it’s officially fall… the equinox has passed and the shift of season is upon us. as I start to layer on clothes this fall and brew my favorite chai tea with almond milk, I’m creating jewelry that has an inherent warmth to it too. it’s all about the warmth and brilliance of rutile quartz this fall. rutile, as it’s often shortened, has all the clarity of quartz, with the most spectacular golden “needles” (or “inclusions” ) penetrating the quartz. it shines, it shimmers, it blazes. we love it.

the mineral rutile  is made up mostly of titanium dioxide. when rutile appears within quartz, creating rutilated quartz, it often appears as needles of included color. in the gorgeous examples we’re working with this fall, the rutile quartz looks as if it is filled with gold fibers, however there is copper rutile and a gray rutile as well. golden rutile has also been known by various names: Venus hair stone, Fleches d’amour, and Cupid’s darts. energetically rutile is a gemstone that helps to bring ease in transitions…and who couldn’t use a little help there!

You can find a preview of this fall’s Gold Collection in our photo gallery, and shop it in person at many of our galleries and boutiques. enjoy & wear it well!

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

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.

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.