Hello…
Well I’m moved into my new place, and have been concentrating on getting a website going. It’s almost done, and I will be incorporating this blog into it, so you can expect a new look! I’m very excited about the new designs, and hope you will be too!
Hello…
I have been learning new techniques and will be blogging about them in the very near future. I am very excited about what’s just over the horizon.
Gems Straight From the Source
Many people probably never give much thought to how those perfectly round, or faceted gemstones are made. Certainly, they don’t come out of the ground that way. The truth is, most gemstone beads come out of the ground in ugly shards, boulders, and slabs. They are then cut, treated, drilled, and polished for the gemstone bead buying public.
I searched for a list of gem mines around the United States, where an adventurous soul could pay so much money to go into the mine and find thier own gemstones. I must admit, it all looks like hard work, but something that could be fun and exciting! Of course buying your stones already cut and polished is less expensive than having someone do it for you, but if you can do it yourself, that would be even better!
Morefield GemMine, located in Amelia, Virginia offers gestone mining to the public. Some of the minerals available at the Morefield Gem Mine are Topaz, Garnets, and Amethysts to name a few, but Amazonite is what they are most known for. Admission to the mine ranges from free (children 3 and under) to $12.00 for adults. Admission includes use of one five gallon bucket, so make sure to bring your own. Of course rugged shoes are required, so please don’t show up in flip-flops, or sandals! Reservations are required.
buckets of rough Amazonite
The Lucky Strike Recreational Gold and Gem Mine located in Marion, North Carolina is open all year, except Christmas Day. There you can pan for gold, rubies, emeralds, or sapphire. If you don’t have a clue as to what you are doing, or what to look for there are experienced miners on hand to assist you. They also have a diner for when you get hungry, or campgrounds if you want to bring the whole family for an outdoor adventure.
gold nuggets
If your ever in San Diego, and you love tourmaline as much as I do,then drop by the Himalaya Mines where for 75.00 per person, you can dig for tourmalne and sunstone. The mine operates year round, but is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. No reservations required. In addition to tourmaline, you may also find quartz, apatite, morganite, clevelandite, calcite, lepidolite, feldspar, stibiotantalite, topaz, and spessartine garnet.
pink tourmaline with lepedolite
My Gemstone Obsession
I don’t like diamonds. Not only do I find them passe’, the whole diamond situation going on in Africa really bothers me. Besides, my obsession is tourmaline. Tourmaline is a crystal silicate mineral that is combined with aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. It comes in variety of colors, and they are all beautiful, but my fave by far, is watermelon tourmaline!
With it’s rich, vibrant pink inner core, and stunning green outer layer, it resembles a wedge of seedless watermelon, and watermelon always make me thing of spring!
It’s amazing to see this, become these
and this …
image source
Passing the Time
I have issues with my digital camera. I think it needs a new USB cord to transfer the pictures that are stored to my computer. I have so many other pieces to post, if not for that damn camera, so I’ll just pass the time with great information.
I love the Internet, and YouTube has to be the best thing to happen to the Internet in a long time ( along with Twitter, and WordPress!). On the tube, you can find a video on virtually any subject. I was nosing around recently and came across a tutorial for a pendant made from gemstone briolettes! Stunning!
I basically learned from studying magazines, but seeing it in action is priceless. With an article, you don’t really know if your doing it right, but with video tutorials, you just can’t get it wrong!
Cool Jewelry Making Products
There’s nothing worse than metal that’s been marred, and nicked by pliers. It doesn’t matter how great your jewelry is, wire that’s been roughed up can take away from the best looking projects. But you don’t have to live with scarred wire anymore. There’s a little product on the market called “tool magic” and it’s pretty cool! All you do is dip your pliers into the rubber compound, let it dry, and go to work. The rubber acts as a buffer between the metal and your pliers, making nicks, marks, and gouges a thing of the past. The best part is, when your done, just peel it off!
Another great product on the market is Wire Lace. Wire Lace goes under many names. Some call it Metallic Tubular Ribbon, and Mesh Ribbon. The ribbon is made of fine copper, aluminum, or brass wire, and resembles a fishing net. It comes in a tube, and can be used to string beads, gemstones, and crystals, or pulled out to create interest. The first time I saw this, was on a friend’s Pearl necklace. The pearls were each covered in the mesh and secured with metal spacers.
Similar to the one given to me
Wire Lace comes in a host of colors to fit any jewelry making project you have. It is sold by the foot, or the yard depending on where you buy it from.
Wire mesh ribbon can also be expanded to give a "flowing" look to jewelry
Wild About Tiger Eye!
My son Keshawn, is the only one of my five boys that has hazel eyes. I remember in the hospital after I had him I thought the color of his eyes looked a little off. Instead of the deep brown we all have, his were the murky green color of polluted river water. For the first six months of his life, his eyes were this icy blue color, then they began to settle into the hazel/brown/green that they are now.
On a trip to San Francisco, I came across a cool strand of Tiger Eye beads, and immediately snatched them up! The color brought my son’s eyes to mind, and the price was nothing to laugh at ($6.00!). I still haven’t figured out what to do with them.
Tiger Eye is actually a type of quartz that includes fibres of crocidolite that were replaced by silica. It’s the gemstone of the 9Th anniversary, and is believed to treat high blood pressure. Mystically, it is used for focusing the mind. Clean Tiger Eye jewelry with warm, soapy water, and a soft cloth. Never use chemicals, or abrasive cleaners of any kind to protect the luminous glow of this stunning stone. Click here for more on Tiger Eye.
Play With Polymer Clay
Earth beads by KL Dezines
Using Sculpey III, which is available at any craft store. I bought this at Walmart which was far less expensive than Michael’s. I mixed green with white and came up with the grass green color, dark green, and blue mixed with a bit of silver to give it a shimmery look. I mixed the colors together, folding the clay only two to three times. The more you mix the colors, the more they merge to make one color. This is an example of marbling.
After getting this look, I hand rolled the beads between my palms, and it gave me this thick, oblong rectangle which resembles pillows. As a safeguard against fingerprints that will show up on the finished bead after curing, and to cut down on the amount of sanding I’d have to do afterwards, I used lineless, laytex gloves. I pierced each bead with a wooden skewer, and baked in the oven for 15 minutes @ 275.
After the beads were “cured”, I placed them in a cup of cold water to cool them, then sanded and buffed them with my cute little Dremel Pro. If your going to be making beads, I would advise you to invest in one, with multiple attachments. You can use sandpaper, but it’s tedious, and makes my hands cramp. Once they were sanded and buffed to a satiny finish, I dipped them in Acrylic floor polish, brushing away the excess liquid, and set them to dry. I use a styrofoam block, and the wooden skewers I pierced them with to let them dry. I usually dip my beads three to four times which can take the whole day.
Haven't thought of what to name these, the colors remind me of girraffes for some reason beads by KL Dezines
This is such a fun activity, even my boys are hooked! There’s so much you can do with polymer clay to turn it into stunning pieces of jewelry, and I’ll touch on them later.
these beads are being dried on skewers placed in a styrofoam block
There’s really no end to the neat things you can do using this medium.
clay covered eggs, done using a cane
Memory Wire
When I started beading, over five years ago, one of the first items I purchased was silver-toned memory wire. Memory wire is stainless steel that is coiled, and will retain its shape no matter what. It is packaged in continuous loops, and requires using special wire cutters. Please do not use your regular pliers, as the memory wire will destroy them. The special wire cutters cost considerably more, (mine were $25.00), but it was well worth it.
Memory wire can be purchased in different sizes, from necklace , down to toe-ring , and is a great alternative to using beading wire, chain, or cords, and ribbon. You can make dynamic braceles that snake around your wrist several times, or a multi-tiered choker that hugs the neck. You are only limited by your own imagination. Making memory wire jewelry is fairly easy. Just determine what length you will need, choose your beads, and arrange them until you come up with a pattern you like.
You can choose to coil the ends of your memory wire with a pair of roundnosed pliers by gripping the very end of the wire.
make sure to loop the wire against the curve, this way it won't be sticking you
Rotate your wrist away from you, until you have made a loop. Attach a charm suspended from jumprings, or a pretty crystal, or lampwork bead for interest.
dangling a charm or bead adds drama
Or you can finish both ends with half-drilled beads or pearls by using an epoxy, or jewelers glue to adhere your beads to the ends of the wire. I suggest letting it dry overnight to ensure that it stays secure.
No matter how many times you unravel it to put it on, or take it off, it will keep it’s original shape!
One thing to remember is to take into consideration the size of the beads you are designing with. For larger, chunkier beads, I would add three inches when measuring to make sure the ends touch when finished. You also want to remember that heavier beads can cause the memory wire to sag.
Memory wire jewelry is easy, fast, and you can produce some really stunning pieces, without breaking your budget! Give them to your friends and family on special occasions, or just because. Include a bracelet, toe ring, or ring with your customers orders. The possibilities are endless!
Photo Credit
Swarovski’s Latest…
Swarovski's Aquiline Bead
Like a fashion designer, Swarovski unveils new colors, and shapes, each season. My latest obsession is the Aquiline bead. This is a very unusually shaped bead, resembling a bannana. The perfect component for use in this season’s chunky jewelry trend. Go to www.ringsnthings.com to get these gorgeous crystals. The price runs anywhere from just under three dollars for the small ones, and the larger ones cost around eight dollars.
Photos via www.beads-and-co.co
