Jewelry Making

I wrote up a short article on making an earring cluster. These are small and pretty earrings that feature a “cluster” of items, usually crystals (Swarovski is often used), pearls, or small faceted gemstones. Some people like them (or don’t like them) because they don’t hang down too far but are more fancy than just a single small gem earring. But you can easily extend the cluster with chain or use multiple clusters attached to each other if you’d like to. Here is a picture of the finished earring.

We got inspired after a big buying spree at the Rings & Things wholesale bead show so we put up some new jewelry at Bellaceti including these Kimberly Earrings. I hate to say it but when your in a jewelry designing or production slump one the best things you can do is go and buy some new raw materials to play around with. Not that it’s the best thing for your wallet!

The Kimberly Earrings feature luscious pearls, pale pink bicone crystals and beautiful pink quartz briolette drops. A classy and elegant design perfect for spring. Semi-precious beads are wire-wrapped with sterling silver wire on sterling silver hooks. Earrings hang approximately 2 1/8″ long.

[Full disclosure: I personally help make some of the pieces at Bellaceti.com]

Lilia Shatnaya creates necklaces and earrings with a bold and sometimes elaborate flair. These are a bit more ornate than the pieces I usually review, but they are quite striking in character which is what led me to take a second look.

Originally from Ukraine, Lilia first worked as a web graphics, video and special effects designer before discovering jewelry making as her true calling.

From her website:

While on a search for a job in the Computer Design field, Lilia started making jewelry. She taught herself wire wrapping, gemstone names and properties and soon a line of jewelry emerged. As many successful ventures, this one started as a hobby but soon grew into a full time business. She is now attending New York’s FIT Jewelry Design Program.

Lilia makes all the pieces by hand. She uses semiprecious stones to complement the antique filigrees in the pieces. Lilia doesn’t like dull colors and like the designer, her line is vibrant, colorful, fun and flirty…

Continue reading “Lilia Jewelry” …

I’m really partial to unusual jewelry and Austin’s Kristin Laing fits the bill quite nicely with her etched sterling silver designs. Kristin latest collection includes earrings, necklaces and rings and each piece is created by hand in her studio. While many of her pieces may seem more stark than other typical bead and jewelry DIY projects, I think her style exhibits clean elegance through the use of silver etching without seeming overly distant or cold.

From her website:

Kristin Laing has been designing and crafting jewelry since her teens. Raised in San Diego and a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, Kristin migrated to Austin, Texas after several years on the east coast. While in Austin, she had the opportunity to study silver, copper, and blacksmithing among other metal arts. Her love of working with silver eventually lead to setting up her own jewelry studio. With unparalleled support from family and friends Kristin released her first line in the spring of 2004.

Continue reading “Kristin Laing Jewelry” …

I came across an article on the Jewelry Making About.com site (moderated by Tammy Powley) on Threader Earrings. Apparently, these are a hot topic for many jewelry makers. I had seen a few of these threader earrings (sometimes known as Earring Threads, Ear Threaders, Earthreads) in the latest Ring n Things catalog and was wondering what they were.

Continue reading “Threader Earrings” …