about

What little girl isn't fascinated with the contents of her mother's jewelry box? I certainly was, and I remember one necklace she had in particular: multiple fishing line strands dotted with sparkling pale green crystals. It was truly the stuff of fantasy to my five year old self, and I've never forgotten it, though it seems the necklace itself is lost to history. As a teen and young adult, I aquired all the typically trendy jewelry of the period that in retrospect was really rather awful: giant plastic hoops in dayglo pink (yes, I am a child of the '80s) and faux baroque gemstones set in base metal. As I matured and my tastes matured (thankfully), I basically gave up on jewelry as I was rarely able to afford the beautiful, uniquely handcrafted gemstone pieces I loved. Enter the search for the perfect necklace to wear at my wedding. I spent hours scouring local stores and internet boutiques for the perfect necklace and pair of earrings that would complete my transformation into a fairy princess for my wedding day. A few years pass, a child is born, and I found myself transformed into a stay-at-home Mom in dire need of a creative outlet. Happily, Circe Designs was born. I continually draw inspiration from the gorgeous environment I live in and the siren songs of the pearls and gemstones themselves. With the help of my little son, some very adorable/annoying cats (pearls are really cat toys, didn't you know?), and a truly supportive and tolerant husband, I am able to experience the joy and satisfaction of creating something beautiful every day.

Materials

Handling pearls and gemstones is such a feast for the senses. Their varying lusters and textures dazzle and enchant, and creating a beautiful piece of jewelry from these materials gives me a deep sense of satisfaction and joy. In my designs I use freshwater pearls, both natural and dyed, semi-precious gemstones like amethyst, aquamarine, citrine, turquoise, peridot, and garnet, the less well-known kyanite, kunzite and labradorite among others, and even a few precious gemstones like sapphire, ruby and emerald on occasion. Many gemstones are either heat-treated, irradiated, or coated to enhance their color or make them durable enough to wear as jewelry. Some gemstones are also dyed to enhance their color. The only crystals I use are Swarovski crystals, known for their quality and beauty. My designs are either strung on delicate but mighty nylon coated steel filament, or handcrafted with sterling silver, fine silver, gold, gold-fill, copper or transparent elastic cording. Very rarely will I use plated materials, and if I do, it is very clearly stated in the item's desciption. Like each of us, each pearl and gemstone I use in my designs is unique: it's bumps, lumps, flaws and inclusions enhance it's organic beauty. Please keep this in mind when purchasing your Circe Designs jewelry. Most of the gemstones I incorporate into a design are hand-cut by artisans, rather than calibrated machines, so they can and will vary in size and shape within a design. Though I strive to match each stone and pearl, perfect symmetry is usually only attained in a laboratory, so expect some level of variation within each piece. In instances where I am able to create more than one piece of a particular design, please be aware that you may not receive the exact piece pictured.

Caring for Your Jewelry

Every piece of Circe Designs jewelry is lovingly crafted by hand. Please, please, please handle it gently! Though it is crafted to withstand wear, rough handling may damage it. Many of my designs are handwrought chains of individually crafted precious metal and gemstone links. If the links should catch on each other or appear to kink, gently manipulate the links until they are positioned correctly and the chain straightens. Some of the most beautiful gemstones are surprisingly fragile, and may crack, scratch or break if handled roughly. Gemstones and pearls may also fade if exposed to strong sunlight for prolonged periods. Never expose your Circe Designs jewelry to hair products, cosmetics or perfumes as the chemicals may damage the stone, pearls and precious metals. Never, ever, ever wear your Circe Designs jewely in the shower or while swimming. I recommend cleaning ALL your jewelry with the Speed-Brite Ionic Jewelry Cleaner using Gem Sparkle jewelry cleaning solution and distilled water. It is truly a miraculous little machine that I have used with stunning results. It is the only cleaning process that I have found that is gentle enough to clean fragile gemstones such as pearls and opals while still effectively removing tarnish from silver and gold. NEVER use a sonic jewelry cleaner with your Circe Designs jewelry, and I recommend against storing your Circe Designs jewelry with anti-tarnish strips.