Oco Agate with a Twist of Amber Navy Mix

Working with Oco agates you just never know what you are going to get in the pendant slice. What makes these very unique is that they are highly polished on back and front, but the sides have been left with a slight rawness, almost a feel of the mine they come from.

Each one is a carefully crafted colorful piece from nature with the centers open showing the years of crystallization, this makes the Oco agate very different from normal agate slices.

In this new pendant I’ve hand wire wrapped it in bronze non-tarnish wire, the beauty of the pendant is captured in an array of fall colors; navy blue, white, black, rust, butterscotch, and even a hint of cream.

The necklace is crafted of amber freeform chips with a high polish, faceted rondelle crystals the color of navy or sapphire and between are little gold tone pewter round beads. With the size of the agate pendant being a little smaller, the necklace is not as heavy as many of the chunky and bold pieces I’ve been known to create.

A piece of nature that has been artisan crafted to enjoy for all time….browse our online shop at Ruby Lane to find your fossil, mineral or natural stone jewelry!

Designs for the Season in Polymer Clay

A not so new medium being used by artists in the jewelry industry is polymer clay because of its pliable, bendable and sculpting polymer compound or synthetic modeling material, thus it is not really true clay. True clay has fine particles of silicate suspended in water, whereas polymer clay is fine particles of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) suspended in plasticizer, but it can be used much like clay.

 Polymer clay is formulated from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), dyes or pigments and plasticizer to keep it soft until heat cured. It is an acrylic art material and there are many brands available in the United States. All the polymer clay brands have been individually tested and certified as non-toxic art materials. Brands vary in how hard or soft they feel at the beginning of use and the softer clays are more brittle when cured, and the firm clays are more durable after they are heat cured. The working properties vary between brands and become a designer’s personal choice. Some brands or colors within brands contain white mineral clay that makes colors opaque; others contain mica that gives it a shimmer and shine to the clay. All polymer clays are thermal set plastics, meaning they are hardened with heat and do not become soft again after curing. Before being cured in an oven, clays are thermally reactive and become hard when cool and soft when warm.

  

What makes polymer clay special is its versatility for anyone who wants to let their imagination run wild. With the dozens of colors choices and a designer can blend clays together like paints into canes to make any color palette they desire. Since the color is inherent in the particles, you can also work two or more colors together without blending them, if you prefer, for special effects such as cane marbling or stoning. The clay's pliability and ductility let you use techniques from other mediums such as glasswork, textile arts and sculpture. And polymer clay doesn't dry out, so you can sculpt and form it without worrying about a time limit.

  

In these new designs we feature polymer clay beads; the necklaces are quite lightweight and another alternative for people who don’t like the big chunky styles seen in many jewelry designs today.