Reader Photos : beading, handcraffed jewelry

Vintage Necklace: Jade and Emerald Quartz

Antiquity Travelers — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:05:41 GMT

My recent blog post covers several vintage pieces I designed including this one with jade rounds, hematite spacers, a marcasite square bead and a large emeral quartz focal bead. I finished the piece with a large vintage toggle.

http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/2012/01/lost-in-translation-what-is-vintage.html

Turquoise Necklace: Flash in Blue

Antiquity Travelers — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:42:35 GMT

So if you've been following some of my other uploads, I have a Turkish friend that has put me to work! There is a series of coral pieces I've done for her. This one is a bit of a funny story. She saw a necklace at a kiosk vendor in Grand Central Station - NYC and asked the shop keeper if he had a simplier version. He suggested that he alter the version she was admiring, and her comment back was 'no thanks I have a friend that will do that for me.' She described it to me, but well, it was hard to follow. I asked her to take a picture with her phone and she came back with a blurred flash of blue and asked me 'so can you make it?' I finally had to hunt down the vendor to see the pattern first hand. I of course made my own tweaks to the pattern such as the red focal beads (he had one tiny one), a delicate filigree clasp and the silver spacers to give it more texture ...

Coral Necklace: Version #1

Antiquity Travelers — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:46:37 GMT

A friend of mine who grew up in Turkey asked me to give new life to strings of coral she had inherited from her mother. The beads are stunning. You can still pick up bits and pieces within that show the natural coral patterns. This version was completely taken apart, so the only thing left is the picture. She decided that she wanted 3 simple long strands. See Coral Necklace: The Inheritance, for the final version she now wears.

In this version, I created a multi-strand necklace that starts at the collar and graduates the 5 strands. I used diamond-shaped, flat connectors to graduate the strands. The color tones I brought are from jewelry I saw all over India; including some coral tube beads I inherited from my mother-in-law who got them in India where she grew up. The neckalce is made from a combination of coral, orange agate, rust-colored jasper coins and carnelian (a very popular Indian stone seen throughout the inlays at the Taj Mahal), gold and gold vermeil.

Turquoise Necklace: St Tropez

Antiquity Travelers — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:11:47 GMT

While taking my usual train commute into NY City, one of my friends was flipping through a catalogue. She was eyeing a multi-strand turquoise necklace that she really liked, but could not believe what they were charging for the piece. I glanced at it and said, yes you're right that is outrageous .... it really shouldn't cost that much. Her reply "could you make it for me?"

I never make any piece exactly like the picture, which is exactly how I cook. I usually have 3 or 4 open cookbooks on the counter while I 'doctor-up' my own version of a recipe. I got to work on the necklace. Her request was 'please lots of silver' and could you add some suede. Suede? hmm, never tried that before, but ok.

This is the same friend who lost one of her favorite silver hoop earrings and her fiance texted me a picture of the remaining hoop and asked if I could make a new pair. I did the obligatory trip to the silver store and bought a straight up pair of hoops. But then I also grabbed some thick gauge silver (15g) and did my own version of hammered silver hoops. Those were the ones she chose.

This friend said that she wanted the necklace to wear in the summer with her long, simple tank dresses. Looking specifically for a style she would wear on the beach somewhere in St Tropez (her fantasy get-away). What resulted was a wild mix of multi-sized turquoise beads, types of silver (including hill tribe silver), hand-hammered silver connectors and knotted suede. She's been wearing this one with her summer dresses, not in St Tropez but regularly on the train to NYC

There is a matching bracelet: see Turquoise Bracelet: St Tropez Set, but caution ... don't try wearing the two together! It could result in a carni-inspired, turquoise studded get up. And yes, there are matching hoops.

Turquoise Bracelet: St Tropez Set

Antiquity Travelers — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:01:41 GMT

This is a continuing series of pieces I've made for a friend who has a seemingly endless love of turquoise and silver. See Turquoise Necklace: St Tropez, Turquoise Bracelet: St Tropez Set, Hammered Earrings: St Tropez Set.

This piece is made with multiple turquoise bead sizes and shapes. Included is hill tribe silver, silver beads in many sizes, shell heshi beads and indian amethyst rounds that I picked up at the Taj Mahal on my last trip there.

Caution ... don't try wearing the whole set together! It could result in a carni-inspired, turquoise studded get up.

Midnight Surf

SCB1 — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:33:28 GMT

My second embroidered cuff ever. Although the edging was a challenge because of the cut of the cuff and the shape of the beads, it still worked out in the end.

cool moomoone

noodlebead — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 07:58:21 GMT

Bracelet: Jasper Rose

Antiquity Travelers — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:04:19 GMT

A hand-made chain of jasper and rose quartz beads with alternating shell hoops. It's set with silver wire and a sterling silver clasp

Neapolitan

Antiquity Travelers — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 14:03:52 GMT

A contemporary hoop with shades of Neapolitan icecream. These are rich, gorgeous browns that cascade beautifully on a hot summer night.

This pattern is exclusively Swarovski crystal beads, that sparkle with a technique called the "Aurora Borealis crystal effect." Swarovski was inspired by northern lights, and worked in collaboration with French designer Christian Dior (1950s) to create this type of bead. The success on the catwalk was overwhelming, and this technique is what distinguishes these beads today.

These earrings are one of my personal favorites. I simply love the way they look on!