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Birthstone month: DecemberColor: Turquoise ranges from sea foam green to teal blueFamily: TurquoiseMoh's Hardness: 5-6Transparency: Semi-translucent to opaque There are a number of birthstones for December: tanzanite, topaz, and turquoise. Turquoise is a quintessential American gemstone that many people associate with sterling silver Native American jewelry, but it has a broad history that reaches well beyond North America. Some pieces of turquoise jewelry found in Egyptian tombs are among the oldest pieces of jewelry in the world, and the Chinese have been carving turquoise for over 3000 years. Turquoise is a slightly porous, semi-translucent to opaque gemstone that is most...

A miracle head, or illusion head, is a design specifically created to alter how a gemstone appears. A miracle head can be designed to make a stone look larger, or to make a stone look like a different shaped stone. Below is an example of a ring I designed where a round center diamond is set into a larger, cushion-shaped box. This alters how the stone appears to a casual observer.   Often, a miracle head will have a fluted or scalloped design that mimics the facets of the center store in order to create a more believable illusion. The...

Birthstone month: NovemberColor: Citrines range from pale honey yellow to deep brownish or reddish orangeFamily: QuartzMoh's Hardness: 7Transparency: Transparent to semi-transparent Citrine is from the quartz family, which includes other colorful stones such as agate, amethyst, chalcedony, jasper, rose quartz, smoky quartz, and tiger's eye. In fact, since natural citrine is rare, most citrines you see are actually heat-treated amethyst (GIA). Because amethyst and citrine are both from the quartz family, occasionally a bi-colored hybrid gemstone will occur, aptly named ametrine. Ametrine displays a transition in color from amethyst's purple to citrine's yellow. The citrine gemstone is transformed into a...

Protea flowers are so alluring! They have dramatic, sharp petals atop a cluster of stiff, glossy leaves. Those rigid and geometric details inspired me to create this collection. Last month I added a couple new pieces to the Protea Collection. Both of these new pieces come in lustrous sterling silver, and have an oxidized finish to emphasize the recessed patterns. Check out the Protea Amulet Necklace and the Protea Stacker Ring in my online shop! xo,Christine

Last month I added the Protea Stacking Ring and the Protea Amulet Pendant to the Protea Collection. This week I'm working on doorknocker style earrings as the next addition to the collection. After a couple versions, I think I nailed down the right proportions.   xo, Christine