IK Jewellery

05/07/2024

I'm just dropping in to share with you a commission that I completed recently. I was able to snap some pics of the finished piece in the light of the gorgeous day we were blessed with here in the Okanagan before the pendant was given over to its new wearer.

I've had this moonstone in my stash for about 6 years, saving it for a time when the right project called for it, and the one who commissioned me liked this stone the best out of the ones that I had set aside that would be appropriate for her request. I just love how the sunlight strikes that icy blue flash within the stone!

I do not recommend making a tree of life design using 24 gauge wire, which is what I used here. It fought hard against me, but I was determined to wrangle those wires into position. I had my doubts about how it would turn out, but the end result is very pleasing! Trusting the process is something I have to remind myself about wire wrapping a lot of times when things feel like they are getting away from me.

Thanks for looking!

05/06/2024

Recently, a lady in my community reached out to me to fulfill a commission for her to make pendants to be given as gifts for an upcoming wedding this summer, and of course, I accepted this great honour.

I must say, it was very refreshing to take a break from the work I've been doing and become absorbed in the meditative motions of wire weaving again. I don't enjoy all aspects of wire working, but when it comes to doing complex weaves, I'm in my zone. It's very therapeutic to detach myself from the world around me and just be present, and with every breath, inspiration for how to form the wire brings calm to my racing thoughts.

All in all, I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to provide this element to the wedding of this woman's family.

Thanks for looking!

05/05/2024

05/05/2024

I completed this project as a commission for a lady at my family member's place of work. The lady reached out to me, seeking a gift for her sister's birthday coming up. Her sister possesses a lot of jewellery, so this gift had to be something unique and special, like nothing else she has, and a handmade adornment fits the bill.

We incorporated her favorite colour pink with this rose quartz stone from Shawanda Rocks, Crystals & Gems Holistic Wellness Center. I set the stone in sterling silver, as the cool tone of the metal contrasts with the warmth of the rose quartz, and I made a coordinating set of earrings to complete the ensemble.

It was requested that the earrings be made without a stone, so I did my best to create something complementary to the pendant, but I think my imagination ran a little wild! Also, I wanted to cram as much silver content into the piece that I could manage. I plan to revisit this earring design, but with the addition of a stone.

In the end, the lady was very happy with the commission and plans to reach out again for a set for herself in the future!

Thanks for looking!

05/04/2024

This pendant was inspired by the creative works of . My feeble attempt at this design is a farcry from the finesse with which she fashions her works, but I did my best to capture her style.

I acquired the featured stone at a gemshow last year, but I do not recall the type. Let me know if you have any guesses as to the identity of the stone! It looks mighty beautiful in silver!

Thanks for looking!

02/10/2024

It's my birthday today!

In celebration of my 30th birthday, I am having a 30% off sale in my Etsy store!

The sale will run from today through the 14th, so if you've had an eye on one of my pieces listed in the shop, now is your chance to snag it.

https://shopikjewellery.etsy.com

01/28/2024

$75 - This pendant features a tiger's eye stone and is wrapped in sterling silver wire in the design of a cleaver.

All my jewellery works come complete with an 18 inch chain (not silver), jewellery polishing cloth, and care instructions, all neatly presented in a gift box.

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I had completed this pendant earlier in the month, but I had not gotten around to posting it until now.

I'm hoping that this design, being my first make of the new year, will be a symbol of what is in store for me in 2024 as I SLAY, SLAY, SLAY it with my jewellery business!

This pendant was inspired by the creative works of kristasjewelry. My feeble attempt at this design is a farcry from the finesse with which she fashions her works, but I did my best to capture her style.

It was a very refreshing exercise to create this piece and was a lot more difficult than I anticipated. I made two versions because I had so much difficulty with the first. So, I made life easier for myself and doubled up the wrapping all throughout the framework so that when I started tightening wires, they didn't shift from position like the first version did.

Thanks for looking!

01/27/2024

NFS - I've been labouring over this project for the last two weeks, and now I present the most elaborate and impressive piece I've made to date!

This scarab pendant is a design I've had in mind to make for two years. Once I was able to gather all the stones I required and sketch a coherent concept of how I might secure all these stones and structure the wires to frame the piece, then I was able to finally get to work on it.

All in all, it was a joy to exercise my creativity once again. I have felt a stagnation with my wire wrapping craft, and this project was exactly what I needed to break out of that rut I was feeling. This will be my 7th year of wire wrapping, so I was hoping that something significant like this would unfold.

Thanks for looking!

12/13/2023

$120 - This pendant is wrapped in copper wire and features a lapis lazuli stone with a moonstone accent.

All my jewellery works come complete with an 18 inch chain, jewellery polishing cloth, and care instructions, all neatly presented in a gift box.

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It is not very often that I work with irregular shaped stones, and a crescent moon shape is one that I have been eager to try my hand at wrapping for a long time.

This pendant is wrapped in copper wire and features a lapis lazuli stone, which I acquired from Expressions of Time, and paired it with a gleaming moonstone accent.

I have two more specimens of this stone, with which I plan to make variations of this style and try to simplify the design.

Thanks for looking!

12/13/2023

$120 - This pendant features a luscious strawberry quartz heart-shaped worrystone, which I purchased from overthemoon.jewelry, with a peridot accent stone.

I'm really excited about this pendant because I developed a new technique to capture the stone to allow the indent of the worrystone to be unobstructed, thus resulting in the cleanest back I've ever made!

I don't think this technique would work for all stone shapes, but it could work for polished stones that don't have a flat back.

Thanks for looking!

12/10/2023

I am set up at the final "Christmas in the Country" East Kelowna Market for the year, from 10am to 3pm today! Find us at 2704 East Kelowna Rd.

Come out and support your local small business vendors, makers, bakers, and creators, and help make their Christmas wishes come true this season by supporting their work.

Hope to see you there!

12/10/2023

$75 - This is a peridot that I had wrapped way back in August, but was not happy with the capture of the stone, and so I never posted it.

After all the wires were in place, the stone was so loose that I could shake it like a maraca, and an audible noise would emanate from it. Although the stone couldn't fall out of its capture without force, I was not proud of this sloppy workmanship, and so I set it aside for another time.

The motivation eventually overcame me to fix the pendant, and I'm very pleased that it was an easy adjustment in the end. I unweaved the braid at the bail and pulled on the wires so that it would cinch the weave running around the opening through which the stone is visible. Then I re-wrapped the braid, and the project is now finally acceptable.

This was the smallest stone I've ever wrapped! Let me know how I did!

Thanks for looking!