NEW JEWELRY TREND - HAND FACETED GEMSTONES

One of the newest shapes for gemstones is the hand faceted bead.  Gorgeous gemstones – from emeralds to tourmaline to topaz – are now being transformed by skilled artists into the most gorgeous beads you can imagine.  And to make this new trend even more exciting, they are far less expensive and much more versatile than their traditional cut siblings.

Citrine and Sterling Silver Necklace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112643942/citrine-sterling-silver-necklace-choker?ref=shop_home_active

Imagine wearing a deep blue topaz necklace to a business meeting or to the office.  Picture yourself in a stunning citrine necklace, shimmering with just the right amount of light and sparkle.  You can with these gemstones and not appear overdressed.  Add them to that little black dress for a special evening out or as the perfect finishing touch for prom night.  However you wear them, this is one time when you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Citrine and Sterling Silver Earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112867190/citrine-sterling-dangle-earrings-drop?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=citrine

Green and Pink Tourmaline Sterling Silver Necklace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/114158884/tourmaline-sterling-silver-statement?ref=shop_home_active

Green and Pink Tourmaline Sterling Silver Earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/114169913/tourmaline-sterling-silver-chandelier?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=Tourmaline%2Bearrings

London Blue Topaz and Sterling Silver Necklace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/86551790/london-blue-topaz-necklace-sterling?ref=shop_home_active

Labradorite and Carnelian Sterling Silver Necklace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112993581/labradoritecarnelian-sterling-silver?ref=shop_home_active

Labradorite and Carnelian Sterling Silver Earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112989853/labradorite-carnelian-sterling?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=labradorite

Shakespeare Was Right

Yesterday I was struggling with a design.  It should have worked – I had gorgeous shimmering white crystals, sparkling light blue ones, lovely frosted white beads, a soft pale yellow – well you get the idea – all pastel colors.  I had an original design I had sketched out, my loom strung, and I started weaving.   

Anyway,  I worked the pattern for a while . . . undid it . . . re-designed . . . wove again . . .undid it . . . changed colors . . . .  The design was good – the colors so soft and cool – just right for spring, but the magic was just not happening!  

Frustrated, I sat back and looked around my design space and out the window at my garden.  What met my eyes was strong color – everything, from the bright sunlit sky to the grass was saturated in color.  That’s the world I have created.  There are some pastels, but they are foils for the rich deep colors I seem to thrive on.

Lesson learned - you will find bright, bold, deep, rich, saturated color in my designs, with some pastels and pearls for accents.  Bottom line – Shakespeare was right – “to thine own self be true.”

Bold blue and sunflower yellow add a punch of color to the soft pearls

https://www.etsy.com/listing/77915182/shell-pearl-swarovski-crystal-necklace?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=pearl

Deep forest green malachite is paired with rich dark red garnets in a rustic design

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112996882/malachite-garnet-tumbled-gemstone-choker?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=garnet

 Antique copper and red coral pair for distinctive, eye catching earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/105277653/copper-red-coral-chandelier-earrings?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=coral

Soft peach and pale pastel blue are great - when edgy black is added

https://www.etsy.com/listing/105208596/chalcedony-pearl-onyx-strand-necklace?ref=shop_home_feat

Rich sunflower yellow citrine - brilliant saturated color

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112643942/faceted-citrine-sterling-silver-necklace?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=citrine

Bold green jade, black and brown mahogany obsidian and copper wire wrapped green jasper - rich  deep color

https://www.etsy.com/listing/100411723/copper-wrapped-green-jasper-pendant-with?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=jasper

Classic red and cobalt blue - lapis lazuli and carnelian with copper accents - deep color saturated gemstones

https://www.etsy.com/listing/107472914/lapis-lazuli-carnelian-copper-pendant?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=lapis

More cobalt blue lapis lazuli, this time paired with brilliant turquoise and copper.  The rich colors make the beautiful white bird pop

https://www.etsy.com/listing/103041972/lapis-lazuli-turquise-copper-white-bird?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=lapis

Pink???  Sure - so long as it is a brilliant shocking pink, paired with dark green in these tourmaline earrings.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/113005482/tourmaline-sterling-silver-dangle?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=tourmaline 

ROSE QUARTZ - THE HEART STONE

Sometimes called the heart stone, rose quartz glows with soft, gentle, warm, beauty.  The translucent stone is very pretty when used alone in a piece of jewelry.  When paired with red, black, or green, the color seems to intensify.

Rose Quartz, Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Necklace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/85057298/handmade-rose-quartz-pearl-and-swarovski?ref=shop_home_active

Rose Quartz, Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/77230902/swarovski-rose-quatz-pearl-dangle?ref=shop_home_active

Rose Quartz and Garnet Two Strand Necklace

https://www.etsy.com/listing/92997612/garnet-and-rose-quartz-double-strand?ref=shop_home_active

It is beautiful as a fashion accessory, there are many who attribute additional powers to this natural crystal.  It is believed to be able to help one achieve balance when experiencing difficulties in relationships or recovering from depression from various problems to help make one whole again.  This in turn will help others because one cannot help another to become whole if he himself is not whole.  Rose Quartz may be associated with spring and summer, when it is light out more often.  However, this stone can be just as valuable to a person in the autumn and winter, when it is dark and grey and depressing outside. 

Rose Quartz and Aventurine Earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/123804257/green-aventurine-pink-rose-quartz-beaded

Rose Quartz and Garnet Earrings

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127206265/rose-quartz-black-onyx-dangle-earrings?ref=shop_home_active

You may not believe in the healing power of the chakra, the rose quartz will brighten your and other people’s moods.