Pearls are a sophisticated and stylish addition to any wardrobe. Unfortunately, these lustrous gems are also very delicate. Keep your pearls looking fabulous for years to come by following these cleaning and care guidelines.
Author: Sarah Jordan
Software engineer by day, jewelry designer by night. International woman of mystery. Leaps tall buildings in single bounds. Rescues kittens. Eats her vegetables.
Cats & dogs living together
Enjoy your weekend …
How to wear gold jewelry
I have some lovely yellow gold items in my own personal jewelry collection, but I don’t wear them very often simply because white gold and sterling silver are more my style. The next time I reach for the yellow gold though, the tips in this video will come in very handy. Chriselle Lim makes even the most antique pieces look fresh by pairing them with modern shapes and by layering many pieces together.
Peacock pearl & sterling silver bracelet
This delicate bracelet is one of my all time favorites. It features cultured freshwater pearls in a lovely peacock color, sterling silver beads, and a sterling silver lobster claw clasp. The pearls take on hints of blue, green, purple, or gray depending upon the color of the nearest clothing, making this bracelet a very versatile addition to your jewelry wardrobe. It is available for sale in my Etsy shop.
Wisdom of Dr. Seuss
Aquamarine heart earrings
Delmar aquamarine and diamond heart earrings.
Mumsy
My latest Etsy treasury is dedicated to my mother, Sue, an amazing woman who is affectionately known as “Mumsy” to family members and friends alike. Some people celebrate their mothers only one day a year. I celebrate you every day. Love you always!
Bold black agate necklace
I bought this black agate pendant years ago at a bead show in central Massachusetts, and it took me a very long time to decide what to do with it. I first tried to design an elaborate beaded necklace with black, white, and gray crystals to complement the natural colors of the stone itself, but that plan never really spoke to me. I moved on to large round onyx beads for a chunky look, but that didn’t feel right either. It just seemed like I was trying too hard. I was so happy when I found an extra black rubber cord necklace in my stash of supplies. The cord sets off the pendant perfectly without overpowering it. This simple yet striking necklace is available for sale in my Etsy shop.
Emerald ring
Sequins on the weekend
This weekend was therapeutic. While I do feel a bit guilty about ignoring some high priority items on my To Do list, I had a little bit of fun on the creative sewing front. After my favorite dance aerobics class concluded on Saturday morning, the instructor Lourdes hung out for a few minutes to chat about the upcoming hip hop kids dance show. A number of her adult students help out with the show each year, not only in herding the small children backstage but also in performing one or two dance routines of their own. I participated in my first show last June and am looking forward to the next one in a couple of months.
And so the practicing and planning begins. But what shall the adults wear this year? It’s difficult to decide on costumes when so many opinions must be taken into consideration. Lourdes is debating between a couple of themes, one of which involves all black clothing with sparkly gold accents. I made some suggestions on Saturday, mostly in the hopes of nailing down the costumes early and avoiding the last minute rush that always seems to happen. But ideas are easier to digest when you can see actual items rather than vague descriptions. So I left the gym and headed straight to my local fabric store. The special occasion aisle was beckoning me!
Lourdes had mentioned that short, sparkly gloves might be fun for the show. So I grabbed the simple pattern that I had drawn up a couple of weeks ago and put it to the test. The fingerless glove shown above is the result. Short, sweet, sequined. Reminds me a bit of Michael Jackson. Not too bad for a prototype, right? But the other dancers might not want to wear gloves, so I also whipped up a wide bracelet using the same fabric. This one made me think of Wonder Woman!
I also bought some gold spandex to make a soft belt that ties at the hip and a length of elasticized trim for a stretchy choker necklace, but I have not yet had time to put them together. More photos to come in the next week or two. I hope that Lourdes and the other dancers like my work, though that would mean a lot of quality time with the sewing machine in the near future. I was just glad to be able to forget all of the other commitments, the other stresses, even if only for an afternoon. In this case, creativity equaled recuperation.
I feel more refreshed than usual heading into a new work week. Perhaps my gold sequined Wonder Woman bracelet has given me unseen power.