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Posts Tagged ‘Jewelry’
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.
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.