Jewelry Education and Advice

Who makes jewelry resolutions for the New Year? Well, maybe we’re going to start a trend today. And maybe, these resolutions are just a tad easier than the heavyweights (like quitting alcohol or going on a dreaded diet).

Here are a few we came up with in the showroom today:

1. Clean out your jewelry box.

Often some of our best pieces are buried under some of our worst pieces. Sort out your jewelry. Decide which pieces might be great for a friend or a second-hand store. Untangle those necklaces. Pair up your earrings and get rid of the ones that don’t have a mate. When you open your jewelry box, it should be inviting, like a treasure chest, awaiting your choice.

2. Choose your color theme this year.

If you don’t have a color yet, pick one! (Again, easier than quitting smoking, right?) Go through our collection and pick out a piece that either matches or accentuates your color of choice. Gemesis, for instance, is a fantastic vibrant yellow for the new year. Colors can be inspiring, so choose one that seems in alignment with the way you’d like your year to proceed.

3. Pick your lucky charm.

As we start the year, we want the best of luck blessing our endeavors and our relationships. Why not choose a piece of existing jewelry or something from our collection, that represents your belief in your self and your special fate this upcoming year? It could be symbolic or a stone that means something special to you.

See? Not so hard. Jewelry resolutions are easy and accessible…and much prettier than a gym membership.

A Little Symbolic Sunshine for 2012? Choose this dazzling piece.   Filigree Diamond Pendant Hand engraved pendant with hand applied scrolls and a 3/4ct Gemesis cultured diamond with fancy yellow or orange color on an 18″ wheat chain. Pendant measures approx. 8mm in diameter. Available Metal: 18kt White Gold and Platinum Available Stone Size: 3/4ct

I think fashion resolutions are much more reasonable than the bigger ones (losing weight, quit smoking, etc.) Fashion resolutions can be reasonable changes to integrate into your life. Here are few I found at Yahoo, Lifestyle.

Pretty up in pastels

Bye bye brights, ice creamy pastels are back (see Prada’s spring collection). If you’re worried about looking twee stick to sleek silhouettes, and anchor sugary shades with black tights. Go for warmer pinks if you have sallow skin, and cool blues and greens if you have warmer, pink toned skin. Most of us should leave pastel yellow well alone.

Lighten up

No walk in wardrobe? Next best thing is to light your cupboards properly. Either have your closet fitted with lights, or just angle a lamp so that you can easily see what’s in there. A small change that will make a surprisingly big improvement.

Plan ahead

Do you start everyday thinking: ‘Agh, what to wear?’ There’s a little known object called a valet stand, that’s made for you. Somewhere between a coat hanger and a dressmaker’s dummy, it’s for putting your clothes out on before you go to bed.  Get one on eBay, and wake up feeling smug.

Ditch my platform heels

Excruciatingly high heels are looking distinctly tired. Ditto platform soles. The shoe of now is a mid-height, flat soled pointy court (take a bow, Kate Middleton).  Best of all, you can actually wear them all day. Find yours now at Kurt Geiger.

Banish moths

Thanks to central heating, moths are rife at this time of year. Don’t want them munching through your wardrobe? The first rule is not to put away clothes that aren’t clean, as moths are attracted by sweat. So don’t save your cashmere sweater for best! Next get some non stinky moth repellent (we like Colibri hanging wool protector). If the problem is really bad, you’ll have to put all your woollies in the freezer.

Big up my brows

Strong brows are your fast track to modern looking make up. Have them threaded, invest in a good brow pencil (Shavata products are excellent) and you’ll find you look 5 years younger.

Read more here.

Most women don’t think when putting on earrings that they have a long, LONG history. Perhaps even the need to wear jewelry in the first place is in us, somewhere deep, as a connective piece to our shared past. Here’s some additional information about jewelry that you might not know:

Ancient Egyptian Ear Rings
A fine example of some ancient Egyptian ear rings, made of pure gold and beads.

Jewelry:

 Ever since ancient times people of all cultures have used jewelry for personal adornments, badges of social or official rank and as emblems of religious, social, or political affiliation.

Materials used in ancient jewelry:  Jewelry has been made of many kinds of organic and inorganic materials such as hair, feathers, leather, scales, bones, shells, wood, ceramics, metals and minerals. But today when most people refer to jewelry, we refer to precious or semiprecious stones mounted in attractive metals such as gold, silver, platinum, copper and brass. Gold of course being the favorite.  

Platinum jewelry is 50 times more rare than gold jewelry.  Platinum is one of the world’s strongest metals. It weighs 60% more than karat gold. Just holding it in your hand, you can feel the difference.   

Culture of Jewelry

Current knowledge of ancient jewelry comes largely from the preservation of personal objects in tombs or portraits in surviving paintings and sculptures.

One of the most notable being the ancient Egyptians, who’s processes of ornamenting metals are still employed today. They produced skillfully, chased, engraved, soldered, repousse and inlaid jewelry, they used commonly gold and silver and inlaid in these metals with semiprecious stones, enamel and glass. The most notable jewelry from ancient Egypt is from the 18th Dynasty

Other Cultures that are notable cultures in the making of jewelry were Middle Eastern from the 3rd and 2nd millennia that produced techniques in granulation, filigree, inlaid gems, closisonna and champleve enamel. Greek and Roman jewelry, gave way to the art of cameo cutting.   Scythian Jewelry, the Byzantine use of jewels are also notable. A notable Medieval technique was the use of garnet slices into metal cells in the 7th Century. Other notable Jewelry came during the Renaissance times and the 17th and 18th century.

Source: hatilla_pr.Tripod.com

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And for some modern day earrings, not made of shells and feathers!

Style 10587S Diamond And Brazilian Garnet Drop Earrings 14kt White gold drop earrings featuring two Brazilian garnets (10x7mm each) and approximately .025ct t.w. natural diamonds.

We often don’t think of the “behind the scenes” when it comes to shooting jewelry on models. Good lighting is crucial for instance. But so is the outfit, which can’t overwhelm or compete with the jewelry. This recent shoot with Kate Hudson modeling jewelry is a fine example of what needs to be done in order to make the jewelry the star of the show:

American actress Katie Holmes is mostly known as a movie star. Brilliant. Now, she ventures into new areas as a designer jewelry model for H. Stern for their new Brazilian and Israeli campaigns.

Katie Holmes for Jewelry Brand H. Stern

Holmes follows in the footsteps of Catherine Deneuve and Kate Moss as the face of jewelry brand H. Stern.

Katie Holmes for H. Stern

Holmes posed in subtle makeup and a white shift for the Brazilian ad, which really let the emerald baubles pop.

While I love her as a jewelry model, I can’t wait to see her starring in Jack and Jill together with Adam Sandler.

Katie Holmes for Designer Jewelry Brand H. Stern

Here’s a nice video from behind the scenes of the H. Stern shootings with Katie Holmes:

 

Source: Jewelerista

Real pearls make a sound when rubbed across teeth!

Back by popular demand, here are some more interesting about jewelry and its history in the fashion world:

Men were the first to wear jewelry as a status symbol and as good luck amulets to aid them in battle.

Aaron, first high priest of the Hebrews, wore 12 gemstones (representing the 12 tribes of Israel) in his silver breastplate.
This is when birthstones originated.

The legendary Croesus was the first King to mint gold coins. He was the greatest collector of gold in history.

Agnes Sorel, the mistress of King Charles VII of France was the first woman to wear diamonds.

Initially, only one ring was used for an engagement and a wedding. Then in 1477, Maximilian of Austria gave an engagement ring to his beloved, Mary of Burgundy starting a tradition.

Although the hardest substance known, diamonds can they be chipped. They have a grain line and may be broken by a sharp blow along this line.

The largest diamond ever found was the The Cullinan. It weighed 3,106 carats, or about one and a third pounds!

The most important quality of a ruby, sapphire or emerald is its clarity of color. A natural or cultured pearl (unlike an imitation or simulated one) rubbed against the edge of one’s teeth produces vibrations one can actually hear.

58.3% of pure gold is an item marked 14k.

About 75% of American brides receive a diamond engagement ring.

Souce: SearchWrap

Even people not in the know, when it comes to the stock market, have heard how the price of gold continues to soar.

The price of gold per ounce hit a record $1,830 on Thursday, marking a steady climb in the months-long rapid escalation of the price of the metal. Jewelers across the country are reporting a noticeable increase in the amount of people coming in to sell their gold jewelry, which some are reluctant to refine.

“It’s turned into a feeding frenzy,” David Rotenberg, owner of David Craig Jewelers in Langhorne, Penn., said of buying gold. “It’s all we’re doing. People are lining up in the store.”

The economy’s hiccup earlier in August contributed to the increased number of consumers selling gold, Rotenberg said, and also to the types of gold jewelry they’re bringing in.

“They’re obviously digging deeper,” he said, “We went through a period, around 2008, where everything we were buying was scrap metal. Around 2010, people started coming in with nicer pieces of jewelry.”

Now he’s seeing scrap metal again, which leads him to believe that consumers are finding gold to sell that they haven’t considered before, including mementos.

Source: National Jeweler

So if you’ve been waiting to clean out that old jewelry box of yours, get to it sooner rather than later. The time is most definitely golden. Check out our page on how its done by a reputable jeweler such as ourselves.

Here’s a short, sweet poem about the power of women and jewelry. Hope you enjoy!

Class is in session, boys and girls. Sit down and take that gum out of your mouth. And you! You in the back! Put your feet down and sit up straight.

This week’s lesson: Edwardian Jewelry

History

Fashion

Jewelry

	Platinum: Platinum’s strength enabled the creation of “invisible” settings, in which very little metal was used to hold a gemstone in place. Such settings complemented fashion’s lightness. Jewelry made with saw-piercing and filigree techniques matched the lacy looks of the era. White gold alloys were developed as a less expensive alternative, and as a substitute for platinum (considered a strategic metal) during WWI.
	Diamonds and Pearls: Diamonds and pearls set in platinum were favored for their white-on-white color scheme, and sense of refined elegance and luxury.
	Garland Style Motifs: Eighteenth-century decorative motifs, such as swags, bows, ribbons, tassels, wreaths and flower garlands, show the neo-classical and Rococo influences on Edwardian jewelry design.
	Necklaces: The new fashion–with its upswept hair, high collars for day and low necklines for evening–emphasized the head and neck. Pendants and lavalieres were widely worn. Particularly popular was the negligee pendant, consisting of two drops of unequal length suspended from a central element.
	Indian Influence: When Edward toured India, Alexandra developed a keen interest in the style of the Indian princesses, or Maharajas. This exotic influence started a fashion for diamond aigrettes (feathers worn as hair ornamnets); sautoirs (long ropes of pearls or chain ending in a tassel); and chokers, or “dog collars” (one of Alexandra’s favorite styles).
	Brooches: Circle brooches and bar pins, particularly with lacy filigree designs, were very fashionable. Stars and crescents were also popular.
	Amethyst: A favorite stone of Alexandra’s, amethyst was often included in jewelry of the era. The combination of these violet stones with white pearls and green peridots represented the colors of the suffragette movment; the “g,” “w,” and “v” stood for “give women the vote.”  Source: Antique Jewelry Online   Here are some examples: Natural freshwater pearl brooch with three diamonds Alexandra Regina Enamel Brooch Edwardian Brooch with Diamonds Sapphires and Pearls BR-24-04 1,25″ x 1.4″ BR-213A-01 .94″ x .94″ BR-06-05 1.5″ x .83″ Ladies Pin Watch with Enamel and Diamonds Edwardian Butterfly Brooch with Rose Cut Diamonds and Natural Pearl Edwardian Diamond Brooch W196A-00 1.25″ diameter B191A-00 2.5″ w x 2.25″ h B103A-00 1.17″ w x 1″ h “Tiffany & Co.” Amethyst and Diamond Crown Pin Platinum and Gold Wing Brooch Edwardian Crown Pin with Diamonds and Pearls

Source: Joden World Resources

Rose Quartz - The loving stone, helps attract love, and joy.

It’s interesting; even the non-spiritual types usually feel a connection to particular stones. Some believe that each gemstone carries with it it’s own particular powers. And while we’re not making any claims here, you might want to consider the spiritual background of your gem before deciding on an engagement ring or necklace or earrings:

• Aventurine – . A healing stone, gives emotional well being, stimulates creativity.
  
• Agate – The gardening stone, gives protection and self confidence.
  
• Alexandrite – .Gives luck, and love, brings renewal and regeneration.- The thinking stone, stimulates mind
  
• Amber – The energy stone, protects and heals
  
• Amethyst – Brings calmness, uplifts, gives a sense of peace
  
• Apatite – Calms, relieves guilt
  
• Aquamarine – The sight stone, improves senses, calms
  
• Aragonite – The truth stone
  
• Azurite – The meditation stone, relieves joint pain
  
• Bloodstone – The courage and healing stone.
  
• Carnelian – The stone of energy, restorative to mind and spirit.
  
• Chalcedony – Increases vitality, stamina, helps eyes, fevers
  
• Chrysocolla – Calming, soothing, stress reliever
  
• Chrysoprase – Gives peace and well being, helps with depression
  
• Citrine – Brings energy, healing
  
• Coral – Protection against evil
  
• Diamond – Brings succcess, removes evilness
  
• Emerald – Helps with memory, enhances mental clarity
  
• Flourite – Brings balance, peace, harmony
  
• Garnet – Truth stone, brings peace, sexual desire
  
• Gaspeite – Healing stone, reduces stress, brings spirituality
  
• Goldstone – Stress reliever, brings peace of mind, calming
  
• Hematite – Reduces stress, brings balance, soothing
  
• Howlite – Calming, soothing, brings balance
  
• Jade – The dream stone, protects from nightmares and evil
  
• Jasper – Brings peace and well being to mind, calming
  
• Red Jasper – Helps with poise, and gracefulness
  
• Leopard Skin Jasper – Positive energy stone
  
• Picture Jasper – Brings balance and peace, good stone for meditation
  
• Labradorite – Brings inner peace, calms conflicts of the mind
  
• Lapis Lazuli – Brings peace and clarity to mind
  
• Malachite – Brings protection from evil, guards against negativity
• Meteorite – Brings purity, increases iron, endurance
  
• Moonstone – The love stone, promotes love and well being
  
• Morganite – The stone of compassion, brings calm and well being
  
• Onyx – Protects against negativity, promotes peace
  
• Opal – The stone of the mystic, helps with intuitive powers
  
• Pearls – Brings wisdom, safety, love to wearer
• Peridot – The balancing stone, helps with digestive problems
  
• Quartz – The healing stone, helps with emotional, physical, and mental ills.
  
• Rose Quartz – The loving stone, helps attract love, and joy.
  
• Smoky Quartz – Relieves sadness – Brings mental clarity and peace from emotional problems
  
• Rhodonite – Promotes emotional well being and self love
  
• Ruby – Protects against negativity, helps relieve physical ailments.
  
• Sapphire – The purity stone, brings sense of accomplishment, reduces negative thoughts.
• Sardonyx – Relieves anxiety, calms the nerves
  
• Snowflake Obsidian – The protection stone, brings emotional peace.
  
• Sodalite – Protects from negativity in your immediate space.
• Tanzanite – Brings power to intuitiveness, clarity stone
  
• Tiger’s Eye – The stone of confidence
  
• Topaz – The soothing stone, promotes self confidence
  
• Tourmaline – Brings self assurance, calm, protects against negative people.
  
• Turquoise – The friendship stone, relieves guilt, brings peace of mind..
  
• Unakite – Brings emotional well being, calms, protects against negativity

Source: Street Directory

Choosing the shape of the gemstone for your ring is as personal as the ring choice itself. But many people don’t even know about the various cuts of gems.

So here you go: a chart to lead the way: