Olive Love

I recently won an olive oil recipe contest - check out my Malfatti di Ricotta e Bietola (dumplings with chard and cheese) - and, as part of my prize, get to attend the Paso Robles Olive Festival this weekend. I get some other fun perks, including access to the We Olive! VIP tent, wine, beer, a gift certificate, and tickets to the growers' dinner! Woohoo. I love olives.

So, naturally, I had to make some jewelry to wear - to the festival, during my interview...and just to get in the olive mood.

I used a sterling silver olive leaf as the focal point, dangling a deep purple, kalamata-shaped recycled glass bead from the finding. Then I handwired rough garnet nuggets - wrinkled like the gaeta olives - with watermelon tourmaline slabs - with colors of green picholine to the purplish liguria.

The matching earrings have garnets and watermelon tourmaline as well. Can't wait till Saturday!

Luscious Watermelon Tourmaline Necklace

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased two watermelon tourmaline briolettes and excitedly waited for some time to create something with them.  But one of the briolettes had a massive inclusion that had not been noted in the description; thankfully the gem-monger let me exchange it for something else.  So, in the end, I only had one piece if watermelon tourmaline to use. 

One of the things that so appealed to me about this gem: it is two-toned, rich green and lucscious magenta.  When I agonzied over which color to use - either pink, red, or green - I decided that I wanted to use both red and green to create this one-of-a-kind piece.

I handwired the watermelon tourmaline with textured sterling silver beads that reminded me of the striped fruit, garnet rondelles, garnet rounds, garnet ovals, and green aventurine rounds with sterling silver and incorporated some repurposed oxidized sterling silver chain.  The necklace closes in the rear with a sterling silver lobster clasp.

To purchase this necklace, click here.

Mouth-Watering Watermelon Tourmaline

Every now and then I come across a gem that just makes me swoon.  For awhile I was enamoured with deep-sea hued kyanite, then it was bright pumpkin-y carnelian. 

But I recently came across watermelon tourmaline and was instantly smitten. 

What's not to love?!  Watermelon + Tourmaline. Food and jewelry colliding. My mind immediately began thinking about what I would pair with this succulent gem.  I could go with pink, or green, or a combination of both.  So, naturally, I purchased a couple of pieces and will be making something soon.  Keep your eyes peeled.

About watermelon tourmaline...
The watermelon tourmaline is a rare variety that displays three different colors in the same crystal - green (the skin of the watermelon), pink (the sweet fruit) and white (the rind).