These photos are of a few pieces that are special orders, works in progress. The various colors of wax will be lost as they translate into 14kt gold or silver through the magic of lost wax casting. They aren’t finished, but on the way there…
Making new designs, works in progress
May 7th, 2010
Moonstone Beach: Chalcedony vs Moonstone
April 15th, 2010
After a busy weekend at faire, we visit a beach named after one of my favorite gemstones, the Moonstone. Gem moonstone is found all over the globe, but the prettiest ones seem to come from Asia, mainly India and Sri Lanka. The lovely shimmer of blue, silver and other colors is due to twinning, whereby the right handed and left handed spiraling symmetries of the lattice of the feldspar dancing their dance in the same place, makes light do funny things. Adluaresence it is called, and only for moonstones. Like a moonbeam shining into a shimmering pool. Cool
We head up the coast to Hearst Castle, and on the way down visit Moonstone Beach. In tidal pools amongst big rocks and kelp that bobs like otter heads in the surf, the predominantly greenish grey gravel occasionally offers up little white “moonstones”. Not really a feldspar, we have here a variety of chalcedony with a white coating, agate like layers, small and jewel like. Occasionally there is a pocket of druzy, little crystals of quartz, peaking from a semi hidden cavity.
We go to a local jewelry store in Cambria, called Moonstones, and they have on display a large variety of real moonstones, and a little display of the local stone for comparison.
Moonstone is said to be a gemstone to help one connect of ones inner guidance, something which may get clouded by conflicting notions and beliefs. Like a moonbeam illuminating the pool of one’s subconscious mind.
I have a wide variety of gem moonstones in my shop, with the beautiful rainbow adularesence from India, the midnight purple blue of gem Sri Lanka moonstones. I have an incredibly clear and colorful gem moonstone from a new locality in Tanzania. I also have bespeckled moonstone from Madagascar and silver catseye from India. Come to my site, jewelrybydaoud
Shown below is a sample of the local Cambria Moonstone beach chalcedony verses the rainbow moonstone from India.
A close call
April 13th, 2010Early morning the last Sunday of the Arizona Renaissance Festival, we awake to Mary yelling “FIRE!”. Five shops away, a blaze has erupted, a brisk breeze sending the flames our way. In PJ’s, and half a sleep, I marshall helpful Ren folk in our hurried evacuation. A tray of gemstones falls into the dirt, Valiant Bruce Bramson stands on the upper balcony with an intermittent water hose.
It is like looking down a precipice, staring at a huge loss and a lot of rebuilding in the face. I am very thankful for all of the help and good wishes of so many people united in their concern. A casual viewing of our line of buildings shows a massive hulk of burned buildings ending just 20 feet from my shop. Whew!
Peridot Mining in Arizona
April 13th, 2010Emery, an Apache peridot miner
Making a run down to Safford to take a badly needed hot springs spa retreat, we passed through the town of Peridot, Arizona. A mesa near here is capped with a basalt flow rich in this lovely lime green mineral. The basalt layer ranges from ten to one hundred feet in thickness.
Via a contact at a local casino, I hooked up with Emery, a handsome oak tree of a fellow who wields a thirty pound hammer to separate peridot crystals from the basalt. 9/11 has denied him access to badly needed dynamite, so hammer and wedges are what he uses, as well as a backhoe.
Emery sells his material to one person, but offered to come down to the Renaissance Festival to show me what he has. He showed up with some gorgeous chunks of Basalt with lovely crystals of peridot, some tumbled peridot beaded necklaces and bracelets, and some crystals of peridot. I like to mix peridot with green pearls in my jewelry. I love to put garnets and peridot together on one of my rings. Peridot is usually put in silver but looks very nice in gold. Visit my shop online!
Arizona peridot is beautiful, plentiful, and beloved worldwide. Emory said the material from Pakistan is more rare and larger in size. Peridot is found on the isle of St John in the Red sea where it is still mined in small quantities. Queen Cleopatra is said to have possessed green stones mislabled emeralds from this isle. The bible misnames this stone as topazos as well.
Emory showed up with his goodies and I bought samples of the rough as well as a lovely three strand necklace of tumbled period, a few bracelets, and a bunch of chunky peridot crystals. Yummy!
Other gemstones from Arizona: Four Peaks Amethyst and “anthill” garnets from the four corner’s region. And more hot springs? There is much to explore in Arizona.
Much has been written on the metaphysical properties of Peridot, check out one of the many websites that deal with this subject, such as:
Photography
January 29th, 2010Each year I lay before me the task of taking good pictures of my work for the website and publishing. I’ve had others do it for me, and they’ve done well, but I like to be a part of each side of this great adventure, a many featured small business.
Taking pictures of jewelry is difficult and at times exasperating. I’ve been having fun with it, too. Visit my shop to see what we’ve done
Here’s a few that I photographed and had my daughter Myca work on in Photoshop: deco ring and the
Recent visitations in the desert of Arizona
April 14th, 2009The desert, to the uneducated eye might seem barren of life, but here in the Sonoran desert by the Superstition Mountains, the Arizona Renaissance Festival is the center of abundance. I’ve included some pictures of animals I’ve seen recently here, including a Sonoran Cane Toad and a tortoice. We have the incessant hooting of owls on top of our shoppe and a cacophony of birds.
Our sales are steady these days, a great relief amidst economic uncertainty. I appreciate the many loyal folk who patronize our shoppe, come to look at our new stones, and to listen to a yarn or two. Visit my online store to see where we’re going next.
Thank you!
The SteamPunk Kiln
April 14th, 2009I arrived to this lovely show down in North Carolina, All set up, but alas, I realize that I have no kiln. I use a burnout kiln to heat the metal cylinder called a flask, making the wax melt out of its plaster prison, and is replaced by gold or silver, slammed into place by a centrifuge and a casting is born! Visit my shoppe to see what the finished product looks like.
My old friend Bob taught me how to use a crab cooker and a clay pot, but I wanted to improve the process with a steam punk burnout kiln, in the style of a mad scientist.
I found a star radiant heater under the seat of the old trailer I work out of, placed it beneath a bucket lined with insulation, loaded in a few flasks ready for burnout, cranked it up, and lo! It didn’t get hot enough! I purchased a weed burner to bump up the heat. I think I’ll modify it for burningman for a Christmas present to myself.
After some missteps, I finally got the contraption to work, and thanks to the temperature gague, it will suffice to help me make christmas orders and allow me to be creative. To see the full process of doing a lost wax casting, please visit this link.
What inspires my work
April 14th, 2009
I am a jeweler who designs and sells my work primarily through Renaissance Festivals. I work in silver and gold, and have a variety of designs both whimsical and fantastic, as well as Celtic knot and Art Nouveau designs. I specialize in wedding rings and sets. My website is jewelrybydaoud.com
I usually get special orders from people, and that defines where I go with my creativity. Want a winged monkey earring? Send me in that direction and I research it, and develop and sculpt a wax model, cast it up, refine it, and then mold the best in the series for my final piece. The process of casting is documented on my website at the following address: http://jewelrybydaoud.com/waxcasting.asp
I’m inspired by nature and the grand chaotic fractal world of vines, leaves, flowers and branches. I frequently make the prongs to hold stones secure out of these design elements. I use animals, birds, reptiles and such in the same way. The beak of a bird may hold in a side of a stone, or the tongue of a gecko and his padded feet to secure a stone, such as in the Gecko ring. For an example of the Gecko ring in gold, check here: http://jewelrybydaoud.com/detail.asp?ProductID=149&cat=3&subcat=36
Because I’m sometimes trying to meet the needs of a customer for their special project, and then they allow me to add this new design to my zoo, I’m open to the wide world of possibilities. I’m listing some directions I’d like to go, should anyone like to commission me for something in that direction.
Ideas for future projects:
American Indian pictographs on rings or necklaces
large pectoral necklaces with gemstones and floral or art deco themes
Ancient Coin jewelry, already in the works, more on this later…
Luckenbooth broaches and rings, I have a few right now, but no photos as yet.
The Romance of the Renaissance
April 14th, 2009
Walk down the lane of the village at one of the larger Renaissance festivals in America, and you might run into my jewelry shop, sometimes built to look like an ancient temple, a many towered princess fort or a Swiss Chalet, what ties them together is the sparkly treasures found within.
Dressed in a leather vest, feathered hat with favors and pins a plenty, I stand next to the red headed charmer/comedian, Starr. In this theatre of a Renaissance Village, playful interaction, jesting, and telling a yarn to amused onlookers is the order of the day. Get silly and try on some gorgeous pearls, why don’t you? Have Da’oud take a look at the diamond you’ve been saving in that hideous setting Grandma left you…Or let us weave a yarn about the the symbolism behind the rings. Give extra meaning to the event. Let the colors of your wedding help you choose the colored pearls you could be wearing.
At the Renaissance Festival people get dressed up, eat exotic food, imbibe ale or wine, and meander into a realm of silliness, beauty, and humour. We here at Jewelry By Da’oud hope to provide fulfillment in the realm gemstone colors and shiny adornment. We carry the bone pins you’ll see others wearing in the shire with pirate sayings and funny quips. Fantasy, humor, and romance make our shop an exciting place to visit.
The Fung Shui of a bird’s nest
April 14th, 2009
Every year, when I arrive at the Colorado Renaissance Festival, wild birds have colonized the rafters with a nest or two, filled with eggs.
One day, we find a blue egg broken on the floor below the last nest. Later, four little chicks hatch, and a riot of chirping ensues each time the parents fly in to feed them. For a time, Daddy finch, red breasted and diligent, brings food. Mama finch keeps up the heroic effort, long after the dad has disappeared.
On the weekend, we lay out our jewelry, dress up in Renaissance garb, and converse with the crowds. Mama finch flies into our booth, between costumed heads and the ornate roof. Tweet freaking tweet, all sales stop for a moment as Mama regurgitates into peeping throats of intrepid chicks.
I get codependent with these little beings, worrying about their future. How will they survive amongst the many hazards that await, the crows that flock, the cats. It’s nerve wracking.
The next weekend, the birds are ready to fledge, yet crowds abound. I worry. Luckily, they wait till monday, and take off, one by one, leaving the nest empty, and the booth is alive with happy flying little birds. Even red breasted Papa arrives for the big event.
I am told that in fung shui, the nest was situated in the public recognition, reputation and esteem section of the booth, a propitious place for new life to emerge. Precious emeralds, sparkly alexandrite, passionate rubies find new homes. On the peak of my shoppe’s tower, a baby finch sings a joyful tune.
I hope I handle it better next year.
