Butterflies under glass

While working in the shop this week, Artisans of the Gap, I began creating this necklace. The butterflies were fused glass. I cut some dichroic glass, copper butterflies, and clear glass to create the pendant. It was fused in the kiln. I put a silver plated finding on the back of the piece. It was such a beautiful, sparkling pendant that needed some gemstones to add even more sparkle to the piece. The white gemstones next to the pendant are rainbow moonstone. The purple circular gemstones are amethyst. The pink leaf and other pink stones are rose quartz. I finished the Butterflies Under Glass pendant with a sterling silver clasp.

I found that it is a good thing to wear your own jewelry before you sell it, just in case there are any problems with the piece. I made a piece for myself out of beautiful silver wire, not realizing the wire was not for beading. I bent over and stones tumbled all over the floor. I rewired the piece adding crimp beads as well as crimp bead covers and a nice beading wire. I have also learned to add a nice sturdy clasp to pieces that are filled with gemstones and fused glass. All my jewelry is guaranteed if anything happens, but I can tell you that I stopped using the silver wire.