Hope this is Really Muscovite

I bought this particularly lovely stone at a local bead wholesale shop and it was labeled "muscavite" which actually is a native from Muscovy, an ancient region in Russia (probably where the name "Moscow" comes from). There is a mineral called muscovite (with the letter o, not a) but almost every picture I pulled up showed a pinkish red stone, with somewhat of a schiller effect.

So I have a dilemma as to what to put on the label for this piece, which is now completed. Perhaps it's the metallic flecks on the stone that is the "muscavite" although it looks more like pyrite to me than mica. If that is the case, I would love to know what to call the resident stone since it is the majority of the composition.

Is it a granite? A basalt? A gneiss?? It is beautiful, especially in person. The color is a deep charcoal with a slight hint of green. It looks like biotite, except it doesn't easily break into sheets like typical mica.

I'm stumped. Any rockhounds or petrologists visiting here, please weigh in what you think this may be.

In the mean time I will have to come up with something creative for the tag. At the moment, it only has the $72 price on it. I used 14k gold-fill wire for both the wrapping and the linking of the beads. I used 8mm Swarovski crystals, black diamond color, and the combination is stunning. I'll put up a picture of the completed necklace as soon as I get to photographing it.

Will the Real Competition Please Stand Up!

I've been asked, time again by many people, why I share my space and hard-learned information with other jewelry designers. Even my Project Wonderful and Entrecard ad spaces are typically occupied by other jewelry artists.

Most people cannot grasp the idea that jewelry designers, while in a black-and-white world are competitors, don't view each other as such because we are first and foremost artists and artists rarely deal in black-and-white. Even using a black/white color palette, there are so many shades of gray.

Artists feel a connection with other artists, even if we are using the same medium ... even when our art is our business. At every event I attend jewelry artists are drawn to each other and we compare and share notes (and wine, too!). At every on-line community I belong, jewelry artists form their own groups to compare and share information.

It is my pleasure to feature another jewelry artist, Jill of Liv'nGood Jewelry, who is also a fellow chainmailler! The latest post on her blog hits a note in me because we both seem to be having trouble getting caught up on the photography that is necessary to get our art listed on our various on-line selling venues.

I have my eye on a pair of her earrings! I need to sell some of mine so I can buy them. Yes, I said "buy them" because copycats are not playing fair, even if one is copying for their own use.

Jill is also a member of Creative Bloggers and I invite every creative type reading this blog who also blogs to come and join us!

So, there is real competition for jewelry artists, but it is not from other jewelry artists. I'll leave it to the reader to figure it out. I've made a promise to myself not to market me by stomping on others. Besides, there is plenty of room in this wide world for everything under the sun.

Amethyst Maille Mudfish

Amethyst Maille Mudfish
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

Lookie at what I made this weekend! I had done another Mudfish and sold it to a boutique in west Texas. This one is a different chainmaille weave and I added the amethyst to compliment his purple eyes.

I got this mudfish from Bally Beads in Rockwall, Texas. The owner of Bally's owns the mold and all the midfish are signed on the inside.

I have a new favorite! I may make one to keep myself! And yes, Comptroller of the State of Texas, I will pay sales tax on the materials for the one I keep.

Mobius MOP of Beautiful Pastels

Mobius MOP Bracelet
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

I loved working these bracelets up! The colors of these mother of pearl coin beads are so soft and pretty. For the Etsy listing, I used the pale mauve bracelet and earrings, but I like this photo the best from that shoot. I'm using this photo in both the bracelet and earring listing to show the color choices available.

The soft colors play against the hardness of the chainmaille florettes. I'm having fun with this mobius weave.

Bracelets and earrings available at my Etsy shop.