Tasty Tahitian Pearls

Look for Tahitain cultured pearls for amazing hues of grey and black.



These gems are created by the beautiful, black-lipped pinctada margaritifera in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and other nearby locations. This is the only oyster that produces predictable colors.



Each oyster is implanted with only one nucleus and left for about three years to develop. They can be implanted two, maybe three times. These oysters yield pearls measuring from 8 to 17mm in diameter with 9 to 11mm being the most common size. anywhere from 8 to 18mm in diameter with 10 to 15mm being the typical range. 30-40% of the yield is spherical.



Like the South Sea pearls, strands of large, well matched pearls command premium prices and many are used alone as focal stones. To protect the prestige associated with beautiful pearls of consistently high quality, the French Polynesian government enforces standards of nacre thickness and surface quality for exported goods.

Fantasy & Mythology

For most of us, Fantasy and Mythology have intrigued us since our youngest days. Before ever entering a classroom we were taught to believe in fantasy figures like, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman…which were most likely the fodder for our imagined fantasy figures…like the Boogey Man or more sweetly a guardian angel.

When we were admitted to school we were introduced to literary works that familiarized us with even more fantasy figures, fairies were frequent figures in works by Shakespeare and let’s not forget everyone’s favorite fairy from Peter Pan…Tinkerbell. There was literature that painted visions of fire breathing dragons being slain by knights in shining armor.

We then advanced to learning about the gods & goddesses that possessed incredible unearthly powers in the mythology of various cultures. Some of these appeared as normal men and women, while others were a combination of human and beast.
Many of us continue to be intrigued by the mystical worlds shown to us through myths and fantasies and we seek to find some glimmer of truth in all the legends and lore. The images that these myths and fantasies have had us conjure up are broad and diverse…I bring you some of these in the form of jewelry created by members of the Starving Artists Team.

Summer Solstice - TheFamiLeeJewels

Adonia - Goddess of Love by Islandgirl

Medusa - Cat's Wire

Terpsichore - AMDesignsbyAngela

Tinkerbell - Nicole Valentine Studio

Unicorn - MCStoneWorks



Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Starving Artists Team.  The SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Color Report: Honeysuckle

Have you heard of Pantone? The Pantone people are the leading color experts, from fashion, to home decorating, and even print media. Every year Pantone puts together two color reports which highlight the latest trends in color in the fashion industry. In the first of a multi-part series, today we take a look at the first color of the Spring 2011 Fashion Report: Honeysuckle, which also happens to be the Pantone 2011 Color of the Year. The SATeam members have created many pieces of jewelry in this rich, vibrant hue of pink. Click on the links below the pictures to learn more about the item:

Real Rose Necklace - Mini Pink by mcstoneworks

Artisan Hot Pink Oxidized Sterling Silver Wrapped Necklace - Hello by ShinyAdornments

Pink Rhocrosite Sterling Silver Earrings by EleganceAndSparkles

Hot Pink Red Heart Pendant Necklace Polymer Clay by popnicute

Honeysuckle Jade & Sterling Silver Necklace by ErikaPrice

What do you think of honeysuckle?

Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Starving Artists jewelry Team, the SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.

Going fishing

Trout Dinner Vintage Mug by Norman Rockwell - MugZee

 
I have always been around men (and one or the other woman) who went fishing. In fact I have been there myself a few times and even if I used to laugh at people who said that before ... it IS relaxing. If the weather is right, that is. And if you are not requested to help. If you have a great picknick with you, one or more books. Oh, and if nobody complains about you talking, in a low voice of course, so you don't chase off the fish.
Night fishing at the river is big fun, even if you hear a noise in the woods behind you and start to convince yourself it's a bear. Just for your information, there are no bears in that area. It was probably a hedgehog, but hey, they are loud and terribly dangerous (come on now, back me up here a little ;-)). Things do sound and look different in the middle of the night!
You don't necessarily have to catch something to enjoy the small man's adventure. Not eating fish myself I actually prefer not to catch anything. I think fish are beautiful, not only the colorful tropical ones, but also the ones in our lakes and rivers.

You don't believe me? Well, let's take a look, shall we?

Beads by Melissa Vess is a great source for beautiful fish. She called this one "Purple Trophy Trout". That would be a nice trophy for sure!

I like lariats and this one with the little sunfish by MC Stoneworks is so cute, don't you think?

Last but not least let me show you this great hand painted steelhead trout necklace in the studio of Jewelry Art by Dawn. I love how Dawn captured the movement of the jumping steelhead. Who can say such a fish is not beautiful?

So ... have I turned you into fishermen and fisherwomen now? ;-)

By Cat's Wire

Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Starving Artists jewelry team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com and here on ArtFire.