Stones Stones Stones

Stones Stones Stones

'Tis the Season for gifts and giving. So in a little departure from my normal tribal and African beaded jewelry, my project for the summer and fall was designing two collections of pieces using gorgeous natural stones. As a result, this year I still have many of these incredible stone pieces that would make great gifts for the holidays. All of the pieces in the collage above are available now in my Etsy shop, Chrysalis Too!

The unusual shapes and hand cuts of the stones add to their appeal. Hard to find stones like azurite and iolite make these designs some of my favorites. The necklace pictured above is a combination of  iolite, apatite, and carved jade.

Another less common stone, this opal graduated rondelle choker length necklace has accents of dumortierite and artisan bronze.

A different color palette, but still opal, in a bib style choker necklace with flat, cut stones, with brilliant shades of green and warm brown. In between the opals, I have used hand cut chrysoprase in a milky sea green with brown patches. The accents on this piece are also artisan bronze.

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas from Chrysalis Too!!!

Grand Portage Jewelry Collection

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Grand Portage Collection

 Rustic Natural Stone Jewelry

My most recent collection, as many of my past ones, is inspired by places I have visited. This spring, my husband and I spent a few days on the North Shore of Lake Superior, one of our favorite places to relax and enjoy the magnificent scenery.

I had a new camera to try out, so we stopped frequently along the route looking for interesting subjects for photography. We drove the entire way to the Minnesota/Canada border, where Grand Portage State Park is located. The temperature had dropped 15 degrees from the point at which we started, near Lutsen. And even though it was early June, many of the trees were still just beginning to leaf out.

 As I mentioned, we have gone to the north shore many times, and no matter what time of year it happens to be, there is always something interesting to pursue.

But this was my first trip to Grand Portage, where I was pleasantly surprised to find a wooden walkway all the way to the falls. And I mean, practically on top of the falls! 

All this luscious spring natural beauty was the inspiration for my Grand Portage Collection of jewelry. Some exciting new cuts of chrysocolla, azurite, fluorite, chrysoprase, and rare Peruvian opal, were the stones I chose to be the basis of the collection. 

 The colors in these beautiful natural stones, along with the interesting hand cut facets, suggested to me the rugged rock ledges and mineral filled waters of the falls.



These pieces and more are now available in my Etsy shop, Chrysalis Too! I find this color palette most appealing, and I plan to add several additional jewelry pieces over the summer. Updates coming later.

If you want more information, check out the Grand Portage Collection at the link below. Free shipping in the US.

Chrysalis Too on Etsy