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One of the favorite gifts for Valentine's Day (in years past anyway) has got to be bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made of aquamarine. So here are some new aquamarine pieces that will be up on the site within the next day or two. Above, an aquamarine bracelet with sharply faceted nuggets of wonderful practically inclusion-free crystal quartz, and smaller nuggets of aquamarine. Below are aquamarine earrings with sterling silver chain links hanging from swirling filigree posts. The next aquamarine bracelet is a three-strand beauty with a pretty marcasite clasp; the pearls are freshwater Biwa pearls, and little Thai Karen Hill Tribes charms hang at intervals on the strands. Following, another pair of aquamarine earrings, this time hanging from some of my favorite sterling silver earwires adorned with an intricate handmade rose facing front.
Below, a quartz bracelet with a huge aquamarine rough cut nugget as the centerpiece, and finally, an aquamarine bracelet mixed with smoky quartz and sterling silver.
The last two bracelets are a garnet bracelet with red and green garnets and matching lampwork beads, and a smoky quartz bracelet for a special client.

Did you know that the garnet was named after a fruit? The ancient Greeks thought that garnets looked like the seeds of the pomegranate - thus, garnet! In the Bible, garnet is mentioned fairly often, usually called carbuncle.
The Victorians were especially fond of garnets and mixed them often with pearls, opals, coral, cameos, and one of my favorite combinations, turquoise. But they were passionate about Bohemian garnets (from Czechoslovakia)set in gold with an entire piece encrusted with small and medium garnets glittering around a larger focal.
I love garnets because I consider them a neutral when they are a deep, dark red. They look great with black - and really blend with almost any other colour you can wear. I mention that I like the deep, dark red because garnets come in almost every colour except blue! They are also fun to create with because they mix so interestingly with other gemstones and other jewelry materials.
Above, for a more modern, artisan look, I've mixed garnets with artist's lampwork beads that have a touch of light blue in them; I love those flat, faceted garnet nuggets and recently was fortunate enough to find some (pretty large garnets can be difficult to find in bead form). I've used the same faceted garnet nuggets in the next garnet bracelet with flat, faceted citrine nuggets, charms, and some repousse sterling silver.

Above, a garnet bracelet where the garnets serve as a foil for the sterling silver, especially the sterling silver chains of different sizes. An interesting toggle clasp, a special oval ring in silver, and a hanging circle of garnets make this bracelet special.
Below, garnets playing well with others: the first bracelet features rose quartz and a special toggle clasp with garnet cabochons embedded in the ends of the toggle bar; the next garnet bracelet mixes with creamy coloured mother of pearl, dangling charms around the bracelet and a pretty butterfly toggle clasp. All garnet bracelets here are mixed with sterling silver.
Below are two more bracelets new to the Cluny Grey Jewelry site. The first, a freshwater pearl bracelet, the second is an aquamarine bracelet mixed with freshwater Biwa pearls.Don't forget to make your New Year's Resolutions!

According to Vogue and other important fashion magazines, gold is back in fashion. Of course, I don't think that it was ever out! I love the gleam of gold, and while I will concede that there are certain gemstones that are best served by sterling silver or white gold, (think rose quartz) I generally prefer my own jewelry to be gold or a mixture of silver and gold.
One of my favorite combinations is lapis, carnelian, and turquoise; all of these gemstones look great with silver (although lapis always looks better with gold), but put them all together and you've just got to have yellow gold to match the richness of the colours! Above, a unique bracelet with lapis, carnelian, and turquoise accented with 14 karat goldfilled elements (with the exception of the toggle which is vermeil), and below, the matching necklace and dangling earrings.

Above is a charm bracelet using vintage lucite flower beads and Swarovski crystals. I used to make different versions of these quite often, but they can take an extraordinary amount of time to make. They catch the light wonderfully.
Below is the shimmer of labradorite - a favorite stone. This bracelet has very good flash that is accentuated by, believe it or not, tanzanite Swarovski crystals. Although the mixture may sound unlikely, it is one that works.

And because it is November, below are two more citrine pieces: a citrine bracelet with the addition of apatite, and a pair of citrine earrings that hang from sterling earrings with citrine cabochons.


If you have a custom order, please start thinking about it now; things get very busy the closer Christmas gets!

Today had a coolness in the air despite the bright sunshine; a portent of Fall. And I'm working on the Cluny Grey Fall Collection still! Remember that I will start posting from the Fall Collection on Labor Day.
Meanwhile, here are some bracelets that haven't made it to the website yet, and that I will price in the next two days. If you want to know when these are available to buy, go to the end of this post and sign up for my Twitter feed. I don't tell you when I'm having coffee - or really much of anything except when I've made a new bracelet or other piece of jewelry and/or posted it on the website so that it is ready to purchase. I didn't see the point of Twitter personally until I realized that I could use it to announce each new piece that I made for those customers who want to see what's new, but don't have time to scan 100+ pages of the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. And several times people have called me or e-mailed me to reserve something that they had seen here on the blog before I got it posted. So this gives you first chance at finding the perfect piece to complement your wardrobe!
Today's offerings (these have not been priced on the website yet, but I will tweet when I price them): the first two bracelets are both predominantly sapphire and will be found on the Sapphire Bracelets page. The first bracelet features a large pink chalcedony nugget and a borosilicate lampwork bead. The second bracelet is from the Raj Collection and has genuine rubies and 14k goldfilled accents..
Directly above are two Aquamarine Bracelets . Aquamarines surround a flat smooth rectangle of fire agate in the top bracelet, all accented with vermeil ; in the bottom one, faceted aquamarine nuggets are punctuated by a single nugget of amethyst. The accents here are sterling silver.
The last bracelet on the page is made of tourmalines - two strands of varying sizes ranging from smooth nuggets to small faceted hearts. You will be able to find it on the Tourmaline Bracelets page.

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It's July and that means working with rubies - those red gemstones that I dearly love. Rubies are great in jewelry alone, but it's most fun to mix them with other stones, especially those that may seem an unlikely mix as in the bracelet above where deep blue turquoise has been mixed with dark pinkish-red rubies. I love this combination; it's very Victorian, but also very versatile and goes with a lot more colours in your closet than you may realize. And yes, that is a cabochon ruby toggle clasp also - the perfect finishing touch!
The bracelet below is a good example of how versatile rubies are and how well they mix. Here the rubies join aquamarines, lampwork beads, and kunzite, one of the rarest of all gemstones, a light pink. The lampwork beads here are slightly "dimpled" which gives them an interesting look, and they combines all three colours of the gemstones in the bracelet. The sterling silver toggle clasp here came to me straight from Bali, and it has its intricate raised design on both sides! A very elegant bracelet.

Below, rubies show off their beauty accompanied by intricately decorated sterling silver and borosilicate beads that glow in the light. A second strand of this ruby bracelet is made of one of my favorite Karen Hill Tribes chains dangling little ruby charms. I've used the pretty lavishly decorated toggle clasp again here.

Aquamarine is a perrenial favorite, and a gemstone that is especially beautiful for summer; it looks great with clothing in summer colours and beautiful against lightly tanned skin. The bracelet below is accented by complex borosilicate lampwork beads with little "bumps" on them for texture. The aquamarines are a pretty light blue.
The last bracelet is made of blue lace agate and blue chalcedony and features little charms around the bracelet. It's another combination of stones that looks great for summer!
I'm hoping that we'll have a grand view of the D.C. fireworks this Saturday from my apartment. If we do, it's going to be wonderful to sit in the living room and watch the fireworks flash across the sky without having to park and walk to find a viewing place. It will be my new grand-daughter's first Fourth of July and while the significance of the holiday is lost on her, the fireworks should get her attention.

I adore emeralds: it's no secret. The emerald is my birthstone and I am delighted by its colours whether the palest green like pond water to the dark translucent greens that one can see in the Tower of London in the Crown Jewels of England. Emeralds also remind me of one of my favorite places, India, as do rubies. Say the phrase "emeralds and rubies" and India instantly springs to my mind with all its beauty, strangeness, and mystery.

It is a joy to work with emeralds whether they are gem quality or opaque or totally included and rustic. The very knowledge that they are emeralds still imbues them with mystery and exoticism (I have some very crude uncut emeralds that a friend brought me back from Mexico; they are rather rock-like, but I still cherish them).
I am still trying to organize my new studio, but did have some time for the emerald bracelets that you see here. As you can see, I do like mixing emeralds of different quality for a unique texture and range of colours. An AA emerald may be beside an included, opaque stone, but each acts as a foil for the other.
I will be writing more information on emeralds, their history and the beliefs surrounding them. By the way, the largest cut emerald is known as the Mogul Emerald, dates from 1695,and although it was discovered in Colombia was carved and set in, yes, India! I will be going to see it soon, for it belongs to the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.

March: this year, it has been totally unpredictable with a beautiful thick snow lushly covering the wounded landscape caused by February's ice storm. But it's milder now and here's hoping that the weather and life in general becomes much more lamblike here than lionlike!
March is the month of one of my favorite gemstones - the aquamarine. The top aquamarine bracelet is just one of many that has gone on our pages this month (or out the door). Below is a moonstone necklace with one of the gorgeous pendants I've been lucky enough to acquire lately. I've added Swarovski crystals in Azores, the most beautiful light blue, to pick up the blue flash of the moonstone - and some lampwork beads for that little je ne sais quoi.
As usual, when I've been working with a gemstone I tend to stick with it for a while, experimenting with different combinations. Below the moonstone necklace is a moonstone bracelet with rainbow moonstone and genuine sapphires.
Below is a Swarovski crystal bracelet , Green Pastures, Still Waters. I am still totally enamored of Swarovski large beads; they make spectacular jewelry.
Finally, a bracelet from our Bridal Jewelry collection. This bracelet features crystal quartz carved flowers in two types as well as light sapphire Swarovski crystals for sparkle and shine perfect for a wedding.

Winner of the Swarovski earrings for naming the ruby necklace: "Take Five" by EmandaJ.
Some other entries: Ruby, don't Take Your Love to Town; Sweet Caroline, Begin the Beguine, Music for Your Eyes, Musical Magic, Lyrics and Love, The Harmony of Rubies, Melody in Crimson.

Valentine's Day is always a whirl of last-minute gifts - people seeking presents for those they care for and want to remember on the holiday. In this business, I've been surprised, pleasantly, I must say, by how many men buy jewelry gifts or make arrangements for them well in advance of holidays whether Valentine's, Christmas, or a birthday. Strangely enough, it is often women who seem to wait until the last minute and decide that they want an extra stocking stuffer or that they want to get their daughters or daughters-in-law something for Valentine's Day. I'm surprised, I suppose, because my husband will wait until Christmas Eve to buy a Christmas present for me (but he always does a great job, so I'm not complaining!).
While we do have a special page with a few suggestions for Valentine's Day jewelry gifts, the best gifts are those that are meaningful to the recipient in some way. For instance, the amethyst bracelet makes an especially good gift if you know that she has a February birthday, since amethysts are the February birthstone. Or maybe you know that she is just crazy about amethysts - or even wears purple often. Some of the bracelets below are great for those women who take their faith seriously and wish to wear it. The gold-filled Salvation bracelet that you see below has a special meaning for Christians. The gemstones, or in some cases Swarovski crystals, each is a symbol of the progression of one's faith. The black bead represents being lost in sin; the red, the blood of Christ; the blue, faith; the clear bead (or in some cases a white bead) represents purity of heart or a clear heart; green, for growing in faith; and finally, the gold bead represent Heaven with streets paved with gold. I always try to add other Christian symbols as well, and most of my Salvation bracelets will have a sterling silver or goldfilled cross charm or a prayer box attached to them. The following 4 bracelets are each an interpretation in gemstones or Swarovskis of the Salvation bracelet:

Two more bracelets - just for fun. The fire agate and chalcedony bracelet, above, is an attempt to recreate a favorite bracelet - often very difficult to do because the special lampwork beads are so hard to come by. And, below, a sweet freshwater pearl bracelet with Swarovski crystal butterflies has a fresh, ingenue appeal.

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