Monday 31 October 2011

Autumn Colours




Suddenly November is here, the clocks have changed to winter time, and it's getting darker. All the more reason to wear something in a luminous colour, such as these cluster earrings featuring both 'mandarin' and 'flaming' Carnelian teamed with oxidised silver. I like to wear them with a big warm sweater such as this grey roll-neck one from Uniqlo.
I prefer to focus on the best of autumn, such as beautiful maple leaves outlined against a clear blue sky...

Wednesday 26 October 2011

The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club




Last Saturday I was taken to St. Ermin's Hotel for afternoon tea to celebrate my birthday. My beloved had invited a few of my friends as a surprise and we all snuggled up in beautiful armchairs for a couple of hours, chatting and eating. It was lovely. We decided to do it more often. So we started The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club, which will provide us with an excellent excuse to indulge in afternoon tea on a regular basis.


Now, an afternoon tea club should review, as well as delight in, afternoon tea consumed in glamorous surroundings. Here, therefore, is my review of St. Ermin's...


The Good:


- Beautiful interiors (I wanted to steal everything)
- Pleasant staff (though no one offered to take my coat)
- Reasonably priced
- A very very tasty honey & goat's cheese tiny sandwich
- Our teapots were refreshed several times
- We were given a 2nd round of sandwiches at no extra cost when we asked for it


The Not Quite So Good:


- We waited a long time for the food to be served
- The sandwiches were dry around the edges (and there were few of them)
- My scone was handsomely sized, but so dry that I only ate half of it


Would I go again? Yes, but not for afternoon tea.


(I should add that upon leaving one of my friends tempted us to go to Bassoon at The Corinthia for drinks, and it was very. very. good.)

Thursday 20 October 2011

Flaming Carnelian


A pair of bright autumnal cluster earrings featuring faceted briolettes of Mandarin Carnelian, teamed with serrated-edged briolettes of Flaming Carnelian and off-set with matte black oxidised silver. These are uspended from simple French hooks ,also in oxidised silver: £42
(these come with little silicone ‘screws’ to keep them securely in place)

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Emerald & Quartz



Long pendant earrings featuring clusters of tiny raw Emerald rondelles and large
glistening spiral-cut briolettes of clear Quartz. These are linked by little
baroque freshwater Pearls, tiny rondelles of Prehnite and Green Tourmaline
and suspended from 14k gold-fill lever-back hooks. £86.



Tuesday 18 October 2011

Lavender Dormeuses


The 'dormeuse' style of earring must be the most wearable of all, I think, they can be worn with anything. This pair features faceted briolettes of palest lavender Amethyst, set in hand-coiled loops of silver wire and suspended from silver lever-back hooks. They have been given an oxidising bath turning the silver matte black as a contrast to the translucent stones.

Citrine Stones



This is a very light design, with faceted briolettes of soft golden Citrine suspended from hand-forged links of 14k gold-fill and oxidised sterling wire, embellished with tiny rondelles of black Onyx and palest lavender Ametrine. These are finished off with 14k gold-fill lever-back hooks.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Prasiolite Perfection



This weekend I have been playing with oxidised silver as a contrast to pale gemstones, such as this beautiful Prasiolite briolette which I have set in a coiled loop and slung on a fine silver chain. I gave it an easy 'S' clasp flanked by tiny pastel Aquamarine rondelles, and added an extender chain embellished with more Aquamarines - so that it can be worn short or slightly longer.

Iolite Curves


This is the style of earrings which I seem to sell the most of - I just call them 'Curves'. This pair was made especially for a friend, who loves to wear midnight blue with black.
The curves themselves are 14k gold-fill and the gemstones are 'fancy-cut' briolettes of Iolite - the fact that they are cut and faceted in a spiral means that they reflect the light beautifully.

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Green & Pleasant




A pair of pointed green Chalcedony briolettes which will brighten up an otherwise neutral outfit today. There are a lot of vibrant greens in fashion this season, and if I could afford it I would accessorise my earrings with this 'bright cabbage' bag from a certain English leathergoods firm...

Sunday 2 October 2011

Tanzanite Twinkles on a Summer's Eve


Except it's not summer any more, it's October. But in this heat it's nice to wear summery silver hoops like these, adorned with Mystic Tanzanite*. They go really well with white, and the remnants of a summer tan.
*Mystic Tanzanite is quartz coated in a tanzanite-blue colour.

Missing Twin Restored


One of my customers recently got in touch asking for help - she had lost one of a pair of amethyst earrings I made for her a few years ago. Luckily I still have some of these lovely asscher-cut amethysts in stock, so I was able to make up the missing 'twin'.
I think it's a shame to let lovely semi-precious stones languish unworn. Don't banish your jewellery if it has lost a part or been damaged - very often it can be repaired or refashioned into a new piece.

Indian Summer


England is basking in glorious summer heat on this first weekend of October. 29C! It makes me pull out my high-summer beauties, such as these hammered gold hoop earrings with luminous aqua chalcedony. I love the way they swish around my jawline.