Reader Photos : wire wrapped, hand made chain, silver clasp

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 ...

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.

Necklace: Spring

Antiquity Travelers — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:35:39 GMT

A fun, whimsical piece I made for my niece's birthday. Mixed media necklace using a shear white ribbon and glass flower beads. The beads create the lower chain and hang ad a cluster to create a focal point.

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