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Purple is one of those colours that either people love or hate! And for those who hate it, there is a green alternative: prasiolite! I LOVE prasiolite. It’s such a pretty green!
The only issue with prasiolite is that it usually comes in large stones. The smaller stones are pretty washed out and can look almost white.
Are you a purple lover or hater?
Photo from Pinterest.
Sometimes I get these ideas and they won’t go away. Is it the universe trying to tell me something?
My customer wanted a ring with both of her daughters birthstones: April (diamond-white) and February (Amethyst-purple). I designed several rings that had two stones and was searching for the right colour purple. Then I stumbled upon this bi-color amethyst that is white AND purple.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Literally. As soon as I thought of my customer and her ring, I thought of this stone. I had to show her! If she didn’t want it, I would order it anyways because the symmetry was so unique and beautiful.
Turns out she loved it too! We had started off with the intention of making a different ring and then ended up with this gorgeous power ring. It’s so cliche…but sometimes you just have to trust your gut. One of my fave rings of 2022 for sure!
I often have people ask me what they can do with birthstones that aren’t very complementary or that need “something” to tie them together. My answer is usually either 1) skip the birthstones if you aren’t sure or 2) add a stone that ties in both colours but that is representative of something and not just a random addition.
The above piece is a perfect example of option 2: it features amethyst for February and citrine for November. To tie the look together, I found a Tiffany stone that had shades of both colours. Furthermore, Tiffany stone represents love which is the most important part of creating this pendant for the two parties it represents.
Stackable Rings
Other than mentioning that she'd like to acquire stackable rings, Irene said she'd like something that represents her family. The amethyst (yellow gold) and peridot (white gold) rings represent her daughters and one day she has the option of giving them their respective rings. The diamond ring is for her husband since the stone is from a ring he gave her. And the twisted wire ring represents Irene: both colour metals bringing everything together!
2-way Earrings!
Maria had mentioned wanting earrings so I thought it would be nice to make her some that match an amethyst cocktail ring I had made her a few years ago (similar ring featured below).
I wanted to make some earrings that could be worn two-ways: a simple stud for day wear that could be spruced up by adding a multi-stone jacket.
I hadn't made jackets for earrings before so it was good practise to come up with the technical design. Originally, I had planned for each jacket to have either four or six marquise stones but once I started placing the settings together I realized that three stones per earring was the most balanced.
I'm looking forward to making another pair!
Multi-gem cuff
I knew I wanted to make Aleksandra a cuff from the moment she left my office. I had originally wanted to make a reptile-esque pattern on the cuff but in order to successfully do that, I would have needed to make a wax model which I didn't have time for. I tried carving that pattern into the metal but it looked terrible so I had to start the cuff over. I opted for a simpler pattern which actually highlights the stones better.
I'm always stressed about metamorphosis jewellery but this one was extra stressful. Once it was done, I couldn't decide if it was actually vintage-looking/vogue-ish. Also, she prefers white gold but I was drawn to making this cuff in yellow. Lastly, combining stones can be a personal thing so I hoped she would be into the purple and blue combination. Thankfully, it was a success and she liked it!
Amethyst and Citrine Cocktail Ring
As I mentioned in my intro, I knew what I was going to make Lambroula from the get go!
To make this ring, I melted Lambroula’s silver and made wire which I then twisted together. I made three rings and the vessels. After soldering everything together, I set the stones and voila!
Amethyst Pendant
I haven’t slept in two days. True story. I’ve been so nervous.
When I started playing around with what Stef gave me, I kept going back to the idea of making a pendant. When I finished it, I realized that I made something that encompassed details she didn’t want. She said she liked big but simple or metalwork with no stones. I made her big, metalwork, and with stone.
I really wanted to make a Moroccan-style/Game of Thromes pendant and Stef had the right materials to do that! The pieces just kind of came together for this pendant where as I struggled with every other design I came up with for her.
