Jewelry Design « Vintage Glass Jewels

Crystal bridal necklace design

This is a design I love – and my customers have been pretty happy with it too 🙂 These crystal (glass) octagons are pointed back cabochons, glass jewels that measure 14mm x 10mm (approx. 5/8″ x 3/8″). They’re well faceted, sparkly, and feminine.

And here’s the even-cooler part. Take this same basic design, and instead of adding silver(y) chain, attach a clasp.

And presto, you’ve got a gorgeous bracelet! Hint: try this. When you’re making the necklace, instead of adding the chain to the octagons with a jump ring – use spring rings instead. Made that way, you can attach the chain to the jump rings anytime you want to wear your necklace. Or you can leave the chain off, clasp the spring rings *to each other*, and wear your octagons as a bracelet! (I’ll do up a pic soon and add it here.)

Double sparkly goodness for your prom, your Saturday night date… or your wedding. Win!

Glass Gem color combinations

I was playing with glass gems again, trying unusual color combinations to see how they’d look together. Sometimes that doesn’t work, of course – but sometimes we learn stuff and find very cool combos. I think this are kinda cool together 🙂

I think those jewels, linked with small jumprings or hand wired, would make fabulous dangling earrings. Or use them for one end of a lariat necklace!

Have fun with colors. Life is too short to always do the same old same old, yknow what I mean?

Blackened Brass Heart Charms

I recently found some smallish, adorable brass heart charms, both golden raw brass ones and deeply blackened hearts. I think the possibilities with these are endless!

Well, okay, maybe not endless. But varied, and interesting. I was thinking how cool these would look, paired with a vivid glass charm in red, or maybe a hand-wired white pearl dangle. I’m going to try a few ideas and will post them here later.

Heart charms are always in style, you know? They’re feminine and seasonless – and for easy, fun earrings? A win 🙂

Playing with new materials – resin roses

These 13mm (1/2″) resin roses aren/t precious – they’re just pretty 🙂 And they combine beautifully with antiqued brass, with filigrees, with glass. I’ve purchased a few and I’m going to be trying out a few ideas.

I’ll be listing a few more colors – and playing with some roses / jewel combos. So stay tuned for a bit (or check a little later..)

(aren’t they cute?)

Brass sparrow connectors

These brass sparrow two-ring connectors (in one incarnation or another) have been popular for a while now – they aren’t as trendy as foxes, or as last-season as owls: they’re a perennial favorite. And this particular batch is lightweight enough that they’re wonderful for earring dangles and connectors. They have a vintage patina (though are actually new brass) – the antiqued look is always in style.

brass sparrow connectors shown with ruby glass jewels

They’re available in blackened brass (newly popular this year) or golden raw brass as well – and they add a fresh, pretty touch to your earrings. And of course they’re fabulous for links in your bracelets or necklaces.

Easy. Inexpensive. Fun. This is a win 🙂

The beauty of contrasts – DIY jewelry design

Just another example of how contrasts make all your elements look better:

black filigree ornament and clear crystal glass jewel

You see what I mean? Whether this filigree-style “ornament” or another, the drama of using black with clear jewels adds a little extra something. These clear glass ovals are nicely faceted – the light and sparkle add just enough pizzazz to this combo to make it extra fun for a necklace focal. These were on my worktable – if I was going to make a necklace, I’d use gunmetal chain – or silver – or copper.

Contrasts. Play with stuff. Don’t match all your elements – on purpose. It works!

Jewelry design – mixed metals. Mixed colors.

I know, I’ve said this before – it’s worth repeating. Mix up your colors. Mix your metals. Mix clay and glass. Mix plastic and metal – why not? (Okay, not if you’re paying real gemstone prices.) But for fun stuff – why not?

Here’s another peek at some of the combos I found on my worktable:

mixed jewel colors and mixed metals - DIY earring ideas

The point here is, you don’t have to Match. Copper and silver together? Sure. Brass, copper, silver…. they can all look good. You’re the one who decides. If you like it – it works. If you decide you need those colors – it works.

You’re in charge. You like it? It works.

Your logo on jewelry :-)

A little something different – jewelry that features your logo. It’s fun, totally customized and personalized, and in my other shop I make these, so I figured I ought to mention it 😉

And hey, this particular example (made a ways back for Act4Murder dinner theater are even black and white – they’d be great with the vintage halter dress I posted about the other day!

Back to my regularly scheduled vintage and rhinestone goodies.

(The logo earrings are pretty cool, though…)

Tribal boho silver pendants

These necklace focals (pendants) were called Boho the other day – and I think that’s a good tag. I’d been thinking of them as “tribal” – but they are maybe closer to the way we think of “Boho”. A little bit earthy, a little bit off-beat, maybe a little funky too? (Boy is that an outdated word…)

silver finish tribal boho pendants in my Etsy shop

You know I love sparkly girly jewelry. But there are times when we want something a little off-center, a little androgynous, a little bit funky too? Yeah. Sometimes that really works. I’m going to be exploring more in that direction.

I’ll be curious to see what you think (let me know!)

Glass jewels and brass charms

An example of how adding a brass charm can make a simple, pretty necklace just a little bit more interesting 😉

golden brass acorn charms added to emerald glass jewel necklace

The emerald teardrop necklace is quite pretty all by itself. The little golden acorn charm just adds, oh boy it’s hard to resist this – it adds, well, charm. A little quirkiness.

A little fun. Fun is good 🙂

End of commercial 😉

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Crystal bridal necklace design

Glass Gem color combinations

Blackened Brass Heart Charms

Playing with new materials – resin roses

Brass sparrow connectors

The beauty of contrasts – DIY jewelry design

Jewelry design – mixed metals. Mixed colors.

Your logo on jewelry :-)

Tribal boho silver pendants

Glass jewels and brass charms

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