Pretty Good Jewelry

Blue opal wire-wrapped pendant

I bought this cabochon from a fellow in Australia.  The surface is a little rugged, which I think adds to its charm.  I wrapped it in sterling silver wire.

The finished pendant is just under 2 inches long, and weighs 0.3 oz.  I am not including a chain, but if you need one let me know & I can add one for about $14.

Price: $55 (shipping is free)

Turquoise wire-wrapped reversible pendant

I couldn't decide which side should be the front, so I invented a reversible wrap.  You can decide for yourself which is front.  (The little coil at the bottom of the bail marks my intended reverse, but you can think of it as a decorative flourish to the front instead.)

This is another purchased stone.  It's turquoise, and weighs 34 carats.  I wrapped it in sterling silver wire, and the finished pendant is just under 2 inches with a weight of 0.4 oz.  I am not including a chain, but if you need one let me know & I can add one for about $14.

Price: $22 (shipping is free)

Turquoise spiderweb oval wire-wrapped pendant

The first picture was taken in direct sunlight, and the others in indirect light.

This is my first wire-wrapped pendant (or at least the first I'll admit to: I did some previous practice wire-wrapping in copper).  The cabochon is one that I purchased on eBay.  It's blue turquoise laced with a dark spiderweb, measuring about 34.5mm by 25mm.

I used sterling silver wire for the wrapping, and a book for the pattern.  (I can't lay my hands on it at the moment, very frustrating!)  I set it aside for awhile, because I couldn't figure out how I wanted to add the bail (which is the loopy-thing that connects the pendant to the chain).  I made a woven bail, but it didn't fit in with the rest of it, so I made the very simple spiral bail that you see now.

The pendant is about 2 inches long, from the top of the bail to the bottom edge.  It weighs about 0.5 oz.  I am not including a chain, but if you need one let me know & I can add one for about $14.

Price: $25 (shipping is free)

Blue onyx necklace + earrings

These semi-translucent onyx beads are a beautifully vibrant blue.  The color isn't natural--they are permanently dyed, and I washed them several times to make sure.

The beads are round, 6mm in diameter.  I strung them with Bali vermeil spacers, finishing with a vermeil s-clasp.  The necklace is 17 inches long, and weighs 0.9 oz.

I made hoop earrings to match.  The hoops are 3/4 inches in diameter and are gold-filled, as are the small 2.5mm end beads.  The earrings weigh about 0.1 oz.

Price: $45 (shipping is free)

Azurite-malachite 6mm necklace + earrings

Here's an azurite(-malachite) necklace.   The beads here are a brilliant blue with patches of bright green, & are 6mm in diameter.  The twisted corrugated spacer beads are sterling silver, 4mm in diameter.  I finished with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

The necklace is almost 17.75 inches, with a weight of 0.7 oz.

I made matching earrings with more azurite-malachite beads, 3mm sterling silver twisted corrugated beads, and 0.75 inch sterling silver hoops.  The hoops are the kind that are a bit tricky to put in if you've never worn them before--you have to maneuver them a bit to put the bend in the wire through your ear.  The earrings weigh 0.1 oz.

Price: $41 (shipping is free)

Sodalite 8mm rondelle necklace

These sodalite rondelles were my last purchase in Albuquerque.  I was kicking myself for leaving the shop without buying them, so on our way out of town we made a special detour back to the shop, and I think they were well worth it.  The color is marvelous--blues ranging from almost a dark midnight through a luscious medium to a light faded denim, marked with white tendrils and clouds.  (I have a sodalite pendant for sale here, and other sodalite necklaces here and here.)

The silver rondelles are more of the 99% pure silver beads that I bought from a supplier in Thailand.  I finished with a sterling silver stylized hook & eye clasp (and the small silver beads on the end are sterling silver rounds alternated with sterling silver crimps + covers).  The necklace is 18.75 inches long, and weighs 1.4 oz.

Price: $58.50 (shipping is free)

Turquoise tiny coin necklace + earrings

There are a few beads with black specks, but for the most part this turquoise is a brilliant robin's egg blue, with a nice slightly waxy feel.  (You can see my other turquoise necklaces here, here, here, here, and here.)

The little coin-shaped beads measure 6mm across & about 4mm thick.  I strung them with Bali sterling silver spacers, ending with a sterling silver lobster clasp.  The finished length is 17.5 inches, with a weight of 0.7 oz.

I made chandelier earrings to match.  The sterling silver chandelier dangles are from Bali, and I hung the turquoise beads from them with sterling silver headpins.  (The French hooks are also sterling silver.)  The bead & silver dangles are 1.5 inches long, and the earrings' total weight is 0.2 oz.

Price: $77 (shipping is free)

Lapis lazuli silver drop necklace + earrings

Here's another drop necklace, this time with lapis lazuli.  The nine 9x6mm pear shaped cabochons (seven in the necklace & two in the earrings) have a total weight of about 13 carats.  The settings and lobster clasp are all sterling silver, and I used my favorite figure 8 sterling silver chain.  The necklace is about 16.75 inches long, and weighs 0.2 oz.

I made matching earrings by hanging lapis dangles from sterling silver posts.  The earrings weigh less than 0.1 oz.

Price: $75 (shipping is free)

Sodalite pebble necklace + earrings

Sodalite is often used as a cheaper substitute for lapis lazuli.  Sodalite blues are not quite the same shade as the best lapis, but I think they're very lovely. (You can see my earlier sodalite necklace here.)

The sodalite beads in this necklace are little pebbles, around 5mm in diameter.  I strung them with 4mm cubes of crackle quartz, set off with 2mm round sterling silver beads.  (The crackle effect is made by heating and then quickly cooling the quartz).  I finished with a silver lobster clasp.  The necklace is just under 17.5 inches, with a weight of 0.4 oz.

I made matching earrings by stringing more sodalite pebbles onto silver 0.75 inch hoops.  The earrings are very light, less than 0.1 oz.

Price: $21.80 (shipping is free)

Blue sapphire oval earrings

These sapphires are a lovely, if non-uniform, blue: there's a lighter patch visible in the left-hand stone.  Their clarity is translucent, not transparent.  On the other hand, they are pretty and affordable.

The stones weigh about 0.85 carats total, and measure 6x4mm.  I set them in sterling silver, and the total weight of the earrings is less than 0.1 oz.

Price: $19.90 (shipping is free)