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Maria asked me to create a custom fern leaf necklace for her. I've always been drawn to ferns because of how they demonstrate fractal geometry. This scaled, graduated design is perfect for computer-aided design. Using CAD gives me the precision to design a perfectly tapered leaf pattern, replicating the mathematical perfection found in Mother Nature.   I designed this necklace to have a curling, gently curved leaf centered along a delicate box chain. With an oxidized finish layered on top the sterling silver, the mathematically precise graduation of the fern leaves is especially prominent. xo, Christine

Come try on all the jewels I've been creating for Navona Handmade! You can visit our booth this weekend at Chestnut Hill's Fall for the Arts Festival. We'll be showcasing our latest collection, the Portland Collection, this weekend at the Fall for the Arts Festival in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Here are the details: When: This Sunday, September 30th from 11am - 5pmWhere: Chestnut Hill, PA. The show is on Germantown Avenue, between Willow Grove and Rex AvenuesWhy: It's going to be a beautiful fall day, and you want first dibs on our new collection! xo, Christine

Sarah proposed to Chris with a pair of classic, simple white gold wedding bands, and they were married shortly thereafter. Even though they had already exchanged wedding bands, Chris still wanted to create a special custom engagement ring for his wife. He had several heirloom family diamonds and a brilliant green garnet that he envisioned clustered together in an asymmetrical, organic, delicate engagement ring. Chris sent me photographs of his gemstones so I could start sketching ideas. After he dropped off the stones at my shop, I measured them and created several CAD options for him to review. He had...

Alastair Blake Peters, a fellow artist and former classmate from the Tyler School of Art, reached out to me requesting a pair of custom plug earrings. I laid out a spiraling fern design, based on the Fibonacci sequence, as a jumping off point for our design discussion. After reviewing the initial images, he sent me a couple of inspiration images demonstrating the radial patterns and dark, subtle coloration that he was drawn to. He also mentioned that he really admired my Protea Collection, and would love to see a plug design based on the Protea Amulet. So, for the second...

Birthstone month: July Color: Red Family: Corundum Moh's Hardness: 9 Transparency: Transparent Rubies are part of the corundum family, and are, in fact, simply red sapphires. Sapphires come in every color, but red sapphires are differentiated as rubies. They are brilliant red in color, with the highest quality stones leaning slightly towards purple-red. Corundum that is a paler red, leaning towards pink, is sometimes classified as a pink sapphire, instead of as ruby. The determination is often at the discretion of the dealer. Most natural rubies have some kind of inclusion, often displayed as a milky or "silk" look from...