As a matter of interest ...

While my suppliers are trying to calm everyone, the laws of supply and demand would indicate that turquoise prices are going to hit the roof again like they did in the 1980s.  China is going to be dramatically slowing its production of turquoise rough -- a couple of sources are suggesting that that country's output may fall by as much as 75%.


Available here.

While this is no doubt exaggerated, it has some interesting implications.  A lot of turquoise miners are going to lose their jobs -- but the loss of life in mining should slow too.  The environment around some of the turquoise mines should improve.

And as for what this will do in the jewelry industry ... well, turquoise was recently a Pantone Color of the Year, and it is still exceedingly popular, since it fits both the fruity jelly-bean shades that are in everything this year and the dustier ones predicted for next summer.  As the prices rise, we may see a surge in substitutes, like dyed or undyed howlite, which pleases me -- I much prefer howlite.  Turquoise may be found in fine jewelry more often than casual jewelry by the end of this decade -- as it becomes priced as a luxury, it may be paired with sterling, gold, and precious stones more often than leather, fiber, and bone.  That could conceivably redefine tribal/ethnic-inspired jewelry styles.

This will be interesting to see!

Unrelatedly, I am sick.  I do this every year, but usually I manage to weather it before the school year begins.  However, it's possible my body is still on California scheduling (UCR starts in late September) and thinks it's got plenty of time to be ridiculous.

Most inspiring drinky things

So, do you think the folks at the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen would mind if I turned everything they've ever photographed into a pair of earrings or a pendant?


Admire these fruity beauties!  The depth of field in this photo is just stunningly handled.  The gorgeously casual, utterly perfect tumbled look could probably be replicated with various sizes of Swarovski Cosmic Freeform Diamonds, dice beads and Simplicity cut beads:






The fruity shades and the very organic look of the skewers in these Watermelon Basil Martini Jelly Shots could be replicated with a stack of varying shapes of frosted resin and polymer clay, plus a messy, twisted spiral headpin in plastic-coated or nylon-coated wire.


These are their mimosa shots, glossy and tempting in this well-styled photo, and the minute I saw them, I thought that I could mimic that exactly with ball-end headpins worked into spirals (or, heck, just wire) supporting a stack of three lentil-shaped beads, maybe a lemon quartz or a nice glass, spaced with squares of thin yellow fabric.

Treasury Wednesday: Just Like Moonstone, Only Not

I occasionally make treasuries inspired by, but not including, my own items, which is probably bad for business. In this case, it was my sea opal Opalesce Cassandra bracelet, which has a bit of a carnival-glass look to me. Sea opal, generally sold as a gemstone, is actually a glass treatment. This doesn't prevent me from adoring it completely, except when I'm trying to find rainbow moonstone, M's favorite, and all I can find is mistagged sea opal.


Available here.

'Dewfall Carnival' by tangopig

Lustrous glass, moonstone, opal.

brown leather wrist... acaseofrandom $10.00	Baby Cakes - Taupe ... Folk $32.00	Jojoba lip gloss Akoekkoek $12.00	Lustrious Blues and... ForEveryOccasi... $30.00
Golden Glimmer - La... EvolvingCreati... $40.00	Dollhouse Miniature... tinytownehawai... $20.00	You ComPlate Me Mat... TheBrokenPlate $80.00	50% OFF SALE Why Dr... solocosmo $3.00
Crescent Moon 6 x 6... GretchenKramp $48.00	Luster shino leafy ... robertapolfus $66.00	Music 8 x 10 Photgr... MindfulThing $15.00	Vintage Plastic Cab... BumbershootSup... $3.75
Undyed Tussah Silk Dicentra $12.50	Beta Fish Ornament jillatay $23.00	Large Pearl Necklac... AdornmentsByMa... $300.00	SEA GLASS Long Bead... chicallure $40.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

"Asian Inspired" and its moral implications, or, Why Orientalism is Bad, Kids

So I just realized that my setup in this photo makes it look like the charms are sliding over a cliff to their certain doom.



That's okay; it sold last November.  Anyhow.

It occasionally troubles me to create Asian-inspired designs.  However, the following things always and without fail suggest Asia to me:

• peonies/ranunculus/large floral patterns
• cloisonne
• fish
• jade
• strong black/red, blue/red, or black/green color palettes

The problem?  Anthropological training has made me a little overly sensitive to cultural appropriation.  Mind you, this doesn't trouble me nearly as much as "tribal."  And yet ... who decides that something looks Asian?  Is it okay for me to use the term "Asian-inspired" when I in fact mean, "This, to me, resembles Western culture's idea of the motifs of Asia"?




The thing is -- I took Art History with a global emphasis and Artists in Traditional China in school -- the latter in seminar under Cheng-chi Hsü, one of the world's foremost experts on Chinese painters and their relationships with art connoisseurs.  I spent that class reading the UCR library's entire extensive section about Yangzhou courtesans so I could roleplay a courtesan novelist for the final project.  And this was after I abandoned, as beyond me without the ability to read Chinese script, a paper about the transgressive gender presentation of the painter-poet.  I am as educated on the matter of Asian art as most amateurs can claim to be.  Why do I always have this guilty feeling when I'm as qualified as most Westerners to identify Asian motifs?

 But that requires me to think of myself as a Westerner, which is a problem in and of itself, and it goes back to that old linguistic problem of the Orient and the Occident.


Available here.

Basically, the word "Oriental" means "from somewhere else."  It means, basically, "Them."  "Those people."  "The others."  To refer to someone as an Oriental is literally to say "the person who is deeply unlike me."  (This is why, in the Age of Steam, North Africans and Gypsies were called "orientals," though the term is usually specific to the continent of Asia today).

To call oneself a Westerner or Occidental assumes a geographical position; it says, "Of course this is the West and that the East.  Anyone who matters is standing right here, where it's true."


So true, Mr. Munroe.  So true.

So for the moment, I continue to soothe my conscience by using the terms "Asian" and "tribal," but being specific in descriptions ("motifs taken from Chinese scrolls," "suggested by the shapes of West African hunting trophies") and tagging with "asian inspired" and "tribal inspired."  The butterfly necklace up above is called "Papillon Orientaliste" -- the Orientalist butterfly, not the Oriental -- because I am trying to suggest an item created with elements that construct a reflection of a worldview of "the exotic" (there's an unwieldy construction), not that there actually is an Other to refer to by this term.

Possibly this is still morally corrupt, but it keeps me feeling honest, and I still think that's important.

Things that M hates

The most "statementy" statement piece I've ever made, which I decided, after consideration, to actually relist now, because I still really like it:


Available here.

People either love this or hate it.  It's very "tribal," though the word still bothers me.  I love how you can see the texture in the lustrous coral daggers, though it dates from before I decided I'd only buy coral as responsibly-collected focals.  I'm fond of the pyrite and chose the clearest carvings for this piece, though it does apparently weather significantly.  I did once have someone at UCR ask if I could do a long one with a few of the coral sticks for a man.  I should probably still do that; I have some beads that look like peach pits and African trade beads that these would blend well with, and it is right about time to start marketing summer items.

Tutorial: Wire-Wrapped Earrings

I figured I might as well do a free jewelry tutorial at some point, so why not the wire-wrapped bridal earrings from February?  They're a lovely simple, graceful, infinitely customizable design that can be made more or less casual.  And maybe I can get the photo onto Craftgawker (unlikely; they like their straight-on hero shots at Craftgawker, though it's much easier to be vetted in now, either because I've improved more than I realize or because they're no longer permitting Etsy post photos so there's drastically less competition).

Anyhow.

Free Handmade Jewelry Tutorial: How to Make Hand-Brushed Wire-Wrapped Earrings
suitable for bridal, formal or casual wear, with a subtle 14k brushed gold finish.

You will need:
- 8 inches (or so) 21g 14k gold-filled wire, dead soft
- 2 round 10mm beads
- 2 contrasting round 6mm beads
- 1 pair gold-filled earwires

- flush cutters
- round-nose pliers
- chain-nose pliers
- sanding block
-nylon-jawed pliers

The sanding block can be acquired inexpensively at your local hardware store.  As for the rest, get the good stuff.  Instructions after the jump.

Treasury Wednesday: Bright, Bright, Bright!

The brights of my garden inspired this one, and thinking about the fact that I've never owned chalcedony because the colors vary so much that I never know it when I see it. It contains some really unusual items, not my normal sort of thing, so I thought it was worth posting on the blog.

'The Garden of Chalcedonies' by tangopig

Aqua and red and pink and orange. Inspired by the flowers sprouting in my garden and the brilliant candy shades of chalcedony.

little handmade dol... variation $13.00	Original Fairy Flow... mermaidglass $14.00	Pink Rose on Bright... bedbuggs $24.00	Turquoise and Red F... larsandaddie $60.00
Setting Sun Embroid... TheSadaAbeExpe... $25.00	Wonderfully Intense... luckyloulou $14.00	bright magical gard... dylandogleash $26.00	Coral Ribbon Neckla... twillypopgirl $12.00
Aqua Red Hibiscus B... skeptis $28.00	Chloe's Classic... ChloesCollars $22.00	Paint Chip - The Or... KnockKnocking $65.00	MAGNESITE TURQUOISE... gabeadz $39.00
Tapestry Tote with ... carolleighhand... $88.00	A Dozen Dahlias flo... smilesandsquig... $4.00	Peaceful- 8x10 Prin... themiscellany $18.00	Elegant Sex Appeal ... Allofyou $31.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Mixed media materials

A couple of fun things I picked up last month at Two Gather Beads, our awesome local place:

The long spirally ovals are hand-painted leather rolls from Peru. The dark red and purple one will be joining some vintage buttons, a textured copper chain, and those hemp-wrapped rings behind it to become a big crazy mixed-media bracelet. The light green one -- I'm not quite sure. It kinda wants to be on one side of a multistrand necklace with the beaded strands all pulled through it.  I'm not sure I have the patience for this, though.  At any rate, the dark red-brown stripe look surprisingly good with leftover Swarovski Bordeaux crystal pearls. 

At the back: Navy Czech glass with this interesting AB effect that appears to have been applied through mesh.  It could go elegant or very industrial.  It will probably end up being part of something for M's next steampunk dress, one of the ones for Octavia: a pale blue velvety bustle gown with a darker blue polonaise, 1870s, with optional leather work apron.  In that capacity it will be joining another awesome find: mixed goldstone, which I found at the Artist's Market and Bead Store in the French Quarter.  The store, with its great selection and awesome proprietor, highly and thoroughly recommended; and some of the things I found there (including the mixed goldstone, which has exquisite desert streaks of dark gold and midnight blue with that stunning goldstone sparkle) I've never seen anywhere else before or since.

Odd lighting in that photo, no?  It was getting late and I ended up using the flash, which one really ought not; it oversaturates the colors and gives a slight film-grain effect.  On anything shiny, you get a line of bright white -- and just as you can lighten a dark photo but not darken a bright one, there's no making flash-flare on beads go away.  Ever.  You can see it on the leather even though it's satin at best.  And the leaves lying around were pinched off my flowering kale when they went crispy.  What would I do without fallen plant bits to stage photos?  Answer: not stage them.  But staging is such fun, even when it's a just a look-what-I-got photo.

Neat shop concept

This shop is a newish Etsy venture with an awfully cool concept: Each pair of earrings is displayed on and named after a different kind of branch, from "Rose Hip Cascades" to "Pinon Shells" to "Salwag Seed Blossoms."  Here are her "Turquoise Raindrops":


Image copyright Jessica Marks.

Just beautiful.  I like it because it gives the shop a nice unified look without being all the same background.  A lot of people on Etsy will pester one to use solid color backgrounds instead of themed ones like my broken pottery and raw silk and black jersey knit. What a neat way to blend background and "story" and personal appeal, though. Some of the photos in this shop are overexposed or just not quite sufficiently contrasty, but overall this is just lovely.

A moment of outrage

Remember that article I wrote about being very self-conscious in the use of terms like "tribal", "ethnic" and "primitive"?

Here's why.

I'm not sure there's any way to transition from people being treated worse than wild animals by governments who can't begin to understand that a way of life different from their own could possibly be fulfilling.  So I guess that constitutes the post for today.

Oh, except to say that the whole kerfuffle started over a boycott of tourism in the swimming-pool-equipped safari lodges that are blocking Bushmen from access to their drinking water and -- here's the jewelry bit -- Botswana diamonds.

You will probably hear me emphasize this again:  Please, please, if you do mean to buy a diamond, know where it comes from.  Don't give your money to people who are brutalizing indigenous cultures.

Bridal Collections 4: Opalesce

I am totally in love with sea opal.  I tend to like manmade stones in general -- witness my abiding love for sunstone/brown goldstone.  This is a treated glass which is absolutely freaking amazing in sunlight.  So naturally, I did an entire collection with it.


The name comes from the verb "to opalesce," meaning "to shine or glow like an opal."  I almost called it "Faience" but I figured there was even less chance of me or anyone else ever spelling it correctly.


Available here.

This is probably the most "usual," classic beaded collection.  I like how some of the pieces are very sleek and modern and some are more feminine and ornamented.  It sort of begs for mix and match.  I actually think it would be really cool for a carnival-themed wedding, with all the colors it picks up like carnival glass, but it would suit a beach wedding or a cocktail-hour sort of affair too.  And of course, there will be a sale with great discounts on this fascinating modern wedding jewelry:

Through October 21, purchase any piece from the Opalesce bridal collection and get free shipping (in the U.S.) or a shipping discount based on location (everywhere else) if you mention this post.

Discounts are given through PayPal.

Happy shopping!

Doing the custom order dance again

I'm pretty sure I've talked about both of these orders before. But now they're done. Which is exciting.

Here's the full wedding-party set that started with my teeny teeny pink cameos.



See, what happened was, after I made the little ones the customer asked if I could do a slightly larger grey one, and then I made a big one as well to match the original I was matching the others to. The grey had to be hand-painted, because I ordered it from a new source and said new source was apparently unclear on the difference between white and dark ivory. Which was interesting, doing the small delicate paint work, since that was right after it became suddenly and painfully obvious that my wisdom teeth had to come out and I was drugged to the gills. But off they go.

When I was "posing" the photo I was actually thinking heavily of Rossetti's The Beloved. I'm not sure it comes through. Hmmm.

And here are the diamonds.



It's really ... immensely flattering to be trusted with precious stones. And they're so incredible to work with, diamonds. No worries about wrapping too tight, no bloody fingerprints (bloody in the swearing sense, not the exsanguination sense). Gorgeous flash. And the planes of the uncut stones are just made for wire.

Other than these, I've been listing on eBay. And listing. And listing. And listing.

Oh, and now that I think about it, I really oughta link to Jewelry Findings Online. I got all the cameo settings from them. Don't be fooled by their catalogue, their products are great and high-quality, and they're very speedy. I've used them for a bunch of designs.