GLITTER AND BE GAY!

Oh, my my, is this gorgeous or what! When I was in college, my darling cousin Sue Ellen brought back a crystal necklace from Germany that was so phenomenally glittery, I almost had to wear sunglasses to see her in it. Crystal is like that. I never thought glass was. But here is proof: Czech fire-polished cut glass in huge, 14mm faceted rounds. I like the monochromaticism highlighted with clear Swarovski crystal bicones. If this piece had been totally crystal, it would have cost the same as a gemstone necklace. In this case, the glass is spectacular but won't break the bank. Price; a nearly painless $100.00

VARIATIONS ON AN AGATE THEME

Botswana agate is such an elegant stone in heft, intensity and variation. In this opera-length strand of Botswana agate, no two beads are identical, alike, perhaps, and blended in desert colors to wear with anything. I've always love the earthy, natural and neutral quality of agate, to begin with, and the more I work with this particular stone, the better I like it. It's casual enough for a white man's shirt and classic enough to set off a beautiful sweater or a silk blouse. For corporate women who love jewelry but shy away from traditionally flashy, faceted stones, this piece is a way for self-decoration without blinding anyone.

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

I had some of these spectacular faceted emerald glass beads left over from another piece, moused around in my crystal stock to see what would look good with them and found a cache of nearly-forgotten citrine-colored Swarovski crystal hearts. I backed them up to each other, separated by faux antique pearls and threw in the intense green beads for a sure-en-begorrah tribute to Ireland and the Boston Celtics. Price: $100.

PEACOCK CZECH GLASS WITH CRYSTAL

One of the reasons I love working with beads and stones so much, is the attendant glitter and shine and this opera-length, two-strand necklace as that to spare. These beads are Czech fire-polish iridescent rounds that came equipped with their own glittery faceted roundels. I just added some iridescent peacock blue-black crystal and voila! A spectacular piece with every color of the rainbow and sparkle to spare.

THE JULY FOURTH NECKLACE

Something unique to wear for July 4 besides the usual glittery flag pin, that's for sure. Red, white and blue is so geared to America, that I couldn't resist making something that is not only patriotic but unique and graceful at the same time. There's a lot going on here: faux antique pearls, red jade, Lapis Lazuli, Swarovski crystal and gorgeous, rare French blue kyanite squares. I would hope that a piece like this would be worn with jeans or white sun dresses any time you want.

THE EYES OF GOD ARE UPON YOU

Agate beads are fascinating. They come in all sorts of configurations and these are particularly unique: eye of God agates in shades of brown, black, rust, cream and white. This is a wear-with-everything piece, longer than traditional choker length and elegant in its simplicity. Between each unique God's eye is a faceted onyx roundel. I love this piece. Something like it is standard in my wardrobe. A wonderful addition to a business suit and cream silk shirt or jeans and a black cashmere sweater.

YES, IT'S CERTAINLY GREEN

I'm very fond of green. Not every one is. In fact, one of the retailers I worked with many years ago said: "Green is a mark-down color." Well, not this very, very green necklace. It's a stunner. Catches light better than actual emeralds and costs a fraction of the price. For "costume" jewelry, this is absolutely gorgeous. A little longer than traditional choker length, it's a comfortable necklace with some heft to it and. . . loads of sparkle. Price: $100.00

FOLLOWING MY CURIOSITY: A TEMPORARY CHANGE IN DIRECTION

I've always worked in gemstones with Swarovski crystal and some high end metal like Sterling silver or carat gold. But I wanted to make a line of less expensive pieces using glass and silver plate findings. So I went mousing around the bead store the other day and found some spectacular beads -- gorgeous color, exacting cuts and loads of flash and brilliance. And, as I found out, glass beads can be as expensive to buy as the McCoy. Some of these little beauties, in fact, can be very pricey. The only difference: not using karat gold or Sterling. So. . . the following posts are the results of my experiment. For the most part. . . I like it.