It was on the coast of Mexico where I came face to face with my Tortuga, diving deep amongst the corals, in and out of the underwater gardens it was magical. Their slow graceful movement is calm and peaceful.
Fire Coral Design...
Let Cassandra's Fire Coral earrings dangle from your ears, gently swaying in the wind and sparkling in the sun.
Inspired by the coral left drying in the sun on the beach at Celestun (near the long narrow estuary where the pink flamingo's gather) and along the Mexican barrier reef. The perfect summer jewel!
Frida Fringe Design...
Frida Kahlo wore the most wonderful dresses (and head dresses), with voluminous skirts, tantalizing colour combinations, exotic flowers and tassels to add extra drama. My Frida Fringe design is the Frida design taken to the extreme, a tantalizing fringe of diamonds dangling from her jeweled picnic basket.
Be Frida: wear one as a pendant, or two as earrings…
Conversacion Design...
In Merida, there is a tradition of S shaped benches in the park where young girls could meet their lovers and yet appear not to be meeting, not having a 'conversacion'. In a modern day twist, I turned my bench so the two lovers could sit side by side. And like two individuals, each of the stones in my Conversacion pendants and earrings are unique and different, both in colour and shape. In your Conversacion pendant which would be your gemstones?
Uxmal Design...
The pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal towers high up into the sky with a commanding view of the plain. I imagine Mayans dressed in their great, bright ceremonial plumes standing at the top waiting for a game of Pelota to begin in the ball court below. I named my gold necklace with a bead of aquamarine, emerald or a pearl - running along a fine gold chain: Pelota after this popular Mayan sport.
In the courtyard nearby, the stone carvings in the frieze take the form of an undulating ribbon and with a little alchemy I transformed the stone into gold (and silver) as a cuff, hoping not to ruffle any of those priestly feathers up on high.
Pina Design...
San Miguel de Allende is about 3 hours from Mexico city, a colonial town of beautiful baroque churches, delicious restaurants and cafes and charming hotels. I stayed at the 'Casa no Name' hotel within easy walking distance of everything I wanted to see and do. Breakfast was in the quiet courtyard where a fountain played into a pool of waterlilies and high up on the old wall an original fresco detailed out in greens and yellows, a pineapple (or Pina in Spanish). Everyday as I came in and out it caught my eye till one afternoon, sitting on the jasmine filled terrace in the sunshine I sketched it out as a pendant adding a sprinkle of diamonds just where the leaves would have been.
