Agnes Katona Ltd.

Good morning! Sorry I have been quiet. Working on a few pieces lately. But keeping to a nice tradition, Happy Throwback Thursday. Some pieces stay with you over the years. This is one of them. I was asked to help with an estate clearance a few years ago. In a large box of costume jewellery I came across this amazing #horsebrooch. The rose cut diamonds were set in silver and mounted on gold; so typical of 19th century fine jewellery. It was handmade and the lines were just sup...erb. Ask anyone to replicate this today without the help of computer aided design.....they would struggle! The lady had inherited it from her great aunt, and having little affiliation to brooches she wanted to sell it. Knowing she would never realise the value of it I persuaded her to keep it, and see it as something else. We transformed it into a pendant necklace, by taking off the fittings and adding new ones. Polishing off the 160 year old tarnish. Decked in diamonds it remains a very valuabale piece. But above that...It is just so fine that it needed to be appreciated. Last time I saw her, she said she wears it all the time. 💛 Now I just need to locate my great aunt!! 😃
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Today I saw some disgusting, horrible things on some groups that I follow on social media. I am a firm believer that if something is bad, please don't share it. Or think about how someone else may feel about violence, and bodily fluids. So in keeping with my beliefs, I am posting this feel-good, beautiful sterling silver, #moonstone and #turquoise pendant I found on pinterest. Isn't it lovely? Hope you like it too. Has social media gone too far? Do you sometimes cringe too?
#headinhands, #oldfashioned, #shareprettythings

Hi Everyone! Most of you know my love for #gemstones, so I thought of sharing something that fascinates me. #Carvedgemstones. Idar Oberstein is a small German town famous for craftsmen who have carved and polished gemstones for generations. 2 brothers live there. Gerd and Patrick Dreher. They are stone cutters. And they make these unbelievable sculptures out of genuine semi precious stones. The #chamelion is made from green garnet. The toad is made from #flourite! The lovebirds are made from #onyx, #coral, #orangecalcite and #greenquartz. I am not affilated to them. I just have a deep respect for their work. Hope you love them too! 💚❤💙

Happy Friday! I currently have 1 rhino left. I can make it up as a charm for #Pandora, #Lovelinks, #ThomasSabo at £45 or as a pendant necklace for £40. Free UK postage! 😊 solid sterling silver!

Throwback Thursday Greetings! 4 years ago a lady came to me with a "road kill" brooch. This 1940's, #18ctgoldbrooch that had fallen off her coat at a zebra crossing. Realising it only later, she rushed back to the scene and found it where it had fallen. By that time countless trucks and cars had ridden over it, so it was battered and bashed beyond recognition. Our task was to clean it, straighten it, bend it back in shape and polish it. Although it had sustained life changing damages, it was brought back to life about 80% true to its original shape. I had advised melting it down, but she was adamant as it was a gift from her husband. 😊

Trying to find my inner zen wit 2 kids and work is almost impossible. Most of these are pipe dreams, but a decaf cup of tea at the end of my day in silence is my way. What is yours? 😊 Midweek greetings!

Good morning! Amidst all our political uncertainties, I thought of sharing something beautiful, that I found out about yesterday! In the late 1990's, a new stone was discovered. It has the nicest name: "Indonesian Bumblebee".....or also known as #Indonesianbumblebeejasper. It is however not a jasper stone which is a semi-precious stone. This is formed due to a mixture of lava and sediment. Geologists realised the colours stay as they are once it all hardens, and gemmologists realised they would make amazing pieces of jewellery once polished. Personally I love it. The name probabaly sells it for me, but I just love the colours too. I am able to source this, so if anyone loves it too, drop me a line. 😀
Images credited to 2 Google sites.
#saveourbees, #bumblebeestone

This beautiful, #Victorian diamond and #seedpearlring came to me for a resizing, and a clean. Rings like this should never go in a gold dip or a silver dip as the solution will eat up the natural pearls. Such a lovely piece. At least 150 years old. 💛
#19thcentury, #victorianchic, #memoriesofdaysgoneby

Watch this space! A beautiful 3.97 carat pear shaped diamond ( from a pendant) and a diamond eternity ring will be made into something else....
#soexcited!

Happy Monday! One of those cold mornings you want to forget about going out. But alas....one must. Isn't this photo special? Keep warm! 😊

Happy Sunday! I found this little image of popular semi precious stones. One of the things that I love about #gemstones is the vibrant colours they have! If you could choose your favourite one here, which one would it be? If your favourite stone is not here, would love to hear which one it is 😊 ( I love peridot, amethyst, labradorite and turquoise which are not here).

Two of my favourite things in this photo. Happy Friday to Everyone! 😊 #geodelove, #puppylove, #feelgoodfactor
Image credited to: #amazinggeologist

#Somethingold, #somethingnew, #somethingborrowed, #somethingblue, #conversionjewellery, #wecreatesomethingbeautiful

For the special man in your life! Or a treat for yourself? A beautiful, solid pair of sterling silver chain-link cufflinks, made in my workshop. Fully hallmarked and thick enough to one day engrave on it if one wishes. Price is £75 with free UK delivery. #SilverCufflinks are one of those pieces of jewellery that have been enjoyed for decades. They were great in the 19th century.....during the art deco times, and even today. #unisexcufflinks

Happy Throwback Thursday. 4 years ago I sold a pair of amazing golden South Sea pearls to a lady. She had bought an opal ring set in 14ct gold at a charity shop for a whopping £15! It was a great find, and although she didn't wear the ring, she thought why not mix the 2? So we reinvented the 2 items and made a pair of stunning 18ct yellow gold, #opal and #SouthSeapearl earrings valued at £5,000 when ready! Moral of the story: charity shops rule! 😂 One of my best memories!

I was asked for a lot of #flag charms just before Christmas. They all sold, so this year I am innovating with a new type of sterling silver charm that can be made to fit Pandora, Lovelinks, Thomas Sabo and traditional bracelets too. These are "meniscus" charms. Look like water droplets that are water proof resin with the flag underneath is. Backed by sterling silver. Currently these flags can be done. If a flag is not on it, please message me. Price is the same as last year. £45 with free UK postage. Charms measure 10mm in size. (Pendants can also be made). These are made to order.

Most of us have have #silver jewellery that has tarnished over the years. Sometimes gold tarnishes too. The alloys in the gold react to oxygen and sulpher in the air and this causes tarnishing. So the higher karat weight of the gold, the less tarnishing it will experience. 18 versus 9 for instance.This 9ct #gold pendant was cleaned and polished. And looks lovely again. 😊 I am now ready to do all jewellery work, polishing included.

Good Morning! I know some of you lovely people love #octopi and some of you do #papercutting, so this might be great to share. A work of art! ☺
https://www.facebook.com/VT/videos/544397 149409755/UzpfSTM2Mzc2NTgwMDQzMTkzNTozMT UwOTY4Mjg1MDQ0OTky/