Handmade Gemstone Jewelry FAQs
Gemstones are a true love story. Ask any jewelry artist about their favorite stones to work with and each one will have a different answer and list a different reason.
While not all of my designs include gemstones, several do. I wanted to shed some light on this material and why I enjoy working with it so much. Here are some frequently asked questions I receive about my handmade gemstone jewelry designs.
Where do you get your gemstones from?
I have a few metalsmith vendors for jewelry making that I simply love. One of my go-to's for gemstones is Dakota Stones. They have high-quality gemstone beads that aren’t dyed and even when I order them online I know I’m getting quality stone beads. For gemstone cabs, I have a few other favorite vendors that I regularly visit including Village Silversmith and Barlow’s Gems.
When shopping with someone I don’t know I’ll always check to see if the cut of the stone is consistent, that there aren’t chips or cracks in my stones, and I’ll know that the gemstones I receive are naturally colored, not died.
How do you set your stones?
I’ve been asked multiple times about creating custom handmade gemstone jewelry with specific gemstones. While I love working with cabochons, I am not comfortable working with faceted stones. For now, I stick to cabochons, or those gemstones with flat backs when I set stones. If you have a faceted stone you need set, I'd recommend inquiring elsewhere.
What are some tips for properly caring for gemstones?
Unless they are soft stones, gemstones don’t really need much fuss. I’ve worn several pieces for years without any special care. However, if you’d like to clean any of your gemstones, I’d recommend looking up that information online.
What are your favorite gemstones to work with?
This is a hard question to answer because it changes every time I discover something new. It’s easier to say that I gravitate towards gemstones that have cooler colors in them. Ultimately though, I have found that I’ve recently been selecting gemstones that have interesting inclusions that add visual interest
Handmade gemstone jewelry FAQs answered
I love working with gemstones in my jewelry designs and wanted to be sure to clear up some of the questions I hear most often. If you have other question, check out my other Fifth Essence Jewelry FAQs. What questions do you have about gemstone jewelry? Share them below in the comments!