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Ahhhh…… the beauty of turquoise. The more I work with turquoise the more I love it. I’ve always adored it even when I didn’t live in the Southwest. I’m a lover of color and turquoise doesn’t disappoint in that area. Plus….. the stones are so different according to where they’re mined from.

The above ring was made with a Royston turquoise I just acquired. I don’t even know if this photo can do her justice. Probably some of the best color I’ve seen.

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I met with a turquoise *connoisseur* last weekend that’s more than familiar with the beauty of turquoise. He’s been in the turquoise business for over 40 years and knows most people in the turquoise world. He told me how the Native American Indians believe that there’s a story in every stone. (I happen to be third generation Native American Indian so my ears perked up when he spoke of this.) When you look at the custom piece above and see the beauty in this stone you can see why there maybe a story in there.

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Even the simplest stones are beautiful. These turquoise add a color to this sterling silver earring setting.

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Small turquoise beads in earrings make me smile. See how different the color of these Kingman beads are opposed to the Royston turquoise pieces above. It’s amazing.

The beauty of turquoise….. somehow I feel it connects me to the earth in some way that no other stone does. I’m happy I can work with it often.

My work can be found here and at Echo of the Dreamer gallery.

Fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

Fill your heart with art
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Work in progress….yes…. it all starts somewhere. An idea sparks the imagination and you just go with it. I have many ideas but seems that there’s not always enough time…. a universal problem…lol. When I do have an idea I run through what my steps will be and how I’ll get there.

For the cuff bracelet I’m about to show it started with a plain piece of silver sheet. I sawed the length and width I wanted and added elements that I thought would fit with my idea.

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When I arrived at this point…. sometime later….. I needed to pick a stone that would work with the look of the bracelet. I loved this Kingman turquoise so I proceeded to make the bezel.

I made the bezel and soldered it to the cuff and also added a few more elements.

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Still a work in progress….lol. Here I’ve oxidized the cuff before I start bringing the silver to life again and setting the stone.

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This is my finished cuff bracelet with a beautiful Kingman turquoise. It took some time to complete but I love the way it turned out.

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Different views for you. I added the word *loved* to the inside.

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These are some pics of two rings that were a work in progress this past week. I hand forged some bands that I thought were really cool. I was going to leave them this way but I thought some pretty stones would look great with them.

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I made decisions on the gemstones and proceeded to make the bezels. I then oxidized before I revealed the silver.

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Two finished sterling silver rings. One has a Nevada Boulder turquoise and the other has a Larimar cabochon. Love them!!

Those two rings can be found in my shop HERE.

I love to follow a work in progress. Even though it’s extremely satisfying to complete a work …. I also find the journey most gratifying.

fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

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This past week I’ve been working on various gemstone rings. Yesterday I finished this Royston turquoise ring. I named this baby *a view from above.* It’s pretty easy to see why…lol

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This red coral gemstone ring was a custom order. I’ve made a few red coral rings and I just love how they look with silver.

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I was inspired by a quote by Stephen King which reads, *Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild.* I added stamped feathers to the setting and the word *soar* to the back of the ring. This Bisbee turquoise seemed perfect for the ring.

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The above two rings have awesome druzy gemstones. You can read about the druzy here. They are both so unique and are eye-catching gemstone rings.

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My favorite gemstone ring this week was this Carico Lake turquoise. Carico Lake turquoise is highly collectible. I have a few pieces this of turquoise that I’m keeping for special pieces. I thought this one was perfect for a statement ring.

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It’s big and beautiful and makes me smile!!!!

There are so many beautiful gemstones to work with. I’m continually inspired. Makes me look forward to my work each day!!

Fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ with my man, Rob. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

A couple of packaging ideas for your jewelry.

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So…. you’ve created your jewelry or whatever it is you make and now it’s sold. It really doesn’t end there. A very important part is the packaging. You don’t want your beautiful creation to arrive in a paper towel. There are times that I have ordered things and have been completely disappointed by the packaging. Don’t let this happen to you.

The pic above is of me and is a cool way to display your earrings. It’s certainly not a novel idea but the image obviously is…lol. There are a ton of ways to display earrings. Find the way that works for you.

Check out my PINTEREST board to see many packaging ideas. See it HERE.

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This is the way I’m now sending out my rings. The back of the card is in the next pic.

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Make sure your contact info is on your cards. Brand your company name. Everything you send out should clearly state who you are.

I put all my jewelry in breathable plastic bags that I buy from my jewelry supply store. I also use kraft jewelry boxes to send out my pieces. Notice that my business name is visible on the package. I finish it with a pretty ribbon. I also included a note in the package to thank my client and another business card.

Don’t overlook your presentation. It says a ton about who you are as a company.

You can find my work at my online shop or if in the Arizona area I welcome studio appointments.

Fill your heart with art and pretty packaging.

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

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I’ve talked many times about planning ahead and my lack of a plan. To plan or not to plan. This past week I decided to quickly sketch out these earrings before I went ahead with them. I had two beautiful Peruvian opals and two Bisbee turquoise to work with. Let’s see how it came together.

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This is what the silver bezel looked like almost done. I still had to solder on the holder and clean up the mess before I oxidized them.

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These are the finished earrings. Looks like planning ahead on these worked to my advantage.

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Here’s an example of not planning ahead. I had a few disasters on this ring. The setting didn’t want to cooperate with me so I turned the negative into what I think is one of my favorite rings. This turquoise is from the number 8 mine. It’s a beautiful stone.

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I left the bezel open on this side….definitely not in the plan but it worked. You get to see how pretty the stone is.

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This is the back of the ring. I did reticulate the silver early on to give it an interesting look. The shape, the bezel, the little bit of silver on the edge….those things were not planned and I’m happy they happened organically.

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Finally…… two silver bangle bracelets with Bisbee turquoise. I wrote *inhale love, exhale gratitude* on one and *may my heart be brave, my mind be fierce & my spirit be free* on the other. Not really pre planned but they’ve been on my mind for the last two weeks.

You can find my work at my online shop or if in the Arizona area I welcome studio appointments.

Fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ with my man, Rob. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

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Spring is a time of renewal…even in the desert. Even though we had a mild Winter you can still feel Spring in the air in Arizona. The cactus are starting to bloom, the days are getting longer and much warmer. I took the above picture as we were getting ready to go out a few days ago. I hope you can see the rainbow in the background. It was a really special moment that I wish I had my Nikon with me instead of my phone.

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Reinvention

I made these earrings last year and they never really inspired me. Since Spring is the time of renewal and new beginnings I thought I’d give these babies a renewal bath!!

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Sterling silver earrings with agate beads.

Here they are as beautiful new drop earrings with yellow agate beads for Spring.

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Silver earrings with yellow agate.

I really like the way they turned out. I think I’m the queen of reinvention. If it doesn’t work go in a different direction!!

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Spring Sunset

This is also an untouched photo of a sunset I just recently took. My phone did just fine for this one. I love sunsets year round here but lately the sky has just been amazing. Everything seems to be coming to life….including the snakes…..yikes. I love this time of year. Spring into Spring, renewal, reinvention and the promise of new things to come.

fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

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Sentry Air Fume Extractor in my studio

Over a year ago I was reading a post by jewelry artist Deryn Mentock on her blog Something Sublime about a fume extractor that she was using. After many years of grinding glass and now soldering I was very interested in my lung health. I referred back to her post and called Sentry Air Systems about a fume extractor for my studio. The people were so very kind and helped me in making an informed desicion about which model to choose.

I recently received it and I love my new fume extractor. It makes a huge difference!! It also eliminates having to instal hoods and cutting holes in your roof and it’s completely portable for those on the move.

I was later contacted by a lovely lady named Joy from Sentry Air about doing a blog post about me for Jewel day 2015. Click this link to read the post JEWEL DAY.

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new work

This past week I’ve been playing around with new sterling forms. Kind of organic looking pieces. This one is called *three peas in a pod.*….lol.

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Nevada Blue turquoise necklace

I took a beautiful Nevada Blue turquoise and paired it with one of my organic pieces. It’s one of my favorite necklaces right now. I absolutely love how it sits.

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Nevada Boulder turquoise ring

Oh …how I love thee Nevada Boulder turquoise. This little pretty sold the day I finished her to my dear friend. It was purposely not my size…..grrrrr. I named this ring *a river runs through it*….I better stick to making these pieces and not naming them!!

It’s been a great week!! I have really awesome upcoming news!! Stay tuned!!

Fill your heart with art and clean air!!

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

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I have a stash of beautiful turquoise that I work with. I thought I’d give some facts about turquoise today. Turquoise is very old among gems. The oldest known use of turquoise dates back to 3000 B.C.; turquoise embellishments have been found on Egyptian graves from this time period. Gemstone jewelry incorporating turquoise was also popular in ancient Egypt, and ancient Aztecs, Persians and North American Indians used turquoise in jewelry and ceremonial attire.

It is a blue to green-gray mineral that consists of copper aluminum phosphate. The mineral is a hyrous phosphate of aluminum, which includes a small percent of copper. The copper is what gives the turquoise its blue coloring. When the turquoise mineral has iron you get the greenish turquoise. If it contains zinc, it will be a yellowish color.

Turquoise is the stone of sky, stone of water, stone of blessings, good fortune, protection, good health and long life.

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Turquoise is found in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia Utah, California and Nevada. Turquoise is considered one of the highest value minerals in the world by many collectors and turquoise made in southwest is now known as one of the most valuable in the world. The above pic is a map I have in my studio for quick reference of exactly where my turquoise is from.

Many turquoise are fakes made of powered turquoise and epoxy around a base of rock. There are some shady local dealers that will make composite masses of these materials and pass it off as legit. Also, another way turquoise is made out of magnesite and howlite. If one doesn’t have much knowledge about turquoise they can be easily fooled. That kind of *turquoise* is cheap and the only thing turquoise about it is the color and even that’s wrong.

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Rob surprised me a couple of weeks ago with an array of collectible turquoise. This piece is stunning. It’s from the Number 8 mine. The Number 8 turquoise mine in Carlin, Nevada was first mined in 1929. In its prime, Number 8 produced some of the largest nuggets of turquoise ever found. The color of Number 8 varies from light blue, blue with shades of green to beautiful dark blue. It is found with a black, golden, red or brown matrix. With the black and red spider webbing being the most valued. Today Number 8 turquoise is one of the most valuable stones that can be collected. High-grade Number 8 turquoise is by far some of the finest turquoise to ever have come out of Nevada. It hasn’t been mined since 1976 by Dowel Ward.

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Here is another pic of some of my new turquoise from my love. The large piece is a Royston turquoise and one of the pieces is B25 mine and the rest are Carico Lake.

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I recently took this large turquoise that is from the Kingman mines and made a ring. I stamped the words *trust the universe* on the back but I almost put *go big or go home* on it…lol. This ring can be found in my shop.

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I made these earrings with Kingman turquoise beads. In most retail bead stores if you’re buying beads that are really cheap and they say turquoise chances are that you’re getting magnesite or howlite. Turquoise will be much more for a strand. Always ask if it is genuine if you are unsure.

There is so much to learn about turquoise and I am by no means any kind of expert but with a basic knowledge you can start to enjoy the beautiful qualities of this stone.

fill your heart with turquoise.

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

Turqouise gemstone cabochon ring
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I truly love making gemstone cabochon rings. I was initially intimidated by them but as soon as I got over that fear I couldn’t stop. The larger gemstone cabochons are my favorite to put in the settings. I had this large Bisbee turquoise in my turquoise stash and I immediately knew it had to go into a ring.

Prehnite cabochon ring
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This is another Prehnite cabochon. It’s a really pretty stone with greens, yellows and whites. It makes for a gorgeous ring.

Bumble bee jasper ring
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I’ve worked with a few of these Bumble Bee jaspers. They’re bright and bold and look terrific on!!

Labradorite cabochon ring
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Labradorite cabochon ring
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The two rings above are labradorite. A friend of mine purchased the square one. He told me of a wonderful story of his dad. The labradorite mines in Labrador had been almost ruined by the mining that what happening there. The Inuit cut them off. In the 90’s my friend’s father and his crew approached the Inuit and told them that they would mine in an ethical way. They were allowed to mine until his dad passed away. He believes that some of the labradorites that I use might in fact been touched by his dad. It makes me happy to know this when I use these beautiful stones.

Have a wonderful week ahead!! You can find my work HERE.

fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!

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I am a gemstone cabochon addict….lol. Lately, I find myself delving deep into the land of gemstones. I’m so amazed at these beautiful stones that have been forged by the earth and polished by man. I get so excited to use each one in a new piece of jewelry.

The pieces above are rutilated quartz cabochons….ooh la la!!!

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The ring above is also rutilated quartz. It is the most incredible stone. Take a good look at the thin shots of gold color…..swoon!!!

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This is an Australian Chrysoprase. I’m not really attracted to the perfect stone. I love the imperfect with a lot of variation. This stone fits that bill.

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These are my prehnite cabs. I have so many cabochons that are the bluish color so it’s nice to mix it up a bit.

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This sterling silver ring houses a large golden prehnite. It’s already gone to a new home but I wanted to show how pretty that stone was.

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My man, Rob, is such a doll. He often gifts me with gemstone cabochons that he finds. He also came with me to the Gem and Mineral show in Tucson and another show yesterday. He found these stones for me. They are *Good Day* chrysocolla. Love them!!! My pic does not do them justice!!

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Finally…… I found that I also have a love of fossils!!! 🙂 Omg…how cute are these sand dollars??? Got to run and get going with all this fun!!

You can find my work here and don’t forget to join my email list…top right… for future mail blasts!!

fill your heart with art

~manon

My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!