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ABOUT the WORK
details, fine points
The pieces on these pages are all made entirely by hand. No machine process is used in their construction. These designs are intricately strung by needle and thread with my very own hands in the USA. My necklace designs frequently take 15-30 hours of constant work to create, with a few doubling or tripling that estimate.
Each piece is designed "from scratch", and no patterns are used in my work. These are 100% original works of art. (As such, my designs are copyrighted, as are the images on this website.)
The materials I use to create my designs come from all over the world, and many are antique. I use semiprecious stone, glass, austrian crystal, metal, horn, bone, coral, wood, leather, shell, and nearly anything else I can get my hands on that seems likely to inspire a design.
Lampwork glass beads are created one at a time by artists throughout the world. The artist works over a torch, carefully applying ribbons of glass to a rod to build up the bead itself. Though a few of the lampwork glass beads I use come from the Czech Republic or China and are produced in quantity, the vast majority of the lampwork beads and components in my work are unique designs created by artists in the USA, Canada, and Australia. These beads are prized by collectors, and it is not uncommon to find bead collectors who never incorporate these stunning miniature artworks into jewelry at all.
These beads tend to fall into two categories: Murano glass and borosilicate glass. Murano glass resembles the beads most of us are familiar with; beads made of this glass are often brightly colored and incorporate gold foil, bits of silver, and all manner of beautiful surface design techniques. Borosilicate glass is a more expensive glass for the bead artists to use, being more expensive to purchase and more difficult to work -- it requires larger torches and more physical strength to manipulate. Borosilicate glass, often simply called "boro", often looks very different in varying light. Indoors, a piece may look more subtle, while outside, it may glow with color and sparkle.
I'm very glad to be able to use these elements in my work. The inclusion of lampwork glass beads by artists truly creates a one-of-a-kind design.
Some of these beads and components are fragile -- remember, they're glass. When purchasing a necklace with lampwork pieces, please be aware!
Vintage beads are becoming more scarce as more people come to the hobby, and they are precious items already in short supply. Many of the vintage glass beads in use today come from the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, France, and Japan. Vintage beads come in a variety of finishes and colors, some of which are no longer produced. Some of the finishes and styles have been "lost" to history, and only a few of these beads remain.
I use a remarkable number of freshwater pearls every year. These pearls are cultivated, and now are available in a number of sizes, unusual shapes, and colors. Many pearls are dyed or otherwise treated to alter their color. Most unusually colored pearls are treated in this manner. We have never had any problem with the colors changing or fading -- these are permanent finishes.
Semi-precious stone beads have been a staple of my jewelry designs from the beginning. The variety of gemstone beads available today is astonishing, and nearly every imaginable shape, size, and color is available. Gemstones have been attributed with healing qualities throughout the world, and though I make no claims they can affect any change beyond making a piece of jewelry especially interesting, a number of customers have requested specific stones and combinations for this reason over the years.
Coral is a favorite of mine -- the color, the texture, the connection to the sea. While most people are accustomed to seeing the salmon-colored, spiky bits of branch coral, it comes in a number of forms from chunky crimson blocks to pale ivory fossil coral in more traditional cut stone bead shapes.
Shell components are a relatively new addition to the studio's bead stash. These pieces are often fragile, and should be handled with care. From discs of abalone to tiny shells drilled through their centers to elaborately carved elements, the range of shell beads and components I use is carefully selected to blend with the other materials on hand.
My work from 2004 onward will feature exclusively sterling silver clasps (unless otherwise requested). I use some sterling, a good deal of pewter, copper, brass, and a number of "base metals". At this time, it's not within the studio budget to incorporate gold beads into our pieces unless it is as part of prepaid custom order.
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