08/11/2026
A little behind-the-scenes look at what I was up to this weekend!
I spent the weekend working on some future pendants, and as usual, the stones had their own plans.
First, we have a couple of absolutely beautiful amber pieces ā and Iām still fascinated every single time I put them under the UV light and watch them glow. I swear, Iāll never get tired of that! Then thereās the one where the tip broke off. Wellā¦at that point, you have two choices: cry or get creative. So I just rolled with it and freehanded the design. Honestly, I kind of love how it turned out!
And then there was my Chrysocolla. šOne of the pieces decided to fracture right down the middle while I was working on it. Unfortunately, that one is officially unsalvageable. RIP, beautiful stone. You were supposed to have a future.
The opal pendant already on the chain is a 2.9-carat solid opal set in 14K gold, and the little opal piece beside it is an opal doublet wrapped with gold-filled wire. Those are ready for their forever home. Before you ask me how much the 14k gold 2.9 carat opal is you might wanna hold onto your butt. ļæ¼
The stones that Iāve polished but havenāt turned into pendants yet will need a few more weeks before theyāre ready, but there are some really pretty ones coming! Iāve got a gorgeous rhodochrosite and a labradorite with some absolutely STUNNING purple flash that Iām especially excited about.
So basically, this weekend involved a little gold, a little opal, some glowing amber, a broken Chrysocolla, a broken piece that I decided wasnāt actually broken enough to give up on⦠š
Jewelry making: where āwell, that didnāt go as plannedā is apparently part of the design process. š¤·āāļø
Stay tuned for the finished pieces!