Tag: #Roncesvalles
What type of clasp should my necklace have?
Chapter 3 – What type of clasp should my necklace have?
There are many types of clasps and not all of them are created equally. Spring rings are the most used clasp in commercial jewellery, and the cheapest clasp with the highest rate of breakage.
If you want to upgrade a chain without buying a new one, have a jeweller change your spring ring to a lobster clasp. It operates in a similar way but is just a little heftier and more reliable for keeping your clasp safely attached.
Toggle clasps are often used as accents in the design of a piece and are strong provided they have the correct proportions.
At toggle clasp is most commonly a ring with a bar that goes through it but they can be other shapes as well.
The bar must be at least two times the inside diameter of the circle they are pushed through. For non -geometric shapes take the longest diameter of the space and multiply it by two for the length of the bar. There must be some weight to the chain for this clasp to work as it is held in place by both sides of the chain pulling away from each other.
Magnetic clasps can be perfect for people who have a hard time manipulating regular clasps. They have rare earth magnets inside, which are stronger than regular magnets. Beware they can interfere with things like pacemakers and hearing aids, if you have either of these you must check with your doctor before wearing them.
’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013
8 Week Introductory and Intermediate Casting Thursday June 8th, 2023
Masks are mandatory during classes for your own health and safety!
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
Hello our lovely readers,
I cannot believe it is already the end of June! Is everyone ready for the long weekend? Well today, I have an exciting event to share with you to prepare you for July!
The annual Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is happening on July 6th – 8th! It is Canada’s largest and longest-running contemporary outdoor art fair. This free public event showcases works by over 340
contemporary visual artists and makers, ranging in medium from painting,
photography, and mixed media to jewellery and ceramics, and attracts
115,000 visitors each year to Nathan Phillips Square.
I will also be showcasing my jewellery works for the first time at the TOAF. Please come by and check out my works!
@ Nathan Phillips Square
Friday July 6 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday July 7 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday July 8 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
I will be located at Booth A23 in Zone A! Hope to see you all there! Here are some of my works below.
Thank you for reading and I hope everyone will have a fantastic long weekend! Happy Canada Day!
Hoi Yi
Harem Royal
I just came across a jewellery design house called Harem Royal, and wanted to share some of their work with you. The richness of the colours is so amazing, and softens the sharp lines and somewhat mechanical nature of the pieces. The style makes me think of steampunk insects, beautiful yet dangerous. What inspiring work! It is so refreshing to come across artists whose style is so vastly different from my own – it reminds me that this world is filled with so many talented people, and so many beautiful things.
Happy Sunday everybody!
(all images via https://athousandfacets.tumblr.com/ and www.haremroyal.com)
Hello Patrick!
It’s a very happy SUNday indeed!🌝 Everyone is in need of that good vitamin D, hope you are likewise out there getting a whole long winter’s worth!
Here’s something else to make you smile – a small selection of the amazing work by Patrick Missodey of Bijoux Missodey.
Such beautiful details and quality in each and every piece – lots of pattern, and texture, and depth with gemstones for that perfect pop of colour – some of my favourite things:)
The artist himself, hard at work in the studio.
Dangling teardrop filigree earrings with little flowers in sterling silver – $320/pair
Three delicate filigree rings in sterling silver – $350 each
Textured bangle bracelet in sterling silver – $730
Filigree necklace with large centre ruby and black diamond accents, hanging on a handmade rattail chain – $3,000
Here’s a closeup because, come on it’s stunning.
Patrick has more work on display here at Jewel Envy – I highly encourage you to come and see his work in person, you will not be disappointed!
SHOP SATURDAY
Saturday has come and brought the sunshine. What a lovely day out there!
But if you prefer to stay indoors and look at pretty things online, here are a few things for you😙
These are from a collection by Judith Noldin, of IN Jewellery. Her pieces are bold and eclectic, and the unique stones and accent colours she uses in her work definitely stand out from the crowd.
Here are some of my favourites:
Each stone is so unique, and the irregular shapes and colours really catch the eye. These pieces are stunning on their own, but they also look so great together – not too matchy matchy, but not not matching, you know??
These three rings contain stones found along Lake Ontario, and are set in sterling silver with either 14k or 18k gold accents. Left to right: $410 – $380 – $410
This pendant is set in sterling silver on a long snake chain. The stone is opalized wood with a small dangling citrine $540
Stop by shop this weekend and take a look at the rest of Judith’s collection on display. She is happy to do custom work as well!
Zef Radi of Radi Brothers
Happy Sunday! It’s a beautiful day out there, hopefully you are out and about and getting
some much needed Vitamin D🌞
Some of us are inside though, working hard in the studio. Here is one of our worker bees,
getting busy at the polishing lathe↓
It’s Zef Radi, of the Radi Brothers. He makes wonderfully delicate and detailed pieces, with
mixed metals, lacy filigree, and vibrant stones.
Here is a sneak peek of some of the pieces he has here at the studio:
Sterling silver ring, with 18k/24k details $520
Sterling silver pendant, with 18/24k details and blue apatite $540
Sterling silver dangling earrings, with 18k/24k details and pink sapphires $790
Drop by during store hours to see the rest of his collection in person.
See you soon!
WE 💗💛💓💜💕💙💖💚💘
(We love love love love etc…)
So you may have noticed that it’s coming up on Valentine’s Day💝 And as you may imagine, it’s pretty difficult to blog from a jewellery store without posting at least a few images of lovely love-inspired pieces… it just can’t be helped!
In my esteemed opinion, hearts are good any time of the year, but especially relevant in the first few weeks of February. So here are just a few suggestions, from my heart to yours:
This is a dainty art deco bracelet by Jewelust (Amanda Henderson), but if you ask me it looks like two intertwined hearts. Sterling silver on chain $145
This ring by Urban Metal (Jerell Reichert) is solid sterling silver, and super substantial. It strikes the perfect balance between rough and smooth, and hand to heart you will love wearing this $110
Pale dusty pink is the perfect colour for Valentine’s Day (or any day really), and this rose quartz stunner is pretty hard to miss. It is quite the statement stone, perched atop a podium of intricate lacy sterling silver. By HPL Jewellery Design (Helena Perez Lafaurie) $380
Obviously these two hummingbirds are in love, and they flutter around sharing this lovely chalcedony bead, while staring into each other’s gleaming sapphire eyes. How romantic! By Pash Jewellery (Gillian Batcher) $195
These stunning pendants are actually lockets – the daggers slide out to reveal super romantic treasures within (*treasures not included). Accented with 14k yellow gold, these are the perfect pieces to wear close to your heart. By Glaciale Goldsmith (Alexis Kostuk) $880 top; $1470 bottom
What a lovely roundup, if I must say so myself! But by no means do you have to wait for someone to bring a heart to your door – go out and get your own! And by that I mean, come here and get your own, or anything else you feel like gifting yourself, because you’re worth it! xx
💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗
Warm Weekends
Like any good Canadian, I love the wintertime. Fresh snow, rosy cheeks, and wool toques are just a part of life up here, and sweater weather is always an exciting time of year. But also, like any normal person, I am SO DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY when the weather pokes its head above zero, even if for just a brief respite. This weekend has brought a bit of rain, but it also brought milder temperatures that already has me daydreaming of springtime.
So I thought I would share a few pieces that brighten my day and make me think of sunshine, warm breezes, and flowers in full bloom.
Butterfly brooch by HPL Jewellery Design (Helena Perez Lafaurie)
Sterling silver with bright pink CZ $380
Flower pendants by Radi Brothers (Zef Radi)
Top: Sterling silver with 18k and 24k gold details $400
Bottom: Sterling silver with 18k and 24k gold details, and moonstone $660
You are my Sunshine by Glaciale Goldsmith (Alexis Kostuk)
14k yellow gold, 14k palladium white gold, yellow and orange sapphires $3,680