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A Walk With Native Couture


Browse the Design Gallery: View featured designs ... see more designs on Instagram.. The beauty of fall is upon us, and the trending Fall Fashion Colors for 2022 include: Burgundy - (Garnet, Rhodochrosite), Dark Green - (Emerald, Tsavorite Garnet), Brown - (Smoky Topaz, Spinel, Tourmaline), Rust - (Sphene, Tourmaline, Amber, Citrine), Olive - (Peridot, Prasiolite), Fuschia (Sapphire, Amethyst, Spinel, Tanzanite), and Light Blue (Sapphire, Spinel, Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Topaz). My jewelry design inspirations are many, the primary focus being my personal attraction to and accentuation of the sheer beauty of faceted gemstones in the buff, and showcasing their energetic properties by letting them be seen with a 360 degree view - to see light transfer within the stone from all angles. My lightweight, clean, minimal couture wire wrap stylings are, however, tailored to your gates of energy - you drive! Contact Customer Support



Interested in a particular gemstone, or a custom creation for a red carpet event? Enjoy this buyer's market ... I source a wide variety of one-only, precious gemstones, and hybrid crystals. Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Opal, Pearls, Fancy Sapphire, Spinel, Ruby, Peridot, Tanzanite, Tourmaline, Sphene, and more. Through my Design Studio, I create the original designs on display in the Design Gallery.

CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ wire wrap stylings are individually tailored to a wide variety of gemstone cuts and sizes including cabochons. I create ultra-lightweight, barely-there wire harness stylings, as well as heavier wire stylings for larger gemstones with the goal of seeing as much of the stone as possible. The beauty of this minimal wire wrap approach is that it allows more of a gemstone to be seen, and more light to move through and around the stone, inteacting with the stone's faceting. This is achieved when the gemstone is visible from all angles - light can move through the gemstone from all angles, showcasing optimal shimmer, radiance and sparkle.

Hybrid Gemstone Technology: Advances in hybrid gemstone technology have expanded both the quality and pricing spectrums of designing with diamond "hybrids." There are many. All are not created equal. With so many varieties of diamond simulants available I enjoy experimenting with them, sharpening my eye, so to speak, because the technology is producing stunning gemstone material, some grown from actual diamond chips that have carbon in their DNA and will test positive as diamond. It can be visually very difficult to distinguish some hybrids from their natural counterparts. Custom cutters are creating masterpieces which are collector and museum worthy. ONLY YOU ... everything about you is unique and individual - your jewelry can be too. That's what I do. I create custom couture, one-only jewelry designs that become part of your personal flow, designs that can easily transition from daytime to evening, and leave a lasting impression wherever, whenever they are worn.

NON-PROFIT DONATIONS: Non-profit Organizers ... please contact me with as much advance notice as possible regarding your charity activity, silent auction, or other upcoming event. Ask A Question.

Please visit often to see new designs!


Design Gallery





You've come to the right place for unique, one-only, custom-made crystal and gemstone jewelry at affordable prices. My design expertise includes a wide variety of jewelry styles, from barely there minimal designs to the bigg, baaad sparkle of large natural gemstones. By appointment, we can discuss your ideas, align the particulars and create your design vision. Ask A Question.

Looking for a particular gemstone?
I source fine diamonds and precious gemstones
in small, medium and large carat sizes, including lustrous pearls of all types.

CONNECTIONS ... Gemstone Hunting? I can help! If you're gemstone hunting in the Los Angeles area you're in luck. Within a 10 square block area in Downtown Los Angeles is the Los Angeles Jewelry District with an estimated 4,000 businesses housing a vast selection of loose gemstone inventories, including rare, collector's gemstones and a very healthy offering of the finest jewelry design work in the US. The Los Angeles Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau, the annual reported sales from the Los Angeles Jewelry District is typically in the neighborhood of $3B dollars, the trade is returning to pre-Pandemic health.
I can assist you with sourcing the gemstone you want. Private showings can be arranged with local gemstone dealers. It's advantageous to visit many showrooms and view a variety of stones before making a decision. Ask A Question.



Swarovski Created Diamonds ... What Creates Their Magic?
Swarovski Created Diamonds are the marriage of art and science, with a touch of magical realism. A true celebration of human ingenuity and creativity ... these stones conjure the always emerging realm of Swarovski's consciously crafted luxury. These diamonds are crafted by simulating the natural processes that occur in the formation of natural mined diamonds and are then faceted for breathtaking brilliance.




Wando Beading Project       Bead For Life       Outreach Uganda       Project Have Hope       Buy The Change       Global Goods Partners       Worldcrafts

















Labradorescence: The Beautiful Iridescent Optical Effect Displayed by Labradorite
The Inuit claim Labradorite fell from the frozen fire of the Aurora Borealis, an ordinary stone that transforms to the extraordinary, shimmering in a mystical light that separates the waking world from unseen realms. It is, in every sense, a Stone of Magic, a crystal of shamans, diviners, healers, and all who travel and embrace the universe seeking knowledge and guidance. For self-discovery, it is excellent for awakening one's own awareness of inner spirit, intuition, and psychic abilities. Long revered as a healing gemstone, it is regarded as a highly mystical gemstone said to heighten intuition and enhance psychic abilities. It is used in Third Eye Chakra healing. Historical writings suggest that both intuition and intellect are balanced by labradorite, illusions are dispelled by it and true intentions are seen more easily with its use. Labradorite has been reported to be a protective gemstone, protecting the wearer's aura, and sealing the aura from negative energy. It is used to heal old memories, is regarded as useful during times of transformation and change and known as a gemstone that aids spiritual ascension. Labradorite pieces are held during Meditations and carried in one's pocket for protection, balance and light.

There are several varieties of Labradorite: Spectrolite, andesine-labradorite and rainbow moonstone (which is sometimes referred to by the trade name, "Madagascar moonstone"). Some types of Labradorite are rarer than others and not all types of Labradorite display labradorescence. The translucent gemstones are more desirable because they display the sought-after labradorescence. However, Labradorite that does not exhibit labradorescence can still make for beautiful jewelry because of aventurescence, another type of light-reflectance phenomenon in some Labradorite material that is caused by the crystallographically planar arrangement of macroscopically visible inclusions. Often the intensity of the aventurescence is a direct result of the size of the inclusions creating the metallic luster effect, as well as the sheer number of inclusions present in a given crystal. The appearance exhibits as a glittery look in the gemstone. Rarer varieties of Labradorite include golden Labradorite, a transparent gold or champagne-color, and Spectrolite, an intense variety displaying the entire color spectrum, discovered in Finland in the 1940s. Labradorite is a variety of plagioclase feldspar, or crystalline feldspar. The plagioclase feldspar minerals are albite, oligoclase, andesine, labradorite, bytownite and anorthite. Of all the feldspars, labradorite is most often encountered as a cabochon or faceted gemstone. The material ranges in color from colorless to yellow, with inclusions of minerals such as hematite and copper creating a rainbow range of other colors in the stone. Labradorite can display an iridescent optical effect (or schiller, a lustrous metallic effect) key in the visual effect known as labradorescence.

The term labradoresence was coined by Ove Balthasar Bøggild, who wrote a book about it, On The Labradorization of Feldspar. Labradorite is an unusual mineral. It can display a beautiful iridescent play of colors, caused by internal fractures in the mineral that reflect light back and forth, dispersing it into different colors. This beautiful optical effect of labradorization is the reflection of the light from sub-microscopical planes within the stone that are orientated in one direction (rarely in two directions). These planes do not have a position such that they can be expressed by simple indices, and they are not directly visible under a microscope. It is the labradorescence that is magical, eye-catching and memorable. As the stone moves the color play shifts, seemingly a display of colors within the stone being reflected from the surface of the stone, but the display of colors is actually from light entering the stone, striking a twinning surface within the stone, and reflecting out from it. The color shifts seen are from light being reflected off the twinning surface. Different twinning surfaces within the stone reflect different colors of light. Light reflecting from different twinning surfaces in various parts of the stone give the stone a lovely glowing, multi-colored appearance. Labradorite can be found all over the world including, Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada, Oregon, Mexico, South America and Norway. The most impressive pieces are often from Finland (Spectrolite), Australia, and Madagascar. Labradorite is most often seen as polished cabochons cut into fancy shapes for pendants, as cabochons maximize the iridescence. However, Labradorite (especially transparent types) can be faceted. Labradorite is also be cut into spherical shapes for beaded jewelry.




Time for a quick Estate, Retro, Antique Charity Auction browse?
Visit ERAGEM to browse rare, custom-crafted fine jewelry items donated to support charity organizations.









ALWAYS ON THE CUSP OF HIGH ART

WEARABLE ART: Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals always get noticed. Whether big or small they form a classic silhouette and offer a modern yet primitive way to view gemstones. The wire wrap styling of the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ is lightweight, clean, minimal, artsy, earthy, and designed to showcase the gemstone or crystal. The wiring design allows for a 360-degree view of the stone to showcase the fire and shimmer from the faceting of the stone. The design is unique, a conversation starter, and an always original and signature look. Fine jewelry has a life of its own, a history so to speak ... fine jewelry is often passed down through generations in a family, and rare jewelry is typically preserved for historical purposes. Unless it is destroyed, it lives forever either in the original design or through redesign. Platinum, gold, silver and precious gemstones have no expiration date. We own jewelry for individual reasons, and irregardless of how much or how little jewelry we wear, what we wear says something about us. Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals can be small and dainty, or big and bold, you'll always see people look at them, receive compliments when wearing them and receive question about them. The design lines are clean and minimal, simple, and earthy, and they are attention-getters. When selecting an item of jewelry, people are most often attempting to make a statement. For true jewelry afficianados, gemstone collectors, and patrons of adornment an especially enjoyable touch to any day is to have the pleasure of wearing custom-designed jewelry.

LIGHTWEIGHT AND COMFORTABLE: A GREAT try-me piece is a hand-wrapped gemstone pendant (shown above right in the 10MM size). This pendant is lightweight, has magnificent presence and sparkle are is comfortable to wear. A hand-wrapped crystal prndant is also a creative and impressive gift for someone who owns beautiful and unique jewelry. When combined with matching hand-wrapped crystal earrings the set is a signature look. Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystal jewelry should be cared for as you would fine jewelry, and can be safely stored in its gift box as shipped.

How My Jewelry Design Inspiration Began.

How Mother Nature Inspired My Modern-Day Wire Wrap Design: My Take On A Primitive, Indigenous Vine Wrapping Technique Dating From 200 BC.


DESIGN INSPIRATION: The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ was inspired by Prehistoric Tools, notably wrapping, weaving and twisting techniques employed by The Adena, a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the Early Woodland period. These early tribesmen and tribeswomen developed ways to weave vines, leaves, twigs and other forest materials into fabric-like coverings, and employed similar tying, twisting, and wrapping techniques to make tools.

Intrigued by the ways the Adena twisted, tied, knotted, weaved and looped various types of soft twigs, tree vines, and flexible strings of hide around small bounders (some rounded and others with points) to create tools for use as self-defense, hunting, shelter and knocking fruit down from high tree branches, the idea of using wire in similar ways to achieve a wire wrap design that shows more of beautiful gemstones and crystals advanced to practice. The Adena had an advanced knowledge of the differing tensile strengths of the materials they used. Borrowing loosely from visuals of the tools. The blending of a twistwrap base concept with variations of their stem weaving processes was used to create varying styles of the CrystalHugger Twistwrap™. The vision of lustrous fine wire artistically wrapped around beautiful gemstones was achieved and perfected after much experimentation. The wire wrap techniques tightly secures faceted gemstones (with points) in place. Large 25mm to 50mm gemstones can be wire wrapped using 20- and 22-gauge wire, and gemstones as small as 5-6mm can be wire wrapped using 32 gauge wire.

Thanks to the support of Colorstone International, who partnered with me to create a display presentation featuring their natural and lab-grown gemstones in varying sizes, cuts and colors in the CrystalHugger Twistwrap™ wire wrap design in yellow gold, rose gold, sterling silver two-color wire combinations. Colorstone featured hand-wrapped gemstone displays at both local jewelry trade shows and in their 7th & Hill Street Showroom.

Visit Colorstone International, to learn more about their specialty in cutting, polishing and brokering of precious gemstones. Colorstone was one of the first companies to embrace the technology of manufacturing lab-grown and synthetic gemstones. If you have ever lost a very valuable gemstone, you can appreciate the advent of lab-grown gemstones. They are grown from crystals of natural diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. It can take up to a year for a lab-grown gemstone to reach the marketplace. Lab-grown gemstones enjoy the same physical, chemical and optical properties as their natural counterparts, and they are far less expensive. The number one reason diamond simulants are so popular is they are much easier to replace than a natural diamond if lost or stolen. Fine simulants such as Moissanite can be insured.

GEMSTONE SOURCING: Our artisan network includes U.S. and international gemstone cutters, dealers, and manufacturers of natural and lab-grown gemstones. Time never changes the beauty or value fine gemstones. Prices hinge on rarity, the rarer a gemstone becomes the more expensive it is. As investments, rare gemstones are products of unimaginable value. Every rare gemstone has an individual history and journey, and much work goes into its creation. Every natural gemstone comes from Mother Earth to the hands of a gemstone cutter to the hands of a jewelry designer who creates a fine jewelry item for lifelong enjoyment.






An Always Unique and Memorable Place Setting Gift!

Having a get together? Present your guests with a uniquely original place setting gift. A velvet pouched or gift boxed creation from Crystalgemsusa.com makes for a classic place setting gift. Perfect for a bridal shower, afternoon tea, luncheon or other just a out-of-the-blue surprise for your special friends. Individually select a gift unique to the tastes and style of each guest, or create a lovely Surprise Gift Basket, and add to the fun as each guest picks a surprise gift!














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Snapchat "Beautify" expert Kim Poindexter visited the Crystalgemsusa Design Studio and graced us with her beauty wearing many of our designs. A full-on photo shoot ensued. We watched and were mesmerized. Kim posed, took all photos during the shoot, while modeling and adjusting lighting angles on the fly. Kim's skills creating Snapchat visual media are expert level, and she has mastered a collection of creative and artistic techniques to create beautiful, and impressive Snachat media. Learn how to take your best photos and videos, and how to master Snapchat's features and effects to "beautify" them like a pro - from a pro!

KpDex wearing modern indigenous ... an eighty plus carat hand-wrapped gemstone necklace featuring sapphire, sphene, tourmaline, zircon, spinel, topaz, citrine, amethyst, peridot and garnet. Her ingenuity shines supreme with a looped braid featuring a two carat amethyst. A most beautiful touch - creative, eye-catching, and memorable.

















Make someone happy today ... just your smile is a gift.








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