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hopegibson
Welcome to the Islands! The islands have been home since the late 80's. The sights & sounds of the Caribbean surround me and influence the things that are created in my studio located high on a ridge overlooking the clear blue Caribbean Sea.
What sets my jewelry apart is that I make each and every glass bead used in my designs myself, right here in the studio. You will never see someone else wearing YOUR jewelry when you wear hopegibson!
The handmade glass beads are made using a torch and glass rods in a process called lampworking. The colored glass rods are carefully heated in the torch flame and the molten glass is wrapped around a thin metal rod that has been coated with a substance called bead release to keep the glass from sticking to the metal rod once the bead is cooled. The beads look like the picture to the left when they are being worked in the torch flame.
Once the bead is formed in the torch flame, it is placed in a kiln for cooling. The kiln is used to control the rate of cooling, a process called annealing, which relieves the stress that is created in the glass when it is heated, resulting in a strong durable glass bead.
When the annealing process is finished, the metal rod is removed and this is what creates the hole in the bead. Each bead is then cleaned and sorted.
This is when the jewelry starts to take shape. I combine the glass beads with Swarovski Brand Crystals, Sterling Silver,pearls, stones and whatever else I want to create the finished jewelry offered here.
Each piece is unique because the beads used are not mass-produced and my handmade glass beads are never sold anywhere except in my finished jewelry. Never will you see someone wearing my handmade beads, unless they are wearing one of my pieces.
I don't sell beads, only finished jewelry so that I can control the process from choosing the glass rods to use to create each bead all the way to the finished piece. I believe in maintaining the highest level of quality in my work this is why I
use only my handmade glass bead, only Swarovski Brand Crystals and only Sterling Silver in my pieces. You are buying an original piece of art to wear that will last for years..
My Promise
If for any reason you aren't absolutely thrilled with anything that you get from me, I'll gladly take it back. I want you to be happy and enjoy wearing your jewelry.
hopegibson jewelry is easy to care for. A splash of dishwasing liquid and a gentle rub between your hands under the running water in your sink, then a gentle pat dry is all it takes to keep your jewelry sparkling.
Every few months a quick dip in silver dip then quickly under running water before the normal cleaning with dishwashing liquid, rinse and pat dry
will keep your Sterling Silver sparkling along with all the beads and crystals.
Take a look around....see what new things you find since the last time you were here, there are always new things!!! If you have questions contact me.
I love being able to create things and want them to bring as much joy and happiness to the purchaser as they bring to me as I create them. Thank you so much for looking at my work.
Keep up with the latest around here on my blog 85degrees
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