I've recently started going back to my glass roots, and there have been some interesting developments. While I'm itching to get back to making some layered glass, I got out a bit of ribbed dichroic glass, and fused some small "cabochons" to set into small rings.

I was blessed to have crossed paths with a really great teacher, Lexi Erickson, and my metalsmithing skills have blossomed. I really love her style...very organic hand-finished pieces.

But every student must at some point find their own style. So my journey to find my way "back" to my own style began. Pieces of glass that I set aside because I couldn't bear to part with them for $20 have now become some of my favorite jewelry pieces. The piece shown here was a beautifully layered glass piece that I carried around in my pocket for a long time. I went through a "ruffle" phase, and this piece was one of the resulting pieces.

But then I started thinking about dichroic glass. Each time I do a show—even if I have my sterling silver pieces—I sell more dichroic earrings than anything else. So I wondered could I "class" it up a bit? Everyone seems to love the sparkle, but sometimes dichroic glass is "overdone" and a little gaudy. My goal is to create dichroic glass that retains the sparkly beauty, but has everyday appeal. This little ring has a small...maybe 1/4"...piece of dichroic glass, bezel set with a delicately hammered backplate. It's not too expensive, and not too flashy.

I love making rings especially that can be used for meditation. This started a few years ago when I was experiencing test anxiety when I went back to college. My lampworked beads had bumps on them that were great for relaxation. This little dichroic ring has depth...the wearer can gaze into what looks like a little drop of water with a sparkly ribbed underside. It's a beautiful accessory that I wear constantly. It's available here on Etsy.