Posted on
April 10, 2017
by
Gina Pankowski
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Aventure and Jewels - Mom's Treasure From India
My Mother loves adventure. I love that she spontaneously took this trip to India on her own with a small group of people she barely knew. She is over 70 and still excited about each new possibility. The treasure she brought home is this gorgeous 3ct Emerald cabochon gem. I am so excited to transform her emerald into an heirloom she can wear and be reminded of her special trip. Follow the journey of my mother's emerald from gem to treasured jewel here on my blog.
The big reveal will be on Mother's Day May 14th of course!
My first round of sketches for the ring show on the left one design with the gem oriented in two different ways and a side view to show more detail of the setting. The idea on the right is similar though paired down with the prongs oriented like an X as you can see from the detail I've drawn of the underside of the setting. The top right shows the prongs folded up to capture the gem.
If you were to choose, which one is your favorite design?
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Custom design,
Gems,
gold,
Gold Jewelry,
rings
Posted on
March 02, 2017
by
Gina Pankowski
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Posted in
Gems,
Gold Jewelry,
rings,
store news
Posted on
March 01, 2016
by
Gina Pankowski
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I am presenting a new collection this Friday!
March 4th from 6-9pm at Fremont Jewelry Design
3510 Fremont Place North, Seattle
New Pendants and Rings combining my geometric and minimal aesthetic with a beautiful array of ethically sourced gems that include my current obsession with Moonstone, Agate and Opals.
This pendant I call "Moon Over Maury Mountain" the source of the beautiful gray, blue, and white translucent agate with Owyhee Blue Opal, both from Central Oregon.
The translucent agate here captures a stunning world! You may see snow on a misty mountain morning or cresting waves of the ocean on a moonlit night.
These new pieces are entirely hand made by me in my Seattle studio from recycled precious metals. I have been taking pleasure in collecting gems and minerals and interpreting my surroundings all my life. This new collection is a celebration of the beauty and phenomenal stuff our world is made of!
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Gems,
Gina Pankowski jewelry,
Gold Jewelry,
Hand Made,
Necklace,
rings
Posted on
January 28, 2016
by
Gina Pankowski
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The light and colors of Seattle are primarily dim and soggy grey in January. What I love about this time is that it gives me a chance to relax post-holiday and hunker down to plan my creative output for the year.
I’ve been studying, sketching and collecting. Diving into stacks of books on gems and gemology. Learning about everything from the lore of healing properties of many gems to details of identifying the different gem mineral groups and their physical qualities like hardness and what makes them unique is so much fun. Particularly fascinating to me are crystal irregularities like the silk inclusions in sapphires that create a star effect. You can see an example in the rare yellow star sapphire at the bottom of the necklace in progress photo.
Color and patterns found in agates of all kinds are flooding my imagination. As you can tell in my designs I am obsessed with line and pattern! The addition of plains of color in the kinetic rings and sculptural chain designs in my collection is on the drawing board and in process.
My studio is busy with experimentation at the lapidary, slicing thin windows of agate. My outlook is bright for 2016!
Thank you for reading! Leave me a note and tell me what you like about seeing my process!
Posted in
Gems,
Hand Made,
Silver Jewelry
Posted on
April 07, 2015
by
Gina Pankowski
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In this handful of inspiration are gems from my collection ready for new designs.
Three Arizona Turquoise that lift my spirits with a pure sky blue that is all natural.
The beautiful lavender cabochon is a rare Mojave Blue Chalcedony, very translucent showing the bubble like forms from the gems botryoidal growth pattern as shown here in the uncut sample image.
In the center of my palm is White Australian Opal that sparkles with pin pattern colors of chartreuse green, lavender and red. I acquired this gem from an estate collection, it has been out of the ground for over 40 years. With the high water content of Opal,the gem may lose color from dehydration. That’s why an Opal should be protected from too much sun and heat. An overnight soak in distilled water a couple times a year will help keep the gem bright and colorful.
On the left is a glowing round Moonstone. The shimmer or schiller of this gem is created when two minerals Orthoclase and Albite together have been heated and slowly cool. They separate into microscopic layers that reflect light brightly when cut into a smooth rounded cabochon like this one.
If you find any of these gems irresistible they are available for custom designs.
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Gems
Posted on
February 06, 2015
by
Gina Pankowski
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I like to eat chocolate, give gifts, buy jewelry and flowers all the time.
Seattle is a great place for chocolate. We are the home of some world renowned chocolate makers like Theo's and Fran's. If I want to really indulge I go to the Chocolate Box. Located downtown Seattle between 1st and 2nd Ave. on Pine. This treasure trove carries dozens of artisinal chocolate brands like Chocolat Vitale and Pink Peony of Bainbridge Island. At Chocolate Box you will also find Organic and Fair Trade, if you just can't get enough they teach Truffle Making Classes!
Now for the gift of jewelry, always memorable and always appreciated!
The Double Diamond Link Bracelet by Gina Pankowski in Sterling Silver with Garnet Heart (.70 ct) and gun metal patina.
Finally the flowers, for me are best in the garden where they bloom and bloom again! This long stemmed red rose was grown from a bouquet my sweet gave to me many years ago. Yep I lopped off the buds from half of the bunch and planted the stems. It was February and by late summer that year I had three healthy plants of long stem red roses! A couple garden moves later I still have two of the shrubs and many flowers to pick all summer. In case you are wondering, my love still gives me bouquets occasionally!
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Gems,
Hand Made,
Silver Jewelry
Posted on
February 15, 2014
by
Gina Pankowski
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Beautiful blue gemstones I found at The Tucson Gem Shows include Indicolite Torumaline, Tanzanite, Montana Sapphire, Australian Black Opal and Brazilian Cats Eye Tourmaline.
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Posted in
Gems
