No, surprisingly I am not talking about cotton. You're probably thinking "come on it is jewelry and it is all about the look so what's with the touch and feel stuff?" Well, while the look is important, for me jewelry serves another purpose. You see, I am a fiddler - not the kind of "fiddling" associated with a musical instrument; but the kind of "fiddling" that happens when my fingers have to be busy. (Why am I suddenly thinking about Steve Martin playing the banjo and having happy feet? Ah, the mind...yikes.) Okay, back to business here. I've never been one to sit perfectly still - no matter the location; and frequently much to the dismay of those in close proximity. I can't help it, I have busy hands and busy feet - yes I'm an annoying foot wiggler, too - so I doodle and I knit and I wear jewelry all while wiggling my feet. Man, I'm a psychiatrist's dream or nightmare - not sure which; but we'll let that thought go for now.

Russian Amazonite & Carved Floral Bangle

I say "let's hear it for jewelry" - it is an acceptable way to deal with "fiddling!" Here's a secret - 

I love big gemstones and big jewelry - okay, so if you follow me, you know that's not much of a secret. However, to make things easier, I'll pretend that you have no idea who I am and we'll go from there. Call me crazy but not only is there something about the way gemstones look for me, oftentimes, it is about the way they feel. Always cool to the touch, and depending on the cut and the faceting, in most cases, there is a smoothness about them that just can't be copied in plastic or any faux material. I know that when I wear a bracelet made from bigger bolder gemstones, I spend a lot of time fiddling with it throughout the day. Not in that "I can't wait to get this thing off my wrist" kind of way but in a calming almost meditative kind of way. I know, I know - it's just jewelry right? Well, clearly not for me. It seems that I use jewelry for more reasons than just mere decoration.

Cape Amethyst Bracelet

There is much lore around the powers of gemstones and, quite frankly, the rock geek in me loves to read about all the different stones. I do believe that gemstones carry certain energy of Mother Earth - of all things that came before. How could they not? Considering the fact that many of the gemstones I use in my designs are thousands of years in the making (the gemstones, kids...not the jewelry - I'm old, but not that old!) that is a lot of life that came before. It is this thinking that drives me to showcase the gemstone, in both simple and complex designs that are not only beautiful to look at but also provide a touchstone, of sorts, for all of you who wear them.