Smokin' Hot Earrings and Necklace

Last night we helped one of my best friends welcome in her 40s. Her husband had planned, and executed, a surprise dinner with a few close friends. Complimenti! That's pretty hard to do when we all have very big mouths.

I figured I would commemorate the milestone with - what else? - jewelry. 

I decided to make something with her birthstone, smokey topaz. I thought about trying to squeeze forty stones into the design somehow, but that was a lot of weight since I had gotten large, faceted briolettes.

Instead I handwired a trio of briolettes to a sterling silver chain. The earrings hang from hand-hammered sterling earwires from an artisan I know in San Francisco.

The matching necklace mirrors the briolette cluster with heart-shaped topaz and sterling silver chain making up the rest of the piece. 

She said, "Ahhh...you made me jewelry with smokey topaz because I'm smokin' hot?!?" I went with it.

Love you, Pia. Happy 40th!