Chrysocolla -- Strutting It's Stuff

Thought I would share a few chrysocolla pieces with you -- since I did mention it in my last entry. It is really a neat gemstone (did I just say "neat" like Richie Cunningham or Annie Hall?) -- a relative of turquoise -- but in some ways I think it is more interesting. Maybe because it has more color to it -- or maybe it is the mix of color. Not sure -- I just know I have always been drawn to it.

I especially like mixing it with smoky quartz as I did in the piece shown in the first pix here. And I do like to partner it with the darker metals that have a bronze-like finish. But then, it takes on an entirely different personality when popped with clear quartz and sparkly firepolished glass beads as shown in the second pix. Interesting, the stones on these pieces came from the same location and were purchased at the same time. But I love how the end design in both pieces looks so different. I just love the world of gemstones and jewelry! It lets me be fickle and say I like one thing but then say i like another -- and it's the truth, in both cases. By the way, don't you just love that funky hand model?

It's funny how gemstones pop in and out of the limelight. Up until this year, I had a hard time sourcing chrysocolla. But, this year, here in Tucson, it was a different story. It seems like every where I looked I found rough and cut, all shapes and sizes. So, that means there will be more of it out in retail as the months come and go. Is it just me, or do some of my designs seem to be a little ahead of the curve. I know part of that is because I am a small operation, which means I can react in real-time. I see a new gemstone, I buy said gemstone, I design with same gemstone and presto -- finished pieces are ready for sale on my site and then on my clients' bodies in no time flat. Sometimes it's good to be the little guy!