A Customer's Story

If there is one thing more heartwarming than a review from a happy customer, it's a personal note from a shopper who tells me their story and why they chose my Etsy store.

(Irish scenery, own photo)

Many who drop by my store are of Irish extraction or perhaps their spouse would be from Ireland and they feel that same affinity. These particular customers would often share a little of their story. For me, this is one of the highlights of being present on Etsy - it's about the personal experience not just for customers, but sometimes for the seller too. I'm not a faceless machine churning out mass produced goods, but an artist putting heart and soul into the few individual pieces I make. Equally, those who choose my creations are not just a name and address on the envelope. 

Yesterday a friendly, Irish American lady, who had chosen a Connemara marble pendant from me in February 2013, returned for a pair of earrings. I was delighted to see her return, but even more so to know that the pendant is still a well-loved piece of jewellery. She has kindly allowed me to share her story here. 

Her parents originated in Ireland and she still has relatives in Dublin and in the South West.

'...I've been meaning to get earnings to match my pendant, but just never got around to it. I love the pendant. Many years ago my mother gave me a pin with Connemara marble which I have passed on to my daughter. She loves having something of her grandmother's. Hence my attachment to Connemara. Someday I'll pass on my pendant and earrings to my daughter. We are very sentimental.' 

   

(Well, thank you.) I too am a bit sentimental and hearing stories like this makes me feel like my jewellery is sometimes more than just adornments. Some pieces, especially those in Irish marble can become a symbol, a connection to family and heritage. For me, the privilege of knowing where a lovingly made piece is going and why it will be cherished gives more meaning to what I do.

  

Connemara marble jewellery and ornaments

A Snippet about Connemara marble

A Snippet about Kilkenny marble

A Snippet about Cork Red marble

ABC. F is for Fairies, Fluorite, Feldspar and Fan Necklaces

Continuing my ABC of Jewellery, (a not-so-comprehensive guide to jewellery, jewellery making techniques and materials I use, design inspirations etc) F is fun and fantastical with Fairies! In terms of materials it includes Fluorite, Feldspar and Findings and in design it brings us to Fan necklaces.  Encompassing a huge array of crafting supplies,  'Findings' will get a post all of its own next.

Fluorite is a semi transparent gemstone. It is the mineral form of Calcium Fluoride and comes in so many hues it has been nicknamed 'the most colourful mineral in the world.' The most common shades are blues, purples and greens, and next is yellow or clear. Often it boasts more than one tone and can have gorgeous banding.

The ancient Egyptians and the Chinese have carved the mineral for decorative purposes for centuries. In the 1700s the mineral was believed to cure ailments of the kidney. Apothecaries would grind the fluorite into a powder to be dissolved in water and ingested as medicine. Please do not try this at home folks!

 large labradorite pendant  and  amazonite earrings

Feldspar is a large group of rock forming minerals. Forming approximately 60% of the earth's crust, it is the most plentiful mineral group on the planet. (You  can find the science bit HERE on Wikipedia.) The name comes from the German 'feldt spat,' meaning field stone. Seemingly when it erodes, it releases nutrients such as potassium into the soil, enriching plant life.

The feldspar gemstones most often used for jewellery are amazonite, moonstone, labradorite, obisidan and a black tourmaline (schorl tourmaline.) 

labradorite pendant  and labradorite earrings

Of these, labradorite is my favourite. It is a feldspar found mostly in Labrador, Canada and is famed for its blue flash when it catches the light. Metaphysically, the stone is associated with the delaying of aging but let's not tell the skin cream companies.

red gemstone fan necklace

F is also for Fan necklaces, a currently popular style of chunky, statement neckwear and a cousin of the collar neck piece. As the name suggests, it is designed to fan out and is therefore, an excellent choice for breaking up a wide area of skin when wearing low necklines. It also can create a little drama worn over a high, plain neckline. The style has origins in tribal, African jewellery and other ethnic cultures including Native American, Amazonian, Aztec, Egyptian and more. The fan shape in this carnelian necklace is created with petal-like stones, drilled laterally at the top.

Ireland is a land associated with Folklore and Fairies, so they naturally belong in my collection.You can find 2 types of Fairies (and/or angels) in my inventory; larger sea glass ornaments and smaller, beaded charms or pendants.

sea glass fairy angel ornament or sun catcher

I wire wrap more unusual sea glass fairies, which are a type of art doll or home decor and usable as sun catchers, Christmas ornaments and large pendants for adults. They are not suitable as toys or as pendants for children but do make pretty nursery decorations to hang out of reach. 

Genuine sea glass has been tumbled, smoothed and frosted by the ocean over several decades. I believe the wire work should be just as aesthetic as the glass without overwhelming it. I have developed my skills to create a style of wrapping that is lightweight and pretty in appearance but very secure. This shows off the glass and makes for very light and airy looking sea glass fairies.

Irish belief in fairies goes back to, at least, Celtic times and is much more complex than our love of whimsy and story telling.  I found this interview with Dr Jenny Butler, Folklorist and Lecturer, very interesting from a social history point of view. Be aware, it's not short, so pop the kettle on.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE ABC SERIES SO FAR

or by letter:
A  B  C  (plus C for Crimping ) D E

Inspirations from Nature

My walks in the hills and across cliffs last year inspired a number of pieces, some of which, are yet made to be made! A few months back I wrote about the gorgeous Autumnal colours on this stretch of the cliff walk from Greystones to Bray. The earthy tones moved me to wire wrap Connemara marble in copper for a change....

Cliffs from Greystones to Bray Autumn 2012, own photo

Copper wrapped Connemara  marble pendant

Inspirations January 2014

Like many artists, I garner inspiration from nature and what I see around me as well as things that stir my soul, such as the refreshing sea, culture and Irish heritage. Though I very much do my own thing, I am almost obliged to be inspired by current trends. Not least of these are the season's hues influenced by Pantone Colour Report.

Spring 2014 is sweeping in with a refreshing display of gentle pastels teamed with bold bursts of dazzling blue, freesia yellow, celosia orange and radiant orchid purple. I'm particularly loving the combination of deep blue with intense yellow in geometric and floral patterns already hitting the shops.

Many of these uplifting colours are making it into my Etsy store, Handmade by Amo'r.  It usually takes a combination of factors to move me to create something beautiful. Here are some of the influences behind my latest jewellery.

            

Irish sea pottery pendant on dazzling blue cotton chain

I found this naturally weathered shard of sea pottery on a Dublin beach last summer and wire wrapped it in silver plate. I wasn't quite happy with the ribbon necklace I originally made for it. I was looking for something that evoked the sea itself in some way. Then I spied the gorgeous cotton crochet chain in dazzling blue by HuggleKnits and knew It was a match made in heaven. The bright marine blue instantly lifted the white and blue porcelain for a look that is on the mark for Spring and Summer 2014.

 

  

I posted earlier this month that I'd been overdosing on old episodes of Downton Abbey. I'm currently obsessed with early 20th century styles and trends from the Edwardian era through to the 20s.  Though the mourning jewellery of the first series of the British drama steered me to the colour black, Lady Edith's fiery necklace above is on the mark for this season's Pantone celosia orange. It may not be, but it looks suspiciously like carnelian to me.

I'm pretty sure I have some amethyst teardrops in the radient orchid lurking in my purple stash box....

Option for no Chain

I'm thrilled to announce that Etsy has introduced a new feature to our listings that allows me to easily and (more importantly for customers) automatically offer a 'no chain' option on my pendants

 

Previously if you wished to purchase one of my pendants without the chain, you would message me to request a quote. I would edit the listing accordingly for you. Now Etsy has just introduced the possibility to offer variants with a different price tag within the one listing. Yay!  That's great news.

Take this wire wrapped sea glass pendant for example.  

You can choose whether to purchase it on the crochet chain supplied, or at a lower rate with no chain (ie. $5 less = over €4 less at time of posting.)  Just select your choice before adding to cart. (As an aside, apologies to those who choose to view prices in Euro for the odd amounts. I am currently listing in dollars, and they are not rounded up when Etsy converts to Euro.)

I have rolled the no chain option out initially with my sea glass and sea pottery pendants on cotton chains. I will apply it to some of my gemstone and sterling silver jewellery next. Sterling silver is of higher value, so the difference in price will be more significant of course. 

clasp handmade by me

Price options will vary depending on the type of silver, length of chain, the clasp and finish and of course whether the chain is fully handmade by me or not. This no chain option will not be applied where it involves cutting and discarding sterling silver wire (e.g.) to undo work I have so carefully done. However, I have considered listing some pendants with no chain and the option to complete a chain, perhaps in the finish of your choice.

I hope this move forward makes it easier for those who would like to spoil themselves with a treat but can't quite stretch to the full price.   It also makes sense for those who already own one or more chains to avoid getting a new one each time you want a new pendant. If you only have one chain, please do take into consideration that not all clasps fit through all bails.

Looking ahead, I can see other ways to use this facility for price-point variants and give more options to my customers.  Thanks Etsy!

Inspired by the Everyday Visual

Celtic symbols feature a lot in my jewellery designs. It's not just because I'm Irish and proud of my heritage. I reckon that these Celtic motifs embedded on a public street wall not far from my home have silently crept into my subconscious and out through my work. After all, artists are much inspired by what they see as well as what they feel. I have walked past this artwork at least a thousand times over. How could they not have influence my designs? 

                                                                                                                              

                              

                 
                         

A Little About Cork Red Marble

 

Ireland boasts a fair share of rare marbles. Cork red marble is a little less known in the jewellery world than the famous Connemara marble. This gorgeous, fiery stone is more often found in public buildings, and sometimes rosary beads, than in personal accessories. I am very proud to include this indigenous stone in my craft whenever I can get my hands on some beads. 

Cork red marble is mined in the South West of Ireland, in the region of Munster. Here's the science bit...It is a resedimented limestone, containing mollusks and other sea fossils suspended in red clay. It is thought these components were lifted from the ocean in turbulent storms and deposited on the land thousands of years ago.  Heat and pressure from rock and other deposits building up over centuries and centuries resulted in the formation of this hard marble known as Cork red.

The colour ranges in shade from a pale, pinkish coral tones to a deeper, or browner, brick red. The marbling is usually a pale, rose white-wash. Check out these images from the British Geological Survey. 

The paler varieties are often referred to as Rose Marble. The darker reds are not unlike red jasper in appearance but have distinctive marbling or patches. Historically, the stone was known as 'Rouge Royale.'

 

Famously it can be seen in the Chapel of St Patrick and the Saints of Ireland at Westminster Cathedral, London, alongside other Irish stones. (photo credit: Westminster Cathedral website)

Here in Dublin, the interior columns of John's Lane Church, Thomas St. are formed of Cork red marble.

If you are lucky owner of a piece of jewellery made of this rare stone, be careful how you treat it. It is a hard stone so shouldn't shatter as easily as some gemstones, but it wont take kindly to acids and chemical cleaners. Avoid ultra sonic cleaners too.

The kindest way to keep your Cork red marble and precious metal pieces looking well is to regularly use a silver polishing cloth on the metal and to store the piece wrapped in such a cloth or in an anti-tarnish box or baggie. Wipe any grime and residual perfumes cosmetics etc off the stone with a dry, lint free cloth or kitchen paper. An occasional wash in mild soapy water will keep silver or gold bright without damaging the marble. Pat the piece dry with kitchen paper and leave on a towel for a couple of hours at room temperature. Polish the metal parts with an appropriate cloth before storing.

Click for Rare Irish marble jewellery for sale on Etsy  

Click to see more posts about materials I use