Amber Allena Jewelry

Sneak Peak!!

2009-11-30T20:19:00.006-05:00

Wanted to give you all a sneak peak of a few of the pieces that will be for sale this Saturday (Dec. 5th) at the Martha Stewart Holiday Sale. (See yesterday's post for more info.)

If you are interested in buying, check this out!!!

For one day only ALL Amber Allena Jewelry WILL BE 50% OFF!! Prices will range from $20-60!!

These are all limited editions so once they're gone, that's it!

But the good news is that I will always be making new designs so keep you eyes open.

Hope to see you there! xo

~Amber

Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale is this Saturday!

2009-11-29T22:03:00.007-05:00

Amber Allena Jewelry will be at the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale this Saturday (Dec 5th) from 12-6pm.

The location will be at the Martha Stewart offices in Chelsea, NYC. Free Admission!

This will be a great event to pick up a present for yourself or your loved ones! Numerous Martha Stewart employees will be selling their beautiful arts & crafts... including moi!

I've created a large assortment of beautiful new jewelry specifically for this event... all at fabulous prices too!

See flyer below for details!

Looking forward to seeing you there! Happy Holidays! xoxo

~Amber Allena

Amber Allena Jewelry is on Martha Stewart's personal blog!

2009-10-13T20:43:00.005-04:00

Amber Allena Jewelry is on Martha Stewart's personal blog! Check it out. :)

(Image 18)

http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/10/my-many-talented-employees-display-their-art.html

Amber Allena at the Martha Stewart employee art show

2009-10-07T22:53:00.007-04:00

Just shy of 4 months ago I landed a job that I absolutely adore at Martha Stewart. I am currently the Senior Retoucher for Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine. I cannot express my love working at Martha, it is truly an inspiring place to work. Check out these pictures for a perfect example of a day in the life of her fantastic company.

~Amber Allena

Amber Allena Jewelry featured!

2009-10-07T08:11:00.004-04:00

Very exciting news! Amber Allena Jewelry was featured on makingjewelrysupplies.com.

This is the sweet email that they sent to me:

'We stumbled on your blog while searching for Jewelry Making Supplies related information. We operate the largest Jewelry Supplies website featuring more than 30,000+ blogs. Our site averages 200,000+ uniques visitors per month. As a kind note We have featured your blog at http://makingjewelrysupplies.com/blog_awards/index.php?id=679.'

First Jewelry Booth Pictures

2009-05-05T15:29:00.003-04:00

Hello all, I just wanted to show you all pictures of my first jewelry booth! The event was this past Sunday at a New Age fair out in Long Island. The event was definitely a big success and the feedback from was amazing! I am so excited to attend local Brooklyn and Manhattan events/fairs. I hope to see you all soon! Thanks for supporting Amber Allena Jewelry. XO

~Amber

Amber Allena's first Jewelry show is this Sunday!

2009-04-29T13:10:00.008-04:00

Just wanted to let you know that my first official Jewelry booth is this Sunday at a New Age fair out on Long Island, so if you're free... and you want to take a mini road trip... and love New Age fairs the come on out!

Here's the address:

Levittown Hall / 201 Levittown Pkwy. Hicksville, NY 11801

Directions:

http://eyesoflearning.org/directions-to-the-eyes-of-learning

For more info see the info at the bottom of this post.

Don't worry though, if you can't make it to this show then you can catch me soon enough at Manhattan & Brooklyn Artists Markets. Hope you have a wonderful day!

~Amber Allena

This is the info posted by the Eyes of Learning:

Don’t miss the 22nd Annual Spring Festival at the Eyes of Learning! Sunday, May 3, 2009 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Treat yourself to some jewelry, crystals, T-shirts, aura photos or an intriguing gift item or two from our wonderful vendors. Attend free lectures. Have a psychic reading. Fun for all. For more information click the “Spring Festival 2009″ link on the sidebar or go to: http://eyesoflearning.org/spring-festival-2009

Amber Allena Corporate Colors

2009-04-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

Good afternoon everyone, I just thought it would be fun to post up my Corporate Colors. These colors are intended to be used throughout all Amber Allena Jewelry theme. They are inspired by natural and tropical elements... but with an extra punch of color.

Currently I am prepping all of my props and inventory for my first jewelry booth this Sunday so hopefully these colors will jump out and get customers attention while the walk by. I will definitely post pictures up of this event next week. Wish me luck! ;)

Have a wonderful day! xo

~Amber Allena

Postcards

2009-04-23T12:56:00.004-04:00

This is the first postcard design for Amber Allena Jewelry. This will be for customers to pick up while checking out my jewelry booth to remind them of my jewelry later, while also possibly picking up a few more for friends to spread the word. ;)

Amber Allena Jewelry logo is complete!

2009-04-15T11:41:00.003-04:00

The Amber Allena Jewelry is complete! As you can see there is a color version & a b&w version attached. They were designed by the lovely Natalia Rodriguez, a South Florida Graphic Designer. If you are interested in using her services I would highly recommend working with her as she is has a very quick turnaround and is extremely pleasant to work with. Here is her email address: NataliaRod@Bellsouth.net

The ideas behind this logo were that I wanted to incorporate the Golden/Fibonacci Spiral into the design b/c I felt it was a great representation of my jewelry design... meaning that I loved the organic shape of the spiral, but I also loved the Mondrian look of the boxes.

I love the font that Natalia chose because of how the A's are shaped, very pyramid looking which there are many theories of pyramid to be one of the most powerful shapes for manifestations.

The colors used in this logo are what I chose for my corporate colors. The most prominent colors will be dark brown, seafoam blue-green, and lime green... and also the occasional little bit of magenta. They are all very vibrant & eye-popping colors that I thought would help me stand out when I was working at a booth (as of course the table cloths & props would be these colors).

Here is some info about the Golden/Fibonacci Spiral which is very interesting and it shows more information as to why I chose this symbol:

The golden ratio, also known as the god ratio, golden proportion, golden mean, golden section, golden number, divine proportion or section divina, is an irrational number, approximately 1.618 033 988
749 894 848, that possesses many interesting properties. Shapes proportioned according to the golden ratio have long been considered aesthetically pleasing in Western cultures, and the golden ratio is still used frequently in art and design, suggesting a natural balance between symmetry and asymmetry. The ancient Pythagoreans, who defined numbers as expressions of ratios (and not as units as is common today), believed that reality is numerical and that the golden ratio expressed an underlying truth about existence.

Pleiades Star Cluster Penants

2009-04-01T15:14:00.003-04:00

I was recently inspired by numerous elements pointing me into the direction of star clusters. Feeling more creative and serene during the evenings I often find myself walking along the streets of New York City staring up at the sparkling stars and the glowing moon.

The first of the series is the enchanting Pleiades star cluster also known as M45, or the Seven Sisters (of Atlantis). If you are interested in learning more about the Pleiades I highly recommend doing a google/youtube search. Also Shirley MacLaine's new book 'Sage-ing While Aging' is a very interesting and informative book on this topic as well as many others.

I plan on having at least two more star clusters with this series, which includes Orion's belt and also Sirius. This sound happen within the next week or two so check back for updates.

The photos above are the process for making the pendants, 3 of them are brass (golds), 1 is copper (pink/oranges), and also titanium is used (blue/purples). I plan to buy long thin chains for each pendant in a different range of colors. Each chain & pendant can be mixed and matched per the customer's choice.

Archangel Raphael & Michael Pendants - Custom for Leena

2009-03-22T21:16:00.004-04:00

These are two beautiful custom Archangel pendants created for Leena. She chose to have the Archangel Raphael symbol on Titanium (top pendant), and an Archangel Michael pendant on silver (lower pendant).

For the shape of the pendants I chose to use a long rectangular shape because Leena wanted to add these two pendants onto her necklace that she wears daily, the necklace consists of two chains that has a few amulets and crystals hanging from it. So I had to make a pendant that would not be too large and that would also blend in nicely with her other pendants. Also these pendants needed to have a large hole so the two chains could thread through the hole.

These pendants came out gorgeous and this is an other perfect example at how Silver and Titanium can be so similar in beautiful rainbow colors despite they are very different metals.

Another bonus to these pendants is that since Leena wanted to wear these pieces 24/7, these two metals are perfect... especially the Titanium which is hypoallergenic.

Each of the Archangels have a speciality, you can call upon them for guidance:

Archangel Michael: He who is like God / Heals fear and nervousness, and clears energy

Archangel Raphael: He who heals / Heals physical illness and guides healers

(This info was taken from Doreen Virtue's book 'Angel Medicine')

Archangel Raphael Pendant - Custom for Nicole

2009-03-22T21:01:00.005-04:00

This was a custom piece for Nicole where she requested an Archangel Raphael pendant in the shape of a circle approximately the size of a silver dollar. She chose to have copper used for the pendant for all of the beautiful colors that can be achieved. The pendant came out wonderful and since Nicole adores rainbows I chose to go ahead and make a chain for the pendant and give the necklace a rainbow look.

Archangel Raphael is the angel of healing and helps guide healers.

Nicole is a Reiki healer which is why she chose this specific pendant for herself.

Feather Pendant - Completed (chain and all!)

2009-03-22T17:27:00.002-04:00

This has yet to be one of my favorite pieces! This was a custom necklace for Thomas and the only direction he gave me was that he wanted a feather and/or horn (shaped) pendant... otherwise he gave me complete freedom (which is where I believe an artist truly shines!).

I told him about an idea I had about a feather that was golds, blues, and greens... or a feather that was oranges, reds, and purples. Neither of us could decide so I decided to make both and let him chose in the end. The both came out so beautifully that we decided that both feathers on a chain would feel more balanced that just one sole feather.

(Scroll down a few posts to see the feathers during their metalsmithing progess)

So after the feathers were completed Thomas and I picked out a perfect necklace that was the perfect length and thickness. Since it was copper I was able to make these beautiful rainbow-like colors onto the chain to match the feathers.

Lastly, so soften it up slightly Thomas requested a very thin delicate chain to dangle on the chain so it was a little added interest along with the feathers. Since he didn't want a clasp either I decided to put the delicate chain hanging from where the clasp should be (so technically the necklace's back is in the front). Also to match the silver chain with the brass & copper feathers along with the copper chain I decided to give the silver chain the same rainbow color effect.

This piece really came out astounding, and a friend even commented on it being very Jim Morrisson-like which I took as a big compliment! Especially since Jim and I went to the same high school and had the same Art teacher. Cool huh? (Granted the teacher was pretty ancient when I was there.) Ha ha. Jim did have great mojo though didn't he! ;)

Titanium Guitar Pick Necklace custom for Bailey

2009-03-22T17:16:00.004-04:00

This was a custom piece for Bailey where he specified that he wanted to have a Titanium Guitar Pick on a black leather cord. As Titanium cannot be soldered I chose to use Silver for the hoops where the cord would be threaded through. The reasoning behind this was because I have discovered a technique where Silver can be colored very similar to Titanium. This worked out wonderfully as the two completely different metals appear to be very similar.

Is it becoming obvious with my obsession of different ways to create textures and colors to numerous metals? It is definitely my favorite part, because you never know what you will get exactly and even if you try to do the same technique to a similar piece it will very rarely ever look the same. Call me a nerd but it's quite exciting!! Ha ha. ;)

Archangel Pendants - (in progress & experimental)

2009-03-22T16:23:00.004-04:00

(These pendants are experimental pieces and also in-progress pendants, as I was testing my new engraver and also different coloring techniques on the different metals.)

Being one of the many people caught in this unfortunate circumstances of being unemployed during a recession, I have turned my inspiration to how I remind people of unseen guidance surrounding us. We knowingly have guardian angels around us but many people do not know that we can call upon our Archangels to also help us out in need.

A few years back I was flipping through some books for inspiration and I came across the angelic symbols for the archangel names. There are a total of 7 of these names in my book and what is wonderful is that each archangel has their own speciality.

These are the 2 most well known archangels (seen on these pendants are):

Michael: He who is like God / Heals fear and nervousness, and clears energy

Raphael: He who heals / Heals physical illness and guides healers

(information taken from the book 'Angel Medicine' by Doreen Virtue)

*If you are interested in learning more about angels I would highly recommend reading books by Doreen Virtue. She also has written wonderful books about indigo children, lightworkers, and crystal children. You can find 2 interesting interviews of her on youtube if you just search by typing in her name.

Feather pendant - Custom for Thomas

2009-03-05T15:39:00.004-05:00

This was a custom piece for Thomas. He requested a feather/hornlike pendant in approximately 3" in length. Since I could not decide which would be more desirable (the copper & green or the copper & violet) look I decided to make both... which I think wearing them both on a long blackened chain would be really beautiful.

Also as you can see I took photos throughout the process for you all to enjoy and learn a little bit about metalsmithing... maybe you can get a glimpse as to why I love it so much, i've always loved to create something beautiful out of nothing. So enjoy! xo

Love and light,

Amber

Manifestation pendants

2009-03-05T15:34:00.004-05:00

These were my idea for Manifestation pendants. Originally I had sketched them out to be circular but at the last minute while sitting at my workbench I was inspired to make them pyramid like as it seemed the manifestation rays would be more effective and beautiful. Also I wanted to use the colors of gold, copper, and green to symbolize the manifestation for money in particular. Pyramid power baby!

Futuristic Tribal Earrings

2009-03-03T12:14:00.003-05:00

The design for these earrings just popped into my head and I absolutely rushed to get them turned into a reality. I absolutely love them and also they are fun b/c they really don't seem to be any particular style (or at least I can't figure it out). These pictures are 'so so' as you really can't see the amazing colors of the copper and titanium... the colors depend on how hot your torch is and how long and intensely you hold the flame to the metal. You can really have a lot of fun with this process, at least I do! Experimental work is always the most fun!

(P.S. I plan to take better picts of these earrings but I was just excited to post them anyways.)

My workbench

2009-03-03T12:08:00.003-05:00

I thought it would be fun for you to see my workbench and see where all of my jewelry are made... well sometimes lying on the floor or sitting at the coffee table happens too but most of the elbow grease is done here. Enjoy and have a great day! xo ;)

Etsy shop is up and running!

2009-02-09T19:36:00.007-05:00

Good news everyone! My etsy shop is finally open!

( www.AmberAllena.etsy.com )

It has been a long time coming but after A LOT of hard work... it has finally paid off.

Currently my first line of jewelry is on etsy which is the guitar pick series using many different metals including copper, brass, rich-low brass, nickel, silver, and titanium. (Picts above are the first ones introduced to etsy.)

Please keep your eyes peeled on this blog and my etsy site as I have quite a few more jewelry lines up my sleeve. Currently I am working on manifestation pendants, archangel/symbol pendants, geometric/wire/crystal pendants, and lastly futuristic geometric earrings.

I am debating on putting up my sketches on this blog of these new designs to keep you all a little bit more 'in the know' of what's to come. This could be a really fun idea!

Have a wonderful night and thanks for reading! xo

Titanium & Brass Guitar Pick necklaces

2008-11-18T17:59:00.007-05:00

Ok all... I just finished 2 amazing pieces that are absolutely it! I have such an amazing feeling about these 2 necklaces that these are these are going to be my first pieces sold. I plan to make recreations of these, by the numbers... I have a great feeling these will be very popular.

Now to tell you a little about each necklace. These are my second attempt of jewelry inspired by music, as I always always have music playing as I work and it is a huge inspiration to my work.

The piece to the right (orange) is made of a sterling silver necklace & clasp, the guitar pick is made of Rich Low Brass (which I have created a beautiful tortoise effect with heat and filing), and lastly there is a touch of brass wire here and there extra color.

The piece to the left (blue) is made of a sterling silver chain & clasp, the guitar pick is made of Titanium (which I after again, heating and filing gives a wonderful Labradorite iridescent effect), and also there are touches of brass wire for extra color.

The length of these necklaces are approximately 15", so that means it rests on your neck in between your collar bone, in that little crook in your neck. It's quite adorable and gives a look of dainty rock star.

And lastly, what is really cool is that I textured each side of the guitar pick differently so this necklace is reversible depending if you want a more smooth or rough look. (Check out the pictures, you should be able to tell there.)

Now the question is to figure out a price! Ha ha.

Strobe Light Star... recently discovered

2008-10-09T17:57:00.003-04:00

Ok, being a big fan of the Hubble photographs, this is an absolutely astounding strobe light star recently discovered by European astronomers.

Normally for this blog I do not intend to post random (non-jewelry related) stuff, but you will occasionally see inspirational posts that I think you all would appreciate as well. If you would like to know any more about this 'magnetar' then check out the link below. Enjoy!

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2008/09/astronomers-spo.html?csp=34

Next piece... Rose Quartz Starburst

2008-10-09T17:42:00.005-04:00

Ok, last post of the day! Man i'm tired! ha ha.

Anyways, this next piece I am sure I will absolutely wear out... I have been wanting to create this piece for a while but couldn't until now b/c I just got a large supply of silver, copper, brass, & bronze to play around with!

So this piece will be quite large, approximately 3-4" in diameter and it will be a starburst shape filled with Rose Quartz (and maybe additionally Clear Quartz as well)... for some reason I am having a flashback to the 80s as being a child and being a big fan of 'Jem' (the cartoon). Ha ha, so I am sure it will totally look like something one of those ladies would wear.

I'll be working on it very soon so i'll keep you posted! :)

XOXO

Have a wonderful night!

A few beautiful stones & crystals soon to be used

2008-10-09T17:38:00.002-04:00

These are few gorgeous stones to be used that I have laid out for you to see... Aren't the colors and textures knockout? I love em! So keep an eye out soon!

I'll take a few pictures of my workspace/studio area & my table next to my workbench that is packed full of crystals & stones! You crystal lovers will drool! Ha ha.

Pieces in progress.... shh!!

2008-10-09T17:16:00.010-04:00

Thought you all may like to see a few pieces in progress that I am currently working on. Sometimes when I start a piece I know exactly the way I want it to look like, and other times it is just fun to play and see what comes out. I am always surprised at how much I love each end result... well at least most of the time! (minus the guitar string ring! ha ha)

So the first set of images are going to be another geometrically inspired pendant that will either be a square or a diamond shape depending on the angle. The stone used is a chunk of dark Smokey Quartz. I immediately gravitated to this stone in the store b/c of it's dark & sparkly qualities. I haven't come across Smokey Quartz this dark so it will be a lot of fun to work with.

Next up is the Quartz Crystal point pendant that I can't wait for it to be finished! This will be stunning! I still have quite a bit of work left to it but I intend for this piece to have a somewhat 'spiral' look... a kind of intensifier for the crystal. We'll see!

And lastly, these are a pair of cute little Double Terminated crystal points that are uniquely drilled twice, so I am in the process of making them into dainty little earrings, also spirally inspired. The crystals themselves are only about 1/2" wide. I guess you could say that I am not really feeling this design so knowing me it will probably change drastically. But that is a wonderful and exciting thing!

Organic earrings with Vintage glass beads

2008-10-09T17:03:00.003-04:00

While working on these earrings I just had an open mind and let whatever was going to happen... happen. I really love how organic looking these earrings came out and I love the arrowhead shape that was formed for the final piece. Also I love the little tiny ball at the top of the earring (look where the wires connect at the top).

These just turned out precious...

They are also very comfortable to wear and are super lightweight, I just the way they sway back and forth when you wear them.

The beads used are Vintage glass pearl I found in a dusty old antique shop in the middle of Nebraska.

Inspired by Musicians - Jewelry series

2008-10-09T16:55:00.004-04:00

Ok, despite this is another sad attempt I still would like to show you all my progress in projects. This is my first attempt at a jewelry series that I dreamt up... I am in the phase of deciding if this is jewelry inspired by musicians or for musicians, but either way it is my homage to music... as it is one of my very top inspirations in my art & life.

This project is combining Fine Silver with a Stainless Steel Guitar string. During this process I have learned the hard way that SS has an extremely high melting point and so therefore i'll have to be inventive and think if other ways to combine SS & FS.

I have a whole box full of musician stuff such as guitar strings of numerous metals (bronze, brass, nickel, etc.), snappy snares, drum brushes, guitar picks, microphone mesh, etc... I can't wait to figure out this line of jewelry, it will be seriously cool!

Sacred Geometry pendant

2008-10-09T16:49:00.004-04:00

I guess you could call this a part 1 of 2 project as this not quite finished. I have an idea of combining this pendant with a crystal... both being strung together onto a necklace. I'll keep you posted!

(Aren't both the front and back of this piece beautiful?)

I believe imperfections are beautiful.

Kitten face ring

2008-10-09T16:43:00.003-04:00

Good idea, bad result! Ha ha, well I know I can't win em all but even though this ring didn't work out you can still see where it was going... maybe in a few months i'll try it again, cause it would be a super adorable ring!

If anyone knows me well, they know how much of an animal lover I am... especially cats. I have 3 of them! I know I am a sucker... but I am a lover. As I recently adopted my newest addition to the family 'Lola Sky' (she's the third and final cat, unless I get a barn!) :)

I would love to do a small series of cat & dog jewelry, so keep an eye out for that one.

Vine (fused) ring

2008-10-09T16:11:00.005-04:00

An organically inspired, experimental ring...

This ring started with a more modern feel but for comfort reasons it turned into a more natural ring (as the edges of the back plate were filed/rounded down). A great thing about this ring is that it is what you could call reversible... there is no defined right way to wear the ring. It can be worn like in the pictures but also flipped so the back plate does not show... Does this make sense at all? Sorry I am a visual person as well so it is quite hard to explain! Ha ha.

The pros and cons about working with fused wire is that you will never create the exact same piece. I love it because I feel that in the melting/torching process the wire turns into whatever it wants to be. It takes quite a lot of skill & practice to repeat the same look over and over. But personally I love for each piece to look different, it's much more unique!

Pineapple Art Deco necklace

2008-10-09T15:59:00.004-04:00

This is another Art Deco inspired piece. The materials used are Fine Silver, Brass, & a Amber colored Vintage Chandelier Crystal. This pendant is quite long (approx 4" in length), but it is absolutely gorgeous and is hung on a very long necklace so it approximately reaches the top of your rib cage.

This is the first piece that I have used Brass with and I feel it is a beautiful & cost effective alternative to gold. The color is a little deeper of a warm brown than gold, but still very beautiful.

*The front and back of the pendant look exactly the same.

Weaved Silver Wire Cuff

2008-10-09T15:52:00.005-04:00

This is a beautiful design that I learned in class... it is actually a trick to the eye! Despite the fact that it looks weaved it is actually twisted! I love it. This is made of a heavy gauge Fine Silver wire.

Lunar Crystal & Azurite Pendant with Titanium

2008-10-09T13:39:00.006-04:00

This was a custom piece especially creative for my fantastic mother...

She left the design up to me but just said that she really loved the Triangle Crystal pendant, so I could do whatever I desired for her.

So my design for her was inspired by many ideas. First of all since she is a mother of two (my brother and myself) I wanted to have two separate elements that when combined make a whole (symbolizing her)... but also I was very inspired to have a lunar shape since she is female... and lastly I wanted the difference between the two sides to be very different for the obvious reason of male and female but also b/c my brother and I are quite different (even though we are both fantastic and awesome! :).

So the crystals used on the left side are Quartz crystal and Peridot (which is my birth stone)... and for the right side Azurite & mini Double Terminated Crystals are used.

For a touch of beautiful color and a unique look I added a strip of titanium which I colored by torching... hence the beautiful blue. Titanium is an amazing metal to work with because it can give you some amazing colors to add to your piece.

The properties of Peridot are:

~used to bless and energize one's work

~can assist in reestablishing a sense of self-worth

~allows one to move forward on one's evolutionary path

~used to manifest the increase of wealth, increase of health, and increase of job and emotional well-beint.

~allows you to gently expand your ability to receive from the universe

Azurite:

~strengthens the astral and etheric bodies

~seals 'holes' in the aura

~opens one's inner eye to a wide array of connections and possibilities

~a stone of synthesis whereby the discovery of new commonalities and links between different ideas leads to higher levels of understanding of life and the new world.

~a stone of insight and vision

~great aid to non-judgemental discernment

~allows one to understand the true motives in others as well as oneself

~enhances one's psi powers and helps maintain objectivity and accuracy

~stimulating to the mind and can help with learning, memorizing, writing, etc.

(These descriptions all came from an excellent book called 'The Book of Stones' by Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian)

Double Terminated Crystal pendant

2008-10-09T13:22:00.004-04:00

This double terminated crystal is one of the most beautiful crystals I have ever seen, so I knew that I would have to incorporate this into a piece of jewelry. Since I wanted to crystal to be the main focal point I decided that I needed to keep the design very simple and this 'crystal floating inside an oval idea' came into mind.

Initially I was going to have the silver arm-like piece extend from left to right because I didn't think it would hold the crystal any other way very securely... but I was wrong. This piece is very sturdy and I am quite impressed with the outcome... and another plus is that I have noticed that when I wear this piece the crystal flips from the front view to the back view which you can tell the difference by the way the crystal is wrapped by the silver arm-like piece. (the bottom pict is the back view)

Honestly for me this piece is very intense to wear, I am guessing it is because the crystal is so large and may not be intended to wear all day... but I do notice that a lot happens to me during the day (good and somewhat bad). I think this is a crystal that you just have to develop a relationship with and slowly introduce yourself to it so it won't be so overwhelming while wearing.

A little insight to my company name was that I was initially going to call it 'Modern Texture' because as I am sure you will notice, I love to use simple geometric shapes but also using a lot of texture in my pieces whether it be from the stones used or from the way the silver is textured/finished.

Pearl Swirl earrings

2008-10-09T13:13:00.003-04:00

These were a quick fun little project that came out pretty adorable. Just a simple look with a fun twist. The pearls used are Vintage Japanese Glass pearls and also the wire is fine silver. The earrings are very light weight but are very dainty but they are somewhat larger in size and are quite durable. Great for a classic and also fun look.

Crystal triangle pendant

2008-10-06T14:28:00.004-04:00

This is my all time favorite piece yet! I guess you could call her my baby. This was yet another experimental piece (see a trend happening :) that my teacher said just would not work out... but being a stubborn artist... I kept working at it. I just simply adore the end result.

The piece is made of fine silver, and natural quartz crystals.

Notice the diamond shaped details on the back of the pendant, and also the tiny silver balls hidden among the crystal points.

Properties: 'Quartz crystal is the universal stone. It is a pure and powerful energy source. It receives, activates, stores, transmits, and amplifies energy. Stimulates brain functions and activates all levels of consciousness. Brings harmony to the soul.'

Chandelier Crystal earrings

2008-10-06T14:03:00.006-04:00

This was and experimental technique with vine-like fusing of wire and chandelier crystals. They came out really beautiful and are extremely sturdy. I really like the organic feel of the fine silver wire with the classy touch of the sparkly vintage glass crystals.

Bubble / Sea Urchin Ring

2008-10-06T12:22:00.002-04:00

In comes Amber's love for Art Deco design and natural textures! This ring is quite large and bulky as inspired by an old Art Deco cocktail ring, yet the bubble / sea urchin look was created for a 'natural' inspiration. The pearl used is actually a vintage Japanese glass pearl, and the ring is solid fine silver.

(FYI: Fine siver is 99.9% pure, and Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals.)

Punk Ring

2008-10-06T12:16:00.002-04:00

This ring was an inspiration to my love of rough and intense textures. This is obviously very punk inspired as well. The ring is solid Sterling Silver and is quite heavy in weight... and it is quite the self defense mechanism! Ha ha.

The ring was created in such away that the highest spike points are at the top of the ring so while you wear it, the spikes that touch the inside of your other fingers are not bothered by the lower/smaller spikes. (Please see 2nd image to verify what I am talking about.)

Cosmic Ring

2008-10-06T12:05:00.005-04:00

This ring was inspired by all of the thousands of amazing Hubble photographs that I absolutely love and dream about all the time. The stone used is 'Chrysoprase', properties:

Helps make conscious what is unconscious. It strengthens the workings of insight and the higher consciousness.

Amber Allena's BIO (in entirety)

2008-10-06T11:38:00.009-04:00

Amber Allena was born in sunny Florida and grew up on the Indialantic beaches. As a child she was always very creative, but it was in high school that she discovered her true talent as an artist. The summer of her high school graduation she started her college training as a Graphic Artist. After briefly living in Boston she moved back to Florida to attend the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Graduating in 2002 with a B.S. in Graphic Design she decided that she needed to move to 'the big city' so she could exceed in her career.

While working in NYC, Amber has solely worked as a Digital Imaging Specialist (Retoucher) for many well known magazines and companies. She is truly talented in the field as she describes retouching as 'painting on the computer all day', and it is also fantastic because you are required to have an extreme amount of patience.

In the summer of 2007, Amber was inspired to take a 'hobby' class and thought silversmithing would be fascinating, especially considering you are making an everlasting piece of artwork that can be worn on a daily basis, also she loved that people buy jewelry for themselves or others as a token of appreciation, love, and/or just to simply make them feel good about themselves... plus the thought of working with a torch sounded amazing!!!

Amber Allena has described Jewelry Design as having to use more of her Graphic Design skills in this industry than anywhere else. As a lover of many different types of fashion, music, and time periods... she likes to show off these different elements in her design. Also being a very positive and spiritual person she likes to show off her love of naturally formed crystals and spotlight them in her modern designs... and of course keeping their healing properties in mind while creating each piece.

Amber Allena's jewelry is not only unique in design, but also each stone/crystal used is of a very high quality, and is made with pure and loving intentions for the future wearer. Amber intends to use eco-friendly packaging and also will use sage leaves to pad each piece from not only from damage in transit, but also so when you get home you will be able to 'cleanse' each piece with the sage.

Allena is actually Amber's middle name that was given to her by her mother in honor of her grandfather (last name Allen) and his Cherokee heritage. At the age of 14 he left his reservation in order to find a better life for himself, which he succeeded in creating. Amber is very much in touch with this Native American side of herself and honors this through her spiritual quest.

Currently Amber Allena is slowly setting up her business and would like to be selling on etsy.com & at local art/craft fairs soon ( AmberAllena.etsy.com ), so please keep checking that link to see when she is selling, or you can email her at AmberAllena@gmail.com to get on the subscription list.