Jewellery news dominated by diamonds ... and an engagement ring!

And the last week of November rolls around.... *sigh*. At least I've started my christmas shopping. All this week's efforts have been online purchases - such a great way to do it ... and no sore feet ;)!

I had a wonderful time at last weekend's Christmas Fair in Tamworth. It was such a great group of exhibitors too - there was a lovely vibe to the whole day! Many customers sought me out from last year's event - I just love to hear how their enjoying their previous purchases.

I have my open day in Coolah this Friday and then next week my last show for the year in Mudgee at the Art Vine Artisans Christmas Market. I'm looking forward to a bit of a break from shows, but there will be plenty to keep me busy after that on the family front!

There have been a few things happening in the jewellery world the past week.

We have the world's most expensive pink diamond: The extremely rare 24.78 carat flawless pink diamond smashed the price record for most expensive diamond (and piece of jewelry) sold at auction (Sotheby's), where Laurence Graff paid the princely sum of $46.16 million and has already named it The Graff Pink. (He already owns the diamond with the previous title of most expensive diamond sold at auction, for which he paid $24.3 million - and all this from a lad who came from the streets of London and left school at age 14!)

Speaking of princes: Prince William announced he would marry his long term girlfriend Kate Middleton next summer. In a touching gesture, her engagement ring is the sapphire and diamond ring that Princess Diana wore. A little old-fashioned some may say, but its still a ring to be reckoned with - the sapphire is 18 carats of top quality stone with 14 nice diamonds around it and has a current value of approximately $500,000.

Rare emerald: A rare 9.27carat square cut emerald from from the legendary mine of Muzo, Colombia, brought a price of $835,682 at the recent Christie's sale. Gemmologists claim its vibrant hue class it amongst the world's best.

If you like to fossick for gems: Perhaps try your luck at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. A fellow last weekend had a bit of a fossick and ended up going home with a 2.44ct brown diamond. Definitely worth the $7 entry fee!

The legendary Hope diamond : The Hope diamond has had a new, modern setting designed for it by Harry Winston Inc., to celebrate its 50th anniversary of being donated by Harry Winston to the Smithsonian. Set into a necklet with 340 baguette diamonds, that took 8 months for jewellers to create, it will only be in the setting for a short time before returning to its original Cartier setting.

The other piece of jewellery news is more of an oddity, really. I saw the headline of 'world's largest pearl' and when I investigated further, found they were referring to a six ton ball of blue-green fluorite from Mongolia. As it glows in the dark it is referred to as a 'luminous pearl' On sale for an estimated 88,000,000 GBP if you want a five foot high night light?

In honour of all the lovely gems in this week's news I thought I'd better post a special piece - and this one surely is! Made with top quality amethyst and citrine and 14ct gold, I just love it!

Till next week :)
Cheers
Annette

Christmas wishes

Oh my ... I can't believe its been almost three weeks since I posted here! It is rather indicative of my life of late though!

Things have been go, go, go, with many commitments for the children - an end of year dance concert and rehearsals, the end of year presentation at school, my son finishing primary school and being enrolled at the local high school - and it culminates this week with a piano recital that somehow I am organising as well!

Naturally things have been busy on the jewellery front (many panicked husbands have been calling me!) with orders left, right and centre. My Coolah show went extremely well and thankfully while hot, it wasn't 45 degrees C plus like my last outing!

I have my final show for the year this Sunday in Tamworth at the monthly Peel Street Handmade Market. I'll be there with the talented Kasia Tatar, a lady who has a great future in jewellery in front of her (I carry a few of her lovely items on my site). As she doesn't have her own site, I will have to tell her all about Ethikl - a new Australian artisan marketplace that I read about on Your Cheeky Monkey.

It's hard to believe that Christmas is barely a week away now! I certainly haven't had time to do any great treks to town for Christmas shopping, so thank goodness for online shopping ... providing they all arrive in time of course! If you're located Stateside and you're still looking for little somethings to add to your gifts, do check out the Vintage Soap Shoppe on Etsy. Angela makes the most delicious looking old-world soaps that I'm sure anyone would appreciate.

Of course, for Christmas around here I think we'd all love about 6 inches of rain - that would make us all feel better and the cows would certainly appreciate the grass! We seem to have slipped straight back into drought, which is both worrying and depressing. Any rain we have had over the last couple of months has been immediately followed by a few days of hot winds and the ground just dries up instantly. Australia - the wide, brown land indeed!

Well, since I can't make it rain and nothing I do seems to entice it, I will just ignore it as much as I can and look at my pretty gems and pearls. The torsade photographed above has lashings of pink pearls, lavender pearls, rock crystal quartz, amethyst and apatite. Far better than looking at dry, brown paddocks!

As I probably won't post again before Christmas, I wish you all the very best of the festive season and hope that Santa brings a special gift, just for you! (Just like he has for this Aussie stockman!)



Cheers
Annette :)

Busy as expected a month before Christmas

It's been another busy week - as expected for this time of the year! I watched my children appear in their school play, had my show in Tamworth in 45+ degree (C) heat, did a morning's baking, celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary, loaded lots of new stock onto the website, almost caught up on my outstanding 'to do' list (we won't talk about the current to do list!!) and have even found some time to entertain a guest visiting from the USA and, amazingly, to make some jewellery! Gosh, I sound like a powerhouse LOL.

But, we all know that I'm just another mother - getting stressed, worrying over my children's schooling and activities, ignoring the fact that Christmas is just around the corner and going gray during the whole process (darn dye never lasts long enough!!)

That's the good thing about being creative, you switch off from the mundane and lose yourself in the creativity! Of course, the school bus eventually brings the children home, or the phone rings, or the computer beeps and tells me there is another message .... and life is suddenly back to normal.

Nevertheless, I keep hiding out in the studio and eventually something gets done. The pretty blue earrings photographed above are from a recent creative burst. Very chic, they are made with royal blue lapis lazuli topped with a small blue sapphire. I'd wear them, would you!?

Next week is my annual show in Coolah so I'm trying to find the time to make just a few more things before hand. Glutton for punishment, eh!?

'Till next
Annette :)

Finding things in common

I'm feeling like I'm back in the swing of things down here on the farm - i.e. I'm starting to get stressed at what I have to do before Christmas is upon me; my bench is piling up with "to do's"; and afternoons spent running the children around to after-school activities is slowly driving me to screaming point. All in all - back to normal LOL.

We're in the midst of some REALLY hot weather this week - it was easily in the low 40's (celsius) today and so very dry. We did have a splatter of rain in a storm but not enough to cool things off. Considering we're still in spring, this could pose a certain worry for the summer that is still to come!

I've managed to catch up on a little bit of blog reading and one thing that I love about reading blogs is the things you find you have in common with people - even if they seem so far removed from you. Whether that be in location or occupation or social status! It's great to find out that a fashion editor in London saves up her special buys and gifts 'for best' (even if 'best' rarely if ever arrives!). And the novelist in rural England who is an AWOL blogger and resident of a very dusty house because life keeps getting in her way. And even the European chef who couldn't decide WHAT to take (foodwise) to a party (nice to know even the professionals can't make up their mind!).

Do you follow a blogger who you've grown to see isn't that different from you after all?

Nancy from Tole4Thee noticed she had something in common with Victoria Beckham. Read her story here as it makes you realise we're really all just human beings sharing the planet!

I've started to make some jewels this past week as I have my first show since my holidays this weekend, at Tamworth. In aid of the Australian Brain Foundation, this annual Christmas fair is eagerly awaited and it is the first year I have been able to get in. I'm hoping for a day of meeting lots of new people and introducing them to the wonderful world of natural gemstones and pearls.

Perhaps someone will fall in love with this new bracelet of Hubei turquoise and sterling silver. It would look great winter or summer, don't you think!?

Scone Roundup

I had a brilliant day at Scone last weekend - the day was fair and bright, the breeze was low and the people numerous! Who could ask for more!? It was great to catch up with some previous clients who I haven't seen for a whole year. And although a little sad, to part with some really gorgeous pieces (like the necklace I featured last week - it went within an hour of opening!) My helper Trista was superb, as usual and I couldn't have done it without her :) Here is a picture of our set up at Scone:



I have my last booked event until spring (for the time being at any rate!) this weekend at the Tamworth Handmade Market in Peel Street on Sunday 17 May. Its always an early morning, having to leave in the cold and dark, however its all fine after set up and the first caffeine hit of the day! I will be helped out by Kasia, a Tamworth girl who makes some pearl jewellery and am planning to catch up with my net-friend Melanie from Armidale who is coming with some of her jewellery! I'm looking forward to the whole day!

I always have time to check out some blogs and found some funny quotes from courtrooms on the EP Designs Blog - they're good for a giggle. And on the Liv'nGood Jewelry Blog there was a great article on successful blogging - well worth checking out with tips for everyone.

Needless to say not much else has been done in between packing, unpacking, finishing orders and running a household and yes, its the dreaded Thursday run-around tomorrow LOL.

A new bracelet, however, is pictured - lustrous pale blue freshwater coin pearl and iolite gemstone two strand bracelet.

Till next :)

Some of my favourite blogs

I can't believe it's already Friday! Just like Christmas is creeping up on me, so the weeks are flying by.

I was warmly received in Tamworth last weekend and there was a lot of interest in my work. A number of ladies have asked me to come back to the next handcrafted market, so I hope that I will be able to return for the last market of this year on the 21st December.

I am in the midst of packing to go to a private showing in Orange. And then next week on Thursday and Friday I have my open day in Coolah. It will be held at the Dream Dance Academy - Thursday is a special preview for existing clients from 11.30 to 2.30pm with some champers and nibblies :) Friday will be open to all from 10am to 6pm.

As well as preparing for these two shows, sending out orders, preparing flyers for the open day etc. I even managed to get some new pieces made! Creating really is the best part of my job and its even better when you don't have to push yourself but it just flows. I was lucky enough that the flow went beautifully and I have some new pieces to show for it. If they don't sell this weekend I will be sure to put them on the site next week!

I also received an award from my good blog-friend Michelle of Michabella Creations. Michelle and I met on the great little site, Skwiggazine, and we seem to hang out on some other sites too as we keep bumping into each other!

Anyway, Michelle, very kindly, awarded me with this:



Here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. Nominate other blogs for this award
4. Add links to those blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs
6. Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool

Now I'm not going to leave meme notifications for these blogs as I just admire them and want to share them with you!

Here are my Cool Blog Picks:

Bent Objects - this blogger creates the most amazing critters and scenes using not much more than wire!

Collective Creatives - This is a group blog that I participate in and some very talented artists and artisans talk about various facets of their work and the challenges they are confronted with.

Lights Camera ... History - This blog is about period dramas - new films, tv shows and actor/actress profiles.

London Daily Photo - See London in a different light - a different look at the non stop city.

Luann Udell - This is the story behind the artist. Lots of great advice for anyone in the art/craft field.

Three Channels - Elizabeth is a mum of three whom she homeschools. One of her sons is gifted and gives her life an interesting twist or two!

Unearthed Tees - This is a great little blog with a geologic/rockhound twist.

Jane Austen Festival - For lovers of the author, downunder. Experience regency life at the yearly festival.

I'm Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor - The hectic life of a mom with 2 sets of twins!

Christa Taylor - Fashion smarts, hints and tips.

Bronte Blog - All things Bronte!

Todays pic is a beaut necklace done this week and one that I could actually keep for myself with VERY LITTLE prompting! Lovely big nuggets of turquoise (stablised), separated by little droplets of almost pure silver and a wonderful slightly oxidised silver bead as a feature on the side. Yum! I would of course love to use completely natural turquoise, but until I win the lottery will just have to be content with natural turquoise that has been treated *sigh*. It is pretty, isn't it!?

Have a great day!

Only six weeks to Christmas!

Someone mentioned to me that it is only SIX WEEKS till CHRISTMAS! EEEK! Now I feel really disorganised!! I've been concentrating so much on my spring shows that I haven't done anything about Christmas - not even a gift list. I'm really flat out for the next few weeks, so it's just going to have to wait. Hope I can find my thinking cap at the same time I find some time ;)

I had a minor setback in my health recently and all those treats I've been letting myself have have to be kept as 'treats' rather than as everyday food! It has made me realise, again, just how much our bodies are affected by the environment and the foods we eat. I've tried to go as natural as possible in the products I use and was pleased to find that Aussie company Joliv produces completely handmade, natural skincare and home cleaning products.

Now I'm obviously still in a 'green' phase as the picture I have selected today is a lime green and creamy white blister pearl and icy rock crystal quartz torsade. Totally scrumptious for a fresh, cool look. And I'm so organised it's already on my website!

I will be at the Peel Street Handmade Market in Tamworth this Sunday from 8.30am to 1pm, so please come and see me if you're in the area or visiting the market to pick up some wonderful handcrafted goodies for Christmas.