Jewelry Crafters, What is Your “Perfect”?

The “diamond” standard.  One sees that phrase frequently when people or companies want to impress upon us that their product is the best.  Of course, with the world diamond industry, it is hard to argue that a large number of people consider these the “perfect” and most beautiful gem.  However when you are small business jewelry crafter or hobbiest, you find inspiration to create beautiful things out of any number of precious, semi-precious, and non-precious materials.  

I find all manners of materials inspirational. I love beads and gems.  Gems inspire me, and I am enjoying exploring new creative ideas with them.   They are fascinating and captivating in all their varieties.  The Earth yields to us so much beauty for our own interpretation and creation.  Most people have their favorite gems, the pieces that speak to their heart, whether they are making jewelry or wearing it.  Imperfect to me is beauty.  I have always thought of slightly crooked teeth as beautiful.  Something just not quite “perfect” is pleasing to my eye.  This gives me a lot of opportunity in using gems, because inclusions can add to a gem’s appeal and character.  My latest favorites; tourmalinated and rutilated quartz are an example of this.  No stone is alike, each is distinct and beautiful.  Tourmalinated quartz have inclusions of dark tourmaline darting through the crystal clear stone in higher quality gems.  These lovelies are brought to you by JewelsBeadSupply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rutilated quartz contains needles of titanium dioxide darting through the stone, an it is a little more subtle and is known as “Venus’ Hair Stone” likely due to the thin golden strands running through the stone.  This gorgeous gem is brought to us by kstudiogems.

 

 

 

 

Labradorite, a variety of feldspar, is another of my favorites, though I have yet to work with it, I will be ordering some soon.  The inner growths in the stone combined with the molecular structure results in a gorgeous flashy gem . These stunning gems are courtesy of luxurygems.

What inspires you?  A crystal clear top quality diamond?  A man-made gem?  A perfectly round lucite bead?  Lamp work?  Metal work?  We all have our own idea of beauty and its perfection.

My Favorites So Far – Denial Necklace

Denial Necklace

Originally uploaded by polestarjewelry

The Denial Necklace. That sound so mysterious and intriguing. However apart from any romantic implications that can be gleaned from that name, and the necklace itself, I mean a denial of Autumn beginning for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. I do like designing jewelry for the season, but I couldn’t resist these gems, and of course, the pendant just screams Springtime! I suppose you could garner some romantic notions about this necklace, because it hangs right below the bust line.

I am very energized and de-energized by the seasons. Fall is so inspirational, so crisp, and so romantic in so many ways. It is a wonderful season because it makes you want to go outside, but it also sends you indoors, staying warm, snuggling up.

Spring on the other hand is so hopeful. It is the awakening of the year ahead, and I do find lusty feelings are inspired by the explosion of nature and all the procreating of plants and animals. This necklace reminds me of Spring, fresh, bright, fun.

Okay, enough of the hoo ha. This necklace has 9 beautiful Prehnite faceted pear briolettes floating over a stunning hot pink Chalcedony faceted briolette. The pendant has a very satisfying weight to it, and it hangs on a 29 inch delicate sterling silver chain and the pendant is 2.5 inches, so it will hang 17 inches from the nape of your neck. Gorgeous, Springy, swingy.

PoleStar’s Blog

My name is Jennifer and I make jewelry. It is a creative outlet for me and I love it because I can use all my daydreaming time to think of new designs in my head and I also can have pretty fast tangible results! Not only that, I love when people see something they really like and enjoy the creation as well. I don’t see it as a matter of ego, but just creating lovely things in this world, and a little bit of that never hurt anything I suppose. Mush mush.

I have always had a creative streak, whether it was casually drawing or working in Photoshop or making little gifts for friends. Learning to sew is one thing I would like to do eventually, and I would also like to learn to play the violin. I have 2 boys and I hope to eventually take lessons in violin with one of them. Maybe. We’ll see.

I also haven’t had any formal training, I have a B.S. in something NOT very creative, I was on a path and followed it, though I do wish I could go back and major in Philosophy. Perhaps one day I will get a Master’s in something or another, though I have received advice to not just get an advanced degree for the sake of having one, but to pursue a passion and know pretty much exactly what you want to do.

I decided to try out WordPress as opposed to Blogger which I am very used too. WordPress is going to take some time to get to know!   By starting this blog, I wanted to bring to you some of the creative process I use when making my jewelry, where I find supplies that I love, and showcase other jewelry makers whom I admire on Etsy, and also showcase sellers who have caught my eye, or money from my wallet!

Comments are welcome, and so are questions, and if you are reading this, I appreciate you taking the time to do so.