What happens when you ask 6 different artists to make a small, simple pendant on a chain?
You get 6 very different results…
Hayat Rahal –
Maddie Kingston –
Jennifer Trotman, Frekkeldesigns –
Kathy Winfield, Winfield Design –
Jerell Reichert, Urban Metal –
Alexis Kostuk, Glaciale goldsmith
Whether looking for ready-made or custom, you will find a great fit with at least one of our on-site Goldsmiths.
Do you you have a favourite opal? Have you seen enough types of opal to choose? There are:
Peruvian opal, white opal, Mexican fire opal, boulder opal, black opal, wood replacement opal, Ethiopian opal, semi-black opal, jelly opal, and the list goes on.
Depending on the stone, they can be polished smooth in a cabachon, or faceted, or even carved.
Opals can come from Australia, Mexico, Ethiopia, or Peru. Their stability can depend on how/where they naturally formed, as some can be susceptible to water. Some opals have been shaved thin and attached to glass or another gemstone to make a more affordable option.
At Jewel Envy, we have the experience and expertise to guide you to an option you will absolutely love. Let us know your opal preferences, and we will go from there!
It’s a bit weird for me to be writing on Thursday (usually I’m doing this some Saturday). The studio is quiet this morning (it’s still early for the goldsmiths!). I was enjoying the quiet and thinking about how my latest class just ended (the 8 week casting class). So, I thought I’d share one of the final student projects from this round with you!
They chose to do a lost wax casting of a ring for their final choice. Wax comes in a few different types, this purple wax is a nice all-purpose one, which worked well for the combination of curves and some sharper points that the student wanted to achieve. Here is the finished wax getting prepped for its tranformation into metal!
Here’s the final piece in sterling silver. It looks pretty great!
Looking to learn some new skills? The next set of 8 week casting classes stars on Wednesday July 24th – run to the website to sign up :). No time at the minute, but really want to learn at some point? Sign up for the newsletter, and find out what’s being offered as they come out.
Here at Jewel Envy, we have access to gemstones that can meet your needs, but we also have access to options that you might not think are possible.
Using Sunstone as an example:
Which of the gems in the picture below are true sunstone?
For some people, the large stone on the left is what they have seen in stores and shops as sunstone, goldstone, or “golden sunstone”. It is opaque and consistent, and it is an imitation. If you have not seen the genuine material in various forms, you might miss out on a beautiful piece.
Sunstone is soft, so it is more appropriate as a special pendant than an everyday ring, which requires a stone that is hard to scratch. As typical with other gemstones, the quality can make for dramatic differences in options and price.
When a client is interested in a gemstone or creating a new piece, they can be shy about sharing their budget or personal tastes, but it really does help us to make sure we are offering the best options for the very best result.
It takes experience to sift through all of the different jewellery info out there, so drop by or drop us a line and let us make sure you are on the right path!
All below rings are made to order variations of glaciale goldsmith’s multi tourmaline ring:
As our June of love and celebration winds down, we are looking forward to the red hot ruby excitement of July!
Ruby is the birthstone of July, and the not-always-known sibling of sapphire.
Our July will start Tuesday, and we will be thrilled to discuss any jewellery projects you have in mind.
Well, it seems that summer is well and truly here, with the summer solstice a couple of days ago, the recent strawberry moon (I didn’t know such a thing existed!) and the heat wave we’ve had, we hope you’ve all been keeping your cool! It’s nice and cool in the studio – so if you’re out and about in Roncy, it’s a good time to come see what’s new in the bubbles, or have a chat to us about your repair or custom piece you’ve been thinking about for a while!
Have a piece you’ve been thinking about for a while? A client had this lovely coffin-shaped lapis kicking around their drawer at home, and decided it was time to do something with it, so we made them this lovely statement ring in sterling silver!
Happy Saturday!
Mokume Gane is a Japanese metalworking procedure. What you see is a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns like the photo above. (Cufflinks made by Gillian Batcher).
Mokume Gane looks like wood grain and is closely translated from Japanese as “wood grain metal”. It has the appearance of natural wood grain.
With Mokume-gane, you fuse several layers of differently coloured precious metals together to form a sandwich of alloys called a “billet.” Then the billet is manipulated in such a way that a pattern resembling wood grain emerges over its surface. There are many many ways of working mokume gane to create diverse patterns.
I thought i’d share what mokume gane is today as two customers came in and were really admiring the patterns on the different rings using Mokume gane.
Is this even worth fixing or selling or should I just throw it out?
Some pieces are not worth the effort or cost to fix.
There comes a point when you must be willing to let go of things you have enjoyed wearing. This point arrives sooner for a lot of costume jewellery than jewellery made from precious metals, but it does happen for both types.
It is time to let go when the only thing holding your jewellery together is glue and it has been fixed that way multiple times.
Listen to your jeweller. If they tell you they can fix something but it will break again you should be asking if there is something else that could be done to fix it, or if it should just be put to rest. Honest jewellers will advise against repairs they know will just come back with the same problem repeatedly.
If you find your jewellery is breaking often, you may want to invest in higher quality pieces. Higher quality does not have to mean more expensive materials or stones, just that it is made with more care for the longevity of the piece to withstand more frequent wear. Do not be fooled into thinking luxury brands are better because they are more expensive. Quality is not dictated by price, but rather it is a reflection of how well the item is crafted.
Glue rarely says well made!
’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013
