Hessonite Ice by Carol Dean Sharpe

Just look at this beauty by the wonderful Carol Dean Sharpe!

Hessonite Ice

I just love Carol's way with words, here is her description of the piece--

A while back, the talented Kristie Roeder of http://artisanclay.etsy.com/ asked me to create some special pieces using her beads. She wanted to use these as examples of what can be done with her work for her booth at Philadelphia Bead Fest this fall. Kristie had a good show and has returned these "samples" to me so that I can now offer them to you.

When I first opened Kristie's box of goodies and saw this cabochon with its deep reddish brown glass, I despaired of ever finding beads to match. And so I didn't try to match it, instead worked with crystal and tan delicas to create the bezel.

I created the focal pendant by taking the beautiful wheel-thrown, glass-fused clay medallion by weaving a crystal, white, and tan open-back bezel for it in peyote. Part of the bezel is an outer row of beaded ruffles that really soften the look of the piece beautify. I completed the wonderful pendant with a simple white/crystal tube that serves as a (almost hidden) bail. The pendant is 2.25" across.

I was thrilled with the pendant but I wanted to present Kristie with a completed piece of jewelry. I was thinking quartz crystal and smoke crystal, but when I got into my stash of semi precious stones, I found some long forgotten hessonite garnet roundels. They match the brown glass perfectly!

The necklace portion consists of alternating hessonite garnet roundels and faceted quartz crystal round beads, sparkly yet earthy at the same time. The closure is a 1" long sterling silver S-hook. All findings, including the crimp beads and crimp covers, are sterling silver.

Here's artisanclay's description of how she creates her glass-fused pieces: "The Piece itself has been fused with Stained Glass during the Kiln-firing process. I have combined many kinds of glass (clear, opaque, milky, and different colors) The Glasses become liquid and bleed into each other in the kiln swirling ands blending at the edges. Finally as I cool the kiln the glass fractures and crackles but with a smooth glass top. The crackling refracts light and glistens in the sun."

Again Here is a link to this wonderful necklace available in Carol's Sandfibers Etsy shop--http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33098420

Thanks to Carol for letting me share her work with you!