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It’s always cool to see how the faceted glass jewels I sell look when made into actual jewelry! The mannequin I use in these pics is close to life size, so you can get an idea of scale.
The emerald green octagon is 10mm x 8mm (that’s approximately 3/8″ x 1/4″). The peridot green teardrop is 13mm x 8mm, a bit over 1/2″ high x 1/4″. You can see the earring has real presence, large enough to be sparkly and “seen”, but not large and heavy. (Love that they’re really not heavy!)
Of course you’ll choose your own beads and stones – or find some in my shop 🙂 And adapt this idea to your own style!
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!
Your first thought when you hear “white stones” is summertime, right? But think about it. “Winter white” is a common expression for a reason! And think of all the fall and winter outfits you’ve seen (and own) that are “black and white”, “red and white”, “blue and white”… you get the idea. Adding white to another color can create a beautiful, dramatic, year-round appropriate piece of jewelry.
This pic is really to show the scale of the white 10mm and 12mm white cabochons, especially when used with / compared with, the 18x13mm pears (probably the most popular jewel size). Plus it suggests how we can combine these stones.
Of course you’ll take this idea and use it with your own beads and stones – and make it your own style. That’s the fun of do-it-yourself jewelry!
Another example of how wonderful these vitrail glass gems are when paired with contrasting beads, stones, or charms. The golden brass flowers in this earring design work beautifully with the faceted rainbow vitrail glass diamonds.
Really I wanted to show another example, another style, showing how pretty (and fun!) these multi colored glass gems can be. They have variations in tone, some with more pink, or purple, or green, so if you have some charms or glass gems you want to coordinate with these stones, just let me know. We’ll find a great pair for you!
This simple, fun earring design has two main components: silver plated leaf charms that are a bit under 1″ long, and 10mm rivoli faceted, emerald green glass stones, linked to hang from a large ring. The elements complement each other beautifully!
Of course you can choose any color glass jewel that you love (or that you have on your work table!) I do think the 10mm round stones are a pretty contrast to the slightly longer silver leaf charms. But as always, you’ll adapt this idea using your favorite stones and shapes.
Will love to see what designs you come up with!
A new, personalized earring design idea – I wanted to show off one way to use the heart-shaped, brass stamping tags. It’s such a wonderful – and easy – way to personalize your jewelry!
Stamping tags are pretty great. It’s not hard to find the steel letters to make the stamped impressions (let me know if you need help finding some). And with two heart tags, you can add initials to any jewelry item. Or use several and spell out your child’s name, or your favorite word, or the name of a team you love, or… well just anything you think would be fun to wear and share with the world!
The glass jewels I use here are 12x12mm “cushion cut” octagons (a classic square octagon shape with rounded corners). Of course you could use whatever jewels you love the most. Add the tags with jump rings, slip on some earwires, and you’re good to go! Personalized jewelry – that’s easy to make and doesn’t cost a lot. The best kind of DIY!
It’s always useful to know what the birthstones (and birthstone colors!) are for the upcoming months. I’ve put together a few examples of birthstone color glass jewels that I have availble right now!
You’ll notice I didn’t even pick the showiest, largest stones. Those are wonderful of course – but sometimes you want small(er), less in-your-face jewelry. Or you want to combine glass jewels with other elements in your designs.
The thing is, this totally works. Use what you have, combine your elements with birthstone colors, and DIY some special custom jewelry for yourself and your friends!
The 18mm x 13mm (approx. 3/4″ x 1/2″) faceted glass octagon pendant featured in this necklace design idea is the color known as “light colorado topaz”. It’s a golden tan, fairly neutral, and super flattering. I’ve paired it with silver chain and small handwired beads in a complementary colors.
The small irregular beads I used here are genuine turquoise, but honestly any vivid beads would work here – the rich color is a striking complement to the golden tan pendant. But of course, you could use any colors with this design.
That’s what’s so fun about do it yourself jewelry. Take a look at the beads and stones on your worktable – I bet you could make some terrific combinations, interpreting this design in your own unique way. Make gifts for your friends – and for yourself!
The birthstone color for February is amethyst – so I wanted to show you guys some of the rich amethyst glass stones I’ve got in my shop right now. A couple of these are vintage resupply (yay!) but honestly, I’m pretty fond of each of these. And more that you’ll see if you peek in my shop!
Amethyst is actually one of the most popular colors anyway. What can I say, people love purple! And it’s not really limited to one season. Amethyst is gorgeous for romantic holidays like Valentine’s Day of course (hey, not everything needs to be red!) but it looks good all year round. Great with a tan. Great with winter pales, and winter whites, and blacks.
What can I say, amethyst looks good all the time!
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Jewelry and Accessories
Vintage, Recycled, Upcycled!
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