Monday 3 June 2013

Inspired by Reading Book Club - A Rumor of Gems by Ellen Steiber



Again, thanks to Andrew - I never would have read this book if it had not been on the list. I am not generally a fan of fantasy so would likely have given this a pass. I am very glad I took the time to give it a chance.

In Ellen Steiber's book of 2005, A Rumor of Gems, she describes the port city of Arcato as an old and magical town where gemstones mysteriously begin to appear, as if falling from a robe worn by Alasdair the shaman, one of the four main characters. Although the novel is set in the modern world, I strongly feel that if any stones were to fall from a garment, they would be roughly cut.

I have always wanted to use chain in a necklace and decided to incorporate crackle agate and pyrite spacers to fashion a piece of jewellery that might have existed for centuries. The chains have a patina that would help to 'age' them. To impart the impression of stones falling from a sleeve or from a fold in a garment, I decided to use agate beads that have irregular facets. These 'rough cut' beads also have holes that are off-centre that helps to give them an impression of falling. My wish was to create a necklace, of chain and gemstones, that evokes an image of mystical power that could be used in spells for good and for evil.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy it.




4 comments:

  1. I can see the stones falling from your necklace as Alasdair walks through the streets of Arcato. The necklace appears timeless. Great job.

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  2. What a great piece! Its quite a statement, the rough cut stones are perfect. I could see Lucinda wearing it for one of Tyrone's fashion reveals!

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  3. You did an amazing job! I really like the movement and energy of this statement piece. It also reminds me of one of the descriptions of the book about one of the necklaces being made from woven gold chain. I think you did just great! Thank you so much for participating in the group and sharing your talents! I appreciate it and love that you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone to really challenge and push yourself!

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  4. I can definitely envision the stones falls from this amazing necklace. Great interpretation!
    Isn't it fun to discover new genres and titles that you might never have picked up?!

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