Tag Archives: brisbane

poppy jasper and silver ring ~ custom made

I created this custom poppy jasper and silver ring for my lovely friend (and fabulous hairdresser) Charmaine. Charmaine is such a kind person, it’s always a pleasure to have a good old chat about life, the universe and everything with her (and have my hair done of course!)

Charmaine chose the stone from my collection of gemstone cabochons. I chose to showcase the beautiful stone with a simple matte silver border and ring shank. I love simplicity, and I always believe in letting the stone do the talking!

As well as this poppy jasper and silver ring, Charmaine has a number of my creations in her jewellery box. You can see her dendritic opal ring, her agatised fossil ring, and her malachite earrings here on my website. I always love creating for her – her taste is very similar to mine.

Jasper is the name for a large group of gemstones which are basically a variety of silica. The word jasper means spotted or speckled stone in old French. Poppy jasper is a kind of orbicular jasper, so named because of the round eye like patterns in the stone. There’s some good information about poppy jasper here. There are many beautiful variations of jasper!

neon apatite and silver bangle – silversmith handcrafted

This neon apatite and silver bangle was a custom build for a client. Harley was on a mission for his wife to have a bangle made to fit in with her existing collection. He visited my workshop and viewed the selection of gemstones I had available. The neon apatite had caught his wife’s eye, and Harley decided it was the perfect stone.

Harley’s wife was keen to have a round bangle to fit in with her other jewellery. I worked within the style and size of her existing bangles. As I usually do, I kept the design of this handmade neon apatite and silver bangle simple. To balance the gemstone and keep it on top of the wrist, I weighted the bangle with some silver spheres.

Apatite comes in the most glorious shades across almost the whole spectrum of colour. There is a lovely apatite pendant in The Silver Forge shop at present which really showcases the stone. I designed and handcrafted the pendant myself using traditional silversmithing techniques and tools.

I have some other beautiful gemstones in different colours and shapes. If you’d like your own bangle, pendant or ring, let me know. I’d be happy to create for you!

solid silver reticulated pendant – drop of silver

I created this solid silver reticulated pendant for Louise. She saw one on FaceBook I made for a dear friend of mine. That piece can be found here. Although I don’t usually recreate custom pieces exactly, I was pleased to make another similar one for Louise.

I made the bottom of the pendant by heating a solid chunk of silver until it melted and became round and reticulated. I shaped silver wire into a spiral and added that as the bail. Then I soldered the pieces together, pickled them, brushed them et voilà!

So simple but effective, and this reticulated pendant makes a lovely everyday piece. I enjoyed making it. Silver is such a fabulous and endlessly changing medium! Working with silver is just the best. You can read more interesting info about silver here.

If you’d like your own custom silver piece, do feel free to contact me. Perhaps you’d like a piece for yourself, or a gift for a loved one, or a family heirloom? I’m always happy to discuss your silversmithing requirements.

If you’d like to connect up with me on social media, head over to FaceBook or Instagram. It would be lovely to see you there!

bumblebee jasper and silver ring ~ handcrafted ring

I created this custom bumblebee jasper and silver ring for the lovely Elektra of Luna’s Light. Check out her Instagram feed, she has a wealth of fabulous crystals in her collection. A woman after my own heart!

Elektra found her own cabochon and asked if I could make her a ring, which I was happy to do! If you wanted your own, you could choose a stone from the gemstone selection I have available.

I do have some more bumblebee jasper in my gemstone collection, so if you would like your own bumblebee jasper and silver ring, get in touch. You’ll love having a bespoke piece made for yourself!

Bumblebee jasper is actually a kind of calcite, with no quartz in it at all! There’s some good information about bumblebee jasper here.

amber and silver pendant and earrings set

My lovely friend Anna commissioned me to make an amber and silver pendant and earrings set. The set was a Christmas gift for her mum. What a sweetie, and so thoughtful!

Anna chose the amber cabochons from my available gemstone collection. The brief was that the set be fairly delicate, and that the earrings not hang too low. I drew up a few designs, and we worked out what Anna’s mum would like best.

Amber is actually fossilised tree resin, and sometimes contains suspended life forms, for instance insects or plants. You can read a bit more about amber here.

blue chalcedony and silver ring ~ gemstone piece

This blue chalcedony and silver ring was a custom creation for Carla. Carla is a lovely client from Goulburn, Australia which is not far from Canberra where I grew up. I have family in Goulburn, too!

Carla liked the rings she saw in The Silver Forge shop, but was keen to have one made specifically in her size. She chose the gorgeous piece of blue chalcedony from the gemstone selection I have available.

I do have some more chalcedony in my gemstone collection, so if you would like your own blue chalcedony and silver ring, get in touch. It’s so nice to have a bespoke piece made for yourself!

You can read more about blue chalcedony in the blog post I wrote. There’s also some great information to be found here.

tassel earrings with silver earwires

The rage right now is tassel earrings, and I love pairing them with handmade silver earwires! Fashion doesn’t usually drive me, but I’ve been in love with the tassel lately. I worked out how to make some using high quality cotton (and sterling silver of course), and I’m pretty pleased with the result. To give the earrings a fresh and fabulous look, I used silver for the earwire, the hanging part at the top, and the wrap around of the tassel.

I made these particular lovelies as gifts for two of my dearest besties in the whole world. I find a constant source of joy in being able to create beautiful things for amazing people!

You can find some tassel earrings with silver earwires in my online shop. Although these earrings have nearly sold out at present, I am getting ready to match another fabulous batch of these in a gorgeous array of colours. I’d also be very happy to make you a pair in any colour you dream of! You have a rainbow of choices available. Let me know what colour tassels your earrings should have by getting in touch with me here; and of course, sterling silver is hypo-allergenic so is perfect for everyone!

History

Tassels have been around for thousands of years. Tassel creators use a wide variety of materials. Throughout history, they’ve appeared as decoration, for religious purposes, and in ceremonial wear. So varied and highly prized were they that in 16th century France an apprenticeship of seven years was required to become a master in the guild of ‘passementiers’. If you’re interested, you can read more a bit more about their history here on Wikipedia. You can also read about them here on Martha Stewart’s website.

Meanwhile, tassels add a great pop of colour to any outfit! They can be a bit of fun for a day at the office, or sleek and beautiful for a night at a party – you get to choose and enjoy them any way you like!

haematite men’s wedding ring – custom sterling silver ring

I recently created this custom made haematite men’s wedding ring. It came about because I previously custom made a set of rings for my lovely clients Greg and Lyn.

Unfortunately the previous haematite and silver men’s wedding ring that I had custom made for Greg went off on a journey of its own. Greg and Lyn last saw it at a roadside stop somewhere between Noosa, Queensland and Newcastle, New South Wales. Lyn contacted me to see if I could build Greg another ring! (If you happen to come across this ring, I’d love to hear about it. I always wonder where pieces I’ve made that have been lost end up! I hope someone nice found it and is getting joy out of wearing it. That would be the best outcome!)

I didn’t have another large oval haematite cabochon in my gemstone collection, however I did have a round one the same as Lyn’s, so I made a manly version of her wedding ring which matched hers nicely. Hopefully happy days ensue, and this one does not meet a similar fate!

If you’re interested to learn more about haematite, here is a fascinating article from the CSIRO. It really is a most gorgeous stone. If you would like to know more about such things as the metaphysical properties of the stone, check out my blog post here.

If you’d like your own haematite men’s wedding ring made, do check out the array of gemstones I have available for you. You can find more haematite here. And feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions! I’m always happy to help, and I do love to create beautiful things for lovely people!

A big thank you to Greg and Lyn for choosing me to create for them.

treble clef earrings – Beethoven’s own handwriting

One of my clients, Jake, asked if I could create a pair of treble clef earrings, using Ludwig van Beethoven‘s own handwriting for a template.

What a joyous and fabulous idea! Jake sent me the snippet of handwriting via email. I was able to reference the handwriting while I bent the silver to the same shape.

I was very pleased to oblige, and also to honour Beethoven in this way.

charoite and silver ring – handmade in brisbane

I made this charoite and silver ring as my lovely client Emma needed a purple ring. I sourced this beautiful piece of charoite for her.

Emma came to collect it along with a couple of her other Silver Forge rings which I gave some TLC to for her. She was very happy with it!

I do have some more charoite in my gemstone collection in case you’re in love with this and would like your own ring. So rich and gorgeous! You can find out more about this lovely gemstone here.

the silver forge

jewellery handcrafted by ruthie gray