A Look at Handmade Turquoise Jewelry!

Every day I write a review of four handmade jewelry pieces made by Etsy jewelry artisans. Etsy is home to MANY talented artists who create amazing things with their hands; everything from greeting cards to sculpture! I'm a metalsmith myself, and so I appreciate a great piece of jewelry when I see it. Of course this is all opinion ... but I do have a great eye for design!

The four artisan jewelry pieces reviewed below are all currently available and for sale in these shops. These beautiful pieces may be one of a kind, so if you see something you like here, don't hesitate ... or you may miss it! Today I'm writing about jewelry made with turquoise. I like to feature a variety ... so I'm showcasing a pair of earrings, a necklace, a bracelet and a ring. Turquoise has always been popular and today it is in demand more than ever.

This beautiful gemstone matches very well with silver but it also looks great with copper and gold! The rich blue and green colors of this gemstone go well with casual clothing but it can be a beautiful accent to a fabulous dress or an attractive suit.

Turquoise is one of the birthstones for December.

The jewelry artisan at NightSkyJewelry has some fantastic pieces in her shop, and these Black Onyx and Green Turquoise Earrings made with Sterling Silver components are no exception. When I saw them I said ... Wow!

These beautiful artisan made earrings were created by this amazing jewelry designer with great quality natural Chinese turquoise teardrops and rondelles, paired with genuine black onyx round beads.

You'll find a generous amount of silver in these dangles ... the wire, the spacers and the leverback ear wires are all sterling. These fabulous earrings are approximately 1.75" top to bottom, including the ear wires. And the color combination is perfect - the black and blue/green really do go together! Own a pair of these fashionable turquoise and onyx earrings ... just $25.00!

Mary, the artisan and designer at LittleBrownBird on Etsy offers gorgeous, stylish, top quality handmade jewelry at very reasonable prices. I found this awesome bracelet in her shop this morning and knew right away that I wanted to include it in this blog article/feature.

The bracelet is made with silver components from the Hill Tribe in the mountains of Northern Thailand and multi-colored turquoise button beads. In the center is a domed, hammer textured disc which serves as the focal point of the piece. The curved tube components provide a comfortable feeling bracelet. This bracelet will fit almost anyone - it will fit a small wrist - about 6.5" nicely; with the extender chain, it'll fit a medium to large wrist up to 8".

Bracelets like this are always in fashion; this is the kind of jewelry you bond with and wear every day for 30 years. This amazing Aryka Hill Tribe Silver and Turquoise Bracelet is only $69.00!

Next is a turquoise and silver ring from Bridget, the wonderful metalsmith and jewelry artisan behind the counter at Organikx, a truly unique Etsy shop. This jewelry designer's shop is a real show-stopper with almost 150 outstanding pieces of handmade goodness. If you like handcrafted jewelry, you'll love Organikx!

The ring features an unusual blue AND green turquoise cabochon from Nevada. This artisan made a setting fitting of this big, bold and colorful turquoise cabochon with a hand cut fine silver bezel and a chunky band for the shank. The turquoise cab is accented with an attractive beaded border surrounding the bezel; this ring will fit a size 7.25 - 7.5 comfortably.

The ring is quite substantial ... the cabochon is a 25mm stone, and the ring weighs 22 grams. This Large Handmade Nevada turquoise ring in oxidized fine and sterling silver is very reasonably priced at $135.00!

The last piece for today is a great turquoise necklace for a man! This attractive necklace was made by Amy, the jewelry artisan and owner of LucidJewelry on Etsy.

Her shop features a nice selection of masculine, chunky bead necklaces for the guys, in addition to a large selection of earrings, bracelets and more for the ladies. It is always a nice surprise to see jewelry made for men on Etsy ... there is very little available.

This Turquoise and Wood Men's Necklace features spidery blue turquoise tubes in a rough oval shape. They're a great blue color, and the black matrix adds character and interest. The turquoise beads are accented with chunky, dark brown wood cube beads. Brown and blue are colors men wear a lot; this necklace could easily become a favorite! The wood beads give a nice rugged looking accent to the turquoise, and the necklace is finished with a silver clasp. This cool necklace would make a fantastic gift for any occasion! This is a really great deal - grab it for $27.00!

Every one of these artists puts time, skill and their love for what they do into every piece of jewelry they make. Handmade goods are different; they last longer, look better and are generally more substantial than their commercially made counterparts. Please visit each of these shops and see what they have to offer! I'm sure you'll agree - handmade jewelry is fabulous!

Robert Edwards is a proud member of the Jewelry on Etsy Team - JET. He is a jewelry designer and metalsmith in New York City with over 30 years experience in the jewelry trade, specializing in handmade silver jewelry and custom made silver chains. This article may be reproduced provided all content and links in the article including this author's statement remain intact. ©2010 Robert Edwards