Camali Design Jewellery Blog

Hello all!

Still here, no baby yet, so here are those new summery long pendant necklaces I promised in my last post!

First up is a long pendant featuring 2 hand forged sterling hoops with a gorgeous azur blue Druzy suspended below. The stone has rough crystal like inclusions giving it sparkle and it is really stunning as a summer colour. A twist cut apatite also joins in at the top of the pendant. This one is hung on a long 30 inch ball chain and hangs quite far down on your tummy, perfect summery length!

Next up is a pendant with one of the gorgeous turquoise pendant stones I have managed to pick up - lucky, I know! This one has the most  gorgeous pattern with black, brown and blues. It is one of those I had almost though I might keep for myself! It’s suspended below a marquis shaped hand forged sterling component and joined by a smokey quartz onion shaped stone that picks up on the brown in the turquoise. Yet again a long chain, 24 inches of thick rolo chain.

Black turquoise I call this pendant necklace because of its black matrix inside vibrant blue turquoise colours. It’s hung on a simple handforged hoop with some silver granules and small turquoise rondelles as decoration. This is the blue turquoise was meant to be! Hung on a 24 inches long thick rolo chain, it is yet another great summery necklace.

Last but not least another unusual turquoise stone, this time in muted khaki greens, looks great on tanned summer skin! Suspended below a hand forged sterling drop shape decorated with a little cluster of peridot and vesuvianite, to pick up on colours in the beautiful turquoise. Hung on a patinated 24 inch ball chain. Would love to lay my hands on some cabochons in these colours, would make fabulous rings!

As usual all of these and more is available in my online shop, under the pendant section.

Next time I will show you some more Limited Edition Pieces made with silver clay that I have completed recently.

Until then, enjoy the sunshine!

Carin

Hi all!

While waitng to go into labour (!) I am keeping busy updating my web site with new products and so I thought I’d add a post or two here as well with some new pieces. This time I want to show you a couple of new sterling “tab” necklaces I made recently.

The first one is an addition to what I call my Graffiti range which features grungy textures and square shapes with contrasts such as vibrant blue topaz. This one is a dog tag style with rough patterns and lines plus various sized holes and silver granules, along with a beautiful set Swiss Blue topaz. The tab is hung on a funky bar chain which closes with a handmade hook clasp. I love the contrast of the rugged metal with its gunmetal grey patina and the pristine and bright topaz. Hope you like it too!

The second one is an addition to my Allium collection featuring cutouts in the shape of Allium flowers. I have previously made a pendant on omega chain, stud earrings and a chunky bracelet and wanted to add in a necklace, so here it is. A sterling tab was cut into giving it the Allium flower motif, then a silver granule was added before setting a 6mm Brazilian amethyst as one of the flower heads. Again, all the silver is patinated to give depth and mellowness. The bar chain closes with a handmade hook clasp.

Both necklaces are available to buy in my online jewellery shop!

Nex time I will post a few summery long pendant necklaces that are new for this summer. Some of them featuring one of a kind turquoise pendant stones, lovely!

So, for those who don’t know - I am actually due to have a baby today! But since nothing seems to be happening I am carrying on as usual with my online shop etc. If I go into labour I will of course not be able to ship orders, so bear this in mind if you want to order anything. I will still take orders and ship when I am back again.

Off to drill some beach pebbles!…

Hi all!

Today I want to share some pictures of a few new silver clay (PMC) pieces I have recently finished. I have invested in a Paragon electric kiln at last and this allows me to design and make larger and more three dimensional pieces. I have had lots of fun recently experimenting with this and am planning to combine the PMC with traditional silversmithing methods in future designs. Some designs will be part of my normal range but the majority will be one of a kind pieces, that little bit extra!

The first one is a long pendant necklace that has a fine silver (PMC) scroll with an Aboriginal pattern and a gorgeous large Peruvian Opal marquis cut stone drop. The pendant is hung on a rolo chain, interspersed with Labradorite and Amazonite, which closes with a handmade hook clasp and measures over 30 inches long.

The second new piece involved dry slab construction which means that I created all the pieces flat first and then assembled the whole thing before firing. This necklace is a short necklace with a box style pendant (it doesn’t open!)  featuring a Japanese tree motif in a flower pattern frame with a carved edge. The back and sides have the same flower pattern and the back has a Camali Design plaque attached. The pendant is hung from 2 bails that were fired in place, onto a very opulent and luxurious strand of juicy Ruby and cool Tanzanite along with an array of fine silver beads, most of which are Thai made. This necklace measures about 17 inches and extends another inch and a half and closes with a figure 8 lobster clasp. I have taken a few more photos of this one to show the different sides of it:

Both of these pieces will shortly be available to buy in my online shop under the Limited Edition section and they will mostly be made as one of a kinds but some can be replicated.

Many more new PMC and sterling designs will come over the coming months, so watch this space! Until next time…

Hi again!

I decided it was time to clear a little bit of space for new designs and so I am having a BIG SALE on my web site! There are necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings and they are all around 40-50% off. There is only one left of each item so get in there quick if you are set on something in particular.

This is a great opportunity to grab yourself some bargains or maybe get a brilliant present for someone! They are all shipped in gift boxes ready to give away.

PLEASE NOTE: Discount codes are not applicable to sale items, as they are already reduced substantially. If you would like to buy items from both the SALE section and other items from my shop please make separate purchases and I will refund double shipping charges after you have made your purchases.

BIG SALE on my web site

Hi all!

Just to let you all know that I was featured in the Western Morning News on the 19th of April. It is a local newspaper covering Cornwall and Devon and comes out once a week.

I was called by them a couple of months back, and was asked if I would like to have a feature on my jewellery to appear in the paper and of course, I said yes! I got interviewed and sent through photos etc. Then I waited to hear back about when it would be out, and to my great surprise a lady called me yesterday to ask if they could come by to view my jewellery. So that’s how I found out that I had been featured which, although a bit unexpected, is very nice indeed! Any publicity is obviously greatly appreciated and if I am lucky it will lead to a few more sales as a consequence.

Unfortunately there were a couple of little misunderstandings in the article which I hope won’t cause too much trouble. It makes out that I use antique silver in my jewellery, when what I actually do is use new silver that is then antiqued for a gunmetal grey patina which gives the silver a slight vintage or industrial look. They also mention that I use etching, which is not actually true. I only use stamps and hammers for texture and although etching is bound to be included in my techniques at some point I don’t actually use it currently.

Anyway, here is the article online (no photos as there were in the actual newspaper though) , for you to read

Jewellery is designed to be an eye-catching combination of both the old and the new

Oh, and those brangle bracelets are coming soon, promise!

Just a quick post today, as I am preparing for a show this weekend at Trereife Park, where I will have a stand selling my jewellery.

Today I am sharing a small bit of my new work. I have recently been working on stone setting of various types and also started doing some lost wax casting. The rings below are made using the technique and I call the range “Molten”. I am really chuffed with these, they have real organic quality and I love the chunkiness of them. I will also be starting to set stones into these kinds of rings and overlay with more metal as well, so keep looking back for more! There will also be pieces with set stones soon.

Anyway, back to prep for the weekend, hope the weather is on our side and we have a great one! Hope you do too!

Cheers,

Carin

It’s been a while again! I have been really busy leading up to the Christmas events that I am doing down here in Cornwall. I have done Christmas markets at Falmouth, Fowey, Trelissick Gardens, Truro Late Night shopping and now remains only this weekend coming. On Saturday I will be at the Christmas Street Market in Truro and on Sunday at the Last Chance Event at Lemon Quay, also in Truro. After that I will have a lovely break over Christmas, which I am spending with the family in Sweden and then I will be in Austria for a week over New Year, also with family.

I wanted to show you some of my latest pieces that are made using only sterling silver, which is a bit unusual for me, being an avid fan of all the gorgeous gemstones available. It is always, however, nice to do something different every now and then and here is the result of this from the past month or so. I have had great feedback on these pieces and most of them are now sold, but I will be doing many more of these all silver designs in the New Year.

The Silver Petal earrings and pendant are simple and modern. They were made from silver sheet which was cut into petal shapes, then lightly domed using a dapping block and finally hung from hand made silver rings onto a modern ball chain. The silver has been oxidised and hand brushed and polished to obtain the gunmetal grey earthy patina that I love so much. I will be doing loads of new designs similar to these as soon as I get back in the New Year.

I have also been making some simple loops using thick silver wire that has been shaped, planished and hung simply on hand made earwires. These Loop Earrings are great everyday staples and again, more of the same will come soon!

Finally a pair of earrings that I absolutely love myself (would have kept these for myself had I not sold them before Christmas…). The Graffiti Earrings were made using tabs of silver sheet that I made holes in, textured with an interesting pattern and assembled together with hand made silver jump rings. They are hung on simple hand made earwires and have lovely movement when worn due to the “hinged” effect that the rings give. As usual the silver has been oxidised to bring out the  texture and add character.

Well, since I doubt I will have time to blog any more this year, I will take this opportunity of wishing you a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2009!

I just thought I’d share a commission I did a while back. It was for a wedding set at beautiful Prideaux Place near Padstow in Cornwall, here in the UK. The bride wore a stunningly beautiful dress made of multiple layers of organza where the gorgeously draped skirt was decorated with hand embroidered starfish along one side of the dress. This was complemented by a matching hand dyed silk bag, also embroidered with a starfish motif. The bridesmaids wore fantastic sea blue dresses and matching silk bags and flip-flops!

My task was to produce jewellery that would complement their outfits and the coastal theme of the wedding. The bride wanted a bracelet and earrings so for the bracelet we chose white freshwater pearls and crystal clear quartz combined with starfish shaped Hill Tribe silver beads. To go with this I also made some subtle cascading earrings from tiny white freshwater pearls, so as not to overpower with jewellery. The bride wore no necklace which made sure that nothing competed with her and the simple but stunning dress. The bracelet and earrings allowed her to still wear some elegant and luxurious jewellery.

For the bridesmaids I made similar bracelets in amazonite and teal coloured freshwater pearls combined with Hill Tribe silver sea shell shaped beads. The fabric sample got lost in the post but luckily the colours matched the dresses perfectly!

This was such a fun one to do, with pretty much free reign for me as a designer, since the bride trusted me completely to deliver the goods. She was very happy with the jewellery and the wedding went well too!

I made a few new summery bracelets the other day that I thought I’d share with you all. I am loving aquamarine at the moment, in fact any blue shades! And greens of course! Thought I’d make a few more summery pieces before starting to plan out the autumn pieces. Enjoy!

“Aqua Barrel” is made using some gorgeous barrel shaped aquamarine I found recently. I love the subtle blue-green colour of it and I have set it off with Hill Tribe silver and a sterling lobster clasp.

“Sable and Aqua” has a lovely combination of powder blue aquamarine and elegant smokey quartz. Again I have added Hill Tribe silver to complete the bracelet which closes with a lobster clasp and is extendable with a patterned chain.

“Sophisticated” uses beautiful clear pale blue aquamarine together with stylish faceted coins of smokey quartz. Little silver beads adds to the mix. Closed with a lobster and extendable.

And now for some greens… “Graphic Garnet” features a large tablet style silver bead from Thailand surrounded by one of my favourite stones- Grossular Garnet. Beautiful green hues in pretty faceted rectangles. Plus some tiny silver beads and of course an extension chain and lobster clasp.

Next up is a fun summer bracelet with Amazonite, Prehnite and various silver beads. The “Summer Green” bracelet features hand made”eye” beads fromThailand, closes with a lobster and is extendable.

And finally one with labradorite, would be rude not to! (it’s my all time favourite stone…) The “Labradorite Rose” is made from flashy labradorites and tiny silver beads surrounding a gorgeous Thai silver focal bead. The labradorites are complemented by a single rose quartz briolette on the extension chain. A new favourite!

As always, these are all available in my online jewellery shop where you can also find necklaces, pendants and earrings. Next time I will show you a bunch of summery earrings to go with these. Until then!

Some exciting news!

I thought I’d let you know that I am advertising in BRIDES magazine September/October 2008 issue!

There is a CD-rom attached to the magazine, which in this issue is a Flower Special with a Product and Services Directory. Camali Design will be featured as the exclusive jewellery supplier for Cornwall in the Jewellery section of the product directory.

I do wedding jewellery mostly as commissions, but also usually have a few items (necklaces, bracelets and earrings) in my online jewellery shop suitable for bridal jewellery. I also make jewellery for bridesmaids and flower girls and also get commissions for wedding anniversary jewellery, which is lovely. My jewellery is also great as gifts, for example as thank you’s to bridesmaids. As presents for the mothers of the bride and groom, it makes a nice change to flowers - and it’s permanent!

For commissions please see my web site for contact details. I will happily discuss any requirements and I work closely with clients from design concept to finished jewellery.

Here is a sneak preview of the advert that will appear in BRIDES, click the image for a full size image (opens in same window):