New Work at the Shop

As the first day of autumn approaches, we realize that September has come and in the Upstate of South Carolina it is by definition no longer hot.  August is hot, September is cooler.  We will notice Autumn about mid October when the leaves change to their fall beauty.  During this time, we continue to work in the shop.  Debbie makes about 20 pieces to my one.  She does the bead work and I do the lapidary and metalsmithing work.  She is very creative and has produced several fantastic jewelry pieces.  One of these is based on a sprig of flowers in the pendant below the golden yellow of the sun:

The second piece that she crafted that is featured this month is done with brown beads and golden yellow potato pearls.  Again, the focal pendant makes the piece.  This pendant is bronze with golden highlights and a yellow faceted stone.

While she has been busily string beads (I add the clasp and chain to her designs), I am working on cutting stones and either wrapping them or setting them.  In this case, I cut a piece of amethyst that had a fantastic chevron banded pattern above a very dark section.  The cabochon is in a free form style.  I drilled a 2 mm hole in the cabochon and attached a pinch bail and Sterling Silver Venetian box chain to finish my necklace: