Blog

It's been in the single digits lately, so I'm bundled up in several layers of shirts and a cozy cardigan every day. I've been doubling up on my necklaces, too. Here, I'm wearing the Darkling Spike Pendant Necklace and the Magnolia Leaf Pendant Necklace. As long as you're layering necklaces of different lengths, they'll work well together! Would you like to get blog updates right to your inbox? Sign up for the monthly newsletter! You'll hear from me once (and only once!) a month. xo,Christine

I've been swatching these Kuretake watercolors I received for Christmas. The colors are so rich! I'm really looking forward to working with these for wedding cards and calligraphy projects in 2018. xo, Christine

The Magnolia Studs had babies! Several of my best customers requested itty bitty sterling silver stud earrings, so I designed two pairs of mini stud earrings based off of the Magnolia Button Studs. You can find the Magnolia Mini Studs and the Winter Magnolia Mini Studs in my online store. They're tiny, lightweight, and make a great gift! xo, Christine

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...