under the sea

I wanted to name this bracelet the drop off but felt that didn't sound too gem seductive and I shouldn't obliquely refer to Finding Nemo, even if it is a wonderful movie that I've seen far too many times (I'm very well versed in the movies of Pixar). This bracelet looks like a treasure from the sea. A strand of apatite chips resemble the clear aqua of tropical island waters. Flourite beads cast a spectrum of purples. Lepidolite ovals add soothing lavender with irridescent labradorite rounding out the mix. Consider it spring break on your wrist, without the regret of having too much to drink. Sterling silver clasp, 8" in length. $41

crushed peonies

I love peonies, they are gorgeous heady flowers with an amazing spectrum of the palest pinks. I have two peony plants in my backyard that give off lovely hot pink blooms in late spring. But the thing with peonies, perhaps just mine, they seem rather impractical from a darwinian plant perspective. They are lovely but as soon as the flowers bloom those stems then drop to the ground, like even the plant cannot bear that much beauty, and the petals drop off in a day or two tops. They are the very definition of ephemeral but still gorgeous all the same. Here's my beaded interpretation of crushed peonies, including some muted browns because I think flowers are incredible even when they start to fade. Pearls, garnet and glass beads on three strands 7-3/4" in length with a sterling silver clasp. $41

isle of skye

Thinking up names for my jewelry I'm sure of one thing, I need to travel more. Just looking at the google images of Isle of Skye I'm dying (don't even get me started on my quest to go to the blue lagoon in Iceland). But as for Scotland in general, how can one country be so beautiful? This necklace is similar to the gloaming except that it's a bit longer and has a robin's egg blue chalcedony teardrop as the focal piece of the necklace. Moonstone, garnet, tourmaline, turquoise and freshwater pearl make up the other semi precious gems, accompanied by sterling and glass beads this necklace is a striking conversation piece. 21-3/4" in length. $59

kodachrome

This bracelet makes me think of the things I loved about the seventies, when I was a young, impressionable child. The music, the hippy fashion influence I saw the older girls wearing that had me in awe - I so wanted platform sandals and hip-hugger, faded, flared jeans.  The fire hazard scarves draped over lights to add ambience to a room. Winding film in a camera. This bracelet has a large turquoise ceramic focal piece and two strands filled with semi precious beads. Amethyst, turquoise, coral, garnet, carnelian, peridot, pearl and apatite. It's a one of a kind throwback to simpler time but there's nothing simple about this piece. 7-3/4" in length with a sterling silver clasp. Bracelets can be customized to fit your wrist, if lengthened a nominal fee is added for the extra gemstones. $41

the gloaming

I love the colors in this necklace. They remind me of the colors you find in the land and sky near water, just before night, when the sun has faded for the day yet the water seems to glow, like it has captured the last of the sun's light. I love this time of day when the water is the brightest thing in the land before the moon takes over to light the night. Seriously, I'm obsessed with this time of day as evidenced by a similar description for dusk before the storm. No one has truly captured the beauty of this time on film, at least not the way I see it - who knew the Allegheny River could be so mesmerizing. A faceted teardrop of grayish-purple agate hangs from a bit of oxidized sterling chain.  Semi precious beads of turquoise, garnet, tourmaline, freshwater pearls, and cut glass crystal beads with an unusual side clasp and sizable oval of moonstone to finish off the piece. Sterling silver findings and toggle clasp. 19-3/8" in length. $53

do the conga

This bracelet is very similar to the nautilus, but it's a bit different too. A veritable conga line of gemstones, I still can't figure out the stone that's the centerpiece (as I said earlier, when in doubt, agate, so that's what I'll go with). The other gemstones that join in this dance on your wrist are carnelian, turquoise, pearl, garnet, jade, coral, apatite, mookaite, lepidolite, sterling silver beads and glass.  7-3/4" in length with a sterling silver clasp. Bracelets can be customized to fit your wrist, if lengthened a nominal fee is added for the extra gemstones. $41

the nautilus

This bracelet is a glorious symphony of color but the main stone was actually hard for me to part with. It's incredible to see the nautilus shape in the stone. And for the life of me I don't know what type of stone it is. When in doubt it's usually agate, so that's what I'm going with. The other gemstones that join in this party on your wrist are carnelian, turquoise, mookaite, pearl, garnet, jade, apatite, sterling beads and glass.  7-3/4" in length with a sterling silver clasp. Bracelets can be customized to fit your wrist, if lengthened a nominal fee is added for the extra gemstones. $41

Blue-green

SOLD please email me if you like what you see and would like a similar piece. 

What color pops into your head when you read blue-green? Is it teal or turquoise? Do you think of cyan and the color wheel? Perhaps you're more geographically minded and it brings to mind the colors of the sea and sky, Bermuda blue or azure? I just learned from the intrepid folks at wikipedia that in certain languages blue and green are considered a single color, I've heard of romance languages but colorblind ones? Don't even get me started on what pops into your head when you read chartreuse. This bracelet goes the blue-green spectrum with turquoise, jade, aventurine, apatite and glass beads. There are also some very non blue-green sterling beads, pearls and wood. Measures 7-3/4" in length with sterling silver clasp. Bracelets can be customized to fit your wrist, if lengthened a nominal fee is added for the extra gemstones. $47

whatever lola wants

Lola gets, although, in this case, her name is not Lola but the bean. The bean is a killer combination of charisma (honestly, many of the boys in first grade loved her) and steely willfulness, God help whoever marries her. The bean saw this on my work table and immediately picked it up, 'Ooooh, I want this one mommy, it's like a princess necklace so fancy and my favorites are those big sparkly beads.' From a six year old who plans to be a princess or a Christmas elf when she grows up, this was high praise. A very long 36-1/2 inches chock full of gemstones, labradorite, freshwater pearls of various hues, rose quartz and crystals. You can wear Lola looong or wrap it around twice for a different take on princessy. Sterling silver clasp. $67

at first blush

One of my favorite authors, Atul Gawande, wrote a phenomenal article about blushing that you can read here. His writing is, well I guess the best way for me to describe his writing is it makes me want to be a better person. Blushing 'combines physiology and psychology, in that it's uncontrollable and external, like a rash but, at the same time, it requires thought and feeling at the highest order of cerebral function. It's an effect of embarrassment and people strive not to show it when they are. But unlike sadness or anger or even love, it is fundamentally a moral emotion. It keeps us in good standing in the world.' I can't lay claims to this necklace keeping you in good moral standing but the palest greys, peaches and pinks certainly will flatter your face, whether or not you're blushing. An extra long necklace at 35-1/2 inches (you can wear it fast & loose or wrap it around twice) with sterling silver clasp. $53

red snapper

SOLD please email me if you like what you see and would like a similar piece. 

I never liked sushi until I was 38, when I finally went to a restaurant where the sushi was good. And that I found this place in landlocked Pittsburgh, just another reason it's the most livable city. Umi is an experience; a lovely little jewel box of a restaurant, you have to climb vertiginous stairs, with a dizzing mural of an asian boy riding a really long fish/whale? to get there. It's worth the trip. The walls are brushed in pale gold, I know that sounds opulent but the whole asthetique is very understated and sensual, it lets pure beauty show through. And the sushi chef at Umi, I call him the fish-whisperer, an artist that compliments the flavors of fish in uniquely mouthwatering ways. So I named this after one of my favorites. The red snapper is paired with a mint leaf and plum paste that has a bite, my crafted version has coral, turqoise, carved beads and sterling silver beads and chain with an unusual side clasp. 20-1/4" in length with a sterling silver clasp. $53

hippy dippy do

Carla hippy

Hippy Dippy Do

I see you got a boyfriend

Tossin' off, too

He made you a bong

In wood shop

Go ahead hippy

Hippy Dippy Do

It's late, I've gone all day without caffeine, without really much of anything to eat, the Prednisone is making me bonkers and when I was thinking of a name for this necklace an old mixed tape (from a suitor of the nineties, a nanosecond relationship that went down in flames) with Rocket from the Crypt came to me. Now I'm not espousing cannabis. God knows whenever I inhaled I prayed for it to end, and it always seemed to last an eternity. But back to the necklace, it's actually different types of turquoise, the main pieces being the equivalent of the island of misfits turquoise, but I love the earthiness to them. Accented with a couple sky blue beauties and a few golden agate beads. I envision adjunct professors at a prestigious college in the Northeast, sipping spiked cider and the woman wearing this necklace has a way of making them all heady before the alcohol even kicks in. 18" in length with a sterling silver clasp. $53

susurrous sunset

I long for autumn, the colors, the smell and the susurrous sound of leaves, it's like auditory dopamine for me. Up there with rain. Oh and if I can get rain and the fall leaves at the same time?! I'll be a candied apple in your child's very sticky hands. Bring wipes. Pearls in rust, burgundy and petal lie side by side with garnets and cut crystal beads. 18-1/4" in length with a sterling silver clasp. $29

dusk before the storm

Oh I guess I could say taste the flourite rainbow but I think Mentos might sue me for copyright infringement. And this lovely tapestry of greens, blues and violets is much more soothing than 'the freshmaker' although my children might beg to differ. It reminds me of the evocative colors of water and sky just before night claims the land. 17-1/4" in length with a fancy sterling silver clasp. $37

havasu necklace

SOLD please email me if you like what you see and would like a similar piece. 

Turquoise of a lovely pale cyan color, each stone heavily matrixed, think of it as a gem's way of telling its story. Accented with sterling beads, bone. 21" in length with a sterling silver clasp. $59