Crafted by the fireside
Welcome to Windwhistle Gems
What you see here is the opposite of mass produced.
It’s just me knotting and crafting pieces, one by one.
I apply my artist’s eye, even on this small scale.
Metal findings are further finished, lacquered and patinated.
In this way, I make a handful of pieces weekly
and enjoy every minute of it.
It’s just me assembling pieces one by one. I source components worldwide and then hand finish them employing painting, sculpting and jewelling techniques.
Three ways to buy:
If you like something you see here and want to buy it,
email me it’s three digit Style Code,
under the item’s image. Easy peasy.
Direct: email me
Retail: at Methven Pharmacy
Online: online@felt.co.nz
It’s just me assembling pieces one by one. I source components worldwide and then hand finish them employing painting, sculpting and jewelling techniques.
Arts and Crafts
By day I produce art, by night I craft jewellery.
After several years of hand-knotting strands of pearls and gemstones for friends, I established ‘Windwhistle Gems’, here at home in Windwhistle, in the foothills of the Southern Alps, in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Jewelling is literally in my blood. I come from a long line of manufacturing jewellers who emigrated to Canterbury from Devon in the 1870s.
My own qualifications are in Fine Arts, Education and Horticulture. Today, I’m purely studio based producing large scale works on paper.
Painting, drawing and research occupies my days. It’s detailed work,
so jewelling has become a counterpoint; my meditation and relaxation.
THREE COLLECTIONS
Being a sculptor, there’s hints of this background in both the Silk Road and Flora and Fauna lines.
The French Country line uses traditional hand-knotting, beading and wirework techniques
flora and fauna
Bright botanical talismans of Nature
silk road
Exotic Eastern antiqued adornment
$25 - $150 NZD GST inclusive
Free shipping, New Zealand wide Browse and Buy on
French Country Collection
Classic hand knotted strands of baroque pearls offset by other semi-precious gemstones. Beads of Pearl, Peridot, Citrine, Tourmaline,
Spinel, Lapis Lazuli, Howlite, Crystal, Quartz, Jade, Jasper and Chalcedony on Gold and Rhodium coloured Sterling Silver ear wires.
Necklaces $79-149
Bracelets $55-79
Flora and Fauna Collection
Dreamy and poetic. Hand-finished pieces inspired by nature. Verdigris bronze Antiqued gold and silver colour plated clasps and findings. Spinel, Tourmaline, Peridot, Citrine, Jade, Agate, Quartz, Chalcedony, Jasper, Crystal, Pearl, Lampwork.
Necklaces
Necklaces $65-119
$75 - 119
Earrings
Earrings $25-49
$25 - 49
Bracelets
Bracelets $55-79
$55 - 79
Silk Road Collection
Treasures inspired by exotic far flung lands. Hand finished, Verdigris Bronze and Antiqued Silver, Gold, Brass and Copper colour, plated clasps and findings. Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Amazonite, Aventurine, Quartz, Pearl, Crystal, Jade, Chalcedony, Jasper, Opalite.
Necklaces $65-119
Necklaces
$75 - 119
Earrings $25-49
Earrings
$25 - 49
Bracelets $55-79
Bracelets
$55 -79
French Country Styles
Set of all three $150 Earrings $25 Bracelets $55 Necklaces $95
Buy one piece, two pieces, or all three. Free shipping
Clasps allow changes in style, shape and length
Flora and Fauna Styles
Set of all three $150 Earrings $25 Bracelets $55 Necklaces $95
Buy one piece, two pieces, or all three. Free shipping
Clasps allow changes in style, shape and length
Silk Road Styles
Set of all three $150 Earrings $25 Bracelets $55 Necklaces $95
Buy one piece, two pieces, or all three. Free shipping
Clasps allow changes in style, shape and length
French Country Styles
Set of all three $150 Earrings $25 Bracelets $55 Necklaces $95
Buy one piece, two pieces, or all three. Free shipping
Clasps allow changes in style, shape and length
Flora and Fauna Styles
Set of all three $150 Earrings $25 Bracelets $55 Necklaces $95
Buy one piece, two pieces, or all three. Free shipping
Clasps allow changes in style, shape and length
Silk Road Styles
Set of all three $150 Earrings $25 Bracelets $55 Necklaces $95
Buy one piece, two pieces, or all three. Free shipping
Clasps allow changes in style, shape and length
Windwhistle Gems now at Methven Pharmacy
101 Main St, Methven
Earrings $25
Bracelets $55
Necklaces $65-95
10% of profits go to native regeneration in the Rakaia Gorge
by The Fantail Trust, a local Windwhistle initiative.
Hand Finished
With Windwhistle Gems you are wearing hard to find, often rare gems, produced in time honoured ways. I source components worldwide and then hand finish them employing established fine art and craft techniques. The beads used are semi-precious gemstones. Some beads are heat treated, dyed or lab grown, but most are natural, and just cut and polished. The lampwork glass and crystals are cast and cut in Austria and Czechoslovakia. It’s useful to remember that ‘artificial’ literally means ‘made by humans’.
I use semi-precious gemstone beads, all with delightful colour variations and natural inclusions. They are, in fact, chosen for the beauty of their ‘imperfection’.
You can see how the facets have been cut - no bead is the same; this lets you see the person behind the tool and that in itself is a strength. Gemstones are graded by the Four C’s: clarity, cut, colour and carat.
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/a-consumers-guide-to-gem-grading/
It’s just me assembling pieces one by one. I source components worldwide and then hand finish them employing painting, sculpting and jewelling techniques.
More than Meets the Eye
Body adornment signals who we are and who we want to become. It tells our story.
We give jewellery to mark milestones and achievements,
and to show our respect and love for others.
We wear jewels for poignant reasons:
as the carriers of memories and expressions of our unique identity.
Talismans can give us a sense of belonging and remind us of our roots, and what we hold dear.
Amulets have long stood as guardians to a safe passage on Life’s journey.
Culturally, gemstones are seen as lodestones. Folklore surrounds them.
We believe them to possess metaphysical, almost magical qualities that enhance our well being.
https://www.brilliantearth.com/news/gemstone-meanings-the-surprising-symbolism-of-your-jewels/
It’s just me assembling pieces one by one. I source components worldwide and then hand finish them employing painting, sculpting and jewelling techniques.
Gemstone Information
Pearls symbolise “Wisdom gained through experience”.
Gemstones are formed from elemental minerals under the influence of natural biological and geological forces.
Diamonds, Sapphires, Rubies and Emeralds are termed ‘precious’ gems, all the rest are said to be ‘semi precious’ gems. Despite this, many semi precious gemstones are far rarer and more valuable than the ‘precious’ ones! Sapphires and Rubies belong to the Corundum mineral family and have a hardness rating of 9 Mohs.
Precious also equates to popular. Diamonds are the hardest precious gem of all at 10 on the Mohs scale, but they are not the rarest. In fact, diamonds are common. Our demand for Diamonds is created by artificial supply limitations. Cubic zirconia diamonds (CZ) are lab-made, worthy and sustainable counterparts. Zircons are actually prized ancient gemstones in their own right, not to be confused with cubic zirconias.
Both Coral and Pearls are organic mineral gemstones made by animal biological processes rather than inanimate physical forces. Our coral reefs are threatened so any coral I use is vintage or artificial.
How pearls form inside molluscs remains one of Natures great mysteries. Freshwater pearls have been cultured in China since the thirteenth century. Growing slowly over several years, most are formed from solid ‘nacre’. Because there is no bead inside the mollusc to control the shape, it’s literally all pearl.
This natural shape is called ‘baroque’.
refer to https://www.gemsociety.org/gemstone-encyclopedia/
Before buying online check if lengths really suit you.
Nine Main Lengths
The measurement relates to the top most strand from which other parts hang.
46-51cm(18”-20”) seems to be a versatile, comfortable to wear and fail-safe length range.
On the next page I’ve drawn the main necklace styles.
24 Necklace Styles
Here’s a few to get us started. There’s contradictory information online about each style, so my own diagram isn’t definitive.
The shortest styles are at the top
and longer styles at the bottom.
Each style has a range of lengths.
A small, rural, one woman micro business
All purchases dispatched gift wrapped inside a pouch or box.
Free Shipping New Zealand wide.
International tracked shipping typically
$30-40 NZD
10% of profits donated to Windwhistle environmental initiatives
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to receive my piece?
I dispatch purchases within
3 - 5 working days of
payment being received
Do I have to buy a whole set,
can I just buy one thing ?
Buy only what you want,
if it’s just one item -no problem.
I’ll be so thrilled you like it enough to buy it.
What shipping options are there?
FREE shipping,
New Zealand wide,
both urban and rural !
Goods are dispatched
by NZ Post, signature not required
Do you ship overseas?
International shipping is typically $30-40 NZD
Yes, I ship to three regions only
- Europe
- North America
- Australia
Farewell, many thanks for visiting windwhistlegems.com
10% of profits are donated to local initiatives in regeneration of the delicate native alpine ecosystem of the Rakaia.
Windwhistle gems ALL rights reserved
