Spring is here!

Spring is here...My grass is green, tulips are popping up, and color is everywhere!  Spring color has definitely been the inspiration behind the new designs I have been creating over the last few weeks.  Check out some of the latest from the collection! Multicolored sapphire, green amethyst, aqua marine and more!

Staple Studs

Every woman should have a pair of staple studs, but most women go straight to a classic pearl or diamond stud that can be worn everyday----that goes with everything.  I think sticking with the classics is good...but would challenge you to break outside the diamond stud box and jazz up your staple studs.  I make several studs all of which can add a little spice to your classic look.  They are great for the everyday earring that you never want to take out AND can be paired with a beautiful necklace for a fun night on the town.  All of these studs can be customized...set with colored diamonds, multicolored sapphires... and pick rose gold or palladium!!

Inspiration

I grew up playing in my grandmother's jewelry box.  Many of her pieces were passed down from her mother and others were given to her by my grandfather.  She has built an amazing collection over the years. Each piece has a story that makes it even more beautiful than at first glance.  She is the reason I fell in love with jewelry and the reason I have chosen to pursue it as my life's work.  The way jewelry can become intertwined in a person history is a constant source of inspiration as I create.

I am also enamored a woman's sense of identity and the objects she chooses to represent herself to the world.  I love to study women and design jewelry that reflects who they are and who they are hoping to become.

I guess that's why I make jewelry...another important question is probably "what inspires me to create pieces that look the way they do?"

Describing my inspiration is often hard because I do not see the world in words, but in pictures, textures, feelings and colors. I love working in rich 18K yellow gold because it feels like a warm summer day,  I love multicolored sapphire because it pics up all the subtle tones in a rosie cheek, and I cannot get enough of rutilated quartz because its ever changing patterns remind me that no two people are ever exactly alike.

I am also inspired by the designs that other designers and artist put out into the world.  Flipping through a great furniture catalog can open my eyes to a world of lines and shapes that I would have never thought to utilize.  Seeing a compelling painting can reveal a beautiful mix of colors that I seek to recreate by combining different stones.  Watching a great performance can remind me that jewelry must be engineered to work with the body, with the curve of a neck, the shape of a wrist, and the way we move. 

In my new collection (most of which is still in production) I am most inspired by color itself.  I have been looking at colors that bring out the natural tones in the human body.  Hair colors, skin tones, eye colors, etc.  Smoky topaz, rutilated quartz, deep blue sapphire, green amethyst, and multicolored sapphire will be among the favorites incorporated into the signature collection this year.   Check back in a few weeks to see what exciting new work I will be adding!

When the budget is big...

I just pitched a new design to one of my favorite clients.  It is a huge project and from a production perspective it is going to be really intense....It is literally a puzzle to piece together.  I am so excited I can barely sleep at night. I started with a rough sketch to get my vision on paper.

The idea is a interlocking web of signature elements to make a collar of sparkle around the neck.  I designed a series of new scalloped edge bezels the will hold multicolored sapphires as well as a smaller bubble bezel that will be set with rose cut diamonds.  The other elements will be our signature dots and halos. Some will be pave with white diamonds which will add the sparkle we are looking for.  

All of the elements are being handcrafted right now in the production studio.  Once the elements are complete I will start the task of laying them out so that they fit perfectly together.  Then we will start linking each other pieces together to form this spectacular necklace.  Check back for pics of the finished product.  It will be to die for!

Wedding Jewels

I am finally diving into the world of marketing my wedding collection to buyers outside of friends, family and friends of friends!

This weekend we attended the Rocky Mountain Bridal Show.  Some brides came alone...some with their grooms...some with just their mom and others with their entire entourage!  It was really fun to see each bride get excited when they came across our booth.  We were one of the only jewelry booths at the event and we were able to show brides how unique our wedding collection truly is.

The process is pretty fun.  We start with a swatch and select stones to match.  In selecting stones I usually try to find several shades that will compliment the swatch.  It gives the finished design a little more dimension.

Then I send you over to the website.  You can check out all types of designs in the collection.  Once you find some designs that you like we can modify the designs to fit into your budget.  You can pick a different design for each bridesmaid or the same set for all of your girls.

We can also make simplified designs for your flower girls.  Recently I have made several velvet ribbon bracelets that look super cute on the youngest members of the wedding!

 The finished product is a suite of jewelry that looks fabulous the day of and beyond!

Transformation

About a month ago a couple came to me with an engagement ring they had custom created by a jeweler.  The ring was honestly a bit of a mess...not only was it poorly constructed but stones were loose and the bezels were soldered on crooked.  I felt so bad for them because getting engaged is supposed to be the most wonderful experience....you are supposed to put a ring on your finger that you will wear for the rest of your life!  I decided to take on the project and transform their ring into something that they would truly love  and wear forever.

Here is the design they gave me...

I worked with them to create some rough sketches of the design they had actually wanted when they started the process...

Then we moved the design to the computer and created photo renderings of the design....

From the computer file we cut a wax of the design and got to work creating the ring

 This is the final product...

Now they have a piece that is worth double what it was original valued. It is a beautifully constructed ring that will be wearable for a lifetime.  I am so excited to have been a part of this project and honored to be a part of the happiest time in this couples life!

Brides, Bridesmaids & Bobbles

If you didn't know already, Samantha Louise Jewelry has ventured into the wonderful world of weddings!  While I've been doing engagement rings for sometime now, I only dove into bridesmaid jewelry recently and it has been a blast!  New designs in each color suite are slowly finding there way onto my website, but the options for bridesmaids are endless.  It is amazing to design 8 pieces that all have a similar color, look, and feel, but are unique to each of the special girls in your wedding. You can check out my facebook page for a fabulous purple suite I did earlier this year!  My goal is always to design pieces that women will want to wear again and again.  Below are pics of the latest blue bridesmaid designs from my studio. As you can see stones are available in every shade...So send me a swatch and I will try to match your dresses exactly!