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Category Archives: Blog
1st Light Festival 2011
| Nov ’11 |
| 17 |
| 5:30 pm |
Abeille is thrilled to once again be participating in Brookline’s 1st Light Festival on Thursday, November 17 from 5-8pm, a wonderful town-wide event kicking off the Holiday Season. Stop by for an earring making demonstration and make a free pair of earrings during one of the following times:
5:30pm – Make a pair of earrings
6:30pm – Make a pair of earrings
6:30pm – Fairy Visit for kids
7:30pm – Make a pair of earrings
You can also enter our raffle to win a free class at Abeille.
Go here to learn more about what’s happening around town.
How To: Spider Web Earrings
Our Friends at Swarovski Elements shared this great “How To” using crystals and chain to make fantastically festive Spider Web Earrings.
Enjoy!
Brand New! Local Hand Blown Glass
We are excited to have hand blown glass beads by local Boston artist Joyce Roessler. The pieces are absolutely unique, in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some of this extraordinary work features 22k and White Gold as well. There’s no limit to what you can do with these pieces!
September Birthstone: Sapphire
September’s birthstone is the sapphire. While blue sapphires are the best-known variety, sapphires can also come in shades of yellow, green, pink, purple, and orange. Pinkish-orange stones are known as padparadscha sapphires, while dark pink or red stones are considered to be a different gemstone entirely: the ruby. Colorless sapphires can also be used in jewelry as a substitute for diamonds. The value of blue sapphires is determined in part by secondary hues in the color of the stone; shades of violet are considered ideal, while greenish-blue stones are generally considered less desirable.
Check out the gorgeous pink sapphire briolettes in our gemstone case, or for an alternative to the violet blue hues of traditional sapphires, take a look at some of our other semiprecious strands, such as aquamarine, blue lace agate, or lapis lazuli.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire
http://www.about-birthstones.com/septemberbirthstone.html
August Birthstone: Peridot
Peridot, August’s birthstone, is a rare form of the mineral olivine and is prized for its clear, yellow-green color. The stone usually occurs as a result of volcanic activity; small peridot stones were known by Hawaiian natives as “Pele’s tears” due to their association with the goddess of fire. Very rarely, peridot has been found in meteorites and is the only gemstone known to occur this way. Currently, however, most of the stones are mined in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The peridot’s clear, bright color makes it a perfect addition to summer wardrobes. Wear a long strand of peridot gemstone chips for a casual, contemporary look. Faceted stones can also be paired with either gold or silver findings for a colorfully elegant alternative to neutral-toned semiprecious jewelry.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peridot
http://www.about-birthstones.com/augustbirthstone.html
Working with Sea Glass, Pearls and Shells
Pearls and Swarovski crystals hung inside a beautiful shell. Can be worn as a shell or to show off the embellishments.
Charming shell necklace
Wrapped Sea Glass Pendant
Hair Bling
Hair Bling is in and it’s hot! Beaded and feather hair extensions are the hottest fashion trend sweeping the nation. So much so that there is a huge shortage of feathers.
We have an amazing stash of feather kits and beaded hair bling. Come by to embrace the look of summer.
July Birthstone: Ruby
July’s birthstone is the ruby, considered one of the four precious stones, along with the sapphire, emerald, and diamond. Its range of deep red shades – the most valuable of which is known as “pigeon’s blood” – has long been associated with royalty: the Sanskrit word for ruby, ratnaraj, loosely translates to “king of the gemstones.”
While genuine ruby beads can be costly and hard to come by, you don’t have to be royalty to enjoy the glamour, fire, and passion of ruby reds. For an earthier look, try red coral. Or, if you prefer a little more sparkle, pair our ruby red celebrity crystals with gunmetal chain for a dramatic look.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby
http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/ruby.html
Green Crafts: Decoupage Flower Pots
Marie LeBaron outlines how to reuse tin cans to make the cutest flower pots. They can be decoupaged or painted. You can even take it one step further and waterproof them with resin. It’s a great project for all ages.
For more ideas, you can take a look at our “Green” series classes:
Jewelry Reinvented
Embellished T-shirts
Resin Bottle Caps
Bangles and Charms
You can also make your own gift bags with recycled newspapers. Check out this great tutorial by Jessica Jones of the “How about Orange” blog.