Quote of the Week!

Workshop Wednesday....Just a Couple of Days Late!

So this week I have taken on a challenge set by my lovely husband! His birthday falls within days of Christmas so thinking of presents to cover both can be really tricky.  Husband has always loved a boiled egg or two for breakfast so has tasked me with making him an egg cup for birthday/Christmas.  This involves using skills that I don't yet possess so I have enlisted the help of someone who does!

And so we begin with a 75mm diameter disc of fine silver......fine silver is 99.9% pure and is softer than Sterling Silver (which is 92.5%) and therefore easier to shape.  My two tools for the job are a wooden bossing hammer, this looks like a wooden pear, and numerous blocks of wood that have a circular bowl shape set into them of various sizes and depths.  The silver disc is then hammered so the edges are bought up.  It's a bit difficult to describe so hopefully the pictures below will help!

.......and this is where we're at so far! It doesn't look quite like an egg cup yet but it's getting there! I'll update again next week :-)

November's Here!

November....the month of Bonfire Night, Toffee Apples, stunning colours in the trees and frosty mornings! I love this time of year!

From a gemstone point of view, we have the lovely Topaz and Citrine as this month's birthstones.  The poem above indicates that Topaz is an "amber hue" but the truth is that Topaz comes in many different colours including shades of blue and pink.

More to come on those beautiful gemstones over the coming month.  If you are a November baby, or know someone who is, and would like to commission a special piece of jewellery featuring one of these lovelies, then drop me a line via the "Contact" page.

Quote Of The Week!

Gemstone of the Week ~ Tourmaline!

You lucky October babies not only get Opal as your birthstone but also Tourmaline

Tourmaline is one of those gemstones that has loads of different varieties.  The name comes from the Singhalese word turamali meaning "gem pebbles".  I quite like that :-)  Why are they called gem pebbles I hear you cry! They're called this because the rocks in which they most often form are not as resistant to weathering as tourmaline is and so they can be found in gravel deposits as little gem pebbles.  

So, let's get onto these different varieties.  I'm going to introduce you to some of my favourites.

This is a Tourmaline you don't see very often and I have no idea why.  It is colourless and known as an Achroite Tourmaline.  

Next up is the gorgeous Rubellite Tourmaline ~ just look at that colour!  Rubellite Tourmaline shades range from pale pink to shocking red.

This blue Tourmaline is known as Indicolite.

Now this has to be one of my all time favourites! Paraiba Tourmaline is quite new to the gem world.  It's neon colour comes from the copper contained within it.  Isn't it stunning?

This type of Tourmaline makes me smile every time I see it ~ Watermelon Tourmaline! Yes, this is completely natural and is known as colour-zoning.  When these crystals are sliced across, you get a red or pink centre surrounded by a rim of green.

One for the Boys.....Popping The Question!

According to a survey last year of 10000 people, conducted by events company Chillisauce, the Winter months are the most popular for popping the question.

The results show that Christmas Eve is the most popular day, with 31% of the votes, followed by Valentines with 22% and New Year's Eve with 18% of the vote

What's The Best Day of the Year to Propose?

Source: www.chillisauce.co.uk

Now, I know there's a trend for proposing and then buying an engagement ring together but that breaks my heart!!  I think it's so romantic to propose with a ring that you've spent time and effort over, whether it's an "off the shelf" ring or one that's been created especially for you.  I'm hoping that if you're planning on proposing that you know your partner well enough to know whether something simple and beautiful or something blingy and over the top would be the right ring.  Maybe something unusual or quirky would be appreciated more?  

I created a ring with a rough diamond set in sterling silver that was perfect for one bride-to-be, chosen by her partner.

A beautiful rough diamond

Rose cut diamonds have increased in popularity since Jennifer Aniston engagement ring.  They are an old cut which look beautiful and give a nod to being a bit different while still being traditional.

Although "diamonds are forever", consider other gemstones....Diamond engagement rings first became popular in the 1930's, although diamonds were used in combination with other gemstones in Victorian times.  Other beautiful gemstones include.....

Tanzanite, considered to be 1000 times rare than diamonds!

Alexandrite appears different colours in different types of light!

One of my favourites, Padparadscha Sapphires

Ring designs are something else to consider.  While traditional designs are beautiful, is this something your future fiancee would like?  Or would they prefer something a little quirkier?

If you want to commission a lovely ring that may be a little more unusual, don't hesitate to drop me a line via the contact page.

Quote Of The Week!

Gemstone of the Week ~ Halleys Comet Opal!

I've written about opal a few times now and, as we're in October and Opal is one of it's birthstones, I'd thought that I might tell you about one Opal in particular.

This Opal is called the Halley's Comet opal and no, it didn't come from a comet although when I heard about it, that's what I thought too! After all, Peridot has been found in asteroids so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch :-)

It's called Halley's Comet as it was found in November 1986 in Australia as the Comet was passing through the southern skies at the time it was discovered and is only visible every 75 years.  Five Australian miner's known as the "Lunatic Hill Syndicate" found the gem, the largest uncut black opal in the world, at an open-cut mine near the famous Lightning Ridge in New South Wales.   It weighs nearly 2.000 carats (!), is about the size of a man's fist and is thought to have formed around 20 million years ago, phew!  The Syndicate was made up two brothers and a small company that provided earth-moving equipment.  "Lunatic Hill" got it's name back when mining first started at the site.  Opals could be found just a few feet below the surface in the shallow flats below the hill so that's where the most experienced prospectors stayed.  Why would you need to go to the top of the hill?  Only a madman would start up there, you'd have to dig for a very long time to find anything.  But this is exactly what this syndicate did and the Halley's Comet Opal was found 20m below the surface!  Just goes to show, just because someone thinks your're mad to do something, doesn't mean you're wrong!

Wedding Jewellery - Traditions and Folklore!

So I'm just going to kick straight off with the piece of Wedding jewellery pretty much everyone has.....

The Wedding Ring  This one goes back a loooooooong way! Exchanging wedding rings dates back as far as the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and symbolises a circle of eternity, altogether now.....Aaaaaah

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence In Your Shoe"  This is an Old English rhyme about charms that would be given to the bride on her wedding day.  The Something Old represents continuity, the Something New represents optimism for the future, Something Borrowed symbolises borrowed happiness and the Something Blue stands for purity, love and fidelity.  The Sixpence would be placed in the Bride's shoe by her father as a wish of good fortune and prosperity.  There are many ways of incorporating these into your jewellery ~ the old could be a family heirloom; the new could simply be your wedding ring; the borrowed could be a piece of jewellery loaned from your mum or best friend; and the blue could be a gemstone in your earrings or necklace.  I have combined the "Old" and "New" before into wedding rings....the "Old" was family gold jewellery that was never worn.  I melted it down and turned it into two "New" wedding rings. Drop me a line if know if you want to know more about this.

 Pearls  In Ancient Greek mythology, it was believed that pearls would ensure marital bliss if worn on your wedding day!  Pearls are traditionally given as a gift to the bride by the groom or her father to symbolise perfection, purity and innocence.

Gifts for the Bridesmaids   This tradition is more than just giving a gift, it's about the friendship between the bride and her bridesmaids, the support they've given her in the run up to the Big Day.  And it's always nice to be given jewellery!

The pendant above is from the "Drop" collection and would be perfect for your bridesmaids if you were wearing the statement necklace from this range.

Last but not least....

Something for the Groom and his Best Man  I made these cufflinks for a recent wedding fair where they went down a storm!  These would be a lovely gift from the bride to her groom on the morning of the wedding.  Cufflinks are also a nice memento for the Best Man and Ushers.

If something here has sparked an idea, I am more than happy to take commissions and produce something unique for your Big Day! Get in touch via the "Contact" page

Quote Of The Week!

I first saw this quote at Dyslexia Action and I couldn't agree more!

Friday the 13th ~ Cursed Gemstones!!!

As it's Friday the 13th, a day that is notorious for being unlucky or cursed, I thought I would tell you about some gemstones that are supposed to be cursed.  Tales of death, destruction and ill-fortune have followed these gemstones for hundreds of years...

The Hope Diamond

This is the Hope Diamond, a rare blue 45.52 carat beauty.  In 1668, French traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier bought a brilliant blue diamond in India. He sold the gem to King Louis XIV and it stayed with the French Royals in various settings.  In 1792, the French crown jewels were looted and the "French Blue", as it was known, disappeared into history.  In 1812, a diamond with very similar characteristics was in the hands of a London diamond merchant called Daniel Eliason.  According to the Smithsonian, "Strong evidence indicated that the stone was the recut French Blue and the same stone known today as the Hope Diamond"  It would appear that the gem was then owned by King George IV but sold after his death to pay his HUGE debts.  The next known owner of this beautiful gem is  London gem collector and banker Henry Philip Hope.  From the Hope family, the diamond then passed through a number of other families before being bought by Pierre Cartier in 1909.  He sold it to the socialite Evalyn Walsh McClean who claimed she could reverse the curse.  She threw lavish "Find the Hope" parties, the diamond was hidden on her estate and guests searched for it.  But things started going wrong for Evalyn ~ her  son died in a car accident; her husband left her for another woman; the family newspaper, The Washington Post, went bankrupt; her daughter died and the following year, so did Evalyn. Her entire jewellery collection was sold off to pay off her debts. Harry Winston bought the entire collection and donated it the the Smithsonian where the curse appears to be dormant!

Koh-I-Noor Diamond

This stunning diamond can be found in our Queen's crown and reputedly discovered in the Golcondas mine in India.  From there it is said it served as an eye for a Hindu Goddess statue before coming in to the possession of Shah Jahar (the emperor who built the TAj Mahal) who incorporated it into the Peacock Throne.  But his one staged a coup and had his father imprisoned.  Not long after, the Koh-I-Noor was reduced down to 186 carats from what apparently was nearly 800 carats!  Various local rulers were in possession of the stone, many met a bloody end. In 1849, the stone was then sent to Queen Victoria but the trip wasn't plain sailing! It is said that there was an outbreak of Cholera on the ship and went it docked at a Mauritius port, the locals threatened to set fire to it if they didn't leave; a storm raged for 12 hours; it was almost lost when it left in a waistcoat pocket for six months!  Today, it is on display in the Tower of London and supposedly carries a Hindu curse that says only a woman can wear it.  Any man that wears it will know its misfortunes and so no male heir to the throne has ever worn it.

Delhi Purple Sapphire

Last but not least is the Delhi Sapphire which is not actually a sapphire but an amethyst.  Colonel W. Ferris was a Bengal cavalryman who bought the gem to the UK in 1857 from India where it had been looted from the Temple of Indra.  Ferris and his son lost all of their money and their health after owning the gem.  In 1890, a scientist named Edward Heron-Allen became the next owner and was struck by so much misfortune and bad luck that he gave the Delhi sapphire away twice to friends.  Both friends were then beset with disaster and gave the gemstone back to Heron-Allen, who then apparently threw it in the Regent's canal, only for it to be picked up by a dredger and returned via a jeweller who recognised it as belonging to Heron-Allen!  In 1904, the gem was placed in seven boxes, surrounded by charms and deposited in a bank safe with a letter of warning.  Instructions were left that the box would not be opened until 33 years after his death in 1943 but his daughter sent the box to the Natural History Museum where it sat for 30 years.  The letter of warning advised "Whoever shall then open it, shall first read out this warning, and then do as he pleases with the jewel. My advice to him or her is to cast it into the sea."  The Delhi Sapphire is on display in the Museum, it is said that it still makes it's presence known.....John Whittaker, the former head of micropaleontology , took the Delhi Sapphire to the first symposium of the Heron-Allen Society. He encountered the most horrific thunderstorm he had ever experienced on the way home. The night before the second annual symposium he became violently ill with stomach flu and he didn’t make the third symposium due to a sudden kidney stone!

Yay! You're getting Married! But When????

After taking the plunge and doing my first wedding fair on Sunday at the beautiful Avoncroft Museum, it seems that there isn't a traditional "wedding season" any longer, with brides choosing a range of dates throughout the year.  

Summer weddings will always be popular, all brides wish for the sun to shine on their big day and summer holds more chance of that happening, even with our unpredictable British weather!  

Juno, a Roman Goddess, was the protector of women throughout all areas of their lives but particularly marriage and childbirth.  As the month of June was named after her, this became known as the luckiest month to be married.

Another reason June was so popular was down to the Celtic calendar.  On the 1st of May (Beltane in the Celtic calendar) young couples would be matched up and then "dated" for three months until the next celebration of Lammas (1st of August) when they would be married.  This this three month period soon got shortened to six weeks due to the young couples being impatient and so this bought us to the middle to end of June and the time of the Summer Solstice.

According to the Office of National Statistics, in 1947 (the earliest data available) August was the most popular month followed by December and April.  In this year, one of the most talked about weddings was in November, a fairly unpopular month at that time.  This was the wedding of our Queen and Prince Philip.

During the 1950's and 60's there was a spike in March for weddings and one reason for this is thought to be the end of the tax year in April - a married man would receive the full Married Man's Tax Allowance if he was married before the 5th of April!

Summer weddings became popular in the 1980's and this could be down to another Royal wedding, that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.  Summer weddings are still the most popular as we moved into the new Millennium so it looks as though this tradition that dates back to the time of the Celts, is here to stay.

Is, or was, your wedding in the Summer? Let me know below :-)

Quote of the Week!

I'm Back!!

After twelve and a half hours in the air, three different planes, a speedboat and countless times through security, we finally made it home!

Myself and my family had an amazing time in the Maldives where I enjoyed a spa treatment every day (those poor masseuses tried desperately to rid me of the knots in my shoulders but alas, they refused to budge!), dived in crystal clear waters with fish and reef sharks that I'd only ever seen at the Sealife Centre and didn't have to cook for two weeks!!

But even though we were in paradise, I always get that pull to return home.  I can't wait to get back in the workshop, I feel refreshed and raring to go! My nails actually look good but, as any other jeweller will tell you, that is not going to last!  I will very soon be back to having ridges filed into them from holding tiny pieces and cuts from those pesky burrs!  

I LOVE IT!!

Tool Tuesday!

Go into any jeweller’s workshop and you will find a treasure trove of tools!  Some easily identifiable, such as a piercing saw and files, others look downright strange!  I thought I would introduce you to a few of the tools I use pretty much every day to create the jewellery you see on these pages.

The first one isn’t technically a tool but I couldn’t work without it.  I bought my workbench about 3 years ago from a jeweller in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, along with some lovely old second-hand tools…..I love second-hand tools! (More about those in another post)

Workbenches are taller than you might think, when sat down the bench should be at roughly chest height so that you can work without bending over and giving yourself a bad back!  The front edge has a semi-circle cut out so you can sit close to the work with a bench “peg”.  The peg is a slightly sloped piece of wood that jewellers cut a “V” into as well as other notches as grooves that support the piece while I work on it.  

Suspended underneath the cut-out is a bench “skin” that catches all those pesky bits that I drop as well as all the silver and gold dust that is filed from pieces and makes it very sparkly!

So this is where my day, as well as some evenings and occasionally a night, looking out of the window at the garden with a naughty kitten curled up in the bench skin and a couple of big dogs acting as draft excluders by the door…...and I love it.

Monday Motivation!

Quote of the Week!

On The Bench!

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on a new collection, comprising of a statement neckline piece (there's always has to be one!), a simpler pendant, earrings and a ring.  Inspired once again by the forest, these drops remind me of a simple leaf shape......or maybe raindrops.

All in sterling silver and made by hand, these pieces are very tactile.  They are now ready for my amazing photographer Alex (www.alexsharp.co.uk) to work her magic so they can appear on the online shop.  In the meantime, you'll just have to make do with my efforts using my phone!

I now have a little production line going, ready for their debut at the Autumn Show in Malvern (23-24 September), hope to see you there.

I've still got to come with a name for this collection, if you have any ideas then don't hesitate to get in touch!

Summer Solstice Giveaway!

It actually feels like summer at the moment doesn't it?!

To celebrate the Summer Solstice tomorrow, here's 20% off to be used off ANYTHING across the shop ~ just use the code "SummerSolstice" on the 21st of June, between 4.43am and 21.21pm (the official daylight hours)!

In addition, one lucky person can win this fabulous statement necklace from the "Onduler Collection!

Head over to my Instagram or Twitter, find the post and follow and like!  That's all there is to it!

Happy shopping and Good Luck!

Brightest Blessings! xx

A Little At A Time!

So you've found the perfect piece of Scarlett Willow Designs jewellery, it's PERFECT!  But the problem is, it's a little out of your budget, you tell yourself you'll get it one day....or put it on your Christmas Wish List....

Now you don't have to! I can now offer you a payment plan so you can pay a little at a time and I will post it to you the very day you pay your last instalment!

If this is something you would like to take advantage of, then drop me a line