Thursday, March 5, 2015

Phalaenopsis Orchid Necklace

Mom and the Bride, just beautiful.


Mom is wearing my Phalaenopsis Necklace. It was shipped to England as a surprise 
for her Mom to wear on her wedding day. Needless to say she was taken back by the 
piece her daughter, Lisa gave her.

It's pictures like this that make me so proud of the jewelry I make.

For many years I have hand sculpted Orchids for the American Orchid Society and it's members, I have also commissioned orchid jewelry as well as bronze sculptures to raise money for Orchid Research, and of all of the hundreds of Orchids designed and sculpted by me, this has been my favorite from day one. The Orchid Necklace has been featured in Bay Magazine in Tampa Florida, it has won Best of Show at the Miami Orchid Show as well as Mainsail Art Show in Florida. This necklace is one of my pride and joys that I'm making available on Etsy.

Materials: Sterling Silver with optional 14k or 18k Gold Plating
Adjustable Necklace Fits 16" - 18" 
Important Note: To make this necklace comfortable, it has a hidden hinge behind the bottom orchid, this allows the necklace to flex comfortably when worn.




Phalaenopsis Orchid Jewelry

Thursday, February 19, 2015

New Sterling Silver Leaf Lariat Necklace



New Leaf Lariat Necklace.
Hand Sculpted 24" Leaf Lariat Necklace based on my 2008 Asymmetrical Leaf Design.

Leaves are hand sculpted and will be cast in sterling silver.
Chain will be approximately 2.7mm Flat Sterling Oval Cable Chain
24" total length.

Additional Photos will be added during the wax model process.
Time Frame: 5-6 weeks


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Leaf & Twig Collection (Complete Cllection coming soon)



Leaf & Twig Sterling Silver Necklace
with 1.7mm SS Cable Chain
This simple design allows easy customization such as
stones or a little chirping bird. 

Wax Model


Leaf & Twig Wedding Set with
optional stones or sold separately


Wax Model


Leaf & Twig Sterling Silver Earrings
with Leverbacks added.
Additional sculpting was added to the earrings to
make this curved leaf design flow naturally.

Leaf & Twig Small or Medium
Sterling Silver Cuff

Leaf & Twig Ring
Leaf & Twig Sterling Silver Necklace
with 1.7mm SS Cable Chain






Saturday, December 20, 2014

11 Main

11 Main, Inc. A New Marketplace Of Specialty 

Shops and Boutiques






About 11 Main: As an invitation-only marketplace, 11 Main carefully selects merchants, making some of the best and most differentiated boutiques available to shoppers. The site, currently in beta, features a wide range of products, including one-of-a-kind items, not available at mass merchants and other large e-commerce sites. 11 Main offers shops in a variety of categories including Fashion & Style, Home & Outdoor, Jewelry & Watches, Baby & Kids, Collecting & Art, and Crafts, Hobbies & Toys.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Sea Fan Coral Collection

New Sea Fan Coral Collection

Water Drop Features
Sea Fan Coral Wide Cuff Bracelet
Sea Fan Coral Wide Band Ring
Sea Fan Coral Tear Drop Pendant
Sea Fan Coral Tear Drop Earrings
Sea Fan Coral Narrow Wide Cuff Bracelet
Sea Fan Coral Pinky Dome Ring
Please use our Contact Page to find out more 
about our new Sea Fan Collection.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Octopus and Seahorse Champagne Glasses

A commission job from Claysie & Dan...yup, they are getting married!




Completed!!!

These are almost finished! Here is my husband adding the Oxidation to bring out the details in these two little sculptures.



 They are wanting two very special champagne flutes for their wedding day. Dan's flute will have the Octopus and Claysie's wants hers to have one or two seahorses on her champagne flute. 





Updated July 31

About 20 hours of work but it's definitely taking shape.

It about half finished, I just need to lock myself in the studio for about three days to complete the wax model.

Claysie & Dan have allowed me to share their ideas so the Octopus and Seahorse Champagne Glasses will be available to purchase. I will have additional information once completed.

Thanks for looking!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Carpet Anemone Ring in the making...


I have been saving pictures of the Giant Carpet Anemone for about a year now knowing that there was a ring in there. Finally finding a little time to sculpt, I had an opportunity to let the design spill out of my brain onto my ring mandrel. I have about 4 hours of work in the ring so far but I already know, it's going to be beautiful. 

The key to the design is making it look like exactly like a piece of carpet. That means that the edges have to curl under and it has to have its carpet like dots on top of the anemone. It's Saturday and I don't think I have the patience for that today, maybe on Monday but if you read below, you'll see that the the gigantic carpet anemone occurs in blue, red, green, purple, and pink color. So that being the case, I want to set a round 5-6mm faceted colored stone in the center of the anemone with a 14k bezel around the stone. 

Once completed, I'm pretty sure this ring is going to Rock!

To inquire about this piece, please use the "Contact Form" to the right and mention the Anemone Ring. Thanks for looking!

Stichodactyla gigantea
Range: Red Sea, Japan, Micronesia, Fiji

Stichodactyla gigantea, or the Gigantic Carpet Anemone, is rarely imported, grows very large (up to a meter in diameter!), has a thin central column, and has slightly longer tentacles that give this anemone a “furry” appearance. Stichodactyla gigantea resides in the shallow intertidal sand flats, where it is an opportunistic predator and scavenger, consuming animal matter, fish and invertebrates washed in and out with the tide. Like Stichodactyla haddoni, the gigantic carpet anemone will need a deep sand bed in the home aquarium, though in contrast, cannot pull itself completely beneath the sand. While the gigantic carpet anemone is not as sticky or aggressive as Haddon’s carpet anemone, it is still a predator, and will sting and consume anything brushing by its tentacles. While all large carpet anemone species need intense lighting, the gigantic carpet anemone will require the most intense. The gigantic carpet anemone occurs in blue, red, green, purple, and pink color morphs.

Information was taken from an article: Carpet Anemones: Big, Beautiful, and Deadly By Mike Maddox

Friday, September 12, 2014

Leaf & Twig Rings - a little play on the tree truck heart.

Engraved initial ring with beautiful leaves 
and twig design with a matching band.


  
Leaf & Twig Rings

This is my play on the Tree Trunk Initial Ring but in a more feminine way for her. 
This is a sweet and innocent tribute to love, the ring is personalized with you and your significant other's initials carved into the bark. The leaf and twig band is equally beautiful with flowing leaves which make the perfect pair for your wedding or as a commitment.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Lake Norman Magazine - Accessible Art






Dawn Vertrees of Dawn Vertrees Jewelry in her Cornelius home studio working with a lost wax process to sculpt a decorative wine glass ornament commissioned for use in an upcoming wedding.

-Grant Baldwin Photography - Grant Baldwin

Dawn Vertrees, 54, Etsy store: DawnVertreesJewelry
After retiring from a lengthy 
corporate career, an unexpected mentor came into Dawn Vertrees’ life. Volker Kracht, a senior master jeweler from Germany, put off retirement for three years after seeing a stunning orchid pendant that Vertrees made from three sheets of wax.
Since 2001, Vertrees has pursued different artistic media, starting with ceramic jewelry and moving on to the world of Lost Wax, which she works in today to make fine artisan jewelry like intricately designed rings and pendants depicting tree frogs, turtles, starfish, and other nature-inspired subjects.
Along the way, she’s picked up numerous awards at festivals and art shows across the Southeast while making a living 
from her craftsmanship. But when the constant travel started to take its toll, Vertrees turned to the Internet to keep her business going.
“I got so tired of being out on the road that one day while my husband was filling up the motor coach with gas, I created an Etsy site and at each rest stop and break I had, I photographed my pieces so I could continue to make money without having to constantly travel to shows,” Vertrees says.
The Internet opened up more doors for Vertrees, allowing jewelry retailers in St. John, Virgin Islands and Disney resorts to discover her pieces and add them to their collections. 
In the coming months, Vertrees says her business will come full circle as she’s in the process of building a wholesale market and will eventually only sell through brick-and-mortar stores.
“It’s the circle of life of being a jewelry designer. Art shows come first, then Internet, and then wholesale and possibly, a a few wholesale shows,” Vertrees adds.

Read more here: Accessible Art
Wholesale Contact: Julie King Julie@buydawnvertreesjewelry.com, or by phone at 340-344-0410