Take heed! Most of us are deeply ingrained with old wives tales when it comes to the healing of freshly pierced ears…and guess what?
We’re wrong.
That’s right. The whole hydrogen peroxide and/or rubbing alcohol combo? Not the way to go. And who would know better professional Berkeley-based body piercer Kerry?
For my high school shop teacher and his wife! He taught me to weld and work in metal, use a lathe and work in wood, work in plastics and to be creative in many many ways. Thanks Walt!
Of the myriad of ways gems and jewelry has been used throughout history, many overlook a long line of painters who in a need to capture just the right shade of a color, actually ground gems and used them in their work.
Take the bold and vivacious blue from lapis, a gem with ancient, colorful roots. According to Forbes:
“…the stone was so revered that it went beyond the realm of jewelry. ‘I love that lapis was grounded into pigment to make paint, and that the most important masters of the Renaissance used it in their works,’ said Mish Tworkowski, the founder and designer of Mish New York.”
Cast your eyes on Pietro Perugino’s “Delivery of the Keys” (1482). An unmistakable shade of blue, wouldn’t you agree?
ACCs are the cushion equivalent to OECs. They were cut with tall crowns and small tables, and have a characteristic Maltese cross due to the crown height. They have big chunky facets and produce bold flashes that more slowly around the stone than the fast fire of modern day cuts. They were cut to sparkle pre electricity so they perform very well in low lighting. Some times they are referred to as candle light cushions. They lack the “perfection” of modern cuts but the make up for it beautiful pastel flashes and old world charm.
Some movies are simply “jewelry heavy” where the film relies on jewelry as if it were a co-star, enhancing the beauty of the film…and the lead actress of course.
Cleopatra is one such movie where the jewelry lovin’ queen played by jewelry lovin’ actress Elizabeth Taylor stunned theater goers with her staggering array of gold dripping costumes.
Here are some other fun facts about Cleopatra (found in AnOther) you might not know.
1. Taylor’s 24-carat gold cloth cape, designed to look like the wings of a phoenix, was intricately assembled from thin strips of gold leather and embellished with thousands of seed beads, bugle beads and bead-anchored sequins.
2. A colossal total of 26,000 costumes were created for the film.
3. Taylor had 65 costume changes in Cleopatra, a record for a motion picture at the time.
4. She was allocated an incredible $194,800 (£123,000) wardrobe budget.
5. Costume designer Renie Conley won the 1963 Academy Award for Best Costume Design (along with Irene Sharaff and Vittorio Nino Novarese), for her creation of Taylor’s stunning gowns, which placed emphasis on the actress’ beauty and sexuality over historical accuracy.
6. Sartorially, the film was extremely influential, popularising snake rings, arm cuffs, geometric haircuts and maxi dresses, as well as the “Cleopatra Eye” makeup trend – a 60s Revlon commercial promoted Cleopatra “Sphinx Eyes”.
7. According to Rex Harrison’s autobiography, Fox custom-made the boots for his character Julius Caesar while Richard Burton’s boots were Stephen Boyd hand-me-downs from the previous attempt at making the film. Harrison was amazed that Burton did not complain.
8. The armies of extras alone were issued 8,000 pairs of shoes.
9. Taylor’s iconic gold cape sold at auction for $59,375 in 2012. Prior to that it had been stored in a cedar closet, finely wrapped in tissue paper.
10. The female extras complained about their overly tight and revealing costumes, which they said provoked wandering fingers among the male ensemble. The studio eventually hired a special guard to protect them.
Cutting is also important for smaller stones. Here’s an example of how cutting affects a gemstone’s appearance. These are 3.5mm yellow sapphires going into a bracelet. Stone #1, in addition to having better proportions, has a flower, or star pattern at the base/culet of the stone. The result is a much brighter looking stone.