Feb. 12: Stuff Jen Makes

Pretty please, I gots a favor to ask of you.

Since my upcoming medical treatments are still a mystery (but will most certainly zap me), I’ve stopped looking for full time work. Instead, I’m spending my days being creative, and I’ve opened an Etsy store to sell my handmade gemstone goodies: Dear Girl ~ Jewelry with Intention. Feel free to check it out. You’re even invited to shop. But here’s what would really help:

• If you have an Etsy account, mark my store as a favorite. You can also mark individual items as favorites, too.
• Tell your friends about Dear Girl ~ Jewelry with Intention (more on that below). Send them a link to my store, or pics of the jewelry you like most.
• “Like” the Dear Girl Facebook page. This will get my store updates in your news feed, which you can then share with your Facebook friends because you’re so awesome. Then they can like it and share it with their friends, and so on and so on. Yes. I love you for doing that.
• This is the big one: PIN my store items on Pinterest! It’s a great way to help people find my store.

So, here’s the deal with the jewelry I make… I use gemstones in most of the pieces, and I choose gemstones that will be meaningful to the wearer. Of course, everyone has a birthstone. Some moms wear the birthstones of their kids. Garnet isn’t just January’s birthstone; it’s also considered “The Gem of Friendship,” so if you’re looking for something to share with a dear friend, I would definitely recommend a piece made up of garnets. There are metaphysical properties for every stone, like how they’re used in crystal healing, their folklore, their traditional symbolism, etc. Every one of the stones I use is supposed to “do” something. Whether you believe it can actually “do” anything is up to you, but isn’t it more special to wear jewelry that has associated characteristics, especially when they’re chosen just for you?

I think it is, and that’s why I started being creative with gemstones. Now I make necklaces, bracelets, earrings, lanyards, pendant watches, bookmarks, and more. You’ll find a good selection in my Etsy store, but I also welcome custom orders. Let me know what you want and we can work together to create the perfect piece for you.

I also try to keep the prices affordable. I saw a Smithsonian catalog at the doctor’s office this week and was shocked to see $260 necklaces—one had about $3 worth of gemstones in it! Yikes. The least expensive Dear Girl items are those made with glass or acrylic beads—those are the ones I make just for the pretty of them. :) The priciest Dear Girl items are multi-strand necklaces made up primarily of gemstones, or items with precious-er gems. :)

Here’s the text of my store description:

I've always loved sparkly things, but I became fascinated with researching gemstones after my father died. He had worn an onyx ring, and I wanted to get a piece of onyx jewelry in remembrance of him. I was surprised to read that onyx is commonly used by crystal healers for grief therapy. Wearing that onyx made me feel a stronger connection to my dad.

I studied further and discovered that most gemstones have a variety of healing properties and ancient uses associated with them. Some of those metaphysical properties are common--a diamond represents constancy in a marriage, which is why diamonds are traditionally used in wedding jewelry--but more are known for their historical uses by ancient civilizations and advocates of crystal healing. Wait, CRYSTAL HEALING??? Does that sound like voodoo and witchcraft to you? It sure did to me!
Here's the thing: you don't have to be a wack-a-doo to believe rocks have power. I mean, clocks run on the energy from quartz crystals, so there's *something* in them. Like the idea of keeping a positive attitude to make yourself feel better, or carrying a lucky charm, the jewels you wear can make a difference. And if it turns out there really *isn't* anything to them, you've still got something pretty to wear, right?

Unless clearly stated otherwise, my gemstones are genuine. Many are still in their rough, natural state, but some have been cut and tumbled for sake of the pretty. I like the pretty. Occasionally I use glass beads, but will always say so.

My creations are combinations of stones that I feel represent something for the wearer ... bracelets of morganite (sisterhood) and garnet (friendship) for women on a girls' weekend (maybe throw in a little amethyst, which ancient Greeks believed protected them from drunkeness!) ... malachite and sugilite for a friend facing cancer treatment ... ... azurite and white quartz for students (mental clarity) ... for book clubs or other gatherings of like-minded people, fluorite and spirit quartz (positive group interaction) ... emerald and topaz for someone feeling the effects of age ... peridot and citrine for new business owners (prosperity and fortune) ... jade and moonstone (mood-balancer) for the new mother ... green garnet and onyx for someone making their way through a divorce ... birthstones, of course (January=garnet, February=amethyst, March=aquamarine, April=diamond, May=emerald, June=pearl, July=ruby, August=peridot, September=sapphire, October=opal, November=citrine, December=turquoise or tanzanite) ... mothers' jewelry containing their children's birthstones ...

I'm glad to make custom items--just email me your ideas and we can come up with something together.

Disclaimer: I am not a physician, nor am I a crystal healer. The properties and purposes of the stones I use in my jewelry pieces are shared here for entertainment purposes only. I have collected the data from books and numerous web sites. Folklore and reputed healing powers of these gemstones should not replace proper medical attention.

I have a small batch of pieces I’ll be listing later this week. Here are some of my current favorites:

This is a close-up on a multi-strand necklace made of rose quartz and pink opals.
It’s sparkly and love-y and will make you smile.

 

My “BFF bracelet” is made up of garnet, peridot, iolite, and morganite—stones that represent sisterhood and friendship.

 

Here’s a close-up of a necklace made of aquamarine and black onyx beads.
I love the combination of colors, and the shiny onyx twist beads are especially unique.

 

This is one of my favorite pieces because of its varying textures and gorgeous colors.
The green chips are peridot, the dark red saucers are garnet, and the light blue beads are aquamarine.
Together, these stones are perfect for someone who’s dealing with an extra big pile of stress.

 

OK, I’ll shut up now. Any way you can help me promote my creations is VERY much appreciated! Thanks so much!

Dec. 30: Sparkles

Yeah, I know I just got a pretty great gift, but nothing’s ever enough for me and I suggested Santa could bring me a little sparkly somethin’ too. And guess what? Santa did not disappoint. He brought me somethin’ sparkly, alright. He brought me these:

Gorgeous, aren’t they? I don’t think I’ve ever had an emerald before, and these are such a beautiful green. In fact, Vic said he chose them because they’re green, sort of like a constant reminder that we kicked cancer’s ass. I love the sentiment. I eagerly tore out the crappy earrings I was wearing at the moment and put these beauties in. They looked like… well, I’ll be honest: they looked like happiness.

Later that evening, I changed into jammies and started to take off my jewels. I noticed that the emerald studs looked like they were falling out, so I checked to make sure the backs were tight. They were. The only thing I can figure out is that the emeralds were too heavy to just lay there in my ear holes; they were so big that they couldn’t help falling forward. Sometimes gravity is an asshole. I took the earrings out and tried them again the next day. Why did I think that would make a difference? It didn’t.

I loved the gift, and the meaning behind it, but I knew I would never wear these earrings if I was always worried they’d fall out and I’d lose one. I explained it to Victor and he suggested we return them and I choose something else. Last night I started looking around online at the many, many options I had to replace my emeralds. Vic said I could get a ring or necklace; that I didn’t need to get earrings if I didn’t want them. But I do want earrings—I need them with this awful hairstyle in order to look less man-like—and I also knew I wanted to stick with green. I expanded my search to include peridots, since they’re also green, and actually closer to the lime-green lymphoma awareness color.

I use peridot a lot in the jewelry I make because it’s pretty and not a very expensive gemstone (relatively speaking). This made it difficult to shop for earrings, since I saw most peridot earrings as something I could make my own damn self. I got lots of ideas for future projects, that’s for sure. But today I finally settled on these to replace my emerald studs:

Yes, I know they bear little resemblance to the emeralds Vic chose for me. But here’s why I chose them:

• Um, duh: they’re way pretty. I love the delicate swirls and the heart shape.
• They’re dangly and girly. With my current hairstyle, this is good.
• I suck (SUCK!) at wire work. There’s no way I could make these earrings my own damn self.
• The dark stone is onyx. This always reminds me of my dad because he wore an onyx ring in the last few years of his life that he really liked. After he died I discovered that onyx is often used to treat grief in crystal healing. It became one of my favored stones then. Like peridot, I use onyx quite a bit in my jewelry-making. Love.
• The little green stones at the bottom are peridot. I like the idea of Dad’s stone stompin’ on the lymphoma.
• My favorite part: these earrings are handmade, and the designer calls them “Dearest Heart.” How sweet is that? Very sweet, that’s how sweet.

Here are some of the metaphysical properties attributed to black onyx:

Black onyx helps to overcome grief, banish old habits, and encourage happiness and good fortune. Comforts in unfamiliar surroundings. Helps overcome feelings of loneliness. It helps with wound healing and increases stamina and self-control. Assists with challenges in life, in particular those caused by a drain of energy.

And here are some for peridot:

Peridot is said to help slow the aging process, physically and mentally. Strengthens and regenerates all organs, stimulating new, healthy growth. Acts as if one had just taken a health tonic. Promotes sleep. Aids physical detoxification. Excellent for health care workers, care givers, veterinarians, counselors, spiritual leaders and mothers. Many believe it to increase patience, confidence and assertiveness. It is said to be very useful in relaxation and the release of nervous tension. Emits a warm and friendly energy; thus called the “Stone of Friendship.” Crystal healers use peridot as a good all-around producer of positive energy and healing. It also eases adjustment to large life changes. It is given as a symbol of fame, dignity, and protection. 

I know it seems kinda first world problem-y to complain that the gems were too heavy to wear. Oh, poor me! My jewels are dragging! Although I wish I could have stayed with the emeralds Victor chose for me, I think these earrings are more practical and will still be very meaningful.

Either way, I gots me a good Santa—he’s my Dearest Heart, for sure.

Apr. 22: Simple reward

I’ve been semi-planning to throw a big party when I’m all done with this cancer thing, but lately I’ve been thinking I might just rather have a new diamond. I really, really, really like this one:

If I wore this little 18-carat beauty, people probably wouldn’t even notice my lack of hair. And if they did, it wouldn’t be “so sad, that bald girl.” It’d be more like, “Huh? She didn’t have hair? Whatevs, did you see that rock?”

Don’t get me wrong, we can still have a party. You’ll all want to come see the ring, right?

Oct. 12: The iDiamond. Yep.

There’s a new iPod shuffle available. It’s called the iDiamond, and you bet your arse it’s gonna be worn as jewelry because it’s made with 430 hand-set diamonds (312 in the player and 118 in the ear buds). It sells for approximately $41,000. No info on the storage capacity, but since it’s a shuffle, I’m guessing it’d be 1-2GB. (As if capacity is what would determine whether or not people would buy it.)

If that seems excessive, maybe you’d rather go for the ear buds by themselves, which sell for the low, low price of $7,200. But act soon, because they’re limited edition.

I know what you’re thinking: FINALLY! I’ve been wanting to get an iPod shuffle, but $49 for an ugly plastic case? In this economy, it’d be a much smarter investment to spend many thousand times more than that to get one that’s studded with gems.

I predict that Sherilee (she of many iPods) will be the first person I know to own this. It’ll be a gift from her husband, combining her love of sparkles with his love of technology. What could be more perfect?

See the iDiamond in action here.