Follow Elena Adams on her jewelry adventures. www.elena-adams.com
Posted in Jewelry News on Jul 13th, 2010
For those of you that don’t know it, Polyvore is a site for creating fashion-themed collages. Brands, designers and users can bookmark clothing, shoes and accessories from the internet, and then users can create little showcases for blogs and other media. I’ve used it a few times to show how to wear some of my [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on Jul 2nd, 2010
It seems that the better you know someone the more trouble you have finding just the right gift. I get into a ball of stress every year trying to find something meaningful for my sister, but every now and then I hit on an idea that works out beautifully, if I do say so myself. [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Jun 25th, 2010
I love that one of my all-time favorite gemstones is my birthstone! Ruby, the red version of blue sapphire, is one of the top precious stones, along with sapphire, diamond and emerald. An incredibly popular stone, beading-grade ruby is nearly always dyed, to produced a stunning, but opaque, finish. Natural rubies are commonly mined in [...]
Posted in Jewelry & Design Events, Jewelry News on Jun 21st, 2010
On Saturday I hit San Francisco for the Thread indie designer showcase. There was such a spectacular range of creators, super high energy, great music and even a central fashion show. I thought I’d post a handful of photos I snapped throughout the day. You know how addicted to chain I am, so of course [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on May 11th, 2010
The design for these earrings came like a lightning bolt. I’ve had lots of requests lately for shorter earrings, and I’ve been trying to work out how to incorporate my style with less room to work. I love the herringbone setting; it creates the perfect bail for stones, adding delicate detail while letting light shine [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Mar 20th, 2010
Each summer, one look reappears without fail: the all white outfit. This crisp look just screams hot days by the ocean and has always been associated with affluence. Think back and the upper classes have always had the luxury of wearing white – workers were unable to keep it clean, so it has come to [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on Mar 7th, 2010
I don’t often use carnelian. I love the color, but I rarely wear anything that works with orange so it doesn’t occur to me to try it. These slave earrings were simple, but fun to make. I haven’t made any slave earrings in a while, so I started digging through my component container for ideas, [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Feb 20th, 2010
There’s always stress before any big date. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done the dating thing, or how familiar you are with your potential beau, you will end up standing in front of your mirror second-guessing your outfit selection. It’s a given, and we all go through it, but here are some tips [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Feb 13th, 2010
Black and white is one of those hot color combinations that will always be in style. Strong, graphic prints and rock & roll edges will be a show-stopper every time.In a fashion world of color, sometimes stripping down to the strong lines and mixed textures of this color duo can be a real surprise. Pleats [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on Feb 4th, 2010
Every designer hits a creative road block from time to time. It’s common to look back and realize you’ve created four pairs of earrings with essentially the same design in mind, and looking for new ideas seems almost impossible. I love making jewelry, but I’m no different. Here are some things I do to get [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Jan 15th, 2010
Feeling like your accessories need a refresher? Try these tips to breathe new life into necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Try Your Necklaces as Chunky, Multi-Strand Bracelets Choose necklaces with lobster clasps and extender chains for easier latching. Wear your new “bracelet” a little loose to avoid tight bunching where the strands cross over to clasp, [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Oct 19th, 2009
As much as I love summer weather, fall and winter have so much more to offer in the fashion department. Unless you’re a size 0, or can still cute in a baby doll dress, summer can be a harsh mistress. Bring on winter, with hefty, tailored coats, structured skirts, and full-impact boots. This year make [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on May 25th, 2009
Slave earrings are one of my favorite pieces of jewelry to wear and design, but just how are they worn? Slave earrings are sold as a pair – one stud or regular-looking earring, and a similar earring with a slave cuff or post. The long piece attaches at the top of the ear as pictured. [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on Apr 30th, 2009
These earrings very nearly got the better of me, but they were totally worth it. I bought a stack of hoop earrings at the gem show at the start of the month with absolutely no idea what to do with them (impulse shopping is a big problem when everything is so shiny!). I first thought [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on Apr 13th, 2009
Brand new from the Gem Show! These sweet, green amethyst rondelles caught my eye with their perfect facets and delicate color. I knew I wanted to show them off with a herringbone weave; it’s a great way to encase gemstones in silver without taking over. I wrapped up three of them, but wasn’t sure how [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry & Design Events, Jewelry News on Apr 4th, 2009
After I finish a piece of jewelry, there are always a few leftover beads from a strand. I’d built up quite a few sapphire briolettes from other projects and decided they should go into a pair of earrings. I started clipping odd lengths of mis-matched chain and wrapping briolettes to them. When I’d used them [...]
Posted in Designing Jewelry, Jewelry News on Mar 8th, 2009
Multiple strands of mismatched chain are always a fun start to an earring design. They add a lot of texture and length, without too much bulk. Gemstones can easily be wrapped to them to add splashes of color, so that the silver still takes center stage. To these earrings I added my “jewelry signature”: a [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Feb 18th, 2009
My job doesn’t require a whole lot of finesse in the fashion department. It’s a home studio and I never deal with clients, so most days I live in jeans and a t-shirt, or track pants if I’m feeling particularly “slummish”. For a while when I was working at home, I made up for it [...]
Posted in Jewelry News on Apr 13th, 2008
Mother’s Day is Sunday May 11. Don’t forget to order now to get your gifts in time. I’ve always found it very difficult to find the right gift for my mom. Even being able to make her jewelry has not made things any easier. She adores everything I give her, but I always feel like [...]
