Descriptions and prices are given for each piece. Please e-mail me with any questions you may have or if you would like further photos. If you are not local, I can bill you through PayPal.
Where indicated, 14KYGF is 14K yellow gold-filled metal; 14KYGP is 14K yellow gold-plated metal. There is a distinction between the two. Gold-plated is where a base metal item is dipped into a vat of liquid gold, also known as “electro-plating”. Gold-filled has a base metal core with the gold attached before the gold is rolled out. It has more gold in it than plated gold and does not rub off (like some plated has the potential to do). Some work is done using full 14K gold (white, yellow, rose).
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver (92.5%) and copper (7.5%), abbreviated SS. Fine silver, FS, is 99.9% pure silver (will not tarnish). Argentium sterling silver (3.5%), ArgSS, is sterling silver that has had some of the copper replaced with a metal called germanium, which inhibits tarnish. Vermeil is sterling silver that has been heavily plated with 22K gold.
New to my working metals are brass, bronze, and copper, both sheet metal and wire. These provide additional color to any design, especially when heated. At high enough temperatures, I can get the metals to turn a collage of color, including orange, gold, purple, green, and blue. Metals are typically sealed to inhibit any possible tarnish, which shouldn’t happen to begin with unless you leave the copper out in the pouring rain for days on end. LOL
The organic beads I use, such as bone and horn, are crafted in third world nations where they use all parts of non-endangered species for food, leather, and other forms of ornamentation, including beads. Wildebeest and water buffalo are examples.
I make all my jewelry with the finest beads and metals, and I make my own earwires (either anti-tarnish ArgSS or 14KYGold-filled). Most of the beads cannot be found at your local bead store (only occasionally), but 99% of my gemstone and other beads are purchased at the Gem and Mineral shows in Tucson every February. The making of beads themselves is a totally different profession (I leave that to the experts). This year I even found beads made from dinosaurs (quite the find for me, but not inexpensive). I purchase my metals from Rio Grande, a well-established provider of tools and materials for jewelers.
