Gift Guide - Teens

The perfect gifts for those hard to buy for nieces, daughters, god-daughters...all sorted. I promise you, they do not need any One Direction make up!

My top 5 are...

The number one favourite - teeny tiny hearts. These are handcrafted out of fine silver, with a sterling earwire. Textured to bounce the light, and a perfect 5mm size. Just beautiful everyday wear.

These vintage glass cabochons are set in silver, with sterling silver earwires. I also have these in green and blue. Pretty, but not too pretty! These are a dainty 10 x 8mm.

Number three on the hotlist - these copper stars have a sterling silver earwire so no nasty irritation for those with delicate ears. These are nice and dainty too - just 5mm. Textured to let the light bounce.

Every girl should have some pearls. This pendant holds a creamy pearl with a facetted moss aquamarine, wrapped in sterling silver and with a sterling silver snake chain.

And last but not least...

This edgy little pendant with a tourmalinated quartz - little black shards floating in a facetted quartz stone. Really unusual, delicate and beautiful. 

It's oh so quiet...

Wow, it's quiet around here today.

The dog seems a little depressed too.

But at about 3.25pm it'll all go crazy again. I can't wait to hear all about their days, and how incredibly different Year 4 and Year 2 are to last year. No really. It's so much harder.

In the meantime I've been keeping busy, I've finished these bold brass beauties off.. how shimmery are they!?

And I'm making another of those lovely garnet rings... (nearly finished!)

Also, big thanks so much to everyone who entered, and spread the word about the blog end of summer giveaway. What a phenomenal response.

The winner is Sarah Louise Gray.

Sarah, drop me a line at hello@beckypearcedesigns.co.uk and I'll let you have your prize.

Hope all the other kids (and of course, teachers) out there have had a good return to school.

That golden glow

A week or two ago I was asked to make a custom jewellery set of earrings and pendant necklace as a birthday present for a lady who had lost much of her own jewellery in floods, and the subsequent house moves while refurbishment took place.

I love (and I mean LOVE) making special one off pieces, and especially when you know a little about the background. However, in this case the customer particularly wanted a gold set, which I have to admit, did make me feel a little anxious.

As you probably know, I usually work in sterling silver, or copper. I do love the look of gold, and have been wondering about offering a gold option of certain items, but gold is just so costly! I mean, really expensive. I just can't afford to have it sitting in my stock cupboard at the moment.

Gold is similar to silver to work with, and so although I don't use gold as often as silver there was nothing particularly different in terms of work. But I was so nervous about wasting even a millimeter of the precious wire.

But oh my, isn't it pretty...

The gold is 9k and the stones are a delicate pale green amethyst. The gems are micro facetted, meaning it has many, many little surfaces to catch, reflect and bounce the light all around making them super sparkly.

I do love this combination of gold and green. What do you think?

You can see some other handmade green amethyst jewellery  in my becky pearce designs shop.

And whilst I can't offer 9k or 18k gold ready to go in the shops at the moment I do offer custom pieces on request. Just get in touch with me at becky@beckypearcedesigns.co.uk to discuss.

Ooooh and do keep an eye out for some gold alternatives popping up in the near future!

Yummy green amethyst....

I got some stunning green amethyst recently for a custom order, and was so pleased with them. I used them with a moss aquamarine stone to make one of my trademark silver leaf pendants. A gorgeous combination of green stones.

The amethyst was clear, and mouthwateringly beautiful, so I am thrilled to have a few extra stones to play with.

I've just teamed it with some gold wire to make these beauties... and I'm just making an oxidised sterling version. I'll load them up on the websites later. Would love to hear what you think of them.

Christmas Postage Dates

Well it's that time again. I've already started panicking about Christmas approaching way too quickly. Since having the kids, gone are the days when a last minute dash on Christmas Eve cuts it (or is even logistically possible). So I thought it was also about time I let you all know about postage dates.

Just think how good it'll be to get those Christmas gifts done and dusted? And how gorgeously smug you will feel.

If you're in the UK you need to get your order in by 19th December. If it's a custom order, such as fingerprint jewellery you will ideally need to get your order in by 28th November - eek that's next Monday!! Remember I post out first class recorded for most packages, and Special Delivery for custom goodies, or those costing above £30.

For my lovely customers in the US your order needs to be with me by 8th December. And if you're buying from right on the other side of the world in Australia, you'll need to order by 4th December.

After the chaos caused by the snow and certain customs centres (you know who you are NY!) to deliveries last year my advice is get it ordered early!!

Good luck - and happy shopping!

Wednesday Moodboard

A little blog moodboard based on my light and dark earrings. Light, sparkly crystals with deeply oxidised handforged sterling silver wires.

Light and Dark handmade earrings

All the pictures are found on Pinterest - click on the pic to go through to the pin, or relevant site.

Simple (but stunning) earrings

I'm just about to list a few simple, but stunning sterling silver and crystal briolette earrings. These are the earrings I wear on the school run, or on a night out. Not at all fussy, but gorgeous in their simplicity.

Crystal briolette earrings

I've also put together a little tutorial to make these as well, a perfect introduction to jewellery making - I'll post that on here, or my supplies blog soon!