Friday, 4 May 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Grass Green Bracelet

       

I love peridot, it's such a vibrant, spring green. I created this piece to take advantage of the way peridot and silver zing together. Using a very large chain, and layering on the stones really helps to give this piece a gorgeous look.    

For more details, see: http://www.jewellerydragon.com/B22034.htm              

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JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
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Thursday, 3 May 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Pentagon Amethyst Earrings

      

I love these stones! The position of the hole and the sheer quality of the cut and design of each stone meant that I had to display these as fully as possible. Although I toyed with the idea of different settings, I think in the end this was the best choice.  

For more details, see: http://www.jewellerydragon.com/E22011.htm      

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JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
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Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Purple Haze Bracelet and earrings


I found these delightful Tanzanite beads through a supplier, and had to have them. I at once knew that I wanted them in a bracelet, and decided that surrounding them with clear quartz was the best way to go, because of the delicacy of the colour, and I knew that the quartz would help to reflect and enhance the stones. 

I think it ended up really delightful in the end, and the earrings go beautifully. Due to the small quantity of stones I could skimp on the bracelet to make a necklace, but decided not to, I wanted the bracelet to be as generous as possible. 

I also wanted to be generous with the earrings, I could have used clear crystal as a filler, but decided that in this case strength was in numbers, so used all Tanzanite.    

For more details, see:  http://www.jewellerydragon.com/B22013.htm and http://www.jewellerydragon.com/E22019.htm
www.jewellerydragon.com
JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
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Monday, 30 April 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Olympiad Dreams Necklace

I had decided to make a multi-gem necklace to represent the Olympic rings to celebrate the 2012 Olympics being in Britain. An easy task, except that when I set the rings into the correct positions, the piece didn't work. It was only when I allowed them to be free-flowing that the piece really came to life! 

For more details, see: http://www.jewellerydragon.com/N22063.htm

www.jewellerydragon.com
JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
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Friday, 27 April 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Bright Button Flower Necklace

 These buttons belonged to my grandmother, and I've always enjoyed their bright colour and lovely design. 

However, I found them very difficult to set them into jewellery because, being buttons, they have a rear hole. This means that threading through them didn't work, as you wore the piece they turned over, and I didn't want to wrap wire around them. 

As they aren't really something I wanted to add to clothing, I left them in a drawer for years. Then recently I was playing around and discovered a way of mounting them that stopped them from turning. 

I tried a pair of earrings, but they were just too large, however as a necklace I thought they work perfectly.  

For more details, see: http://www.jewellerydragon.com/N22062.htm  

www.jewellerydragon.com
JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
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Thursday, 26 April 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Chinese Dragon Necklace

  I love dragons (there you go, I said it!) and I've been looking for a dragon necklace for years. 

When I decided to start sculpting again, this piece was the obvious choice, and I chose a Chinese dragon to do. After I had started I discovered that the new Chinese Year was the Year of the Dragon (I really hadn't known before!) so completing the piece this year became essential. 

I really loved making him, but found it a massive technical challenge to get enough detail on what ended up as a very large piece. I wanted to colour him in, so with tiny emeralds I created his scaly skin, with yellow sapphires for the underbelly. 

The eyes were originally going to be black, but I found a matching pair of fiery rubies, and had to use them. Setting them was also interesting, I used a head pin in each one to give him his startling gaze. I then had to add a pearl, so picked the best I have. 

I chose one with a slight flaw, just because I thought it added to the piece, and surrounded it in rubies again, to give it flames. 

All in all I love this piece, I think it is really a sculpture, and would look amazing with a little black dress...but it is quite impractical to wear! It's not often I say that about my pieces, but with the amount of silver wire and gems he is really very heavy. The detailing on him also creates little traps for the unwary. 

Really this piece is an example of what I can do, and I'm really looking forward to creating more pieces in the future.   

For more details, see: http://www.jewellerydragon.com/N22072.htm  

www.jewellerydragon.com
JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
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Monday, 23 April 2012

Inspiration for pieces explained: Fire Bracelet

       

Carnelian is a warm and wonderful stone to work with. To give the bracelet texture I used two sizes of stone.    

For more details, see:    http://www.jewellerydragon.com/B22005.htm

www.jewellerydragon.com
JewelleryDragon is available at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
 
 
Got a Kindle? Read my blog direct! UK and USA