Author: Gillian

We are collaborating with Kerry Flowwa to bring her arts and culture meet up group to Jewel Envy for a jewellery arts discussion combined with the social cause of fundraising to help bring Shafiq’s family to safety.

Kerry organizes group events through Meet Up to discover local gems in her current city. As a world traveller she finds joy in making new discoveries and connections with locals and transplants wherever she goes. But her events aren’t just about making new friends she always chooses a way to give back to people through the charitable organization she founded called Flowwa. She registered her charity to help people “replace fear with joy, in the trauma-recovery journey” which she experienced first hand but that is a story for her to share.

Our event will be centered around Jewel Envy’s support for resident Shafiq Sarwari and helping bring his family to safety in Canada. Shafiq will be sharing his story of jewellery making, his flight from Afghanistan, and how a simple request for help turned into years of working on fundraising to bring his family to Canada.

Please RSVP here.

The event is free and people are welcome to donate on the spot with a chance to win a genuine diamond!

This game was inspired by a game I played as a child at the Exhibition in the summer. My grandfather used to take all of the grand-kids each year to the Ex but this trip was difference since it was with my dad and brother. My dad loved the vendor buildings and one person, whose booth I still remember, must have been selling jewellery, but also had this gemstone tray set up. You paid a fee and then got to guess which stone was a genuine diamond. They were all .10ct stones and I did not win….but that game has always stuck with me and as a professional goldsmith I have been able to run it a couple times at my studio over the years. I last time was in 2016 and we’re bringing it back for tomorrow nights event. Out of these 50 stones 47 of them are cubic zirconia, 2 are moissanite, and one is a genuine .16ct G/H I2 diamond. Donate money to the fundraising and have your chance to guess the correct stone. If you guess correct you will be notified after the event and the stone will be yours!

*if multiple people guess correctly there will be a draw for the winner as we only have one diamond to give away. The diamond has a retail value of $500.

I was thinking about the circle of life today (don’t ask why!), so here’s a curated collection of circles…….enjoy!

Circles necklace by Jennifer Trotman, Keum boo disc earrings by Natalia Naranjo, pearl earrings on hooks by Kristen Vittorini, coil ring by Kathy Winfield, pearl/hoop post earrings by Edna Milevsky, hollow form ring by Robin Cassady-Cain and lapis lazuli stud earrings by Shafiq Sarwari.

Hope to see you in the studio soon!

It’s so sunny today, all I can think about is the beach. So here’s a set that is my favourite colour (blue) and reminds me of the beach and the sea!

Three pieces from Alex (Kinsley Vey Designs). Mainly sterling silver with some gold accents and blue resin enamel, they make a statement.

Hope you’re enjoying the sunny Saturday, and if you’re passing the studio, stop in and say hello!

Tomorrow is the 1st of May and traditionally May Day is celebrated as the first day of Spring! Here at Jewel Envy we are celebrating with jewellery and gemstones that remind us of the coming spring!

It’s definitely April (right? April showers…and all that!). It’s a bit dreary and wet outside (although a reasonable temperature). It’s always sunny in the studio, though! In honour of the sun, here’s a small curated collection from the bubbles in the studio that make me think of the sun!

It’s all about the sun today!

Large necklace by Robin (House of Cassady), then clockwise from the bottom: Citrine ring by Gillian (Pash Jewellery Designs), opal stud earrings by Aurora (Handmade Revotion), hoop earrings by Alexis (Glaciale Goldsmith), half moon pendant by Karyn (Sticks vs Stones), pod earrings by Alex (Kinsley Vey Designs) and bracelet by Jen (Frekkel Designs)

Hope to see you soon!

Yes, you heard that right! We posted a sneak peek of items a couple of weeks ago for this very special event, but you can now see the full range of items available by clicking here.

Alexis has made a nice display in store, complete with numbers and QR code to the auction site, so you can come in and eyeball things in person if you want!

As you can see, there are a number of different items available…..

…to suit almost any budget or taste!

In case you didn’t see the previous post, we are fundraising for our valued colleague, Shafiq, to help bring his family to Canada (they’re currently refugees in Pakistan). Gillian has written the full story, which you can read by clicking here.

The auction will run until June.

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Jewel Envy is a fully equipped jewellery studio and store located in the heart of the Roncesvalles Village. We are now accepting applications for a summer internship. Interns are expected to be available for a minimum of 15 hours per week for a minimum of 10 weeks working for Jewel Envy. Exact dates and times will be confirmed with the successful applicant and must occur during our regular retail hours. The only exception to this is if the intern is available and agrees to work at a show that takes place offsite.

This is an unpaid internship. For every two hours you work for Jewel Envy you will get one hour of bench time to work on your own designs with our supervision. If you are self-motivated and would like to continue to develop your bench skills as well as learn about running your own business please submit an application. To be considered for this internship you must be enrolled in a full-time jewellery or metals program and be returning to school in the fall.

Applications must be received by Monday May 1st, 2023 at 5pm. Please email, mail, or drop off applications in person.

Interviews will be conducted May 3^rd-5^th, 2023. Results will be emailed on or before May 9^th, 2023.

All applications should include a cover letter explaining why you would like to work at Jewel Envy and your resume with references. References will be contacted. Successful applicants will be contacted for an interview and portfolio review. For the interview you will need to bring actual pieces of your work.

Please contact Gillian Batcher (gillian@jewelenvy.ca) with any questions.

Jewel Envy

151 Marion St; Toronto, ON; M6R 1E6

www.jewelenvy.ca      647-436-6709

When you think of sterling silver, do you think high mirror polish finish? Alot of people do, but there are actually other finishes that can be very attractive, and not everyone likes the super shiny look.

Sterling silver rings (left): high mirror polish, with bezel set gemstones

Sterling silver rings (right): oxidized and partially rubbed back to show texture

Bottom: sterling silver pin with needled felt: matte finish

(Jewellery by Robin-House of Cassady)

How about you? What’s your favourite finish? Come in and see what else we’ve got.

Happy Saturday!

It’s a bit wintry out today, so thinking about cheery purple stones is making me smile. Which is good, because the birthstone for February is the amethyst.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz, and its colour comes from irradiation, or inpurities of different metals or other trace elements (although mainly iron). It’s got a nice hardness, (if you read the post a few weeks ago about Mohs, you’ll know what I mean :), so it’s a lovely stone to use in jewellery. 

It’s also something that is found in Ontario. I remember traveling with my dad when I was young (he was a long haul trucker), and passing through Thunder Bay area, and seeing all the amethyst crystals, rocks and finished jewellery (yes, I was a magpie even then!).

So…..here’s some purple to brighten your day!

Lovely pieces from our studio members: flower pendant from Jenn (Frekkel Designs), large optic amethyst pendant by Gillian (Pash Jewellery Design), stacking rings by Robin (House of Cassady), and large flower ring by Alexis (Glaciale Goldsmith).

We’d love to see you, why not come in and explore what else we’ve got for the person born in February in your life?

Happy Saturday! Stay warm!

-Robin (House of Cassady)

So, winter seems to have (maybe?) arrived…although happily, it’s a nice sunny Saturday! In honour of starting another trip round the sun (and because I’m a January baby), let’s spotlight the garnet.

Garnets are the January birthstone, and when you think of garnets, you might think of red/burgundy, and you’d be right. What you may be less familiar with, is the wide range of colours that garnet comes in, including orange (my favourite!), and green.

Different colours of garnet

There’s lots of information about garnets available- the nitty gritty about their structure and variants, as well as the lore behind them. For example, did you know that the word garnet comes from an old word for pomegranate? Or that they were the height of trendy during the Victorian era?

Garnets are a great stone, they’re reasonably hard, so they’re durable, they come in a range of colours, and they’re usually pretty budget friendly, making them a great choice for jewellery!

Earrings by Robin (House of Cassady), sterling silver with garnets and needled felt)

We hope you’ll wander in to the studio and see the exciting pieces we have available, or talk to us about making your jewellery wish come true in a custom piece incorporating garnets!

Have a great day!