Jewelry from the Heart

These are a few of the beautiful pieces found in Debi Levine's etsy shop. Debi's jewelry is unique and well designed. Her shop not only features pearls, but semi-precious stones and swarovski crystals as well. She also carries some Baha'i pieces that are quite beautiful. Visit

Debi's One Heart Jewelry shop here and you won't be disappointed.

Tucson Gem and Jewelry Show 2009

These Venetian Murano glass beads are so beautiful!

These are just a sampling of some of the lovely gemstones I am planning to use in my newest designs. I purchased these stone from Lilly's Bead Box at her tucson booth and you can find her on etsy.

I just returned from my very first visit to Arizona. The purpose of my trip was to attend the Tucson Gem and Jewelry Show to purchase gemstones and gold and silver findings for my handmade jewelry. Today I will write a bit about the show itself and will continue to add photos and information over the next week or so. For those of you who have never been, it is a must see and for those of you who have been , I will offer my insight and personal opinions on what to avoid and what not to miss.

Needless to say,this show is extremely overwhelming and scary for a first time visitor like me. Here is what I learned from my experience:

1. Don't get to the show too late. I arrived after many of the bead shows were already over. Although I may have gotten better bargains at the end of the various shows, I felt that I missed seeing the best of the gemstones,beads and lamp work beads.

2. Be very wary of fakes. There is so much cheating going on. For example, many beaders, including myself, are very fond of Karen Hill Tribe beads. I discovered while I was at the show that some unscrupulous dealers are selling "Karen Hill Tribe" which are not fine silver and some are even silver plate and over lead.

3. Know your stones and ask the dealer questions. If they can't give you an answer or guarantee quality,walk away.

4. Double check totals. Have a calculator with you.

5. Have a budget set in your mind and keep careful records of exactly what you spend each day. It all adds up quickly.

6.Be wary of the vendor that calls you over to his booth and then changes his price because you walk away.

7. Try to purchase items you can't find at local shows or stores

8. Leave time for sightseeing because Tucson has some wonderful attractions.

I will be showing you some awesome photos of my travels in Tucson and also photos of some of the mineral oddities seen at the Main Event show which is held on the last weekend of this amazing 2 week event.

Before and After -part 2

This is part 2 of my post about working with liver of sulphur- the ugly part. My first post demonstrated how my finished bracelet would look without antiquing it in liver of sulphur. This photo show the very same piece after a quick dip in the smelly sulphur solution. Kind of scary I think. It almost looks like the entire piece has been destroyed. Stay tuned for part 3 when I will unveil my now antiqued bracelet.

Before and After

I have previously blogged about the amazing results you can get with a piece of jewelry using liver of sulphur. I thought it would be interesting to show my latest piece of jewelry before during and after antiquing the piece with liver of sulphur. For all of you out there who are a bit anxious about working with liver of sulphur, it can literally transform your artisan jewelry. Although this particular bracelet is lovely as is, it becomes even more beautiful after treating it to a bath of liver of sulphur and then giving it a whirl in the tumbler. I would love to hear what you think! Step 2 or the ugly part of this process will be posted in the next few days.

Pretty Rocks

A girl just can't have enough pretty rocks and Yazmin Wickham's etsy shop provides a nice variety. Aprettyrock carries some beautiful hand wrapped earrings similar to the ones above, gorgeous hairpins , necklaces and rings. She sure has some beautiful "rocks" in her collection! Be sure to check her blog as well.

March is Aquamarine

March's birthstone is one of my favorites. Aquamarine derived its name from the Roman words Aqua and Mare , water and sea. When you look at the beautiful blue green color of aquamarine stones, you can understand why they chose this name. The Romans felt that the aquamarine stone when mixed with water had great healing qualities and used it to treat illnesses of the heart,mouth ,throat and liver. It was said that this was the stone of Neptune, God of the sea, and was worn by the ancient sailors for protection. It is easy to understand why this stone is still worn as a symbol of beauty and protection today. Here are some aqua pieces that the Romans truly admire.

The Joys of Wire Wrapping

I have been doing some interesting things with dead soft wire in the last few weeks and I am pleased the results. I love the way the wire cages frame the beads and give them an interesting dimension. I used carnelian and lampwork beads for the silver necklace and earrings. The bangle is made with copper and silver wire that I hammered and adorned with fresh water pearls and Hill Tribe pure silver beads. The necklace and bangle bracelet are for sale in my esty shop . The earrings have been sold, but I am more than willing to do a custom design. All my jewelry is one of a kind so if you like the earrings, yours will be unique.

Wrapped In Love

Katrin Lerman does some amazing work with wire. The pieces below caught my eye because I love the combination of stones ,colors and the inticate wire wrapping. The heart would make a lovely Valentine's Day gift as would any of the pieces in Katrin's shop. Don't forget to take a look at her blog too.

Wedding Day Jewels

Before you know it, June weddings will be the focus for young couples ready to take the plunge. One of the many decisions that needs to made is wedding bands and what the bride will wear with her gown. This stunning handmade14k gold band by Giftbearer will be a symbol of love for years to come. Perfect for the bride or groom, the braided bands symbolize the intertwining of love, hope and dreams. This ring which measures 7 and 1/4" wide can be given for other occasions as well.


The necklace below is made by Elektra Jewelry Design with top quality freshwater keishi pearls, a crystal studded magnetic clasp and vintage swarovski beads. the pearls have amazing sheen and luster. It measures 18" long and can be worn with the clasp in the front, the side, or in the back. It will compliment a scoop neck, v neck or strapless gown and can be worn again and again with many outfits due to its classic design. Either one of these pieces is sure to become a family heirloom.