Shop for Personalized Jewelry Online September 9, 2021 14:06

Custom Made Heart Beat Ring or Rings Using Your Actual Heartbeat - Stackable June 26, 2021 13:08

A Sample Of New Jewelry Made Here At Chimera Design June 28, 2019 13:34

90 second video of some of the latest handmade jewelry at Chimera Design from the bench of Julie Claire DeVoe.

Just What She Had In Mind - New Jewelry From Old June 27, 2019 17:51

Sue had three rings containing nine diamonds that she was not wearing any longer. She had an idea in her head for all the gold and diamonds to be combined into a single ring.

She wanted it to be 10-11mm wide at the top and taper down. She wanted the diamonds to be set as low as possible. We can do that! We sent a quick sketch to Jere (at first she had 7 diamonds, then found a pair of earrings so the sketch shows 7).

Jere took my lovely (!) sketch and sent me back several CAD images for Sue to look at. 

Sue approved the CAD image, so we cut the wax. Sue took at look at it and said, "That is exactly what I had in mind." Next step was melting down her old gold, casting the ring, setting all the diamonds and polishing everything up. The result was this:

Well, Sue was beside herself when she picked up the ring. One of the things we love about our "job" is helping people bring a piece of jewelry from thought to reality. Sue let me get my phone and capture some of her happiness:

Chimera Design Crafts Custom Jewelry Using Elk Ivory April 12, 2019 13:05

Chimera Design has crafted many pieces of custom jewelry featuring elk ivory over the years.

In Which Cliff Changes His Mind About Moissanite March 16, 2019 17:52

Cliff was never a big fan of Moissanite. That all changed in 2015 and he explains why in this blog post.

Yellow Diamonds - Engagement Rings That Stand Out - $2,500 and up. January 5, 2018 12:17

Blue Zircon Is A Rocking Gemstone - We Love It October 6, 2017 15:37

Blue Zircon is a natural gemstone - most folks immediately think of the man made cubic zirconia or "CZ" when you mention blue zircon. NO NO NO!

Blue Zircon is the traditional birthstone for December. 

One of the main reasons we LOVE it is the way it sparkles because of the high refractive index and strong dispersion characteristics. What all the mumbo jumbo means is that blue zircon sparkles and winks like crazy! 

It is our belief that blue zircon is waaaay underappreciated as an accent gem or even as the Main Event! Here is an engagement ring we just did for a couple. She stopped in the other day to tell me she had been getting a ton of compliments:

Another recent ring we did involved using blue zircon to accent the center stone:

One last example for you - we made this rose gold bracelet for a couple - blue zircon is her birthstone and we alternated them with diamonds. Suh-weet!

One closing statement - NONE of these pictures capture the sparkle and fire of blue zircon. You really need to see it in person to fully appreciate the POW! this gem will bring to your jewelry.

Chimera Design Has The Solution For Curved Engagement Rings July 15, 2017 10:22

The Loving Embrace curved bands will fit 95% of all engagement rings.

Our Cases Are Filled Once Again July 26, 2016 09:55

Earlier this year we started a relationship with a great company located in Tucson, Arizona. Pan American scours the planet for the coolest gemstone beads, glass beads, and pearls. Then their artists in Tucson design and create some fantastic looking jewelry.

One of the reasons we love the jewelry from Pan American is because is similar to what Julie used to make when we first opened - great mixtures of color and textures. These days Julie is so busy with her metal work that she has no time to devote to gems, beads, and pearls - so the work of the people in Tucson is welcomed.

We just received a new shipment. The designs are eye catching and the prices are great. Earrings from $18 - Murano glass bead necklaces are $88.

Michigan Themed Jewelry at Chimera - Made in Michigan! February 18, 2016 17:54

We love the Mitten. Our affection for Michigan is visible in the jewelry we carry.

We have some friends just north of Traverse City who make most of our Michigan themed jewelry. They use Petoskey stones and Leeland Blue - which is actually a by-product of the copper mining industry in the Upper Peninsula.

One of their most popular items is the Sterling Mitten.

We also carry sterling silver Mitten beads, made at Terry Berry in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They make plain ones and ones engraved with the word "Michigan". These fit Pandora and other bracelets - or just wear the Mitten on a chain.

We also have sterling silver beads celebrating most of the great colleges and universities in Michigan. MSU, U of M, EMU, CMU, WMU, and GVSU. All of these are available in sterling ($49) or enamel and sterling ($59). They fit  Pandora and almost every other similar bracelet. 

Valentine's Day Specials At Chimera Design February 6, 2016 14:25

We just loaded our cases back up. We put over 30 new pieces in our display from the Oliver Weber Collection. This line of fashion jewelry is made in Italy using Swarovski crystals - great look at an affordable price. 20% off all Oliver Weber for Valentine's Day.

We have been representing the Strellman's line of jewelry for a decade now. We have a nice display of their Lighthouse Lens rings in sterling silver with every birthstone - plus we have another dozen pieces in stock. If we don't have it - they are made just across Lake Michigan in Minnesota! We can call them up and have a piece made to your specifications. 20% off all Strellman's jewelry.

Another great American artist is Michael Michaud. His designs are all inspired by the timeless beauty of nature. The picture below shows his hydrangea along with some real hydrangea brought in by one of our friends. We have a nice selection - all of which is 20% off for Valentine's Day.