Moose Spotlight: Creating Handmade Jewelry For The Soul

This is Megan Adams, also known as @lillianstonestudios on Instagram. This Utah-based jewelry artist has been creating jewelry for a year now and so far, her creations truly piqued our interest!

@lillianstonestudios on Instagram

Being in the jewelry industry for a year now, we were curious to know how she sources her turquoise cabochons for her work. Megan shares, “I source my turquoise cabochons from reputable lapidary artists who provide not only high-quality materials but also top customer service to silversmiths & jewelers... like Turquoise Moose!”

If you’re relatively new to creating jewelry, we think it is essential to do a bit of research as to where you are getting your materials - this is so you could have that sense of confidence that what you’re creating is genuine and high-quality - whether it be for turquoise or other gemstones and materials used for your jewelry.

We also wanted to know what are the factors that help in completing a cab purchase. For Megan, she said the shape, size, and ultimately the material are what determine which stones she chooses to purchase. She adds that she likes symmetrical stones rather than free forms. With that, she personally likes the clean, uniform look of a well-cut stone.

From the artists’ perspective, we wanted to know what are the advantages and disadvantages of working with turquoise. Megan says she loves working with and setting turquoise in her. Adding that there is such a wide variety of turquoise out there to choose from and so many different mines that produce a variety of colors, matrixes, and webbed materials. Moreover, she feels she has plenty of amazing options for her vast clientele -- something for everyone!

Preference-wise, Megan explains she thinks she doesn’t know if she has a favorite turquoise as she truly hasn’t met a turquoise that she doesn’t love! Having said that, she is most drawn to anything with deep web patterns and bold colors. Royston Turquoise & Lavender Hubei Turquoise are two of her favorites.

For anyone who’s looking for some bezeling techniques, here’s a bit of handy advice from Megan! “I think it's important to make sure your stone SHINES in your setting. When creating & setting your bezel, remember that you should form the bezel to best fit your stone shape/size/height. If that means filing it down to fit perfectly or hand creating your own bezels, DO IT. It's worth it to make your stone the showcase of your piece.”

We truly appreciate our community for being so supportive and always ready to share some knowledge with their fellow creators - to say you’re all inspiring is an understatement!

Striving to do better and be kinder to our environment, we make sure to also ask and get inspiration from artists as to how they are doing their part. For Megan, being earth-friendly is really important. She states that Mother nature provides so much for us and we need to do our part to conserve. Recycling or melting down silver to create parts of her work, as well as using packaging made from recycled materials are all part of Megan’s creation process.

We asked if Megan has a signature design or favorite technique. She shares that most of her silversmith work is custom creations. How it works is her clients select a stone from her personal collection that speaks to them. Once they’ve selected, Megan designs the piece of their dreams. Her style is truly all-encompassing, with a focus on bold stones, bright colors, and meaningful designs to last a lifetime.

Check out some of her beautiful creations! We truly can’t wait to see more :)

What do you like about working with Turquoise Moose?

“I love working with Turquoise Moose because not only do they have one of the largest selections of high-quality Turquoise Cabochons available to silversmiths, but the ladies behind the company are truly so wonderful! The kindness & customer service are so important and you will find it ALL at Turquoise Moose!”

- Megan Adams

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillianstonestudios/
Browse her website: https://www.lillianstonestudios.com