I've been busy!

Back to jewelry creating. Several years ago I was creating my artisan gemstone jewelry for a local gallery and it always sold so well. So I want to get back to my roots, so to speak, and I've started with these:This is my newest piece. The beads are a lovely amethyst with naturally occuring inclusions of milky white swirls and tan.This is more like my older pieces. This is one of my favorite designs where I bring together a mixture of metals and textures.I love gorgeous materials and timeless design, but even more I love the making and gifting of it. You will find my jewelry for sale on my website at http://www.cyanrift.com/. You can also shoot me an email and I will respond back. Happy Holidays! -Sharon Marzonie

Will travel for gemstones!

As the energy and spirit behind my two businesses, I recently returned from buying at the fall G&LW and JOGS tradeshows in Tucson, Arizona, which showcased the latest in both fake and natural jewelry products (loose and finished). There was a third show that I did not attend, Best Bead Show, just to let you know of another show in conjunction. All three of these are smaller, condensed versions of the traditional and widely-known February show. I drove all the way to Tucson, which is about 216 miles/4 hours from Prescott. It was a little hard on the highways heading down but a breeze coming back home to the cooler temperatures.

The real success of my trip was my much-hunted selections of gemstones and metal findings that I strongly believe will be hot and profitable for both myself and my customers in their jewelry designs. I found some Roman replica links and pendants, cast in brass as an alternative metal to gold, that will be wonderful to work with. I felt like I was on a fishing trip where half the fun was the beautiful surroundings and displays inside the hotels, and the other half is the catch: the gemstone beads that are the "keepers." It's also very important for me to add color to my merchandising mix in order to keep people coming back enthusiastically for a look or some shopping. When you visit my website this week at sharonunlimited.com, you will start to notice new pops of color!

Aside from the buying and my passion for being in Tucson, one of my favorite experiences is the opportunity to network offline and give vendors with a familiar face a little extra "hello." I also hit up Sushi-Cho for a sushi fix followed by a BTO yogurt.

So come on over to sharonunlimited.com and join me on my website to see what's new. Here are a few things to get your appetite rolling:
For further information about me or with help when planning to go to tradeshows, you may contact me at sharon@sharonunlimited.com. xo, Sharon Marzonie

Minimalist Artisan Jewelry

According to late 20th century industrial designer, Dieter Rams, good design can be simple and straightforward, and while something looks very simple it is somehow very desirable. His motto is “less but better.” Many of us have heard similar phrases such as, “less is more” or “less is better.” And I like the sentiment of these expressions, but are they really true? Is it fair to say that some objects/products need as “little design as possible”? What about when it comes to jewelry design?

More frequently I notice this “less is more” trend in jewelry design, where the piece is reduced to its necessary elements to work as jewelry (also known as minimalist jewelry). When I encounter it, I find it oddly and unexpectedly plain, though this does not seem to deprive the piece of its timelessness or value. An example is a plain freshwater pearl midpoint on a simple chain or a pale, faceted gemstone or glass framed with metal and dangling from simple earwires. Some may think it’s too simple or weak while others love a clean, fresh line that is not too fussy.

I have experimented with this trend in my own jewelry line; and here is an example I'd like to share:

I've really enjoyed designing pieces of this nature, not necessarily as minimalist jewelry, but with the goal to showcase the materials rather than clutter the simple beauty of the stones with complicated combinations. I love good stones and rare, collectible beads. I also love the silver color of argentium sterling silver (a new metal I'm excited to be working with).

I am not sure I’m really posing this as a question or as a rhetorical one that I enjoy sitting and intellectualizing over. Either way, feel free to post a comment below, as I’m interested to hear your thoughts on minimalist movements in general, as many of us have undertaken (with great effort and courage!) to de-clutter and simplify our homes, parent’s homes, offices, or even something as seemingly simple as a jewelry box! xo, Sharon Marzonie

My First Men's Ring

Inspiration strikes at the oddest moments and the strangest of places. Perhaps it's the coincidental meeting of someone at a party or on a trail, and in a few short minutes we have something crazy in common. And there I am sitting in what feels like a one-seater with this stranger --not really a stranger any more-- caning it until we are stuffed by another rider as a back tire steps out, knowing this ride is going to come to an end soon. We will literally go our separate ways, but until we do I use this awkward and awesome opportunity to create a new piece of jewelry: a ring from my favorite new metal Argentium sterling silver.

I marvel at the power of the muse and how it is normal and easy to come by because life is about coincidences that just sit there waiting for me to notice them and act on. Mostly they are real gems, like this guy and his new ring. ~Sharon Marzonie

New bracelets are sprouting up!

This week I've been working on new jewelry designs that maximize the fun factor. I love to intersperse longer, more involved designs with short, sweet ones such as these two bracelets. Projects like these are perfect for breaking out of a rut, since I occasionally find yourself in one. These bracelets are winter's reminder of the sureness that spring is to follow. Some of my trees already look as if they've lifted an eyelid a couple millimeters. Xo, Sharon Marzonie