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Design Process Design Your Own Jewelry Philosophy

More on Clasps I like to use

I particularly like to use a bead clasp where the mechanism is hidden in a bead, allowing the design to flow, uninterrupted, around the piece.  However, the choices offered to designers are limited. Clasps can detract from the design, especially if they are ordinary.  And if a beautiful costly clasp is added to the piece, it can take over and the rest of the necklace becomes merely something from which to hang that clasp.  I much prefer to make a necklace that, when left lying on a woman’s dressing table in a random arrangement (she has more important things to do at the moment), resembles an artful museum display, where a piece of jewelry is “casually BUT oh so carefully” exhibited.   Use ‘Carved Chinese Carnelian’

 

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Design Your Own Jewelry Philosophy

The Plot was Paved with Turquoise!

Some time ago while my husband was alive, we made a scenic loop, after starting in Vegas to check on an ailing aunt.  We went first to Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah. Since the roads to the north rim of The Canyon were closed due to snow, we took the long way around and saw some wonderful sights I’m glad we didn’t miss.

Not wanting to turn this into a travelogue, let me tell you what happened when we arrived in Kingman, Arizona.  We drove into the parking lot of a store that sold turquoise from the Kingman Mine and I was astounded when I stepped out of the car. I was standing on very tiny azure chips left over from the rounding off of beads. The lot was paved with turquoise!!!  These days, of course, such chips are saved and made into reconstituted stones; but it was a taste of heaven for me that day.

The strands of turquoise ‘pouring’ out of the Fiesta pitcher are part of my collection of semi-precious stones, which are available for you to choose from, if  you want to design your own necklace.  Notice the variety of shapes and sizes.  The demi-double necklace to the left of the strand is my own necklace which I made as soon as I got home from the West (I sorted the stones on the way back home).  You will see that I saved the most rounded ones to rest on the back of my neck, then hung a strand of graduated nuggets and a strand of flat pieces from them.  Even though it is rather heavy, the planning paid off; I can wear the piece all day quite comfortably.

No clasp seemed worthy of the composition, nor was one necessary since I made it long enough to slip over the head. In this way, the piece seems to me to be an homage to ancient jewelry makers .

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