Handmade Wire Rings: My first attempt at silver & gemstone jewelry

I have finally arrived to my Silver Stage. When I started making jewelry a little bit more than a year ago, I was mostly training to arrive to the real thing. Here are my first attempts.

All my life I have never been a patient person. My first craft attempts were all so ugly because I did them in haste. I have always dreamt of designing/making silver & antique jewelry rings, necklaces & bracelets, but I knew I wasn’t ready. I was basically waiting to reach a stage where I was patient enough to sit & work.

Early last year I bought these amethyst beads, but I knew I wasn’t ready to put them into use. I was still uncertain about the steps I was taking and my style wasn’t mature enough yet. So, I basically opted to learn so many handmade techniques –  including decoupaging, glittering, stationary-making, and packaging – to basically nurture a good artisan in me.

I nagged my mom to give me a few beads from her collection of all the scattered antique silver beads & gemstones she has collected over the years. I nagged and nagged to no avail (I guess she was worried I would create childish stuff with them – like the rest of my past creations). But then a few months ago when I wasn’t nagging at all, she gave me everything!

But I still didn’t feel I was ready. I felt heavy and confused sitting in front of those beads; hoping to come up with something spectacular but unable to quite imagine it. I lacked the self-confidence, and I’m thankful for that: it was a good hunch, because I knew that I lacked the skill & the vision for undertaking authentic jewelry-making.

Yesterday without thinking, and after finishing a few craft projects that had nothing to do with immediate jewelry-making, I grabbed the silver wire mom gave me, my treasured amethyst beads, a few of her antiqued silver beads, turquoise & coral, and I started working on these rings. I followed a strong urge to start making rings.

One of them gave me a hard time since I was totally unclear about the design. I kept twisting and twisting until I snapped the wire. But then I relaxed, stepped back a bit,  thought about what I wanted to do and created a nice ring. It’s the one in the middle (up).

Originals: Handmade Crystal Jewelry ~ Welcoming winter

Karboojeh Handmade Crystal Combo Bracelet

I’m still in my summer mode to an extent. The colors I’m using for making earrings & bracelets are pretty much ‘somewhat vibrant.’ But I’m also making fall/winter-suitable jewelry, and I guess I’m moving slowly, but reluctantly, into winter mode.

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I love winter, marshmallows and hot chocolate, but I also love color, a lot of it. Not the bright, nor the pastel, but the deep rich colors, especially those that remind us of the sea.

Karboojeh Handemade Light Crystal Earrings

But sometimes, good old plain classical has its place in one’s heart – and jewelry box. The earrings above are made to fit every fall/winter outfit. The earrings below are made of genuine onyx gemstone beads, that came all the way from Italy.

Karboojeh Handmade Onyx Earrings

This year I am discovering the fabulous-ness of crystal jewelry. Before journeying into jewelry-making as a replacement for my old career, I was never a crystal-wearing girl. But I’m changing… and so is the weather! I wish you all a happy winter…