I bought this turquoise cabachon from Andy Brown in Cerrillos, N.M. this past June. He mined it in local mountains and cut and polished it. The ground in this part of New Mexico contains lots of copper and iron, which then dissolves in groundwater and stains the turquoise a wonderful pale blue and green. The challenge for me is to design a piece of jewelry that will show off the natural beauty of the stone.
September 17, 2017 | Permalink
I recently made these two tiny sterling baby bracelets for a pair of twin girls who were born recently. The babies were each about 6 pounds at birth. Their aunt is my niece & I had made one for her over 40 years ago! The bracelets measure about 3 inches on the inside & will fit the girl's wrists for a limited amount of time, but they can later be used as a Christmas ornament or a napkin ring. My niece now uses her bracelet as a wine glass charm (clever young lady!). The amazing thing is to realize in future years just how small they were when they were born! What a family heirloom they will become in the future!!
December 04, 2016 | Permalink
This is a photo of the Alaskan shoreline with receeding rows of mountains, that I took on a trip through Alaska's Inland Passage. The memory of this experience inspired these 2 bracelets. The one on the left side is wider & is made from 8 ga. Argentium sterling silver wire. It costs $225. The other is narrower and made from 12 ga Argentium sterling silver wire and is about a third lighter in weight and costs $175. Both are "cuff"style & can be adjusted to fit any wrist.
July 05, 2014 | Permalink
The idea for this cuff bracelet came to me while flying across the country and looking down at the passing landscapes below me. When rivers reach flat land, they tend to meander around and are known as "braided" streams. I made this bracelet with four strands of silver which cross back and forth over each other at irregular intervals.
January 25, 2012 | Permalink
This teething ring is constructed from a 7" piece of solid 6 ga. sterling silver wire. Each letter of the baby's name is stamped 5 times around each ring, so the name is visible as the rings move. There is an extra ring that is stamped with my "Dan Dye" maker's mark and "sterling" stamps.
I made the first of these teething rings in 2006 for my first grand-daughter, Isabel. She enjoyed chewing on it, as well as shaking it and banging it on the table. It started out smooth and shiny, but she quickly added teeth marks and "patina" to make it all her own. This one is for our newest grand-daughter, Eleanor, and she has just begun her junior silversmith work to put her own marks on it. These heirloom pieces can be used as Christmas ornaments, by adding a bit of ribbon, and will last a lifetime.
February 14, 2010 | Permalink
October 03, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 29, 2007 | Permalink
November 29, 2007 | Permalink
November 29, 2007 | Permalink