This week, I got to visit the Gem & Jewelry Exchange, or GJX, which is a high-end show in Tucson that I was very happy to see. (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them)

It was across the street from the AGTA venue (which I didn’t visit):

My first stop at GJX was at Gene McDevitt’s booth. I follow his Koroit Opal blog, ever since our gem profile on Opal, and I was happily surprised to find him near the show entrance!

I found a gorgeous Koroit opal at Gene’s booth, I can’t wait to sketch ideas for wrapping it! This photo doesn’t do it justice, I will try to retake it soon:

We found this genuine Pacific coral sold by a friendly Italian merchant. While I didn’t question the morality of harvesting coral, I had to ask the price range. The coral beads on the bust were priced in the thousands of dollars!

Here is a little Rainbow Pyrite that I found from a booth staffed by a crew of Russian rockhounds. I think it’s a beautiful gift, and while they cautioned me not to clean it with chemicals, a light rinse in water or gentle brushing will keep it sparkling for years!

I met the Tairona Co. gem cutters, who were extremely gracious about telling me about the stones and cuts. While there isn’t a real name for the technique, he called these cuts his “champagne dreams” in this blue topaz.

I also met Chris from W. Hamond, “The Original Whitby Jet Shop” from Whitby, England. I will be telling you more about the famous Whitby Jet in a later article!

Back at the booth, I loved meeting with Bea Grob (who showed me that I didn’t need to be afraid to knit with wire – it works!), Albina Manning, Brenda Schweder, Dale “Cougar” Armstrong, andmore. Eva Sherman blogged pictures from her classes – click here to see Eva Sherman’s students’ work!

For next week’s Tucson update, I plan to visit the neighbor show to TEP Gem & Mineral Show, which is the RV Mineral Show, plus I will show you some of the finds I’m bringing back with me! See you then!

Wire Jewelry Idea for February 8, 2012

Have you ever been stuck in a rut with your necklaces and pendants, but you’re not sure what necklace lengths you can experiment? Here are 6 typical necklace lengths that are popular, from the collar to lariat length. Plus, these designs can be versatile: a 14-16" necklace can also double as a bracelet, and an opera- or lariat-length necklace can be wrapped twice (or 3 times!) around the neck for a stranded effect. Let your creativity flow!

Being one who loved making paper dolls, I originally planned this download with the dolls wearing a dress whose top was at armpit height. However, it conflicted so much with the princess necklace length that I removed the dress’s boundary. So you can draw in your own dress or shirt, with the neckline you think will flatter the necklace most (and vice versa!) in this download. Break out the colored pencils!

Download Necklace Length Inspiration (256KB) | Download Adobe Reader

Click to Download!

Further Reading:

• http://www.jsbeads.com/Articles/Designing_Jewelry_BS_FS/Necklace_Lengths.asp
• http://pages.ebay.com/buy/guides/necklace-length-guide/
• http://www.mikimotoamerica.com/about-pearl-jewelry/how-to-buy-pearls/choose-a-strand-length
• http://asimplenest.typepad.com/a-simple-nest/2010/04/jewelry-for-your-body-type.html

Have a Wire Jewelry Idea you’d like to share? Click Here to submit your idea. You could be featured on our Blog!

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

Tool of the Week for
February 6, 2012

This week’s tool: Optivisors 2.5x Magnification

Demonstration by Kate, JewelryTools.com

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

This week I was mainly at the TEP Gem & Mineral Show, one of Tucson’s very best shows and it’s what should be in the dictionary under the definition of “eclectic.” TEP, at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, is my very favorite show thanks to the range of jewelry and other products, as well as the inestimable people we meet there, both buyers and vendors. Please enjoy these pictures! I’ll be traveling to different shows the next two weeks, so stay tuned for those updates!

One of the guys putting up our big JewelryTools.com blimp, so people can find us for classes & tools easily: it's a big blimp!

Unique quartz geode egg

They look like pebbles at a glance, but they're highly polished freeform labradorite cabs by the handful!

Streams of beads line the tables inside some tents.

This fantastic Predator sculpture was made from car parts, wrenches, and other mechanical things. Its price tag: $7500! (and already sold)

There may be no such thing as a rock too big to wire wrap.... but you're going to need a lot of wire for these ones!

Choose from gemstone slaps as dinosaurs roam the tables...

Did someone say triceratops?

Not all the beads at the show are little glittery things- plenty of gemstone beads to be had, too!

Choose polished and rough stones surrounded by eclectic artwork.

Brenda Schweder, steel wire maven, works on a piece with a student at the JewelryTools Tent, ES14

Eva Sherman demonstrates tools and jewelry making at the JewelryTools.com Tent

Irina Wilson demonstrates her intricate beading work at the JewelryTools.com Tent.

Jackie Trudy and a student complete a project at the JewelryTools.com Tent.

These gemstone obelisk shapes ranged in size from pendant to bookend in a variety of stones.

Shopping is lots of fun at TEP Gem & Mineral Show!

Wire Jewelry Idea for
February 1, 2012

Name: Jennifer’s Mother Ring
Submitted by: Joan Huck

Technique used: snapsets, ringmaking

Materials used:

• 20-gauge square sterling silver wire
• Citrine and Garnet CZs
• Snapsets
• Ring mandrel

Jennifer's Mother's Ring, a wire wrapped snapset family ring by Joan Huck

Joan said, "Mother’s Rings and Birthstone Rings are a "hot item" for me. I just started making them recently and I can’t make them fast enough! I made several different designs and then allow my customers to pick out their stones, style, type of wire (silver, silver filled, or craft wire depending on how much they want to invest).

"I made this one for my niece as a Christmas present from her husband. The outside stones are citrine CZs, and the middle stone is a garnet CZ."

Have a Wire Jewelry Idea you’d like to share? Click Here to submit your idea. You could be featured on our Blog!

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

Tool of the Week for
January 30, 2012

This week’s tool: Metal Drawplate DRA-555.00

Demonstration by Kate, JewelryTools.com

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

Tucson Show Update #1
January 27, 2012

Good morning from Tucson, where it’s expected to be 74° today and clear, sunny skies! I’m thrilled to be back here in Tucson for the world-famous gem, mineral, and fossil shows – usually at least 60 individual shows will be held during January and February! We arrived yesterday, and today is all about setting up our booth and classes area for our sister site, JewelryTools.com, who is hosting 120+ classes over the next couple weeks. I can’t wait to meet all the instructors and explore as many shows as I can!

We’re based out of Kino Sports Complex, at the Tucson Electric Park (TEP) Gem & Mineral Show. While the show doesn’t open until Saturday, when it will be free to the public (and free parking!), I thought I’d wander through the show while people set up their booths and show you what I found. Some vendors have been here for days or even weeks already, setting up their marvelous stock of gems! Take a look:

Strands and strands and strands of gemstone beads at TEP Gem & Mineral Show - don't you just want to touch them?

One of the vendors here has a lot of citrine and amethyst! Since Dale wrote about them recently in her gem profiles, I made sure to get a few pictures. (Click to enlarge)

Amethyst cathedrals waiting for the big day Saturday when the show opens!

A large citrine cathedral or geode - wouldn't that be an amazing display piece!

The TEP Gem & Mineral Show had a lot of petrified wood to look at last year; this year it's a big thing again, too! These fossilized stumps are sure to be popular.

Here are more stumps and also slabs of petrified wood. This is just while the vendor was setting up - I will have to come back when the show starts and see if they have any cabbed or small pieces for me to play with in wire!

Last but not least, I was just turning to leave when I saw these huge pure-white quartz crystals. Can you believe them!

We’ve got a busy day of setting up ahead of us, but I’ll be in touch again with LOTS more pictures and exciting gem & mineral updates from the show in the weeks to come!

Gem profiles by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong will resume after the Tucson shows.

By the way: there’s still time to discover the world of Jewelry-Making in terrific Tucson, Arizona! January 28 – February 12, choose from full-day and half-day classes that will transform your jewelry-making forever! In media including wire wrapping, beading, etching, resin, polymer clay, metal clay, chainmaille, and even more, just stop by JewelryTools.com’s Tool Tent #ES 14 at the TEP Gem & Mineral Show at Kino Sports Complex. Click here to browse all classes!

Wire Jewelry Idea for January 25, 2012

Today I’d like to share a little free tutorial, compliments of Patti Bullard of Wubbers tools. I love S Links because they are so versatile: if you notice the bracelet Patti’s wearing, it uses S Links as components in the bracelet itself. Or, you can make these with the middle loops slightly lengthened to create a simple, versatile clasp! Watch the video and get inspired to create your own component wire jewelry.

Introducing Wubbers! Easy on your hands and easy on your wire, you’ll “wub” this brand of pliers! Plus, if you order any Wubbers tool before Friday night, you’ll receive 3 free tutorial downloads! (Will be sent via email Feb. 1)

Click to explore Wubbers – there’s a lot to WUB!

Have a Wire Jewelry Idea you’d like to share? Click Here to submit your idea. You could be featured on our Blog!

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

Tool of the Week for
January 23, 2012

This week’s tool: Wubbers Pliers

Demonstration by Patti Bullard, creator of Wubbers Pliers

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

Gem Profile Contest for
January 20, 2012

I know we promised a Gem Profile for today, and I apologize – there’s been a change of plans! We are nearly ready to head down to Tucson, Arizona – Dale’s been preparing for weeks, and with good reason – making kits for her classes at the TEP Gem & Mineral Show! – and we’ve been packing and planning around the clock, too. So please accept our apologies: we will be resuming the Gem Profiles, starting with Rose Quartz, when we return from Arizona, starting February 24. While we’re in Tucson, I’ll be bringing you updates each Friday (if not more often!) – and today, well, I thought it might be fun to do a little contest! How well have you been paying attention during the gem profiles? Click here to review our 34 Gem Profiles.

Gem Profile Contest: Name that Rock!

It’s pretty simple: Below are 8 pictures from Gem Profiles that we’ve published on the Blog. Simply leave a comment below identifying each stone in order, and you could win! (Don’t sweat it: If a stone is paintbrush jasper, we will accept "jasper.") The first 5 comments with the correct answers will each win a $10 gift certificate to Wire-Sculpture and 10% off all Tucson Jewelry Classes!

We have our winners! Here they are:

1. Vivian
2. N Irish
3. Jeanne
4. Dianne Courage
5. Jana

Congratulations to our winners – be looking in your email inboxes for your prizes! Thank you to everyone who participated – we’ll have to do this again!

Still want to try your luck at identifying these stones? The answers are now at the very end of the post. Good luck, rockhounds!!!

Picture #1:

Picture #2:

Picture #3:

Picture #4:

Picture #5:

Picture #6:

Picture #7:

Picture #8:

Think you know them all? Leave a comment listing what stone is pictured, in the order shown, and you could win a $10 gift certificate!

Have a Wire Jewelry Idea you’d like to share? Click Here to submit your idea. You could be featured on our Blog!

Click to Receive Daily Tips by Email

Answers: 1-amber, 2-charoite, 3-rhodochrosite, 4-pyrite, 5-labradorite, 6-velvet peacock obsidian (tricky!), 7-lapis lazuli, 8-picture jasper. How’d you do?