All about jewelry

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Michele Watches

Maurice Barouh taught his son Jack the essentials of watch making - patience and a dedication to quality. It was an education in both the business and the craft of the industry, a lesson that Jack combined with his own interest in design. Jack's knowledge of the mechanics involved in watch production gave him the tools to focus on both construction and style.

Garden Party Collection
Inspired by the beauty and simplicity of nature, a unique series of three different enamel dials capture the scenes of an enchanted garden. This whimsical interpretation is further adorned with diamonds amongst the brightly colored enamel, as well as larger diamonds around the case.

Bumble Bee Royal Blue Alligator
Stainless Steel.
White lacquer dial.
White diamonds.
Sapphire crystal.
$1325

Jack and his wife Rita, who grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, moved to Panama in the 1970s to help run the family business as well as to begin their own family. While there, Jack's watches garnered great attention from the Latin American market because of their innovative designs.

After several years in Panama, Jack and Rita moved their two young children, Jeremy and Michele, to Miami, where they started Michele Watches, named for their daughter. The very first Michele Watch, the CSX Diamond, was just the beginning of many more collections to come.

CSX Collection
Michele succeeded in revolutionizing the industry with its first designer timepiece known as the CSX. A globe-shaped case illustrates its universal appeal. Pioneering a trend of luxury without limitation, CSX performance timepieces are specially designed for those devoted to living increasingly stylish lives.

Stainless Steel Gold Patent Leather
White Mother-of-Pearl dial.
Sapphire crystal.
$445

The lessons of the past have not been lost on the third generation of watchmakers in the Barouh family. Both Michele and Jeremy credit the brand's success to their parents' enthusiasm and perseverance. Michele believes that the company must stay up-to-date in terms of fashion, so they can maintain the competitive edge that sets them apart from other brands in the industry.

Deco Collection
A brilliant celebration of the history of Art Deco design. Modern mechanics and aesthetics are brilliantly fused together to capture the magnetism and wonderment of an unforgotten era. The distinguished rectangular case reflects the geometric shapes identified with Art Deco architecture.

Deco Dark Purple Alligator
White Diamonds.
Mother-of-Pearl dial.
$1875

Michele's eye for trends has been one of the assets that differentiates Michele Watches. She is largely responsible for moving the brand's design aesthetic forward, and also for capitalizing on the trends of the moment with the interchangeable watch bands she designs that are made in several skins, from crocodile to stingray, lizard to leather.

One of the Barouh Family's biggest sources of inspiration comes from their yearly travels to exotic locales. "We were always fortunate enough to travel to see different cultures," said Jeremy, who, like the rest of his family, speaks French, Spanish, and English.

According to Jack Barouh, the best part about working with his children is seeing how each brings a different experience to the table. "After watching them grow up, go through college, declare their independence, and travel, they've returned as complete individuals who have a great deal to offer the company," he said.

Michele Watches' third generation has mixed a love of fashion with a love of travel and design to create a truly unique product. Michele and Jeremy understand that, unlike a great shoe or bag, a watch is a living device, one that encompasses both a history of craftsmanship and the potential for becoming a family heirloom.

Today, Michele Watches is a $50 million business that has become part of Fossil, a global leader in the fashion watch market with a proven track record of attracting and expanding brands. Jack Barouh made the decision in 2004 to merge his company with Fossil in order to give Michele Watches an even greater position of strength in the global watch industry. But Michele Watches still operates as a family business, with the design and business decisions made by the Barouh family in partnership with Fossil.

Pretty pricey, but we girls have to have something to dream about.See full article.

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[Source: The Jewelry Weblog]

Friday, May 23, 2008

Smersh Designer Jewelry

Smersh Design was founded in 1994 and is powered by Frances and John Smersh. Their focus is on clean design, and they utilize alternative materials to create jewelry with contemporary lines. Frances designs the work, and each piece is made by hand in the couple's jewelry studio. Located less than a mile from their home in Seattle, the studio is not far from the waters of Elliott Bay. The proximity to home and beach keeps them in touch with gardening, kayaking, roller blading, and yoga.

Bowtie Pearl Earrings in Grape
Luscious freshwater pearls make this pair of earrings turn heads. You may want to line up a special occasion for the first time you wear them out. After that, go ahead and wear them every day. The posts are sterling silver.

The unexpected beauty and color of concrete caught Frances Smersh's attention in 1998. The uniqueness of the material in the context of jewelry provides both technical intellectual challenges. Concrete jewelry is lightweight, durable, and textural. Currently, Frances offers her concrete in several different colors - black, natural, denim, grape, olive, espresso, pumpkin, brick, and sky.

Kite Drop Pendant in Olive
Simply elegant. Hung on a sleek 1mm 16" length sterling silver omega chain, this pendant flatters you and any ensemble you are stepping out in.

Each of Smersh's designs begins with sterling silver bezels. Pigment is added to a special polymer-based concrete, which is then poured into each bezel. The concrete cures and dries, and is then ground down and sealed with lacquer. Her pieces are as sophisticated as they are unconventional.

Kate Pearl & Concrete Bracelet
Bracelet made from denim and gray colored concrete that is poured into sterling silver bezels. Double-strung on durable elastic cord and decorated with 4mm freshwater pearls.

Frances calls her jewelry clean, contemporary, alternative pieces in silver and colored concrete. Her award-winning designs have captured the imagination of women who want to spice up their wardrobes with a splash of color. The tag line she created - Real Girls Wear Concrete and Pearls - sums it up. It's fun and funky, cool and classy - something unique that can be worn every day or on any occasion.See full article.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Gorgeous Gold Rings at HSN

Yellow has been a favorite color since this past winter, and what better embodiment of that trend in jewelry than gold.
Though it's ever so pricey, yellow gold has made a comeback in a big way this year, and rings continue to be bold and chunky. So I set out to find some beautiful gold rings that won't put a gigantic dent in your bank account. Surprisingly, I found a wonderful selection at HSN.

14k Gold Heart Dangle Ring
Midas-touched in polished yellow gold, this ring showcases a puffed yellow gold heart dangle. The heart features a textured, rhodium-plated heart design in the center with a prong-set, round diamond accent, for a splash of sparkle. Polished finish, tapered shank, so cute!
$119

Pure gold is too soft to withstand the stresses of every-day wear, so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel, and zinc to give it strength and durability. Caratage, indicated by a number followed by k, indicates purity, or how much of the metal in a piece of jewelry is gold. Caratage is expressed in 24ths, 24k gold being 100% gold.

14k Gold Polished and Satin Bypass Ring
This stunning yellow gold bypass ring showcases a thick, overlapping design. The ring's sleek polished side overlaps atop a sugary satin-finish side, for a sinfully asymmetrical appearance. Measures approx. 13/16"L x 13/16"W x 1/8"H with 3/16"W shank. Tapered shank. Made in Italy.
$170

Of all metals, gold is the softest and most malleable, yet has exercised the strongest hold on the human imagination. It appears naturally in its metallic form, and can be fashioned into complex shapes with the simplest bronze, bone, or wooden tools, meaning that gold could be worked into tokens, personal adornments, and talismans by the earliest craftspeople.

14k Gold Hand-finished Floral Motif Ring
Fashioned from polished yellow gold, this picturesque ring features a wide silhouette with an openwork floral motif on a satin-finish backdrop. Creating a bold, yet feminine look upon your finger, this golden garden radiates elegance. Polished finish, tapered shank, made in Italy.
$220

The Cost
The price of gold jewelry is dependent upon the purity of the gold used or karat weight, as well as the design and construction of the piece of jewelry. The color of the gold is determined by the type of metal alloys included in it, and the percentage of each alloy. 18k gold contains 75% gold, which is alloyed with other metals to make it strong enough to withstand everyday wear.

Now, these are all 14k gold rings - 18k is not in my budget. Because 14k gold is composed of only 58.3% gold and 41.7% other metals, its gold color isn't as rich as 18k gold. 14k gold is most commonly used where strength is most important, like in earring backs and bracelet clasps, but if I can have a nice 14k ring - or none at all - I'm going for it.

14k Gold Polished 'Snakeskin' Concave Ring
This impressive yellow gold ring boasts a sizable, eye-catching square table with a concave silhouette. The table showcases a snakeskin design, while open geometric cutouts on gallery let light pass through the hand-polished piece. Split tapered shank, polished finish, made in Italy.
$330

Pure gold doesn't react with other elements to create tarnish - the residue that accumulates on some metals before transferring to your skin as a stain. Sometimes people have allergy or staining problems with metals that are combined with gold, but the gold itself is rarely a problem.

14k Gold Brocade Ring
Enhance your style with a touch of opulence when you wear this elegant ring. Polished yellow gold is crafted into a bold, slightly domed square with an intriguing openwork design. Cutouts in the top of the square form a swirling, brocade-like pattern that reveals a layer of translucent blue enamel, while filigree scrolls form an open gallery along the sides. This allows light to reflect through the sapphire-colored enamel, simulating the rich look of stained glass. The raised, dimensional-looking square appears to float atop a polished band, which feels smooth and comfortable on the finger. Made in Italy. A customer favorite!
$200

To clean gold jewelry, use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap and wash gold gently with a soft-bristled brush - an old toothbrush works well. Store gold pieces separately in soft cloth bags or in their original boxes to protect them from the exposure to harsh daily elements.

14k Gold Bold Concave Square Ring
Smooth, silky and irresistibly seductive, this ring is a striking testament to your sophisticated taste. Sculpted from yellow gold, this highly polished ring has a modified cigar band silhouette with a concave center. Flattened edges and tapered shoulders produce a square shape in front, lending a geometric flair to the dramatic design. Tapered shank. Made in USA.
$124

Sweet!See full article.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Sugar Beads

I once thought Polymer Clay wasn't a medium for real jewelry designers. It was for stay-at-home moms who wanted a material they could play around with, to make a cute little ladybug charm or whatever, and throw it in their kitchen oven to bake. A few projects to break the monotony of being at home all the time, that would give them something to talk about and show to their friends.

Boy, have I proved myself wrong! I have seen beads and jewelry that I NEVER would have dreamed could be made using polymer clay.

Seafoam Blue Green Polymer Clay Sugar Beads

Polymer Clay Sugar Beads
Today I discovered sugar beads, and I found two methods of making them - one using teeny tiny micro beads, and the other using frit. Both begin as a polymer clay bead that is then rolled in the beads or the frit. Both are beautiful, but I like the micro bead version because it gives a more uniform shape.
Beads by Michelle Hynek

These are the modern version of vintage beads that were made of glass or Lucite. Each bead is formed first from polymer clay, then baked at 275 degrees for about 25 minutes. The sugar is then applied, and the bead is baked again. The last step is two coats of water-based polyurethane to give extra strength and a glossy shine. I love the texture.

Grape Purple Polymer Clay Sugar Beads

Sugar bead are easy to make and can add a little pizzazz to an otherwise plain spacer bead. You simply roll the bead in the frit or micro beads when it is hot enough to pick up the coating but not so hot it loses its shape. Then put the bead into the cooler of the flame to make sure all the bits are firmly in place.
Beads by Michelle Hynek

Vintage Glass Sugar Beads
Sugar beads were originated in Japan in early 1900s. They were coated with small grains of plastic or glass that looks like granulated sugar. Vintage sugar beads were very popular during the 1950s. After WWII, labor in Japan was cheap, and the Japanese produced inexpensive jewelry in large quantities, but it wasn't well regarded.

The artisans in Japan, as impoverished as they were at the time, were also highly talented. They also used lampwork beads, hand-painted art glass and plastic beads, and acrylics with foil and aurora borealis coatings in their jewelry. The fabulous color and shape combinations are now being valued.

1950s Japanese Dark Aubergine Micro Glass Sugar Beads

The polymer clay beads are a pretty good representation of vintage glass beads, I'd say. And they're certainly less fragile.

Vintage Sugar Bead Celluloid Necklace
This vintage necklace is a fun combo of sugar beads, celluloid chain, and leaves. The chain is attached to black satin twisted cording. The necklace has no clasp closure, but instead is tied on.See full article.

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Novice Jewelry Designer Stumbles Into Beads - 15 October 2007

In the Merry Month of May

I love May, and not just because it's my birthday month. May is the month when Spring turns into Summer (at least here in Arkansas), the privet blooms and our backyard becomes perfumed like a night in Brazil, and my mood improves wonderfully (perhaps because my fibromyalgia does). I have been so busy with shipping and paperwork, not to mention trying to get my office/studio reorganized that I haven't had much time for making jewelry. Of course, I haven't had that drive lately that causes me to stay at the studio so late that I see the policemen change shifts in front of city hall across the way. I've been having ideas, but the ideas are such that I require hours of time to play with colour schemes, gemstones and manipulate wire without interruptions of any kind.
However, I did do the apatite bracelet above, 2 strands of sea-coloured apatite with lampwork beads by Lynn Nurge, while dreaming of crashing into waves with a kayak.

The bracelet above is unusual for me - a combination of brown and blue is not one I am known for. But the fantastic beads were my starting point, and I loved them so much I had to go with the two colours. So of course I chose pietersite for the brown: wonderful browns with great subtle patterns and sometimes glints of gold and blue. The Swarovski crystals keep the bracelet from becoming too earthy.

I adore lapis! The lapis earrings that you see here are made with some of my favorite pieces of lapis. The ones above feature good blue lapis with great ripples of sparkling gold pyrite-very nicely sparkling pyrite in chunky faceted nuggets. The earrings below feature some fantastic faceted diamond squares and rondelles of gorgeous blue that hang from sterling posts with spirals around a lapis cabachon.

Here's hoping for some time, totally free time, so that I can play, because play so often results in wonderful things!
Tell me, are the flowers blooming in Finland yet?

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accessories

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[Source: The Jewelry Blog]

Christine MacKellar Jewelry

Christine MacKellar creates jewelry with layers of rich textures and an unusual twist to the two-tone idea made popular by jewelry designers like David Yurman and Steven Lagos. Her signature look combines gold and sterling silver in seamlessly fused jewelry. The gold flows through the sterling silver like a stream of hot lava.

Blossom Pendant
Small pendant hand-fabricated from 22k gold and sterling silver bimetals, freshwater pearls, and 18k gold, and suspended on an 18" sterling silver mesh chain.

Christine's key technique is fusing high karat gold to sterling silver. The pieces in her collection are totally hand-fabricated with no casting, says the designer, who describes herself as a metalsmith. The metals that make up the majority of her pieces are chosen primarily for the artistic effect of their colors. Polished silver is contrasted with matte and semi-matte surfaces that are highlighted by hand burnishing.

Leaf Drop Pendant
Dramatic bimetal leaf on 18" snake chain, accented with 24k gold and a gray freshwater pearl. Available with sterling or oxidized silver.

Intricate patterns of high carat golds are created for each piece of jewelry. Aptly describing her work as a kaleidoscope, she aims to capture color, texture, and movement in each design. She textures the metal surfaces using hammers, punches, engraving tools, and a rolling mill. She describes her inspiration as often coming from nature and the effect of sunlight reflected on water.

Long Leaf Pendant
Dramatic bimetal leaf on 18" cable made from strands of silver and 18k gold. Available with sterling or oxidized silver.

Her sculptural pieces are bold and contemporary. Gemstones and bimetal elements are used for contrast, adding to the infinite design possibilities. Bimetal is double-sided sheet metal, composed of two different types of metal that have been rolled and fused together. Among her favorite gems are those that offer movement and iridescence, such as cat's eye, moonstone, and boulder opals.

"I grew up on a large dairy farm in the midlands of England," she says. "A perfect preparation for working long hours without immediate gratification. I could never imagine working a 9-5 kind of job. I enjoy working for myself by myself."
See full article.

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