Affiliate of the International Gem Society
Welcome to the home of the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™, a revolutionary wire-wrapping technique for faceted gemstones and crystals which allows for a 360 degree view of the stone when viewed from any angle. There's never been anything quite like the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™.
The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ is a faceted gemstone and crystal wire-wrapping technique created by Crystal McCarey
Are you attracted to the magnetism of color, and sparkle? You've come to the right place. CrystalsCrystals.com. Custom Couture Virgin Jewelry Design
Thank you for visiting my website, home of beautiful, empowering jewelry, featuring my gemstone wire-wrapping design, the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™. My desgn lines include: SUJIMADORI, iCe360, and Organic Synthesis.
I blend many layers of design elements in my work. Colored gemstones and crystals are displayed to show all of their beautiful cutting in my wire-wrap design. I wire-wrap faceted natural gemstones and crystals. I embelish many of my designs with Swarovski crystals and pearls, custom made wood, glass and resin beads as well as ornate metal findings. Fine sparkle is synonymous with fine quality beads. Swarovski is the luxury brand name for an incredible range of diamond-like precision-cut lead crystal beads. Swarovski crystals are the best leaded crystals. Swarovski beads are much heavier than their less expensive counterparts, their quality is pure, and they can be pricey, therefore I also offer designs featuring beautiful glass beads created by independent glass bead manufacturers, as well as Murano glass beads, Pandora glass beads, lampwork glass beads, Tibetian gemstone beads, African trade beads, and fabulous original one-only beads created by independent artisans.
Do you have fabulous stones and beads that you would like fashioned into a custom design?
Please contact me for a free custom order consultation!
I created the CrystalHugger Twistwrap™ in 2003 and since that time the design's popularity has increased, and hand-wrapped crystals and gemstones have taken on a life of their own. The design is simple, yet elegant. It's primitive, yet modern. It's basic, yet interesting. It allows the stones to dance and shimmer with a 360 degree view. My embellishments are unique to my design tastes and those of my client. Those who gravitate towards the unique beauty of precious gemstones will love hand-wrapped gemstones. Most of the time you can't enjoy your stone because of the mounting covering it up. Set it free. In the CrystalHugger TwostWrap you will be able to enjoy all of it's glory! The design easily compliments glamour and fashion photography, runway and red carpet events, as well as everyday wear. My design is really about displaying the gemstones themselves, and was featured in the Traveling Gems of the Pacific Rim Gemstone Exhibition, a traveling showcase of beautiful gemstones from Asia and Europe.
THE BEAUTY OF PRIMITIVE: This design is unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry. The design offers a revolutionary new way of wearing faceted stones and is great for short of long hairstyles. There is no chunky metal to block the view of the stone as is the case with traditional mountings. The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ displays your entire gemstone, allowing the gemstone's cutting, color, shimmer and sparkle to be admired and appreciated from all angles. I wrap stones using a variety of hypo-allergenic colored wire, sterling silver, gold-filled, or white/yellow/rose 14K, 18k and 22k gold wire (10 gram minimum). Depending upon the design desired, I may be required to wrap a gemstone or crystal using wire from several heat treatment states: hard, half-hard and dead-soft. I offer creative designs featuring several colors of wire intertwined in the creation of the twistwrap and shank.
Ready to start looking at gemstones? The gemstones on CrystalsCrystals.com 's Gemstone Locator Pages can be sourced for your hand-wrapped gemstone design. Once a gemstone is selected, take a look at the range of Wire Colors I wrap with sterling silver and gold-filled wire (most affordable!), or white/yellow/rose 14k, 18k, or 22k gold wire. For some projects I can wrap with hypo-allergenic craft wire. WIRE CURING: precious and non-precious wire cures or antiques over time -- usually with wear and exposure skin oils and other elements -- the wire develops a patina that looks antique, and the curing is often permanent. COST:Depending upon the gemstone or crystal you choose, the cost of the stone can be very expensive or very inexpensive. My wrapping fee varies on the cut of the stone, and whether (and what type of) embellishment is required. DELICATE DESIGN:Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals should be kept and maintained as you would maintain your fine jewelry. Due to the delicate nature of the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™, special care is required when wearing hand-wrapped crystal jewelry. Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals are classified as fine jewelry - "delicate" jewelry - and care must always be exercised when wearing delicate jewelry.
BEAUTIFUL GEMSTONES: Here you'll see breathtaking gemstones, and there are many: Topaz, Citrine, Amethyst, Garnet, Peridot, Aquamarine, Kunzite, Cornflower Blue Quartz,Zircon, Tourmaline, Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald. NATURAL GEMSTONES: I can wrap gemstones of varying cuts in sizes of 5mm and larger: pears, round, heart, princess, trillion, and large (14mm or larger) marquise cuts. If you have a faceted gemstone you want wrapped please contact Customer Service. Wrapping fees are very affordable so don't hesitate. CrystalsCrystals.com can source precious and semi-precious gemstones and beads, including diamond beads. A selection of semi-precious gemstones and lab-created crystals can be viewed in my public showroom in Westwood, California, by appointment. For an appointment PLEASE CONTACT ME.
CRYSTAL MAGIC:The crystals I work with are laboratory grown in many instances. In most cases gemstone simulants look better than their nayural counterparts. The technology for growing gemstones in laboratories has advanced remarkably, allowing the material being produced today to take on all of the optical characterics of a natural gemstone, and to take even more spectacular cuts. SPECIAL MISTAKES: In the laboratory setting, when lab-created gemstone or diamond material is created, sometimes a mistake in the process occurs. These "mistakes" yield stones that, while not perfect (face up), offer optically unique qualities that make their value "greater" than a perfect stone. It's not always about a stone being perfect; imperfections in a gemstone, natural or lab-grown, can create special features.
PRECIOUS METAL: The price of gold changes daily, and depending upon the size of the gemstone or crystal being wrapped, a Twistwrap can require 4-7 (or more) grams of wire. Larger stones require wrapping with a heavier guage of wire. Gold prices are calculated by gram weight.
EASY-TO-VIEW SLIDESHOW CATALOGS: Some of my designs are showcased in slideshow catalogs featured throughout the website. Right-click any photo to quickly e-mail me with questions or requests regarding any design featured in the slideshows.
that bring pleasure forever,
fine natural diamonds,
pearls and gemstones are of the rarest.
No two are the same, ever.
EASY SPARKLE: CASUAL TO DRESSY: Whether breakfasting at IHOP, lunching at an exclusive restaurant, attending a power dinner party, or just running around town in jeans and a tank top, hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals offer a fashionable look. The design easily swings from casual to dressy. Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals give most other jewelry a run for the money in terms of originality, rarity, and sheer beauty. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but white diamonds alone can be a bit boring. You need some color ... semi-precious colored gemstones are popping up more and more in fine faux jewelry. This is reportedly because consumers are spending less, and are considering fine faux jewelry over fine jewelry. Whether you like a simple, dainty, super thin chain -- or a thick, bold, chunky chain -- a big, sparkly semi-precious gemstone or crystal dangling around your neck will make a unforgettable jewelry statement. Fine gemstones and pearls are seriously sexy, but so are hand-wrapped gemstones ... true jewelry fashionistas are enouraged to experience wearing a gemstone or crystals wrapped in my CrystalHugger Twistwrap™ design.Download Your Favorite FREE Yearly Calendar
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At CrystalsCrystals.com, custom-made crystal and gemstone jewelry has never been more beautiful or affordable. CrystalsCrystals.com creates dream jewelry, that is versatile and timeless. I can incorporate your ideas and preferences for beads, stone, cuts, color combinations into beautiful one-only hand-wrapped gemstone jewelry. I source fine diamonds in small and large carat sizes, as well as fine pearls.
I create custom earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and body jewelry featuring stunning foil beads, Swarovski crystals, hand-made custom glass beads, hand-painted glass beads, as well as other types of custom crafted beads in all kinds of shapes, colors. When I take your order, you can always expect top quality materials and expert workmanship and design advice as well as dependable customer service.
This is a hand-made item and all are rare and very beautiful: my signature hand-wrapped crystal pendant design. An AAA+ grade crystal in either 8mm, 9mm or 10mm which possesses a rainbow of beautiful colors. The cutting is blinding and sends shimmer and sparkle out from every direction within the stone. The iCe360
design line features hand-wrapped crystals and pendants designed in my CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ wire-wrap design which allows for a 360° view of transparent faceted stones. You see ALL of the sparkle, and there very little mounting covering up the beauty of the stone. Definitely a conversation piece pendant all eyes will attract to. The material is hand cut and lab-grown from diamond crystals. The minimalist, clean, simple design is both elegant and earthy, and perfect for daytime to evening wear. This is the most popular item I craft, available to you via the link below, but at this time there is a waiting period. Hand-wrapped crystals can sweeten your jewelry box with their blaze of easygoing twinkle. A pendant is a good try-me piece to experience the beauty and allure of my wire-wrap design. Sterling silver and gold-filled wire are used. NOTE: Solid color TwistWrap and bail are always available. AAA+ round light canary pendants are currently available in 8mm and 9mm sizes.
DELIVERY: Arrives eloquently gift boxed and ready to wear. 18" Sterling Silver Chain included. All items are shipped with tracking, signature required.
EARRINGS: Matching hand-wrapped crystal earrings are always available! Please e-mail Crystalfor a prompt response. IMPORTANT: At this time there is a 10-day (+shipping time) waiting period for shipment on pendant orders.
DIRECT or ONE-TIME PAYMENTS:To make a direct payment, or one-time payment to CrystalsCrystals.com, please CLICK HERE.
E-MAIL CUSTOMER SERVICE
Various types of lighting will reveal all of the colors in a gemstone. In the beautiful gemstone Tanzanite mother nature combines the hues of blue sapphires with rich hues of purple amethyst, and adds tinges of every other color in the rainbow in the prism sparkle. 
Tanzanite is actually a mineral called fosterite. It was discovered in 1967 in Tanzania, so it is a "new" gemstone. It is classified as a "semi-precious" stone because only diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds are classified as "precious" stones by the gemology profession. It is a very popular gemstone because of its trichroism. As the crystal is rotated its color shifts from blue to violet to red to green, even hues of gold are found in the fire of Tanzanite. Trichroism is a most a unique type of beauty in gemstones, and adds to their "captivating" power. Jewelry Media from CrystalsCrystals.com
Phenomenal Artistry In Jewelrymaking
Visit the Fine Jewelry Auction Picks page to view breathtaking auction and estate jewelry.
LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE
Hand-Wrapped Gemstones and Crystals are very special, and beautiful. Yes, they are delicate, and the design is simple, and they are earthly and natural in appeal. They also are stunning, bold and elegant. Some gemstones are impeccably cut, others are magnetically colorful, top gemstones possess both great colored and cut. A beautiful stone delicately interweaved within threads of black, gold, silver, copper or rose colored wire, which is then twisted, looped and knotted to form a sexy showcase for faceted gemstones and crystals. My design provides a bare minimum of coverage while locking the stone securely in place, allowing all of its brilliant faceting and fire to be seen from every angle. This sets a gemstone free to sparkle. The design is primitive, simple, and both compliments and cradles the stone in an appealing.
Beverly Hills is an important city for jewelry shopping, and anything and everything you can imaging in jewelry, is there. The most fascinating families in jewelry, decades of mining, cutting and design experties. All of the major mines and leading industry designers are represented in Beverly Hills in one way or another. Some of the finest jewelry design, gemstones and diamonds can be seen in the shops that line the Rodeo Collection. Ten miles east of Beverly Hills (east on Wilshire Blvd.) takes you to the 7th & Hill Street Jewelry District, a section of Downtown Los Angeles where a variety of jeweled products and jewelrymaking merchandise is sold. The Los Angeles Jewelry District is the largest jewelry district in the United States (according to the Los Angeles Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau). The annual reported sales from the Jewelry District is just under $3.2 billion dollars per year. It comprises close to 5,000 businesses, with vendors on Hill, Olive and Broadway Streets, between 5th and 8th Streets. Shoppers can find designer jewelry, precious stones, and gold and silver items at street level and throughout the many highrise buildings in this jewelry district. Important jewelry buildngs include the Los Angeles Jewelry Mart, the Pacific Center, the California Jewelry Mart, and the International Jewelry Center. CrystalsCrystals.com draws on a jewelry network of gemstone and diamond dealers, lab-created-gemstone dealers, metalsmiths, lapidaries, and skilled jewelry designers that are varied and represent the best the trade has to offer. So when you want something "custom-made" and want something that doesn't exist ... that's where you create it. Eveything is there. The stones, the metal, the talent.
The world around us shapes most of what we do, including trends in fashion. The global economic crisis has been a wake-up call for us all, we are charging less, saving more and the crisis has brought jewelry prices down, and favor of the most affordable jewelry has incresed. My hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals that are elegant and affordable are a win-win purchase, both beautiful, easily adaptable to both casual and dressy wear, and very affordable. The design is simple and classic, and pieces can be designed for every budget. The design enjoys it's individuality. My celebrity clients know that when they walk the red carpet in hand-wrapped crystals, they are in a league of their own. Hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals won't be missed, they attract attention, and sparkle with happy, bright energy from every direction. Sparkly jewelry designs have been a staple of fashion for centuries and today cutting is so advanced that we can all enjoy the best in gemstone and crystal cutting technology, we have cuts today that couldn't have been imagined 50 years ago. Inepensive stones that sparkle like diamonds in all colors. This is a testament to the resilience of the talent in the jewelry industry. There will always be new designs, beauty and artistry that springs from and transcends jewelry of past generations. Geologists. Miners. Metalsmiths. Cutters. Designers. Gemstone dealers. This family of rock lovers ensure that classic jewelry will always be around in fashionable variety, and hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals are classic.
So get to know your gemstones in a new light, let them shine and sparkle in the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™. The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ wire-wrap design is simple, classic and elegant. It compliments gemstones and crystals so well because the stones are so much more visible in my minimal wire-wrap design than when housed in traditional jewelry mountings. Once you have seen a wire-wrapped diamond and the power of sparkle a diamond has when allowed to be seen, diamond earrings in traditional mounting leave little to be desired. IMPORTANT: Due to the expense of diamonds it is always reccommended diamonds be mounted in heavy fine metals for their protection and safety. With that said, gold and silver wire-wrapped diamonds are a most gloriously original, powerful, and sexy way to wear diamonds. My minimalist design of wire-wrapping shows off the gem, this captivating view is what the design is about. People sitting behind you, on the side of you, will be looking at your stones. You are beautiful. Your jewelry is beautiful. You are constantly complimented, and most importantly you are remembered for wearing such beautiful and captivating stones. Why? Because people can see them.
Jewelry can be a small (or large) extension of one's jewelry fashion persona. We're all different, with different tastes and senses of fashion, that's why there is such variety in jewelry, there truly is something for everyone. I am grateful that my mother owned beautiful jewelry to expose me to. I was a collector long before I began designing and focusing on jewelry professionally in 2003. The image of a beautiful woman wearing beautiful jewelry can be imposing, even intimidating to some. When you see it everyday it becomes normal though, and it was part of my mother's daily wardrobe. It brought her joy. I am a grandmama and mama's girl, grew up wanting to be like Mom in whatever ways I could. Today, jewelry design brings me great joy, freedom and expression of creativity. Sharing jewelry to motivate and inspire brings me joy, supporting other designers (known and unknown) and helping aspiring designers is important to me. My 300-plus carat hand-wrapped gemstone necklaces are so lovely, I sometimes put them on and stand in front of the mirror to watch the stones dance in the light - kinda like I used to do with my mother's jewelry.
My mother was a trailblazer of sorts in African-American dance troupe history, she was a featured showgirl as one of the original Moulin Rouge Dancers. Mom nurtured my creative talents, including my love for jewelry. Her favored gemstones were emeralds, diamonds and pearls. I have many memories of people complimenting her and asking about her jewelry. The Moulin Rouge Dancers were DIVAS during a time when that status was not envisioned for African-American women. They were pioneers, and they brought so many admirers from the main strip casinos into the Moulin Rouge that journalists of the day owed the demise of the casino partially to jealousy and envy of these beautiful women (who at the time could not eat in many restaurants on the main strip casinos. My grandmother enjoyed jewelry as well. Grandma Clara's favored gemstone was ruby, it was the gemstone in her wedding band. Grandma wasn't bitten by the jewelry bug there way my Mom and I are, she was old school, jewelry was not something she focused on as important in her day. But as so many of us who own beautiful gemstones do, I regard my gems as important! They are my special friends - they go through everything I go through and they are right there with me. Countless times when the day brings crazy energy or a low point, I look at my stones and they take me to a happier place. I can relate to a comment Elizabeth Taylor made about a canary diamond she owns, the drama of life will never get a beautiful gemstone down, no matter how terrible the day's events, "the stones continue to sparkle, and uplift." That is very true. When you are happy, having a thing of beauty to focus on can make you happier and when you are sad it can comfort you. 
Owning the Finest of Gemstones ... it was Liz Taylor who once shared "... there hasn't come a dark day yet that my 26 carat canary diamond doesn't brighten. It's like having my very own piece of sunshine."
Interested In A Particular Gemstone or Crystal?Send Your Request to FindIt4Me@crystalscrystals.com
We Source Gemstones and Specialty Crystals from the United States, Africa, Austria,
Russia, China, India, Thailand, and the Czech Republic.
Designed by Bigio & Zanon
Watch of the Future:
This is one super cool, swank, high-tech watch. The I/O Concept Watch for women designed by Robin Lapo Bigio & Olivero Zanon. The watch features a glossy miror-like polished cuff bracelet design with a hidden digital clock that lights up only when you touch a dot. This item is both an attractive fashion accessory and one heck of a cool watch. Five dots across the face, Dot one to see time display, dot 2 opens web in touchscreen mode. Dot 3 activates a .mp3 player, and dot 4 activates a photo slideshow. Imagine this, in a bracelet watch. We're witnessing the evolution of digital and wireless ... and the possibilities are endless.
The only way one can truly learn gemstone quality is to study and view a lot of gemstones. You must observe natural gems regularly to develop and maintain an eye for top clarity, color and cut in diamonds and colored gemstones. This holds true for simulants as well, as all simulants are not created equal. Today's gemstone and diamond simulants often look better than their natural counterparts, thus the enormous growth in simulated gemstones and diamonds. I feel privileged to have seen some of the most beautiful diamond and gemstone material mother earth produces. I can appreciate the masterful cutting work of world class gem cutters. Because my art so heavily depends on beautiful stones, I am grateful for the cutting machines the jewelry technology industry employs today, which exquisitely cut crystals and simulated gemstones. No doubt, there are gemstones you have to see to believe - words could never describe their divine construct and brilliance. Because I know of the stunning beauty of rare gems, I completely appreciate and honor that excellence in my work with both gemstones and crystals. I am a stickler for sparkle. The clarity and play of light in the stones I use must be flawless. A small stone (.25 carat in size) with top clarity and top color will out sparkle a larger stone of poor clarity and color. Quality matters. When it comes to the transparent gemstones and crystals I choose for my clients, they must be top quality and possess great clarity and sparkle.
ANGELINA IN THE MOGUL EMERALDS Marvelous work by jeweler Lorraine Schwartz. Who can ever forget world-class beauty and power maven Angelina Jolie in these spectacular 115 carat emerald earrings on the red carpet at the 2009 Oscars. Stunning. 
And how much would these royal baubles cost ... try a cool million, or more. These stone have history. Rarely are emeralds this large, fine and inclusion-free seen outside of a museum setting. 
The settings are nearly invisible, all you see is emerald. The hue of green is captivating, and there aren't visible inclusions as would normally be the case in emeralds. The emerald has been a gem of fascination in many cultures for over six thousand years. It is so prized, that carat for carat, a fine emerald may be two to three times as valuable as a diamond. It was known that Emerald was a favorite gem of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, and the Emerald mine in Upper Egypt, rediscovered a hundred years ago near the Red Sea, was one of the earliest Emerald occurrences in the human history. Emeralds also adorned Russian crown jewels. The Irani State Treasure contains an exquisite collection of Emeralds, as well as the Emerald tiara of ex-Empress Farah. Shah Jahan, one of the moguls of India that built the Taj Mahal, loved Emeralds so much that he had sacred texts inscribed into them and used these gemstones as talismans. The ancient writings of Veda, the sacred text of Hinduism, testifies to Emerald as being the “gem of good luck” and the “gem that improves one’s well-being”. Large, prized quality emeralds such as these are called “Mogul Emeralds." There was much lavish bling about on Oscar night ... much ... but Angelina in the Mogul Emeralds ... unforgettable. 
Few manufactured designs showcase the luster, color, fire and clarity of a gemstone or crystal as does the open, naked, and artsy design of the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™. 
STARES AND COMPLIMENTS: My wire-wrap design showcases a stone from all angles and so it attracts attention, no matter how small the stone, thus stares and compliments go hand and hand with wearing hand-wrapped gemstones and crystals. Those gifted with this special design receive the same. Lots of women enjoy native, earthy, natural jewelry as much as manufactured jewelry, and when you put lovely gemstones on display and let them dangle from your ears, it is special. I know jewelers' wives who, like me, wear "very" expensive gemstones in my design ("very" carefully I might add), and artists "who make jewelry themselves" embrace the design. We wear such expensive stones in this design because we enjoy the unforgettable beauty, the unforgettable sparkle the design affords. Gemstones are personal, the color, the cut, the embellishment, and when you wear a gemstone YOU love in my wire-wrap design it's pure style in motion, YOUR style, and it makes wearing a simple pair of earrings and pendant a win-win endeavor.
THE ATTRACTING POWER ... MY STAMP OF APPROVAL: It won't take long to discover the power this design has in terms of attracting attention. Every single day someone will be moved by the sparkle of the stones I wear and ask me about the stone, or compliment the design, and I can pretty much count on that happening. It is breathtaking to see a diamond, a large zircon, or a tourmaline, a sphene, or a lovely tanzanite in a design that shows off how breathtaking these gemstones truly are. Owning a one-of item of jewelry is what couture is all about. I provide custom tailoring right down to finest detail. It's a personal preference - you like it or you don't - but, a design that stops rockhounds in their tracks is very telling, and whether it's an inexpensive crystal, or a very, very expensive gemstone, the CrystalHugger TwistWrap is attracting to women on a working budget as well as women who are at the very top of the jewelry chain who can afford expensive gemstones - my stamp of approval.
DESIGN INSPIRATION:The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ was inspired during a brief study of architecture which brought me to photographs of early architecture - i.e., tribal huts, where I came upon photos of "tools" used by hunter-gatherer tribes. 
I developed an interest in the ways in which they twisted, tied, knotted, weaved and looped various types of soft bark twigs, tree vines, and flexible leaves around river boulder to create flatbeds for dragging wood stacks across the terrain, and to sling the vine-knotted rocks high into the trees to knock down the fruit. Other hand-crafted tools were used to hunt animals. These vine and twig knotting, twisting and wrapping techniques were used to construct huts and other parts of housing such as flooring and walls for protection from the elements. Wood stacks were tied with heavy vines and used to lift heavy materials from the trees down to the ground. Leaves were tightly weaved and further coated with tree sap to create flooring and walls. They knew the strength of the vines and twigs they used well. Boulders were tied and wrapped with long strong vines, thin vines were used for more delicate weaving.
The various tying, looping and weaving techniques helped them greatly.I sat down with wire and stones and began twisting, wrapping and looping and some time later I had created a way to "lock in" faceted stones within the wires. So it was this research that brought me to the articles that exposed me to the stories and photos about this early ingenuity which inspired me to create what is now the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™. The TwistWrap is crafted based upon the specific measurements (or faceting) of a gemstone or crystal, and like people, no two natural gemstones are exactly alike. With crystals it is different because crystals can be machine cut and precisely calibrated to be the same. I use specific gauges of wire to create precise "locking points" on faceted stones. Sometimes these locking points are created on the stone. These locking points are important to securely lock the stone within the wires. Locating and/or creating the wire-locking points on a gemstone or crystal was imperative to my design or the wire would loosen allowing the stone to slip out, especially when wrapping large stones, so I learned to sauter to further secure the shank over the TwistWrap around large hand-wrapped gemstones. As well, large, oddly cut or shaped non-calibrated stones also require the additional enforcement that sautering provides. In many of my designs the bale of the TwistWrap is richly embellished with gemstones, beads, crystals, etc., etc., to compliment the gemstone or crystal.
Learning from the environment the tribes used nature to survive the elements. What is most fascinating about evolution is that this early ingenuity was developing at all points across the planet (north, south, east and west) - independently. Tribes of completely different genealogical origin were simultaneously developing unique survival methods, and creating their own types of tools. This time of imprinting in evolution is today still being discovered. Examples of beaded jewelry made using the wrapping of wie dates back to thousands of years BC. The British Museum has samples of jewelry from the Sumerian Dynasty, found in the cemetery of Ur that contain spiraled wire components. This jewelry is dated at approximately 2000 BC. Other Roman samples of jewelry from Ancient Rome show wire wrapped loops (one of the important techniques in making wire wrapped jewelry). This jewelry is dated to approximately 2000 years ago. In the manufacture of this early jewelry the techniques for soldering did not exist. Later, as the technique for soldering developed, the wire wrapping approach continued because it was an economical and quick way to make jewelry components out of wire. Today, even though wire wrapping techniques are not frequently used for mass produced jewelry because of simple economics and the fact that machines can cast jewelry components much faster and cheaper, there are still millions of artisans showcasing their creativity and skill by crafting jewelry by hand.
This is a hand-made item and all are rare and very beautiful: my signature hand-wrapped crystal pendant design. An AAA+ grade crystal in either 8mm, 9mm or 10mm which possesses a rainbow of beautiful colors. The cutting is blinding and sends shimmer and sparkle out from every direction within the stone. The iCe360
design line features hand-wrapped crystals and pendants designed in my CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ wire-wrap design which allows for a 360° view of transparent faceted stones. You see ALL of the sparkle, and there very little mounting covering up the beauty of the stone. Definitely a conversation piece pendant all eyes will attract to. The material is hand cut and lab-grown from diamond crystals. The minimalist, clean, simple design is both elegant and earthy, and perfect for daytime to evening wear. This is the most popular item I craft, available to you via the link below, but at this time there is a waiting period. Hand-wrapped crystals can sweeten your jewelry box with their blaze of easygoing twinkle. A pendant is a good try-me piece to experience the beauty and allure of my wire-wrap design. Sterling silver and gold-filled wire are used. NOTE: Solid color TwistWrap and bail are always available. AAA+ round light canary pendants are currently available in 8mm and 9mm sizes.
DELIVERY: Arrives eloquently gift boxed and ready to wear. 18" Sterling Silver Chain included. All items are shipped with tracking, signature required.
EARRINGS: Matching hand-wrapped crystal earrings are always available! Please e-mail Crystalfor a prompt response. IMPORTANT: At this time there is a 10-day (+shipping time) waiting period for shipment on pendant orders.
DIRECT or ONE-TIME PAYMENTS:To make a direct payment, or one-time payment to CrystalsCrystals.com, please CLICK HERE.
E-MAIL CUSTOMER SERVICE
Ready for something new? Experience hand-wrapped gemstones. Whether going to the Oscars or the Islands, in my hand-wrapped gemstone designs you will stand out from the rest with a glowing natural essence.
THE TRUE BEAUTY OF A GEMSTONE: The real beauty of faceted stones lies in the cutting, and you can seldom see the spectacular cutting and sparkle of faceted gemstones because their beauty is often covered with metal mounting. With my wire-wrap design you can totally enjoy your gemstones and crystals and all of their blazing sparkle. Your favorite gemstones or crystal will be ablaze with shimmer and sparkle from every angle in a CrystalHugger Twistwrap. My design is simple and natural with elegance, it is primitive yet modern with sophistication. The CrystalHugger TwistWrap showcases the beauty of transparent crystals and gemstones allowing for a 360 degree view of the beautiful gemstone.
Zircon has no relation to Cubic Zirconia (a simulated diamond crystal). It's a birthstone alternative for December birthdays, and top quality ZIRCON is used as an alternative to the sparkle of diamond. It has been mined since the Middle Ages. The oldest known zircons are from Western Australia some 4.4 billion years ago. The name zircon is thought to come from the Persian word "zargun" which means "gold-colored." Although zircon comes in a wide range of different colors, including colorless white, the most popular zircon color is the electric blue variety. My favorite is the light yellowish gold zircon. Zircon comes in many exceptional colors, including colorless, green, red, violet, yellow, honey gold and orange. I have seen truly remarkable zircons from Cambodia, as beautiful as any other gemstone on the planet. This gemstone is highly underrated, but when one tries to purchase a large, top quality zircon they quickly discover how rare and pricey they are. Large quality zircon in exceptional colors such as pink, electric gold, electric blue, electric blue-green, violet and red are of my very favorite gemstones. They are rarely sold once obtained. It is a highly dense gemstone and though a Zircon will look much smaller in size than another gemstone, both stones could have the same weight. Due to its high refractive index and very strong dispersion, zircon has a great brilliance and intense fire. The luster is vitreous and quality zircons are absolutely brilliant. Although zircon is relatively hard, (rating 6.5-7.5 on the MOHS gemstone hardness scale), it must be worn with care.
Hand-wrapped gemstone and crystal jewelry can adapt to design elements of any and every jewelry period because you start with the stone that has been wrapped and add your design elements comprising what YOU like. What colors, textures, shapes so you like? What do you want the piece to express? Original design constructs blend influences from your imagination into an original piece of jewelry, and that is how couture is born.
The classic jewelry design periods are so important, such as the Georgian Jewelry Period, known for its highly dimensional repose, floral and scroll motifs and use of garnets, precious topaz, coral and faceted diamonds set in distressed silver. I tend to like the use of ornate metals in my design work, popularized in the Victorian Jewelry Period. This Period also incorporated the most varied and eclectic motifs in fashion and textile design, with a merger of influences like Egyptian, Renaissance and the richly classic Etruscan design elements. This era featured almost exclusively the use of yellow gold often designed with contrasting black and colored enamel. Another brilliant jewelry period is the Art Nouveau Jewelry Period which featured natural colors, natural materials, and a solid emergence of hand-made native jewelry. Art Nouveau brought out the beauty of human forms, notably female forms, dancers, nymphs, mermaids, water lilies, flowers, dragonflies, and flowing lines as recurrent motifs in jewelry design. Stained glass jewelry emerged during this Period.
The Edwardian Jewelry Period offered designs which were delicate, romantic, feminine and lacy. Edwardian styled fashions blend wonderfully with CrystalsCrystals' Platinum Lace hand-wrapped gemstone designs. Take a look at Platinum Lace to see that it has the classic antique look - right at home with Edwardian styled jewelry. The Edwardian Jewelry Period was an exceptional decade in detailed workmanship. Lacy, dainty, delicate, openwork, micro filigree and gemstone encrusted designs from this Period are collector favorites. With the coming of the Art Deco Jewelry Period, came the modern age of jewelry design. Abstract, lines, bold geometrics, curvy curves, and "symmetry" became more common. Art Deco jewelry is also known for a highly stylized, architecture-like look. Many designs feature a heavily "stacked" baguette cut stones. The most popular gemstones during this Period were diamonds, opals, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.
The Retro Jewelry Period is known for its heavy use of rose gold. Silver too was heavily used because platinum was scarce due to the war. Retro designs were popular with Hollywood royalty; the really big movie stars wore over-sized, dramatic, asymmetrical, whimsical designs featuring bright sparkly stones in bold colors. Semi-precious gemstones were readily available in the United States and jewelry got bigger and more illustrious. Citrine, Topaz, Aqua, Amethyst and Moonstones in large carat sizes were common.
Finally, the Mid-Century Jewelry Period, as it is called, represents jewelry designed in the 1950's. During the early fifties conservative designs returned to the forefront as two conservative women from the Midwest lived in the White House, and these women set the fashion tone for the country.
Everyone wanted sapphires, diamonds, platinum and pearls. During the end of the 1950s jewelry design started to get more modern and trends got younger and bolder. Abstract jewelry design took hold, pavé set diamonds became the rage, and the success of mass-manufactured "affordable," and "popular" jewelry styles was realized. This success paved the way for the "expansive" jewelry departments we enjoy today. It is common to find twenty or more lines of jewelry on display in an average department store jewelry center.GIVING ART ... HAND-MADE JEWELRY: Giving hand-made jewelry is to give to others the gift of originality and an item crafted with them in mind. You are giving a beautiful creation they can get nowhere else. IF YOU ARE FAR AWAY FROM A LOVED ONE ?? When we are far away or removed for extended periods of time from loved ones, personally made gift items carry that special intrinsic value that cannot be compared to a store-bought gift item. I wrap stones in size from 5mm and larger - stones for little girls and stones for big girls. Matching mommy/daughter hand-wrapped crystals are quite lovely! All are wrapped with sterling silver and gold-filled wire, or by special order, 14K gold wire.
Time To Add A Hand-Wrapped Gemstone to Your Jewlery Collection!
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VISIT our Gemstone Locator Pages Time to browse the variety of beautiful gemstones available. CrystalsCrystals has an extensive network of gemstone and crystals sources across the country and we are happy to refer you or help you source a large loose fancy colored diamond or colored gemstone.
Do not hesitate to call with questions: 310-495-GEMS
- SELECT a wire-wrap color combination. Silver on the shank, or gold? Single or double wire wrap?
- VISIT Customer Care for shipping information. NOTE: Los Angeles area orders can be conveniently picked up in our Westwood, California design showroom.
- CONTACT US! We want to confirm and complete your order and go over your particulars and your deadline. We are always happy to accommodate client deadlines whenever possible.
- SELECT a wire-wrap color combination. Silver on the shank, or gold? Single or double wire wrap?
Perhaps you've seen a photo in our Photo Design Galleries featuring a design that you like ... right click the photo and select "E-mail picture" to send it to us at sales@crystalscrystals.com with your question or comment. LOOKING FOR THE CLASSIC PLACE SETTING GIFT FOR YOUR PARTY?: Custom gift-wrapped wire-wrapped gemstones or crystals as place setting gifts will not be forgotten. Present an original, custom crafted and beautiful jewelry design gift to your special guests.
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The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™:The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ stone-wrapping technique offers a revolutionary way of wearing faceted gemstones. Perfect for showcasing beautiful stones. Based upon the measurements of a gemstone or crystal, and the stone size and shapre, the twistwrap is constructed using a varying gauge of wire and precise "pressure points" on the stone are located (or sometimes created). These pressure points are crucial in order to securely lock the stone in place within the wires.
Beauty, rarity, and durability are the three main attributes that a gemstone must possess for jewelry purposes. Diamond are pure carbon, sapphires and rubies are oxides, emeralds and aquamarines are silicates, and turquoise is a phosphate. Gemstones vary greatly in their origins, some forming in igneous environments, others in contact metamorphic deposits. Often they are found in sedimentary deposits caused by weathering of the igneous or metamorphic sources. A gemstones goes through a rigorous process to become the lovely, sparkling stone you see in a retail jewelry setting. Optical properties are most important spect of a gemstone or crystal, and the main characteristic for which they are highly - their cut, color and brilliance combine to create the total optical presence. A fascinating play of light occurs as the gem diffracts, absorbs, or reflects light waves. These optical qualities could never be seen if not for the talents of a skilled lapidary who can cut and polish a gemstone to reveal its hidden beauty. Our fascination with gemstones began with rocks in prehistoric times. Through the centuries, gemstones and crystals have been enjoyed, appreciated, and used as symbolic gifts to express love, happiness, and devotion. Some gemstones are strictly for collection, but whether they are viewed as beautiful products of nature for collection, or a special items to be worn everyday, the fascination with gemstones and crystals continues to increase - generationally.
This huge 72.22-carat, "D" flawless white diamond went up for auction with a pre-sale reserve of $10-12 million through Sothebys. As is always the case with stones of this caliber, the phenomenal diamond was sold to a private buyer from Hong Kong for an undisclosed sum. The blazing pear custom cut gemstone is the third largest pear-shaped, IIA type diamond ever auctioned by Sothebys. The IIA rating is given only to the most brilliant of colorless or white "D" color diamonds. Recent years have seen rare polished diamonds achieve all-time highs in per carat prices. 
RARE 6.04 carat blue diamond sold by Sothebys for $7.98 million, (that's $1.3 million per carat) making the sale of the blue diamond the highest price ever paid for a rare gemstone at auction in the world. The sale also made the blue diamond the
most expensive gemstone in the world, per carat, period.
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AMETHYST 101:
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is a popular gemstone. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive. The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek and means "not drunken." This was maybe due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. Amethyst usually grows as crystals that are six sided on either end, and it also can form as drusy which are crystalline crusts covering the host rock surface. It is found inside geodes and in alluvial deposits all around the world and occurs in both crystalline or massive forms. It is the manganese present in clear quartz that produces amethyst, and it is the amount of iron contained in the specimen which determines the depth of purple. Although it must always be purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades. Amethyst also is produced in shades of green, known as Prasiolite. Amethyst can occur as long prismatic crystals that have a six sided pyramid at either end or can form as druzes that are crystalline crusts that only show the pointed terminations. As a mineral specimen, amethyst is popular for its color and nice crystal shapes that produce a handsome, purple, sparkling cluster. Often cut gems of amethyst are graded using the terms: African, Brazilian, Siberian, Uruguayan or Bahain; to represent high, medium and low grades respectively, regardless of the actual source. Because of the patchyness of the color distribution in the crystals, Amethyst is often cut as brilliant round cuts to maximize the color. Other custom and exotic cuts can be used when the color is better distributed. 
THE COLOR PURPLE is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst has been used since the dawn of its history to adorn the rich and powerful. Monarchs and rulers were attracted to the hue of fine purple sparkle Amethyst produces. Today, amethyst is a lovely and affordable gemstone that is available in a wide variety of cut and uncut stones. We can all possess and admire it. The markings of gemstones can often tell where they came from. Amethyst is not the same everywhere. Different geographic localities can produce a unique amethyst to that particular region or even to that particular mine. Also expert cutting and polishing is always key in producing the best specimen of a gemstone. Gemstone experts can often identify the source mine that a particular amethyst came from. The key to this is the specimen's color, shape of crystal, inclusions, associations and character of formation. Be sure to click on the link below to see an incredible collection of amethyst geodes. The amethyst chunks featured in this design are taken from natural geodes such as these, and then wire-wrapped!
The most prolific locality in the world for amethyst specimens and agate nodules is in Rio Grande do Sul, the southern most state of Brazil. One could argue that this locality has produced ten times more amethyst than any other amethyst locality and perhaps as much as all other amethyst localities in the world combined. Many places in Rio Grande do Sul produce amethyst and agates, but today the big producer is the region around the little town of Amethista do Sul, near the larger town of Irai. This region is near the Argentine border and about 250 miles NNW of Porto Alegre, the capital and largest city in Rio Grande do Sul.
How are amethyst geodes formed? Basalt is an igneous rock, and sheet basalts are rock formations that form when cracks in the earth open and molten rock pours out over the earth’s surface like a big thick blanket. Some of these flows occur again and again, building up over times to depths of many thousands of feet. Basalts are porous, and over time, water laden with dissolved silica and other minerals migrate through the basalt formations, fill the vesicles and slowly form minerals of various kinds on the rock walls of these ancient gas bubbles. In the basalts of Rio Grande do Sul, the mineral that most commonly lines the walls of these vesicles is the variety of quartz called agate. Then quartz crystals grow on the agate. These quartz crystals are irradiated with natural radiation in the ground which turns them into amethyst.
Graphic Design 1
Design and jewelry media from the design portfolio of Crystal McCarey.
Giving Gifts of Originality and Beauty
Hand-wrapped gemstone and crystal jewelry brings smiles. CrystalsCrystals.com hand-wrapped jewelry designs feature beautiful beads designed and crafted by independent artists throughout the world. Many of the artists are women in villages who are involved in various women's empowerment programs. We support their efforts by purchasing their beads and incorporating them into the original designs created for CrystalsCrystals.com. Art made by special hands in far away places such as SriLanka, Gulu Uganda, Kumasi Ghana, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal and Honduras. The art of these woman is both beautiful and pride-inspiring to own and wear. Many times these beads are a perfect fit in the jewelry visions I create, and for me supporting the art of indigenous artisans is an honor, and a welcome benefit to my artistry. A CrystalsCrystals.com purchase can be good for the soul.Since 2003, I have donated my handcrafted jewelry to charity organizations to make a positive difference in the world. I have donated jewelry to organizations that change lives in wonderful ways, such as STOPCANCER and UNAIDS.org to benefit their silent auctions. As well, my charity work for Random Acts of Kindness and Giving takes me to Southern Califorina hospitals, aged homes, schools, homeless missions and most recently skid-row, to pass out FREE jewelry gifts. Random Acts of Kindness and Giving" always ends with a smile. I honor God for all of my gifts, and I choose to give of my jewelry design talents as I know and believe it all comes to me through God. Giving back is honoring the giver of my gift. Giving impartially guided by spirit to meet the needs of others is one of the ways I honor the souce from which all of my creative talents flow, the giver of my life, the giver of my creative talents in music, visual arts and jewelry design.
CAN CRYSTALSCRYSTALS.COM HELP SUPPORT YOUR CHARITY ORGANIZATION FUNDRAISING EFFORTS? To receive information regarding having a hand-wrapped crystal jewelry item donated to your charity organization for your upcoming fundraising events, please contact Customer Service at CrystalsCrystals.com. Hand-wrapped crystals and gemstone jewelry designs are unique, one-of-a-kind, beautiful designer jewelry. These artful and rare designs truly stand on their own,making them wonderful items of jewelry to own, and to gift to your special recipients for fundraising purposes.
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