Contrariwise ramblings

The person who originally commissioned this pendant decided not to purchase this piece. The silverwork on it was bigger than she expected.  So you'll be able to find it listed in my Etsy shop.





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MooShu is quite good at fetch. In fact, he's better than any other dog I ever had, even dogs with retriever blood in them!

He has a tiny little tennis ball and, after fetching it, lays it down at my feet to throw it again. If I don't pick it up, he'll pick it up and toss it at me. Slowly he learned that picking something up and tossing it can be a game he can play by himself.

So here's MooShu with an acorn that turns out to make a very nice substitute for a discus.




(Oh, and if you look carefully, you'll see the absolute first appearance of Contrariwise (me!) in this blog.)

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I saw this headline on Drudge yesterday:

Intriguing.  But it couldn't possibly be real heads, could it?  I just had to find out.  So I clicked on the link and the following article came up:

I’ve been working on the pendant for the past couple weeks. It should have taken me much less time, but I’ve had some problems.

1.  It took me forever to get the bail into a graceful shape that approximates the vines in the rest of the design. Every time I would get the front part right, the back of the bail didn't sit in the right position. But worse still, once I finally got the bail on, the chain wouldn’t balance properly, making the cab look tilted. So I had to “unsolder” the bail and make a new one.

Twice.

(After ruining 5 bails, I’ll know better in the future.)

2.  I also learned that an adjustable chain should not be directly attached to a necklace if you want it to hang straight. (It hangs straight at 18 inches, but is off-center when the chain adjusted to any other length.) So I had to add a jump ring to the bail and string the chain thought it, so that the pendant can move freely.
And then I didn’t have any beads for accents that were the right color. So I made a special trip to a bead shop and bought 2 beads. Just 2 beads. (I spent more on gas to get to the shop than I spent on the beads.)

3.  Thank goodness there’s one mistake I didn’t make. I remembered to oxidize the silver before the turquoise cab is in the setting. (And, oh yes, I learned this the hard way. Most stones aren't stained by the oxidizing solution. Most. Not turquoise.)

It's late now.  I know enough not to work on a piece when I'm tired. Otherwise I'd do a little more fininshing of the sterling,  set the cab, and finally be done!

And now for something that went right – despite me!

This was a custom ring. The buyer purchased this mookaite cab and I worked with her to design the ring. The buyer really wanted the little hemispheres I used in another piece, my Dark Side of the Moon ring, and wanted to incorporate them in her ring.

To be honest, this was not at all the way I envisioned setting the ring. Never in a million years would I have thought of adding those little spheres on either side. But it works!

And right now, it's on the way to the buyer. (I hope she likes it.)




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I think these are amongst the best cabs in my collection.  Each is so unique and would make an incredible ring or pendant.

I'm offering these for custom designs.  They'll be listed in my shop on Wednesday.

1. Amethyst Sage. I love this stone and  can't seem to pass them up.  This cabochon contains both purple agate and feathery plumes with gold highlights in a lovely assymetrical shape. Size: 25 x 30 mm

2. Galah porcelain agate. This is a very special agate from Agate creek in North Queensland Australia. The pink color combined with the banded patterns is so beautiful. (Collected 15 years ago by a well known opal and agate seller from Queensland Australia.) Size: 20 x 22mm

3. Blue Moss Agate - This Blue Moss is features blue and black mossy inclusions in a clear/milky white agate base.  An exquisite cab. Size: 17 x 15mm

4. Morrisonite Jasper. UPDATE 6/17/2010:  this one is now sold.  It's been replaced with a bright yellow and red Mookaite in my Etsy listing

5. Ocean Jasper. (One of my favorite stones) Here's a striking and unusual green and white Ocean Jasper cab with green orbs outlined by a white lacy halo. It also features a milky white agate covered druzy pocket. So icy. Size: 27 x 18mm

 ALSO, tomorrow I'm planning to post some things I've been working on.  One is a finished ring and the other is a work in progress.  (Yes, that turquoise pendant.  It's been giving me all sorts of headaches, but I think it's finally coming along.  It's been quite a learning experience for me.)

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I just finished a few custom orders and have almost caught up with everything in my shop.  The "Design your Own Ring/Pendant" listing in my shop was so successful that I had to stop taking custom orders for a while, but now I'm ready again.

I'm planning to list these in my Etsy shop on Monday.  They're all cabs in sizes suitable for pendants or, in a couple cases, large cocktail rings.

I tried to get a good mix of different stones and these are amongst the favorites in my collection.  They are, from top to right:

1. A frosty colorless agate with green orbs.   Some of the orbs have orange centers. Size: 33mm X 22mm

2. A Tiffany Stone (Bertrandite) in cream and golden browns with some picturesque dendrites. Not your usual purple Tiffany Stone. 40 x 24mm

3  A bright pink Rhodonite from Nevada.  Super color on this one.  Often seen in the lighter rose color, this one is a bright, bright pink. 27x37mm.


4. A Tiffany Stone  with "chicken track" dendrites. The color of this cab ranges from light lavender to a deep bluish purple.  40 x 24 

5.  (Best for last?)  I've been saving this one.  A Graveyard Point Plume Agate with Druzy from Oregon.  The druzy is out standing in this cab!  50 X 25 mm.


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Just a quick post to show you a custom pendant I've been working on.

It's still very rough, so please don't mind the unsanded edges and the lack of finish.   But here it is, warts and all!  I'll be working on it some more over the next couple of days and I PROMISE it'll look better.

The buyer and I started this custom piece by scouring the internet looking for a large Sleeping Beauty cab.  Finding such a nice clear blue stone without much matrix was a bit more difficult than I imagined, but we finally found two that were very close to what she wanted.  I bought both and planned to return the one she didn't want, but it was so nice that I couldn't stand to part with it.  (Can you believe that! )

She liked the designs of a couple of other of my pieces, an ocean jasper pendant and a cherry creek ring, so I started making some sketches.

However, I'm definitely keeping these sketches for future projects and inspiration.  I really like a few of them.  In fact, can you see the middle drawing in the top row?  I've started making that setting already.  You know, I thought the poor turquoise cab that was rejected needed a home.


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Would you like to be a Contrariwise Follower and see what trouble I might be up to or what I'm working on? All you have to do is click on the link on the left in my side bar.

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Would you like to be a Contrariwise Follower and see what trouble I might be up to or what I'm working on? All you have to do is click on the link on the left in my side bar.

After placing a "Pick your cabochon and design a ring/pendant"  listing in my Etsy shop last week, I got a few new commissions.  One of the commissions was to set a gorgeous deep-blue labradorite as a ring.  I worked on it over the weekend and had it almost completed - except for the last step, setting the cab into the ring.   

When setting stones, you need to make them fit tightly and make sure the bezel is the correct shape for the stone.  I always check the fit of the stone by laying a piece of dental floss over the bezel and inserting the stone over the floss.  The floss keeps the stone from becoming stuck in the bezel and makes it easy to pop out.

I placed the stone into the setting and the fit was good and tight.  Very tight.  I had to use the floss to get it out.  Out it popped, up into the air, and then downward, toward my hard concrete floor.

I didn't see it hit the floor but I heard it.  

It took me a few seconds to find it, and I had a bad feeling in my stomach while I was looking for it.

Yes, the unthinkable happened, what I always fear: the cab was broken.

Of course it's irreplaceable.  It's a designer cabochon and not a standard size. I felt absolutely horrible and sent a message to the buyer.  Luckily she was very understanding.

In the meantime, I have a lovely ring with an empty place where a cab should be. 

I hate melting it down, so I'm checking with lapidary artists to see about cutting a stone to fit the setting.



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I've heard that dogs can't see laser pointers because they're color blind.  MooShu proves that this is is nothing but an urban legend.

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In my last post, I wrote about sketching out new designs.  Well, here's the work in progress.

When it's finished, it'll be going to Hope.

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Each cabochon is unique and I try very hard to carefully create a design specifically for each stone. I think every cabochon has a voice that needs to be heard.  Sometimes the voice is loud and strong.  Other times, it whispers, almost unheard.  Some cabs don't speak for a while, but eventually, perhaps when they warm up to you or when the moment is right, they let you know what they want.

One trick I use to coax out a design from a cab is sketching around a photocopy of the stone.   This works especially well with unique stones.   Seeing the natural patterns of the stone really gives you a better idea of how the overall design of the setting should flow.

And if you're making a custom design for someone, it allows the buyer to better visualize how their piece of jewelry will eventually look.

This cab is going to be a ring and I'll be working on it over the next week.  I'm planning to post updates on it to show you how it progresses.  (And to tease Hope, who's been patiently waiting for me to begin work on her new ring!)

So which design do you think Hope chose?



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Would you like to be a Contrariwise Follower and see what trouble I might be up to or what I'm working on? All you have to do is click on the link on the left in my side bar.