Yard Collections. Stop by our shop Timeless Designs online at Ruby Lane to find your pendant treasure!

Holectypus Echinoid – Sand Dollar from Madagascar (to the right)

Orthoceras Fossil from Morocco (to the left)

Light Green (natural color) Agate Slice from Brazil (to the left)

Deep Amethyst Chunk from Uruguay (to the right)

Hot Fiesta Fun in Glass

A hot new design for the season…better yet wears it on any occasion! This necklace features a center drop pendant in blown clear glass heart with swirls of red, green, yellow, and white. Above the pendant I’ve created a drop bail bunched together with lots of hand twisted charms; red hot cloisonné beads, bright lime green lined square glass seed beads and soft champagne faceted crystals.

 

The necklace strands are crafted with orange (dyed) magnesite disks, more faceted crystals, lime green seed beads and cloisonné beads, and accents in gold tone corrugated rondelle and bicone metal beads. This necklace also features an extender chain for wearing at short or long lengths to fit your style.

One of the beads in this necklace is cloisonné; I use it quite a bit when designing with crystals because of the elaborate designs and colors. Cloisonne is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, but in recent centuries they began using various enamels and adding inlays of cut gemstones, glass and linen for more variety and color to the metal beads.

Hot and trendy for the summer, or just about any time of the year…this necklace set fits the bill!

Visit our online store to browse and shop among our trendy and chic jewelry collections!

Ancient Fossils of Ammonite

Ammonites are one of the most popular of the fossils, both for collectors and jewelry designers. They are mostly from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Peridos that evolved into a great variety of forms. They can be found in a vast range of different shapes, sizes and structures. The movement of different species may have depended on their shape. Some of them are big and round, while others are thin and disc-shaped, some have shells that are quite small and others are very large. Ammonites are marine creatures that may have moved freely in the water, though some of the largest may have browsed more on the seabed.

The spiral coiling of the ammonite shell does not usually extend upwards. Instead it is coiled in a flat plane, with both sides of the shell depressed in the center. The ammonite shell itself has a large body chamber at the shell opening. This chamber reaches back for about half a whorl. Usually the animal lived with the body chamber at the lowest point, and the rest of the shell above.

 

We often feature many designs using the ammonites; which are hand wire wrapped.  The range of soft earthy colors or sold balck are perfect for any seasons!

Browse and shop our custom jewelry collections at Timeless Designs on Ruby Lane!

Ammonite Fossils All Wired Up

 Ammonite fossils are sought after by almost every shopper, they are all unique from their colors to the fossils encased within the ancient sea sediment. Millions years old and coming from African regions of Madagascar, these little fossils are quite stunning in their own right and in each one you can see the crystallized chambers.

I’ve hand wire wrapped them in non-tarnish brass wire, then mixed them into new necklace designs with all different looks – from crystals to cultured freshwater pearls, cloisonné beads and natural stones.

Southwest meets Old World; turquoise and jasper paired with a center focal ammonite fossil pendant

 

Classy and sassy; ammonite fossil pendant incorporated into cultured freshwater pearls and cloisonné beads

For more of these and other uniquely artisan crafted jewelry, browse our collections at our online Ruby Lane shop!

Greek & Roman Luster of Bronzite

In striking shades of brown, with flecks of golden and silvery slivers, bronzite is a bronze-like sub-metallic luster variety of Enstatite. The bronzite variety of enstatite has a semi-metallic luster which is formed through weathering of the enstatite mineral. The gemstone consists of magnesium and magnesium iron silicates and has an orthorhombic crystal structure. These are considered to be the ferriferous variety of enstatite.

The purest bronzite comes from Brazil, but is also found in India, Western Australia, China, and South Africa. It can be found in meteorites, leading some to speculate this means that other worlds in our solar system must have a similar composition to that of the earth.

The ancient Romans used to grind bronzite into powder form to protect against mental illness and confusion and as an effective treatment to strengthen the nerves. They also wore the stone as a protective amulet. Bronzite was highly valued by the Greeks and Romans as a decorative stone because of its particular brilliance. 

 

This new design features several stones in an octagon cut and faceted rondelles with a high polish to bring out the golden flakes. It has been paired with matching metal pendant and earrings in red enamel; tons of hand twisted charm crystals, rare Arizona ivoryite and cloisonne beads.

A rich and classy necklace set, sure to capture attention!

    

Find your next rare gem among our collection of finely artisan crafted jewelry!

Research various books and websites; bronzite rough picture by R. Weller/Cochise College

Heavy Metals Designs

Trendy and chic, moving beyond the traditional designs with stone pendants…these new designs feature metal pendants and matching earrings! This is a new line of designs that I’m testing the market with and so far, they are quite popular and going fast at our online Timeless Designs Ruby Lane shop!

Metal is a great way to showcase any mixture of stones, crystals and pearls. The different textures, and sculpture done with metal brings to life the art created by the artisan. These new designs feature different pendants and matching earrings, offering a collection of bold, classy, sassy and still classical looks for any occasion.

This first design (to the left) reminds me of the waters in the Caribbean….crisp cool teal blues of the Caribbean are always a fantastic palette to use. The pendant is hammered on one side and the front is sectioned with two different colors of blue – royal and teal. I’ve added in a clustering of hand twisted charms in faceted crystals and large nuggets of teal druzy agates, colorful faceted agate rounds, more crystals and spacey silver pewter beads finishes off the necklace.

Next up (to the right) is a lovely and very fun set all about the green of spring sparkle…..at center focal is a shamrock pendant and matching earrings, tons of hand twisted charms of creamy glass pearls and faceted crystals, lovely flowery lampwork beads, more crystals and marbled ceramic barrels finished off the necklace.

Bold and classy (to the left) in a stately metal two-tone cross and matching earrings…..featuring more hand twisted charms of cultured freshwater pearls, faceted crystals, two large marquee shaped agates with pyrite, bold deep etched barrel beads and finished with black tourmaline.

For these and many other artisan crafted designs, visit our online shop to browse our latest custom collections!

The Mermaid's Stone - Aquamarine

The clear blue of aquamarine attracts almost everyone from jewelry makers, gem collectors to the individuals how want to have that silky blue gemstone. Aquamarines tone flatters all skin colors and harmonizes with all precious metals. It is relatively easy to cut and can often be found in innovative shapes, as cutters experience with new forms.

Aquamarine is a member of the beryl group. Beryl commonly occurs as an accessory mineral in granites, and is usually found in cavities and in granite pegmatites. Beryl is usually clear, but iron content gives aquamarine its characteristic blue color. Beryl crystals in some pegmatites grow to very large sizes, even up to 30 feet; aquamarine crystals up to 3 feet long are not uncommon. It is also sometimes found in steam gravels and generally free from inclusions, meaning that it is a durable stone; this is also why it is easy to cut. Though it is known to have some inclusions of biotite, rutile, pyrite, and hematite.

The name aquamarine comes from the Latin aqua, for water, and mare, for sea, and many superstitions and legends about the sea have been attached to the gemstone over the years. It has been said to come from the treasure chests of mermaids. Sailors often took aquamarine with them to sea as a lucky charm to protect against shipwreck; sometimes the stone was carved with the image of Poseidon or Neptune, the gods of the sea. When it is immersed in water, the stone is practically invisible and the water in which it was immersed was long considered to have curative properties.

Aquamarine is said to bring pure love, by turning darker or lighter, the stone indicates what is true and false; when it becomes almost white, it is said to warn against false friends. It promotes friendship and love; symbolizes peace and encourages a gentle nature and personality in the wearer.

Fresh from the studio, this new design features faceted rondelle aquamarine stones in the necklace strand with coordinating crystals, cloisonné beads and at the center a beautiful Brazilian agate slice in a soft color of blue and warm carmel.

Visit our online shop to browse our collections of artisan crafted jewelry…..never know what you might find!

Boldly Artisan Crafted

This set features the lovely stone African Turquoise; though it is not really a turquoise it is actually natural occurring jasper found in Africa. Its name is really a trade name because of the light blueish-green color with an unusually dark or black matrix. Jasper’s name is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘spotted stone’. Jasper can contain many different minerals, giving it a wide range of colors and appearances, just like the African turquoise.

 






Fresh from the studio, this new design features five big barrel stones in African turquoise. I’ve accented them with lampwork rondelles in a black with swishes of cream, large silver pewter etched canister style beads. The ends have been finished with carved out onyx stones and a large hook clasp.


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The Old & New Jasper

One of Mother Nature’s most unique stones is Jasper. It is a versatile and very decorative stone haling from the Quartz family and most notable known for its interesting patterns. Jasper is often named either for its pattern or for the location of origin. Since it comes in so many different varieties, there are slues of different names, some named for the same stone, as in this case with Red Creek Jasper.

A side note, jasper was one of the 12 gems set into the foundations of the city walls of Jerusalem, and is considered a highly protective stone by many of today’s crystal healers.

Though not really an old or new find, I came across some of this Red Creek Jasper (or Rainbow Picasso Jasper as it is also known) in pendant form. The most incredible beauty about this stone is the gorgeous colorful scenic landscape patterns it produces in hues ranging from soft grays to blues, beige mustards to yellows, dusty pinks to almost true reds and a few shades of green and rust marbled together.

The real beauty of these pendants is shown against the flair of faceted crystals, cultured freshwater pearls, wild horse magnesite, cloisonné and lampwork beads, and different metals; just to name a few of the pairings I’ve done with these new designs. Each pendant is stunningly cut and has a slight matte finish.

These designs are very popular and you can see additional pictures of them in our Ruby Lane shop!

Designs Fit For Your Valentine

The end of January and just around the corner is Valentine’s Day. We have new designs that are sweet delicious, bold and classy, sassy and trendy; give the gift of nature’s treasures. These new designs feature pendant hearts of glass, red coral, onyx, cloisonné beads, ivoryite and peppermint jasper and much more!

(Left:  Heart of Glass, Red Coral, Onyx Set)

Coral: Diplomacy, quieting emotions, visualization.

Onyx: Self-control, decision making, intuition, recognition of personal strengths.

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

Smoky Quartz: Dissolving emotional blockage, clearing the mind, cooperation, personal pride, joy in living, attentiveness to the moment, protection.

(Right:  Peachy Jasper accented w/Silver, Smoky Quartz Set)

  

Shop often for the best selection, we are adding new designs weekly at Timeless Designs Ruby Lane!

 

(Above:  Artistic Jasper, Rasberry Quartz Set)

(Right:  Arizona Ivoryite, Peppermint Jasper Set)

The Snakeskin of Serpentine

Named for the snakeskin it is said to resemble, serpentine has been used in jewelry for thousands of years; mainly because it is suitable for carving and polishes to an attractive gleam. It is sometimes confused with jadette or nephrite, because of its similar coloration, and is sometimes been known as “Korean jade” or “new jade’, although it is softer and scratches more easily than jade.

The term serpentine encompasses a group of related minerals that are distributed across the globe. It is a secondary mineral formed from minerals such as olivine (known as gem peridot) and orthophroxene. It occurs in igneous rocks containing these minerals but typically in serpentinites, which have been formed by the serpentine minerals, the antigorites and the chrysotiles.

Legend says that is was used by the ancient Romans as a protective stone against the powers of darkness. According to the legend, beakers made from serpentine would shatter if they came into contact with poison. In the Middle Ages, medicine was kept in serpentine containers because this increased its healing powers and made it last longer.

As in ancient civilizations of America, serpentine was considered a guardian of vital energy and a protector of the soul against invisible powers. The stone is said to even out mood swings and calms the wearer in stressful, hectic situations; it is a protective stone that is said to bring peace.

This new design features a large oblong serpentine pendant in deep rich green with slivers of silver. The bail contains hand twisted charms in metallic and clear faceted crystals; Arizona ivoryite, more crystals and sterling silver spacers and toggle complete the set.

 

Browse our artisan crafted jewelry, featuring some of nature’s finest treasures!

*Research from various websites, mineral-stone-crystal books.

Andean Opal Rare Stone of Color

Andean opal is a lovely blue-green translucent opal found in the Andes Mountains near San Patricio, Peru. It has been used by native South Americans for more than a thousand years and is well known in the semi-precious stone trade. Copper may be the essential trace element that causes its soft distinctive color. The pink opal derives its color from trace amounts of included organic compounds known as quinones. These opals range from opaque to translucent, and depending on how the stone is cut, the color will either be clear or show the stone’s matrix and inclusions. (Like agates, some Peruvian opals show the scenic fern-like dendritic inclusions.)

Peruvian opal is also known as Andean opal. Opal was formed many millions of years ago, when a combination of silica and water flowed into cracks and spaces in the ground. This then gradually hardened and solidified to become opal. Opals contain water, which makes them very sensitive to heat. They are soft and can be cracked or chipped easily.

Traditionally pink Peruvian opal is a stone of love and gentleness. It brings energies of gentle love and kindness to both romantic relationships and relationships of other kinds. As with other opals, it also brings inspiration, imagination and creativity. It can help release inhibitions and brings happy dreams. It also eases the process of change.

 

This new design features round pink Peruvian opals, some charmed at the base to form a bail over a beautiful Murano glass heart pendant in black and pink. The strands are crafted of onyx, pink faceted crystals and more pink opals.



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Chic Stylish Designs in Shades of Red

A chic, trendy, elegant, and bold design….that is what’s new at our online shop in artisan crafted custom jewelry featuring the color RED!

Heart of mine in Murano glass deep red pendant with black marks; accented with lots of hand turned crystals of red and black.

Trendy stylish statement in red sponge coral pendant that is accented with cloisonné and lampwork beads, red coral (dyed) and extended with long chain.

Bold elegant red (dyed) coral with all faceted onyx in shapes of square and rounds.

Browse and shop our collections of artisan crafted jewelry, from natures earthy treasures!