Jolene

Hello folks, I hope you're all having a lovely day - we certainly are, out here in the UK - it has been bright and sunny these last couple of weeks and it seems almost a shame to come away indoors when it is such fabulous weather outdoors.
​ I grew up in India where, as children we were called indoors by our families when the sun was beating down on us - Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and all that. Now, I've joined the ranks of the mad dogs and am out there gardening at midday, drinking shandies to keep myself cool and hydrated. Of course, it helps that the sun isn't half as vicious as it is in India and of course we get so little of it, it seems terrible to let it go to waste.
This has meant of course, that a lot of gardening was done this week with very little time for anything else.

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I had an email from The London School of Jewellery naming me as their Student of the Month for June - they want me to send in a few pieces of jewellery for a locked display cabinet, and have sent me interview questions for their blog and Instagram account - I'm quite thrilled to be picked! 

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I sold a piece of jewellery through my shop on Etsy and the lady who lives in London, took the time and trouble to write me a handwritten note with a photograph of how she planned to style it - isn't that amazing?
No one seems to write thank you notes these days. I always include a handwritten note with my parcels of course, but no one actually puts pen to paper and a postage stamp on a card that they themselves have made. Amazing!
I was so thrilled to receive it, it was like I'd received the Nobel prize for Jewellery!

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Jolene 

Jolene was named for the beautiful emerald green chromium diopside nugget beads in the necklace that remind me of the song by Dolly Parton, sung in this clip by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
"Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene"
The beads come from Russia where they are marketed as the alternative to emeralds, however, they are more of a olive colour and are part translucent and part transparent. This green gemstone is also thought to be able to improve intellect and encourages the desire of one to learn. According to metaphysical beliefs, chromium diopside is used to help alleviate aggression or stubbornness while in turn enhancing love and commitment.
I find these colours extremely attractive when put together, and was inspired to make this piece late one summer evening when I looked up at the indigo colored sky and saw the leaves from our Gleditsia tree (which are the exact same green) silhouetted against the blue in the garden lighting. The combination seemed too beautiful to forget and I felt that I simply had to immortalise it in a necklace. The pendant comes from Indonesia and the clasp is set with lapis lazuli and comes from my Jaipur trip, as do the faceted lapis in the body of the necklace.

That's as much as I've had time for this week folks, have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then
​xx