Tag: #goldsmithing

Sunday Funday in the studio

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It’s Amnesty Day today! The studio hosts this day a couple times a year, for students to get some extra (and free!) benchtime outside of regular class hours.

Lots of fun and creative projects are taking form before my eyes. Here are some images of our amazing students hard at work:
  Using the flexshaft and a ring clamp like a pro
Soldering an earring with a bit of third-arm help

 Forming some very special bezels for some very gorgeous stones
We teach a variety of one-day and 8-week workshops here at Jewel Envy. Whether you are looking to build a foundation of goldsmithing skills, or walk away with a handmade piece of jewellery (or both!), we can help you out. Take a look at our calendar of upcoming classes and get in touch!

SAVE OR SPLURGE OR JUST BUY EVERYTHING!!!!

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Hello friends! Hope you are having a wondering February. If you’re anything like me, you’re just glad that January is out of the way, because that month was a real stinker.
But onwards and upwards! Pretty excited about the sunshine today (even though it’s freezing), and also really excited about today’s save vs splurge.
It’s a 3-parter though, because these pieces are all from the same collection by Mia Shen, goldsmith-in-residence. The pieces are geometric, but the shapes are surprising and eye-catching, and make good use of negative space. The texture is is very tactile and adds a lot of depth, and contrasts amazingly well with the non-textured, high-polished areas.
 First up are these drop-stud earrings. Really amazing shape, and great use of balanced asymmetry, a term we used often in jewellery school haha. These are at a low, save-save-save price of $180.
 Ooooh this ring! It’s so great, it almost looks like an object you want to keep in your pocket so you can touch it throughout the day:) The cinched sides lets it sit very comfortably, without getting in the way of your other fingers. This one is middle-of-the-road at $295.
 
Last but not least is this toggle bracelet. It is substantial and has a
lot of visual dimension, but it isn’t heavy or clunky at all. This beauty comes in at a cool splurge-worthy $640.
So spend a little or spend a lot (or spend it all!), whatever suits your fancy!
Enjoy your weekend!!!! xx

More Mokume!

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Last week I showcased some of Pash Jewellery’s mokume necklaces. This week, it is still all about mokume, but with rings. They are all beautiful as wedding bands, or a special treat for yourself just ’cause.
In case you are unfamiliar with mokume, here is a quick lesson. Mokume Gane is a Japanese lamination technique, that involves the layering of different metals to create a unique pattern. It can be quite labour-intensive, but the results are so stunning it is definitely worthwhile.
 These rings are both sterling silver and copper. The pattern is like the grain of wood, and every piece is entirely unique.

This ring is a spinner, with a lovely pink sapphire for a perfect small pop of colour. The main band is sterling, and the mokume is a mix of 18K pink and white gold. 
If you have soldering experience, and would like to learn more about this technique, we are running a 2-day workshop this month. The Mokume Gane class is scheduled for Saturday April 23, and Sunday April 24. Come and get your learn on!

Oh heeeey Alexis!

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In case you don’t know Alexis Kostuk (of Glaciale jewellery design), I want to spend a moment giving you a glimpse into her goldsmithing goodness.
She is an all-around amazing artist, and her talent is more than visible in her carved pieces. Below are some of her statement rings that catch the eye in the best way possible.
 
The centre stone is a blue onyx, and it’s surrounded by white sapphires. This appeals to my art nouveau/deco-architecture-appreciating self in so many great ways.
This ring has a slightly different design than the one above, with a lapis centre (and don’t you just love lapis?!) and blue sapphires.
 Look at that turquoise! It sits atop a bed of sterling silver coral reef, with a peekaboo texture that perfectly complements the matrix of the stone.
Aren’t they lovely! Get your butts down here and just try to decide which one you like best. I dare you:)
ps – hi Rhonda!

Jewelust by Amanda Henderson

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 This is Amanda Henderson:
 
 She is one of the resident goldsmiths here at Jewel Envy. Her company is called Jewelust, and she designs and creates amazing jewellery that you should definitely come in and check out and wear home!! 
Here is a little sneak peek of the work that she has here in the studio:
 These are her square-top stacking rings. Some are in rose-gold (oooh!!) and some have simple texture, and some have pretty little roses adorning the tops.
 
 The profile is so unique, and they are just as lovely from the side as from the top. They are sold individually, but I think they look best stacked in different colours and styles, so I would definitely have problems choosing just one!
 This is from one of her signature collections – the Whirls. She creates these graceful ribbons of metal and uses them in different ways. This is a simple pendant style, but she has been known to add the whirls to more elaborate pieces.
 Here are some bar pendants. These look so great together, don’t they??! I really like wearing sterling and gold together, so I would probably get the top one custom-made with yellow gold, and a white diamond. Or rose-gold with a black diamond. Or both!

Amanda is a great designer, but she also does incredible custom work. Come by the studio and get to know her a little better, and get something pretty for yourself at the same time!
~sash
ps – all of her social media handles are @jewelust, so you can check her out on Instagram and Facebook as well.

Achoo! Happy allergy season!

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If you’re like me, then you are currently throwing your money at the pharmaceutical companies, begging them to supply you with little pills to keep the sneezes away. If you’re like me, then you like to gaze at floral-inspired pieces in the studio, so you don’t have to cry (from allergy-induced watery eyes) at the real thing.
If you’re like me, then you will marvel at these beautiful earrings made by Hyewon Jang, because they are so pretty, but also because you never noticed just how pretty they are!
What I love about them is how well they are made. The beautiful golden details are identical on the back as well, so when your hair is up, and the earrings are swinging in the breeze, you can awe and impress from both sides:)
Thank you for making pretty things Hyweon!
Now go enjoy the sunshine and the flowers, if you dare.

xx sash
ps – hi Rhonda!!!

Craigslist surprise

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Hi guys!
This is my story about an interesting incident that happened last week, during my search for the perfect display case. (The display case is a story unto itself, so if you want to know more about that just let me know.)
I have been obsessively searching through Craigslist and Kijiji, because I am/was on the hunt for a display cabinet, a showcase for my jewellery, that can travel with me to sales/shows/events. My search words were exactly this: “jewellery display cabinet”. Scrolling down, my eyes were suddenly transfixed by this image:
I was so perplexed to see this pendant ‘for sale’ on Craigslist, that I stared blankly at the screen for a silly amount of time. It is a necklace that I made in my last year of the Jewellery Arts program at George Brown, that was subsequently displayed during our grad show event. But to see this piece completely out of context, after years of being apart, was a bit of a surprise. And then I realized that it was an ad for Jewel Envy, using a provided-by-me image no less, and then I was no longer surprised.
I am telling you this because it was a good moment; to reflect on past work, and to realize that although my style has evolved, the backbone of my goldsmithing esthetic has stayed true. I am still very happy with this design, and the same cannot always be said about my other creations (my self-critic has a loud voice!) But in the end my design professor knew her stuff – with the right amount (usually a HUGE amount) of ideation, development, and refinement, you will be able to create a piece that will stand the test of time. Lesson learned, again!
So back to the sketchbook I go, and I will leave you with a proper image of the above piece:
Burst pendant – sterling silver with 14k yellow gold accent
custom-cut sujilite cabochon
sterling silver rolo chain
Happy designing y’all!
~sash

Forever Young

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Young Ko is one of our resident goldsmiths here at Jewel Envy.  She loves working with cocobolo wood, and I thought I would share a few of her super pieces with you.
Take a look!
 

So interesting and unique, and I love the contrast between the cool silver and warm wood.  She has lots of other pieces available at the studio as well, but you’ll have to come in to see them for yourself!
Happy Saturday y’all
 -sash 

Juicy Gemstones

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Oh hey, hai you guys!  
I just wanted to share a bit of a sneak peek.  I have decided to add a lot more colour to my jewellery, 
so I picked up a few pieces of rough gemstone this week.
Getting stones custom-cut isn’t necessarily cheap, but it adds so much to the design and value of the piece.  Plus, I love getting EXACTLY what I want.  You know?
Take a look at these beauties:
Rainbow obsidian, rhodochrosite, amazonite, chrysoprase, ruby, larimar, lapis, and orange calcite.
Can you tell which is which?!
Stay tuned, I will definitely update with the finished products within the next few weeks.  Yay!
xx sash.
PS – I want a million dollars to spend on more gemstones!

Archerade Spotlight!

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Just wanted to shine a little sun on Sasha Oda and her company, Archerade.
 
She has been a resident goldsmith here at Jewel Envy for about 2 years now.
 
Take a look at some of the pieces she has on display here at the studio.
 
 

Arrowhead Bracelet in sterling silver
GoGo Ring in sterling silver 
Hoodie Earrings in sterling silver with turquoise 
Snake Wrap Ring in sterling silver with rubies
 
 
Come visit us at the studio to check out the rest of her pieces!


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