Today is my day to get my butt back into my studio and work on a long overdue piece of jewelry. It has been a couple of years since I’ve done anything in my jewelry studio and this is not going to be an easy piece because, as usual, I can’t do it the way I already know. I have to do something different. Of course. Because I can’t make things easy. At all. Ever.
Normally, I’d design a piece by drawing it out, create that planned setting out of silver (ie… playing with lots of fire), set the stone, clean and polish and done. I’ve done some wire work in the past, even some kind of similar to what I plan for this stone, but not quite. I’ll be using a mix of metals: silver, copper and brass as opposed to my normal all silver. There most likely won’t be any soldering, which is how most of my designs have been created. I also don’t have a design. Not really. The plan for this is to create it as I go. Don’t ask why because I don’t really have an answer. As I’ve always done in the past, the stone guides the design and this stone is being stubborn. It isn’t the first time I’ve created something for the person this is going to that has really had a mind of its own. If this is anything like that last one, I’m going to be surprised by the finished piece in one way or another.
I am more than anxious to get my hands back on some of my favorite materials. Metal and stone. I’m only a little sad that I don’t get to play with fire on this one.
TJ Fox: Sharing the Experience 
I love Amber! When I was 19 and broke I proposed to my daughters mom with a little silver and amber ring, lol. My daughter has it now 😂😂😂
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That is actually a Fire Opal. I don’t think Amber would hold up to facets. I’ve only ever set a couple of Amber pieces and while they are gorgeous, they are delicate (or at least they can be).
I honestly love non-traditional stones, even the much lower quality stones than you can ever get at a “fine” jeweler because they always have so much interesting going on with the impurities in them. I have a piece of Emerald that I got in trade several years ago that you would NEVER find in a high end jewelry store that is probably the prettiest Emerald I’ve seen because it has all these different shades and tints running through it.
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Oh man I didn’t even get anything good enough to withstand some pressure 😂😂😂 No foreboding there!
When I used to go to Barbados they had a store that was strictly emerald art and jewelry. It was mesmerizing!!! So pretty!
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Lucky! I decided that it was a good thing that I let my business license expire because going to the gem shows and getting into the wholesale area was a bank breaker. I still have some really beautiful pieces like the Opal that I never did anything with that will SOMEDAY get made into something beautiful.
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