For Isabel

Rose Quartz Y-Necklace by JoyD
for Isabel, March, 2014.

I was asked to design a piece for a fundraiser for a young family who recently welcomed a second daughter into their lives. With her first breaths, she faced some heart wrenching physical challenges. And so family and friends got together to help alleviate some of the future burdens that money may be able to solve. Thank you to Debbie from Calgary who generously bid on and now owns the piece, which was part of the silent auction.

I decided to use rose quartz since it is considered the heart or mothering stone and is associated with unconditional love. Although I tend to be skeptical about such things, I embraced the ideas that rose quartz radiates the soothing energies of tenderness, compassion and healing, which help dissolve fear and circulate loving vibrations. No matter the medium, these are the thoughts I wanted to send to Isabel and her family.

Jewellery Trends Spring 2014

I could not find one representative piece to feature graphically. The trends for Spring and Summer, 2014 are so eclectic that it was difficult to find anything that seemed innovative or inspiring or simply new. Wear what you want this spring and summer! And isn't that the way it should be?

Over the past 7 years I have been designing and making jewellery. This necessitates some research in respect to trends and it has surprised me how much things remain the same.

The first website I found was Colour and Trends, which identifies 10 trends for 2014. Two years ago I was making long fringed earrings and now the long fringe earrings have returned according to the compiler of the list. One of the 10 trends states that delicate femininity is back for necklaces indicating that the statement necklace has finally been toned down this spring but then the number 10 trend on the same website informs us that "summer ethnic" layered bead necklaces are in. Insofar as bracelets go, skinny bangles, stacked and layered bangles and those cotton string and leather friendships bracelets all have hit 4, 5 and 8. All 10 trends on Colour and Trends once again range from delicate to big and bold, thus allowing us to wear what we want.

FashionCentrique tells us to "pick bold jewellery items, such as oversized pendants and beaded bracelets". Oops looks like I'll take back the comment about statement necklaces being toned down for 2014. The writer goes on to advise us not to "be afraid to go bigger and bolder than usual". And then I read, "distinctive quirky earrings, with embellishments such as charms and feathers are an ideal finishing touch for the statement looks of Summer 2014". What? So have feathers also returned from two years ago?

Nothing on the Harpers Bazaar website looks delicate so where Colour and Trends found their info I don't know. I kept on looking . . .

So far from what I have found here's my advice for spring and summer 2014.

1) Seek out every bracelet you have ever owned, beaded, chain link, charms, skinny and thick bangles, friendship bracelets and start wearing them in collective bunches.

2) If you bought any of those shoulder length earrings in 2012 and 13, bring them out and start wearing them again.

3) Big and bold necklaces are still in and you can layer them until you require massage and chiropractic treatments. From layering several chains and big-beaded necklaces to bold chokers, there are a million looks.

Pantone colour of 2014 is Radiant Orchid 18-3224 and so I guess I should look for those fuschia and purply-pink tones in the stones and beads I collect for my spring and summer sales.

It appears that "quirky" for the spring and summer of 2014 is the way to go or as I stated initially, accessorize with what you want. I'm sure you will be able to rationalize it easily in 2014.