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 Introducing Jessica!

Jessica Nehme, one of our newer goldmiths, joined our team at Jewel Envy in 2017. She is over-the-moon excited as she is currently in process of preparing a line of pieces to display in our studio. Her designs are inspired by her passion in studying world religions, metaphysics, spirituality, sacred geometry and nature.

Stay tuned for the launch date of Jessica’s unique line!  

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Custom Orders, 

Made just for You

At
Jewel Envy, most goldsmiths can make your dream piece, just the way you want
it. 
There
are a few important steps to follow though to avoid disappointment and make
sure you get what you want and give your piece of jewellery with this very more
special and unique feel.
After
a first discussion about the project we would then send you a quote and
drawing, once agreed and a deposit paid, we would them start working on the piece. 
One
of my lovely customer wanted three brooches. She was thinking of something with
the eternal knot symbol which has different meaning in different cultures and
has been around Since 2500BC (yes it’s true). I do wear myself a bracelet with
this  sign on my arm everyday as a reminder of various symbols in my life,
therefore as such I was also well inspired.  This particular customer and
I share something as both lived in HK, maybe that why we both like this
symbol…. anyways…back to the custom order process 
For
me personally making this brooch was something new, and I tried a few methods
before deciding how to go about it. At the end I decided to fabricated the brooches
from thick metal sheet rather than carve them out of wax. I showed the prototype
(in brass) to my client and we agreed to make it ticker and keep it to the same
size. 
I
then started working on making all three pieces for her and I believed she was
very happy with the final pieces, one which I believe was for her to keep two
to give away the special people in her life.
Here
 are a few of the pictures (I really need to make a mental note to myself
to take a good picture of every piece before selling them!!!!!).
At
Jewel Envy we thrive to offer our clients with unique service and beautiful
jewellery pieces just the way they want them….  open communication is
key in order to achieve this. 
Other
goldsmiths here all have different experiences and each custom order is a
different as our lovely customers,
Come
and talk to us about what we can make for you, 
Have a lovely beautiful Sunday,
Ivane Thiebaut Goldsmith at Jewel Envy

Upcoming Classes!

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Dear Sunday Readers,
There are so many things going on at Jewel Envy right now, we have our
special in studio exhibition, “Asymmetric”, on
display. Help us to find out who made the best piece of jewellery for the show
by voting in the store in person or by viewing our blog and voting online!
Among many other classes, that you can check on our
web site, like Earrings on October 28th or Band Rings on November 3rd,
our last 8-week classes for 2018 are Casting-intro and intermed on October 18th
and Introductory Fabrication on October 23rd

Register for classes here!

I love the opportunity to give you a quick and
illustrative information about casting with one of my own pieces.
In the lost wax casting process, the casting in
created using a centrifuge.
Centrifuge

               
              
  
             
Ones the wax model has been invested in a flask
mold (you can see more than one wax on the pic bellow), it’s embedded in
investment plaster, then the wax is eliminated from the mold by heat, after
been on the kiln for than 8 hours, the flask mold in mounted on the centrifuge
in a crucible in which metal is pour in an amount sufficient to fill the mold.

wax tree

covering with plaster

 

The centrifuge does its work and after a couple of
minutes you can take the flask and poured it on the water.
The result is amazing, you have now the pieces in
metal ready to be attached and polish!
casted pieces

casted pieces cut apart

The final piece of jewelry is done! do not miss the
great opportunity of doing it yourself and enjoy one of the most incredible
process in jewelry making!
finished piece!

This and more are what we do at Jewel Envy, come to
visit us and become a part of our great and incredible daily life!
Have a nice Sunday!

 

Fall coloured gems

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I love LOVE love LOVE love LOOOOOOve fall! If fall were a gemstone my pick would be garnet. I made a collage from images I found on google of the range of garnet colours to show off garnet’s potential as the official gemstone of fall.

Green is tsavorite garnet, orange is spessatite garnet, red is almandine, purple is rhodolite.

 There are so many different variations of red garnets specifically and most people associate garnets with a red coloured gem, there are also other colours! I love letting people know about less common colours – such as the bright green of tsavorite garnets, or the range of orange hues found in spessartite garnets.

What would you choose as the gemstone of fall?
-Alexis

El Dorado exists!

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Some of us are all familiar with the “El Dorado” myth, and if not, it’s a myth created by early colonizers which tells the story of a hidden city where almost everything is made of gold. many went in search of El Dorado but none could find it.

The myth has its origin in a place where gold was an abundant metal, so much that the Muisca tribes offered it to a lake as a way to gain favor with their gods. The Muiscas were an precolumbian Andean tribe that inhabited the central region of what is today Colombia.

The Muiscas were skilled goldsmiths and crafted many gold ornaments to be wore, their practices of offering gold to the Guatavita lake were the inspiring source of the El Dorado legend, and according to modern day local legends, the bottom of the lake is still lined with the gold offerings; or maybe it is hiding the entrance to El Dorado.

We can only be certain that precolumbian tribes had excellent goldsmithing techniques and created beautiful pieces that will inspire myths and legends, not a short feat at all.

If you ever want to visit EL Dorado, you will just have to buy a plane ticket to Colombia, spend a few days in Bogota and visit El Museo Del Oro (The Gold Museum) where all surviving pieces of precolumbian jewelry are exhibited.

This one is just an example of what you can find inside the museum, a must for jewelers and jewelry enthusiasts.

Mauricio F.

New goldsmith alert!

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We have already introduced Bouchra Aouichi in our newsletter, but I can’t help be excited about her work as she is preparing to give Jewel Envy inventory (especially since I get to touch everything before it goes out on display ;o) Bouchra’s work will be out and ready for anyone that drops in to try it on by this coming Tuesday (September 25th). – Alexis 

Bouchra Aouichi
Ring with citrine.

Bouchra is busy taking photos of her work today before submitting inventory. There are always sooooo many things on our to do lists as independent businesses working from Jewel Envy.   

Every Day Brings Its Own Magic!

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Hello Sunday Readers,

Every Day Brings Its Own Magic!
This is a saying, well know, in my South American Culture.
Simple things are magical, and we must always remember the simple things.
Like getting a new pair of shoes, even if they are too tight at first, the first day of school even 
if we are afraid, or just getting a lemonade on a perfect summer day.
We have to be mindful to enjoy each experience as it is happening.  
When I moved to this country, I took the opportunity to try something new and  I became a 
goldsmith in my second and incredible life in Canada, I love jewellery, the magic of knowing
how incredible it’s to make a gorgeous piece you can appreciate time after time and find it 
amazing!  It’s magic to see my ideas come to life. But what surprised me the most, is the joy 
I feel helping others, capture their dreams in a custom pieces.
Creating fine jewelry is that brings magic into someone’s life.  It’s also incredible to think that 
piece may become a family heirloom.  
Artists obtain inspiration from all types of sources. My inspiration recently arrived in the form 
of my lovely grandson, Simon, I translate the love and happiness he inspires in me into the 
pieces that I design.  
The magic of being a grandmother is indescribable.  I loved being a mother and having a 
close relationship with my daughter Laura.
I realize every day, that being a mother is an honor, but being a grandma is a privilege! 
Simon has changed my life.
I made Laura a ring, among many other pieces,  that matches mine with diamond and rubies. But my most loved pieces now for her are simple, and mindful.  

18 karat white gold, 10 mm 3.87 ct. Diamond
Two baguettes of diamonds 3 mm x 1.5 mm 0.06 ct. Three rubies and six accents diamonds

This  bangle, that she doesn’t take off,  has only one charm with Simon’s date of birth.
I say only one charm because I hope to fill the bangle with many more! 

  Sterling Silver Bangle with Charm
The pendant, in a short chain has a plate with Simon name on it.

  Sterling Silver Pendant, 16″ chain
It’s the small little things surrounded by big,  incredible ones, like my daughter, son-in-law 
Brendan, Simon and creativity that make my life so rich and marvelous.
I love what I do, I’m very lucky.  I have my head full with ideas. I think Simon brings the best 
of me, He make my life so rich and wonderful.  He helps me see the world with new eyes.
I thank God for this great and unique magic, to have this two wonderful things in my life at the 
same time.  
Have a nice Sunday.
Helena

Polish Festival

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Dear Sunday readers,

The annual
Roncesvalles Polish Festival is back on September 15th and 16th.  It features dance,
live music, buskers, vendors and more, all celebrating Polish culture. 
The festivities run
through the whole weekend.  Over 40 restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and
bistros, along with  traditional Polish fare: pierogi, kubasa, bigos, and
cabbage rolls will be offered all along Roncy.
At the south end of
Roncy is the stage featuring Polka Song  and Dance more highlights of
Polish culture. Saturday night enjoy the
ever-popular Dance Under the Stars polka party. Check out the Polish Art Walk
and Car Show.
We
are excited to announce that Jewel Envy at 151 Marion Street, will give
you that chance to experience Lost Wax Casting and make your own piece. Adults
and teens will make rings and kids pendants.   
The
1- hour wax carving workshops is FREE.  
Jewel
Envy teachers and Jewel Envy artist will help make your great and unique piece come
to life.
You
will consult with the instructor about your design, and shown how to use the
wax carving tools. The teachers are there to help you along, and show you how
to finish the wax, which is then ready for casting.
People
can take the wax home with them, which is still free.  It will last a
little while, but not long.  However, for a small fee your creation will
last forever.  Jewel Envy will sprue, invest, cast and finish your
ring/pendant.  
Don’t
miss out on this rare event.    For _____ a fee, based on weight you
can choose to to have their wax ring/pendant cast into bronze or sterling
silver.
The
Goldsmiths at Jewel Envy Celebrate the Polish Festival with a friendly
competition between our Artist and you are our judges.   Our Asymmetric Exhibition
is officially launched before traveling to other Ontario Galleries.
We
welcome you into the store to view our Goldsmiths’ eclectic design in silver,
gold, brass, bronze. Please feel free to bring in any jewellery you want to
discuss having repaired or redesigned.
Have
a nice Sunday!
Helena

Green Diamonds!

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Colored diamonds are rarities among the most brilliant and usually expensive of all gemstones, but green diamonds are even more rare; different natural phenomena combined to give this diamonds the shade to stand out among the others, and has become a recent interest in gemmology fields.

Diamonds with a green hue are found in Brazil and Zimbabwe and are defined by the type of process for their formation.

A recent article published by the Gemological Institute of America on their Gems and Gemology quarterly publication details everything there is to know about the rarest of diamonds, and makes for an interesting short read. Check out the PDF for the article!

shoes that are gems, gems that are shoes.

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I can say that as a goldsmith my focus about accessories crosses over into shoes. I was recently reminded of these gem like shoes from a company called United Nude 

 This lead to a google search of gem shoes, in which I came across these:
Marina Abramovic’s crystal Shoes for Departure

Marina Abramovic’s crystal Shoes for Departure, worn.
Marina Abramovic’s written
instructions: “With naked feet enter the shoes. Eyes closed. Motionless. Depart. Duration:limitless Material: amethyst”
From The In-Between: Shoes for Departure “offer to transport the viewer into an altered state of consciousness.
With the artist’s written instructions functioning almost as a hypnotic
suggestion, the shoes provide the means to enter a space of trance and
contemplation.”
It was exciting to come across this vastly different examples and sit in contemplation for a few moments about the perception of materials as well as the function and purpose of accessories. Materials have different value to individuals; there is definitely a common thread of meaning attached to gemstones in jewellery that for a majority of people is connected to value. We do often get customers who are searching for meaning and connection through specific gemstones, which I always love learning and hearing about.
-Alexis  
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