Jewelry by Robin Atkins

Unique and distinctive jewelry, designed to wear in style and comfort!


I've been creating jewelry with sterling silver, gold, and beads since the 1970's when I was a metalsmith for 5 years. My love of working with precious metals continued right into my beading career. Using various pliers, files and hammers, I twist, bend, pound and form wire into earrings and fibula pins. I also create bracelets and necklaces using various stringing and weaving techniques.

One of the great joys in my career as a bead artist is to shop for interesting and unique lampwork and sterling silver beads to use in my jewelry. Some of the beads in this collection (especially the fibula pins) came from my early bead buying trips abroad and have been in my collection for a long time. It's a pleasure to use them now, and pass them along to you!

At this time, I don't have a "shopping cart" system. However, it's still a pretty easy and flexible system to use. If you'd like to purchase something you see here, just contact me about it. Even if the pictured piece is sold, I can probably make something similar for you. The following sections are included on this page:

Fibula Pins
Necklaces
Bracelets


beadwork by Robin Atkins, bead artist



Fibula Pins

Someone showed me a fibula pin made by Ramona Solberg, a well-known found object metalsmith, and explained that the origin of the design is from ancient Rome, when such pins fabricated from wire were used to hold cloaks closed. For me, they are the absolutely perfect way to showcase lovely one-of-a-kind lampwork and other speciality beads. Sometimes it takes me significantly longer to design the pins than to actually form and pound the wire to make them; but it's quality time with quality beads!

beaded fibula pins by Robin Atkins, bead artist

Each of the pins is unique; I never make two the same. They are designed to wear on your right side with the spiral of wire pointing down. As shown in the pictures above, they can be worn on sweaters, shirts, jackets; used to embellish hats or purses; worn as a holder for your favorite scarf; or used to hold your shawl closed. I've never been much of a pin person, but I always enjoy wearing these (and the compliments I receive when I do.)

Fibula pin #3006

This pin in taupe and black features contemporary American lampwork beads with gold-filled beads and wire.

$70.00
fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


Fibula pin #3007

This pin in tangerine and black features contemporary American lampwork beads with gold-filled beads and wire.

Sold. Please contact me; a similar pin may be available.
Fibula pin #3008

This pin in teal green features contemporary American lampwork beads with sterling silver beads and wire.

$70.00
fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


Fibula pin #3009

This pin in soft greens features contemporary American lampwork beads with sterling silver beads, star charm and wire.

Sold. Please contact me; a similar pin may be available.
Fibula pin #3010

This pin in bone, taupe and grey features contemporary American lampwork beads with sterling silver beads, dragonfly charm and wire.

$70.00
fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


Fibula pin #3011

This pin in cobalt blue and white features contemporary American lampwork beads, a two-layer, hand-carved lampwork bead from China, and a cloisonné bead with gold-filled beads and wire.

Sold. Please contact me;a similar pin may be available.
Fibula pin #3012

This pin in teal, purple and periwinkle features contemporary American lampwork beads with sterling silver beads and wire.

$65.00
fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


fibula pin by Robin Atkins, bead artist.


Fibula pin #3013

This pin in black and silver features contemporary American lampwork beads with sterling silver beads, star charm and wire.

$70.00


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beadwork by Robin Atkins, bead artist



Necklaces

I love to make necklaces, because they offer such wonderful challenges: how best to showcase certain beads, how to make it work technically, how to create a unique necklace that will be comfortable to wear yet stylish. Mostly I prefer to ignore popular colors and materials, trying, instead, to design pieces that will transcend the current fashion trends. You will have to be the judges of how successful I am in these attempts.

Sea to Sky necklace by Robin Atkins, bead artist. Sea to Sky, necklace #3101

        This piece was sold Jan. 2, 2006

It took about a year to collect the sterling silver sea, land and sky critters for this piece from various sellers of silver beads from northern Thailand. Some of the beads are contemporary, some old. Wanting the necklace to support the visual and actual weight of all this silver, Sea to Sky necklace, detail, by Robin Atkins, bead artist.I chose to finger weave the cord using industrial weight nylon thread (a technique which I teach; see workshops). The comfortable clasp is a Thai sterling silver button and woven loop. The length is 29 inches; all components are sterling silver.

I still have similar beads.



Sea Life, necklace #3102

        This piece was sold Dec. 12, 2004

Fascinated by all the different fish and sea life beads created in sterling silver by artists of northern Thailand, I was compelled to feature them in a necklace.Sea Life necklace, detail, by Robin Atkins, bead artist. Like "Sea to Sky" above, this is a woven treasure necklace with no findings or machine made components to distract from the natural theme. Figuring out how to make the fringe using this weaving technique was the big challenge of the piece, but I'm satisfied with the results. Both the fringe and the necklace itself gently move with the motions of your body. The length is 25 inches, plus 3.5 inches for the pendant/fringe; all components are sterling silver.

I still have similar beads.
Sea Life necklace by Robin Atkins, bead artist.



Sage, green and taupe necklace by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

The length of this necklace may be adjusted easily by tying knots in the cord at the back of the neck.

Ask me for pictures of a similar necklace.
Forest Floor, necklace #3103

        This piece was sold Aug. 20, 2005

Made in the same style and wire working techniques as the fibula pins above, this necklace features a beautiful set of lampwork beads by Darlene Nixon, one of the polka dot beads I designed and had made in the Czech Republic, and gold-filled wire. The cord is heavy polished cotton and is wired to the clasps, which attach at the front to either the loops or spirals.


Forest Floor necklace, detail, by Robin Atkins, bead artist.



Sea Foam, necklace #3104

        This piece was sold Dec. 3, 2004

Made in the same style and wire working techniques as the fibula pins above, this necklace features a beautiful set of lampwork beads by Darlene Nixon, and sterling silver beads and wire. The cord is heavy polished cotton and is wired to the clasps, which attach at the front to either the loops or spirals.


Sea Foam necklace, detail, by Robin Atkins, bead artist.
cobalt blue and teal green necklace by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

The length of this necklace may be adjusted easily by tying knots in the cord at the back of the neck.

Ask me for pictures of a similar necklace.



conch shell necklace by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

The length is 23 inches.

$250.00
Conch Shells, necklace #3105

Both the capped beads and shell discs in this necklace came from Nagaland-Burma in northeastern India. When I purchased them, the vendor told me they were made by indigenous craftsmen 50 or more years ago. The shell discs are carved from the center "spine" of conch shells;Conch Shells necklace, detail, by Robin Atkins, bead artist. the dark amber colored capped beads are copal. I used sterling silver spacer beads from Bali between each of the shell discs to make the necklace fluid and to show off the subtle colorations of the shells.


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beadwork by Robin Atkins, bead artist



Bracelets

Bracelets are generally fun and easy to make, and I make many different types of them. The bracelets which follow are my favorites, because they go with everything, are a little different than what everyone else is wearing, and because they are so comfortable. I weave the featured beads in these bracelets (peyote stitch) while riding the ferries to and from the island where I live. Each bracelet includes hand-made woven beads, Swarovski crystals, Bali spacers, and either sterling silver or gold-filled clasp.

Matte rainbow bracelet by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

Matte Rainbow, SS Bracelet #3201

This bracelet features a rainbow of 8 hand-made beads, Swarovski crystals to match, and sterling beads and clasp. Length 7.8 inches.

$58.00
Matte Rainbow, GF Bracelet #3202

This bracelet features a rainbow of 8 hand-made beads, Swarovski crystals to match, and gold-filled beads and clasp. Length 7.8 inches.

$58.00
Matte rainbow bracelet by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

Green-blue-purple bracelet by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

Matte Green-Blue-Purple, SS Bracelet #3203

This bracelet features a sequence of 6 hand-made beads in soft matte colors, Swarovski crystals, and sterling beads and clasp.
Length 7.5 inches.

$52.00
Matte Green-Blue-Purple, GF Bracelet #3204

This bracelet features a sequence of 7 hand-made beads in soft matte colors, Swarovski crystals, and gold-filled beads and clasp.
Length 7.6 inches.

$52.00
Green-blue-purple bracelet by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

Matte metallic bracelet by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

Matte Metallic, GF Bracelet #3205

This bracelet features a rich array of 6 hand-made matte metallic beads, Swarovski crystals, and gold-filled beads and clasp.
Length 7.2 inches.

$52.00
Subtle Rainbow, SS Bracelet #3206

This bracelet features a progression of 6 hand-made beads in soft rainbow colors, Swarovski crystals, and sterling silver beads and clasp. Length 7.8 inches.

$52.00
Subtle rainbow bracelet by Robin Atkins, bead artist.

beadwork by Robin Atkins, bead artist



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