Earrings inspired by the simple circle.

Eternal Circles - These are the shapes I care most about. There are no points, no hardness. There is only softness, acceptance, wisdom, ancient intuition. The Halo, the Moon, the Spiral, the 12 divisions in a rosette and the Swirl are included in this form. 

Circle
Softness.
Acceptance.
Wisdom.
Ancient intuition.

Moon.
Spiral.
Swirl.
Circle.

I've always loved this quote from Picasso. Art is often going back to the beginning. I'm drawn to the art that calls at a primal level. Something that stirs the memory of a story that was told before us - a story of the ancients. 

Making custom wedding rings, I am often struck how lovers see themselves in their own world and their love as the center of their own special universe.

Spirals are found throughout nature. A seashell's curve, a hawk following it's prey, even weather patterns and beach formations occur in spirals.  NASA's site has some wonderful images of Spiral Galaxies.  They inspired me to think of how I can recreate the spiral symbol in my jewelry to reflect that special center of the universe love. 

This week I enjoyed creating a custom pendant to showcase a client's special Rune stone. 

He requested that I add a fleur-de-lis symbol. We decided to add it both as a cutout on the back and also a chased design on the sides. An ancient, rustic style was needed to reflect the ancient symbol of the Rune stone.

Following are photos of the process. 

I measured the stone he provided and figured the right height for the custom bezel. I tested a design on a scrap of silver. Once the bezel was completed, I tested it for the fit. I created a fleur-de-lis sketch to fit. The backplate and bale were soldered. The cutout was pierced with a jeweler's saw. The stone was set using a hammered handpiece.  A dark, antique patine was applied and then hand brushed and polished.

Do you have a special stone, coin, token or shell? Would you like to make it into a wearable piece of jewelry? I'd love to work with you on creating a one of a kind treasure.

I love what I do. I really do. I move metal, five days a week, into forms of love, memories, faith and hope. I felt so blessed this holiday season, in the midst of all my busyness. What a wonderful job I have, to create treasures for others! How cool is that?

Shhh...its a secret. Don't let my family know, haha... Even when I had a ton of orders to make, I was sooooo happy, sitting at my jeweler bench, late into the night. You know how Derek Jeter says in the post season, "I live for this"? Well, making jewelry that means something to the recipient - I live for that.

Many people like to give a cross as a gift. I can engrave initials, a special date, a Bible verse citation, etc. Most of my crosses don't allow for too many characters though. One customer asked me to engrave the names of her four children on the back of a cross, as a gift to her husband. It seems I'm always asked to engrave more than what will fit nicely. So, I was inspired to create this square cross design. 

It's a one inch square solid sterling silver on the back, which allows for lots of custom engraving space. The cross is also sterling silver. The two pieces are textured with different hammers, to create a bold contrast. I add a dark antique patina to highlight the rustic style. It's great for a man or a woman who likes the rustic look.

You can order your own version at this link.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/119442944/

You can see more cross designs  here. 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lobsterlu?section_id=10338618