Charmed Bracelets

Walk a Mile in My Geta

 The little charm on this one-of-a-kind bracelet is a Japanese sandal, or geta. The vintage charm is sterling silver. 

Jade seems the perfect pairing for this Asian charm.

 The bracelet has two strands. One is a simple string of jade beads, and the other is a chain that I made using jade rondelles, sterling silver wire, and jump rings, which are also sterling. 

The bracelet closes with a toggle clasp and has an extender chain so that it adjusts to fit most wrists.

Price: $120. The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. mailing addresses.  

 

To buy the earrings: Jade Triplets

A note about Japan: I consider Japan to be my second home. I lived in Japan for a total of more than seven years and my older son is Japanese--I adopted him when he was seven months old. I have a master's degree in Japanese language from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, so it's not surprising that I gravitate to all things Japanese.

Photos: @ Monica Strasen 2010.  

Design and text: @ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

More Scrabble Tiles

 The Queen of Hearts bracelet has sold, along with one pair of the matching earrings (actually, the woman who bought the bracelet asked me to make it into a necklace instead, and I'm happy to do that). 

I still have three Scrabble tiles from the same workshop, all with bright red designs. They include a Japanese "beckoning cat," a retro bicycle, and a juicy-looking apple. 

Choose the tile you want, and I can make you either a double-strand bracelet or a single-strand necklace using the red magnesite.

Price for either a bracelet or necklace is $100, which includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

 See also: The Queen of Hearts

Photos: @ Monica Strasen 2010.

Design and text: @ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

SPECIAL SALE: Quack! The Necklace

 I designed this choker-length necklace to show off a very special charm: a chalcedony duck that was made in Asia (either Japan or China, most likely) in the 1950s. 

The charm alone is valued at $65 because of the quality of the carving. 

 To set off the light red of the duck, I've paired it with five strands of jade and natural agate. The jade beads are two colors--deep green and olive--and two sizes. The agate beads are the same mix of natural colors in two sizes. 

The strands are gathered into two sterling silver cones and the necklace closes with a handmade hook. It has an extender chain for a perfect fit. 

The extender chain is weighted with a lime green jade bead, shown in the photos. 

Length: about 17 inches. 

Price: WAS $170. NOW: $130. The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. 

See more charms in this group: 

What's New: Charms

Photos: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

Vintage Noodle Bowl Charm and Jade: SOLD

The little charm on this one-of-a-kind bracelet is a Japanese (or Chinese) noodle bowl, complete with a pair of chopsticks and a spoon! 

I especially love the spoon--if you look closely you can see that it is a replica of the ceramic spoon that you use to eat Japanese ramen or udon noodles. 

Since I spent four years of my life in Hawaii and seven in Japan, I've eaten a lot of noodles out of bowls like this. 

The charm is sterling silver. 

The bracelet has two strands: one of lime-green jade beads and the other a sterling silver chain with diamonds joined by small links. The bracelet closes with a handmade S-hook and the toggle is the same lime-green jade. The bracelet adjusts to fit most wrists. 

A note about the photos: The color of the jade is a bit too yellow in these photos. It's a tough color to photograph. For a better idea of the color, see these earrings: A New Classic in Lime Jade

Price: $110.

The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. destinations. If you live outside the U.S., e-mail me to discuss postage and insurance charges: jeanne.sather@gmail.com 

THIS BRACELET IS SOLD.  

More jade: Jade

Photos: Monica Strasen.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Vintage Pagoda Charm and Jade

This one-of-a-kind bracelet has a very special vintage charm: A sterling silver pagoda that opens to a gold Buddha. 

The charm was one of a group I bought recently from a dealer in Canada. I researched the charm and found that it was made in England in the 1960s, when "mechanical" charms like this were very popular. 

To see another photo of this and other mechanical charms, both open and shut: Mechanical Charms

Jade seems the perfect pairing for this Asian-style charm (pagodas like this are found in both Japan and China), and I made a double-strand bracelet with sterling silver wire, jump rings, and jade beads in three sizes and shapes. 

The bracelet closes with a handmade hook, and has an extender chain to adjust the bracelet for a perfect fit. 

This bracelet is sold, but I have other mechanical charms and more jade beads. If you'd like me to make you something similar, shoot me an e-mail: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Asian Influences

I made this bracelet for myself, to show off my favorite vintage charm--a tiny rickshaw made in China in about 1910. 

The bracelet is five strands of jade beads of various shapes and two colors. The lighter jade is called Korean jade, and the traditional dark green jade is British Columbia jade. It closes with a sterling silver toggle clasp. 

The coin is a 5-sen coin made in Taisho 11, which was 1922. (Taisho was the son of the Emperor Meiji and father of the Emperor Hirohito.) This silver coin contains a bit of Japanese history, because sen coins are no longer made. 

Before WWII, when this coin was in circulation, 100 sen equaled one yen. Since at present-day exchange rates one yen is about equal to one cent, you get a sense of inflation in Japan during the 20th century.

I had two of these coins. I bought them at a coin dealer in the Ginza during a recent trip to Japan. The other is on another jade bracelet, this one for sale: Jade and Japanese Charms 2

As I mentioned, this bracelet is not for sale, but I have more of these jade beads, so I am happy to make a similar jade bracelet for you. I am looking for more of the old silver coins from Japan, and I have a couple more Japanese charms. E-mail me if you are interested: jeanne.sather@gmail.com 

Jade and Japanese Charms 2

Here's another one-of-a-kind bracelet. 

Jade is the perfect pairing for this vintage charm and old coin from Japan. 

The charm is a Japanese abacus that dates @1940s-1950s. It is sterling and stamped "Japan." The little beads move, which I find amazing in a charm this small. 

The coin is a 5-sen coin made in Taisho 11, which was 1922. (Taisho was the son of the Emperor Meiji and father of the Emperor Hirohito.) This silver coin contains a bit of Japanese history, because sen coins are no longer made. 

Before WWII, when this coin was in circulation, 100 sen equaled one yen. Since at present-day exchange rates one yen is about equal to one cent, you get a sense of inflation in Japan during the 20th century.  

The bracelet has two strands. One is a simple string of jade beads and the other is a chain that I made using jade rondelles, sterling silver wire, and closed jump rings, which are also sterling. 

This is a very popular design, and one of two I've made using jade. (See also: Jade and Japanese Charms

The bracelet is 7 1/4 inches long, which fits a medium-sized wrist, and closes with a sterling toggle clasp. As always, if you need a longer or shorter size, I am happy to adjust the bracelet for you. 

Price $130. 

The price includes taxes, shipping, and insurance to U.S. destinations. Shipping and insurance to non-U.S. destinations is about $15 more. THIS BRACELET IS SOLD. I WILL HAVE ANOTHER SIMILAR ONE SOON, SO E-MAIL ME IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. 

A note about Japan: I consider Japan to be my second home. I lived in Japan for a total of more than seven years and my older son is Japanese--I adopted him when he was seven months old. I also have a master's degree in Japanese language from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, so it's not surprising that I gravitate to all things Japanese. 

Photo: Monica Strasen

@ Jeanne Sather 2009.

Jade and Japanese Charms

Jade is the perfect pairing for these vintage charms from Japan. 

The first charm is a Japanese fan decorated with images of Mt. Fuji and cherry blossoms. The second charm is a tiny turtle, a popular symbol in Japan. Turtles symbolize long life and security. 

The bracelet has two strands. One is a simple string of jade beads and the other is a chain that I made using jade rondelles, sterling silver wire, and closed jump rings, which are also sterling. 

This is a very popular design, but the first one I've made using jade. 

The jade bracelet is 7 1/2 inches long and closes with a sterling toggle clasp. It will be for sale at the Cattlemen's Ball in Nebraska. 

A note about Japan: I consider Japan to be my second home. I lived in Japan for a total of more than seven years and my older son is Japanese--I adopted him when he was seven months old. I also have a master's degree in Japanese language from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, so it's not surprising that I gravitate to all things Japanese. 

THIS BRACELET IS SOLD. I WILL HAVE OTHER JADE BRACELETS FOR SALE SOON. 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009.