Jewellery Inspired by a ‘Rockhound’.
Leona Smith wrote, “I began creating jewelry in the 1990’s. My inspiration comes from my grandfather, who was a rock hound - he would seek out interesting rocks and later fashion his finds into jewelry. As a young girl, I was awed by the stones and the meanings that flow from a piece of handcrafted jewelry.Recently I discovered silver precious metal clay and silver wire work, and was inspired all over again to create artisan pieces.
My “gems” are created out of silver precious metal clay and sterling silver wire with beads and / or other wire as accents. Each component is crafted by hand, i.e. every link, jump ring, clasp and ear wire is hand made in my studio. The precious metal clay comes in a clay form and is shaped, dried, sanded and fired in a kiln, becoming a piece in .999 silver. After firing, the pieces are polished. Each piece is unique.Sterling silver is an alloy of silver (at least 92.5%) and other metals, primarily copper. The copper reacts to moisture and sulphur in the air, creating tarnish. Precious metal is clay is fine silver (99.9% silver); it tarnishes slower than sterling. Note that some pieces are blackened deliberately as part of the design.
Follow these tips to keep your silver bright:- Silver jewelry can be immersed in water for cleaning if there are no soft gemstones, pearls, crystals or silk thread in the piece.- Wash with diluted mild dishwashing liquid. Rinse thoroughly. Dry with cotton. Lay flat to air dry overnight. Wrap in jewelers’ anti-tarnish tissue. Store in its own airtight plastic bag. - Same advice as with all other jewelry: avoid getting any chemicals, including perfume, hairspray, deodorant spray, body lotion, acetone, bleach, or turpentine, onto your silver jewelry.- Store your silver jewelry carefully so it needs less cleaning and doesn’t get scratched.- Wear your silver jewelry often! The color of silver becomes richer and more beautiful the more it\’s worn.
I hope that you enjoy wearing my jewellery. You can find more of Leona’s beautiful work at http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=80424&osCsid=3e6be7a9c71d2a8da185730a1a5c6b31
