Venetian Renaissance: Coloratura

The year is 1500...a morning in the Duchy of Venice, in Northern Italy, with the bottle greens and lapis blues of the sea still in shadow, the orange, carnelian and pink of the sunrise, the street awash with the sounds of a new day. Colored cloaks vanish around the stone corner of an ornate building, the palace of the Doge, and his lady, La Dogaresa. Sunlight refracting off water, the silver swirls, the wakes of a gondola slipping silently into the morning mist. This is what comes to mind when I gaze at the Renaissance colors of this silver bangle bracelet; swirls, swiss dots, glorious ambers, greens, ochres, Adriatic blues and turquoise, wine and strawberry reds, rosy pinks. all.sensuously blend with textured silvers that remind me of a once great family's coat of arms. I searched far and long to find the gorgeous glass and the lovely silver to create this bracelet. Who would have ever imagined an artisan named Krissa, in our present century, working at this ancient art in an historic village of South Carolina, known for fine riding horses and sweet grasslands. Surely Krissa lived before, in another life, in the wondrous 1500's, the heart of the Venetian Renaissance. This young woman clandestinely learned the craft of the glass blower, forbidden to females at that time, and with her artistic inclinations, carried this talent through the ages to the beautiful countryside of the Carolinas. And look what we have: a most enchanting symbol of a past era of voluptuous beauty that heralded the coming of the Baroque and the Rococo. This is probably, right now , my most enchanting design. Take a look and tell me if you agree.

$249 - Buy

Amber Renaissance

Here I chose a glorious focal bead, precious silver encased inside amber glass, something Marco Polo might have carried from China on his return journey to the Duchy of Venice. Fit for a Lady In Waiting of that court, this solid silver bangle bracelet mixes the gorgeous colors of Krissa of the Carolinas, with the silvered amber work of Christa of The Netherlands. How talented these artists are, and here they blend together in colors to swoon over: apricot, poppy, cerulean, bottle green, orchid, violet, and to guard the precious amber on each side, two swirling onyx sentinels. Complimenting these hand-crafted works of art glass, waves of sterling silver flow in between to meet up with rounds of sterling silver and ornately decorated end beads

$149 - Buy

Red Ladybug Ball

This red and black bangle is a nice example of a customized design. A lovely young woman asked me to make a bracelet for her mother as a combination birthday-Mother's Day gift. I asked her what her mother loves best and what type of woman was she? The answer was that red was a favorite color and she loved ladybugs. I also learned that this woman was petite so I chose a smaller bangle that she could fit to her wrist size. Here is what I came up with: Note the three slim larger lady-bug-colored glass beads and the red and black ceramic ladybug. Notice also the enamel and silver lady bug bead: these beads set the color theme: red and black. The two silver accent flower beads with red crystal centers keep the ladybugs busy. I added the red crystal heart charm to represent the love between this daughter and her mother. I don't think I can remake this bracelet as shown, but I can design something simliar. Just let me know if there is another ladybug lover out there and I will design something lovely.

$149 - Buy

Raspberry Cordial

Dress up that little black dress, black silk blouse, or even a nice black tee shirt with this oh-so-gorgeous silver bangle bracelet. This lovely is much prettier on a wrist than flat in a photo, shown here. My wonderful signorina in Northern, Italy created the larger focal bead of raspberry pink and blackberry. What's fun is that you can take the bead off the bracelet and wear it on a silver or gold chain. And know that you will receive a lot of attention whichever way you wear this work of art. Glass is capricious once heated; you never know what you will create and no two are ever alike. Garnet glass spacers enhance their master bead while two oynx sentinels, covered with silvered dots, stand guard. An adorable southern artist designed the two cherryblossom pink beads that bear carved-in scrolls while two puffy sterling silver hearts pledge their devotion. Double sterling silver stop beads hold all elements in line while the silver bangle with decorative end beads (one screws off) holds all the glass and silver tight. Know that you can dismantle any of these bracelets and bangles to wear on hoop earrings of any size and/or on a silver or white gold chain from your own jewelry box. Or you can order a few more beads for a lovely match. The bangle style shown here will fit any size wrist because you can flex the bands larger or tighter; up to you..

$175 - Buy

Cherry Cordial

Ever see a cherry tree in June, loaded with wild cherry-colored fruit? That's what this beauty reminds me of because it's loaded all right. Let's start with the handmade focal at the top center..and please check the close-up photos here to get a better look at what you'll be getting: an 18 mm super gorgeous one-of-a-kind work of art, hand crafted by a wonderful glass artisan in her tile roofed studio in the lush hills of northern Italy. Take this cherry pink and blackberry bead off the bracelet and slip it on a silver or gold chain and you have a gorgeous necklace to take you to any occasion. Next to this goddess of a bead, and picking up some of the pinks in the focal, are two hot pink handmade glass gems with lovely carvings all around. Move on to two handmade gold/silver encrusted scarlet Krissa works of art that compliment what goes before them, then take a look at 12 sterling silver (.925 sterling) beads cascading down to the ornate silver end beads, coupled with thin garnet glass spacers. The eye follows these gorgeous art glass and art silver beauties to the most wonderful faceted charm made of cherry colored genuine jade! I was pleased to find that Jade comes in this color found in nature. What a fabulous shade for the mysterious Jade, sure to bring you many compliments and lots of interest in your wrist! All of this beauty and two dragon fly beads at the ends, all on a sterling silver braclet you can wear on its own, it's so pretty, and all covered with loads of great beads. A work of art? I'll say. This bracelet will fit almost every wrist size and can be flexed together to make it fit snugly if that's what you'd like. And like all bracelets shown here, you can removed the beads and use them on a chain, or with little hoop earrings. I wear hot pink beads as earrings because my hair is dark and the color shows up. Ditto the scarlet beads! Blondes and redheads bring their own lushness to these colors. And remember, all my bracelets are returnable and refundable. Also,you can buy most of the individual beads shown here. Just let me know.

$189 - Buy

Blue Skies Smiling At You

Out of fire comes beauty. Denise, the Australian artisan who created the focal bead you see in the photo speaks: "Yes, my beads are made with heat, a lot of heat. I use a dual fuel torch - propane and oxygen. It's similar to what a welder would use but is made specifically for glass. Once the bead is made, it's placed in a kiln to cool down very slowly, this ensures no stress is built up in the glass." Imagine such a gorgeous, delicate work of art born of fire and the imagination heats up. How to compliment and present such a beautiful artifact: the focal bead shows dainty silver mesh beneath sky-blue flowers with dainty lemon-colored centers. Only murano glass beads worthy of proximity to this work of art would do: spiraling swirls and blue buds, with a bit of grey-blue misty cloud, seem to drift skyward but for the sterling silver, bead-edged spacers who hold them earthbound. Featurette: a silver and stained glass clownfish of blue, apricot, and lemon swims along for the ride. Bangle bracelet is solid sterling with decorative endbeads, and one unscrews if you're so inclined.

$149 - Buy

Fiesta!

Is there anything more colorful and delightful than a Mexican Fiesta? The colors of tangerine, teal, and glistening white bring their own delight when mixed together a la Frida Kahlo. Can you picture this colorful bracelet encircling your wrist setting off a white tee shirt and khaki pants? Or a black shirt and your best-fitting jeans? Picture yourself in a white linen frock and this one important accessary to draw the eye with its magnificent color. Take note of the large center focal that shows white, orange,and teal flowers under clear glass created by the Italian glass artist who works in her red tile roofed studio clinging to the lush hillsides below the ancient city of Bergamo. Textured beads stand guard and lend their own elegance and freshness on either side in tangerine, teal, white, and all white on teal. Then notice the clear gulf blue beads above the silver who boast their own dazzle with crystals, one clear, the other turquoise. People react favorably to color and many compliments will come your way with this ornate and full-hued beauty!

$199 - Buy

Purple Hearts

This sterling silver bangle bracelet holds shades of purple murano glass beads as accents to play off the three spectacular hand-crafted foculs. Note the two side beads..this is Krissa of the Carolina's handiwork: two orchid-color beads with gold/silver scrolls that play off of the center focal bead by dear Denise, our Aussie artisan. Note the intricate shades and unique design of that bead. There are at least six different shades of the color purple: lavender, periwinkle, lilac, iris, violet, and orchid. And note eight sterling silver puff hearts that catch and hold the light for all that gorgeous color, then spy the purple art glass spacers that pull color all the way down to the end beads, one of which screws off so you can play with the beads; wear them on a silver or white gold chain, and on hoop earrings. Purple is the color of nobility and spirituality and was Queen Cleopatra's favorite color. Divine.

$159 - Buy

Aubergine Dream

Aubergine: an amazing hued veggie that's really a fruit; but what is so amazing is the color of The Eggplant,Aubergine..a deeply saturated purple. We tried with this photograph to show the wonderful, deep purple colors that make this such a gorgeous piece of jewelry. If you notice the top left beads you can appreciate the depth of this oh-so-royal color. Note the focal bead. Silver on silver and a very delicate filigree design with lovely scrolls on each side--and two patterned murano glass beads on either side; so elegant, so classic. Moving down the left see the aubergine beads that boast a borealis that changes with the light as you move your wrist. Then a very different textured art bead to keep things in hand..more borealis down to the featurette: a lotus carved rose quartz dangle. On the right side: an enameled cerise silver flower bead with a bud on each side. To make the bangle even more elegant? Sterling silver wavy spacers hold all the art pieces separate but equal. One decorative endbead screws off so that you can slip the beads on a silver or white gold chain or hang them from small silver hoop earrings. You could also order extra beads for a complete ensemble.

$165 - Buy