How about a pair of earrings?

Smokey Quartz, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver findings and ear wires

Freshwater Pearls and Swarovksi crystals,sterling silver findings and ear wires

Lab created Aqua quartz, sterling silver findings and ear wires

Need a little something to wear?

Spring is here! But.....Turquoise and copper says summer!



Or what about yellow, brown and copper? Resin beads with copper spacers.


Luscious popsicle orange lampwork beads mixed with sage, brown and silver!
Don't you love orange popsicles???

Azure Islands Designs, Azure Accessories!

Xue-Originals

Her name is Xue…it is pronounced as “Sch-ue” and it means snow, which she loves…imagine that since she was born and raised on a sunny tropical island …Xue Juan is her name in Mandarin (the official language of the Chinese) her combination of Chinese characters means a type of snow flower…such a pretty name!!!

This red pendant (above)is one of Xue's handcrafted polymer pendants the Chinese characters "ai" means "Love"

Xue is a talented eclectic artist, who happens to be a friend of mine…she lives in Tokyo with her husband of 14 years and two children. The first thing I felt about Xue was her kindness towards others… we've never met but words speak for themselves!

She is a self-taught artist with more than 20 years experience in advertising, graphic design, theme parties, cartoon illustrations, paper sculpture, mosaic art and jewelry design. Her designs and interest come from life experiences… living in and traveling to many amazing locations. Xue explains that she is motivated by her daily exposure to both the Western and Asian cultures in her mixed Chinese and European family.

She has spent the past 17 years living in Shanghai, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and now Tokyo.

Even though all that moving and relocating could be a little unsettling with each move, came more inspiration (and Xue explains more ways on how to unpack fast…with kids, you also learn quickly, to ask for the washroom in various languages) She is a stay at home mom who also volunteers for artistic projects in her children’s school…Xue always wore her handcrafted jewelry to school and it wasn’t long before people were asking her about her wonderful pieces… and that is how she started making jewelry for others.

Xue Originals consist of bracelets, brooches earrings, lariat, and necklaces all handcrafted individually and carefully in her home. The lovely necklace to the right features Xue's wonderful polymer clay beads done in black, white and gray.

Lovely blue and green polymer beads handcrafted by Xue are the focal for the earrings above.

Dramatic black and gold is used in the focal polymer beads for the earrings on the right.

Her logo has been her identity for decades…it is both her logo and seal…she uses this seal to stamp on things that she has made such as illustrations, and 2D work. A friend hand-carved this seal as a farewell gift for her when she worked in Shanghai years ago. In Japan where she now lives it is sufficient to use a carved seal in lieu of a hand signature…but Xue chooses not to do that.

When traveling she visits local craft/bead shops and like myself buys more than she can keep up with. She enjoys creating jewelry pieces with colorful glass beads and does amazing polymer clay pendants. She often has a blast making beads with her children.

Blue is one of my favorite colors...just love this polymer clay pendant made by Xue.
Her website can be found at http://xue-orinignals.com/, in her world of Asian and European heritage she writes about everyday life where ever she finds herself living at the time, she writes about snow, about her children, her creations and about friends…her wonderful husband of 14 years did both Xue’s website and Etsy shop http://www.xueoriginals.etsy.com/ for her because in her words “getting started and all that technical stuff boggles me”.
Even though her Etsy shop and website are relatively new her talent has allowed her to be featured 3 times in Etsy treasuries…Xue claims those opportunities were made possible only because of the kind people on Etsy, maybe so but I also thing she was featured because her work is uniquely beautiful!!!

An orange handcrafted polymer clay pendant with gold speckles adorned by pretty pink flowers






Xue's latest work...aluminum card holders, for everything from business cards, photos, credit cards, personal cards...they will keep everything handy

I'm a Scholar, top left

Linda Floats,

top right

It's Spring,

bottom right

Genie in a Tea Pot,

bottom left

Along the same lines is her compact... every woman need a compact!

Dragon flies, brown compact

Azure Dreams, blue compact

Stop by Xue-Originals, either her Etsy store or her web site…I know she would love to have you visit!!!

DIAMONDS

While doing research for this feature I came across amazing information…far too much for this feature…this is a short overview…it may spark you interest to find out more, I know it did mine!

Diamonds are said to be a “girl’s best friend”!!! Is there any female out there who doesn’t like diamonds? I’d like to hear from you!!!

This choker is made with 18th century raw diamonds featuring an breathtaking emerald with pearls and rubies throughout. Part of a collection on display at the British Museum in London and stems from India under Muslim rule.

As you may know the diamond is the birthstone for the month of April…and what stunning choice!


The most coveted of engagement ring is a diamond...solitaire or variation of... I'm sure the woman wearing this ring is thrilled with it!!!

“Adamas” meaning invincible is the ancient Greek term from which the word diamond is derived from…text dating as far back as before 400BC make reference to diamonds and their possible value so they aren’t a modern day treasure!

There are more than 20 countries that produce diamonds but a few of the important suppliers are Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Congo, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Guinea, Russia, China, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Canada and Australia.

While the diamond, which is made from carbon, is the hardest natural mineral it has 4 directions of cleavage…a sharp blow in one of these directions and the diamond will split (cleave). A jeweler or setter must take care to ensure these areas are not in a position to be hit and therefore split when the stone is set in a piece of jewelry…


The diamond in the rough is not brilliant and may even appear greasy when found…polishing and cutting is necessary to transform the stone to what we expect to see in a stunning piece of jewelry!

This is part of a belt buckle made from raw(uncut)diamonds set in gold from 19th century India. The belt width is 2 inches...gives you an idea of the size of the diamonds...

Diamonds have been found in many colors, yellow, brown, pink, and of course colorless. The green, blue, reddish, and black, diamonds are more valuable…depending on the stone they can be much more valuable! How about this for a "stunner"...a 10.4 black diamond flanked by by glorious clear baguette diamonds. The spots you see on the black diamond aren't dust, they are inculsions and marks on the diamond...they stand out more because it is black. This photo was taken in a factory in Amsterdam, Holland.

What an array of colored diamond? These lovely diamonds are on display in the "Natural Hisory Museum" in London, England. Alan Bronstein, an American diamond consultant started this collection in 1980, over the years Alan and his friend Harry Rodman add to the collection...and still are!!!

As much as 80% of diamonds found have flaws which are then classified as industrial grade diamonds, lending themselves to industrial and manufacturing usage… such as cutting abrading or polishing tools, used in drill bits, as well as in mining, oil and gas, electronic, optical, thermal, machining, dentistry, and medical industries along with scientific applications. Such a beautiful versatile mineral!!!

Only diamonds of the highest quality are for jewelry…when purchasing a piece of jewelry made with diamonds a buyer should make themselves familiar with the “four C’s”, color, clarity, carat weight and cut…

Color: colorless stones are extremely valuable, yellow or brown-tinged are considered imperfect. Clear strong colors such as blue, green, red, orange and pink are considered “fancies” and are rare and highly prized!

Clarity: this is determined by the presents of or lack of blemishes or flaws.

Carat: the weight is the diamond’s size

Cut: the shape and proportion of the stone

Today you will find diamonds in all sizes but the shapes are relatively basic, beginning with the standard “brilliant cut”, then you have a grouping of cuts called the “fancy cuts” baguettes, pear shapes, heart shapes and marquises fall in this category, Asscher, Trilliant, and princess cuts are modern technology cuttings…new baguettes cut such as Princette and bagillion are becoming more popular as the new technology allows for more brilliance in these cuts.

This beautiful necklace is 1.5 carats.

Here is a little tip for keeping your gem sparkling:

“Grease adheres to diamonds, affecting their color and brilliance. Fatty deposits from dishwashing and cosmetics can lower the color of diamond by several grades. The simplest way to clean a diamond is to sit it in hot water with a drop of dishwashing liquid and gently brush it with a soft toothbrush. Alcohol also removes grease and dirt”. Quoted directly from Pg. 121 The Jeweler’s Directory of Gemstones

Five of the many famous and important Diamonds:

Dresden Diamond: 41 carats…early history not known, possibly from India, now in the Green Vaults in Dresden, Germany

Hope Diamond: 45.52 carats…first seen in 1830 bought by banker by the name of Hope…since 1958 in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC

Cullinan I or Star of Africa Diamond: 530.20 carats…one of 105 stones cut from largest rough diamond ever found 3,106 carats…kept in the Tower of London, it is on the scepter of the king’s insignia.

Sancy Diamond: 55 carats…on display in the Louvre, Paris

Tiffany Diamond: 128.51 carats…when found in 1878, as a rough diamond it was 287.42 carats…purchased by Tiffany in New York and cut in Paris with 90 facets.

Diamonds… steeped in history, and legend…always in fashion!!!

Kasikci diamond...on display in one of the treasury rooms of the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.86 carat , surrounded by 49 very large brilliant cut diamonds.

NOTE: As with many things there is a dark side to the diamond industry, “conflict or blood diamonds” as they are known has been a concern since the 1990’s. Due to this issue the United Nations passed a resolution in 2000 requiring “certificates of origin” with the hope of ensuring the rough diamonds come from legitimate and legal sources. Even though as of 2006, 71 countries follow the certification process, which is called the Kimberley Process, it is difficult to enforce and it is alleged that smuggling still occurs in certain countries

Photo of "solitaire engagement ring" courtesy of Stephen Durham, Stephend9, Flickr.com

Thank you Stephen and Randi Lynne Durham for allowing me to feature the beautiful photo of your ring!!!

All other photos courtesy of Swamibu, Flickr.com

Thank you Bu for allowing to feature your "stunning" photos!!!

Information References:

Gemstones of the World, Walter Schumann, Third Edition, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.,

The Jeweler's Directory of Gemstones, Judith Crowe, Firefly Books, 2006

"Diamond," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007, http://ca.encarta.msn.com,%204/4/20084/4/2008

http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/elements/diamond/birthapr.htm, 4/4/2008

Jewels,Jewels,Jewels!!!

Here are a few of my latest pieces...







Red Aventurine
Citrine
Tiger glass
gold filled fingings






Amazonite
Aventurine pendant
Sterling silver beads
Sterling silver findings





Sponge Coral
Sterling silver



Enough for now...I will be posting Aprils "Birthstone" shortly...hopefuly later this evening...*Diamonds*...such a fascinating subject!!!

"Birthstone of the Month"

Stunning "Aquamarine" crystal from
Minas Gerias, Brazil

Picture courtesy of Orbital Joe click the crystal to view more of his stunning photos!

From the beginning of time we adorned ourselves with accessories, which are often some form of jewelry using metal, sterling silver, gold and everything in between. Some of the most stunningly dramatic pieces are designed with "gemstones".

Every woman has a favorite gemstone…I have many!!!
This is the first of a monthly article entitled “Birthstone Of The Month”…March is the fascinating “Aquamarine”, which is also the gemstone for the Zodiac sign Scorpio. It is the suggested gift for the 16th and 19th wedding anniversary …some say it has positive influences in love and relationships.

The name for this gemstone is fitting, “aqua” Latin “water, marina, Latin “sea”, because of the green, blue-green to blue colors, with the blue being the most sought after and valuable. This gemstone is a member of the beryl (mineral) family, which comes in many shades starting with pure beryl being colorless, green (emerald), yellow, greenish yellow blue to blue green, red and pink.

Aquarmarine from the Gilgit area of Pakistan, picture courtesy of "Orbital Joe"

Lower qualities gemstones are often found greenish but with heat treatment of 725 F to 850F (450C) the color can be permanently changed to blue, care must be taken in the heating, as anything higher will cause discoloration. Aquamarine is 7.5-8 in hardness and is brittle…working with it requires sensitivity to this fact.

Aquamarine is found in Australia, (Queensland), Burma (Myanmar), China, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and the United States but the most important location is Brazil.

The largest gemstone quality aquamarine was found in Marambaya, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1910 weighing 243 lbs., (110.5kg), 18 in. (48.5 cm) long and 15.5 (42 cm) in diameter…the many stones it was cut into accounted for 100,000cts…can you imagine???

Aquamarine is complemented by both gold and sterling silver, (both bright and oxidized)…and makes for wonderful pieces of jewelry!

All stunning pictures courtesy of "Orbital Joe"
Information source:
http:/ca.Encarta.msn.com - “Aquamarine”
Gemstones of the World, Walter Schumann, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
www.agta.org - AGTA

Been away and going again!!

I was away from Feb. 22nd to March 2nd which is why I haven't updated for some time...I will also be absent from March 11th to March 20th so the up dates I do today will be it until I've had a few days to gather info for my features I plan on doing.

Here is a little of what I have planned for future articles!

• "Birthstone fo the Month", I love gemstones so articles on gemstones will be informative but interesting as well... I hope to have Aquamarine up for March before I leave! I may also add "healing properties" and anything else that I think may be of interest...if there is something you would like to know/see drop me a note...I would be happy to do research for the information!

• Above is a necklace made with tumbled amethyst and purple jade...a favorite color of mine!

• "How To" feature...if anyone out there has a How To" they would like to share please contact me and I will get back to you when I return!
• Would like to feature Artisans from all walks of life and all mediums...again...contact me and I will get back to you when I return!

Please don't be shy if you would like to be featured contact me, because I will be actively looking for artisans when I return on the 20th!!!

• More interesting information to come later today!!!

DeWanda here I come!

I've found another venue to sell my jewels...DeWanda.com...it is based out of Europe, Germany to be exact... the products must be and I quote "unique, customizable and/or handmade, made or designed by you and are neither mass-produced nor imported"...sounds reasonable to me!

Presently there isn't a listing fee, but that is coming once they reach a specific size, with a certain number of buyers... they don't reveal what this fee is just yet...they do say that the listing fees won't happen before April 1st, 2008. For the time being sellers pay a 5% fee upon a sale and there isn't any listing time limit...but I have a feeling that may be coming as well!

There are French German and English listings...you may list in all three sections if you know the languages. The fees are in EUR and I've noticed that some people find that confusing...I used EX to help with the conversion. I've only listed two items so far...not sure how long I'll stay there or how many items I'll list...

Above is the first item I listed on DeWanda...my second try at the branch technique, copper wire with aqua blue freshwater pearls...my first attempt was a pair of earrings, I wanted to try something small to gain some experience with the technique. Next I'd like to try a sterling silver necklace...

Below is my second item I listed...a tiny pair of 9mm lampwork beads done in the jazzy tiger colors. These beads are wire wrapped in sterling silver, hanging from SS ear hooks, from which are haning hand forged sterling silver square wire rings...Funky and Fun wouldn't you say!!!DeWanda looks like an interesting place, with its forums and blogs, they have Pinboards where you keep your favorites, you can "pin" an item as well as heart it...much the same as Etsy. Of course I haven't taken the time to go over the site well but I will in the next little while. The day I signed up I saw three Etsians with shops at DaWanda...small world!!!

HANDBOOK TO HANDMADE VOL II

I received my copy of the HANDBOOK TO HANDMADE VOL II...it is a wonderful book! I'm proud to be able to say I'm in Vol II!!!

Timothy's, of Timothy Adams Designs, great idea is to do a monthly book filled with talented artists from Etsy. You may buy in for as many volumes as you want...no limit! He also sells just the book in his Etsy store for those who don't want in but would like to have a look.

These books are well made, the pictures are professionally positioned to produce an eye catching layout for each individual artist ...with time and thought involved! Even the packaging it is mailed is is top notch...but then it has to be to make sure it arrives undamaged!

As you can tell I'm more than pleased with my spot...pages 16 and 17 and the much sought after front cover! I so thrilled with my experience I plan on doing this again...

Timothy is in the process of finding artists for Vol IV right now, take a look! Reserve your spot you won't be disappointed!!! Here is his blog for the book as well, stop by, have a look Timothy would love to have you visit!!!

~My Plans For This Site~

~Would you like to be featured on this blog?~

When I started this blog site I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with it...I knew it wasn't going to be a personal blog... I wanted it to be concerning/relevant to my jewelry design company. After taking sometime to think things over I've decided what I will do with this blog.

My plan is to use this spot to promote "Azure Islands Designs, other Etys artists, as well as any artist that happens to find this blog and from time to time offer "How To" segments...featuring issues that I want to learn as well as segments featuring all kinds of "guest" artists that are willing to promote their own craft...what ever that may be!

In the next few weeks I will be gathering artists and their information/photos to feature here, along with "How To" informational ideas from artists who would like to pass along their ideas and thoughts. I hope to make this an interesting, exciting, enjoyable place where artists of all mediums will frequent often!

My request to you....

*Anyone interested in being featured in this blog, as an artist or as a "How To" artistic informational feature please contact me at heather@azure-islands.com *Thanks...cheers Heather