sea glass jewelry for your wedding day

{ photo by christina friedrichsen, intimateweddings.com }

[as a special friday treat, please welcome today's guest host christina friedrichsen of IntimateWeddings.com, the go-to website for anyone planning a small wedding. not only a wedding expert, she's here to talk about sea glass, a fascinating subject i knew *nothing* about. etsy has a whole world of sea glass jewelry and supplies i'd barely even registered -- thank you so much, christina!]

Sea glass is my latest obsession. Not only is it a hot collectible�it makes gorgeous wedding jewelry.

Just in case you have no idea what sea glass is, it�s glass�mainly from bottles, but also from tableware, pottery and other glassware�found in lakes and oceans that has been smoothed by the sand and tumbling action of the waves.

A well-frosted piece of sea glass will have tossed and turned in the waves for several years. In fact, most of the good pieces have been in the water for several decades�and some rare pieces are more than 100 years old. Black sea glass can date back to the 1700s!

Some people call sea glass jewels of the sea, or mermaid�s tears. And some serious collectors travel the earth for rare pieces to add to their collections. Serious collectors will rappel off cliffs, scuba dive and kayak to very remote locations to find the most precious of sea jewels. As for me, I just scour the shoreline.

There are online groups devoted to sea glass (seaglasslovers.ning.com and seaglassartists.ning.com) and even sea glass festivals (The North American Sea Glass festival in Erie, PA will be held in October.)

One excellent resource is Richard Lamotte�s Pure Sea Glass. In sea glass circles, this book is often referred to as the �bible� for sea glass collectors.

Sea glass makes gorgeous wedding jewelry. Everything from bezel cup pendants, to wire wrapped earrings. It�s even used to make flip flops for beach brides.

White is the most common colour of sea glass. Despite its prevalence, I think there�s nothing more beautiful than a perfect piece of frosted white. And it goes so well with a wedding gown!

Sea glass jewelry is also a lovely gift for your bridesmaids. You can choose any colour of the rainbow and a simple pendant can cost less than $20.

I�ve handpicked some sea glass jewelry from Etsy. And if you are interested in learning more about sea glass, please check out seaglassrocks.com, my new blog on sea glass collecting.






{each photo links to its shop}

please also check out christina's Intimate Weddings Blog for heaps of fresh ideas on planning an intimate wedding � and don�t forget to check out the Intimate Weddings Venue Finder for unique, intimate wedding venues. more on sea glass at seaglassrocks.com -- happy friday, everyone!

noaki: vintage + art deco wedding jewelry

{ golden feather bracelet }
.
from the mailbag: LA-based noaki's delightful work breathes new life into one-of-a-kind or limited edition vintage and art deco pieces. they have an airiness and lightness to them that's hard to pin down: the same pieces could see a summer beach wedding or a glittering winter affair. then of course there's the eco-friendliness of repurposing and rehabilitating old gems and metals. east coast meets west coast... these are fresh modern takes on classic designs.





for more info see noaki.etsy.com

blancamonrosgomez: simple wedding bands

{ custom made wedding bands and seed ring }

oh, bliss. perfect, simple handmade wedding rings in white, yellow, or rose gold. recycled metals, loves custom work, handmade in brooklyn: love at first sight.




more info at blancamonrosgomez.etsy.com

colleenbaran: unique silver goods

{ the love inside no. 5 ring, made to order }

canadian multidisciplinary artist colleen baran makes clever silver things. see the ring above, which has space in it for a piece of mylar that you can write little sweet stories on. or the ring below that you can write love notes and coil them up in. she "often uses language and stories as an element and loves pieces that can be customised or adjusted by the wearer...."

these would make unusual bridal jewelry (felt on sterling?), or gifts for your bridal party. pretty, simple, and unusual.






more at colleenbaran.etsy.com

adornandcherish: gorgeous reworked jewels

{ wire-wrapped gold hoop earrings with labradorite brioletttes }

oh, i have found me a new favorite shop.
friends, behold! my checklist of awesomeness:

• simple yet eclectic? check.
• reworked and recycled? check.
• vintage and modern? check.
• custom jewelry rehab? check.
• based in boston? wicked pissah check!

i *heart* this store, with its one-of-a-kind heirloom goodness. if there's one thing i'm obsessed with, it's the idea of character -- that jewels passed down from your mothers and grandmothers, even the estate and vintage finds worn by strangers, have meaning and history and soul. at the very least they prevent someone from digging up and processing new metal and rocks. i believe passionately in creative reuse, and this seller is doing amazing work.

she has beautiful rediscovered finds ready to go, or you can send adorn+cherish old gemstones, metals, and jewelry, and she will craft something new and perfect just for you. two thumbs up. 5 stars. wine spectator rating: 100. a 10 in beijing.








more at adornandcherish.etsy.com
see also the blog! adorncherish.blogspot.com

{update 6.aug.08: who knew! they got rid of the perfect 10 in gymnastics this olympics!}