Elena Adams Designs – News

Another favorite stone of mine, sapphire comes in a rainbow of colors. I adore the sparkle that a finely-faceted sapphire produces, and the impact these tiny gems have on a design. While blue is the most well known hue, sapphire naturally occurs in a large variety of colors. The red version is called Ruby, and [...]

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When people ask me about these earrings I joke that they’re my Law & Order earrings. We’d just moved to a new apartment and my husband was away on business. We didn’t have anything set up properly yet, so all I had were my jewelry supplies and the Netflix account. To pass the time I [...]

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Crisp, fresh green peridot is so pretty, which works beautifully with lots of other colors. It easily transitions from spring to fall palette and is the birthstone for August. Pronounced “peh-ree-doh”, it is widely mined throughout the world, including in USA, Australia, Brazil, China, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. It is a variety of Olivine, and [...]

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I have been working crazily the last few weeks getting ready to release a whole new collection in time for fall. I’m finding the slightly industrial look, combined with smokey grays and blacks really inspiring, and using fall favorite colors like deep purple and endive to brighten them up. Here’s a little peak at one [...]

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Grab your earplugs, boys and girls, because after an day of being bombarded with diamond ads while researching upcoming trends, I have a bone to pick with the world. It’s the height of wedding season, which means all the unwed ladies have stars in their eyes and are starting to leave engagement ring advertisements littered [...]

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I have a terrible memory. There’s a reason I write things down, because if I don’t and I see a moth, the thought is gone for good. After a bead show I come home with a truckload of things that caught my eye, and I spend a long time finding homes for all my new [...]

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It has been HOT in California during the last couple of week. There’s no longer any doubt that spring is here, and it feel like we might even be in for a very long summer. I’ve already started digging through the back of my closet looking for last summer’s outfits and can’t wait to get [...]

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It’s time to learn another essential skill: how to wire wrap beads. Practice this one lots because we’re going to use it to embellish our chain projects in the near future. See the video and get the ingredient list. See the free video archives.

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I fell in love with a strand of these gigantic serpentine pieces about two years ago. One of my very discerning jeweler friends rolled her eyes at me, but I was addicted to oversized rocks at the time and happily ignored her. I knew they’d make great pendants on chain maille and might even have [...]

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I completely spoiled my sister for her birthday last weekend. I wanted to make her something that she could keep forever. This necklace is sapphire with white gold beads and a white gold box clasp, knotted on silk. It took me roughly 10 hours, mostly because I got three inches from the end and the [...]

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When I said petite necklaces were out, I had no idea celebrities were going to embrace it so completely. According the Marie Claire, huge necklaces have been spotted on celebs like Claire Danes, Amy Adams, Beyonce and Kristen Bell. I’m not just talking big pendants either, I mean enormous, layered, colorful beads and chains in [...]

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Last Saturday I made it to the International Gem and Jewelry Show in San Mateo to stock on some much needed beads and findings. I was very curious about how busy it would be this year with the current climate, and the fact that they were running it over a holiday weekend. The Tuscon show [...]

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