Not your ordinary jewelry

Happy Monday! This week, I'm going to devote a few articles to some unique jewelry - not the type of designs you would find in your typical jewelry store! Some of them are more "regional" favorites, and some of them are just very kitschy, artsy, or unique in that they are created from materials that the average jewelry buyer wouldn't associate with jewelry. I think you are in for a real treat with most of these things.

Let it never be said that there is anything that a creative Etsian can not use, reuse, recycle, repurpose or put to good use for something other than its original purpose. Today, I'm going to take a look at some jewelry that is based on paper goods. I browsed a variety of shops on Etsy and picked these beautiful pieces to share with you. So as you read along, pick out your favorites and visit their shops to find out more about these wonderful pieces!

Origami is the ancient oriental art of paper folding. Translated into a jewelry medium, origami techniques have been used to develop durable, water resistant, lightweight and beautiful designs. Most designs are created from either beautiful chiyogami, kami, or washi paper, although other papers may also be used. The artisans who create this type of jewelry practice great attention to detail and are painstakingly careful about properly finishing their designs with a number of glazes and finishes to make their jewelry a delight for years to come.

Paper Collage - What do you get when you create something using a framework covered with a collage of recycled paper? Or you create a collage of materials over drawings and prints on silk paper, and perhaps layer it with Swarovski crystals and finish it with enamel? Well, if you're as talented as some of my fellow artisans, you'll get something as stunning as these amazing bracelets.

Resin/Glazed Mounted jewelry included a wide variety of backings from the currently popular Scrabble tile jewelry to lovely chiyogami paper or even unique paper scraps mounted on sterling silver or leather. Paper is cut and mounted to the backing and then coated with a glasslike layer of resin, or a sturdy glaze, to produce a simple design available in an incredible variety of motifs and themes.

Quilling, or paper filigree, is another decorative paper technique that has been around for centuries. Decorative designs are created throught the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is then glued at the tip and the coil is shaped. These shaped coils are then arranged to form flowers, leaves, and other ornamental patterns. The finished result is similar to ironwork. In jewelry making, Quilled pieces are then treated with a sealant like lacquer or varnish to make them durable and water resistant.

Laminating refers to the placing of something (in this case a paper cutout) between layers of plastic and sealing them with heat and/or pressure, creating a tight, water resistant seal. This type of jewelry design results in durable, lightweight earrings and pendants that come in an array of designs that is only limited by the number of pictures and patterns available to the designer.

I am sure there are probably many more beautiful and imaginative jewelry creations out there which have their basis in paper. I just haven't had the time to go thru all of the listings on Etsy yet! But I hope you'll take some time to browse thru these stores as well as the thousands of other Etsy shops and see what unique items you'll find.

I'd like to thank the following shops for the use of their pictures to pretty up my blog today!

Vintage Paper Bundle - ReduxPapers
Peace Crane Oragami Earrings - SmuTopia
Twin Origami Crane Pendant - Lucky Stars Origami
YUZEN WASHI ORIGAMI PILLOW EARRINGS - Zcat Studio Creations
Recycled Paper Cuff - Artistic AYA
Collage Bangle with Pink Roses - BijouxbyJacqui's
Bride Of Frankenstein Style A Glass Tile Pendant - LaughingVixenLounge
MIZUKI - Yuzen Washi on suede with Black Tourmaline Bracelet - Zcat Studio Creations
The White Bindweed Fairy Flower Fairy Pendant - twobadbananas
ROMANTIC ROSE - TwirledTreasures
Lime and Blue Butterfly Necklace - BNDesign