Handmade Jewelry

Memorial Day

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:08:00 +0000

Let us honor those who gave their lives so that we can be free! With deepest gratitude to our heroes who paid the ultimate price.

Happy Mother's Day to every mother, with gratitude and appreciation!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 13 May 2012 05:42:00 +0000

Earth Day, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Earth day is Sunday, April 22. The first Earth Day was observed across the United States on April 22, 1970. It came from a grass roots level as an effort to raise awareness about environmental issues. The result was a focused national political agenda of urgent environmental concerns. Subsequently the Environmental Protection Agency was formed. Through the EPA huge strides were made in reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

Since that first Earth Day millions of people around the world have participated in Earth Day activities to improve the ecological health of our planet.

This year in Sonoma local environmental organizations have planned community projects to clean up the creeks in the area, to help rid them of trash and pollutants. The creeks flow into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. There are similar activities all over the country.

Since that first Earth Day in 1970 the population of the Earth has doubled. Something to think about.

We need to take care of our Earth - she's the only planet we've got!

Happy Easter, Happy Passover

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:51:00 +0000

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:13:00 +0000

AN IRISH BLESSING:
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you, and may you be in heaven
a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Handmade gemstone jewelry - New Earrings!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Ruby quartz and
charoite earrings

Bisbee turquoise earrings (RARE)

Blue lace agate earrings

We've added several new pairs of earrings to our web site, including very rare Bisbee turquoise, blue lace agate, and red quartz with charoite. Come check them out! To see more handmade gemstone earrings click here.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:22:00 +0000

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

(The last words of the last song on the last Beatles album.)

Celebrate Your Heart!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:13:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is a day of romance. My husband is a romantic guy and we celebrate Valentine's Day in a big way. But I have long thought of Valentine's Day as a time to think of the people who have been in my life and have touched my heart. The people who are part of who I am. The ones who were there along the way as family and friends, and friends as close as family. The friends who came and never left, even through the really difficult times.

I used to love to send cards and little presents to my grandmothers for Valentine's Day, especially as they became quite old. They were always there for me and were so special, as grandmothers are. They were so big hearted and because they had been through hard times, they were as strong as granite. And I used to like to take flowers and cards to my parents who had given me so much along the way, including some great fun times.

In our culture we have days to remember the valiant souls who fought for us, and the heroes who died for our freedom. But we have no one day to stop and honor the heroes of our hearts - those who were there for us when we were young and those who are with us now, and those who are no longer on this earth but who will ever be with us. So as we are celebrating Valentine's Day, let us celebrate our heart, and the hearts of all of those we love. The purest place on this earth is the human heart.

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - at the gem show

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Blue fire labradorite

Pearls, ametrine, aquamarine

Old blue gem turquoise

Going to a gem show is a grand adventure if you're a gemstone junkie. I walk in the door and it's just like it was when we went to the toy store when we were kids. Everything is so cool I want it all. Everything looks so pretty on the surface, but just like men, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the handsome prince! Gems are very expensive and there are at least as many undesirable gemstones as desirable ones.

Always near the front door is the man who sells the really nice, clear gemstones. Amethysts, spinel, labradorite, citrine, tourmaline, aquamarine. All really, really expensive, and all AAA quality. Exquisitely beautiful gemstones in briolettes, rondelles, pendants, rounds, teardrops, barrel shaped. However, one has to be careful to not get an expensive bead or two with serious flaws and to not overpay - it's definitely possible to get fleeced.

Then it's off to find some good pearls. There are a lot of pearl dealers at gem shows but amazingly, few good pearls. At the last show I finally found a seller who had some really nice pearls. Again, pearls of all sizes, shapes and prices. I could really get into trouble at these shows.

Then I walk past rows and rows of awful gemstones looking for good ones. I have an interesting reaction to gem stones. When I see awful gemstones I feel rather icky. It's the feeling we all get when we look at something rather unpleasant. When I find stones I like, the feeling is the opposite. It's the same feeling I get when I see a sweet baby or a beautiful sunset or a great dog.

I always stop by the seller of premier and rare turquoise. I just cannot pass by this booth. I've gotten to know the seller, who is also the miner and the cutter. He gives me the turquoise scoop. This guy really knows his turquoise! Sometimes I get very carried away buying turquoise, and sometimes I have a little restraint. Turquoise is definitely one of my favorite stones, and all American turquoise is becoming extremely expensive and some close to impossible to find. When there are rare treasures to be had it's very hard to resist.

The bottom line is, while in some ways a gem show is like Disneyland, it's a buyer beware situation. One has to be really careful. I've made a lot of mistakes and have my share of useless flawed treasures. After all, I'm very picky about what I sell.

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:42:00 +0000

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah

and all the best in the New Year!

Photo J. Costello

Christmas at Sonoma Plaza

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Sonoma Hospice Tree

Sonoma City Hall

Jewelry for Charity - Wildlife Waystation

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Rhodonite Earrings

Smokey Quartz Necklace

We are donating100% of our profits from our Jewelry for Charity page to Wildlife Waystation. Wildlife Waystation is a wonderful wildlife refuge that has been home to countless exotic and native animals for over three decades. Historically they were funded by generous donations from corporations and individuals. Donations are currently half of what they were because of the economic downturn. Wildlife Waystation is now in danger of closing due to a lack of funds. We at Sacred Earth Jewelry want do all we can to help.

In addition to our Jewelry or Charity page, 10% of all of our profits from our entire web site will be donated to Wildlife Waystation for the foreseeable future.

To make donations directly to Wildlife Waystation click here.

Black Friday SALE now through Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:46:00 +0000

Kingman Turquoise, silver

Come to our Black Friday SALE and receive 15% off everything on the site now through Monday, November 28. Just enter the voucher code BFSALE11 at checkout!

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:41:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you happiness in this season of gratitude!

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - New Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:20:00 +0000


Turquoise earrings

Carnelian and Thai Hill Tribe Silver Necklace

Kingman turquoise necklace

We've added a some new jewelry to our web site. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think!

Handmade gemstone jewelry - the gift that will be remembered

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:04:00 +0000

Keishi pearl earrings

Amethyst and Thai silver earrings

Fox turquoise pendant necklace
(RARE)

Mexican lace agate necklace

It seems like this year has gone by at warp speed. Now that Halloween has come and gone the holidays are on their way - and that means, among other things, shopping for gifts. If you're like me you start thinking "where oh where is that perfect gift?" I remember spending hour upon hour in downtown San Francisco shopping for Christmas presents and just not finding the right thing.

You don't have to go through that this year. Handmade jewelry is the special gift for all the women on your list. Handmade jewelry painstakingly made with love tells your loved one how much you care. What is more meaningful than something made by hand, that you have carefully chosen with love?

Handmade jewelry is the gift that will be remembered!

We have new pearl necklaces - always the right gift to buy when you're not quite sure what to get. Even if you are sure, pearls are always a welcome gift. We have new turquoise necklaces, necklaces made with Mexican agates, carnelian, fluorite, tiger eye, among others. We have earrings large and small - everything from basic pearls to rather fancy. A woman can never have too many earrings - never, ever! For bracelets we have jasper, tourmaline, coral and many with many kinds of gemstones and silver. We have added bracelets made with waxed Irish linen - they're really fun! We also have jewelry made with rare and very high quality turquoise.

And don't forget our "Jewelry for Charity" page, where all the profits go to In Defense of Animals, a wonderful animal welfare organization. Also, 10% of our ALL of our profits go to charities.

And whatever you do - don't forget the one person on your list who deserves something really special - buy yourself a treasure!

A buyer's guide to freshwater pearls

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:29:00 +0000

Coin pearls

Keishi pearls

Peacock rice pearls

Baroque pearls

Freshwater pearls come in many shapes, sizes and prices. I am going to attempt to outline what determines the value of pearls so you can better tell if you are buying good pearls and getting value for your money. I am by no means an expert on pearls. I just know the basics, which I would like to pass on to you.

There are several factors that determine the value of pearls. The first is luster. Luster is the shine of pearls, the iridescence. To me luster is the most important determining factor of the value and beauty of pearls. If the pearls you are considering are not shiny, look for some other pearls. The luster of pearls is caused by nacre, the substance the mollusk makes around the pearl. Nacre is what makes pearls so wonderful. One thing to consider - pearls do not look their best in bright sun. If you're looking at pearls in bright light take them to a shadier spot or a place where there is less light.

The second thing to consider is size. Generally speaking, large pearls are more valuable than small pearls, but this is not always true. Some small pearls are quite expensive.

Another thing to consider is the surface of the pearl. Pearls that have a marred surface, have ridges or rings, splotches, etc are not as valuable as pearls with a perfect surface. But to tell you the truth, pearls with a perfect surface are not easy to come by and when you do find them they can be expensive. So depending on how much you want to spend, you may or may not want to compromise a bit in this area. Some people really like rings or ridges in pearls. I personally kind of like them but don't go out of my way to buy them. For some pearl shapes, smoothness of the surface is not important, such as in keishi, baroque and nugget pearls.

Shape is important, but is also a matter of personal preference. Perfectly round freshwater pearls can be very hard to come by, but some people want perfectly round pearls. Generally speaking round pearls are more expensive than, say, rice pearls. I personally would never reject a pearl because it isn't round.

If you're buying a strand of pearls, relative uniformity of size, shape and color are important. Again, depending on how much money you want to spend, you may want to compromise a bit in this area. There are pearl shapes for which uniformity of shape does not apply. Among those are baroque, nugget and keishi pearls. With these pearls the irregular shape is a plus.

Pearls naturally come in many colors, but when you see a strand of bright red pearls, or bronze pearls and other bright, intense colors, chances are they've been color treated. I try not to use color treated gemstones, but with pearls I make an exception. Many artificially colored pearls are irresistibly beautiful. I once spoke with a pearl dealer and asked him how colored pearls are treated. He said he asked his supplier this question and the supplier refused to tell him. Apparently it's a well guarded secret.

Special shaped pearls, such as coin pearls, diamond shape pearls, square pearls are generally considerably more expensive than other shapes. Still, look for good color, a relatively unmarred surface, and sufficient nacre. Sometimes the nacre goes over the side of the shapes. For some people this is a plus, for others it's undesirable. It's a matter of personal preference. Sometimes a big glob of nacre is desirable.

Keshi pearls are my favorite. They are naturally occurring, meaning the mollusk does not have to be coaxed to produce them, and they are pure nacre. Keishi pearls occur in all sorts of shapes - nuggets, petal shapes, weird oddball shapes, cornflake shapes. The surface of keishi pearls is naturally bumpy and gnarly - and they are always shiny - or they just aren't keishi pearls.

I love pearls for their natural beauty and their versatility. They can go with jeans or formal wear. And as with everything, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As with any art form - and I consider pearls to be natural art - what is the most valuable is what you love and not what has the highest price tag.

For more handmade pearl jewelry click here.

Sonoma Happenings - the Vintage Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Grape stomping contest

Band with historic City Hall in the background

Jewelry

Great art

The annual Sonoma Vintage Festival is this weekend, September 24 and 25 at Sonoma Plaza. It's the last of several annual happenings at Sonoma Plaza that take place during the summer months.

There were several artists selling their wonderful paintings, a couple of bands, jewelry artists, potters, and people selling clothing. There were many people selling all sorts of food, from grilled oysters to popcorn. The food area seemed to be the most popular - it was so crowded with hungry people foraging for food that we could hardly move. The vintners were also aptly represented.

The blessing of the grapes happened this morning. We missed that. We did see the grape stomping contest, which is great fun. There is a parade tomorrow morning and other events throughout the weekend.

It's sad to see summer go, but we have the holidays to look forward to. The Plaza is pretty quiet during the fall and winter - the weather is pretty unpredictable. But there are many stores, wine tasting shops and almost endless interesting things to do in this beautiful Valley of the Moon.

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - Shopping for Gemstones

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Botswana agates, garnet

Coin pearls, tourmaline

Amethyst, labradorite and other gemstones

Shopping for gemstones is a very pleasant task, but it can also be very challenging because I want to bring you jewelry made with gemstones that are of excellent quality - yet affordable.

I go to a lot of gem shows, which are great fun for a gemstone aficionado. At the shows I get to check out the stones on the spot. The only problem is that I want one of everything!

I also buy gemstones online. I spend hours looking at pictures of gemstones just to find one or two things I like. Overall, shopping online works out very well. However, being a jewelry maker means I have to be very picky. As a result I often have to send strands of gemstones back because they aren't of good quality. Thus, I make many trips to the post office. Fortunately the people at our post office are pleasant and very helpful.

One lesson I have learned is that when I find gemstones I like I need to buy them right then, if I can afford them. There seems to be something of Murphy's Law about buying gemstones. When I need to buy a specific gemstone in a specific cut there are no good ones to be found - anywhere! All the beautiful gemstones I saw before are gone! Thus, those of us who work with gemstones are usually collectors of them.

I have a weakness for fine and rare turquoise - it's hard for me to pass up. Most of the American Southwestern mines are closed or producing very small amounts of turquoise. American turquoise is a dwindling commodity. I adore shopping for rare turquoise, and I like making jewelry with it even more.

I have a large stash of gemstones that are not usable because they are not of good quality. Since I am entirely self taught and did not have a mentor, I learned the hard way through trial and error and made mistakes. Plus, gemstones are like life, you get some bad ones mixed in with the great ones. I've had this stash for years and years. One of these days I'll find a use for these poor unusable gemstones. Perhaps in a decorative fountain!

Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - The Earring Factory is OPEN!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:25:00 +0000

Mystic Quartz

Sugilite and garnet

Carnelian and antiqued copper

Blue chalcedony and pearl

I've been rather inspired lately and have been working like a little elf making earrings. I've got earrings on my mind so new ideas are popping up daily. I'm incorporating some copper and gold fill in some of my designs. I'm also using gemstones that I haven't used before in earrings.

Handmade gemstone jewelry - jewelry made with waxed linen

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:25:00 +0000

Carnelian and waxed linen necklace

Coral and waxed linen bracelet

Turquoise and waxed linen bracelet

I discovered waxed linen many years ago, made a couple of things with it that I really liked, and put it on the back burner. Recently I've become like a person obsessed! I want to put everything on waxed linen. Fortunately there isn't enough time in the day to do that, but I have made several pieces and added them to my web site.

Waxed linen is used for many things, from bookbinding to scrapbook making, basket weaving, as well as jewelry making. It is amazingly strong, it drapes nicely yet holds its shape. It also holds knots extremely well, in ways that regular cotton, nylon and hemp cord do not. The more you wear it the better it gets! It's considerably less expensive than silver or gold fill and is a nice alternative to leather.

I love the effects that can be created with waxed linen. The possibilities are endless! Come check out the items already on our web site, and come back often to look for more.

Happy 4th of July

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:34:00 +0000

It's America's Birthday!
Wishing you a happy 4th of July!

Custom handmade jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:14:00 +0000

We make custom jewelry because you can't always find what you want. We also will customize items on our website to suit you. If you see a necklace you like we can make it longer, or shorter, or maybe use another gem stone. We can start from scratch, or change a piece of jewelry already on our web site. The possibilities are endless!

We've redesigned our web site!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:14:00 +0000

We've redesigned our website! We decided that we needed a new look and spent, oh, about 2 months working on it. Each page had to be individually re-done. It was a lot of work. My husband did 99% of the work. It's a good thing he's a computer wizard. We still have some minor kinks to work out so please excuse those. Come check out our new look.

We'll be adding some new jewelry soon, styles we've never had before.

Memorial Day

noreply@blogger.com (Michele) — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:18:00 +0000

In remembrance of those who gave their lives defending our freedom!