Fiery Ammonites Wired

I picked up several of these Madagascar ammonite pendants in Tucson this year; I just love how the fiery sheen to them gives an extra depth of color. Each pendant has been hand wire wrapped using non-tarnish wire; here I’ve done two in gunmetal and one in shiny gold. They are very unique and the colors are absolutely striking, ranging from soft hues of earth coffee/black/tan/cream to cream/pink/burgundy/tan to a large one in olive/tan/cream/rust colors.

Ammonites are an extinct group of marine animals belonging to the cephalopod subclass Ammonoidea and are excellent index fossils. They are utilized by geologists and paleontologists to link the rock layer in which they are found to specific geological time periods. The closest living relative of the ammonite is not the modern Nautilus, which they somewhat outwardly resemble, but rather the octopus, squid and cuttlefish. Their fossil shells usually take the form of planispirals, although there were some helically-spiraled and non-spiraled forms (known as "heteromorphs"). They ranged from the lower Jurassic (200Ma) to the Upper Cretaceous (65.5Ma).

The designs are a mix of old world in Tibetan and ceramic beads, crystals, jasper, and agates. Browse and purchase our uniquely artisan crafted jewelry designs online exclusively at our Ruby Lane Timeless Design shop!

Designs in Shades of Blue

Blue is one of my favorite colors and with the right mix of stones can make incredible designs. These two designs mix shades of blue in a deep navy almost sapphire colored crystals and a mix of natural stone.

I started with rectangular stones in exotic California Palm Wood Jasper. It has beautiful coloring in navy, tan, beige, purple, rust and black. To highlight the deep blue I added in irregular shaped freshwater cultured pearls in a soft yellow color. The faceted of the blue and clear crystals captures the light and accents against the jasper and pearls for a stunning necklace.

What’s different about this second necklace is that it is actual two strands; to get a bit of a ‘cluster’ effect I strung the pearls on two wires and then both through the larger crystals. These clusters are irregular shaped freshwater cultured pearls of yellow, tan and eggshell. The necklace is all graduated faceted rondelle crystals colored in two shades of blue, mostly a deep navy almost sapphire blue and then a few lighter blue at the base.

Rich, trendy jewelry in fresh designs for any personality; browse and purchase any of our collection at our online shop!