Artisan Wire and Fiber Jewelry

Here are some tips for taking care of your jewelry. These tips apply to all jewelry, not just my handcrafted silver and gold pieces.

Don't exposre your jewelry to perspiration and dirt. You should remove your jewelry before working in the garden or engaging in other physical labor, exercising, swimming, bathing, etc. Avoid exposure to household cleaners and chemicals that can damage your jewelry - remove your jewelry before dealing with chemicals. It seems logical that pearls and other porous stones can be damaged by chemicals, but even karat gold can be discolored by chemical exposure (to chlorine, for example), even from something like a soak in a hot tub.

Apply your cosmetics, make-up, hair spray, and perfume before putting on your jewelry. Remove bracelets and rings before applying hand lotions and creams. Remove earrings when you have your hair done, especially if you are having it colored.

Jade, turquoise, malachite, and lapis are among porous soft stones that should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner or soaked in jewelry cleaner solutions. Softer, more porous stones such as these require extra careful treatment. Avoid using hot water on these stones.

Remember that pearls are precious gems, too. No ultrasonic or soaking in jewelry cleaners - just wipe off with damp soft cloth. If more cleaning is required try soapy water (Ivory flakes) on a soft cloth and dry thoroughly.

Jewelry often comes in a protective bag or box. Store your jewelry flat in a plastic bag. Store pearls in soft bags away from other jewelry which might scratch the pearl's surface. Never put your jewelry away wet - wipe it off with a damp cloth and air dry.

Store your jewelry in a clean dark dry place. Don't just toss your jewelry loose into a jewelry box or drawer. Your pieces will scratch each other. A fabric lined jewelry box is ideal and individual bags and jewelry boxes are excellent, too. Store your silver jewelry in a tarnish resistant bag.

Not all stones can safely go into an ultrasonic cleaner. A soft cotton cloth and a soapy water solution is the safest way to clean jewelry. Don't soak your pieces, simply wipe them off gently, rinse, and pat dry. Let your pieces dry thoroughly before putting them away.

Care is needed in dealing with your jewelry whether a piece includes gemstones or not. Stones vary greatly in terms of hardness. Soft stones can be easily damaged, but even harder stones can crack or chip, too. The silver and gold in settings are susceptible to scratching and other damage,

Keep your pieces bagged and stored where they will not rub against each other. A padded jewelry box or a drawer is ideal.

See how to create this little "tiny treasures" tapestry needlewoven bag in a tutorial that's now available on www.SPG.com.
click here to see my bio and the article

I have an online tutorial for a little Tapestry Needlewoven amulet bag.


Check it out

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I will have other tutorials available to purchase starting this fall - watch my website and my blog for details.

Handmade artisan jewelry - buy directly from the artist!

Coming soon - beads and findings!!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
DianaKirkpatrickArt

This is an example of one my creations. You can see lots more on my website click here.

Creativity is a journey. I started with necklaces and pectorals woven in a mix of fibers and large beads. I gradually added some wire elements to my weaving. Gradually, I added more wire. Now, most of my fiber designs include combinations of beads with fiber and wire.

Then I discovered that I could create beautiful woven things entirely with wire! I love working with wire - wrapping, weaving, braiding - and I experiment constantly with new ideas and techniques.

These are some of my favorite gems. A gemstone can be a mineral, a rock, or any petrified material that's suitable for use in jewelry. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and amethysts are generally the most valuable.

Agate - a form of chalcedony that occurs in many colors with a variety of inclusions. Some people believe that wearing agate increases perceptiveness and also brings good luck, inspiration and strength to the wearer.

Alexandrite - a form of chrysoberyl which exhibits a dramatic color change (red to green) depending on the lighting.

Amber - a fossilized resin that occurs in a range of colors from yellow to a golden orange, but it can occur in deeper brown and reddish tones and even in black. Amber sometimes has inclusions - plant fragments or insects are most common. Amber is thought to dispel negative energies and to encourage a positive attitude. It was used for medicinal purposes at one time.

Amethyst - a form of quartz that ranges in color from light to deep purple. The color is due to the presence of iron and aluminum impurities According to gemstone lore, some people believe that amethyst provides protection to the wearer (amulets of amethyst were worn into battle in Medieval times), brings calmness, and might even ward off drunkenness.

Ammonite - a fossilized prehistoric mollusk similar to the nautilus. Ammonites range from small (good sizes for jewelry) to very large, some of which can be more than nine feet in diameter.

Aquamarine - generally a delicate light blue color, aquamarine can occur in more intense shades. Chemically, aquamarine is a beryl. The blue color of aquamarine is due to traces of iron. At one time it was worn an amulet thought to promote safety when traveling over water

Aventurine - a member of the quartz family with inclusions that affect the color (chromium produces green to blue colors while iron produces orange to brown shades. Aventurine is considered to encourage motivation, creativity, healing, hope, and to bring abundance.

Azurite - an intensely blue gemstone that frequently occurs with malachite. The blue color is due to the presence of copper in the stone's chemistry. Azurite has been used as a blue pigment since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians used it as an eye makeup. Azurite has long been used as a healing stone and it is reputed to clear the mind and to enhance receptivity.

Beryl - this gem occurs in many different colors - the intense green form is known as Emerald, while the lighter blue form is Aquamarine.

Bloodstone - bloodstone is a deep green opaque chalcedony with red spots. It's also called heliotrope. Iron oxide impurities create the red spots. Bloodstone is thought to encourage healing, improve decision making.

Chalcedony - quartz; includes both banded "agates" and onyx depending on the structure

Carnelian - Carnelian is a translucent orange/red to red/brown variety of chalcedony. The red tints are caused by iron oxide impurities. Carnelian is recommended to improve mental clarity and may assist people overcoming anger and maintaining self-control. It was highly valued for ornamentation by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans It was reputedly used by the Egyptian goddess Isis to protect the dead on their journey through the afterlife. Carnelian was thought to provide increased energy. Ancient Egyptians set carnelian with turquoise and lapis lazuli for enhanced power.

Chariote - discovered in 1978, chariote combines a variety of purple hues in a pattern of swirls. The stone is found in Russia.

Chrysoberyl - once widely popular for jewelry, chrysoberyl is now relatively rare. Chrysoberlyl has hard greenish yellow crystals. Alexandrite is one variety that exhibits color change.

Chrysocolla - green to bluish stone that occurs in combination with turquoise, malachite, azurite, and other copper ores.

Chryoprase - an apple-green form of chalcedony

Cinnabar - mercury sulphide ore with distinct red to brick red color.

Coral - variety of colors depending on variety; frequently dyed. Coral is thought to increase awareness and objectivity. Provides calmness, quiets emotions

Diamond - made of pure carbon, diamond is the hardest, densest, and rarest gem. Diamond is thought to encourage hope, promote healing, and impart protection.

Druzy Quartz - quartz on which a layer of tiny quartz crystals (druzy) have been deposited. You can find druzy deposits on a variety of stones.

Emerald - a beryl stone with traces of chromium and sometimes vanadium providing the intense green coloration, emeralds are extremely popular for jewelry. Emeralds have been known since ancient times and were mined as early as 2000 BC.

Fluorite - this gem comes in a variety of colors from purple to pink and green and many shades in between. It has a glassy luster and it fluoresces or glows blue under UV light. It's relatively soft and can be easily scratched, so its use in jewelry is somewhat limited. Fluorite is thought to increase intuition, to foster harmony and balance in relationships, and may attract abundance and wealth.

Garnet - there are several different forms of garnet, but they are all related. The most common colors are oranges, reds, and greens. Garnet is thought to encourage friendship and fellowship

Hematite - a widespread and relatively hard iron ore that is steely gray with a metallic luster when polished. Hematite focuses energy, helps to balance emotions

Jade - long considered a "sacred" stone, jade symbolizes calmness, wisdom, and serenity. There are two recognized "forms" of jade - nephrite (creamy white to green and almost black) and jadeite. The most common colors are green or white (jadeite), but jade can occur in many colors. The various colors are the result of impurities.

Jasper - an opaque form of chalcedony; fosters awareness and balances emotional, physical, and spiritual energy

Kyanite - crystals range from pale to deep blue, but are also found in green and gray.

Labradorite - a silky appearing dark grey green stone with flashes of blue, green and occasionally red. Labradorite can appear as colorless or even red, but the dark grey color is typically seen in jewelry. Labradorite is thought to symbolize the "third eye".

Lapis Lazuli - Lapis is composed of several minerals so the composition and the color can vary. Deeper blue is the most coveted. Pyrite in the mixture createds to flecks of "gold" color in the stones. Long thought to increase awareness and objectivity, lapis has been considered to have healing and curative properties. In ancient times, lapis found use as a pigment, a cosmetic, and in medicines.

Larimar - is a rare blue variety of pectolite (a calcium sodium silicate hydrate). It's a relatively soft stone with a hardness of 5-7 (the deeper the color, the harder the stone). Larimar was discovered in 1970 and is found only in the Dominican Republic. Larimar is thought to calm stress and anxiety.

Malachite - Frequently associated with malachite. Malachite may enhance insight, clarify emotions

Moss "Agate" - a transparent to translucent chalcedony with green, brown, or black moss-like inclusions.

Obsidian - deep black volcanic glass

Opal - occurs in a variety of forms. Water trapped within the crystal structure of the opal gives it the characteristic flashes of color. Precious opal (the white and black varieties) come primarily from Australia. Other forms of opal such as boulder opal and Peruvian opal

Snowflake Obsidian - white "snowflake" markings distinguish this obsidian form.

Onyx - a form of chalcedony. Thought to foster fidelity and resourcefulness, aid in realizing potential, and to promote decision making

Opal - occurring in a variety of colors, opal often has a gelatinous clarity with flashes of color due to water trapped within the crystalline structure of the stone. Opal occurs in a variety of forms. Precious opal (the white and black varieties) comes primarily from Australia. Other popular forms of opal are boulder opal and Peruvian opal. Ancient Roman thought opals were symbols of hope and purity.

Quartz - can be opaque or transparent and is the most common mineral. Many common gemstones are quartz with various impurities and inclusion providing the distinguishing characteristics of the particular gem. Druzy quartz has a coating of tiny quartz crystals deposited on the stone surface.

Rhodochrosite - a fairly soft stone ranging in color from pink through reds to browns and black. Rhodochrosite fosters renewal and expansion of consciousness

Rhodonite - distinct pink to grayish in color, some with black veining and a glassy luster. This stone is thought to promote peace, attention to detail

Rose Quartz - rose red to pink; may bring love and happiness to the wearer, fosters emotional healing

Ruby - a corundum stone almost as hard as a diamond, rubies are extremely popular and synthetic/labratory grown rubies are widely available

Ruby zoisite - a distictive blending of green (zoisite) with isolated patches of ruby
magenta (ruby).

Sapphire - a corundum stone that can occur in a variety of colors. It is almost as hard as a diamond. Typically thought of as deep blue in color, sapphire occurs in a wide spectrum of colors and also in a color change variety (violet) which changes color depending on the viewing conditions.

Sard - a silicate similar to carnelian but darker brown

Smoky Quartz - smoky brown to almost black. Many people think that smoky quartz banishes negativity

Sodalite - a relatively rare stone that ranges from deep blue to light blue and white. Fosters wisdom, logic, healing.

Spinel - colors include a range of vibrant red tones, pinks, and even blues. Spinel's hardness makes it a popular stone for jewelry.

Sugalite is a distinctively beautiful purple potassium sodium silicate with a waxy luster. It has a hardness of 5.5-6.5 so it's relatively soft.

Sunstone - a feldspar with a reddish to golden sheen; displays iridescence (similar to Labradorite).

Tanzanite - (zoisite) Tanzanite's color depends on the orientation of the gem when cut, but it's usually deep blue and generally heat treated. Tanzanite is pleochroic (light traveling through the crystal in one direction is absorbed differently than light traveling in another direction, so there are color differences depending on how you view the stone).

Tiger Eye - a chatoyant stone that occurs in several colors. (Chatoyancy refers to the bright bands of light across the stone and is a reflection effect) This "eye" effect is due to asbestos fiber inclusions. Tiger eye is reputed to increase peacefulness and clarity in the wearer.

Topaz - Known since ancient times and available in many colors, the yellow to brownish color of this stone was extremely popular for jewelry in Medieval times. Blue topaz is currently the best known topaz color, but pink is very popular. Topaz is frequently heat treated. Topaz was thought to foster success, love, and health as well as strengthening the mind.

Tourmaline - available in an impressive array of colors, tourmaline can mimic a variety of other gems and its hardness makes it an ideal stone for jewelry. Some tourmaline contains two or three colors. The tourmaline family includes several separate minerals, one of which is elabite. Elabite accounts for most gem tourmaline.

Turquoise - a mineral of arid regions. Turquoise varies from light sky blues to light grayish greens due to the presence of copper. The polished stone has a porcelain luster. Turquoise has been considered a gem since ancient times and adorned the rulers of ancient Egypt and also the Aztecs. The Ancient Anasazi of Chaco Canyon and the surround regions traded turquoise and fashioned turquoise ornaments. Turquoise is believed to provide protection and healing for the wearer.

Zircon - (zirconium silicate) is generally colorless or blue. Brilliance is tremendous due to a high refractive index, but zircon also tends to be brittle and can chip or scratch readily. The ancients thought this stone could protect the wearer from disease. Cubic zirconia is zirconium oxide. Cubic zironia has a cubic crystal structure and possesses exceptional brilliance.