Swarovski Crystal Necklace with Matching Earrings

This 18 inch necklace is made with genuine Swarovski crystals in the color referred to as...(drumroll, please)...CRYSTAL. That's right, this crystal necklace is the color of crystal. The beads used here start at 4mm at the 0.925 sterling silver clasp and graduate to 5mm and finally 6mm at the center of the piece. If you look real close, you may be able to see the tiny clear glass seed beads in the design, as well.

This is a difficult necklace to capture on film. When the light catches these crystals they glitter like diamonds.

The earrings hang about 1 1/2 inches from the 0.925 sterling silver hooks. They feature the same graduated crystals in 3mm, 4mm and 5mm with clear glass seed beads.

This design will be made available in more colors at a later date. It is also a set that will be available in quantities greater than one (1).

Freshwater Pearl Collar with "Black Diamond" Swarovski Crystals

This 18 inch collar-style necklace is six strands of freshwater pearls artfully twisted together. Nestled within the twists are several 4mm "black diamond" Swarovski crystals. The clasp is a hook and eye clasp of 0.925 sterling silver.

Price: $70.00

What is a cultured pearl?

Instead of allowing the oyster or mollusk to make a pearl on its own--a process than can take decades--a tiny foreign object is placed in the tissue of the oyster. It coats the offending object with nacre, eventually forming a "pearl". It is closely monitored until it is ready to harvest. 99% of today's pearls are cultured.

For further reading: Cultured Pearl

Necklace: Hand-Knotted Pearls

18 inch strand of white saltwater pearls, hand-knotted with 100% silk thread and 0.925 sterling silver clasp.

Price: $150.00

What are hand-knotted pearls?

Exactly what is says: There is a tiny knot between each pearl that is done by hand. This makes the pearls look better and the necklace is less likely to break since the cut edge of the bead hole wears on the knot instead of the thread itself. If it does break only one pearl is lost rather than an entire strand. Having the pearls spaced also reduces the wear on the beads themselves. Hand-knotted pearls are also referred to as heirloom jewelry.

Earrings: Sterling Silver Dangles with Seed Beads and Swarovski Crystal

Earrings: 3 1/2 inch dangle earrings with 0.925 sterling silver hooks, multiple strands featuring "liquid" silver, red glass seed beads and red Swarovski leaded crystals.

(Liquid silver is a rather fanciful name given to skinny sterling silver tube beads. When used in multiple strands, they seem to "flow" like liquid. The ones in this design are 0.925 sterling.)

What does 0.925 mean? Put simply, this means the compound is 92.5% pure silver. Fine silver (99.9%) is too soft for most applications. So a stronger metal is added to make the silver more practical for everyday wear and use. Copper is the usual choice for the other 7.5% of the equation.

Silver is a popular choice for jewelry both for its beauty and durability, not to mention the lower cost. It has also been said that silver can be a mood lifter.

For further reading: Sterling Silver

Swarvoski crystal beads are a brand name of precision cut lead crystal beads that have been around since the late 1800s. They are produced by Swarovski AG of Austria. Daniel Swarovski patented the electric machine that made mass production of the beads possible.

For further reading: Swarovski

Swarovski's official site: http://www.swarovski.com/

Necklace: 76 Inch Beaded Rope

Necklace: A simple 76 inch strand of earth-tone beads made of stone, wood and bone in multiple shapes and sizes. This necklace includes stones such as howlite, rose quartz, snowflake obsidian, aventurine, un-dyed fossil stone, fancy jasper, and several more.

Earth tones are the colors of earth or soil, brownish-reds and browns. Many different shades are in this piece, ranging from white to mahogany with a splash of green and pale pink.

Price: $28.00 US

Howlite is a white-ish stone with gray matrix that is often in a web-like pattern. It is often dyed turquoise to simulate that stone. It was discovered by Canadian chemist, geologist and mineralogist Henry How in California in 1868.

For further reading: Howlite

Obsidian is formed when lava cools without crystal growth. It is volcanic glass, comprised of so many minerals that it can't be classified as just one. It is sometimes referred to as a mineraloid. The "snowflakes" in snowflake obsidian are caused by the inclusion of white cristobalite, a high-temperature type of quartz, getting trapped in the black glass.

For further reading: Obsidian

Aventurine is a form of quartz, most often green but sometimes orange, brown, yellow, blue, or gray. It is a translucent stone with mineral inclusions that can sometimes cause a shimmering quality. The ones in this piece are green.

For further reading: Aventurine

Pendant: Opal in 14K Yellow Gold Setting with 18 inch Chain

Pendant: Genuine 5x7mm white opal cabochon in 14K yellow gold setting on a delicate 14K yellow gold chain, 18 inches long. A black, white satin-lined gift box is included.

The pictures do not do this stone justice. No camera can accurately capture an opal's iridescent fire.

What is an opal? It is a mineral of hydrated silica. Opals are known for their rich iridescence. It is Australia's national gemstone and one of October's birthstones.

In the Middle Ages, it was believed that opal could bring good luck. It was a commonly held superstition that the stone possessed all the benefits of all gemstones whose color was present in the opal. In Victorian times, gem dealers, with the help of an author they hired, attempted to stop the rush to buy opals by circulating a rumor of the stone's bad luck.

For further information, see this article: Opal.

Pendant: Genuine Amethyst Wrapped with Gold Wire

Genuine rough-cut amethyst hand-wrapped with gold-filled wire on an 18 inch gold-filled chain. The pendant hangs approximately 1 1/4 inches from the chain. Necklace includes black gift box lined with white satin. Close-up picture is larger than actual size.

Gold-filled wire and chains are made of a hard metal with a layer of real gold. This is not to be confused with gold-plate. Gold-filled wire has a layer of gold 50 to 100,000 times thicker than gold-plate. High quality gold-filled jewelry is sometimes considered a suitable replacement for 14k jewelry as it is similar in luster and beauty and is more affordable.

For more information, see this article: Gold-filled Jewelry.

Amethyst is a purple quartz whose name comes from ancient Greek, a methustos which means "not - to intoxicate." It was commonly believed that this stone could protect one from drunkenness. Obviously, it has no such power.

For more information, see this article: Amethyst.

Necklace: Freshwater Pearls & Swarovski Lead Crystal

Can be worn with the "tail" in front...

...or in back. (The tail can also be removed completely.)

Necklace: Reversible 17 inch strand of genuine potato shaped freshwater pearls with tanzanite (lavender) Swarovski lead crystals. The "clasp" is 0.925 sterling silver, handcrafted.

Price: $35.00

Necklace: Seed Beads & Porcelain Beads

Necklace: 16 inches of cobalt blue glass seed beads, several strands wound together to make a rope. Features five 8mm blue and white porcelain beads. Handcrafted 0.925 sterling silver hook and eye clasp.

(detail of beads and clasp)

Please note: The seed beads are not actually the bright blue they appear in the pictures here. They are a darker blue, more like the blue in the porcelain beads.

Necklace & Earrings Set: Freshwater Pearl Daisies & Seed Beads

Necklace: 18 inches, two strands of hand strung green iridescent glass seed beads, twisted into a rope. Focal point is three daisies made of freshwater pearls and pineapple calcite semi-precious stone beads. 0.925 sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

Earrings: 1.5 inches of green iridescent glass seed beads, two strands twisted together, ending with a pineapple calcite semi-precious stone bead and freshwater pearl.

(above: detail of pearl flowers and sterling silver clasp)

Necklace: Betelnut & Wood Beads

Necklace: 30 inches long, made with betel nuts and multi-colored wooden rondelles. Hand strung. Slips easily over the head.

Necklace & Earrings Set: Garnets & Freshwater Pearls

Necklace: 16 inches of 2mm and 4mm round garnet beads, 6mm freshwater button pearls with a handcrafted 0.925 sterling silver hook and eye clasp.

Earrings: 1 inch long from end of hook, 0.925 sterling silver hooks, 2mm and 4mm round genuine garnet beads, 6mm freshwater button pearls.

Necklace & Earrings Set: Emerald Swarovski Lead Crystal, Pearls & Malachite

Necklace: 20 inches of 0.925 sterling silver, 8mm malachite squares, freshwater pearls and emerald green Swarovski lead crystal. Clasp is handcrafted, 0.925 sterling silver hook and eye closure.

Earrings: 1.5 inches long from end of hook, 0.925 sterling silver, 8mm malachite squares, freshwater pearls and emerald green Swarovski lead crystal.