One of my lovely regulars, Karen, reserved this stone from my collection, and when she was ready, asked me to create her a ring.
We worked on the design together, and I love Karen’s request for a wire border of silver around the stone.
Love the sparkly crystals in that drusy!
A friend from circus training needed a gift for a girl about to have her bat mitzvah in the US. He wanted something that was age appropriate, timeless, and Australian without being tacky.
I designed this pendant for him, the gum leaf and the opal both being very Australian!
I love boulder opal, so many fabulous colours.
The Silver Forge is turning four this month. I can hardly believe it! It has been a beautiful, quirky and interesting journey so far; and one that I am only making thanks to the support from each and every one of you.
Silversmithing is wonderful – but to be creating pieces that bring joy to other people is a whole new level of fabulous. Thank you all so very much for being part of this little indie enterprise – to everyone who visits this website, browses, emails me, buys things; everyone who likes my FaceBook page, likes my posts, comments on them, shares them; everyone who follows me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media; everyone who subscribes to my newsletter, new release update email, and blog updates; everyone who comes to me with their custom piece requests; everyone who makes donations to my worthy causes, and for all the other forms of love and support you’ve shown; I appreciate each and every one of you.
This month, I’ll be drawing four names from among my lovely newsletter subscribers – one for each year this business has been happening. The prize will be a pair of earrings – winner’s choice from the nine pairs pictured above! Which pair will you chose if you win? All you have to do is to be signed up to receive my monthly newsletter ~ and you can do that here if you’re not already subscribed!
Here’s to a fabulous month, and a really wonderful year. Thanks again, everyone!
One of my lovely regular customers, Niki, commissioned me to make this ring as a gift for someone close to her.
I always love making rings, I think it’s partly because they’re one of my favourite pieces to wear, too!
Thanks, Niki, I hope Angela liked her gift!
I met my lovely client Kate when she visited me with a friend of hers who was having a piece made. She fell in love with this petrol pink titanium coated drusy agate cabochon and asked if I could make her a ring with it.
I was so happy to do that! The drusy has been treated (see my blog posts about treatments here), and I think it’s gorgeous.
Kate is the owner of the hair & makeup salon Peach Industries on the Tasman Peninsula, and does totally amazing things with hair.
I’m loving the similarities here! Maybe you’d like your own ring made with a similar stone? Let me know!
Natasha, one of my gorgeous clients, found this parrot wing chrysocolla cabochon in my collection and fell in love with it.
She asked if the sides of the shank could come up over the stone to provide more protection and to enhance the beauty of the ring.
I’m always happy to try to work with my client’s vision!
After seeing this opal ring that I made on FaceBook, Alina chose this gorgeous piece of labradorite from my gemstone collection and asked me to make her a ring.
Originally she wanted it to have two small smoky quartz cabochons beside it, but this stone was too large to fit them all together on a finger!
I think it’s pretty fabulous just by itself, anyway. The stone was more amazing than my mediocre photography skills could do justice to!
My lovely client Natasha found me when she saw on FaceBook this ring that I had made. She asked me to source a tourmalinated quartz cabochon for her partner, and I was happy to be able to do that for her.
Philipp is a jazz musician, and needed something that would not impede his playing.
I think we nailed it!
In part one of a series of tips about the basics of jewellery wearing, I’m looking at necklaces. A necklace is a piece of jewellery which (as the name would suggest!) is worn around the neck. If the necklace has a primary hanging feature, it is called a pendant. If the pendant is a small container, that is called a locket.
Necklaces come in various lengths to suit different styles and different occasions. Some standard lengths are:
When you’re trying to determine the right length necklace for you, use a measuring tape to measure your neck. Standard necklace measurements as shown above assume a 35 cm (14 inch) neck, but of course we all vary wildly, so calculate accordingly! Add 5 cm (2 inches) to your neck measurement for a comfortable length for chokers; add 10 cm (4 inches) to it for princess length. Alternatively take a favourite necklace, or use a piece of string to measure around your neck from the desired level; then lay the string or necklace out straight and measure how long it is. That measurement will be the length you’re after.
Choker: suits a garment with a high neckline. Chokers can work well for people with long necks.
Princess: sits just below the throat at the collarbone. This is the most common necklace length, and is a good length for a pendant. This style works with most necklines as it can sit above or on top of the garment.
Matinee: sits below the collarbone and just above the bust. People with larger necks may choose this length for a pendant style necklace too. Matinee length draws attention to the center of the bust area, so bear that in mind when choosing this style. Women with larger busts may want to opt for a longer necklace to create a more balanced look.
Opera: hangs below the bust, and elongates the torso. This length works well with high necklines and evening wear. If you have a fuller bust, an opera length necklace can be an issue as it may not hang properly. You could try a necklace that sits slightly higher on the body, such as a princess length necklace.
Rope: can reach all the way to the waist. A versatile length, in that you can double and layer it, or wear a pendant on it. Looks great for business and evening wear.
When deciding what material your necklace should be made from, sterling silver is a good choice – as well as being beautiful, it is usually hypoallergenic, so you avoid allergic reactions and green skin (problems usually brought about by the nickel in inferior quality metal). Stainless steel can also highlight your pendant choice. Leather or ‘pleather’ (pretend leather) is another good option.
If you are planning to wear a pendant on your necklace, take into account the size and weight of the piece you will be wearing when you choose the necklace you will be suspending it from. This is important both physically to support the weight; and aesthetically to balance the piece.
Bear in mind that in a similar way to sunglasses, a necklace helps to frame your face, so try out different lengths and see what they do for you. A long necklace may flatter a taller frame where a smaller frame might need a shorter style. A good thing to consider is that people’s eyes will stop at the point where your necklace ends. And remember, really, a necklace is a personal choice – with a little trial and error you will work out what suits you and your wardrobe.
I am always happy to create you a made to measure silver necklace, whatever size you require. You can contact me here!
My lovely client Rosie loved a pearl ring I’d created for another customer and wanted one of her own.
I made her this one. Pearls and silver look so gorgeous together!
