My Handmade Genuine Sea Glass Jewelry v. My Handmade Cultured Sea Glass Jewelry - What's the Difference?

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    I make two kinds of beautiful, boho sea glass jewelry. Both are  handmade and one-of-a-kind. They even look similar. However, there are some important differences. First, you will notice a difference in price. The more expensive pieces are made with genuine sea glass that I know came from beaches. I usually know where and when the glass was collected. I choose the most jewelry-worthy of these pieces and wire wrap them in sterling silver. These become my higher end genuine sea glass jewelry. The somewhat less expensive, and often more colorful pieces, are made with sea glass that I can't verify. This...

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I Love Making Big, Beautiful Statement Jewelry like this Druzy Pendant

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The Loveliest Pear (5.57" x 2.5")   I finally finished! I started this large statement pendant about three weeks ago (see the Jan. 11 post for early progress) and the protective coating finished curing yesterday. The big green druzy is surrounded with slightly antiqued copper, bright sterling silver and a smattering of Swarovski crystals. The weaving was done in many layers, over quite a few days. From the beginning I liked how much the druzy looked like a lovely pear, so my design took shape quickly. I was also inspired by an amazing Art Nouveau building I visited in Italy that had beautiful...

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Starting a New Statement Jewelry Pendant Project - Druzy, Silver & Copper

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Now that the holiday jewelry rush is over, I'll have the time to do a couple of bigger, more time-consuming wire jewelry projects. With this in mind I just went through all of my larger gemstones for inspiration - and maybe the focal point of a design. After a lot of perusing, I finally chose this large, awesome green druzy, which I think will make a gorgeous focal point for a wire weave statement necklace. When I weave wire, I have basic ideas in mind, but then I design as I work. Sometimes, if I get stuck, I'll stop and put the project...

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How I Love Entering Jewelry in the Fair

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One of the best things about living close to the county fairgrounds is that it's so easy to enter projects for judging. It's especially fun because it gives me a place to exhibit some of my more offbeat creations since no one is worrying about sales. In the past I've brought rag quilts, art made from recycled Starbucks cups and huge abstract, multimedia "paintings". This year I entered more traditional items including a necklace made with antique Mali wedding beads, that I've been collecting over several years, and an elaborate wire weave pendant. Well, there are also two bracelets upcycled from milk...

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