Simple locket with a good story

This locket is a custom order. It is very simple, slightly textured and letter stamped, made of brass. It is so simple, that I was not even going to put it into my blog. However, I appriciate a piece of jewellery if it has a good story. This one has a story too.

The locket was ment to be a Christmas gift for a young girl. The girl saw her mom packaging it. Mom told her it was for her little cousine, so the gift, though seen, stayed a total surprise for the girl. We both were giggling when she told me the story :) Good save, mom!

Ace of diamonds dogtag

This is a "dogtag" pendant for my husband's birthday. It is made of nickel silver (as he has lost one before... so no sterling silver for him!). Reconstructed red coral is shaped by a lapidary artist Bruce McLellan for this project. Coral diamonds are held by cold white enamel.

Old work, new picture :)

The central piece and the toggle is made of silver (the gold leaves are gold-plated with a keum-boo technique). This necklace is made of Japanese gold- and platinum-plated beads. The only reason for making it was I had extra beads from this project. (Souds like a good reason to me :)

Upcoming winter classes

Advanced Stone Setting Workshop One weekend: December 10&11, 2011. Time: from 11 am to 5 pm. Price $150.00 + tax.

Advanced Silversmithing course 8-Thursday course, January 12th to March 1, 2012. Time: 6.30 pm to 9.30 pmPrice $215.00

Engraving 5-Saturday course, January 14 to March 3 (No class January 28 & February 4), 2012. Time: 11.00 am to 4.00 pm. Price $215.00 + tax.

To sign up for the classes call Mountain Gems at (604)298-5883 or Toll-free (Canada/USA) 1-888-593-1888

Custom work

This is the second stone for the "suprise" order. On one hand I had a request for a "suprise", on another hand... I do not make sketches for my pendants with the sea creatures. They are ment to be a "game"... I take all of them out, and see what this stone "wants" to have around it. This stone "wanted" a turtle...

I put the pendants into the little jewellery boxes and took them to the customer.
- Customer has ordered a suprise, customer is getting a suprise, - I told her.

She opened the box...

- Did you know that I was collecting turtles? - she asked... and gave me a hug.

She also told that she would have to fight her daughter for this pendant. So... I got another order. It won't be done before Christmas, though.

Custom work

I got two stones for a custom work... And a very specific task: "Surprise me!"

Well.... If it was my stone and I did not care that anybody would ever like it and buy it.... this pendant could look completely different :) I have to admit, that I was a little bit scared to do "too much"... so... possibly... I did "not enough"...

However, the customer saw the sketch and liked it. So I have become a little bit more brave and did not show her a sketch for her second stone... I will publish the picture of it later this week.

Russian jewellery artists

There are many great artists in Russia. There are many talented jewellery designers among them. However, as any artists of a country with its own culture and history, modern Russian artists have their own preferences in the materials that they like to use. Russian people like chic in their every day life, they like colour and intricate forms. No wonder that seed beads and lace making techniques have transformed from traditional ways of use, known in the past centuries and into something completely new to fulfill the imagination of these new artists who have the world open in front of them. They study all innovations. They love their background. Then they put everything aside and start creating...