{"id":37723,"date":"2017-10-06T23:57:38","date_gmt":"2017-10-07T03:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=37723"},"modified":"2017-10-07T00:01:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-07T04:01:54","slug":"jewels-of-the-month-your-own-opal-designs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/jewels-of-the-month-your-own-opal-designs\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewels of the Month: Your Own Opal Designs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/jewels-of-the-month-order-your-opals-for-october\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">September&#8217;s Jewels of the Month<\/a> post featured one of October&#8217;s birthstones, the opal. Because the ring, necklace and earring designs I was showing have to be made to order, I figured I&#8217;d give people shopping for an October birthday a little bit of a head start.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_37727\" style=\"width: 507px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/store\/products.php?product=Birthstone-Ring-%252d-Opal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37727\" class=\"wp-image-37727 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/opalringresize.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"497\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/opalringresize.jpg 497w, https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/opalringresize-300x286.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-37727\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click to order.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While I was working on that post, I kept wishing I had more opal pieces to show you &#8212; specifically, ones featuring the gorgeous loose opals that I bought last year. I haven&#8217;t incorporated those gems into jewelry yet for a couple of reasons. First, as I explained in a recent YouTube video, most of my designs come from a story, rather than a gem. I conceive of the story, then the design, and then I do the metal work. Then I get to the gems.<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8gA4JF_rHT4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p>None of my stories this year called for the loose opals. That said, even if I had an opal story that seemed urgent, I might not have gotten to it because customers&#8217; orders are always my top priority. Customers always go first; I come last when it comes to new jewelry designs. That&#8217;s why I have a big backlog of design ideas, which <a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/good-times-at-metal-smith\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">I described in January<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve finally had a eureka moment.  Why not see if any of you readers fall in love with the opals I have available? I could create a custom design just for you &#8230; and, like I said, customers&#8217; jewelry gets immediate attention. Then we&#8217;d both be happy: You&#8217;d have one-of-a-kind jewelry and I&#8217;d get to see my opals in action sooner rather than later. So October&#8217;s Jewels of the Month are really Gems of the Month. <\/p>\n<p>My first candidate for the design of your dreams is this unique, irregular opal.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=\"7\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BZ7nBJaDw89\/\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">This opal is waiting for the right customer &#8212; one who wants a custom-designed Wendy Brandes piece starring this gem. Don&#39;t make it wait too long! #octoberbirthstone #opals #gemstones #loosegems<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-10-07T03:17:14+00:00\">Oct 6, 2017 at 8:17pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>How fabulous would this be in the center of a statement ring, with the opal set so that you can see and enjoy the shape of the gem? It would also work as a pendant in a very clean setting. Or how about a pendant wrapped in gold wire? Or maybe you have your own vision for it! As I always say, if you can describe it, I can make it.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re more of an earring person, I&#8217;ve also got a pair of earring-ready opals.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=\"7\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BZ7n9K9DW44\/\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">These opals are available for earrings. I think they would look fab with some orange sapphire accents. #opals #customjewelry #earrings #birthstone #birthstonejewelry #opalearrings<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-10-07T03:25:26+00:00\">Oct 6, 2017 at 8:25pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been daydreaming about a pair of intricate earrings with these opals surrounded by orange sapphires. However, I could also whip up a pair of simple but stunning stud earrings. Perhaps you envision something that falls in between streamlined studs and a bolder look. <\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested in talking about a custom design using either the pair of opals or the one-of-a-kind single opal, holla at me at info at wendybrandes dot com. My opals feel so neglected in the safe. Don&#8217;t let them languish there any longer! Free the opals, dammit!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>September&#8217;s Jewels of the Month post featured one of October&#8217;s birthstones, the opal. Because the ring, necklace and earring designs I was showing have to be made to order, I figured I&#8217;d give people shopping for an October birthday a little bit of a head start. While I was working on that post, I kept&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/jewels-of-the-month-your-own-opal-designs\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[592,341,291,703,295,719,87],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-37723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birthstone","8":"category-custom-work","9":"category-featured-jewel","10":"category-gems","11":"category-jewel-of-the-month","12":"category-jewelry","13":"category-jewelry-designer","14":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37723"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37752,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37723\/revisions\/37752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}