May 31st, 2010
Shakti Collection ~ a yoga inspired collection. be infused and empowered by a gemstone’s energy.
when I’m not creating jewelry, photographing jewelry, traveling to share our jewelry, blogging about jewelry, answering emails about jewelry (you get the idea), chances are I’m practicing or teaching yoga. I’ve considered myself a yogi for many years, and my practice very much supports the work and creativity I am able to give to kdJ. Given what a integral part of my life yoga is, it was only a matter of time before kara | daniel debuted a yoga inspired line.
Introducing… the Shakti Collection
Shakti from Sanskrit ~ sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy.
represents the dynamic forces that move through the entire universe.
The Shakti Collection features yoga inspired pendants, and energetically significant gemstones. Each piece is accompanied by it’s story; the significance of the symbols and the qualities inherent in the gemstones, energy present in crystalline form. Find the perfect piece to infuse you with Shakti.
Available from kara | daniel JEWELRY at art fairs this summer and Earthly Delights.
ॐ
Posted in process
May 16th, 2010
kara | daniel earrings ~ spring | summer 2010
spring has sprung, and the awful truth is that our biggest artist dilemma this time of year is “studio or garden?”. luckily for all of our clients and collectors that are planning on seeing brand new work in the next few weeks we’ve found a work around – create with the palette of the season. our studio overlooks our organic raised vegetable beds and perennial gardens, and with one look at our jewelry this season you’ll have a sense of what’s happening right outside our windows.
rubies as deep as the magenta clematis, carnelian trying to pass as oriental poppies, jade and grossular garnet mimicking mesclun lettuces, amazonite and aventurine pop up as frequently as forget-me-nots.
it’s all about the color this season, find us and these gorgeous gems soon! find us this weekend at the East Lansing Arts Fest in East Lansing, MI.
Posted in process
February 28th, 2010
matte crab fire agate, hand-carved serpentine, matte carved aquamarine
Early in February we returned from our yearly gemstone buying adventure. We travel to Tucson, which hosts the largest international gem show, for a few dizzying days of being overwhelmed by the myriad of colors the earth creates, unique cuts and carvings, various finishes… you get the idea. Upon returning from Tucson we’ve been busy at the bench, creating our newest spring lines. As we’re just about to debut our spring collections, we thought we’d give you a sneak peek at the raw materials we’re using right now… just wait until you see the finished product.
A few of the gemstones we’re creating with: (from left to right):
- matte crab fire agate: Funny name, fabulous stone. This beautiful stone is warm amber oranges, to cool burgundy reds. It has lovely light striations, which lend a crackled appearance. These stands are softly matte finished. We’re working this in as big, chunky necklace strands, and fabulous elongated barrel shapes which make appearances as pendants.
- hand-carved serpentine: Look, touch, love. Serpentine is a mineral closely related to jade, which gives it the same pleasing properties: it’s soft, even silky to the touch and easily carve-able. And Serpentine comes in a variety of colors, as you see above: cool blues, olive green, yellow or golden, brown, cream or black. Look for these as asymmetrical accents, and landscape-esque (I can make that a word, right?) pendants.
- matte carved aquamarine: What? Aquamarine? Yes, Aqua it is. Isn’t it fabulous? Possibly my favorite find this year, these huge Aqua beauties are delicious enough to eat. I have never seen matte Aquamarine, and I’ll guess you haven’t either… just one of the reasons I love it! Look for this Aqua to be paired with those Serpentine pendants from above. And don’t forget, Aquamarine is a March birthstone – what timing.
Now that you’ve had a sneak peek at the raw materials it’s time to see the completed creations. For our Southwest Michigan fans, your chance comes this Friday, March 5th, at Kalamazoo’s Art Hop at Food Dance. With unique materials like these, each piece of jewelry is a one-of-kind creation. You’ll want to see the full spring line.
images by kdJ
Tags: gemstones
Posted in process
February 3rd, 2010
Punica Granatum ("pomegranate") & Garnet
a history of garnets
The name “garnet” comes from the Latin word granatus (“gran”) in reference to the Punica Granatum (“pomegranate”) a plant with red seeds similar in shape and color to garnet crystals. Garnet dates back to the Bronze Age and, due to is beauty and durability; it has been popular in both ancient and modern times.
In a tradition beckoning from Greek mythology, Garnet is often given as a gift of love and one that is associated with eternity. As such it is sometimes used as a symbol of trust, devotion and loyalty. In Greek mythology Hades gave pomegranate seeds to Persephone to ensure her return. This tale has led people to use the gift of garnet jewelery as a token to ensure the return of a loved one.
The garnet is actually a name for a group of silicate minerals that offer a wide range of deep colors. Garnet comes in almost every color, except blue. Below are the names of particular types of garnets and their respective color.
- Almandite – red, orange-red with brown, purple-red
- Andradite – black, green, yellow
- Demantoid – green, yellow-green
- Grossularite – brown, green, orange-yellow, white, yellow
- Hessonite – range of orange to brown
- Malaya – orange, red-orange, yellow-orange
- Melanite – black
- Pyrope – red, orange-red, purple-red; all quite dark
- Rhodolite – purple, red-purple
- Spessarite – orange-brown, red-orange, yellow, yellow-brown
- Mandarin – vibrant orange
- Tsavorite – bright, dark green
- Uvarovite – range of greens
All of these types of garnets share similar chemical and structural properties.
Garnets are produced all over the world. From The U.S. (Arizona), South Africa, Sri Lanka, Brazil, India, Argentina, Australia, Scotland, Switzerland and Tanzania – this stunning gem is found in many locals.
This Valentine’s Day give the gift of a garnet…from kara | daniel!
Tags: garnet, gemstones, stainless steel jewelry
Posted in process
January 28th, 2010
before
after
one of the most enjoyable ways to wear gorgeous jewelry responsibly is to renew a piece of jewelry or gemstone that has fallen out of rotation in your jewelry box. remember that heirloom marquis diamond that your great-aunt Mildred gifted you years ago? and you thought you’d never wear it…well now it can be the focal piece of a contemporary stainless steel ring, a tension-set pendant, almost anything you can dream up. these photos are from our latest in reNEWed jewelry. a simple and traditional diamond earring in gold longed for an update. so we created this trio of rings to show it off.
- top: stainless steel mini-scroll with gold recycled from client’s jewelry
- middle: stainless steel band with recycled gold inlay
- bottom: stainless steel mini-scroll with re-set brilliant-cut diamond
interested in a reNEWal project of your own? contact kara | daniel JEWELRY at kdJ@karadanielJEWELRY.com
images by kdJ
Tags: recycled diamonds, recycled gemstones, recycled gold, reused diamonds, reused gold, stainless steel jewelry, stainless steel rings
Posted in process
January 11th, 2010
an open-pit gold mine. for scale, notice the "huge" yellow earth-mover in the center of frame.
this huge (see the people in front of the track?) machine is used for open-pit mining of invisible gold particles. it scoops up surface ore, which is then processed chemically and eventually poured into gold bars.
I have personally been to a gold mine.
In 2003, while living in Northern California and creating large-scale functional metalwork, I had the opportunity to visit a goldmine that was in the process of closing. It’s an astounding and disturbing thing to see a hole seemingly to the center of the earth that stretches out as far as the eye can see. But, this visual has served me well to remember what an enormous impact precious metal mining has on the environment. It can take up to 20 tons of ore required to produce enough gold for a single ring. Many gold mines also release cyanide and mercury into nearby water sources and are associated with poor safety standards, inhumane labor practices, and disregard for the rights and interests of indigenous people.
So, what to do? We want to our jewelry to reflect our environmental consciousness and values, as do you. That’s why kara | daniel JEWELRY explores many ways to create jewelry that is as responsible, as it is resplendent. We work with raw material suppliers whose products are made with reclaimed/recycled metal or from third party certified, ethically mined metal. We recycle metals and gemstones from your existing jewelry to create updated and timeless pieces of art. We design with alternative metals such as stainless steel that do not carry with them such a heavy environmental and ethical price. Our commitment is to creating jewelry with integrity, that you can wear with integrity.
Posted in process
December 5th, 2009
kara & daniel @ One of a Kind Chicago
It seems fitting that our first note to you is from our last show of 2009, the One of a Kind Show Chicago. This is our first time exhibiting at One of a Kind and we’re having a great show. This is a 4 day show of 500 artists, with one-off work, in the heart of downtown Chicago at the Merchandise Mart. It’s Saturday morning, most likely the busiest day, and the doors just opened at 10:00a. Many of our Michigan friends and fans have and will make the trip this weekend to explore the show and celebrate December in Chicago. If you’re one of those lovelies, we’re thrilled you made the trip. Stop by booth 7079 and say hello, and ENJOY!
Posted in locations & events
