I love the way extreme heat and pressure in rocks manifests itself in such a beautiful array of different stones that we can use in jewelry!
Setting stones into jewelry is a fun way to incorporate color and patterns into your work. Incorporating cabochons (flat bottomed stones) into jewelry is easier than you might think. Beginning jewelers can imagine and create a design, with a stone as the centerpiece.
Sometimes I create the same design in several different ways using different stones. Sometimes I let the stones dictate what I make. Whatever I do, I enjoy including the amazing gems into my work!
I find it amazing that there are such a variety of stones in different shapes that reflect what they are made up of and how they were created.
Lately I have become interested in lapidary work, which is the forming and shaping of stones, and inlay, which involves combining stones together.
This was my first inlay piece. I love it! I had such fine combining the different stones in different ways, cutting them into different shapes. I like how I can tell a story through this type of work.
I am looking forward to seeing how this work develops. I hope that you have some creative pursuit that draws you in like this!
Cheers to your creativity!
Courtney