02.19.2024 Chain, Chain, Chain...

The second class project in my ACC jewelry techniques class involved making jump rings and connecting them together to create a chain.

Jump rings - for the non-jewelry types - are the open rings used to connect components of a piece together.  They are used to make loops for hooks on earrings, as simple bails for hanging a pendant or to attach a clasp to the end of the chain.

Jump rings - off the mandrel - before being sawed apart

I decided I wanted to fabricate a necklace with graduated links.  I sketched my idea in my notebook, then calculated the size - and how many of each - jump rings I would need.

The inspiration for this necklace came from several other pieces - a beautiful string of graduated pearls my Father brought home to me for my 21st birthday, from a trip to Japan; the Pat Areias silver statement chain I bought last summer in Carmel, and a round push lock charm holder from Cari Streeter, one of my favorite jewelers.

I settled on the design, with the push lock in the front, and small double rings to connect the links. Then I made jump rings...a lot of jump rings.

You can buy preformed jump rings (open - with a cut in the ring, or closed) - but where would be the fun (or learning) in that?  

The facilities at ACC are amazing - and they have all the toys - including a jump ring maker.  You wrap a piece of wire around a mandrel, and put the mandrel in a vice with a crank, turn the handle and voila - a stack of jump rings (that look like a spring).  

Laying out the necklace before fusing the rings

Once you have a coil of rings, the next step is to saw through them one at a time, then finish them by aligning the cut edges and making sure they are truly round.

I made the larger ones (30 for the necklace, plus a few extras) and ordered more small, closed ones from Rio Grande, in order to connect them all together. I'll admit to being more than a little pleased that I didn't melt any!

As I started assembling the necklace, I realized that although it would have the push lock in the front, it really wanted a clasp in the back to make it easier to take on and off, especially since I had decided to add some of Cari's wonderful briolette charms to the clasp.

Push lock clasp and briolettes from Cari

Rather than trying to make more rings and create a clasp in back, I ordered a short (16 inch) rolo chain, and used it to finish the necklace.  A case of working smarter not harder, especially because it only took about 4 inches of chain, and it doesn't show on the front. 

I simple cut the chain, preserving the clasp, and soldered it to the end of the necklace.

I'm so pleased with the finished piece!

It's always great when something turns out as planned

It's always wonderful when a design turns out exactly as I envisioned it (and that doesn't always happen - when I first started metalsmithing classes my visions waaaay exceeded my ability - and I have been away from the bench for quite a while).

I'm also delighted to have jewelry projects to write about again - so watch this space, class continues until May - and I'm planning on signing up for another semester in the fall!

Up next - new techniques for stone setting - starting with this fabulous faceted turquoise (then the tourmaline and opal).

I hope you are enjoying following as much as I am writing about my projects.

Until next time.

P.S. A few of you asked if I'm going to be making things for my Etsy shop, and the short answer - at least for a while - is no.  I had three great markets at the end of 2019, and then as we all know - things changed - and one of the most important things that changed for me was the realization that I've had a career, I built a business, and I don't need to do it again.  Maybe after a semester or two, I'll change my mind - but right now the best part of making jewelry is learning, and being free to do it simply for my own enjoyment.

04.10.23 I love diamonds...even, or maybe especially, tiny ones.

I sometimes wish I could be one of those people who eschews the material world...

I definitely don't need ALL THE THINGS, in fact over the last year I'm proud to say I've gotten rid of a lot of stuff.

Lost wax pendant before the diamonds were set

I don't even need MOST of the things...but I do love the shiny things...and I have a special weakness for tiny diamonds.

Eight years ago, when I started on my creative journey with jewelry I signed up for a lost wax casting class, and my design included tiny diamonds that were left over from resetting jewelry from my Mom and grandmothers.

I went in thinking I could simply cast the stones in place - but turns out, that's a little complicated for a beginner (however, my friend Zanny who is a a very experienced jeweler does beautiful cast in place pieces) - so I simply made the pendant and set the stones later.

Pieces Jewelry by Cari and Corey Egan

The three diamonds in the pendant represent my children, and the idea that even though we aren't together as often as I would like when we look up, we all see the same moon and stars.  I wear that pendant a lot, and recently I've been pairing it with my family charm necklace and a great new pair of earrings.

The silver earrings are actually the second pair of this design that I purchased from Berkeley based jeweler, Corey Egan.  I bought a gold pair last summer to wear to our son's wedding.  I loved them, but realized I just don't wear yellow gold very often...so I splurged and bought them twice!

I hemmed and hawed before I bought them - I mean I have other pairs of earrings with tiny diamonds. My husband asked why I will still pining for them, rolled his eyes and said "just order them already", so I did...and I've been wearing them almost daily every since.  They were the only earrings I took with me on our trip to DC last month.

Charms from Bamboo Jewelry, SJVI

Another current favorite necklace - which I mentioned in my first post of the year - checks two important boxes for me when I'm buying jewelry...it is a souvenir (of my great trip to St. Thomas and returning to travel) and it has tiny diamonds.

It was love at first sight for the "Eye of the Hurricane" pendant in Bamboo Jewelry's beautiful studio in St. John - and I couldn't resist the double entendre, pairing it with their "KEEP LEFT" charm.  It was the tiny blue diamond that did it for me - because it looks like a blue wave - and my friends loved that I had found a souvenir that made a political statement, too.

Then late last year, just before I was planning three trips in three months, Bamboo posted some new charms, including the compass rose...which I added to my necklace, with a tiny diamond.

Yellow gold Corey Egan earrings,

and my new Elisa Solomon charm

There's a reason they call it "retail therapy"...at least for me, buying something that I know I'll enjoy wearing because it brings back happy memories, makes me feel better.  When the need to shop strikes, I try to seek small, women owned business to support, because that makes me feel good, too.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I very recently acquired another special piece with tiny diamonds from Elisa Solomon...and when I shared, I promised you a blog post - so, promise kept.

Until next time.

09.19.16 Ooooh....pretty!

In case it's not obvious (or you haven't read some of my previous posts) - making jewelry has not diminished my appreciation for the work of others, nor has it improved my impulse control.

Photo credit: Lea Smith Designs

Earlier this summer I was sitting at the bench next to fellow Creative Side member Lea Smith, who was just getting started on a pair of earrings, made with great black and tan stones (which I later learned are petrified palm wood).

As she was sketching, I asked her "are those sold?"  When she said "no" I said I wanted them - she was happy to oblige (I paid for them, of course).

Photo credit: Lea Smith Designs

My earrings are a variation on one of her styles called "Sun Burst".  While mine are one of a kind, you can find an all silver pair of earring jackets with a similar "fringe" on her website.

I love them - and I've been wearing them a lot!  They are perfect with my favorite "neutral but never boring" transitional dress and clutch, which is in regular rotation right now when the calendar says "fall" but the weather still says "summer".

Dress: J Jill. Bag: Clare Vivier

Photo credit: Jewelry by Cari/

About the same time I snapped up Lea's earrings, another favorite jeweler - Cari Streeter - introduced a number of new pieces in her Jewelry by Cari line.






...and because you can NEVER have too many diamonds...I ordered this pair from Russell Korman.  I mean - what's better than new diamond earrings and being able to support two of my favorite jewelry business at one time!

They're only about an inch long and great everyday earrings...comfortable to wear with just a little bit of sparkle!

These two pairs, along with the glass poppies from Lunacy Glass, makes three in the past month or so - as is frequently the case.  I don't know why it happens that way,  but it does, I'll go months without buying anything, then all of a sudden...I see things I want and all my self control evaporates!

Earrings are my biggest weakness, but they don't go bad, take up much space, have no calories and they do make me really happy...so I keep adding to my collection. 

I hope you find things that make you happy, too.

Until next time.

1.6.15 In uniform

My 19 year old daughter frequently tells me my clothes are "boring" - she calls them my "Mom uniform".

I will grant her that I do have a "style" (I like to think of it as classic, or timeless, rather than just boring) that is built around basic pieces - and my day to day outfits are frequently a polo or tee shirt, a cardigan (often but not always black, blue or grey), jeans or khakis, my favorite small hoop earrings and "mom" necklace and some flat shoes.

The fact of the matter is - I work primarily from home, I run errands, I do volunteer work.  Honestly, I don't need a wide ranging wardrobe - and I have plenty of things to wear to attend a client meeting or a dressier function.  Most days, it's just easier to simply pull out the same kind of clothes - especially if I'm getting dressed before I've had coffee.

Jewelry on the other hand - well - I've got so much that it takes up the entire top drawer of my dresser (with each item in its own small carefully labeled ziploc bag), and yet I tend to follow the same pattern as I do with my outfits...that's part of why I'm trying to blog daily about the jewelry I'm wearing.  If I don't change it up, nothing new to write about.

Photo credit: Coach Jewelry

Today's earrings are Coach mini snap bar hoops. A gift from my mother in law so long ago I don't even remember - it's probably been close to ten years.  I love them.  I wear them so often I never really put them away. 

They're only about 5/8"wide - but they are solid, incredibly comfortable, and go with darn near everything.  If you didn't know better - you might think they are the only pair I own - so that has to change (after today).

Along with these earrings, I frequently wear this necklace - one with a mix of silver and gold charms hanging on a simple chain.  All of the charms, with the exception of the Star of David (purchased in the summer of 1980 on a two week family trip to Israel) come from Cari Streeter's line - Jewelry by Cari.  There's a small yellow gold heart, a larger silver heart with a diamond, a tag that says "MOM" with a diamond for the "o", a shamrock (hidden in this picture) and a tiny tag that says "LOVE".

Because it's a favorite, a mix of gold and silver - and because I have far more earrings than necklaces - this is likely to continue to be in the rotation pretty frequently.

I discovered Cari's pieces (as I have many other things) at Russell Korman Jewelers.  In addition to her wonderful charms, Cari has rings, earrings, bracelets, pieces with gemstones - it's a truly wonderful artisan line.  I also love that when I contact her about having a piece customized she responds by saying "go buy it from them, and that way you are supporting two independent businesses at the same time". Beauty and generosity - I like that.

Other than a blog post, there not much on my agenda today, and like most days, I'm wearing my uniform - right down to my dogtag that says "MOM" - because that's who I am.