In my jewelry design, I use semi-precious gemstones that are most beautiful and unusual to add mystery to my designs.

Anyone with enough money can make a fabulous design given a flawless diamond and 24 kt gold. I like to create pieces that a a bit more unusual. Here's a piece of Larimar I'm just beginning to work with. It's large -- more than an inch wide, with a distinctive pattern that  says "ocean" to me.
Now what can I do with it? A pendant or pin would be the obvious choices, certainly. I'll probably use Sterling Silver because it's so cool against that smooth blue.
I'll definitely want a setting you can see through, because this fabulous stone is translucent! 
I also might consider adding a contrasting stone: a faceted Amethyst perhaps. I have a beautiful faceted Oregon Sunstone, but it's the wrong shade of orange. Too bad, because it's just the right size. I like blue and yellow together, too. In this case, though, I think the Amethyst is the stone to choose. It keeps the colors in the same family. That or a small Boulder Opal with lots of fire. The problem with choosing a Boulder Opal is its price -- add too much to the materials on the front end, and the final sales price is too high for my market.
You see what I think about before I ever set foot in the studio. But, I have a pretty solid idea of where I'm going with this lovely stone.  I can't wait to get to work. Watch this space -- I'll show you what it turns out like.