Tag: #bigbluehouse
Depletion gilding silver
Before we delve into depletion gilding of silver, let’s talk about fine silver and sterling silver. Fine silver is 99.9% silver and it is soft. So soft that if jewellery was made from it, it would suffer more damage and wear and wouldn’t be able to be worn daily. That is why jewellery when silver is made out of sterling silver. Sterling silver (like the stamp) is 92.5% silver and the rest is another alloy; mostly copper.
Depletion gilding is the process of heating your sterling silver several times to bring the fine silver to the surface of the metal, creating a white satiny look. In between heating, you drop your piece in the pickle to remove oxides. This process is repeated several times to achieve the white satin look.
Van Mackenzie, White bean bracelet, 2012, sterling silver, depletion gilding.
Above is an example of what depletion gilding looks like.
8 Week Introductory Fabrication Wednesday September 17th, 2025
Learn to do a thing
It was Gemsetting polishing prep class at the Big Blue House today. Our last 8 week Gemsetting course for 2025 gets started Wednesday July 9th. Students received a kit of cast mounts in advance, and today was the day to pre-polish before class begins. This way, all attention is on learning the new techniques, setting the stones, and practicing new skills.
By the end of the course, students will have set their kit pieces with gorgeous gems. Their completed jewellery will look something like this:
March in Aquamarine
It is finally time for one of the most recognizable, admired and swoon-inspiring gemstones.
Aquamarine is that gorgeous light blue sparkler often set with white gold and surrounded by white diamonds. Just stunning, and the bigger the better for this beauty.
March is a perfect match for Aquamarine. It is the stone of mariners and happy marriages. Whether you know someone preparing to brave the waters as a sailor or a betrothed, this gemstone is a wonderful way to carry your wish for their success and happiness.
Reach out to us at info@jewelenvy.ca and let’s get started on a custom gift that means the world.
Tablet cut gemstones
I was so excited to recently work on a gemstone cut that I don’t get to see that often – tablet cuts! I also have had an increase of working with gemstones people are purchasing on their own and I get to design around them.
Some of my favourite gemstones come from Brooke’s Customs. This family run business is a wife and husband team that source interesting rough gemstones that they meticulously cut into interesting shapes that are outside of what you would typically find, take a look!
All gemstones are from Brooke’s Customs
Put us on your List!
Are you in Toronto before Hannukah and Christmas and looking to explore local shops?
Whether you are feeling topsy-turvy, on a mission, or relaxed and taking in the sights and sounds of city, you are welcome to come and see us at the Jewel Envy Studio today (until 6pm), tomorrow (10am-6pm), and Tuesday (10am-4:30).
We have lots of unique gifts and lovely pieces to look at that will have you spinning or centered, depending on your preference.
Just look for the biggest blue house in Roncesvalles, on the corner of Roncesvalles and Marion Street.
Happy Holidays!
Gemstone Basics – Part 2
Gemstone Basics – Part 2
Colour is not the best way to determine what a stone is. The colour is a clue, but not the answer as gemstones usually come in a variety of colours for each species. Just because it is blue doesn’t make it a sapphire, red doesn’t make it a garnet and purple doesn’t make it an amethyst.
These are the most commonly recognized colours for each of the mentioned stones, but gemstones have a specific chemical composition and the presence of different minerals within the composition creates different colours.
Some examples of gemstones that are easily confused include sapphire, ruby, garnet, beryl, iolite and amethyst. Sapphires come in every colour of the rainbow except red with the red being referred to as ruby. Beryl comes in a variety of colours and the red variety can closely resemble garnet and ruby. iolite and tanzanite are purple stones that can be confused with amethyst.
Most people have a particular colour I mind when looking for a gemstone rather than a concern over the species of the stone. Ask your jeweller about your options for stones based on what colour you want. Different stones have different price points and contain different properties that will affect how you wear and care for them.
Conversely, if you know you want a particular variety of stone (for working properties, historical significance, rarity etc.) ask about colour options so you know the full range of possibilities for the stone in your new piece.
If you are uncertain about the types of stones in your jewellery, ask a jeweller to get an appraisal for you before doing any work on the piece of jewellery. Most jewellers are not gemologists, but many will be able to identify stones based on their personal studies or experience. Goldsmiths will rarely give you a definitive answer on an expensive stone without an appraisal.
See last month’s blog for part 1. An overview of the different types of gemstones and their suitability in jewellery.
To knot or not to knot.
To knot or not to knot, which gems need a knot for protection?
Knots between beads are often used as a decorative element but they also serve a function within some pieces of jewellery, creating a protective barrier between beads so that they are not damaged by rubbing against each other during normal wear.
Pearls benefit from knots between each bead but this is only necessary in higher quality pearl pieces.
Rice and seed pearls rarely have knots between each bead as they are inexpensive and worn more as fashion pieces than as fine jewellery pieces, although there are higher end pearls from these families that you would want to protect.
Other soft stones that benefit from knotting between beads include turquoise, amber, jet and coral, but there are many more.
’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013
Mokume Gane (wood grain metal)
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.