I used to be very active in the Gem & Mineral of Scarborough, and developed many good friends there.  One of them, David Bellamy, gave me this stunning Australian boulder opal as a Christmas gift.  We were at the club’s annual Christmas Sale, and one of the vendors was selling self-cut cabochons.  Most of them were stones from Nova Scotia, but a few, like this opal, were from rough he had bought.  I was completely enamoured with the stone, but put off by the price:  $60.  At that point, I was still trying to recover financially from my first failed marriage, and couldn’t justify spending that much on one stone.  So, I was absolutely speechless and overwhelmed when David presented me with the stone.

I made many trips up to the Bancroft Gemboree with David over the years.  He’s an avid collector of “species” thumbnails, and consistently creates some of the most interesting displays at the club’s annual show.

I used this stone for the prong set pendant tutorial I wrote for Haliburton, but the setting really didn’t do the stone justice.  So this week, I took the setting apart and remade it.  This one is staying in my personal collection, as a reminder of a passionate rockhound and generous friend.

One of the forms of metal available to the jeweler is wire. The art of creating jewellery from wire is popular with many craftspeople, particularly those in gem and mineral clubs. The popularity among clubs can be explained by the availability of beads, cabochons, polished stones and other lapidary products that are commonly used as attachments. Wire has been used in jewellery going back to ancient times. Dianne Karg Baron will trace its history, from its earliest known beginnings to modern times.

The presentation will take place at Knox United Church Hall, 2569 Midland Ave., Scarborough, ON.(located on the northeast corner of Midland and Sheppard Ave.). Map here.

Guests are welcome to attend!

Unfortunately, my husband was involved in a car accident two hours before I was to give the presentation. (Thankfully, he’s fine – it’s wasn’t his fault and the car’s damage was relatively minor.) When it first happened, I phoned the President of the club to let him know that I would likely be late, because DH had to wait for the police. Luckily they were able to arrange another speaker on short notice.

So… the date has now been rescheduled. Mark it on your calendar!

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008, 8:00 pm
Past Links – A History of Wire Jewellery
Dianne Karg Baron

One of the forms of metal available to the jeweler is wire. The art of creating jewellery from wire is popular with many craftspeople, particularly those of us in gem and mineral clubs. The popularity among clubs can be explained by the availability of beads, cabochons, polished stones and other lapidary products that are commonly used as attachments. Wire has been used in jewellery going back to ancient times. Dianne Karg Baron will trace its history, from its earliest known beginnings to modern times.

The presentation will take place at Knox United Church Hall, 2569 Midland Ave., Scarborough, ON.(located on the northeast corner of Midland and Sheppard Ave.).

Guests are welcome to attend!