Patience isn't one of my virtues,

I can't help it. I get my order of materials in the mail, and everything else in my life is placed on halt until I finish opening that package and fingering though what I bought. If it's something that can be made quickly, well, that gets done too. My desk was perfectly clean when I started but cluttered within the next five minutes.

I made a simple pendant necklace on a whim with a mother of pearl pendant hung on a bail, with a black silk cord and sterling silver clasp. I hope to post this on Etsy soon, most likely tomorrow, if there's nice light coming through the window. The donut you see on the right will be a necklace soon, I just need to order another clasp, and wait some more. It's the waiting that is the worst.

On another note, I spent the whole afternoon spying on the mainstream jewelry going up in stores around the Mall of America. What disappoints me the most, is how cheap they are. Not necessarily in price, but in materials. They want you to think it's gemstone, but it's really just plastic. All plastic. Silver isn't even sterling silver anymore. After I have spent so much time buying the finest quality goods as I can for my jewelry, I find it impossible to be able to purchase any jewelry at these stores. Once you feel cubic zirconium or amazonite in your hand, you never go back I guess.

If you are reading this, I thank you because it's my very first blog post ever as a jeweler. It's a little scary, writing my thoughts for the first time for quite literally anybody to read. I hope you enjoy them as they continue.

-F.C.