Pearls and necklaces

It is so cold today... and as I have been making some summer necklaces recently, its been a little bit surreal! Pictures have been done, so here is a preview of some of my upcoming necklaces and pendants, shown on our new sea-theme design board:

These will be added to my Etsy shop soon.

Gem Trivia

The largest pearl ever found was the Pearl of Allah – now known as the Pearl of Lao Tzu – and was discovered in the Philippines. It is not, technically, a gem but is instead a 'clam pearl' from a giant clam. The pearl measures 24 centimetres in diameter (just over 9 inches) and weighs around 6.4 kilos (14lbs) Imagine that on your finger!

Today's Quote:

Creativity takes courage – Henri Matisse

Creativity takes courage.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes_of_the_day_2.html

Creativity takes courage.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes_of_the_day_2.html

Tranquil sea

Spaniel and St. Bernard dog earrings are now back in the shop, and some new breeds are coming soon, so watch this space! 

Because I haven't posted a local picture lately, how about this tranquil  beach hut scene from Rose Bay Country?

Gem trivia:

Did you know that the only gemstone found so far in meteorites is Peridot?

And I'll leave you with this thought:

If you do nothing, then nothing will change.

Hearts and Anniversaries

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you have a lovely day!

Today, instead of some gem trivia I thought I would give you a list of anniversaries and the items associated with them.

The list came from here if you would like to read more about this subject.

Wedding Anniversary: Traditional Gifts by Year

Year of Marriage	Traditional Gift	Modern
1st	Paper	Clocks
2nd	Cotton	China
3rd	Leather	Crystal & glass
4th	Fruit, Flowers	Electrical appliances
5th	Wood	Silverware
6th	Iron	Wood
7th	Copper	Desk sets
8th	Bronze	Linen
9th	Pottery	Leather
10th	Tin	Diamond jewelry
11th	Steel	Fashion jewelry
12th	Silk	Pearls
13th	Lace	Textiles
14th	Ivory	Gold jewelry
15th	Crystal	Watches
16th	Silver Holloware
17th	Furniture
18th	Porcelain
19th	Bronze
20th	China	Platinum
21st	Brass
22nd	Copper
23rd	Silver plate
24th	Musical instruments
25th	Silver	Silver
30th	Pearl	Diamond
40th	Ruby	Ruby
50th	Gold	Gold
60 & 75th	Diamond

Bracelet yourself!

Some of my new bracelets have been posted on my Etsy shop, and have been garnering a certain amount of interest. This one is adjustable and went up today:

I have 100 posts on Instagram! Well, there were actually a few others but some of the early pictures weren't very good so I ended up deleting them. Don't tell anybody though...

Weekends are usually my best chance of making things, and so far I have made some blue necklaces, a pair of steampunk earrings and a cute summer bracelet for myself. Well, I need to be my own advert, don't I? :o)

Gemstone Trivia:

Painite was recorded by the Guiness Book of Records in 2005 as the world's rarest gemstone mineral. It was first discovered in Myanmar (Burma) in the 1950's by British minralogist Arhtur C. D. Pain.

I will leave you with this thought -

Follow your heart. But take your brain with you.

Size does matter!

I have been working on some new bracelets and shall start listing them this week. I don't tend to make a lot of bracelets for online selling as I always find that size is an issue. You either have to choose a size to make, and hope the customer that likes your item also happens to fit that size – and many people don't even know what their size is! Or, you can use a style that encompasses several sizes, which is usually what I go for, but its a bit restrictive on originality. Sometimes, I make one style in two or three sizes, but you still have to hope that it will fit your customer, which isn't ideal, either. And that option isn't all that practical, since a lot of my items are one-off designs. Anyway, if you would like a little preview of the latest selection take a look at the picture below. 

These will be popping up on my Etsy page over the next week or so, and if anyone has any ideas for making adjustable bracelets, I would love to hear them!

Gemstone Trivia:

A diamond generally takes between 1 billion and 3.3 billion years to form. What a staggering length of time!

Today's Quote:

Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.

  – Vincent Van Gogh