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Here's a quickie review of the Academy Awards last night, from a jewelers perspective. Natalie Portman's earrings were a perfect fashion accessory. They complemented (did not compete) with her dress and cheekbones. Her own style showed through and that's what made her look beautiful.  Anne Hathaway looked incredible in wardrobe and jewelry changes. She's got it. And who thought she needed James Franco, anyway? Best acceptance speech was from Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech", which ended with "always listen to your mother". That seems good advice whether you are a Hollywood star, director or a lowly jeweler at the Jersey Shore. Have a great day. And listen to your mother!
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I recycle all the silver scraps that accumulate at my jewelry bench. I heat the metal up and usually cast it into molds that I have created. Sometimes, I run out of forms and still have hot molten metal in the crucible. One option is to pour the metal into a jar of water. The reaction of the cold water and the hot metal is so fun to see. There's a sharp sizzle, like fireworks. And then there's a precious free form of solid metal. No two are ever alike.  Here are some results of a recent melting session. Notice the colors? How could this be silver? Well, sterling silver is 925/1000 parts silver. The other 75/1000 parts is copper. Some of what you see are the copper reactions. Also, silver, like other metals, changes colors based on heat and other factors.  Here's one that looks like a secret little pod. I added a tiny silver sphere (also recycled silver) and twisted some silver wire to create this ring. After I clean it, it becomes a shiny bright silver color. I add a dark antique patina, to enhance the mystery of the pod and to highlight the details.  This ring is available for sale in my Etsy shop. There will never again be another one exactly like it. Just like you!
 I love reading about local history of my area. Henry Hudson came here, to Sandy Hook, NJ in 1609. In the ships log is this observation about the Lenape Native Americans. "This day many of the people came aboard, some in mantles of feathers, and some in skins of diverse sorts of good furs. Some women also came to us with hemp. They had red copper tobacco pipes, and other things of copper they did wear about their necks." When I find shells on the beach, I just want to wear them. I think it's an ancient instinct within all of us. Here is a shell I found on Sandy Hook, made into a simple pendant of pure copper, to wear about your neck.    My walk on the beach today was much more pleasant than it has been in several weeks. It was warmer and much of the ice and snow are melted. I found some beach glass and purple wampum shells. That's always a good sign. Can Spring be far behind? I hope not.  So, here are three new beachglass pendants for you. The first is a refreshing spring green. I also have a frosted white and a pale aqua. I've textured the sterling silver backs with 3 different designs. These all include silk cords. You can replace them with your own sterling silver chains or a leather cord. The rings are extra wide to allow for thick chains. I've also soldered them for extra security. You can purchase my beach glass pendants here in the Beach Walk Treasures Collection page.   I realize that everyone is not into the Pirate theme. So, let me take a break from that today and share with you some new rings I've made for the Metal Sky Collection. Actually, I first made these rings in July. The 4th of July celebrations made me think of the stars that I've been drawing in the margins of my notebooks for many years. As a teenager, they were filled with hope and expectations. Today, although much older, I still think of them as my personal symbols of hope and dreams. Most importantly, they symbolize Freedom for me.    I've created the rings out of both copper and sterling silver. You can find them for sale in both my Etsy shop and on my own website. These were originally made as part of my participation in Ring a Day 2010. You can see all the rings I made in 2010 by clicking here. Do you have an icon that you consider your personal symbol? If so, please let me know what it is. I'm sure it would be a perfect inspiration for a piece of jewelry.
Valentine's Day always comes up on me quickly. As a jeweler, I never feel ready for it. I always think that next year I will have lots of new romantic designs available. Ah well...maybe next year.  But this past week, I DID create one new design that I think would make a perfect Valentine's gift. An X - which can mean a kiss - is also used by Pirates to mark their treasure. What a perfect symbol for a simple pair of post earrings! I made these to be rustic enough for a man, yet interesting enough for a unique woman. These are available as both a single earring and as a set. Every part of these earrings are handmade in my studio. I designed these to be sure that sterling silver is next to the skin. There are sterling wire posts as well. The copper is antiqued and the X is engraved. Although I usually sell all my items here on my own website, I have put these earrings for a limited time in my Etsy shop. Order (and pay) by Monday, February 7th and I promise to mail them by February 9th, which should be time to receive by Valentine's day! I'd love to be marked as a treasure by my Pirate, wouldn't you?
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 Mary Lu Wason
is a studio jeweler. Here she shares the inspirations, discoveries and process of creating her art jewelry collections. @PirateTides on Instagram Subscribe
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All images copyright Mary Lu Wason