Pyrite is a very interesting new material for my steampunk design . I found a dark khaki pyrite which match perfectly with the gunmetal color of the ring .

Here's some picture of the new steampunk jewelry with PYRITE :

Yellow orange Topaz is the stone for November and Blue Topaz for December . In the upcoming month i will be adding more topaz ring to my ETSY shop as i receive new colors .

Color and varieties

Pure topaz is colorless and transparent but is usually tinted by impurities; typical topaz is wine, yellow, pale gray or reddish-orange, blue brown. It can also be made white, pale green, blue, gold, pink (rare), reddish-yellow or opaque to transparent/translucent.

Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November birthstone, the symbol of friendship, and the state gemstone for the US State of Utah.

Imperial topaz is yellow, pink (rare, if natural) or pink-orange. Brazilian Imperial Topaz can often have a bright yellow to deep golden brown hue, sometimes even violet. Many brown or pale topazes are treated to make them bright yellow, gold, pink or violet colored. Some imperial topaz stones can fade on exposure to sunlight for an extended period of time. Blue topaz is the Texas state gemstone. Naturally occurring Blue Topaz is quite rare. Typically, colorless, gray or pale yellow and blue material is heat treated and irradiated in order to produce a more desired darker blue.

Mystic topaz is colorless topaz which has been artificially coated giving it the desired rainbow effect.

Localities and occurrence
Topaz Mountain, Utah

Topaz is commonly associated with silicic igneous rocks of the granite and rhyolite type. It typically crystallizes in granitic pegmatites or in vapor cavities in rhyolite lava flows like those at Topaz Mountain in western Utah. It can be found with fluorite and cassiterite in various areas including Ural and Ilmen mountains of Russia, in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Flinders Island and the United States.

Some clear topaz crystals from Brazilian pegmatites can reach boulder size and weigh hundreds of pounds. Crystals of this size may be seen in museum collections. The Topaz of Aurungzebe, observed by Jean Baptiste Tavernier measured 157.75 carats.

Colorless and light-blue varieties of topaz are found in Precambrian granite in Mason County, Texas within the Llano Uplift. There is no commercial mining of topaz in that area.

Etymology and historical and mythical usage

The name "topaz" is derived from the Greek Τοπάζιος (Τοpáziοs), the author of one of the first systematic treatises on minerals and gemstones dedicated two chapters on the topic in 1652.In the Middle Ages, the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone, but now the name is only properly applied to the silicate described above.

Many modern English translations of the Bible, including the King James Version mention Topaz in Exodus 28:17 in reference to a stone in the Hoshen: "And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle(Garnet): this shall be the first row."

However, since these translations as topaz all derive from the Septuagint translation topazi[os], which as mentioned above referred to a yellow stone that was not topaz, but probably chrysolite, it should be borne in mind that topaz is not meant here. The masoretic text (the Hebrew on which most modern Protestant Bible translations of the Old Testament are based) has pitdah as the gem the stone is made from; some scholars think it is related to an Assyrian word meaning flashed.[citation needed] More likely, pitdah is derived from Sanskrit words (pit = yellow, dah = burn), meaning "yellow burn".

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade CatherinetteRings.etsy.com

I just release a video and here's a Giveaway !
Get a chance to win a 100$ shopping spree in my Etsy Shop : www.CatherinetteRings.Etsy.com

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment here for 1 entry.
I will double the number of entries for the 25 first participant .



Additional Entries :
1# 3 more : rate and comment the video on Youtube here .
2# 6 more : post the video on your blog .
3# 5 more : Retweet on Twitter :
RT @SteampunkRings steampunk jewelry Etsy Giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/6guqkl and video : http://tinyurl.com/ntauvk

So if you do all this you can get up to 15 entries ,
All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me what you did.

For example : I have done # 1,2,3.

The giveaway ends on the 12 of October 2009 .

Thank you .


200 years later : Daniel Proulx find himself lost the future he discover his old laboratory destroyed , in ruins with graffiti . Escaping from his parallel past existence on the brinks of apocalypse , he appears in our time , he searches for his creations that traveled with him during his time travel experiment and some that were stolen by an other rival time traveler .


Not part of the video , The main character finds an old TV in a back alley . Using one of his mechanical device , he modify the TV . He use the TV as tool to communicate with his plane of reality hoping to reach an old friend who could help him return to his time . During the video we see the Main Character speaking Through the receiver / porthole .

In April of 2008 i started to make rings just for fun after Catherine (My better half) learned how to make simple wire rings during a 2 hour lesson. I just watched how she made it and tried. Since then I spent several hours every day perfecting and developing my own technique to create an original design. I quickly started to make very retro-futurist model of rings. At that time i decided embarked into this adventure , quit my job and try to live on my jewelry full-time .

A few years ago i had the chance to travel to over 18 countries . During my travel I developed an interest for photography .Today I'm happy that photography is now part of my daily routine.

Now i enjoy sharing my most artistic pictures of the jewelry i make on Flickr and other online portfolios like DeviantArt . It is a great tool to learn about photography and also a useful extension giving direction to my artistic/creative development .

Recently i made a steampunk Spider Sculpture that was featured in Daily deviation on DeviantArt :


Steampunk Clockwork Spider by *CatherinetteRings on deviantART


Sincerely
Daniel Proulx


Links
Etsy Shop

Flickr
DeviantArt

Networks
Twitter
Facebook

Steampunk Rhinoceros Beetle

I Made it from Tinned copper wire that i twist , bend and coil mostly by hand and pliers . I also use some silver tone clock parts in the front and the back of the beetle's body . I plan to make a wide variety of these bugs .

This is a quick survey and giveaway , Ending on the 31st of august 2009 .

Please indicate which stone is your favorite from the list below , the color of Metal you prefer . There will be 1 winner for every 100 participant . The winner will receive the most popular ring from the result of the survey .

Gemstones :
Black Onyx
Smoky quartz
Orange Amber
Red Coral
Green Seraphinite
Purple Charoite
Blue Lapis Lazuli

Metal
Gunmetal
or Gunmetal with Natural Copper

I must confess this was my friend's idea and he told me that vampires
are very popular nowadays . I think it is true and that vampires in a steampunk setting would be very interesting to see . I made the Crucifix using antiqued metal , copper , brass , amber and clock parts .

I'm building a new line of jewelry with silver , black metal , Opalite and Hematite . The rings are made of silver plated copper non-tarnish . I can also make them in Sterling silver on request *.





* Upgrade to sterling silver is 10$ .




Steampunk Jewelry

Here's a quick list of the beads i currently have in stock & a quick update on what will be available soon .

Swarovski Crystal :
Bermuda Blue
Meridian Blue
Red Magma
Volcano
Vitrail
Jet Black




Gemstones :
Leopard skin Jasper
Orange Carnelian
Black Onyx
Green Fire agate
Red Crab fire agate
Indian Moss Agate
Opalite Moonstone
Smoky quartz
Red tiger eye
Garnet
Mysterious Amber
Genuine Baltic Amber
Red Coral
Hematite
Ametrine
Citrine
Rainforest Japser

Special Stones :
Seraphinite
Charoite
Golden rutilated quartz
Multi rutilated quartz
Copper rutilated quartz
Black rutilated quartz
Boulder Matrix Opal
Amber with clock parts inlay
Labradorite
Lab Opal
Borosilicate
Rhodochrosite

Faceted Diamond Cut Stones :
Green Amethyst
Smoky Quartz
Blue topaz
Swiss Blue Topaz
Garnet
Chrome Diopside
Lab Tanzanite
Ruby ( Out of stock )
Sphene titanite ( Out of Stock )

Other :
Taxidermy Glass Eyes
Metal Skull





Wire :
Brass
Copper
Sterling Silver

The fictitious story : The Rainforest Jasper .

On the 21st day of my expedition into the no man's land* aboard the roving mechanical scarab tank**, we found what was once the deepest point of the Rainforest and discovered the gate . It was covered by roots of trees that had grown over it for centuries , worn by time but still protected by menacing thorns . As we approached a rattling noise grew from the deep . I had brought with me a few of the Mysterious stones i had found in ancient sacred location around the globe, If my calculation were correct one of them was connected to the gate . But time was running out . Swarms of insects gathered to defend it and This is where i first saw the Great Mantis queen and her children's . They were half-devilish and insectoid creatures , dark and terrifying . We quickly were outnumbered and thousands surrounded us . I had a few stones that could be connected to force of nature , plants and wild life : Seraphinite , Green Agate and Jasper but not enough time to guess which was the right one . The insects started to attack and we had to step back , we lost a few brave crew members but also captured and killed some of the creatures . We collected a dozen specimen , once dead the creature slowly vanished leaving behind only their eyes . The eyes were solid like stones .

Back into the laboratory of the Academy of mechanical wonders , i made a few test on the eyes , after discovering their properties i set them into finger ware ,amulets and necklaces . Once on your finger the eyes allowed you to perceive the world with the senses of an insectoid . It also allowed me to uncover the stone that was tied to their dimension . I called the Stone Rainforest Jasper . The stone was a fossilized fragment of that dimension filled with powerful energy. The rings i made with the stone were glowing with a green-orange light , they would protect us for our next encounter and perhaps helps us open the gate .


*The no man's land : This used to be a flourish forest but it has been exploited until nothing was left , it is now used for Military testing and as a dumpster .

**Roving Mechanical scarab tank : Powered by a steam internal coal combustion engine; This transport was designed to travel into the no mans land it can carry a crew of 15 men . It can resist extreme pollution and radiation level but it travels slowly on Caterpillar tracks . It has a few turrets armed with Ray Assault Guns .

Jasper for the Metaphysically inclined :
This stone helps connect with nature , it is a gate to the realms of natural powers and wisdom. It Brings hope , awareness of nature and detoxify the body .

Japer for the Curious : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper
The name means "spotted or speckled stone", and is derived via Greek iaspis, (feminine noun) from a Semitic language (cf. Hebrew yashepheh, Akkadian yashupu).

Green jasper was used to make bow drills in Mehrgarh between 4th-5th millennium BCE. Jasper is known to have been a favourite gem in the ancient world; its name can be traced back in Hebrew, Assyrian, Persian, Greek and Latin. On Minoan Crete within present day Greece jasper was carved to produce seals circa 1800 BC based upon archaeological recoveries at the palace of Knossos.
The word yashepheh in the Masoretic text of Exodus 28:20, referring to a stone in the Hoshen, is thus reflected in the Septuagint by the word Iaspis, and usually translated into English as Jasper. Despite the most common form of Jasper being red, scholars think that the yashepheh here actually refers to a green form of Jasper - which was very rare, and so highly prized; the Greeks used Iaspis to refer to the green form, while the red form simply fell under the term Sard - which just means red.

Update 18 June :
I made a few different eyes and one more arm . Just to give a better idea , the central eye can be replaced by the smaller beholder . I'm currently developing the back story being these 2 beholder and how they came to be one insane machination .

Original Post : 17 June
Right after i finished the first beholder i made , i knew i wanted to make a bigger one .
I started with the body and now I'm making the arms . So far i made only 2 arms .
The body has magnetic disc where the arm can be attached and switched . The tip of each arm also have magnetic disc in order to change to different of eyes / tools or weapon .
On the back i also included a few gears .


I will work a little on it everyday , it has 10 spot for the detachable arms . Making different weapons for all of them will be a lot of fun .

I see a lot of steampunk Artist . Recently i stumbled on one that i have first met on DeviantArt .
I often look on ETSY to see what new steampunk stuff comes out and i was very happy to come across what i had previously seen on DeviantArt . So i purchase one of the clock . What i especially like is the aestestic that make this functional piece of art look like it is powered by some ancient mysterious technology .

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade diarmentcreations.etsy.com

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff?
My name is Rafa Maya, I'm known as diarment on ETSY and DeviantArt. I am a multidisciplinary artist, based in Barcelona (Spain).

My artistic career began with drawing and painting, activities that i will not give up; but my ideas and projects will be expanded soon by computers, music, photography, modeling techniques and all that is close at hands .

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc ?
First, I am influenced by things I see and feel: movies, pictures, events, etc.. the idea is taking root in my mind, once I vocetos, then gather parts, recycle , model with putty and cardboard, then it all comes together and add the magic of painting, the work comes to an end.

How did you first become interested in the Steampunk Culture and - Why do you like it ?
I've always been fascinated by the making of machinery, especially those that seems somewhat useless or actually fantastic and impossible , it is one of the qualities that I find interesting to Steampunk world, along with the imaginative freedom from ancient technologies , and try to translate those impressions in my works, some on canvas, sculpture, cardboard and scissors, and others with computers .

What is your favourite piece of work by yourself ?
The favorite piece is always the last in which I work.


Also accept orders for a living, portrait, cartoons and design in general.

Name one of your favorite steampunk artist ?
I could name many artists (most of them are on deviantart) but I will appoint one, which is not anything long, his name is Oscar Chichoni, an illustrator with qualities very steampunk.

What are your goal , project , plans for the future ?
My plans for today, tomorrow could change at any time and are uncertain.

What advice would you give new artists?
I'm not locked in a very defined aesthetic, a style such as Steampunk has to offer a wide range of possibilities .

These are my links:
DEVIANTART
ETSY
BLOG

Thank you very much and see you soon.

To launch my first Twitter Steampunk Jewelry Giveaway i will draw a ring on the 1st of the Month :
The winner for June has been Direct Messaged on twitter.
Im going to draw one more the 1st of July

To Enter all you have to do is follow me on Twitter .
I will ship Worldwide . Open to anyone .

You can get additional entries by leaving a comment on this blog post with a link to your Twitter account , by joining my mailing list or by retweeting : RT @SteampunkRings Jewelry Twitter Giveaway See the details here : http://steampunkrings.blogspot.com/

The flea market is an amazing source of antique that can be salvaged and transformed into original steampunk decoration . Today i decided to get myself a few items from the St-Eustache Flea Market . I looked for Victorian style antique that are actually from around the late 60's to 70's . I also wanted items made from solid brass with filigree patterns . I came back with a lamp , a candle holder , a pitcher and an old phone . After a good clean up i plan to modify some of these items . On the phone i would like to replace the plastic by wood and for the lamp i would like a to make an altered art mix media style steampunk shade .

I received a special order to make a spider sculpture . I didn't finish the first spider i was working on but i will continue to make it simultaneously. This new spider is more demanding and i like to take many breaks while making it . Everything is twisted by hand so after a few hours my finger are quite numb .

Thanks to Amy , One of the collaborators who chose my steampunk Ring
to appear on her article in ViVaLaModa online fashion zine .
The Magazine is full of colors , original and trendy fashion finds .

right upper arm : You can imagine that arm shooting a disintegrating
Newtonian beam .

Left upper Arm : Triple saw made from vintage brass clock gear .

Top Arm : Made from Mysterious yellow amber .

bottom arm : a single magnetic wheel for an alternative transport and stability .

Beholder's floats/hover above the ground . They are known to be obsessively Tyrannic .

Recently i also made a few steampunk rings with using reptile taxidermy glass eyes , here's a few that i have on ETSY and ARTFIRE :

I just designed this new ring , which is a combination of various element from my previous designs . One design often lead to another . I plan to make this ring with different color of beads .

On ETSY
On DeviantArt
On Flickr

This year CatherinetteRings decided to turn the steam on to a different level and create new original Steampunk Jewelry designs .

First i introduced changes into my steampunk ring designs - A new line : ARTIFACT .
ARTIFACT STEAMED are modified with clock parts and gears . These rings are one of a kind . Upon request i can remake similar one . Due to the complexity of the design i cant reproduce exactly the same ring twice so they will be all unique.

Pollution is part of both reality and the steampunk culture .The use of recycled materials in the fabrication of Steampunk Artisan items helps our environment . Steampunk is about Converting otherwise unattractive and useless material to create timeless piece of art.Combined with an imaginative story or purpose these steampunk items are given a second life.

Why Apocalypse is associated with the steampunk culture ? Simply , if you combine an Era powered by coal with a rapid evolution of technology , you can only imagine the negative impact it would have on the environment and society .

Unfortunately , I cant imagine an apocalyptic world without war , how much pollution would create legions of coal powered war machines and how much polution would be generated by the factories that makes them .

Ironically The war could be to have control over coal in order to fuel the factories that makes those war machines. By the way what's the price of coal today ?

To survive in that world you need a few extra gears .
Before going out into the wild and heavily industrialized quarter you will need to wear a good gas mask .

''Gasp! Who knew steam engines were capable of producing such foul and wretched air? Give me a horse any day.'' say's Tom Banwell. This for sure will make you look cool .

With all this coal burning the threat of a fire is inevitable. No airship should leave without a highly qualified team of firefighters , especially when leaving on a long journey to a foreign planet .



Then comes the question on how to defend yourself against the villains and machines that lurks in every dark alley. Fortunately Rayguns are also associated with steampunk. The primitive clockwork technology mixed with advanced science found in rayguns contribute in creating an anachronism inherent in the steampunk culture.

Rayguns offer protection with powerful limiteless effects . They can heat , disentegrate , paralize or can even be used as blowtorch .


With all this polution you also need to wear a good pair of Google especially if your going to venture at high altitude or on a coal powered airship . The ultimate protection against the eye iritation by toxic fume & the wind .


In my Previous Entry : The composition of the default dimension , i described the basic of my Steampunk rings and the theory on the perception of reality influenced by Quantum Science and my love for fantasy worlds .

In order the correct the apocalyptic crisis of the Steampunk Era a mad scientist on his path to building a time travel machines accidentally discovers dimensional travel . A long forgotten science that may be the cause of anomalies in the world he lives in. Ultimately leading him to create the Unusual , Esoterically engineered and wearable form of apparatus that enhance the Metaphysical control over matter . These rings granted what we describe as magical effects .
Giving control over the elements and helping to communicate with creatures from other dimensions .


He had good intentions but his plans were stolen and the scientist mysteriously disappeared. However before he was gone , hundreds of his rings where hidden at different locations .
Because he could travel thought time he had carefully place them so that they could be found
by those he had chosen . But we will see that nothing ever happens has planned .... to be continued .


Alien Demon eye ring : The eyes of a demon were hard like stones and easy to set into the ring . It's amazing what you can see through the eye of a demon .

I decided to make a mega ring . A ring that is 2 X larger than my original design . I mixed a dozen different features and techniques i developed over the year into one ring . It represent a mechanical gadget powered by a mysterious stone .