Spring 2012 Color Inspiration

Hello Gemstone Lovers:

As I mentioned in my post about autumn colors, Pantone is a pretty good place to get some insight into new colors and trends.  So it was back to Pantone to check out their picks for Spring 2012.  Need a way to boost your mood?  Get a new outlook?  Update and look forward?  Then try adding a few of these hues into your accessories to up-date and change-up.  Naturally, I love the fact that one of the colors mentions a mineral by name, Sodalite Blue.  Might have to do a post on just that particular stone ...

I'm a little bummed that they didn't present the colors in that nice color-block format that they did for fall, since it was a nice, easy way to pick out some Lunar Blue items for our own color rainbow match.  So I made my own color blocks for matching! (This was harder than it looks.)

This palette has a lot in common with the autumn one, which is no surprise, since people don't want to have to buy all new clothes and completely repaint the interiors of their houses in order to feel "in sync" with the world.  The major difference seems to be that these are turned up a notch - a little brighter for the light colors, and a little darker for the contrasting colors.  It all seems to be more enriched compared to the cooler seasons behind us.  Again, not a surprise, since people want to add a little punch to their environment and dress this time of year. 

I particularly like the purples, pinks, and sage green colors in this group.  Certain hues of amethyst, rose quartz, peridot, and turquoise will match perfectly.  So will smoky quartz, picture jasper, yellow jade, and the deeper side of both lapis lazuli and sodalite.  A great selection of fun stones to work with!

The Beauty of Carved Stone

There is so much natural beauty in stone - I enjoy seeing it used to the full extent of its potential.  Going through a museum like the Orsay in Paris provides the opportunity to see stone used a variety of ways.  The floor of the museum is populated with neo-classical sculpture, most of which is pure, opaque, featureless white stone.  The emphasis is on the form of the sculptures, not the color or the material.  But apparently the idea that classical sculpture was colorless is an accident of history.

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting that most ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were painted, gilt, or inlaid with colored stone.  Color was important in the art of that era in a way that is no longer obvious to us.  By the time these ancient sculptures were unearthed in Italy during the Renaissance, much of the color of the statues had been worn away, and any embellishing gemstones had been removed.

Barrias 1899 sculpture "Nature Unveiling Herself to Science" is an example of a "neo-classical" form with polychromy - colors.  This statue is composed largely of marble and onyx.  The onyx forms the off-white folds of Nature's veil, and sweeping red and cream marble forms the drapes of her gown.  The sculpted stone of the gown is skillfully completed to allow the color and pattern of the red marble to look very much like fabric.  The clasp of the gown is a scarab of malachite mounted on a blue belt of lapis lazuli.  The original also apparently had red coral lips and lapis eyes as well.

It can be so easy to take the idea of stone sculpture for granted, given how often such pieces are of a single color.  Using colored stone, and playing on those colors to enhance the piece, makes the art seem so much more real, accessible, and very hard to ignore.

Welcoming the New Year

One of our pieces sold this winter - my
favorite sterling and lapis necklace!
Thrilled to see it find a home.

Hello Gemstone Fans:

Happy New Year!  We're looking forward to 2011 - we have lots of plans and ideas, including attending international bead and gemstone shows, developing some new products, offering workshops, and as always, creating unique gemstone jewelry, devotional pieces and accessories.  It's what we do :)

The end of 2010 was busy, which was nice both from a sales perspective and because busy winter holidays mean fun, family, and friends.  One perk of having a partner (and sister) who makes devotional malas is the prospect of getting one for a gift - which I did.  I picked out the beads for it; a set of lovely blue lapis 8mm beads, as well as sterling silver markers and a filigree guru bead.  Amy hand knotted these into a traditional 108 bead mala and added a metallic blue handmade tassel which brings out the dark glints of pyrite in the lapis.  I love it.

We now have a presence on deviantArt, under my login name of DesignerMoon.  We've been highlighting the artistic aspect of our work there.  It seems a great place to get inspired by other great art, interact with more of the online beading community, and use the space to provide expanded descriptions and stories for the pieces.  Check out the journal there for updates and features unique to the dA environment.

Keep your eyes on the blog here for more updates, but especially for features about the interesting stories behind gemstones and the unique stuff we make from them!  Hope you have a beautiful New Year.

Cheers,
Jennifer

Lunar Blue Designs Featured on Ivy Road

Lapis lazuli--the Stone of Friendship

Designed and Crafted by Jennifer at Lunar Blue Designs

Hello Gemstone Fans,

Stefanie from Ivy Road has been kind enough to feature our Etsy shop on her blog! Check it out here. It includes an introduction to your Lunar Blue hostesses and a little about our passion for what we do.

Stefanie is a craft lady who dreams dreams of lovely houses, pink bathtubs, and chandeliers. In this picture-filled post, she imagines the perfect closet.

Right now in her Etsy shop, she's offering darling handmade girl's shoes covered with rinestones! Adorable. I know a certain niece who would love them....

Have a beautiful day,

Amy