News – Page 2 – ML Jewelry Designs

New Pendants: White Buffalo on Sterling Silver

I finish two new White Buffalo pendants in time for next week’s art show.

Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on a pair of similar but definitely different White Buffalo turquoise pendants.

This is real White Buffalo from Tonopah, Nevada — the only place this stone occurs naturally — that I purchased at the Kingman Mine in Arizona several years ago and had a local lapidary polish into cabochons. They are both set on solid 22 gauge sterling silver using bezels and feature sterling silver balls and tube bails that can accommodate 4mm beaded necklaces or just about any chain.

They’re shown here with a Howlite and sterling silver beaded necklace, which is available at additional cost. Otherwise, they each come with an 18″ sterling silver chain.

White Buffalo Turquoise Pendant You can find these (until sold) at the various art shows I’ll be attending, at the galleries and gift shops that sell my work, or on my online shop.

Back in Stock: Narrow Cuff Bracelets

My ever-popular narrow copper cuff bracelets are back!

Narrow Copper Cuffs I’ve just added new copper cuff bracelets to inventory. Three different styles are currently available, but I expect to add more this week. Each bracelet is 1/2 inch wide, stamped or hammered, and antiqued to bring out the texture. They’re standard size, approximately 6 1/4 inches long and somewhat adjustable.

You can find these at the various art shows I’ll be attending this summer, at the galleries and gift shops that sell my work, or online at my new online shop.

Website Update Continues

I continue to update the content on this website to include new products, remove old products, and have a better representation of the work I do now.

KingmanTurquoise I started this website back in 2018 when I was making mostly wire-framed pendants. Since then, I’ve branched out to earrings, bracelets, prong and bezel set pendants, and beaded necklaces. I’ve also begun making “statement pieces” — like the Kingman Turquoise and Orange Spiny Oyster Shell piece shown here — to expand and show off my silversmithing skillset. And, although I travel a lot, I’ve begun offering jewelry making classes in my Malaga, WA, jewelry studio.

Sadly, over the years this website has been sorely neglected. But I do know people come here to look at what I make and sell, especially after seeing my work at the art shows where I appear mostly during the summer months. I understand the importance of keeping the site up to date and am working hard to do that.

In addition to adding new jewelry pieces as they become available, I am also deleting much of the older content — basically anything dating from before 2022. My older work is not a good representation of what I make now. In fact, some of it is rather cringe-worthy.

One thing I did do back in those days was research and provide information about the different stones I use in my work. So before deleting all the old stuff, I need to pull out that information so I can update and use it. In future postings. That’s what’s taking a long time.

I hope you’ll bear with me as I get the site up to date. It’s tedious work and not very much fun. But it needs to be done. Stay tuned and keep checking in!

New “Fold-Over” Pendants in Sterling Silver

I bring back the ever popular little “fold-over” pendants with a range of different gemstones.

Carnelian Pendant
Carnelian on sterling silver.

Kingman Turquoise Pendant
Kingman Turquoise on sterling silver.

Lapis Lazuli Pendant
Lapis Lazuil on sterling silver.

Although most of my pendants are “one-offs” and very different from one another, my little “fold-over” pendants are usually made in batches and are similar in style, with different designs and gemstones. I’m in the process of making a new batch and these are the ones I’ve finished so far.

Each pendant is set on a hand-cut sterling silver backing with a handmade bezel. The backing is then stamped with various patterns and designs and the top of the backing plate is rolled over to become a bail before the metal is darkened and then polished to bring out the highlights. Each pendant comes with an 18″ sterling silver chain.

You can see what’s currently available in my online shop by clicking here. Keep in mind that I’ll also be selling them at the various art shows I’ll be attending this summer and at the galleries and gift shops that sell my work.

Back in Stock: Lines and Dots Earrings

Back in stock after being sold out for more than a year, a unique blend of copper and silver.

Lines and Dots Earrings
I call these “Lines and Dots” because, well, they have lines and dots.

I’ve finally made a batch of six pairs of my popular “Lines and Dots” dangle earrings. I start with copper sheet, cut out the earring shapes, and use my rolling mill and pieces of stainless steel wire to impress various lengths of lines on each piece. I then create sterling silver balls and fuse them at the lower end of each line. I hammer them flat to create the dots and use a cylindrical dapping block to curve each shape. After having a hole punched for the ear wire, each earring is darkened and then run through various tumbling media for a total of 6 hours to get their gently shined brushed metal finish. In this latest iteration of this design, I’ve also created custom coordinated ear wires with the same flattened balls.

You can find these (while supplies last) at the various art shows I’ll be attending this summer, at the galleries and gift shops that sell my work, or online at my new online shop.

Jewelry Making Classes on June 17, 2023

Two new classes teach aspiring silversmiths how to make two different jewelry items: earrings and cuff bracelets.

I’ve opened my Malaga WA jewelry studio to classes and hope to conduct two on most weekends throughout the summer. Classes include materials and use of tools, as well as instruction for groups of up to four people. Students leave with the skills they need to make jewelry items on their own, as well as jewelry they made in class.

Here’s what’s coming up next weekend:

Spiral Hoop Earrings

Learn basic silversmithing techniques by making a pair of spiral hoop earrings in sterling silver or copper. We’ll work with three different gauges of jewelry wire and a wide range of tools to cut, shape, and texture a pair of earrings and ear wires. Students will leave with new jewelry making skills and their own pair of handmade earrings. Click here to sign up.

Air-chased Copper Cuff Bracelets

Learn basic silversmithing techniques by making a copper cuff bracelet using air-chasing techniques. We’ll start with a regular copper pipe, anneal it, and use ball peen hammers on bench blocks to introduce ridges and valleys. More annealing before fine-tuning the texture and then filing rough edges and shaping to a cuff. Final steps include polishing or applying a patina. Students will leave with new jewelry making skills and their own copper cuff bracelet. Click here to sign up.

New: Kingman Turquoise and Spiny Oyster Shell with Bronze on Sterling Silver

A stone shaped like this needs a setting with the same shape. I sketched this out on paper and then made it reality.

Two Kingman Turquoise with Spiny Oyster Shell and Bronze Cabochons set in sterling silver. I used a thick square wire to create the main setting, cutting and soldering each component before applying a universal texture with a hammer and assembling the pieces. The smaller stone got a custom bezel cup that was soldered into place. I then soldered in the prongs to set the larger stone and the bail. After polishing and tumbling, I finally set the stones. I made the coordinating beaded necklace the next day. I have about 10 hours over 3 days in this piece; it’s one of my boldest to date.

Until sold, this piece will be available at the art shows I attend and on my online store.

New Online Store Under Construction

We’re moving out of Etsy and into a Square-based shop.

After numerous problems dealing with Etsy and its fees, I’ve decided to make the move to a custom shop I’m able to build on Square. As some of the folks who have shopped with me might know, I use Square to accept credit card payments for my jewelry. It makes sense to manage all of my inventory in just one place.

This Kingman Turquoise and Orange Spiny Oyster Shell with Bronze Pendant is brand new and can only be found in my new online shop.

Although a few links here and there on this site might point to the old Etsy-based shop, the new shop is up and running on Square. Not everything is listed yet — it’s quite a task for me — but I’m hoping to have it fully stocked by the end of this coming weekend.

You can find the new shop here.

Just like Etsy, the new shop offers free shipping for orders over $35 to buyers in the US. It does not, however charge sales tax on purchases shipped outside of Washington State, where ML Jewelry Designs is based. So if you’re visiting from outside Washington, you can save a few bucks in the new shop.

I’m looking forward to feedback about the new shop. If you visit, please come back here and use the comments feature to tell me what you think.

May 2022 Classes at Gallery One

Two classes to make jewelry shown here!

Gallery One has scheduled me to teach two jewelry making classes at their Ellensburg, WA gallery classroom:

Spiral Hoop Earrings

Spiral hoop earrings in silver with accent bead.

Learn how to make the very first earring design I began making way back in 2018! Your choice of copper or silver, with or without accent bead. These are one of my best selling earring designs, so I’ll be making more inventory while I teach you how! Materials fee includes the wire in your choice of copper or silver, a choice of beads, and use of tools; you could bring your own bead 6mm or smaller to use in the piece. Learn more about the class here.

Don’t feel like making them? You can buy them online here.

Wire Wrap Stone Pendant

Copper framed pendant.

Learn how to make the wire framed cabochon pendants I launch my jewelry business with and still make today. We’ll be using various types of copper wire to make a custom frame for a teardrop-shaped cabochon and then secure the stone inside it. There’s no drilled holes and no glue. Materials fee includes the wire, your choice of cabochon, and a leather necklace so you can wear your pendant out the door, as well as use of all needed tools. Additional materials kits will be available. Learn more about the class here.

Don’t feel like making your own? Here’s what’s available online now in copper or silver.

What’s New: Week Ending February 26, 2022

Jewelry made during the week ending February 26, 2022.

Here’s some of the jewelry I made this week. See more photos and buy them in my online shop. As always, new items are available online at 20% (or more) off for a limited time between art shows.