Trinket #345 - Chunky Amethyst Bracelet

I spent the day today catching up on housework. Part of that work included gathering a large load of boxes, bags, and other packaging from my sorely neglected office for tomorrow's recycling pickup. I was rewarded for my efforts by discovering a strand of amethyst nuggets in a small brown bag that had been stowed away and forgotten since January (the receipt was still in the bag for proof!) Part of the nuggets were featured in this bracelet, while the rest were tucked safely away in the gem box for use later in a necklace and earrings set.

Trinket #335 - Petrolated Tourmaline Necklace

I decided today to play "Grab Bag Trinket", meaning that I reached into a supply bag and pulled out two things to use together. In this case, it was a packet of faceted tourmaline beads and a pre-fab necklace. I cut out about six inches of excess length from the chain, wired on the beads in a simple sort of 1920s arrangement, and called it a day.

Not sure if you can see it in the photo, but the colors of this stone are amazing - they look just like the sun shining onto parking lot puddles. You know, the ones with the thin film of oil on the tops? Fascinating!

Did I mention - ONLY 30 DAYS TO GO?!

Trinket #325 - Citrus Earrings

Not exactly a five-minute trinket, but pretty close. These earrings were made with short segments of chain, head pins, and a few semi-precious gems like carnelian, tourmaline, and moonstone.

Trinket #324 - Labradorite Bracelet

I was able to spend more than five minutes on today's trinket, so I put together this delicate little bracelet using some silver chain, silver wire, and small chunks of Labradorite. I'm not sure if you can tell in this image or not, but the stones look gray until the light hits them - then they have the most beautiful opalescent sheen of any gem I've ever seen. (Yes, even opals!)

Trinket #310 - Quartz and Citrine Drop Earrings

I love these little citrine beads because they look just like drops of honey. For this trinket, I paired them with small, faceted clear quartz beads.

On a completely unrelated note, I discovered this evening that my week of fever, aches, and pains may actually be mumps. I know, I know - nobody gets mumps anymore. Still, I may not have had a clue until a salivary glad started showing the signs (which is NO fun, believe me.)

According to the doc and the CDC, you may not have immunity to mumps even though you've been through many series of vaccinations. Makes me wonder why we bother.

Trinket #308 - Rainbow Tourmaline Bracelet

Quick and easy, but still a nice piece. I think this is also the first bracelet this year on which I've used an adjustable chain with the clasp. I may make it a habit from now on.

Trinket #289 - Semi-Precious Earrings

Even though I wasn't feeling particularly inspired today, I thought it might be nice to put together something a bit more "special" that the usual, so I dug through the supplies for anything that caught my eye. These earrings are a combination of what I found: rose quartz, labradorite, and apatite. Too many stones usually make for earrings that are too heavy to tolerate, but these are smaller pieces that show off the color and fracture without being bulky.