A different sort of matchy matchy
These aquamarine and pearl earrings matched the model's eyes exactly. The aquamarines are beautiful AAA rated gemstones I bought from Jaipur, which is the largest gemstone cutting centre in the...
How do you pronounce ‘Peridot’?
Good news! Peridot can be pronounced in several different ways according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The word Peridot comes from two possible routes, one French, one Arabic, and it’s not clear...
Turquoise, Opal and Freshwater Pearl jewellery - take extra care when cleaning
There are some gemstones which are porous so you have to take extra care of them when cleaning your gemstone jewellery. They are Turquoise, Pearl and Opal. Turquoise jewellery:Wipe your...
What's the difference between Sterling Silver and Fine Silver?
Sterling Silver is made from 925 parts of silver to every 1000 - or 92.5%. It's sometimes stamped 925. The remaining 7.5% is mostly copper. The copper gives it strength,...
Byzantine Sodalite
As a student studying art history at the British School in Rome many years ago, one of my favourite places to visit was Santa Maria in Trastevere. This beautiful basilica...
Sweetheart Crackle Agate Necklace
I couldn't resist the pale pink of these crackle agate barrels and had to make an unashamedly romantic necklace. Crackle agate, also called fire crackle agate, has a crackled pattern...
Sea, Sand and Sunshine in a necklace
I don't know about you, but sometimes one needs a burst of sunshine. And if the weather won't oblige then perhaps some citrine is in order. I love the sunny...
Dangling Aquamarines
These earrings combine some of my favourite themes: the silver coins I make myself, this time with a heart-shaped cut out for a little romance; the contrast between the dappled...
Citrine Earring Variations
One of the things I love about making jewellery is the endless variations-on-a-theme I can play with. Earrings are good to experiment with different stones and materials as they're (mostly!)...
Variations on a Blue Lace Agate Theme
Blue Lace Agate is a beautiful stone, with its bands of every shade of blue. These earrings combine blue lace agate with pearls and moonstones, in different combinations of stone...
Byzantine Pearl and Moonstone
The Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna are famous throughout the world. The basilica of San Vitale houses some beautiful mosaics, one of which is of the Empress Theodora and her attendants....
Apatite and Amazonite
This necklace is made with one of my favourite combinations, amazonite and apatite. The apatite is a wonderful translucent sea turquoise, and the ammonite has a beautiful milky opacity. In...
