Showing posts with label gemstones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gemstones. Show all posts

Thursday, May 11, 2017

for May babies

Happy birthday May babies!  The green, lush qualities of spring are certainly represented by your birthstone, emerald.  These modern emerald earrings are very wearable with a hint of drama in the length.  I love the pin connection on these bezel set emeralds, the hand wrought look of the gold-filled wire connections, and the rich color and inclusions in these marquise shaped emeralds.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

for March babies

Happy birthday March babies!  Let's all take a moment to collectively sigh over these AMAZING aquamarine earrings by Annoushka!  Not only are these aquamarines absolutely stunning, pairing them with apatite and blue tourmaline creates the perfect trifecta of beautiful blues.  The pave diamonds set this to a whole other level of glamorous-ness that I can only dream of one day achieving.  The price tag definitely reflects the quality of stones and materials, but it's fun to dream a little dream and admire this truly outrageous masterpiece of jewelry design.

Friday, February 17, 2017

for February babies

Happy birthday February babies!!!  Some might think that amethyst is such a blasĂ© stone but these incredible Plukka amethyst earrings beg to differ!  The champagne diamond pavĂ© drop is the perfect compliment to the outrageous purple hue and so-right irregular shape of these amethysts.

Friday, January 6, 2017

your month

Now that the holidays are over and the gifts have been given, I can show a few of the things I made this season.  My Initial Birthstone necklaces (top photo) for my daughter and nieces (ages 4 and 6) were a big hit.  They feature a hand stamped initial on a sterling silver disc that is oxidized with a brushed matte finish and tiny briolette birthstone strung on silk bead cord (in their favorite color) with a sterling silver clasp and extender chain (not shown).  The silk bead cord and dainty briolette make these perfectly age appropriate for the little ones and the extender chain allows their necklace to grow with them.

My Mama & Co. necklace (bottom photo) for my cousin Sarah, who is expecting, is one of my favorite gifts to give at baby showers (because mama deserves a gift too!) and features wire wrapped birthstones for mama and baby on a simple cable chain.  Also featured in this photo is my Just Because tags in my gift boxes.  This is something I designed when I first created my packaging when I started my business and I still use them to this day!

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

for January babies

Happy birthday January babies!  My best friend falls into this category and she has received some seriously nice garnet jewelry over the years.  The deep red of garnets pairs beautifully with a rich higher karat gold.  These stunning Cathy Waterman earrings feature domed garnets set in 22k gold.  I absolutely love the matte gold wheat leaf design... earthy and sophisticated.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

for December babies

Happy birthday December babies!  I know you may have to share your birthday with a whole month of holidays, but at least you have a stunning birthstone to call your own.  Traditionally, blue topaz is a true bright baby blue, but if this were my birthstone (oh, I wish it was!) I would fully embrace the London Blue topaz.  I mean look at the color of these stunning earrings!  And the hexagon cut just puts these over the top.  So beautiful!

Friday, September 9, 2016

a sprinkling of newness

I have quite a few lingering projects hanging out in my studio, all planned out and supplies sourced, but I finally got the time to execute some of them last night.  I've been obsessing over oxidized silver and yellow gold for some time now but had the epiphany that this combo I love could also be created with black stones and gold.  Henceforth the onyx bracelet and thread earrings were born!  I've also been craving a pop of blue with my necklaces and whipped up this small wire wrapped blue topaz.  Perfect for layering!

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

for September babies

September is the hardest month to narrow down a birthstone selection (my love of sapphires runs deep!).  Throughout my various different searches this beauty kept popping up.  Nothing over-the-top extravagant but still stunning and incredibly wearable.  The filigree is just beautiful on this shield pendant, the pear shaped sapphire is picture perfect and the twinkling diamond accent at the top is just the icing on the cake!  Happy birthday September babies!

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

for July babies

Happy birthday July babies (and happy birthday to me)!  Anyone who regularly reads this blog of mine knows I'm not the biggest fan of my birthstone, Ruby.  But over the last few years, I have started to grow fonder of this stone, especially in antique yellow gold pieces.  I absolutely adore this ruby pendant.  I love the double bail, the lily and scroll details, and how the princess cut ruby is positioned.  All in all a piece I would definitely wear to represent my birth month!

Friday, May 6, 2016

for May babies

Happy Birthday May babies!  You are so incredibly lucky to have the rich color of emerald as your birthstone.  For my highlighted piece of jewelry this month, I deviated slightly from what I usually select by showcasing an uncut emerald. I usually do prefer faceted gems but just look at that emerald!  Such a lush color even without facets to bring attention to the depth and dimension of the stone!  And the detailed setting pairs nicely with the organic shape of the emerald bead.

Friday, March 4, 2016

for March babies


Oh you lucky March babies!  Every time I see an aquamarine I want to giggle like a little girl.  I am not sure what elicits this kind of reaction in me.  Maybe it's the enchanting color of this stone and it's pure perfection!  A perfect example is this 15 ct. stunner in a yellow gold milgrain setting with a decorative bail of sterling silver over gold with diamonds.  This pendant hangs so beautifully. And as beautiful as the diamond setting is it perfectly allows the aquamarine to take center stage.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

for February babies

When I conjure an image in my head of an antique amethyst necklace, I envision a festoon necklace dripping with rows and swags of amethysts.  A stunning vision that I obviously appreciate but not one I would purchase and wear myself.  So when I started on my search for this month's birthstone necklace, I searched for simple and understated but quickly realized my vision of amethysts dripping from the neckline could not be squashed.  Then I stumbled upon this beauty! A piece I could certainly love and wear with just the right amount of "drippy-ness" and a perfect balance of statement and wearability.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

for January babies

Happy birthday January babies!  Garnets are such a rich colorful stone and, in my mind, just perfect for the cold winter weather of January.  In my search, I stumbled across this circa late 3rd Century B.C. garnet necklace and was just blown away.  The style of this necklace is exquisite and very much wearable today.  I am so incredibly inspired by the stone settings.  (Click through the link to see the setting in more detail.) Such a remarkable piece of history.

Friday, December 11, 2015

star sapphire


As little girls often do, I frequently rifled through my mother's jewelry box, admiring all the beautiful shiny things that seemed oh so glamorous.  One piece that stands out in my memory particularly is a star sapphire ring she always had tucked away that, to this day, I have never actually seen her wear.  Despite my attempt at trying to make this ring mine from frequent "borrowing," she always requested it back, making it all the more alluring (also now leading me to believe it retained some kind of sentimental value that I am unaware of).  In my mind's eye, it was set in a very simple setting but I was beyond mesmerized  by the qualities of the stone.  I haven't thought about that ring in so very long, but now can't stop thinking about star sapphires.  Both the 8 prong vintage setting and Art Deco with side diamonds, featured above, are calling my name!

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

for December babies



Happy Birthday December babies!  You may have to share your birthday with a very busy holiday month, but at least you have the beautiful birthstone, blue topaz, to adorn jewelry for your birthday or holiday gifts! Each of these stunning necklaces are for sale (from Etsy, Ruby Lane, and Nightingale Antiques).  Such a hard decision to make between the Art Deco lavalier, the Tricolored Gold Filigree necklace, and the Art Nouveau elongated pearl pendant!

Friday, November 6, 2015

for November babies

Wow, look at this stunning beauty!  No offense to citrine, but what stone wouldn't look stunning in this Victorian/ Art Nouveau setting?!  But citrine is beautiful in its own right, with its beautiful warm yellow glow so perfect for the fall month of November.  Colors range from lemon yellow (from which the stone derives its name) to reddish brown, my favorite being the shade featured above.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

thread earrings

I am so unbelievably excited about the earring trends surfacing right now!  Ear jackets and ear climbers and thread earrings, oh my!  Thread earrings are subtly dramatic, most often simple in design but with a dramatic length.  The above earrings by AveryBlake on Etsy are right up my alley with their oxidized sterling silver, yellow gold detail and aquamarine combo!  Here are some additional glamorous options...

These yellow gold bullet thread earrings are the perfect edgy everyday wear option.

I am such a sucker for a starburst!  A diamond encrusted starburst thread earring?  Even better!!!

Oh my LORD!  Pure perfection with black diamonds!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

for October babies

Happy October!  I can't believe I have been doing these birthstone posts for a year now!  Because my love of birthstones is endless, I thought I would continue with this monthly tradition but switch gears slightly.  So this year will be all about antique birthstone necklaces!

I love October and the fall season... the cooler weather, the changing color of leaves.  And with all the remarkable colors that come with the fall season, I find it slightly surprising that pink is the color to represent this month.  But the rich deep hues of pink tourmaline do conjure a feeling of fall, with the usually vibrant pink deepening and darkening with the changing season.  This Victorian pink tourmaline and seed pearl necklace holds the most beautiful tourmalines, with just the perfect shade of pink for the fall season.

Monday, August 3, 2015

for august babies

Nothing is like the color of August's birthstone, peridot!  It is one of the most easily recognizable gemstones because it's color is like no other.  Peridot is also one of the only gemstones that comes in only one color.  With shades ranging from yellowish green to olive, no matter the shade, the color is vibrant and breathtaking.  This beautiful Art Deco ring design highlights this stunning lime green peridot perfectly, letting the stone take center stage!

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

for July babies... and me!

Happy Birthday July babies!  I, too, fall under this category!  It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of my birthstone (especially when there are so many other stunning options out there!) but I have started to embrace my birthstone.  I shied away from this stone for a long time because of its pink-ish undertones and even today I tend to favor the more deep garnet-like or blood red rubies.  But I have to admit there is something to these red rubies set with seed pearls in a yellow gold mount that is definitely my style!