Harem Royal

I just came across a jewellery design house called Harem Royal, and wanted to share some of their work with you. The richness of the colours is so amazing, and softens the sharp lines and somewhat mechanical nature of the pieces. The style makes me think of steampunk insects, beautiful yet dangerous. What inspiring work! It is so refreshing to come across artists whose style is so vastly different from my own - it reminds me that this world is filled with so many talented people, and so many beautiful things. 

Happy Sunday everybody!

(all images via http://athousandfacets.tumblr.com/ and www.haremroyal.com)

Hello Patrick!

It's a very happy SUNday indeed!🌝 Everyone is in need of that good vitamin D, hope you are likewise out there getting a whole long winter's worth!

Here's something else to make you smile - a small selection of the amazing work by Patrick Missodey of Bijoux Missodey.

Such beautiful details and quality in each and every piece - lots of pattern, and texture, and depth with gemstones for that perfect pop of colour - some of my favourite things:)

 

The artist himself, hard at work in the studio. 

 

 Dangling teardrop filigree earrings with little flowers in sterling silver - $320/pair

 Three delicate filigree rings in sterling silver - $350 each

 Textured bangle bracelet in sterling silver - $730

 Filigree necklace with large centre ruby and black diamond accents, hanging on a handmade rattail chain - $3,000

Here's a closeup because, come on it's stunning.

Patrick has more work on display here at Jewel Envy - I highly encourage you to come and see his work in person, you will not be disappointed!

SHOP SATURDAY

Saturday has come and brought the sunshine. What a lovely day out there!

But if you prefer to stay indoors and look at pretty things online, here are a few things for you😙

These are from a collection by Judith Noldin, of IN Jewellery. Her pieces are bold and eclectic, and the unique stones and accent colours she uses in her work definitely stand out from the crowd.

Here are some of my favourites:

Each stone is so unique, and the irregular shapes and colours really catch the eye. These pieces are stunning on their own, but they also look so great together - not too matchy matchy, but not not matching, you know??

 These three rings contain stones found along Lake Ontario, and are set in sterling silver with either 14k or 18k gold accents. Left to right: $410 - $380 - $410

This pendant is set in sterling silver on a long snake chain. The stone is opalized wood with a small dangling citrine $540

Stop by shop this weekend and take a look at the rest of Judith's collection on display. She is happy to do custom work as well!

Zef Radi of Radi Brothers

Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful day out there, hopefully you are out and about and getting 

some much needed Vitamin D🌞

Some of us are inside though, working hard in the studio. Here is one of our worker bees, 

getting busy at the polishing lathe↓

It's Zef Radi, of the Radi Brothers. He makes wonderfully delicate and detailed pieces, with 

mixed metals, lacy filigree, and vibrant stones.

 Here is a sneak peek of some of the pieces he has here at the studio:

 Sterling silver ring, with 18k/24k details $520

Sterling silver pendant, with 18/24k details and blue apatite $540

 Sterling silver dangling earrings, with 18k/24k details and pink sapphires $790

Drop by during store hours to see the rest of his collection in person. 

See you soon!

WE 💗💛💓💜💕💙💖💚💘

(We love love love love etc...)

So you may have noticed that it's coming up on Valentine's Day💝 And as you may imagine, it's pretty difficult to blog from a jewellery store without posting at least a few images of lovely love-inspired pieces... it just can't be helped!

In my esteemed opinion, hearts are good any time of the year, but especially relevant in the first few weeks of February. So here are just a few suggestions, from my heart to yours:

This is a dainty art deco bracelet by Jewelust (Amanda Henderson), but if you ask me it looks like two intertwined hearts. Sterling silver on chain $145

This ring by Urban Metal (Jerell Reichert) is solid sterling silver, and super substantial. It strikes the perfect balance between rough and smooth, and hand to heart you will love wearing this $110

Pale dusty pink is the perfect colour for Valentine's Day (or any day really), and this rose quartz stunner is pretty hard to miss. It is quite the statement stone, perched atop a podium of intricate lacy sterling silver. By HPL Jewellery Design (Helena Perez Lafaurie) $380

 Obviously these two hummingbirds are in love, and they flutter around sharing this lovely chalcedony bead, while staring into each other's gleaming sapphire eyes. How romantic! By Pash Jewellery (Gillian Batcher) $195

 These stunning pendants are actually lockets - the daggers slide out to reveal super romantic treasures within (*treasures not included). Accented with 14k yellow gold, these are the perfect pieces to wear close to your heart. By Glaciale Goldsmith (Alexis Kostuk) $880 top; $1470 bottom

 

What a lovely roundup, if I must say so myself! But by no means do you have to wait for someone to bring a heart to your door - go out and get your own! And by that I mean, come here and get your own, or anything else you feel like gifting yourself, because you're worth it! xx

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

Warm Weekends

Like any good Canadian, I love the wintertime. Fresh snow, rosy cheeks, and wool toques are just a part of life up here, and sweater weather is always an exciting time of year. But also, like any normal person, I am SO DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY when the weather pokes its head above zero, even if for just a brief respite. This weekend has brought a bit of rain, but it also brought milder temperatures that already has me daydreaming of springtime.

So I thought I would share a few pieces that brighten my day and make me think of sunshine, warm breezes, and flowers in full bloom.

 Butterfly brooch by HPL Jewellery Design (Helena Perez Lafaurie)

Sterling silver with bright pink CZ $380

 Flower pendants by Radi Brothers (Zef Radi)

Top: Sterling silver with 18k and 24k gold details $400

Bottom: Sterling silver with 18k and 24k gold details, and moonstone $660

You are my Sunshine by Glaciale Goldsmith (Alexis Kostuk)

14k yellow gold, 14k palladium white gold, yellow and orange sapphires $3,680

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!

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!

PRISMATIC GEMSTONES - TOURMALINE

Hello friends! If you are a lover of gemstones, then you might be familiar with tourmaline. Oh, beautiful tourmaline. It is a semi-precious gemstone with elongated prismatic crystals, and depending on the elements present, it comes in a multitude of different colours. The most common colours are shades of pink and green - my favourite tourmaline is of the watermelon variety, which is a beautiful combination of the two.

Here are some tourmaline crystals.

 Some beautiful watermelon tourmaline crystals. I especially love the deep pink colour of the stone second from the right. Sooo pretty!

A stunning watermelon tourmaline ring in gold, with diamond accents

We love doing custom work here, and it is even more exciting when we get to work with beautiful stones! It's probably time to start thinking about your new tourmaline jewellery collection:)

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!

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

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!