About this Product
When presented with April's goimagine Maker Challenge topic of "Beyond the Stars", I immediately thought of this Australian boulder opal. The bright flecks of pink, green, yellow, and purple shimmer on a dark ironstone background. I have long admired the stone, but hadn't yet been inspired with a design. It became a perfect comet tail, paired with a beautiful white moonstone for the coma. I engraved the oxidized sterling silver border to emulate the motion of the comet through space and hand-stamped the back with stars.
Stone dimensions: Opal - 5mm x 27mm; Moonstone 5mm
Pendant dimensions: 44mm x 23mm (including bail)
Please note: colors may differ slightly due to variations in device screen output.
Danielle Giese Jewelry
Meet the Maker
Hi, I’m Danielle! Thanks for stopping by!
I discovered my passion for silversmithing in the late 1990s. With the exception of an intermediate jewelry art class taken as a college elective, I have acquired my skills through the generosity of other artists who have shared their techniques in books and videos, as well as exploration and self-challenges. Because of my informal training, I enjoy working outside of traditional metalsmithing rules and expectations. I am quick to find unexpected solutions to challenges, including building my own tools when necessary.
I live in the suburbs of Sacramento with my daughter and 19 chickens. During the week I work as a special education teacher for a local homeschool charter school. Weekends and summers are spent recharging in my workshop creating tiny masterpieces. When people ask why I do it, I say, “I get to play with fire and tools to make pretty things - what could be better?"
Each piece is one-of-a-kind, handmade by me. I make every piece from scratch, starting with sterling silver sheet and wire, and only natural stones. Each component is bent, twisted, stamped, and created one at a time, then placed individually to create the design. I rarely duplicate designs, and even then there are variabilities and differences due to the hand fabricated process. I love to do custom work, so if you see something you like but it's not quite what you're looking for, let me know! We'll work together to create the perfect piece that you'll love to wear. I also love to hear special requests - let me know what you're looking for, and I'll make it! I'm always interested to hear from my customers so I can cater my designs to their tastes.
My Maker's Mark is my initials covered with a sunburst. The sunburst represents the mission of my jewelry: Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Wondering how to say my name? It's "G" as in "go" followed by "easy".
