|
|
You remember we were talking several days ago about diamonds being the birthstone for April. Well of course diamonds are gorgeous – but gemstone diamonds also cost a fortune. Faceted crystal glass “diamonds” are also sparkling, flattering and lovely – and they don’t cost a lot. Take a look at these pretties!
These jewels make a great pendant-and-earrings set “as is”. They really don’t need a lot of embellishment! Slip the larger oval onto a chain with a strong jump ring and your necklace is ready. Add earwires to the medium-size (14x10mm) ovals, and you have fabulous matching earrings. Or decorate them with the beads, chains, and gems you like best. You know: make this idea your own!
P.S. If you want gorgeous, affordable, and EASY jewels for your wedding? These are wonderful bridal jewels!
I’ll admit it right up front – one of the things I love most about jewelry making, and having my own jewelry supplies shop, is that I get to play with color. I think a lot of us love to do that! I get to create new jewelry designs, and get to wear fun new jewelry that I designed and made myself – without having to spend a lot of money!
So in this pic I just wanted to show you a few of the vivid, pretty glass gems I have available right now:
And these aren’t even the “important” ones. These aren’t the biggest. They are simply colorful, and fun, and may spark an idea or two (or more!) for your own designs. And have fun making your own jewelry!
The light gray “black diamond” glass gems shown in these earrings are cabochons with interesting, ‘checker’ faceting. They look great in these two jewel settings, combining the black diamond pears and tiny round crystals.
And one of the great attributes of these jewels is that you can customize them – you pick the color of the tiny round stone at the top of the setting. Black diamond (gray) with sparkling crystal, as shown, is great – but what about birthstone colors? Or vivid contrast? There are many colors you can choose from – I think you’ll love them!
One of the interesting things about this design idea is that it combines foil-backed glass gems (the 10mm x 10mm diagonal square stone) with a sheer, no-foil-back teardrop shaped pendant.
Really I just wanted to point out that we can do that – we can combine colors that aren’t actually the same. Or textures. Or in this case, sheer and foiled stones. And it works!
That’s the fun of do it yourself jewelry – make it the way YOU want (and save money!)
The rainbow vitrail glass gems shown here are terrific when combined to make earrings. They aren’t heavy, but are vivid enough and have enough sparkle to really catch the eye. And they go with so many colors!
Now I know sometimes we want neutrals, or soft pastels. But you know, sometimes you want color that sparkles and is strong and vibrant and… fun!
That’s what you get when you wear rainbow vitrail. Combine the 10mm rivoli faceted rounds, and 14x10mm octagons as shown here. Or wear each shape alone. Or coordinate with other colors.
That’s the fun of rainbow colors!
This sapphire blue, two-stone glass jewel combination is turning out to be a customer favorite! These are sheer rhinestones (glass stones) – with no foil backs. The color is rich enough to shine even without the foil backing – as you can see here:
They are slightly different shades. Note too that the lighter sapphire octagons are handset into silver plated brass settings with closed backs – so the silver shows through and helps to actually lighten the color a bit. If we used patina brass settings, the octagons would appear to be much darker.
Really what I want to show here, is two different shapes, and how wonderfully they combine. And how much fun it is to try different prong settings! You’ll adopt the idea to your own particular style. That’s the fun of DIY jewelry!
P.S. Well, and also that you can save money when you design and make your own jewelry. Now that is *really* fun!
Hey, just one more reminder of why neutral glass gems can be so terrific! The pendant jewel in this pic is a faceted glass pear or teardrop that measures 25mm x 18mm – about one inch high. The round glass gems shown here are 10mm in diameter, or approximately 3/8″. They’re small enough that they are super lightweight when used as earrings – or as earring components. Imagine them linked to pearls, to small faceted beads, or to a bit of filigree – if you want to make fancier earrings. Yes, I’ll post a couple examples later, maybe next week. Stay tuned!
But even without those pics, you can see how useful these black diamond (gray) round gems could be! Link several together to make a bracelet, or necklace ‘chain’. Pair them with coordinating glass gems, or add rich color to provide contrast. Use your own style to make them work the way you want!
And – I don’t usually do “sales” – but from now through December 31, 2023, if you buy the gems shown in this listing you get a second pendant for free. Just let me know what freebie you want when you order!
These black diamond (medium gray) faceted glass gems are a great year round jewelry choice! Now don’t laugh, you know I like rich colors in my jewelry. But sometimes a neutral is just right. And especially if you’re making jewelry for someone else, and are not sure about their favorite colors, neutrals totally work.
These are what I would call “medium small”. The diamond shape stones are 10mm x 10mm, about 3/8″, and are great glass connectors as well as small pendants or earring jewels. The pear or teardrop shapes, shown inverted here as connectors, are also fabulous in one-ring settings for smallish pendants or earring jewels. Together or separately, these are terrific with most colors – and they work wonderfully for last-minute Christmas gifts too. Just saying!
The 18mm x 13mm (3/4″ x 1/2″) sapphire blue pear or teardrop shaped faceted glass stones in this pic are a rich, almost royal blue (though just a bit deeper in tone). The smaller diamond shape stones are gorgeous fuschia pink. Of course I love neutrals – but sometimes you want rich, fabulous color in your jewelry!
These teardrops are probably the most popular jewel shape – and of course I have them in lots of colors in my shop. Please go take a look when you have a few minutes – I think you’ll fall in love!
And just to make them even more tempting, from now through midnight on Friday, December 8, 2023, when you buy one pair of 18mm x 13mm pears (teardrops) in my shop, you get a second pair free! You just have to mention this blog post and the BOGO sale I mentioned!
The “montana sapphire” or navy blue glass gems in this pic are an easy-to-use pendant and earring jewels set (though they are sold separately). Navy Blue is super popular this time of year – it’s a great color for fall and winter, deep and rich. And if you want to make some jewelry for yourself, or for gifts, this is a super option for you!
The teardrop pendant measures 25mm x 18mm, or approximately 1″ x 3/4″. The smaller teardrops, or pear shape stones, are 18mm x 13mm. That’s probably the most popular size for earrings. These jewels are large enough to have great presence with no more embellishment, but not big enough to be heavy.
I think you’ll love them!
|
Jewelry and Accessories
Vintage, Recycled, Upcycled!
|