Graphic Quartz. Never heard of it? Nor had I until I received the parcel from Jewellery Maker containing the kits for my most recent show! Now that I have both seen it and worked with it I hope to use it a lot more. It is a wonderfully warm colour, with varied matrix structures visible both on the surface and deep within the stone. The richness of the colour is really brought out by using copper, but the gemstone also works well with other metal tones.
Working with different gemstones is one of the real perks of working for a company like Jewellery Maker. It has expanded my knowledge of the different types of gemstone, as well as teaching me the range qualities and effects found in more familiar stones. I have also learnt that using non-standard materials, such as gemstones, demands new skills in a designer. It is not possible to rely on easy formulae and tried and tested methods. It can be frustrating, but ultimately is is really satisfying to find a new technique or adapt an old one to solve a problem. I have had to teach myself so much over the last 16 months and each new kit poses new challenges. What will my next kits bring?
I have now completed the instructions for the second kit I demonstrated a week ago. I usually try to get them posted much faster than this, but I have been ill in bed with a very nasty bug since Thursday. Sometimes life gets in the way of jewellery making!
Here is the link to the instructions.
Here is the link to the show
