Green Aquamarine's

Aquamarine’s are one of my favourite gemstones, especially the green variety!

Aquas are usually more blue and are often confused with the lighter shades of blue topaz. But an aqua with green undertones…is one of a kind! Whenever my gem broker pulls out the tray of aquas and I see a green one, I literally jump for joy. If you can believe it, despite being rare, they are actually not considered to have a favourable colour in terms of what people are looking for when it comes to aquas. Blows my mind!

I would love another excuse to go play with a tray full of aquas so please feel free to order an aqua so I can start my favourite kind of gem hunt!

Family Love

I love when a client brings in some sentimental jewellery and asks me to turn it into several pieces for family members. I get to be part of something so special! It’s a beautiful way to create a piece of commemorative jewellery that holds the love of ancestors.

The possibilities are endless: same design and materials for everyone, or same design but different gemstones, or same materials but different designs, or every piece completely different! It’s fun to see all the pieces made and lined up together!

Is this something you would do with your family?

Let's talk about opals

I love opals. They are so magical and a true wonder! That being said, they aren’t great for everyday wear! For birthstone jewellery designs that requires a gem-cut stone, tourmalines are the alternative for opals as opals are usually cabochons.

If you really want an opal ring, no problem! But keep in mind that they are delicate and can easily crack. They are best suited for special occasion rings.

If you want an everyday opal piece, I would suggest considering an opal pendant using a full cabochon (not a triplet or doublet).

Doublets/triplets can be used for special occasion pieces. They are held together by glue which if exposed to water on a regular basis, will deteriorate and fall apart. Especially if it’s old because the backing materials and glue compounds have aged and also, the materials they used to use weren’t as effective as they are now.

I don’t want to deter anyone from using opals as they are truly so magical. Let’s chat about how we can make the most durable opal piece of jewellery just for you!

Holidays 2023

I’m back!

I’d be lying if I said my trip wasn’t exhausting. It was fun. But really tiring! Despite visiting quite a few places in Greece, we still managed to take it really slow. It was hard at first because I’m used to running around like a chicken with my head cut-off who struggles to enjoy the moment. But in hindsight, I’m realizing that it was busy accommodating and chasing a two year old so the extra slowness is what we needed to unwind.

In Spain, we just hung out. We had intended on taking some day trips but honestly, with Atlas hating his stroller, we decided that wandering around drinking coffee was what we needed to do!

If you are waiting to hear from me, I’ll be in touch soon!

Metamorphosis 46: Emerald and diamond ring

White gold ring with diamonds and emeralds!

I thought I would have this metamorphosis done by last fall, but here we are…in March! I just couldn't decide what to make.

Leanna has a beautiful collection of jewellery and certain pieces that she doesn't change often, so I wanted to make something unique but also that she could wear daily, and that also worked well with her daily pieces.

I intended on making a two-toned piece but ended up feeling that white gold was the way to go.

The ring is wide at the top but tapered in the back for comfort.

Sapphire and diamond pendant

On today’s lesson of what to do with leftover stones from old jewellery you’ve had taken apart: make a stunning bezel cluster necklace and then find the perfect light to take a photo in!

Engraved Signet Ring and Lab-Sapphire Collab with Warren Smith

I work with some amazing people! This lab-created sapphire was cut by the talented Evan Gross and the ring was engraved by Warren Smith.

This ring was actually for Evan and I’m honoured that he picked me to make it! I used an old silver ring he had and turned it into a signet ring.

You can see what Evan has in stock in his Etsy shop here, and you can see more of Warren’s amazing engravings at his website here.

Lab diamonds versus mined diamonds

Imagine finding this under your Christmas tree! This lab-diamond beauty is a whopping 4.22 carats of magic.

So what’s the deal with lab diamonds versus mined diamonds? First, price. Lab diamonds are much less than mined diamonds. That being said, mined diamonds hold their value whereas lab diamonds don’t. Second, lab diamonds don’t carry all the potentially shady mining baggage. I mean, lab diamonds are a drain on the environment, but I guess so are mined diamonds as we rip up mother nature to find them.

People either LOVE lab diamonds or refuse them. There is no happy medium. I haven’t had a single customer debate which one they should get! What are your thoughts?

2 in 1 Diamond and Emerald Ring

Usually when I melt down old jewellery, it’s to make something totally new. But not this time! My client had a ring with a great design but poor construction. Although we talked about different designs, she kept coming back to her old ring. So I just remade it!

It’s a 2 in 1 ring that can be worn together or separate. We changed the setting of the stones in the new version to a) protect the emerald better, and b) showcase the diamonds better as they really weren’t twinkling at all in the old design.

Do you have a ring that you would want to remake?

Signet Ring Collab with Warren Smith

Look at this incredible engraving! Like, who cares who made the ring (me)…the engraving: just wow!

Not many people have this engraving skill. There are certain skill-sets in my industry that no longer flourish the way they use to. People are no longer trained the way they used to be and thanks to machines, there are certain things people don’t need to worry about anymore. Thanks to machines, we can repair things we couldn’t repair before. But also, because of machines, skills like engraving, aren’t very common anymore.

I made this ring using my customers old gold and I subcontracted the engraving to Warren Smith from Coast Handworks. You can see more of his incredible work at his website here.

2022 Cultural Crawl

Join us for a custom jewellery pop-up at Good Omen Shop in New Westminster during the 2022 New Westminster Cultural Crawl on October 15th and 16th! More info on the crawl here.

Book a time with me and we can design a custom piece of jewellery for you! Details of the event here.

Why the New Westminster Cultural Crawl? Because it’s a great way to connect with my local community. Many artists host the event in their personal studios. I choose to host the event in a boutique downtown because I get to connect with way more people (my studio is off the beaten path) and also support another small and beautiful business at the same time. Good Omen’s owner Lia curates a beautiful selection of artisan goods and she does so much for the community.

I hope you will pop by to say hi!

Unique bi-colour amethyst

Sometimes I get these ideas and they won’t go away. Is it the universe trying to tell me something?

My customer wanted a ring with both of her daughters birthstones: April (diamond-white) and February (Amethyst-purple). I designed several rings that had two stones and was searching for the right colour purple. Then I stumbled upon this bi-color amethyst that is white AND purple.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Literally. As soon as I thought of my customer and her ring, I thought of this stone. I had to show her! If she didn’t want it, I would order it anyways because the symmetry was so unique and beautiful.

Turns out she loved it too! We had started off with the intention of making a different ring and then ended up with this gorgeous power ring. It’s so cliche…but sometimes you just have to trust your gut. One of my fave rings of 2022 for sure!

An aquamarine for me!

My oldest boy’s birthstone is aquamarine and I’ve been holding on to this moss aquamarine for awhile waiting to make myself something with it. I was planning on making a ring but since I already have so many, I decided that a pendant would be a great choice!

He was really excited that I made myself a pendant with his birthstone. He thinks it’s for him! One day buddy!

I don’t often have time to make myself jewellery but this year I’ve made myself a ring with my younger son’s birthstone and this pendant with my older son’s pendant. Lucky me!

Go Solo Interview

I recently did an interview with Go Solo for their Entrepreneurial Stories. You can read the interview here. Here’s a sneak peak:

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewellery but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia Agarrabeitia, Founder of AA Goldsmith, located in New Westminster, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a goldsmith and jewellery designer, but some people call me the "jewellery magician." I specialize in melting down old, unworn jewellery and turning it into something new! Every jewellery box is a treasure chest for me! I also create one-of-a-kind jewellery collections that I sell on my website. The hardest part about making jewellery, is having to sell it!

Tell us about yourself

When I'm not making jewellery, you can find me drinking coffee, reading books, being my neighbourhood's self-appointed cat and flower photographer, hoarding gems and stationary, and building lego sports cars for my five-year-old.

I grew up in the jewellery business (my dad is a goldsmith), and I truly love what I do! My biggest motivation (other than paying the bills) is seeing the joy on people's faces when I turn jewellery they really didn't like into something they love!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm most proud of my resilience! I am always learning, and if something doesn't work out, I take the learning lesson and move on. Thanks to my curiosity and resilience, I have a growing and thriving business, which means I ALWAYS have work, and that is a huge accomplishment coming from days when I used to have to hold a part-time job to pay the bills.

Read the rest of the interview here.

A makeover for me!

Makeover Monday: this one's for me! 4.45carat emerald set in 18k yellow gold. Got the original ring for mother's day last year and finally made myself a new ring for mother's day this year.

My husband bought the ring for the stone. Neither one of us cared for the original design so I made a new one! I always liked the emerald and then Atlas was born in May (emerald birthstone), so it was meant to be! Although Atlas was almost born in April which is diamond birthstone... wouldn't that have been a funny story!

BEFORE

Engagement Ring Makeover

Has your style totally changed from when you first got your engagement ring? My customer still likes her original ring but wanted something that reflects who she is now. She prefers yellow gold over white and something with a low-profile that doesn't catch on things.

I kept the old ring as is for now since we'll eventually use the white gold and small diamonds for something else. Or maybe she'll want to put the diamond back into her original ring!

Updating engagement rings is common although a touchy subject! Have you updated your engagement ring? Do you want to? Do you feel bad about wanting to change it? Tell me your secrets!

BEFORE

Metamorphosis 45: Family Door Necklaces

Family door pendants: they can represent you, your home, or be a magical door into your own little world. I’m not sure what compelled me to make Ferin and her kids these little doors but I love them. (Hopefully she does too!)

At one point I wondered if I made the right choice (as I always do during these projects) but then Ferin posted a photo on her Instagram of these little gnome figurines she gifted her daughter. They move them around the house like elf on a shelf, resulting in endless joy when her daughter sees that they’ve moved. If they have little gnomes, these little doors have made it to the right home: one full of wonder and magic.

I first thought to make Ferin earrings but she already has quite the collection. She is a beadworker that makes beautiful earrings (see her Instagram here) and who avidly supports other makers of earrings . I settled on the idea of a necklace and from there landed on a door design inspired by cartouches (a cartouche is basically an ID made from Egyptian hieroglyphs). My idea for the cartouche came from some of the things Ferin explained to me about the significance of each piece of jewellery. Although this new-age iteration doesn’t spell her name like a standard version, I made it with the intention of representing who she is. Although our names identify us, it’s our experiences that shape our identities.

I wanted to incorporate another stone alongside the oval sapphire, but all of the stones she liked weren’t working with my ideas (insert panic). I searched for a stone that was a bit matchy matchy but also hit the earth tones she seemed drawn to. I picked a rustic sapphire that has a bit of browny gold that ties into the yellow gold elements of the pendant.

I normally only make one piece of jewellery for metamorphosis but I could clearly envision using her pear-shape sapphires in mini doors for her kids. Plus, the pear-shape sapphires were a gift from her husband and the yellow gold a gift from her grandparents, so it just seemed like the perfect way to pass down some family heirlooms to her kids who will one day carve their own paths, opening their own doors, whilst on their own adventures.

Birthstone Conundrum...

I often have people ask me what they can do with birthstones that aren’t very complementary or that need “something” to tie them together. My answer is usually either 1) skip the birthstones if you aren’t sure or 2) add a stone that ties in both colours but that is representative of something and not just a random addition.

The above piece is a perfect example of option 2: it features amethyst for February and citrine for November. To tie the look together, I found a Tiffany stone that had shades of both colours. Furthermore, Tiffany stone represents love which is the most important part of creating this pendant for the two parties it represents.

Metamorphosis 44: Star-set stone bangle

Have you ever heard the quote “the universe is giving you what you asked for”?

Well, I have a list of jewellery items I want to make and I keep hoping what I want to make lines up with what my metamorphosis volunteers like and want. And it’s happening! Thank you universe!

I wanted to make a bangle with star-set stones. I’ve made similar pendants in the past but not any bangles with this type of setting and it just looks so dreamy on a bangle!

I’ve always had a thing with stars my whole life (I’ve had the same star keychain for the last 15 years) so the idea of incorporating then in jewellery designs brings me joy!

I envision this being a great gift for anyone, but especially mothers and grandmothers: the stars can represent all the children and grandchildren! I can use white stones or birthstones and make the bangle in silver or gold!

To make this I melted down some unique silver pieces including a picture frame and a cutlery base. For the record, cutlery bases aren’t really worth taking apart. They are glued, and I mean GLUED to whatever is in the inside and they don't seperate well. Do you have any non-jewellery sterling silver items you would melt?

The photo above has a brushed-finish and below polished-finish.

Compostable and Recyclable Shipping Materials

Last October I posted a list of environmental practises I do daily along with a few things I was working on for the future.

One of those things I was working was greener shipping materials AND I recently ordered compostable mailers and stuffing! I hadn’t ordered sooner because I had so much left over of what I already had. Here’s the thing with packaging: you have to order in bulk! Because most of my work is custom, I don’t need as many bubble mailers as I am required to buy! Anyways, I was able to repurpose and donate a lot of my old materials to people who can actually use them multiple times.

So moving forward, all of my shipping materials are compostable or recyclable! The velvet bags that I ship jewellery in are neither, but they are meant to be reusable and last you a long time! I used to order cheaper ones until I found the new ones I use. Although they are more expensive, it’s important to me to use packaging that is going to last a long time if it’s not compostable or recyclable.

Looking forward to wrapping up orders to ship, guilt-free!