Designing custom jewelry is my utmost favorite thing to do. Absolutely no surprise there! Years and years of admiration for beautiful jewelry and the appreciation for the craftsmanship involved in creating it. I finally get to do this myself now.
As I began my journey in this field, I had so many things to learn. One of those things I learned is that I had to find providers that would enable me to do the things I do. I consider them partners. I have companies that I work with who make my packaging materials, those I purchase beads from, my findings, my gold, and my various gemstones and pearls. Many of them have been with me since I started my business. I rely on them to help me do what I do. I’m very loyal to those providers and many of them are now considered friends.
Every now and then, I have a chance to meet a new provider. For instance, I recently acquired a commission to design and fabricate a custom brooch. This is going to be a very complicated piece, to say the least, and will be more difficult than anything I have done before. Nonetheless, I LOVE a challenge!
The client asked that I incorporate natural citrine crystals and opals to this design. Surprisingly, I have never worked with opals before. It happens to be my birthstone and I don’t even OWN an opal. I’m REALLY going to have to change that statistic and buy one for myself one day!
I began searching locally——San Diego and Los Angeles——but didn’t find anything I loved. When looking for gemstones, you have to find “THE ONE”. You probably laugh as you are reading this, but it is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. You have to find the one. I look at so many gemstones all the time. On a viewing tray, I can line up six similar stones. All the same quality, similar color, similar cut. But the intriguing part about this, is that ONE of those stones will “speak” to you. Or at least, you HOPE one will speak to you. Sometimes they don’t, and one realizes that the search must continue.
This is what happened to me when looking for opals in San Diego and Los Angeles. They were nice material, very nice quality, but they didn’t speak to me AT ALL. Not at all. When I am sourcing stones for a client, I don’t settle for ho-hum stones. I just can’t. Even if it is easier to just buy them and “get it over with” and not have to drive all over the place searching, or not spending so much time and energy looking. I just wouldn’t do that. EVER.
I have to be excited about the materials I work with. They have to have the “je ne sais quoi”….the sparkle….it has to dance….it has to have magic. I continue the search until it has been found.
I recently returned from The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. I went with the sole focus of finding the opals I needed to complete my custom brooch project. So many vendors, so many things to discover, it can be difficult to stay on task! But I managed to find some gorgeous opals from a dealer named Adam Sawicki from A & S Opals. It is a family operation—-Adam’s mother and father were there helping, and they were both charming. We spent quite a bit of time, patiently looking through hundreds of stones.
I am told that my opals came from the Grawin Field in Australia. One is a gorgeous Black Opal and the other is a Crystal Opal. Both have that “special something”, they dance, the sparkle, the colors are gorgeous…..they speak to me. I had to take them home. I’m very happy with my purchase. And I think my client will too.
Adam’s knowledge of opals was so extensive——-he helped me find the ones I wanted and made the process a success. Going forward, should I ever need opals, he will be my first call. My vendor partners are a huge component to my success and it is a partnership that I take very seriously. I am grateful for the assistance Adam provided and look forward to working together soon.
It was a quick and successful trip to Tucson! I was so pleased to know that it was not cancelled this year. I brought Jim with me to the show—it was the first time he had ever attended a gem and mineral show and there was so much to see. We had a great time looking at everything. It was so nice to have Jim with me during this trip. I know I’ve found “The ONE” with him…. :))))))
Until next time, Tucson!!
——Leslie