All about jewelry: March 2008

Monday, March 31, 2008

-::Seducing the Bowerbird::-

My new collection is entitled "Seducing the Bowerbird". Lookbook + the inspiration for this new collection will be available here in just a few days. It's an exciting time indeed, and I am so happy to finally release this new collection. In the meantime, here are some images from a photo shoot we did with our lovely friend Esin.

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[Source: Kyo Hashimoto Jewellery]

Friday, March 28, 2008

All Spring Jewelry Collection

For spring and summer 2008, shine is everywhere in terms of fashion accessories. From the purses we carry to the clothes we choose to the shoes we wear, the newest trend is all about shine from head to toe. Jewelry is one accessory that will never go out of style and can last a lifetime with the proper care.

This unique design has lots of character, and it just so happens that blue and yellow are two of the hottest colors for spring and summer:

14k Blue and Yellow Sapphire Floating Pendant
Yellow Sapphires float in an oval of delicate Diamonds surround by Blue Sapphires that float within an oval Diamonds. Yellow and Blue Sapphires 2.00 Carat Total Weight.
16-inch 14k White Gold rope pendant chain included.

The complementary color for yellow is purple, and what better way to add some pizzazz to your new ensemble than these gorgeous earrings:

14k Amethyst and Diamond Earrings
Classic styling in 14K white gold, Amethyst, and Diamonds.
Cushion-cut Amethyst weighs 18.50 Carat Total Weight.
Post earrings measure 7/8 inch by 3/4 inch in width.

Bracelets for Spring
The key to combining jewelry with the richly patterned frocks and tops for Spring 2008 lies in analyzing the neckline and the sleeve length. Spring 2008 garments are shown having at most 3/4 length sleeves - making bracelets a more visible jewelry accessory. This sleeve profile makes precious metal bracelets the perfect backdrop for heavily-patterned fabrics.

18k Hammered Box Link Bracelet
Yellow Gold box links intersected by high-polished bars.
8 inches long, 1/2 inches wide, 22 grams.

Company Statement

All Fine Jewelry was founded in 1996 by former Home Shopping Network and Mercantile Stores Company executives who brought 25 years of retailing and jewelry merchandising expertise to the Internet. All Fine Jewelry was the first large dedicated jewelry store on AOL, CompuServe, and MSN and pioneered the "manufacturer direct" business in the jewelry category. We are also an Amazon.com merchant partner.

Leveraging our years of relationships with some of the largest and finest jewelry manufacturers in the world, the Company management was able to form strong alliances with these manufacturers that allowed for direct shipment to our customers with blazingly fast order fulfillment of the highest quality fine jewelry available.

These alliances mean that we have access to the full inventories of these large manufacturers which in turn means that we can offer you an enormous selection of fine jewelry that is constantly being updated with the latest styles. This manufacturer direct structure also means that you will realize tremendous savings since our company has little of the overhead experienced by traditional jewelry retailers.

You can view the entire spring collection at All Fine Jewelry See full article.

Related Entries:

Jewelry trend: go big! - 08 December 2006

Spring/Summer 07 Jewelry Colors - 27 January 2007

Fiori Jewelry Collection - 22 March 2007

Decisions Decisions My Dear - 11 March 2008

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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Dichroic Glass Pendants

Great Necklace Idea
The best thing about these little beauties is that you don't have to be a jewelry designer to make a gorgeous necklace for yourself. You just buy the pendant, run a cord or chain through the holes that run through the top of the pendant, and voila! You have a necklace that will be the envy of your friends and coworkers. These pendants are very affordable, and the colors are breathtaking.

Some beautiful examples:

Gold and Copper Rectangle Pendant
Each pendant varies slightly in color and size.
Measurements: 11 x 21 mm.
Hole runs through top edge of rectangle.
Made in USA.

Silver Triangle Pendant
These stunning pendants are individually made and each pendant varies slightly in color.
Hole runs through wide edge of triangle and measures approx 2mm diameter.
Made in USA.

Pink Rectangle Pendant
Individually handmade.
Each varies slightly.
Hole measures approx 2mm diameter.
Made in USA.

About Dichroic Glass
The brilliant optical properties of dichroic glass are the result of multiple micro-thin layers of metal oxides. NASA developed dichroic glass for use in face shields in space suits. Layers of different metals - gold, silver, titanium, chromium, aluminum, zirconium, magnesium, silicon - are applied to the surface of the glass. The glass is then kiln-fired at extreme temperatures in a vacuum.

The resulting plate of dichroic glass can then be fused with other glass in multiple firings. Certain wavelengths of light will either pass through or be reflected, causing an array of color to be visible. Due to variations in the firing process, individual results can never be exactly reproduced. Each piece of fused dichroic glass is unique, and no two pieces can ever be the same.See full article.

Related Entries:

Jewelry Gets Buggy - 11 August 2006

Manak Jewelry Mania - 16 January 2007

Glass Jewelry for the Home - 24 February 2007

Break Your Heart Glass Rings - 23 April 2007

Australian Opals

Buried deep in the heart of the Australian Outback lies an elusive gem that entices men and women to give up the city and head for the outback, affectionately known to Australians as the bush. Now, life in the bush has great appeal. The air is fresh, the sky is blue by day, and like a diamond-studded blanket at night.

At times though, you have to endure the dust, the flies, the heat, the cold and the rough outback roads. If you are infected by the Opal bug, you are willing to endure all these hardships, because if you happen on one of these amazing stones, you will be rewarded with one of the rarest of God's creations.

It's as though some talented artist dipped his brush into the palette of the spectrum, splashed it across a meaningless rock, and transformed it into a masterpiece. The varieties and patterns in Opal are endless, and the combinations of colors are in the millions.

Australian Opal and Diamond Starfish Pendant
Inlaid Australian Opal dotted with Diamonds for the perfect sparkle.
14k yellow gold, 1 inch in length and 1 inch in width.
18-inch 14k yellow gold chain.

Opal has been mined worldwide, but Australian Opal accounts for 96% of all commercial Opal and is the main source of precious Opal. Australian Opal is mined in many locations throughout New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. It can form in vertical or horizontal seams in the sandstone as well as in fossilized formations. Because of the unique conditions under which Australian Opal is formed, it is nearly impossible to find two Opals exactly the same.

18k Australian Crystal Opal Ring
18k Yellow and White Gold.
Stone Size: 7x5 mm.

Crystal Opal has a degree of transparency which allows the colors below the surface to be visible. Some believe the crystal varieties to be the most beautiful. Crystal Opals can be either light or black crystal. By definition, Crystal Opal is any Opal clear enough to read through against a light surface but colors spring to life when viewed on a dark surface.

Sterling Silver Australian Opal Doublet Bracelet
Doublets are Opals that have been glued together to imitate the appearance of Black Opal. When a slice of Opal is glued to a black backing, it causes the color to become much darker and more vibrant. Thus, doublets contain only a small amount of actual Opal, and therefore, are much less valuable - but still beautiful.

Make no mistake about it, these can be some very pricey gems, but the colors are stunning!

SOURCE
Opal Mine by Brusacci See full article.

Related Entries:

Caring for Opals - 22 June 2006

Jewelry Career Resources - 08 August 2006

Mythical Jewelry - 22 August 2006

Jewelry Designer for Princesses - 08 March 2007

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Tourmaline: The Stone with Mixed Colours

If I get any busier I'm going to have to clone myself! Nevertheless, I decided it was time to update the blog and try to get a few things on the website. Some time ago I bought quite a few tourmaline strands; some of them turned out to be very pretty. Pretty tourmaline can be difficult to find in bead form. How I wish I'd bought strands and strands of it when I was in India! But now I have to try to search and search like everyone else. I saw great tourmaline when I was in India; appropriate, since Sri Lanki gave tourmaline its name and (tur mali in Sinhalese) the Dutch East India Company (headquartered in Madras where I spent most of my time; Sri Lanka is right off the coast) brought tourmalines back to Europe. Nowadays, tourmaline comes from Brazil (deep blue-green paraiba tourmaline is prized), Namibia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Tourmaline is even found in the USA.

What I love about tourmalines is what they are known for - their many colours, even within a single crystal. One old legend has it that in coming up from the earth, the tourmaline somehow passed over an underground rainbow and absorbed its varied colours.
Many people are fond of pink tourmaline, and it has been accepted as an alternate birthstone for the month of October (usual birthstone is the opal). I like to use all the colours of tourmaline together in one piece of jewelry. This works for me because, first, it is rare to get enough perfect tourmaline in one colour for a piece of jewelry, and second, because I like the way the colours blend together. I particularly like clear olive, pink, and yellow tourmaline. And these three shades are wonderful together.

The jewelry on this page is representative of the tourmalines I get: the top pair of tourmaline earrings illustrate the different colours of green and pink; the second pair, here in the last picture, show blends of pink although without the green that makes "watermelon" tourmaline - very popular recently. The tourmaline necklace above has colours of tourmalines ranging from black to watermelon to green to pink and all shades in between. Tourmaline jewelry is also very useful in the jewelry wardrobe since it can go with so many different clothes.

jewellery

accessories

handmade beaded jewelry

juvelen

handmade beaded jewelry

amethyst bracelet

tourmaline

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[Source: The Jewelry Blog]

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Beaded Watches

Are you tired of those pinchy metal link watches or the drab leather bands? Then beaded watches just might be what you need. It's the best way I know to make a fashion statement, and still have the time of day readily available. There are many styles and colors to choose from online, so I'll show you a few.

Harvest Lampwork Bead Watch
The lampwork beads in this bracelet are fabulous! Burnt orange and light brown with perfect scroll detail and a smooth, rich surface that is softly etched. The watch face is square silvertone Geneva water-resistant and the toggle closure matches the theme of this elegant piece.

Millefiori Bead Watch
Millefiori beads, very colorful when the light hits them.
Capri Blue Swarovski Austrian Crystals.
Sterling Silver heart clasp.

Pearl and Crystal Watch
Beautiful freshwater Pearls with Amethyst Crystals and a royal purple watch face by Geneva. Watch band is slightly stretchy for comfort and clasps with a magnetic fold over clasp by Swarovski.

About Watches
The most common type of watch is the wristwatch, worn on the wrist and fastened with a watchband made of leather, nylon, or metal links called a bracelet. Before the inexpensive miniaturization that became possible in the 20th century, most watches were pocket watches.

In the 21st century, technological advances in metallurgy, composite materials development, and physical vapor deposition greatly influence watch design and manufacturing. Solid stainless steel, titanium, tungsten carbide, carbon fiber, high-tech ceramic, and ion plating processes dominate a considerable market share of today's modern watch-making industry. Sapphire crystals are often incorporated to complement and enhance the durability of a quality watch.

Most inexpensive and medium-priced watches used mainly for timekeeping are electronic watches with quartz movements. Expensive collectible watches, valued more for their workmanship and aesthetic appeal than for simple timekeeping, often have purely mechanical movements and are powered by springs, even though mechanical movements are less accurate than more affordable quartz movements.

All of these watches are very affordable, so you can buy several and change them whenever you like.See full article.

Related Entries:

Bedat and Company Watches - 06 September 2006

Ebel Watches for Men and Women - 31 October 2006

Patek Watches for Your Guy - 09 November 2006

Not Free But Fun Watches - 04 May 2007

Classic Pendants for Spring

New Spring Jewelry
The classic pendant is an ultra simple look that works well with spring's more detailed, flamboyant clothing. A pendant should complement, but not clash with, the strong colors and patterns of spring and summer fashions. Traditional gemstones and simple settings work best for this style, though design and color should not be overlooked. Simple and elegant best describe what I consider a classic pendant.

Heart-Shaped Pendants
Jewelry takes on a more traditional look for spring 2008 with the reappearance of the classic heart motif worn as a simple pendant. Although this look is always strong around Valentine's Day, its popularity will continue throughout the spring and summer.

This is a stylized version:

White Gold and Mother Of Pearl Pendant
An incomplete heart-shaped piece of Orange Mother of Pearl hangs sideways from a 14k White Gold bail. Diamond-studded White Gold completes the shape of the heart and adds extra shine.

Symbolic Pendants
You'll also see a variety of pendants worn on simple cords and chains, with motifs that reflect the style of the person wearing them, especially favorite gemstones and symbols that have a special meaning, like this pendant:

Sapphire and Diamond Infinity Pendant in 18k White Gold
Signifying love everlasting, this pendant features two hearts joined in an infinite loop. A line of alternating round diamonds and deep blue sapphires adds fire and color to the design. The pendant is suspended from a delicate 18k white gold cable chain.

Gemstone Pendants
Blue gemstones are very popular this season. So what could be more perfect than the soft shimmer of White Gold with diamonds and a humongo pale blue gemstone, like this one:

18k White Gold and Aquamarine Pendant
19-carat Aquamarine gemstone set in an 18k White Gold with .10 ct of sparkling DiamondsSee full article.

Related Entries:

Spring/Summer 07 Jewelry Colors - 27 January 2007

Celeb Jewelry Designer Dominique Cohen Launches TARGET GO Collection - 15 August 2007

Baubles up for Bid - 08 December 2007

Sweet Home Indiana - 27 February 2008

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry

Contemporary Art Jewelry
I can't say enough about Nancy Bernardine's gorgeous and unique designs. The gemstones I love best are the natural stones with rough edges, irregular shapes, and earthy colors - and she handles them so well. She takes these diamonds in the rough and creates a setting around the stone, not the other way around.

Multi-Gemstone Bracelet
Larimar, Lapis, Sugilite, Chrysocolla, Turquoise, Lapis, Azurite/Malachite, Sugilite, Quantum Quattro, Lapis, Boulder Opal
This one of a kind bracelet was designed around a collection of hand-cut stones in shades of blue, green, and aqua. It is a heavy bracelet with two layers of metal, the bottom layer is highly polished sterling with an embossed layer on top.

Each piece of Nancy's jewelry is handcrafted with precious metals of Sterling Silver and/or 14k, 18k, 22k Gold and set with unique freeform cabochons. Gemstones she uses include: Boulder Opal, Lapis Lazuli, Sugilite, Drusy, Chrysocolla, Agate, Spectrolite, Turquoise, Onyx, or other exotic and common stones.

Handcrafted Coral Fossil Pendant
Coral Fossil Stone, White Topaz
Hand Textured Sterling Silver

I don't know where she finds such colorful gemstones, but they're some of the most unique I've seen. And she creates each piece from beginning to end. Have a look at her website (links below or click on one of the pics), the images alone are worth your time.

Gold and Gemstone Pendant
14k, 18k and 22k Yellow and White Gold
Chinese Writing Stone, Onyx Blade, White Sapphires

Artist Statement

As a jewelry artist, my passion is design, and my outlet to satisfy this consuming interest (obsession is what some of my friend's call it) is to saw, cut, hammer, form, sand, grind, solder, forge and polish precious metals and gemstones into miniature works of wearable art.

From early childhood, I was visually inspired by color and form. My first love during pre and elementary school was drawing intricate colorful patterns for fabric. I used the drawings to design and cut out dresses for my paper dolls. Guess that says something about my age since paper dolls haven't been around for quite a while.

Anyway, after elementary school, I graduated from paper doll dresses to designing and making my own clothes.
Gardening, painting and drawing, handcrafts, sculpture, photography, gourmet cooking and interior decorating are some of my interests. These and similar activities satisfied my creative drive during high school, college, and marriage. Later, I worked in computer graphics and as a software developer.

Jewelry Beginnings
After years of searching for the perfect "job" to satisfy my lifelong obsession with design, I stumbled into a gem and jewelry show that a friend suggested I visit. Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry was born just two months later with the beads and silk thread I purchased at that show. After two years of stringing beads and doing art shows, I wanted to expand my skills so I took some metalsmith classes.

Then I "discovered" rocks! Blue rocks, green rocks, brown rocks, red rocks - all colors of rocks! I learned that it was fairly easy to cut rocks with a saw, then grind, and polish them into shiny gems. This is a very messy and dirty task, but it is so rewarding to take a piece of rough stone and turn it into a beautiful gem for a piece of jewelry. Some of my early pieces were actually made with rocks that I found in my garden or alongside the road.

Current Work
Now, I work with gold, silver, and unique precious and semi precious gemstones to create one of a kind jewelry. Although I did take a few classes in metalwork, I am a self-taught jeweler and lapidary. I began learning my craft the same night I visited that gem show in 1991. Jewelry takes so many forms that I will never learn all the techniques. But, that is what keeps it so exciting!

Working with you to design an original piece of jewelry that fits your unique personal style is one of the most satisfying aspects of my work and an added bonus to doing what I love.

Jewelry Design Style
My design style is a mix of contemporary, classic, and eclectic. It incorporates clean lines, soft curves, and geometric shapes. Most of my jewelry includes one or more precious or semi-precious gemstones, which is why color is often the important first step in a design. Finding the right color combination for the gems can make or break the design. I make dramatic and bold jewelry, but even if the piece is to be small scale with subdued colors, it still needs to "speak" to me.

I enjoy the design phase best, so my handmade pieces are all one of a kind or limited editions, and you will never find anyone else wearing the same piece. All of my work is made by hand in my private studio using time honored fabrication methods; nothing is ever cast, manufactured or created by anyone else.

Custom Designs
Nancy specializes in commissioned jewelry design. If you can't find exactly what you want on her jewelry pages, she will create something just for you. Her customers often pick a stone from the cabochon page as the starting point for an original design.

The custom jewelry design page describes the process of a commissioned design, and the jewelry design section has samples of rings, pendants, bracelets, and earrings.

SOURCE
Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry See full article.

Related Entries:

Jewelry Career Resources - 08 August 2006

Jewelry Designer for Princesses - 08 March 2007

Merging Cutting Edge ART With Jewelry- Anada Khalsa Jewelry - 19 May 2007

Jewelry Shopping for You? - 30 May 2007

All about jewelry