Opal in Ironstone - Beneath the Surface 2

Last fall I purchased 3 beautiful stones at a gem fair in Tacoma. They are Opal in Ironstone, mined in the Koroit mining district in Queensland, Australia. I love these stones, and judging by how quickly the pendants I've made from them sell, my clients love them, too.

These stones are a lush earthy brown/burgundy color (the ironstone portions) and have flecks and streams of opal shimmering running through them. The opal colors have ranged from greens, blues and purples. They are naturally intriguing. They instantly grab your attention and draw you in to take a closer look and find the shimmering beauty of the opal bits. Every time I examine them, they remind me to look beneath the surface in everything I encounter. In my relationships with people, in the news, media, etc... Sometimes we have to take a closer look to see the core issues.

This is my most recent creation with the last of these stones and is now listed here in my etsy shop. It has so much blue in it that I've paired it with a deep blue lapis accent stone:

Beneath the Surface -2

This one was my second pendant, "Glimmer". It has a lot of little green opal flecks, so I paired it with a chalcedony green chrysocolla accent stone. It is already sold:

And my first of the series, the original "Beneath the Surface" is also sold:

I'm so glad the first two pendants have gone to clients who have told me how much they love these stones and appreciate their beauty. I hope to attend the same gem show this November and see if I can find more of these stones. Each one is so unique and and sparkles with its own special beauty.

My pendant is featured today!

My pendant, "Beneath the Surface" is featured today in the Mystic Wind's blog, "Family Friendly Musings from the Handmade World of Mystic Wind". She's gathered a beautiful collection of rust colored items and talks about what images the word 'rust' conjures up, sometimes undeservedly. Click on her link and enjoy all of the beautiful things she's found ! While you're at it, subscribe to her blog. She always has something interesting and insightful to say. Karen makes beautiful jewelry also, so visit her etsy shop, Mystic Wind, here.

A few new pieces

Fall is in the air and I've been enjoying time in my workshop this week! I finished and posted 3 new pieces to my etsy shop this week. I also spent a fun day creating "Autumn Splendor" (below) with my local etsy friend, HalinaB. We talked, worked, inspired each other and laughed alot. Check out her etsy shop and show her some love!

Here are my new jewelry pieces this week. Click on the titles to view each one in my etsy shop :

This first one is an Opal in Ironstone from Australia. It's an exceptional stone, with gorgeous flecks of opal underneath the surface. It has a tube bail underneath the sterling silver nugget at the top. Polished to a high shine, it sparkles with unique interest and depth.

"Beneath the Surface"

This second piece is a Pisco Blue Gem Chrysocolla. The color is simply beautiful, so I've set it in a very simple setting. It's a sweet, calming necklace for those who prefer small, simple, yet interesting jewelry.

"Once in a Blue Moon"

This last piece is a tribute to autumn. Here in WA, the leaves are already turning colors and the furnace comes on in the evening. Fall is in the air! I've hand cut and formed this copper leaf using chasing and repousse techniques. With a few freshwater and Swarovski pearls, plus some cute little twigs. The entire piece has been antiqued, tumble polished and sealed with a special wax to inhibit color change. This necklace makes a bold statement for anyone who loves autumn colors.

"Autumn Splendor"

Wishing everyone a wonderfully creative week!