New Earrings - Sterling Silver and Gemstones

As per my goals this year, I've been busy creating new designs for my shop!  I've been playing around with sterling silver wire, sterling silver beads, gemstone beads, and Swarovski crystal beads.  My favorites feature the hand-faceted gemstone beads - I love how the matte finish looks!  They remind me of nature and hikes in the mountains.

Twisted Red Earrings - sterling silver and Swarovski crystal

Bali Bead Earrings - sterling silver

Emerald Bead Earrings - sterling silver and hand-faceted emeralds

Gemstone Chain Earrings - sterling silver, ruby, and moonstone

Most of my designs lean toward modern, simple lines.  I do pull inspiration from Art Nouveau and nature - the trick is to keep the designs simple and yet reminescent of my favorites! 

I hope you enjoyed this little preview - I'm off to buy some more cabochons now!

Happy Creating,
SSS

New Pendants: Wire-wrapping Natural Stones

I've completed several new pendants in the last few days and am excited to show them off!  I'm continuing to explore ways to capture natural stones with wire while moving my work into sterling silver. 

Small agate pendant in sterling silver - stone is 1" high.

"Brownstone" in sterling silver - I'm trying to identify this lovely rock!

Leopard Skin Jasper in sterling silver - stone is from Indonesia.

The most difficult aspect of this art form, I think, is deciding how to finish the wire ends in an appealing and stable way....  A few more stones await, and then I'll have to go visit my local source for cabochons.  That thought alone spurs me on as he has so many great stones to choose from!

Happy creating,
SSS

Lessons in Photographing Jewelry

Awhile ago (like, years ago), I wrote a blog about jewelry photography tips.  I can't say I was a professional then, or that I'm a professional now, but I have made some pretty drastic improvements over the years (both in my photography skills and in my jewelry designs), and here's the proof!

Scanner "photograph" - feeling dizzy yet?!

Too close, too busy!

Ah, models...and 2-toned photographs....

Look, no border!  But what is that color?!

Black on black is kinda like yeti in snowstorms - invisible....

Ah!  That border!  The background is looking better....

Very clear, crisp, and a bit clinical.

Sterling silver washes out with a white background, however....

Here, the sterling silver pops & the prop adds to the overall effect.

The last photograph is where I hope my new photographs will be - still crisp and clear, but a little warmer, a little friendier.... Hope you enjoyed the nostalgic (or maybe nauseating) trip down memory lane! 

Happy Creating (and Photographing!),
SSS

Green Onyx Drop Jewelry Set

Now that the holidays are past, and all the handmade gifts I made this year have been received and opened, I can show what I made!

Green onyx, Swarovski crystal, & sterling silver.

First up is a green onyx briolette and sterling silver jewelry set for one of my sisters.  Her favorite color is green and this was such a bright but wearable shade - I loved it!  I made a set of earrings and a necklace, but they could easily be worn with other pieces or separately.

Green onyx, Swarovski crystal, & sterling silver.

Each briolette was wrapped in sterling silver wire and attached to the sterling silver chain.  The necklace also sports some spring green Swarovski crystals as links between the briolettes and the chain.

More gifts coming for the rest of January!

Happy Creating,
SSS