Not Fashion Jewellery, more of a statement piece! LOL

Just thought I'd have a bit of a laugh.

Here's a pendant that went a bit wrong, it's MASSIVE. Even the fairy looks like she has been on the same  diet as me lol.

It started off as two pendants, one with a fairy decal on transparent blue glass and the second was a very dull white pendant, where I put the dichroic on the wrong way. ooops. Well we all make mistakes and thats how we learn.

 Thanks to my wonderful Sue of www.inspiredbyscript.co.uk for modelling it for me.

Now if any one would like such a hug ring then please contact me at stevesmithjewellery@yahoo.co.uk but I wont be offended if I get no takers :o)

Anyway more stories from a alchemist soon.

Thanks for reading

Steve :o)

Making of Fashion Jewellery, Part 1.

I thought I would share with my readers how some of my fashion jewellery is made.

I should start off at the beginning, the problem a couple of years ago was that I wanted to hand fired very small pieces of glass but the cost of gas bottles, tubing and burner was just crazy for my shallow pockets. 

I then had a brain storm or something. I bought a very cheap butane gas torch from the local supermarket. You know the type, it's the one that you use in the kitchen for burning the sugar on deserts. mmmm now where's the pudding we promised ourselves tonight. lol

Anyway, I'll try and type while salivating :-)

To start with I used my trusty mosaic cutter and cut a few 1/4" square chunks of Dichroic glass. Then place them on a old broken (doesn't have to be broken but I know there is always a use for everything at sometime) tile, raised it off my workbench and set the gas alight. 

oooowwww fire! man always likes playing with fire :o)

I think these picture explains it far better than my words except that's it's really great fun to do and the glass transforms in front of your eye's.

Finished cabochons in the background and on in the process of being hand fired.

As above but from a different angle

and again.

I just love my Alchemy!!!!

You might be wondering what these very small cabochons are going to use for. Well some get used for small stud earrings but these were destined for double cabochon rings. 

And here's one that I've just made:

I think the outcome is really amazing and when you see it on someones finger they look even better.

This form of hand firing is really satisfying, you are more interactive with the glass. Watching it flow in different directions as you change the direction of the heat.

Making Fashion Jewellery, Part 2 will follow in a few weeks so please call back and if you have any questions leave a comment and I will get back to you, with a answer if I can or directions on where to find that answer.

Thanks for reading

Steve :o) 

Fashion Jewellery, Earrings, Bracelets, Rings and Pendants

I have suddenly realised that my jewellery designs fall within the fashion jewellery market. Here are just a few of my designs, all are unique and cannot be replicated although similar one's are made by me.

The first picture shows a bracelet with Celtic key design around a beautiful Dichroic Glass Cabochon. Which has been ground to look like the eye of a cat or dragon. I am still undecided on this. lol.

This next picture shows how different a mosaic pendant can look if cut and fired in a certain way. These are made in a two firing process where I, although have an idea how they will lokk I am not exactly sure how they will turn out after the second firing. The outcome in my eye's are quite Romanesque but you may think different. lol 

Here is one of my new range of hand fired dichroic glass cabochon set on a silver plated ring. When I first made these, I thought they looked quite good but it wasn't until I saw them on a lady's finger when I thought "WOW they look great" 

This next picture has been included, just to show off I think :o) After designing and making glass jewellery for a few years now. I still love the outcome and want to show it to everyone.

Here you can see the swirl affect of Dichroic Glass etching. I have designed and made quite a few pendant now but don't very often list etched pendants as they sell too quickly but I thought I would with this one. It's the same glass, believe or not. But the glass has been cut down the middle, one side reversed and fired. You can see from this pendant how different the same piece of glass looks from different angles. That's the fun or Dichroic Glass :o)

 And here we have a gorgeous pair of stud earrings set on 925 solid silver posts and backs. The picture does not do them justice, If you have not seen Dichroic glass jewellery before, you need to see it in real life. The colours just sparkle and change when you look at them at different angles.

 For my last picture on the blog post I have set small hand fired dichroic glass cabochons set on a silver plated bracelet. The design of this reminds me of the Art and Crafts Movement circa1900. I love the free flowing form and when the Dichroic glass sparkles, it just amazing.

Well that's about it for this post apart from. If you would like to see more of my designs and creations then you could either click on my Facebook link here: www.facebook.com/stevesmithjewellery If you click the like button on my facebook page and share the post the your friends they will see what you like and you may get the present you want. 

or click www.stevesmithjewellery.co.uk for my website. Here you will find many more designs both for men and women.

Thanks for reading

Steve