Polymer Clay Bead Beauty

Lori Mendelhall makes beautiful polymer beads. As a lover of beads but a complete ingenue, I am struck with the glorious, swirling colors as well as Lori's whimsical shapes, like this abstract heart above. The smooth, chunky feel of this bead along with the integral copper bale (read: hook for the chain) make it not only a treat for the eyes, but for the hands as well. Her beads are like a big yummy piece of candy...only unlike a sticky candy necklace or lolipop, they last!

Lori is a New Yorker moved-to-Cali who began making clay beads about three years ago. Intrigued with the process, she's found two techniques that she particularly loves: the Japanese technique of mokume gane (which deserves its own post, gentle readers) and swirling. She lauds the latter, saying: "

It's quite simple yet the results are fabulous. It all begins by creating a small ball of clay comprised of two or more colors. Complicated cane slices can be added for extra interest. The ball is then rolled using a flat tile on top until a bicone shape appears. Once the bicone forms, the colors will begin to swirl together. Once the swirl is to the desired point the bicone is flattened into a disc shape. At this point the bead can either be left as is or formed into an number of shapes...". Here you can really see the swirly goodness in her bracelet Galaxy:



Lori transforms her beads into other beautiful shapes as well as the traditional. I fell in love with these Cala Lily earrings - the form is organic and very true-to-life and then with the unusual colors, they are really striking...and also very wearable!



Beautiful beaded jewelry by a beauty herself, Lori's line is aptly called Sparklebee, and can be bought on her own website, as well as on Etsy. You can also email Lori at lorimendenhall@cox.net.



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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

The Incredible Jewelry of Hyungzee Choi

Sterling Silver Kinetic Bicycle Chain Brooch

I'm jaded when it comes to jewelry. While I like pretty much everything when it's done well, in my (too many!) years as a collector, historian, and teacher I have seen a lot and it takes a lot to truly wow me. But when Hyungzee Choi walked into my classroom a couple of years ago with her incredible jewelry, I was blown away. I realized instantly that here was a true talent, a real visionary in the jewelry world, and one of the sweetest and most humble artists I've ever met. Part wearable art, part technical masterpiece, and endlessly fascinating, Hyungzee's jewelry is born of a love of machinery and study in industrial design. Korean-born and trained in both ID and metalwork, Hyungzee's pieces center around machinic forms in sterling silver accented with interesting mixed-media like ruby glass rods used in semi-conductors, computer chips, stainless steel rods, and ball bearings. She says: "...I experienced working with many materials...as well as with studies on how machines work and how to develop them into designs...With this, I focused on experimenting how to include a kinetic factor, based on mechanical research...".


This technologically-rich aesthetic combined with a true understanding of how machines work makes for an interesting take on jewelry, certainly. My favorite piece is her giant gyroscope pendant, below. Part wearable art, part toy (!), but endlessly fascinating, and aptly titled "Orbit," it oscillates just like the real thing.

But not all of Hyungzee's jewelry is as far-out. This necklace is very wearable: made of hinged sterling silver plaques, it's finished with a body piercing barbell style clasp:

Or how about these brooches? Framed in sterling silver, the translucent computer elements inside glow like jewels:

I could go on and on, but I'll let you check out more of Hyungzee's jewelry at her website, www.mutanthouse.com.

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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

Pretty Platinum APlenty

Recently I read an article in The Seattle Times which claimed that diamond jewelry is "an investor's bad choice." Bah, I thought, so what! Diamonds set in platinum are for wear, not for shares, as in trading thereof. But truth is, although most jewelry is bought for emotional reasons, sometimes the expense makes one pause...especially when it's a trendy piece. When the love is gone, the trend dies out, then what? All that money...what do you do but sell it on 47th st. for a fraction of its worth? Or give it away.

Well, the first thing, methinks, is to try out any diamond and platinum in a less costly, but just as beautiful form. And my new favorite company for beautiful, trendy platinum jewelry is Karat Platinum. Karat Platinum is a ground-breaking alloy that offers all the beauty and benefits of pure platinum (950 Platinum) at a lower cost. I could launch into all the chemical formulations for how its created, but I'm not exactly known as a scientist. So think of it as I do: simple as 14K gold vs. 18K gold. Still gold, still beautiful, just a little more accessible. In many cases, you can't even tell the difference between KP and platinum. Really! (see pieces below for third-party proof).



And if the beauty of the rings above isn't enough to entice you, check out the super-sultry commercial Karat Platinum recently shot!

Pretty sexy, huh? A nice gift idea and, at about 1/2 the cost of "regular" platinum, not a bad investment, either.

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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

The Gemstone of the Great White North: Labradorite

If there were such a thing as a "winter" gemstone, it would be labradorite. I cannot see the blue flash without thinking of the Northern lights, fjords, and thinking of lands I read about in fairy tales with Hans and Gerda and the Snow Queen. Labradorite is one of the most evocative gemstones I work with.
The bracelet is new, and it has some wonderful flash to it - even where it doesn't show up in the picture. Every single labradorite stone on the bracelet, no matter how small, I chose for its blue flash, and the large smooth oval is simply amazing! Both pairs of earrings also have major flash - some of the best labradorite I've ever had.
Although I love jewelry, I work with gemstones everyday, and tend to get a bit blase about some - which is good because I am able to part with the jewelry I make (otherwise I'd have to build a new room onto my house just to hold the jewelry). But labradorite still gives me pause, so that I find myself sliding stones across my desk and later making something for myself from them (something I rarely do otherwise). There is magic in labradorite, and I love wearing magic.Labradorite Jewelry can be found on these pages on our website: Labradorite Jewelry Labradorite Earrings and Labradorite Necklaces.


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[Source: The Jewelry Blog]

Neat Beaded Bracelet

I'm the first to admit that I am probably the only jeweler on earth who knows nothing about beading. I can fabricate, forge, weld, solder, form, pierce, and otherwise manipulate metal. I love the spirit of DIY in general...but I am intimidated by the art of beading. Ridiculous, I can hear your say! Well, it's true. However, luckily there are projects which even I can get my head around. I recently found this cool one in The Detroit News: a twisted beaded bracelet designed by Kathy Mamat set with grape-like bunches of beautiful beads of all kinds. Mamat learned beading from a local supply store, and turned her passion into her profession by teaching classes of her own. Some of her designs can be found in Beader's Stash: Designs from America's Favorite Bead Shops as well as beading magazines...and you can see why.

The directions for making this arresting yet simple bracelet can be found here.



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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

Dazzling Diamonds

Here's a gift idea for the Diamond Diva on your gift list...Helzberg Diamonds, a leading fine jewelry company, has recently launched a new pair of diamond hoops which have a twist: they feature diamonds both on the outside of the hoop AND on the inside, so the earrings sparkle from any angle! Accurately dubbed "The In and Out Hoop", these hoops are sizeable and glittery but - very importantly - lightweight. Check them out...




These sparklers come in 1/4 ct. tw for $399 and 1/2 ct. tw at $499, making them not only easy on your ear lobes, but on your wallet as well. More information is available at Helzberg.com. The hoops are so new that they may not be up on the site yet, but you can contact Helzberg for where to buy.
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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

Creative Color by Lulu Smith

When I saw Lulu Smith's beautiful sterling silver and resin jewelry, I had to pause...In a sea of beads, baubles and bright shiny things (to badly paraphrase a Frank Sinatra song), her matte finish, organically inspired jewels are a breath of fresh air. Lulu hand-pigments and hand-pours each element hand. Part painter, part metalsmith, and all around lover of color, Lulu is a true craftswoman...and it shows.

Lulu is based in Seattle - but all that rain doesn't seem to dampen her love of vibrant color and bold shapes. Her newest collection, which includes the fun flower bracelet above, were created from drawings done after her daughter was born. She says: "I have put my focus back on line." This love of contours is surely apparent in the complex, almost mosaic-like pendants below:


While organic shapes take center stage in her jewelry, Lulu also takes a cue from nature itself. I love this cherry necklace, which has an almost Pop-Art feel to it!



For more info about Lulu and where to buy her unique pieces, check out LuluSmith.com And get ready to fall in love with color!.
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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]