Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

Hello our lovely readers,

I cannot believe it is already the end of June! Is everyone ready for the long weekend? Well today, I have an exciting event to share with you to prepare you for July!

The annual Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is happening on July 6th - 8th! It is Canada’s largest and longest-running contemporary outdoor art fair. This free public event showcases works by over 340 contemporary visual artists and makers, ranging in medium from painting, photography, and mixed media to jewellery and ceramics, and attracts 115,000 visitors each year to Nathan Phillips Square.

I will also be showcasing my jewellery works for the first time at the TOAF. Please come by and check out my works!

@ Nathan Phillips Square

Friday July 6  10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday July 7 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday July 8  10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

I will be located at Booth A23 in Zone A! Hope to see you all there! Here are some of my works below.

Thank you for reading and I hope everyone will have a fantastic long weekend! Happy Canada Day!

Hoi Yi

Radi Brothers by Zef Radi

Happy Sunday everyone!

I woke up this morning thinking it would be grey and overcast all day, but this beautiful sunshine has proven me wrong. And I have something else to brighten your day - introducing the gorgeous and detailed work of the Radi Brothers, by Zef Radi.

Zef has brought his family-born love of jewellery to Jewel Envy, and I strongly encourage you to come by and take a look at what he makes - the craftmanship is beautiful and refined, and lets the design work really shine through. The shapes are quite simple, but the filigree, contrasting metals, and gemstones add so many layers of colour and depth. Your ears are begging to try these on!

 Teardrop earrings - $1,175

Sterling silver with 24k gold, 18k gold accents, and moonstones

 Petal earrings - $1,400

Sterling silver with 24k details and 18k gold earwires

Round earrings - $1,130

Sterling silver with 18k gold details and amethysts

 Square earrings - $335

Sterling silver with 14k gold and rubies

Burst earrings - $1,575

24k gold, sterling silver filigree, amethysts and moonstones

 

I didn't put these earrings in order of preference, because I'm having a hard time choosing a favourite pair. But if I HAD to choose... actually the first pair would be my favourites after all. I really like the shape of the Petal earrings, but I really love the colour of the gemstones so I'm going with the Teardrop earrings as my personal faves.What about you???

Drop by the studio to drool over these beauties in person, and maybe you'll be lucky enough to meet the goldsmith himself:)

sunday in the studio

Here's a little something for your weekend visual enjoyment. Earrings by Caroline Deacon that make me really happy, and that will make you really happy too. That's just the amazing effect that beautiful things have on people like us:)

textured studs, save at $65 a pair

 attention to detail: handmade backs!!!!

drops with opal cabochons. a bit of a splurge at $275 for the pair, 

but come one! these are just the best

Sunday Funday in the studio

It's Amnesty Day today! The studio hosts this day a couple times a year, for students to get some extra (and free!) benchtime outside of regular class hours.

Lots of fun and creative projects are taking form before my eyes. Here are some images of our amazing students hard at work:

  Using the flexshaft and a ring clamp like a pro

Soldering an earring with a bit of third-arm help

 Forming some very special bezels for some very gorgeous stones

We teach a variety of one-day and 8-week workshops here at Jewel Envy. Whether you are looking to build a foundation of goldsmithing skills, or walk away with a handmade piece of jewellery (or both!), we can help you out. Take a look at our calendar of upcoming classes and get in touch!

WHAT DO YOU SEE??!

Happy Shop Saturday all!

It's kind of a dreary wet day out there, which is kind of too bad, but also kind of perfect for staying inside, reading blogs, and thinking about future jewellery purchases😉

Today I would like to introduce you to the Rorschach line of jewellery, designed and handcrafted by Micheline Roi of Atelier J. Inspired by - surprise! - the famous Rorschach inkblot tests, this line includes brooches and earrings at a variety of pricepoints.

The lasercut brooches are $30 apiece, in either mirrored acrylic or baltic birch.

 These earrings are copper, and then plated with a black nano-ceramic coating. Save on the small pair at $65, or splurge just a bit more on the large pair at $95.

 The small sterling pair are $75, and the large pair are $125.

 These are gold-plated sterling silver. The small pair are $80, and the large pair are $150.

A Rorschach collage.

Personally, I would be interested in seeing these earrings in 14k yellow gold because, well, gold. If that is also your choice, good for you and your great taste, get in touch for pricing!

SHOP SATURDAY - IN THE BOX

Hello friends!

It's shop saturday again, so it's time for another edition of save or splurge. This one is one features work by Judith Noldin, a resident goldsmith here at Jewel Envy.

 

The box is a pretty fabulous splurge - the top and bottom are domed, textured copper, and the rims and hinge are a perfectly contrasting sterling. This is a $420 splurge.

Inside, for your saving pleasure, is a sterling silver lapel pin. It's a bumblebee, because save the bees, literally! This baby will set you back $80.

Judith has more pieces in her bee collection, and she also has another box (this one is completely sterling silver) on display. I highly recommend you come in to take a look yourself:)

Enjoy your weekend everybody!

SAVE OR SPLURGE - BELLE OF THE BALLS

Happy Shop Saturday all!

Today I want to introduce you to the Balls (to the wall!) stacking collection by Pash Jewellery Design, by Gillian Batcher. Each piece is sold individually, and there are more than a few ways to customize these ballsy beauties to make your stack as lovely and original as you.

In the image above, there are the rings in various metals and karats, with different stones as accents. And don't forget about the pendant! Sterling silver, vermeil (which is gold-plated sterling), 10k rose gold, 14k palladium white gold, sterling silver with pave diamonds on one ball, 10k rose gold with pave sapphires on one ball, etc... The pricing ranges from $195 all the way up to $750. You can splurge on everything all at once, or build this collection one piece at a time. 

And if that wasn't enough to think about, I will also invite you to close your eyes, and imagine other custom options... Personally, I would choose a stack of three rings - 14k yellow gold with pave diamonds on every ball, 14k rose gold with black pave diamonds on every ball, and then finally 14k palladium white gold with pave emeralds. Or maybe sapphires?

It's so hard to decide! Drop by the studio this weekend and try a few on for yourself, we're always open Saturdays and Sundays. See you soon!

GET STONED

Oooh look at this stone! It's Arizona Chrysocolla, and it is just so beautiful. I love earthy gemstones, and this one in particular, with the shades of blue and green, and the matrix for texture and depth... what a knockout! It almost looks like the bird's eye view of a turquoise blue ocean. I wish I had a neverending supply of this stone...

 

So I do not have a neverending supply, but I've decided to use this stone for inlay work. I don't have the knowledge or tools to cut stones myself, but luckily I know a great lapidarist (hi Chorlun!!!) who can get the job done. Inlay work involves cutting and shaping a slice of stone, to fit perfectly and seamlessly into your piece.

This is the ring I made with the stone:

If you have ever considered having a piece custom made, choosing your own rough stone is such an amazing way to make the piece truly unique and one of a kind. And if you didn't already know, every single goldsmith here at Jewel Envy loves doing custom work:)

Happy weekend!

It's Ivane!!!

 For those of you who don't know, Ivane Thiebaut is a resident goldsmith here at Jewel Envy. A lot of her work is inspired by nature, and if you stop by the studio you should definitely take a peek at some of her shell and flower jewellery.

She also has a range of pieces that find their inspiration in Canadiana - perfectly simple and classic, that make me very impatient for summers at the lake, or winters on the trail.

 Classic canoe cufflinks in sterling silver $145

 

Toronto xoxo postcard bracelet in sterling silver $50

 (our city's skyline features on the reverse side, and it's on an adjustable leather cord)

Fan favourite antler necklace in sterling silver $155

My favourite pine cone in sterling $170 (both on silver chains)

Show some hometown (and handcrafted!) love with jewellery by Ivane Thiebaut! You have plenty of time to get yours for the Canada 150 celebration this summer:)

VISITING THE CARROTBOX

Happy weekend everybody!

I was browsing through my website analytics the other day (a handy and very important feature that I use sparingly/almost never), and noticed something interesting. Some of my traffic had been directed by a website that I recognized immediately - http://www.thecarrotbox.com - a recommendation from a professor many moons ago.

It is a shop that specializes in rings specifically made from alternative materials. The owner is allergic to metals, and so she scours the internet to source the most interesting and beautiful, non-metallic pieces in wood, lucite, jade, resin, and you get the idea.

She also posts regularly on her blog, showcasing rings from makers the world over. These features are not limited to alternative materials, but include any and all fabulous wearable rings in all different styles. Anyways, one of my rings was featured here - so yay!

Go check out the blog, there is SO MUCH INSPIRATION and SO MANY RINGS! She's been blogging since 2003, so you definitely have some catching up to do. Have fun!

xx sash

 

 

SAVE OR SPLURGE OR JUST BUY EVERYTHING!!!!

Hello friends! Hope you are having a wondering February. If you're anything like me, you're just glad that January is out of the way, because that month was a real stinker.

But onwards and upwards! Pretty excited about the sunshine today (even though it's freezing), and also really excited about today's save vs splurge.

It's a 3-parter though, because these pieces are all from the same collection by Mia Shen, goldsmith-in-residence. The pieces are geometric, but the shapes are surprising and eye-catching, and make good use of negative space. The texture is is very tactile and adds a lot of depth, and contrasts amazingly well with the non-textured, high-polished areas.

 First up are these drop-stud earrings. Really amazing shape, and great use of balanced asymmetry, a term we used often in jewellery school haha. These are at a low, save-save-save price of $180.

 Ooooh this ring! It's so great, it almost looks like an object you want to keep in your pocket so you can touch it throughout the day:) The cinched sides lets it sit very comfortably, without getting in the way of your other fingers. This one is middle-of-the-road at $295.

 

Last but not least is this toggle bracelet. It is substantial and has a lot of visual dimension, but it isn't heavy or clunky at all. This beauty comes in at a cool splurge-worthy $640.

So spend a little or spend a lot (or spend it all!), whatever suits your fancy!

Enjoy your weekend!!!! xx

New Designs growing in the quiet of January

New Designs growing in the quiet of January

Helena Perez Lafaurie's new work

January is a quiet time for goldsmiths.  The Christmas rush is over and Valentine’s Day seems a long way off.  But don’t let our quietness fool you.  Like so many things in winter we are working quietly away in the dark and cold ready to spring forth with new growth.

One such goldsmith is Helena Pérez Lafaurie. She has spent January working on new pieces for her eponymous jewellery line. Like many of us Helena can’t keep her mind off of the warmth and sun of Spring and this can be seen in her new work called, of course, “Spring.”

"Spring" bracelet in silver and Agatha, length 7 inches, price $165

"Spring" necklace in silver and Agatha, length 33 inches, price $220

 The line was inspired by the agate stones seen in both the necklace and bracelet, “The agate looks like blossoms to me, I miss the spring so much, the flowers, the sun…,”she trails off, misty eyed.  Between you and me, I think the line is inspired by her soon-to-be-born first grandson!

 

Helena’s second set of new pieces is called “Charms.” As all of us at Jewel Envy can testify, Helena LOVES little things that shine and make noises.

Necklace in silver, length 33 inches, price $166

Bracelet in silver, length 7 inches, price $105

When Helena is in the studio, her ever-present stacked silver bracelets are in constant movement and making sound much like this new necklace and bracelet will when worn—they are sure to attract the attention of the new grandson!

SPOTLIGHT ON JERELL REICHERT!!!!!

Hi all! It's a beautiful (and very chilly) Sunday afternoon here at the studio, and I thought I would warm you up by showing off some pretty sterling pieces by resident goldsmith Jerell Reichert.

These bracelets are not only beautiful, but a great example of metal forming. That's right, the detail and texture and shapes that you see are the hard work of a little lady with a big hammer. Jerell has hand-forged each of these bracelets by hand, working the metal bit by bit, using fold-forming and anti-clastic techniques. All in sterling silver, top to bottom $640, $295, $395.

 These long earrings are so simple, but they look great on and they are light as a feather, too. The spheres have a perfect matte finish that almost look like pearls in the right lighting. Sterling silver $115.

 These bean pendants remind me of Barbapapa, in a round and squiggly kind of way:) The top bean has a black diamond accent, the middle bean has a pink tourmaline, and the bottom piece is classic. All sterling silver on silver chains, top to bottom $190, $180, $130.

These band rings are pretty bubbly too, with the pattern running all the way around. More barbapapa feelings:) Sterling silver, left to right $125, $115.

Come by and say hi to Jerell, and see what else she has going on!

Stay warm out there:) xx

SPOTLIGHT ON JUDITH NOLDIN!!!

 

As I write this, the weekend is sadly coming to an end. Luckily, I have some beautiful pieces by Judith Noldin to turn your sad frown upside down, and brighten your dark winter night.

I actually thought these were bookmarks - very glad I asked Judith because they are little forks! Beautiful and special forks, when you want to impress your guests as they dine on your delicious appetizers. Also a wonderful gift for someone who loves entertaining, don't you think?! 

Solid sterling silver $180

I love these rings. The colours and shapes are very unique, though they work perfectly together as a collection. The ring on the left is sterling silver with an 18KY bezel and the stone is black flint for $410. The centre ring is also sterling silver with an 18KY bezel, and the stone is a green and red lakeshore gem for $410. The ring on the right is my favourite (because I love the pink, salmony colour the most), and it is sterling silver with 14KR little accent balls on the either side of the pink lakeshore gem for $380. *full disclosure I don't know what a lakeshore gem is, but I will ask Judith the next time I see her! **UPDATE!!! A lakeshore gem is a stone that Judith finds while walking along the Lakeshore!! Amazing**

Judith makes very unique pieces that have the most interesting shapes, colours, and textures. I am always surprised (in a very good way!) by all the different elements she brings to her craft. She is also a whiz at doing repairs and redesigns and of course custom work, so if you're looking for a real conversation-starter of a piece, ask for Judith!

Stay warm out there lovelies! xx

Happy Movember!

It's that time of year again - Movember! To be more specific, we're about two-thirds of the way through that time of year. I'm sure you've noticed the normally-clean-shaven-but-currently-mustachioed men, sporting the extra facial hair in support of prostate cancer research, but perhaps you haven't seen too many ladies with staches.

Well this is Amanda Henderson. She has an Etsy shop called Sassy Septum Rings, which specializes in mustachioed septum rings for those who are follically challenged, but still want to show their support. She donates a percentage of every purchase, so go ahead and support a fantastic cause!

Here is the link:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SassySeptumRings

  Amanda also does custom work through the studio, so if you have a specific mustache in mind, get in touch with us and we can help make it happen!

Go for the 'mo!

SPOTLIGHT ON.... ALEXIS KOSTUK!!!!!

Happy weekend everybody!

It's a beautiful day - the sun is shining and there is still some warmth in the air. Basically, a perfect day to come inside and try on some jewellery, haha! But actually it is...

You all know Alexis, studio manager extraordinaire, and I'm sure you've seen her work before. I just thought I would gather some of my favourite pieces that she has here on display. There is quite a wide range of techniques that she uses to create her collections - she really is an artiste:)

 

The 'Whoops' pendant is enamel, set in a sterling heart. 

The gemstone stud earrings, and the oval floral pin, are also enamel.

The shark pendant is carved and cast in sterling, with green tourmaline eyes.

The two wedding bands are sterling silver, with nickel silver polka dot inlay for contrast.

The three bands in front are also part of the polka dot collection, also with nickel silver polka dots but with gemstones for added colour. Choose between blue tourmalines, black spinel, or green tsavorites.

The beaded tassel pendant has a periwinkle blue enamel centre, with a small oval onyx set above it.

The initial pendant (which can be customized in a variety of styles, for every letter of the alphabet) is carved by hand and cast in sterling silver.

Stop by today and try something on! We're open until 6pm this evening, see you soon!

 

 

Save vs Splurge - battle of the hummingbirds

Happy weekend everybody! If you are on the hunt for some hummingbird jewellery, are you ever in luck. This edition of save vs splurge features nothing but, with a few flowers and gemstones for good measure. All pieces by Gillian Batcher, of Pash Jewellery.

On the left is a sterling silver pendant, with a floral accent and a chalcedony drop. This is a cool $150. On the right is a solid 14 karat yellow gold pendant, with two kissing birds and blue diamond eyes. This beauty will set you back $975. 

Studs! The hummingbird studs in sterling are $150, with garnet eyes on the left, and blue sapphire eyes on the right. The studs in the centre are 14 yellow gold with blue diamond eyes.

The flowers on the left have a centre stone of tsavorite garnets for $135, and the ones on the right have garnets and citrines for $225.

So many choices! There are actually more pieces here in the store than what is pictured above, so I highly recommend coming in to try them on. And as always, custom requests are welcome and encouraged:)

Have a great day!

Hi Judith!

This is Judith Noldin:

She is a resident goldsmith here at Jewel Envy, selling her lovely jewellery under her own line, called IN Jewellery. Two of her pieces are featured in this week's Save vs Splurge, and here they are:

 This is the adorable Acorn pendant. Fabricated in sterling silver, this sweet thing hangs on an extra-long sterling chain. It's a save at $160.

 This is the Bell pendant, with an 18KT yellow chain for a beautiful two-tone effect. It is an actual bell, which chimes softly as you move. This one is a bit of a splurge at $550.

Have a great long weekend!

 

Tammy McClennan Designs

Welcome back Tammy!

After a few months in Switzerland - working on a set for a play, no less! - Tammy is back with us at the bench, working on new pieces.

She works mainly with brass, silver, and wood, fabricating these amazing hollow forms that are heavy on style but light as a feather around your neck.

After fabricating the forms, she adds silver tubing through the centre for the chains to slide through. She then powder coats each shape in varying colours, which also adds texture and depth.

Her work is the subject of today's save vs. splurge, and here are the pieces we are featuring:

This small pendant looks like an adorable hat box. It is a hollow form constructed in brass, and powder-coated in Tiffany blue. You can see the brass peeking through around the edges. There is silver tubing soldered through the centre for the chain. This beauty is a steal at $95.

 This statement necklace is a very worthwhile splurge at $425. There are three separate pieces here - the centre form is brass, while the two on the end are wood. The chain has a mechanical closure, and is made of sterling. I kind of think that this bold necklace is also a steal:)

These photos definitely do not do her pieces justice - I highly recommend stopping by the studio to take a look at these in person.

 

Happy shopping!