Peyote Pendent Frenzy: Chalcedony, Amethyst, Onyx, and Quartz

I believe it was last year when I stumbled upon a stall at the International Gem and Jewelry Show called Best   in Gems. Usually when I see a vendor that is selling loose cut gemstones I try to avoid them because if I fall in love with a $200 gemstone I would be a goner, anyways, what caught my eyes were three large bins each with a sign 60% off the marked price.  My inner brown instincts kicked in and I bee-lined for the bins. Oh it was HEAVEN!  There were so many different types of gemstones just waiting to be picked up and loved and taken home to be transformed into stunning jewelry. (I know, I talk about gemstones as if they were kittens) What I fell in love with instantly were the hydro stones, the chalcedony, amethyst, aquamarine, onyx and quartz.  I knew immediately that they would make gorgeous pendants if they were bezeled using peyote stitch! And I was right, I love each and every one of these stones to death! I have only made three pendents and have quite a few left to bezel but I hope you enjoy this man made beauty as much as I did.

The first pendant I created was from the blue chalcedony, which is by far one of my favorite pieces I have created
it took my days to figure out how best to encase this rich, opaque stone.
The embellished pyrite gives the pendant a finished feel: cooler and edgier! 

The second pendent I created was the amethyst, as much as I wanted to add pyrite to this one
it just didn't seem to take to the color scheme.
I might have to re-bezel this one in a silver tone to add the pyrite, I'm not entirely sure.

This third pendant, the onyx, was one of my least favorites
It has a tremendous "Bollywood" feel to it,
maybe it's just me and biased view.

 A little explanation on the hydro stone.  A hydro stone is made by crushing bits and pieces of raw gemstone, and re-bonding it to a desired shape.  These stones are not naturally this big, if they were they would cost a fortune.  The hydro version is may be cheaper but it has the same elegance that a natural stone would have.  I still have to finish up my aquamarine pendent as well as my quartz pendants.

*The hubby and I are working tirelessly on my shop, we will not be using the Etsy platform for various reasons.  We are sincerely hoping to launch the shop by this weekend!! If it does then that means a GIVEAWAY!! YAAY!! Stay tuned... the fun is about to begin!*