Charmed Bracelets

Joy's Necklace

 I made this necklace for my aunt to wear when she goes to a family wedding next weekend. 

The necklace is about 60 inches in length, and can be wrapped once, twice, or three times around the neck. It closes with a sterling silver toggle, which you only need to open if you wrap it three times.

The beads include carnelians, garnets, chrysocolla--which looks like turquoise--and three colors of jade. The chain is sterling silver. 

I made her a matching pair of earrings, but haven't photographed those yet. 

The model is my friend Laurie, who has a couple of blogs of her own. One for her art, and one for her massage practice.

See:

Laurie Fronek, LMP 

Sospira 

If you'd like a similar necklace, please e-mail me: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

For more photos, see:

Joy's Necklace: A Close-up

Joy's Earrings

Click on either photo to enlarge. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

 

 

Little Girls: Buttons and Ladybugs

The woman who bought my first bracelet made from vintage mother-of-pearl buttons (See: summer bracelet: white on white) wrote and told me how much her little girls loved her bracelet, and we decided to make them button bracelets of their very own. 

I used the smallest buttons from my stash of vintage mother-of-pearl buttons, and teamed them with glass ladybugs.

The bracelet are assembled with active little girls in mind: The ladybugs and buttons are attached with wrapped wire loops, and the bracelets close with lobster-claw clasps. I also left some grow room, because I want them to be able to wear these for years. The loose end of the bracelets is weighted with a sterling silver heart charm and a glass leaf. 

These are a one-of-a-kind custom order, but if you'd like something similar for a girl you know, shoot me an e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

Photo: Monica Strasen. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

 

Mechanical Charms

The group of charms I bought recently from a dealer in Canada include three "mechanical" charms: 

A sterling silver pagoda that opens to show a gold Buddha 

A sterling guitar that opens to sheet music 

And a sterling heart that opens to show a wedding couple. 

According to Sandy, a dealer who often sells me vintage and antique charms, the three mechanical charms are all 1960s English charms, valued at about $25 to $30 each. 

This kind of mechanical charm was very popular in Britain during that time, and the charms retain their appeal today. 

I didn't polish these charms before we took the photos, but I will when I make jewelry with them. I like to polish vintage charms with a polishing cloth, which leaves some of the patina and gives a soft shine. 

See more of my jewelry with mechanical charms:

Funky Vintage Cowboy Hat

Cattlemen's Ball: Auction Item

Photos: Monica Strasen. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

What's New on Charmed Bracelets?

I bought this group of charms from a dealer in Canada. She told me that the charms came from two charm bracelets put together by a wealthy Canadian woman who traveled widely in the mid-20th century.

I checked in with Sandy, the dealer in England who sells me very special vintage and antique charms, to get her input on this batch. 

The charms include a solid sterling silver persimmon from Japan or China, a parrot made from an animal tooth, a couple of gemstone hearts and a gemstone duck.

In addition, there are three "mechanical" charms: a sterling silver pagoda that opens to show a gold Buddha, a sterling guitar that opens to sheet music, and a sterling heart that opens to show a wedding couple. THE PAGODA IS SOLD. 

According to Sandy, the three mechanical charms are all 1960s English charms, valued at about $25 to $30 each. 

The bear is a "Berlin bear," valued at about $20. I GAVE THIS ONE AS A GIFT. 

The cube set with gems is probably from Thailand, and worth about $25-$30. 

The jade ball has a gold bail and Sandy thinks it is @1940s. It is valued at $70. 

Of the two hearts, the chalcedony one is much older, Edwardian, and is worth about $40.THIS ONE IS SOLD.  

The blood stone heart (green with red areas) is 1960s and worth $25. 

The beautifully-carved duck is Asian and @1950s. It is valued at $65. THIS ONE IS FOR SALE ON A NECKLACE. SEE: Quack! The Necklace

The whale is also Edwardian, and worth about $65. I GAVE THIS ONE AS A GIFT. 

The parrot, which I was told is ivory, is actually made from a tooth, Sandy says. "It was quite common for people to make charms from teeth," Sandy writes, "I doubt this is saleable for obvious squeamish reasons." It is probably from a deer or elk. 

Finally, the persimmon, which is my favorite charm out of the entire group. Sandy thinks it is 1940s, because of the quality of the workmanship and the fact that is is solid sterling silver. It is worth about $35.  THE PERSIMMON IS SOLD. 

I've started working on some necklaces and bracelets which will each showcase one of these very special charms. I'm using various shades of green jade beads and sterling silver. 

If you are interested in one of these charms, shoot me an e-mail (jeanne.sather@gmail.com) and we can discuss making you a custom piece with the charm of your choice. 

See also: Mechanical Charms

Photos: Monica Strasen. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Earrings: Agate Triplets

What's that old saying? ... "Good things come in threes"?

For the past couple of weeks, my bathroom has been home to a trio of young kittens. Maybe they were the inspiration for this pair of earrings ... or maybe it was the influence of ikebana, Japanese flower arranging, in which three main stems--either flowers or branches--form the structure of the arrangement.  

Whatever the inspiration, the result is a pair of earrings which have three agate beads of varying shades of amber-to-red dangling from sterling silver wires.

These earrings look especially good with short hair, or long hair that is styled up and out of the way. 

Price: $25

The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

 

See also: Elegant Jade Earrings

Photo: Monica Strasen. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

'Lost Earring' Necklace 2

I made this "lost earring" necklace for an editor I used to write for. (I also made one for her grandmother. See: 'Lost Earring' Necklace 1)

She sent me the earring--which is a great one, a sterling silver dragon on a dark bead--and I matched it with jade rondelles and sterling silver chain to make a double-strand necklace. 

The first strand, with the jade beads, sits at choker length at the base of the throat, and the longer chain with the dragon bead hangs below it. 

The two chains fasten with a sterling claw clasp, and there is an extender chain for a perfect fit. 

If you have a "lost earring" that you'd like to have me recycle into a bracelet or necklace, just e-mail me and we can talk about it. I love special orders.   jeanne.sather@gmail.com

Photo: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Froggy Necklace

This double-strand necklace was designed to set off a vintage sterling silver charm: a frog on a lily pad. 

The first strand in this one-of-a-kind necklace is choker-length. It has square jade beads spaced on a sterling silver chain. The second strand is a length of one of my favorite sterling chains: delicate round links that lie really nicely. 

The vintage charm is a little frog on a lily pad.  I added a small bead in yellow-green jade to set off the charm, and the extender chain is weighted with a larger bead in the same color of jade. 

It's a very elegant piece, and the jade beads are especially nice ones from my favorite Seattle bead store, Beadworld, on Roosevelt Way NE.  

Price: $120.

The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

THIS NECKLACE IS SOLD. 

Photos: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Frogs: What Could Be Cuter?

I've added a new category to my jewelry blog: FROGS!

Check the right column for the link.

I grew up in a small town, playing with frogs. 

In the 1960s in Hoquiam, Washington, we had tree frogs in the yard, and bigger frogs in the swamp at the end of our street. Hoquiam is at sea level (altitude: 0), and is only a few miles from the rainiest spot in the continental United States--a pretty good environment for the little guys with webbed toes. 

My sons grew up in Seattle, and, sadly, it's pretty hard to find a frog inside the city limits (I know one or two places where they can be found, but I'm not telling). We used to have to go to the zoo to see frogs. And the boys had projects at their grade school where they hatched tadpoles and then released them in Ravenna Park, which is near our house, but the frogs did not survive. Environmental change. 

So I have an affection for frogs that has now spilled over into my jewelry. 

The first piece is a double-strand necklace made with square jade beads and sterling silver wire and chain. The vintage charm is a little frog on a lily pad. 

Buy the necklace: Froggy Necklace  SORRY, THIS ONE IS SOLD. 

I have a couple more frog charms, the ones in the photo above, and if you want me to make you a piece of jewelry with one of these, just send me an e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

If I don't get a special order, I'm thinking that I'll make a bracelet using the sterling frog charm and the light green jade beads that I've used so far in earrings. You can see the earrings here, although they are sold out. I do have more of the beads, though. See: Elegant Jade Earrings

The glass frog on a bead came from Germany, I bought him when I was in Frankfurt. I'm thinking that he would look well on a cord with some chunky beads--that could be either a bracelet or a necklace, I haven't decided yet. 

Photos: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Wear Your Heart on Your Wrist 3: SOLD

This may be the most romantic bracelet ever. 

One strand is a vintage chain made entirely of sterling silver hearts. The chain is linked hearts, and more hearts dangle freely from the chain. It is @1980s and has a lovely patina. 

The second strand I made by linking carnelian beads together with wrapped wire loops. The one-of-a-kind bracelet closes with a sterling toggle clasp, making it easy to put on one-handed. 

Length: 7 1/2 inches. 

(This fits a wrist that is about 6 1/2 inches. Please measure your wrist and let me know if I need to adjust this bracelet to fit you.)

Price:   $130. 

The price includes taxes, shipping, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

See also: 

Craving Carnelians?

Craving Carnelians 2

Photo: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Craving Carnelians 2: SOLD

The second new pair of carnelian earrings are a style that I've made before with jade and other gemstones, but these are the first I've made with carnelians.

Call these, "Simple Carnelian Earrings." 

Price: $25.

The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

THESE ARE SOLD, SORRY. 

Photo: Monica Strasen. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009.