Susan Wainwright Jewellery

Susan Wainwright switched being an architect to jewellery designer.  She has worked in silver all her life as a hobby, now Sue has more time to pursue her passion. 

She specialises in quality silver designs dotted sparingly with gemstone beads – created from her workshop in Camberwell, South London. 

Pieces are made in layers separated and joined by hidden tube spacers.  Sue then creates matching themes of necklaces, pendants, brooches and bangles.

Originality and excellence is the aim, with the style dominating gold and black.  Pieces are commissioned or developed in discussion with clients.  As they are all hand made every piece is unique.

The creative community around her workshop holds regular open-studio events where new the pieces can be viewed.  For details see Sue’s website at http://www.suewainwrightsilver.co.uk and visit her latest exhibition on 10th to 14th November in the foyer of Craft Central in Clarkenwell. She will be displaying her life's work of up to 80 pieces.

Lean from Susan Wainwright’s designs to inspire you to make creative jewellery that will sell well.  Buyers are on the lookout for original designs for presents this Christmas.  If your jewellery is different, people will pay a premium.

Susan's designs here use MrBead hematite and icicle beads:
See our hematite at MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com
Our icicle beads at MrBead.co.uk or MrBead.com

Most-Unusual Bead Show Exhibitor

This London-based African couple were at this years Bead Society's Fair at Uxbridge. Everything on display is made from beads - there must be hundreds-of-thousand in the chair (bit hard to sit on)! 

Citrine For November: Mellow Yellow

  
”Citrine” comes from the French word for lemon, and is any quartz crystal or cluster that’s yellow to orange. The darker, orange colours were traditionally the best, but today people prefer bright lemony shades to mix with pastel colours. Citrine with man-made colour tends to have more of an orange or reddish caste. Most natural citrine starts life as amethyst until heated in a molten state to change.

Sunny and affordable, citrine brightens all jewellery, blending especially well with the yellow gleam of polished gold. The yellow colour is a natural reviver, and citrine focuses the mind bringing a feeling of self-esteem. In medication it helps re-establish the link between your conscious and subconscious minds. If you are feeling down, try holding citrine to lift your spirit. It’s also very good at healing the body and helping people communicate. Citrine has warm energy, promotes optimism, and attracts abundance.

 

Citrine is one of the few stones that removes negative energy and never requires cleansing. In ancient times it was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Known as a "merchants' stone”, placed in the cash register to not only acquire wealth but to maintain it as well. Citrine is the birthstone for November, and its corresponding signs are Gemini, Aries, Libra, and Leo.

Although the darker, orange colours of citrine, sometimes called Madeira citrine after the colour of the wine, has generally been the most valued colour, in modern times, many people prefer the bright lemony shades which mix better with pastel colours. Most citrine comes from Brazil.

Sometimes you will hear citrine referred to as topaz quartz, which is incorrect. This name was used in the past in reference to the colour, which is sometimes similar to the colour of topaz. Since topaz is a separate mineral, this type of name can be confusing. However, citrine is considered an alternative to topaz as the birthstone for November. As long as citrine is protected from prolonged exposure to light or heat, it will last for years.

Yellow Topaz   
Yellow topaz looks very similar to citrine.  The Egyptians thought topaz was coloured with the golden glow of the sun god Ra. This made topaz a very powerful amulet that protected the faithful against harm. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who also is the god of the sun. Topaz sometimes has the amber gold of fine cognac or the blush of a peach and all the beautiful warm browns and oranges. Some rare and exceptional topaz can be pink to sherry red.

Wear topaz only if you wish to be clear-sighted: legend has it that it dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight as well! The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz was also said to change colour in the presence of poisoned food or drink. Its mystical curative powers waxed and waned with the phases of the moon: it was said to cure insomnia, asthma, and hemorrhages.

Brown, yellow, orange, sherry, red and pink topaz is found in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Pink topaz is found in Pakistan and Russia. Today we also have blue topaz, which has a pale to medium blue colour created by irradiation. Pale topaz which is enhanced to become blue is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and China. In early 1998, a new type of enhanced topaz made its appearance, the surface-enhanced topaz, with colours described as blue to greenish-blue or emerald green.  Topaz is a very hard gemstone but it can be split with a single blow, a trait it shares with diamond. As a result it should be protected from hard knocks.   

Order Easy for Christmas!
Christmas creeps up faster than you expect.  Beaded jewellery makes great lasting presents.  Get your order in early to allow plenty of time to arrive and make up