B Golden Jewelry School
View from my hotel in Austin, TX
This past Friday, I attended a Flush Setting Course at the B Golden Jewelry School in Austin, Texas. The course was amazing, and our instructor, Donnie Jarvis, was a fantastic instructor!
This was a one-day course designed to work on just one-skill. Flush setting is a skill I’ve done on several designs in the past, but not without a lot of difficulty. My goal for the course was to learn how to properly do the setting, but to also learn where I was making critical mistakes! I learned all of that and so much more!!!
Our tool kit
We were given a kit of 10 2.5mm cubic zirconia stones to set into a copper plate and then later, a brass ring as practice.
Along with lots of information on the mechanics of flush setting and why we take the steps we take to insure a proper stone fit. So much care needs to be taken in properly measuring not only your stones, but also your burs to ensure everything matches up. So many of my past mistakes have come from not having the proper size bur for the stone…along with also not getting my hole the correct size.
Our first step was to measure the stones. Both the height and width. it’s important to measure the height of the stone, so you are sure you have enough metal for the stone, and measuring the width, helps you know what the maximum sized hole you need to drill for the setting.
Once you have your stones measured, you need to drill a pilot hole. This hole allows the point of the faceted stone to have a place to sit. Next, you use incremental sizes of burs, to drill the hole out larger and larger until you get to just under the size of your stone.
It’s important to continually check your stone with the size of the hole, and this takes much longer than you would think! A hole that is too big, will allow the stone to wobble when you go to set. A hole that is too small, will not allow enough metal to be there to secure the stone in place.
As I wanted to really learn the technique, I practiced with half of my stones, and came up with this beautiful piece below. I think I may frame this one and hang it up in the shop! What do you think?
The course was so much fun, with so much knowledge shared! It was great to have a day filled with conversation from other metalsmiths, and to see everyone’s progress and work! I loved it! I am looking forward to really practicing this setting some more, and really perfecting the skill.
Hello 2021!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Wow…2021 is a welcomed sight! It seems like 2020 held on forever. But, you know what?!?…we have the gift of hindsight being 2020 (LOL!!!! I saw that on a Facebook post recently, and thought it was hilarious!)
While, 2020 definitely had it’s challenges, it was a really exciting year for me and Chrissi Harmon Jewelry. This past year, I decided to put a more serious focus on turning my hobby of jewelry making into a full-fledged business. While I didn’t expect a pandemic to occur…it did offer me some much needed time to focus on what I wanted, and gave me more time than I’ve ever had to create new work. For that, I’m grateful.
This year, my jewelry was noticed by Conde Nast publications, and for the first time ever, I advertised my jewelry…and in such a big way!! We were in 6 British publications!! (Tatler magazine, Vanity Fair, British GQ, House & Garden, Conde Nast Traveller and Glamour magazine!) To say the least…I am so proud of this accomplishment! Ever since I was young, I have dreamed of having my jewelry in a magazine, and to have them featured in major international publications has been nothing short of an amazing experience!!!!!
I completed the first set of qualifications for my Graduate Gemology Degree through the Gemological Institute of America. I’m now an Applied Jewelry Professional through the GIA.
I also continued my commitment to give back to charity and community organizations. 2020 saw me donate jewelry to Vizavance of Oklahoma for their Sip for Sight Gala, The Griffin Center for Autism, GYNCA and we supported the Teen Challenge of Oklahoma by participating in their Annual Brush Creek Bazaar. Sadly, many of the events we wanted to support through donations were canceled due to the pandemic, but my commitment to support our community will continue for 2021. I hope to extend this reach in 2021, by doubling the number of donations this coming year.
When I look back at all that was accomplished in 2020, I’m nothing short of excited for 2021! I have renewed energy going into the New Year, and I’m really excited for the opportunities that are on the horizon!
So…what do I have in store for 2021?
I’m continuing my commitment to education. I am making metalsmithing and gemology classes a priority this year. I feel very strongly that in order to implement the designs that I have in mind, I need more education to improve my skills! My first class for the new year, is set to take place on January 8th! (nothing like getting right to it!!!).
I will be communicating more through email than I have in the past. I want all of you, my friends, to know what’s going on first! As much as I love social media…it moves very quickly, and I feel that I don’t have the opportunity to share with you the personal side of what makes my jewelry so special. I want to share my love of gems, my struggles, and my vision. I love sharing what I learn…so look for educational emails on gem knowledge or jewelry making techniques. I want to make this fun and inspiring. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what you would like to learn more about, please leave me a comment below. I would love to hear your suggestions!
Finally…I am working on a new Youtube channel that will highlight some jewelry making videos, fun facts, inspirations, videos featuring snippets of my life outside of jewelry and much more. The details are still in the works. I’m a one-woman show…so this will be a work in progress as I try to manage this around my other projects.
Most of all….I’m grateful for all of YOU!!! The support and the love all of you have shown me this year, has been amazing! I’m honored you’re here. THANK YOU! I can’t wait to travel into 2021 with all of you by my side. Let’s make it the best year ever!!
Much love!
Chrissi
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas 2020!
While this year has been challenging. It’s also a year that I’ve experienced a lot of growth and change. I’m grateful for the opportunities that have come our way this year, and I’m especially grateful for all of my new subscribers and clients! You have all been the very best!!!
I truly hope and wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season!
Wishing you a season full of joy and peace!
All the best,
Chrissi
November News
November is one of my favorite months! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and the month of November also marks the beginning of the official holiday season!
Here at Chrissi Harmon Jewelry, we have a lot going on for the month of November that we wanted to let you know about…and let our loyal subscribers be the first to know about these upcoming events and specials.
We will be doing our first ever Black Friday sale that will begin on November 10th for email subscribers, and open to the rest of our followers on November 15th (coupon code will be sent out on November 9th for email subscribers). I wanted to let our email subscribers get first choice for this very special promotion…with 25% off site wide! I rarely do sales, and I rarely discount any of our products since all of our work is one-of-a-kind. If you know of anyone that loves our jewelry and hasn’t subscribed to our newsletter, please share and have them sign up!!
We are excited to announce that we have added an additional show to our Fall line up!!! We will be set up on December 5th at the Holiday Craft Show in Stillwater, Oklahoma! The event will be located at the Payne County Expo Center. This is an event that highlights handmade arts and crafts and we are very excited to be able to add this show this year!!
If you have made. a purchase from us online, we would love a Google or Facebook Review. This will help us a lot in the rankings for our website. Not to mention, we would love your feedback on how we’re doing!
I’m wishing everyone a very safe and happy November! We hope to see you soon!
Much love,
Chrissi
Autumn is Here!
Autumn has arrived and with it I’ve been enjoying the beautiful fall foliage and the much more livable temperatures! Oklahoma gets very hot in the summer and Autumn is always a welcome respite before the cold winter sets in!
Autumn is also my favorite time for fashion! I love the return of boots, sweaters, jackets and all things fall attire! Of course, that also means it’s time for beautiful Autumn inspired jewelry!
Sterling Silver with 14kt gold dots, garnets and citrine are the perfect fall combination!
My favorite autumn gemstones are agates with the rich browns, reds and yellows, citrine, tourmaline in the darker colors (deep greens, browns) and garnets. Although, I’m partial to just about any gemstone.
Agatized dinosaur bone in sterling silver
Whatever your fancy or favorite Autumn color combination, we have a great selection to choose from! I hope you will get a chance to check out all of our new and beautiful jewelry.
Garnet and agate
Rutilated quartz and sterling silver
Sterling Silver on Sterling Silver with a dark patina
Brain Recovery Foundation Donation
The Brain Recovery Foundation is a local Tulsa organization committed to helping victims of traumatic brain injury and their families, by offering supportive services. These services provide invaluable support to victims and family members dealing with the challenges of traumatic brain injury. Currently, the Brain Injury Recovery Foundation is raising funds to build a rehabilitation center here in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.
I am honored to donate a beautiful sterling silver necklace to the Brain Injury Recovery Foundation. More details on how the necklace will be used to support the organization are forthcoming.
To find out more about the Brain Recovery Foundation, their events or to donate, visit their website at www.braininjuryrf.org.
Looking Great for Your Next Virtual Meeting
Lately, I’ve had to attend a few more virtual meetings than I have in the past, and as COVID-19 is still here and still a part of our lives, I suspect virtual meetings will become a more normal way of doing business.
So, how do you dress and accessorize for your virtual meeting where you still want to look professional but yet, have a casual comfortable appearance?
The one thing I’ve noticed in particular when it comes to doing meetings online, is that our face and torso are front and center. Because of this, color, lighting and background are very important.
The type of call is also really important. Is this an interview for a new career or position? Board meeting for your favorite interest group? Meeting with your boss or business colleagues? All of these things are considerations when picking out what to wear for that next video call.
Here are a few things that I’ve noticed on my video chats that may help you standout and look your best on your next video chat.
Lighting is very important. Too dark, and you look hidden and unengaged. Too light, and you look washed out and pale. Most of the meetings I’ve attended where the lighting is too dark, it makes the participant appear uninterested or not engaged in the meeting. Too light, and the participant appears washed out and maybe a little sickly. It’s a subtle factor in how you appear to show up to your meeting.
I recently learned, that the best lighting is placed in front of you. For photographs, think standing in the doorway with the sun shining on you (not so bright that you squint), and you want to apply that same concept to your video meetings. For a reasonable fee, there are round LED lights that are perfect for this! Here is a great article on lighting for videos: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/best-led-video-light/. Natural lighting is definitely the best, but that is not always available.
Dressing for your virtual meeting is also really important, as it will convey the right message you are trying to send.
Pick out a color that is complementary to your background, and also flattering with your skin tone. For me, black is a great choice because my background is yellow and the black color usually absorbs some of the background color without making my skin tone appear too yellow. White makes me look too washed out. Dark navy is another one of my favorites, but go with what colors look best for you. If the meeting is a formal one, dress as if you were attending the meeting in person. That means a business suit, nice blouse or shirt, tie, etc.
For accessories, I’ve noticed that statement earrings are great because they bring attention up to your face and the eyes of the viewer in line with your eyes. You will notice that a lot of newscasters and talk show hosts wear bolder earrings during their interviews.
These beautiful handmade sterling silver hoop earrings are a great choice, because they are bold, light and easy to wear, but make a subtle statement:
A short statement necklace is also great, because it also brings the eyes of the viewer to the center of your face and neck. I would avoid anything too long, as it brings the focus down towards the end of the necklace and towards the bottom of the screen, which takes the focus away from you, and places it down below.
Do you use your hands a lot when you talk or for emphasis? Then think about a nice statement ring that will show up on video. The idea is to have your jewelry help enhance your virtual image, not detract from it.
Colorful jewelry is also great. Brightly colored gemstones such as turquoise, amazonite, amethyst, carnelian, to name a few, and bold statement pieces in silver or gold are great attention grabbers.
The idea is to look put together, confident, and your best!
Now go rock that next meeting!!!
All the best!
Chrissi
Happy 4th of July!
Hello my beautiful friends!!!!
Wishing all of you a very safe and happy 4th of July!! I hope you are able to enjoy some time celebrating all that our wonderful country and communities have to offer!
To show my appreciation for all of you, I’m offering 10% off anything in my shop with the code: FiREWORKS
This coupon code is good for now until July 15th! Now is a great time to start shopping for the upcoming Holiday season! (It’s never too early!).
I hope you all have the most fantastic and fun Fourth of July weekend!
Much love!
Chrissi
GYNCA organization donation
We are honored and thrilled to be able to donate this beautiful leopardskin jasper and faceted citrine pendant to the Gyn Cancers Alliance for their upcoming silent auction event.
The mission of GYNCA is to provide education, support and resources to women in Southwest Missouri with gynecological cancer and to raise awareness about early warning signs and symptoms of gynecological cancers.
This amazing organization has four key programs that support women and their families during this difficult time in their lives. The programs are as follows:
Survivor to survivor mentoring and partnering with Imerman Angels
Education and awareness
Emergency non-medical financial assistance with active chemo or radiation
Monthly/Quarterly member group meetings.
To find out more about this amazing organization, please visit their website at www.gynca.org.
Rose Stud Earring Winner
Congratulations to VM Young! She won the pair of medium rose stud earrings in our very first giveaway!
I will be shipping them out this week!
Thank. you to everyone who participated! It was fun to give away a little something and spread some cheer!
All the Best!
Chrissi
GIVEAWAY!!!!!! June 1st!
The past couple of months for Chrissi Harmon Jewelry have been absolutely amazing! I want to share the love and give back a little bit, so I have decided to give away one pair of my medium rose stud earrings to a lucky person!
To enter, all I’m asking is that you like us on Instagram or Facebook, make a comment on the giveaway post, sign-up for our newsletter and share our giveaway post.
The winner will be selected randomly by drawing on June 1st and announced after 5 pm. CST. You have until 11:59 p.m. May 31st CST to enter! Easy, peasy!
Best of Luck!
Happy Memorial Day!
I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of my friends and family a very Happy Memorial Day!
I know this year has felt so different, more revered, more quiet, more contemplative. I hope we can all take a moment to honor those that have worked so hard to protect our country both from enemies we can see, and enemies we can’t. it’s been a strange few months, but a time that has shown me how many people step up, work hard and protect us at the expense of their own health and safety.
THANK YOU to ALL! To those that serve our military, both past and present. To those that have been on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed and we salute you!
Memorial Day is a day I usually spend in contemplation and remembrance of my loved ones that have passed away. This year, I’ve been really remembering my Dad and Brian’s Dad. Both men made large impacts on my life. Both had wonderful entrepreneurial spirits, and both were wise and hard-working men. They taught me to follow my dreams and work hard. I have been really feeling their presence and guidance the past few months. I feel their guiding, loving spirits and hands. I hope I’m making them proud.
All the Best!
Chrissi
Tatler Magazine
I’m beyond thrilled to announce that we have been featured in Tatler Magazine! Tatler is one of Britain’s top fashion magazines, and i’m very honored to be a part of their “Jewels of Paradise” campaign.
We are featured in both the print and digital versions of the campaign. To view the digital version, please go to: www.tatler.com and then click on the “Fashion and Accessories” link. As you scroll down, you will see our featured piece!
I am so excited, honored and thrilled by this opportunity!
Our Garden!
Flowers and plants for the garden and the flower beds
Well…after living here for over 10 years…my husband and I decided to take a crack at gardening! We had a small garden a few years ago, that yielded some amazing vegetables, and this year, we decided (well…really think it was I that decided, lol) to make it a bit bigger.
Brian helping to dig up and work the soil in the garden plot.
So, after a lot of hard, back-breaking work, we have the plot dug and the soil worked. We added in some top soil and fertilizer to help with the soil quality, next came the planting.
Plants are fin the ground, and we still have room for more! Yay!
To start, we have blueberries, tomatoes, basil, bell peppers, squash, cantaloupe, kale and sugar snap peas (my personal favorite!). Next, we will be doing some okra and sweet Italian peppers, and maybe some corn.
In addition to our new garden, we already have several fruit trees that are doing well this year. Peaches, plums (which are so sweet and juicy), apples and pears. The pears are not going to produce this year, but the trees are pretty young still, so we were not expecting them to bear fruit.
Baby peaches on one of the peach trees.
We are excited to see what our garden and orchard will do! It is amazing to see a little seed turn into a plant, and then into something we can eat! Not to mention, knowing where our food is coming from and the satisfaction of knowing we grew it ourselves. We are hoping for a bountiful crop that we can share with our friends, family and neighbors. It’s the heart and spirit of giving and a source of pride and thankfulness.
It’s been a lot of work, but very rewarding! I know it’s going to be a huge learning experience, but one that I’m really excited about!
Are you growing anything this year? Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear what everyone is doing!
Stay safe and happy!
All the Best,
Chrissi
The Fossil Collection
It’s finally finished and I couldn’t be more pleased! The Fossil Collection has been launched and I’m very excited to share this beautiful collection with all of you!
This collection has been in the works for quite some time, and combines my love of fossils with other gemstones to provide some really fascinating and unique designs.
The highlight of the collection is a large, natural trilobite set in solid sterling silver. The top of the piece is graced with peridot and Swiss blue topaz faceted stones, while the bottom dangles and dances with Swiss blue topaz and peridot beads.
Dinosaur bone has always fascinated me as a gemstone. The stone itself is agate that has filled in the cavities of a fossilized dinosaur bone, and each piece is very unique. This piece is exceptional in color and matrix and I couldn’t love it more!
Orthoceras are always fun! This outstanding cuff bracelet combines a beautiful Orthoceras fossil paired with 2 beautiful and faceted Moonstones. The photos for this piece definitely do not do it justice! The Moonstones sparkle, flash and dance in the light!
I have several more pieces available in this wonderful collection, so be sure to click on the link to see them all!
Griffin Center Donation Update
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the organizers of the Griffin Center Gala have informed me that their event has been postponed until June 20th, 2020.
I am pleased to still be able to donate a beautiful piece to their event, and here is what the finished product looks like:
This beautiful heart pendant features blue and white topaz stones to represent the center’s colors, and the heart features the Shattered Heart design with a leaf motif, to help represent the positive change the center instills in families lives.
I hope you will consider donating to the Griffin Center or attending their upcoming Gala on June 20th, 2020.
As always…our thoughts and prayers are with everyone during this time, especially our healthcare workers. Everyone stay home, stay safe and we will see you soon!
All the Best!
Chrissi
Griffin Autism Gala
We are very excited to announce that we are donating a beautiful smashed heart necklace to the Griffin Autism Gala that will be held on April 18, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mike Fretz Event Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
If you are interested in attending the Gala or donating to this wonderful organization, please visit their website at: https://www.thegriffinpromise.com.
I feel honored to be able to donate a beautiful piece of jewelry to this event and help support their cause.
Happy New Year!
It’s really hard to believe that we have completed another year AND another decade! Where has the time gone?!?
I know for us, 2019 was a year of incredible challenges, but also incredible accomplishments! I’m very excited to see what we will do in 2020!
I want to thank everyone for your support last year! We had 2 amazing shows that exceeded our expectations and we met a lot of new people and made some new friends!
I made a commitment last year to donate more work and help whatever causes I can through Chrissi Harmon Jewelry. The Teen Challenge of Oklahoma is our biggest cause through the Brush Creek Bazaar. This amazing organization helps families that are struggling with a variety of issues. While we were setting up for the show, I was able to talk with some of the kids that this program has helped. The stories were amazing! Every kid was very grateful for the help and support they have received through Teen Challenge, and their lives have changed for the better because of the program. It makes my heart happy to be able to help this group! 15% of our sales from the Brush Creek Bazaar go directly to Teen Challenge, along with our booth fee.
In addition to Teen Challenge, we also helped the Humble Warrior Collective, which is a collective of yoga instructors that donate their time to helping men, women and adolescents in alternative schools, recovery programs, shelters and correctional facilities across Oklahoma through the practice of yoga.
I feel very strongly that giving back to the community is important. My goal for 2020 is to be able to triple our impact in a positive way. If you have an organization that is in need of a silent auction item, please reach out and let me know. As long as I have enough notice to get a piece together for your cause, I am very happy to help!
I am excited by the plans we have in store for 2020! I’m taking more classes to expand my skill set and new work is coming out regularly! I am currently looking to expand our show calendar for 2020, and I’m looking for a late spring/early summer show to set up at. Ideally, I would like to have a spring and a fall show on our calendar, and I’m looking for ideas, so if you have a favorite show you like to attend, please pass it along!
I just want to thank everyone for your support last year! As a small and growing business, it means the world to me when my work is appreciated! I do a happy dance with each little sale and I love creating beautiful pieces of art that can be worn.
Sending everyone peace and love for an incredible New Year!!!
All the Best!
Chrissi
Creative Side Jewelry Academy
This past November I was able to attend the Hollow Form and Tube Setting intensive class at the Creative Side Jewelry Academy in Austin, Texas.
This amazing class gave me the chance to expand my skill set with the hollow form technique and work on improving my tube setting skills as well.
The class started with making a ring that is hollow in the middle. We started with flat sterling silver sheet, with some of the sheet cut into strips for the ring shank and sides of the hollow form. I opted to texture the sterling silver on the outside of the sheet to give the final ring a bit of light texture
The challenge was getting everything soldered correctly and without shifting. The instructor was great in walking us through all of the steps and every one of us finished up our projects with success.
The class was great! I learned so much in a short amount of time that will really improve my work flow and the quality of the pieces I make! It was really an invaluable experience! I will be adding some new pieces to the website this next year that will feature this new technique.
Brush Creek Bazaar 2019
We wanted to thank everyone who came out to see us this year at the Brush Creek Bazaar! We had a fabulous show! The weather couldn’t have been better! We had a new space this year in the barn and it worked out really well. We were able to donate nearly $300 to Adult and Teen Challenge of Oklahoma! Such a fantastic organization and worthy cause! We are already making plans to return next year!
I’m in the process of updating the site with the inventory we have left from the show. If you were interested in a piece of jewelry and you don’t see it listed here…please feel free to reach out by email or Facebook. I may still have the piece in stock, or I might be able to make something similar.
It was our honor and privilege to be a vendor once again at the Brush Creek Bazaar. This is one of our favorite shows, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!
Much Love!
Chrissi