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Livy mentioned to me that her mother had an old yellow gold and amethyst gemstone ring that was gathering dust in her jewelry box. Her mother didn't wear it anymore because it seemed a little outdated; she wears white gold jewelry these days. Livy wanted to breathe new life into the family heirloom, and as a fine custom jeweler, I helped her do exactly that! We decided to create a new one-of-a-kind ring in 14kt white gold that Livy and her siblings could give to their mother as a birthday gift.   The Jewelry Design Process I've designed a number of...

The Perfect Gift: Anniversary Jewelry Thomas wanted to create a custom piece of jewelry to commemorate his 40th wedding anniversary. He asked around for recommendations for the best Philadelphia fine custom jeweler. Not to brag, but he told me he heard "Here's the latest word on the street re: custom jewelry design. This from a friend who knows the scene. Christine Alaniz." How exciting is that?     We chatted about what type of jewelry his wife prefers, if she wears white or yellow gold jewelry, and when, where, and how often she'd wear a special piece of jewelry. After...

Meet the latest addition to the Darkling Collection! I recently released this Darkling Halo Ring in my online store, and I'm so excited about it! Made of antiqued sterling silver, it features a one-of-a-kind marquise labradorite gemstone in a luminous blue color. You can find it here. Labradorite comes in several gorgeous colors. Blue labradorite, purple labradorite, and green labradorite are all gorgeous options. Want a specific gemstone for a custom ring? Let me know, and I'll find the perfect stone for you.

Jackie bought this pendant when she fell in love with the unusual purple turquoise gemstone, even though she isn't really a necklace person. Instead of letting the piece languish in her jewelry box, she contacted me about transforming her sterling silver pendant into a simple bezel ring. I hadn't encountered this type of purple turquoise before, so I did a little research. It appears that purple turquoise is often an altered, treated form of turquoise. Red and purple resin is combined with turquoise, and sometimes pyrite or other metallic elements are mixed in as well. You can see the golden streaks...

I'm so excited to share the latest collection of jewelry I created for Navona Handmade! But first, a little about Navona: WHO WE ARE Three friends from art school who decided to pursue our artistic passions as a group. We meet regularly to discuss, critique, and encourage each other.  Bethany is our potter, Julia is our fiber artist, and I'm the jeweler. WHAT WE DO Take a short trip together twice a year to someplace new and inspiring, and create a collection of jewelry and home decor based on our experience. Yes, we built a business around taking vacations together,...