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Archive for the ‘Jewelry’ Category
Blessing of the Black Pearl
While most people associate pearl jewelry with long, luminescent strands of necklace, there are many other unsung types that are just as glamorous and much more unique. In fact, the flawless pearl necklace is almost so rare as to be called myth. Practically all pearls contain flaws of some sort – whether they are slightly misshapen or tinted – and it’s really a matter of embracing their artistic potential.
Black pearl artisan earrings might bring to mind the fictional ship from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise, but they are actually just cultivated pearls that have been tinted somewhat. Their rich color and drop shape serve to set them apart from other pearl jewelry. No matter their tint, size or shape, pearls pair well with silver. Try that precious metal when donning a bracelet or necklace.
Bringing Back Art Fair Memories
Throughout my childhood, I spent summers traveling from town to town with my grandmother. She had discovered woodworking later in life, after my grandfather died, and it became her passion and motivation to move forward. For my part, I liked hopping in the car on Saturday mornings and riding along for dozens or in some case hundreds of miles to an unfamiliar village. Once there, we would unload the car and start pitching the tent.
Arts and crafts fairs also appealed to me because of the wide variety of goods that were on display. I had never seen such exotic items before, and many of them were inspired by world cultures that I only knew about from books. The handcrafted artisan jewelry was beyond compare – available in styles, colors and designs of every stripe. When I was looking at jewelry on the Internet the other day, it brought these memories flooding back.
Avoid Scratches to Precious Jewelry
When I was just a young girl, I inherited a vast selection of priceless jewelry from my grandmother. She had been a scrupulous collector, and each piece was practically in mint condition. The collection came to me in a clunky old jewelry box that didn’t live up to my aesthetic standards. Without knowing any better, I ditched the box and kept the jewelry bunched together in my top dresser drawer. What a mistake.
Before long the pearl necklaces and sterling silver brooches were scratched beyond salvation. I had committed a serious jewelry faux pas by allowing the diamonds to mix with softer stones and precious metals. As it turned out, this whole mess could have been avoided if I knew about the Mohs hardness scale. In general, hard stones like diamonds should be kept away from more delicate pieces.
Take Gold for What It’s Worth
Gold jewelry is the standard by which all other varieties are measured. As one of the most precious metals on earth, gold is coveted by collectors and fashionistas alike. The substance pairs well with diamonds and other gemstones, and it’s an indicator of one’s status in the world. Before you purchase some glamorous gold jewelry of your very own, you should understand way its purity is measured.
The purity of gold is labeled in terms of karats. No piece of gold jewelry will be 100 percent pure as the metal is too soft to stand alone. Nickel, palladium and titanium are often used as alloys. A 24k piece is at least 99 percent pure, while 14k gold earrings must be 58.5 percent pure to meet domestic standards. You might find a karat rating as low as 10 in the U.S., which only amounts to 41.7 percent purity.
Pearls in Every Shape and Size
In their natural state, pearls have been harvested and crafted into elegant jewelry for centuries. More recently, pearl farms in the Far East and even parts of America have eliminated the guesswork and danger inherent to pearl diving by cultivating the prized commodities. It’s no longer easy to determine at first glance whether a pearl was pulled up from the ocean deep or taken from a freshwater oyster bed.
Although round pearls are often thought of as the gold standard for fine necklaces, other shapes of pearls are equally coveted for their aesthetic potential. Pearl earrings are typically fashioned from drop-shaped pearls, and with a bit of creativity the unusual “baroque” style pearls can be used as well. Genuinely round pearls are exceedingly rare and expensive, so it’s no wonder that the other types of specimens are even more popular.
An Old Style Reborn
Lampwork is one of the most stylized and intricate ways of creating glass jewelry. As one might guess from the name, the first examples of lampwork were fashioned by melting tubes of colored glass over an especially hot lamp. This method has died out almost completely in modern times, but the quaintly decorative end result remains the same. Lampwork necklaces feature finely shaped glass beads that are molded with much the same tools that a glassblower would use.
The most prominent lampworkers in history were most likely the Italian artisans who flourished during the Renaissance. Cultural centers such as Venice and Florence contained flourishing markets for glass jewelry and other elegant accoutrements. American artists have been inspired by the form in the last few decades, and most of the lampwork jewelry we see today has been produced domestically.
A Face-by-Face Basis
Earrings are one of the most essential accessories for a night out on the town. They exude a formal air that is complemented by elegant eveningwear. But the question remains: How do you select the ideal set of earrings? Is it all just a matter of personal taste, or are there some hard, fast rules that every woman should follow when browsing for gemstone earrings?
In fact, some earrings just look better on certain faces than they do others. This can be attributed to facial shape and the way earrings interact with bone structure. Women with round faces benefit from a long, dangling style of earring. Those with square jaws will likely appreciate a studded earring. Beyond facial shape, be sure to take into account the other jewelry you plan to wear. Then mix and match according to a particular theme.
Handmade Bracelets
Despite the fact that great things can be created by machines, humans are still better at some things. It’s probably the same principle that is behind the fact that most people prefer handcrafted jewelry over that produced by machines.
Handcrafted bracelets are not just beautiful but are also one of a kind. In comparison to the machine crafted bracelets and necklaces, a beaded necklace holds beauty that is unique. When given as gifts, such accessories have the same sentimental value as all the other jewelry, while also reminding the receiver that the necklace belonged to her and is exclusively hers alone.
Swearing by Swarovski
For more than a century, Swarovski has been a standard bearer for quality jewelry. The company operated outside of the United States for most of its history and finally entered the American market in the 1970s. Since then, many domestic jewelry enthusiasts have looked to the Austrian company to provide high-quality crystal for a wide variety of fashionable jewelry.
Austrian crystal sets itself apart in a number of ways, most notably its crafting process. Workers use their ingenuity and creativity to cut hand-blown glass. Enough hard work and craftsmanship goes into Swarovski crystal bracelets to warrant a large price tag, but somehow the goods remain reasonably priced. The difference between Swarovski and other less reputable manufacturers is crystal clear.