In many ways, June marks the start of summer. Maybe you have a fun vacation planned or maybe you are excited to spend time with friends and family. Perhaps you even have some graduations to celebrate or weddings to attend! Whatever your big plans, I hope that this month and the start of summertime treats you all very well and that you're able to attend some of your favorite art shows soon!

June also features two gorgeous and unique birthstones. If you're looking for versatile jewelry to complement your summer styles, or a gift for a June birthday, you can't go wrong with pearls and alexandrite! 

Pearls

A classic look with a fine art jewelry twist, Tres Elegante Designs pearl earrings and pendants will add the glimmer of summer sand and sun to any outfit, highlighting your inner glow! 

Historically, pearls have been thought to promote faith, charity and integrity. Pearls have been worn for thousands of years and are one of the most sought-after gems. They are the only gems that are created by a living being: freshwater and saltwater mollusks.

Because of their organic origin, pearls are “gems,” but not “stones.” In ancient civilizations, pearls were the ultimate symbol of wealth and social status. They have been associated with love and marriage and were believed to have an ability to protect the wearer from harm. 

Check out the Tres Elegante Designs Pearls and Stones Collection!

My love of pearls began at age 11, when my parents gifted me a pearl ring that I cherish to this day. My pearl passion grew deeper when, at 16, my grandmother gave me a set of graduated Mikimoto pearls my father had brought back from the Korean War. This collection, in its diversity of design, celebrates my love of pearls and their inherent versatility.

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Alexandrite 

Pearls aren't the only June birthstone. Alexandrite, a stone that comes in a variety of colors, including green, blue, red, pink & more, is another option for the sunny folks with June birthdays in your life!

The stone was originally found in Russia, but now small quantities are mined in Africa, Brazil, India & other locations. It is known for changing color depending on the lighting-usually from blue-green in daylight to red-purple at night or in incandescent light.

Naturally mined alexandrite is quite rare and expensive, about $15,000 per carat for top quality gems. Most stones on the market today are lab-created alexandrite, but still “real” stones as their chemical and physical characteristics are exactly the same. Natural alexandrite can contain some inclusions, which are flaws in a stone that occur when it's formed. Lab alexandrite has no inclusions and while still expensive, is a fraction of natural, making it an attractive alternative.

Alexandrite is 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it an excellent stone for wearing everyday.

Order Pearl or Alexandrite Gemstone Jewelry Now! 

Curious about creating a custom pearl or alexandrite piece for a loved one with a June birthday? Send me your ideas at treselegantedesigns@gmail.com, and we will work together to create the perfect piece! 

May you step into the summertime sun feeling classy and confident! 

Fold forming is a metalworking technique in which metal is folded, alternately annealed and forged repeatedly, and unfolded. Following this process, each piece of metal assumes a completely different and unique three-dimensional form.

Forging is the process of shaping metal via hammering, rolling, or pressing.

Annealing is a heating process that softens metal to allow for reshaping through various techniques. No solder is used with the metal while it is being fold formed.

Fold forming begins with a sheet of metal—I typically use 24-gauge copper or silver. At this point, the metal needs to be dead soft, as it hardens quickly during the fold-forming process. Each hammer strike “work hardens” the metal, which makes it increasingly more difficult to work with.

Some tools used in this process include a steel bench block, on which to hammer, and a fine-edge rivet hammer, with which to form a nice edge once it's unfolded.

Fold forming lends itself well to combination with other techniques.

Patina is often used to enhance the texture of fold-formed pieces, as it gives it greater depth.

Reticulated sterling can be set atop fold-formed copper to add additional drama and flair.

Check out the Tres Elegante Designs Silver Fusion Pendant!

Reminiscent of Viking treasure with an air of modern sophistication, this pendant is designed for everyday wear. With visible evidence of flame torching, no two pendants are alike, but all are similarly reticulated in sterling silver over copper to create a rich fine art jewelry sculpture piece. This piece won't look out of place anywhere--in fact, it roots its wearer to both the distant past and the bright future, a perfect adornment for someone looking to make big plans.

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If you have any further questions about this technique, or if you'd like to work together to create a custom piece of fine art jewelry featuring fold-formed metal, reach out to me at treselegantedesigns@gmail.com!

In metalwork, reticulation refers to a surface-finishing technique that involves the application of localized heat to the surface of a metal. The technique produces an incredibly beautiful texture pattern of peaks and valleys.