Photoshoot!

Sunday afternoon was beautiful! We had a great photoshoot in Old Town Alexandria with Jordan from La Belle Vie Photography. It got chilly as the sun went down, but we had a wonderful time. I can't wait to see the photos!

25 Days of Christmas: On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

25 Days of Christmas: On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

... an Icing Bracelet!

One of the most beautiful parts of the wintertime is seeing the icicles shine bright in the sun after snow has blanketed the landscape.  Looking at the different icicles hanging off of roofs, cars and windowsills is always one of my favorite parts of the holidays.  Thanks to Shy Violet, you can take a little piece of the holidays with this beautiful Icing Bracelet made of wire and sparkling sterling silver.

25 Days of Christmas: On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

a Prehnite and Sterling Silver Bracelet!

25 Days of Christmas: On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

 A Summer Green and Gold Necklace!

Sometimes you get a case of the winter blues.  December means the holiday season, but it also means cold weather and runny noses!  Sometimes all you want to do is close your eyes and dream of summer…and what better way to dream of summer than with this beautiful Shy Violet necklace?  This necklace features beautiful green beads paired with freshwater pearls.  The combination of green, white and gold brings some much-added warmth to an otherwise chilly season.  If you are still in denial about the cold weather, or are seeking the perfect necklace to add to your ensemble, look no further!  Make sure to add this item to your Christmas list today!

25 Days of Christmas: On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Ruby Drop Earrings II!

This holiday season you deserve to be pampered.  Whether it is long bubble baths or snowy walks with your loved ones, you deserve the best of the best.  Shy Violet has you covered with these beautiful Ruby Drop Earrings, perfect for the extravagant side of your life.  These beautiful rubies are accented with golden beads and French hooks.  The combination of luxurious gold and the bold ruby beads is absolutely perfect for sitting by the fire this season and opening presents with friends and family.  Make sure these earrings are under the tree!

25 Days of Christmas: On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

a Regenesis Necklace!

Winter is here, which means it’s time to pull out the warm wool gloves and tall boots to keep us nice and toasty during the holiday season!  Why leave it up to your coat to warm you up when Shy Violet has this beautiful Regenesis Necklace with Grey Squares to add a little bit of warmth to your wardrobe?  This necklace is made out of recycled grey wool and hangs on shining sterling silver links.  So not only does this necklace keep you warm, but it helps out the environment too!  Add some kudos to your life and snag one of these beautiful necklaces so Santa will keep you on his ‘Nice’ list!

25 Days of Christmas: On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

A Paisley Gemstone Pendant!

Who says Christmas can’t be colorful?  This pendant is decorated with an array of colorful gemstones and sterling silver beads.  The paisley shape adds a sense of fun while the intricate beading and twisted silver wire adds sophistication.  If you are looking for a colorful piece to warm your heart this Christmas, look no further than this beautiful paisley pendant!

25 Days of Christmas: On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

a Midnight Sky Labradorite Necklace!

Labradorite is a beautiful, one of a kind stone that shines with blue, green and silver hues.  The stone on this necklace is no exception, and would be a perfect accessory to a soft holiday sweater.  The chain is sterling silver and shines just as bright as the accompanying stone.  This necklace is definitely the perfect gift for the loved one in your life.

25 Days of Christmas: On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Fancy Jasper Earrings!

What better way to start off December than with a pair of beautifully colored jasper earrings?  These sophisticated gems are perfect for the lovely lady in your life…or for that empty spot on your Christmas list!  Settle down, slip these earrings on and start setting up your holiday decorations – Christmas is on its way!

This blog post series is written by Jacklyn Lee, Shy Violet's awesome fall intern!

Fall Fashion Series Post 2

This is the second in a series of posts by Shy Violet's Fall Intern, Jacklyn Lee.

This fall why not mix and match?  Pair sharp lines with soft curves to create the perfect ensemble.  Rugby stripes are in this fall, and combat boots never go out of style.  Pair them with light denim jeans or leggings and a cute wraparound scarf.  Accessories make the outfit, so this fall make Shy Violet your jewelry choice!

The Shy Violet Icing Ring is a striking addition; the delicacy of its design tones down the hard edges of this outfit.  The Shell and Sterling Silver Swirl earrings are still edgy but soft enough to add class to any outfit.

Dust on some purple eye shadow, twist your hair into a bun, and go out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Fall Fashion Series

This post is one of a series by Jacklyn, Shy Violet's awesome fall intern.

Fall is finally here! This season it’s all about modern styles paired with comfortable favorites, and what can better tie an outfit together than a beautiful piece of Shy Violet jewelry?

Riding boots are all the rage this year and can go perfectly with a pair of tights, skinny jeans, or, as seen above, a beautiful fall-colored dress.  Look for dresses in green, purple, or maroon to pair with your brown boots.

The days are starting to get chilly, so a pea coat is the perfect option this year to keep you nice and warm.  Military styles are big this season, so pairing a pea coat like the one seen above with your dress and boots will create the perfect outfit for your fall adventures.  Continue the military trend with the sterling silver stacking ring with a copper dot from Shy Violet’s Simplicity Collection.

For warmer days when a pea coat is a little too much, throw on a cardigan instead and bring the ensemble together with a beautiful necklace.  Shy Violet’s autumn pearl necklace is the perfect choice to bring you fashionably into fall.

Be sure to check the Hot Off the Bench Collection for the newest work to pair with your fall favorites!

You can find the source info for the other items in this fall fashion collection here.

Ruby

Ruby and Vermeil Earrings

Ruby is a pink to red gemstone variety of corundum (aluminum oxide). Other varieties of corundum in different colors are called sapphires (which range in color from yellow to blue to brown to green to orange). The red color is caused mainly by the element chromium. Ruby is considered one of the four precious stones, along with sapphire, emerald, and diamond. The value of a ruby is determined mainly by the color, and then by clarity, cut, and carat weight. The brightest and most valuable color is called “pigeons blood red.” 

Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald Necklace, with Fine Silver Coiling and Sterling Chain

Rubies are very hard, measuring 9.0 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness (of natural stones, only diamond and moissanite are harder). All natural rubies have imperfections, including color impurities and rutile crystal inclusions called “silk.” Imperfections are used by gemologists to identify natural rubies from synthetic rubies, simulated rubies, and substitutes. Silk is also what can cause such effects as chatoyancy. Nearly all rubies today are treated in some way, most commonly heat-treated. However, untreated excellent quality rubies command a large premium.

Ruby and Sterling Silver Earrings

Historically, Myanmar (Burma) was the main source of rubies. The Mogok Valley produced some of the world’s finest rubies, and other areas within the country have been mined more recently as well. Rubies have also been mined in Thailand, parts of Cambodia, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. “Pink sapphires” or lighter pink rubies have been found in Sri Lanka. After World War II, ruby deposits were discovered in Madagascar, Vietnam, Tanzania, Nepal, Tajikistan, and other areas of Pakistan. A few deposits have even been found in the U.S., but there has not been extensive mining. Deposits have been found in Greenland, Macedonia (the only European country with ruby deposits), Kenya, and Mozambique. However, even today most rubies come from Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.

The Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History in Washington DC holds one of the most gorgeous rubies in the world. Measuring at 23.1 carats, the stone is set in a platinum ring with diamonds. It was mined in the Mogok Valley of Myanmar. If you’re in the area, be sure to check out the Natural History Museum – there are some stunning gems and jewelry pieces.

Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire Necklace with Fine Silver and Sterling Silver

Ruby Earrings with Fine Silver and Sterling Silver

Cuff Links Project Complete!

The two final two pairs that were mailed out at the beginning of last week (I'm a little behind in my posting!) were both of this design:

The picture seems to have really bad glare - they look better in person! Photographing these little guys was pretty challenging, because they all seem to catch the light in weird ways, even with filters over the lights.

Thank you once again to everyone who supported this project! I had a great time making the cuff links and have a fantastic start on the Shy Violet men's line. I learned a lot, too - some designs are much more replicable than others, some are most cost-effective, and some are really just more satisfying. Some designs I thought would be popular weren't at all, and some of you came up with suggestions that I hadn't expected, but they turned out great! I really appreciate your support and comments throughout the process.

I hope you love your cuff links! If you have more ideas for future work, please let me know - I'd be happy to work with you on custom cuff links (or custom pieces for your loved ones)!

Please stay in touch! Find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShyVioletJewelry, and of course you can always follow this blog at http://www.shyviolet.com/blogs/shy-violet-blog. I'm also on Twitter, Instagram (ShyVioletJewelry), and Pinterest!

Introducing Jacklyn! Shy Violet Intern Fall 2012

Second to Last Cuff Links Post!

By special request, I made one pair that was all copper, except for the solder, which is mostly invisible (completely invisible when the cuff links are worn). The top picture shows the piece in progress - the cuff link on the right has been partially assembled, and the one on the left is about to be soldered to the cupped disk on the bottom. I made the backs for these myself rather than using a sterling casted back (premade), since it was to be all copper. I ended up having to redo them, since the disks I chose were a TINY bit too big to easily fit through the holes in the shirt sleeves. A little frustrating, to say the least, but now I know!

In the bottom picture you can see the finish. It's a very simple brushed finish, with the brushing going one way on one half of the face and the opposite way on the other half. It's more pronounced in person, subtle but classy. I really like it. The domed back also has a brushed finish, with the texture in a circular pattern to match the shape. These have not been mailed, as they're for a group that isn't completed yet.

This was another attempt at etching. I covered the whole face in resist and then scratched out the design, so it etched the design rather than a negative of the design as I'd been doing before. The photo doesn't look as good as in real life, but they do look a little rougher and more organic than I'd been going for. These have not been mailed yet.

I REALLY like how these turned out! The stamping didn't work - my letter stamps wouldn't have really fit on the faces. But the shapes are so cute! I mean handsome. Anyway, I think they look great. Downside - they took FOREVER. Much longer than I had anticipated. They would be easier in all-sterling, and I'll definitely do them in the future, but they were considerably more time-consuming than anticipated. These have been mailed and should be arriving shortly.

I thought I got some pictures of these in progress too, but they appear to be missing. Sorry about that. I made the braid myself from wire I twisted. These look really nice in person too. These would not really work in mixed metal, but in sterling silver I think they look great. These have been mailed as well.

Minor Cuff Links Update

Just a quick update on the cuff links from yesterday and today.

This is a pair that I just finished tumbling, all sterling silver with a braid down the front. I made the braid from scratch. This pair is done and will be shipped out this week. They're much shinier in person... I had to take the picture at an angle that didn't catch the glare.

These are two pairs of cuff link faces that will be soldered to the backs tomorrow. I etched these - I like how they turned out, but it wasn't at all what I was aiming for, so I'm going to have to work on etching a lot more. The resist that had the more intricate design portions on it didn't hold up at all. These have a really nice texture though, and I am excited about the possibilities. Again, the glare issue makes this photo look pretty bad, but they're prettier in person.

Cuff Links Update - More Supplies

First, if you've received your cuff links, I hope you love them! Please let me know they've arrived and what you think.

If you haven't, thank you for your patience! I broke my last saw blade (I didn't know it was my last) and had to order more. I also got another pattern of gallery wire, a better soldering block, and some other supplies, including etchant! Since this is my first time etching, I'm not sure how it will go. I'll be posting the last few pairs this week and mailing them as soon as they're photographed. Thanks again for your support!

Final Pictures of Two More Pairs of Cuff Links

And the Winners Are...

Another Cuff Links Update

 I have a few more progress photos to share.

Final Pictures of First Batch of Cuff Links!

Here they are! I also have a second set of the square copper/silver ones in the tumbler - they weren't quite ready for the photo session, but they're almost done. So six sets will be mailed on Monday. Yay! There's another batch I'm starting on, but I don't have any pictures yet of those. Thank you all for your patience. The copper ones are taking longer than anticipated, but I'm pretty pleased with the results overall.   Which ones are your favorite?

Cufflinks Update!

I have three more pairs nearly finished!

These have been soldered, pickled, shaped/filed, and tumble-polished, but the fronts and backs still have to be cleaned up. See the silver solder that flowed over the copper - all that will be filed off and they'll be tumble-polished again before the final photos taken.

The other batch is ready to be photographed, packaged up, and shipped, so some of the Kickstarter supporters should be getting packages in the next week or so!

A Quick Post on SEO

I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to Michael Salvo, who gave me a 10 point SEO review of the Shy Violet website. I had a number of things to fix from an SEO (search engine optimization) standpoint, and I've gotten most of them done by now. SEO is important because if you don't do it (as I hadn't), you end up being almost invisible! As you can imagine, being invisible in the internet is not a good thing. Michael's review of my site was extremely helpful! I had a number of SEO issues that were fairly easy to fix once he pointed them out, and several others that required more work on the backend. He was helpful throughout the process and explained a number of things I didn't understand. He is professional, great to work with, and extremely competent. I'm looking forward to seeing how my site grows!

Shy Violet Fall 2012 Lookbook

Shy Violet Birthday Celebration! Win Free Jewelry!

More Cuff Links!

We Have Power Again!

We have power again! The storm on Friday in Northern Virginia knocked out our power, and we finally got it back late last night. With highs around 100 and high humidity, it was sweltering! We had an interesting few days, had to throw away a bunch of food, but we're all safe and sound. We didn't even have any damage to our apartment or cars, so we are fortunate.

Now that we have AC again and lights and internet, I hope to get make some progress on the cufflinks and load new pictures soon. With a baby at home, we've been so thankful for friends who were gracious enough to open their home to us and others and share their AC and refrigerator space!

Check out some photos of the damage in the area!

First Pair of Cuff Links!

The first pair of cuff links is complete!

These are the sterling silver stampings as they arrived. See how shiny they are? That's the reflection of my fingers in the top one as I took the picture.

I gave the tops a bit of texture so the solder would adhere better. Here you can see the gallery wire cut and measured next to the stampings, which have flux (the liquid) and bits of solder sitting on top, ready to be soldered.

And here both are soldered. The gallery wire is attached and they are ready to be cleaned up, more or less.

I filed down the edges of the gallery wire so they were nice and flush with the edges of the stampings, and then rounded all the edges just a bit.

I've soldered on one back. The second one I actually had to do twice because the first time it was ever-so-slightly crooked, which of course had to be corrected.

Here they're both done! On the right one you can see I did some filing on the back to make sure everything was flush and smooth. The discoloration is from the torch, and that is corrected by...

pickling! Here they've just come out of the the pickle pot. They're nice and white, but they still have that powdery-white look rather than being bright and shiny. So next I tumble-polished them...

and they're done! Here they're bright, shiny, and clean. I might buff them a little more to get just a bit more smoothness on the top, if I leave them shiny. This design could also be oxidized to bring out the detail... is anyone interested in that? It would make them a soft black, with the oxidation brushed off on the high points to show the depth and texture. It's a slightly more casual look. Let me know what you think!

Either way, they are almost ready to be photographed in the regular setup, and then they'll be mailed!

Thank you for supporting my Kickstarter project!

I'm so excited to be starting my Men's Collection! The basis of the line will be sterling silver and mixed metal copper/sterling silver cufflinks, and I began with a Kickstarter project. A very special thank you and much appreciation goes to those who contributed!

Jack Cheevers

Yaniv Masjed

Daniel Schwartz

Keelan Stuart

Jens O. Meiert

Alex Bierce

Peter Hogan

Paul Barry

Dirk Knemeyer

Therese McKernan

Chris Savage

Please follow along on the blog as I work on the cufflinks - your opinions will be really helpful as I decide what designs to explore.

Cufflinks Project Fully Funded!

Wow! The cufflinks project is fully funded already, with 18 days left to go! I'm really excited about getting started on this new line and exploring different ideas. I'd love your feedback on the sketches I've posted on the Kickstarter page and on the Shy Violet Facebook page. I'm working out my order for materials now, but I'm not going to order yet because there's still time for more people to pledge! I have a new stretch goal of $1000, which would be a fabulous way to get this line started. Please check out the sketches and let me know which ones you like!

New Men's Collection! Cufflinks Kickstarter Project

I've just kicked off a Kickstarter project! The project is to help launch my new men's collection, beginning with some classy cufflinks. Check out the page here: New Handmade Cuff Links Collection. I'd love your support! Even if you can't contribute directly, I'd really appreciate it if you could help spread the word. Be sure to take a look at the rewards offered - this is a great chance to get some earrings for a great price!