Jewelry Articles

When the hankering to buy some new handmade jewelry hits you, chances are your brain thinks more in terms of “earrings” or “necklace” than in terms of “violet” or “nectarine.” But choosing jewelry based on color families adds a dash of whimsy to your shopping list and injects a large dose of fashion into even the most monochrome of wardrobes.

When choosing colors for your jewelry, always remember Pantone. What began as a printing company in the 1950’s, Pantone now dictates what hues will be hot in the fashion and design industries in each upcoming season.

There are so many different types of earrings! It can be difficult to decide what works best for your look. Fashion jewelry styles are always changing and if you are going to invest in a handcrafted piece it’s important to choose the right type.

Your Everyday Look: Stud Earrings and Hoops

Stud earrings are one of the most common types. You will commonly see gemstone earrings attached to a simple backing. One of the benefits of this style is that it gives you a secure fit so if you wearing something like diamond or crystal earrings you don’t have to worry about them falling off.

With the economy in a slump, many people don’t have the cash that they used to in order to buy the jewelry that they need and want. Even though you may not have the same jewelry budget that you used to have, it doesn’t mean that you can’t accessorize and have jewelry that is fashionable and that accentuates your outfits.

Handmade jewelry has made a comeback and has become very popular these days. In fact, open up any fashion magazine as of late and you will see some form of handmade jewelry being worn by today’s top models and fashion icons. Most of this type of jewelry utilizes beads as the main element of the piece. This makes this type of jewelry very fun to wear as beads can be purchased in all shapes and sizes to create some very interesting jewelry pieces. Instead of paying thousands of dollars on expensive jewelry pieces, the average person can buy everything they need to make a fantastic jewelry piece from their local craft store for under 20 dollars. This price break alone has made jewelry handmade products extremely popular.

Not only is the price affordable nice with this type of jewelry, but the customization possibilities are also a huge draw. Have you ever wanted a certain jewelry piece that matched your outfit, but was unable to find something? This is very common, but this doesn’t have to be the case any longer. With handmade jewelry, you can create exactly what you want to match that unique outfit, or other accessories that may be difficult to match with. Many people who get into creating jewelry handmade often will create pieces completely specific to one outfit, and with the prices of this type of beaded jewelry being affordable, you could literally create a piece of jewelry for every outfit you own.

While it is cheap to make jewelry yourself, many people are finding that hand made jewelry sells for quite a bit in the local and online jewelry markets. While anyone can get beads for cheap, the creativity and combination that people create are what drives the masses to buy this type of jewelry. Many stay at home moms have been able to establish a pretty decent income driving business on the side creating handmade jewelry.

As you can see, handmade jewelry is extremely fashionable and is family budget approved. Have some fun and create that perfect piece of jewelry that you have always wanted. If you aren’t the creating type, look in local stores and online for the perfect piece that someone else has created. Regardless, handmade jewelry is here to stay and is definitely fashionable.

Chances are the name Swarovski conjures images of dazzling, brightly hued stones in your mind’s eye. For nearly 70 years, the Swarovski name has been synonymous with sparkling jewels, but the real story begins long before that. 

In the late 19^th century, Daniel Swarovski worked in his father’s glass cutting factory in Wittens, Austria. Fascinated by the trade, Daniel practiced his skill with verve and acuity, and by age 30 had invented his own glass-cutting machine. Prior to his newfangled invention, skilled craftsmen had done glass cutting by hand, but the manual labor factor meant that each stone was slightly different than the last. With the creation of Swarovski’s contraption, crystal stones were now turned out swiftly and uniformly, which would eventually revolutionize the glass jewelry industry.

Although the decades saw Swarovski crystals used in everything from traffic signals to binoculars, it wasn’t until the 1920s that the fashion world took notice of the gleaming gems and houses like Chanel and Schiaparelli snapped up fabric sewn with the scintillating crystal beads. By the 1950s, Swarovski had teamed with Christian Dior to develop the highly reflective, glistening coating that defines the Swarovski crystals we know today.

Since the mid 20^th century, Swarovski has emerged as the frontrunner in crystal beads. The company is known for its constant innovation and creation of new colors, coatings and designs. Swarovski crystals beads make stunning necklaces, bracelets, earrings and anklets. In fact, no matter how you choose to wear your Swarovski crystal beads, the beauty imbued by the 118-year history will shine spectacularly through.

Sources:

• Swarovski Crystals Making History Beads
• Swarovski Crystal History

How do famous gems and beaded jewelry pieces get their names? Many are named after their owners, or after a famous place or incident. The Hortensia Diamond was named after Hortense de Beauharnais, a French woman who led an adventurous and illustrious life… but she never owned the Hortensia Diamond. There’s no record of her having even worn it!

So why is the Hortensia Diamond named after her?

Hortense was the daughter of a Parisian Vicomte. Her parents’ marriage was unhappy, and ended in divorce. Hortense and her mother, Marie Rose Josephe Tascher de la Pagerie (say that one three times fast!), lost their social standing and most of their possessions, including their beaded jewelry, and moved back in with Marie Rose’s parents on the island of Martinique.

They may have gotten out just in time. Hortense’s father didn’t survive the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution.

After enough time passed, Marie Rose (who now went by the name of Josephine) and Hortense moved back to Paris, and began to make a name for themselves once again in French society. Josephine caught the eye of the already famous general Napoleon Bonaparte, who lavished her with gifts of beaded jewelry, and married her.

This made Hortense Napoleon’s step-daughter. When Napoleon became Emperor, he also came into ownership of the French Crown Jewels, including the 20.53 carat Hortensia Diamond. Maybe the flat, peach-pink stone was named after the girl during this time, due to her love of gems and beaded jewelry.

Hortense married Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother. In 1806, Napoleon appointed Louis as King of Holland, making Hortense the country’s queen.

In this picture, we see Hortense bedecked in beaded jewelry and a tiara. But even as Queen of Holland, when she had a treasure trove of gems and beaded jewelry, she had no direct connection to the Hortensia Diamond.

These were tumultuous years for Hortense. She and her husband were so unhappy that, like her mother, she was eventually divorced. This happened during Napoleon’s exile on Elba. Divorced or not, Hortense remained politically active, and when Napoleon escaped exile, she supported his return to power.

When Napoleon failed, Hortense was punished for supporting him with exile from France. She wandered Europe for awhile, before settling in Switzerland in 1817.

Most scholars think the Hortensia Diamond was named after her between 1806 and 1817, but no one knows why. It’s just one of those unsolved mysteries surrounding famous gems and beaded jewelry!

Let’s add the Black Orlov Diamond to the growing list of gems and beaded jewelry rumored to be stolen from Indian statues. I’ve featured several others on this blog.

The Black Orlov is also known as the Eye of Brahma, since legend has it that a renegade monk stole it from a statue of Brahma. At the time it was 195 carats, before being cut down to 67.50 carats, faceted, and set in beaded jewelry.

Though it’s said to have come from India, like so many rare beaded jewelry pieces and gems, the Orlov Diamond’s story really takes place in Imperial Russia.

In the 18^th century, Grigory Orlov was quite the ladies’ man. He wasn’t of noble birth, or particularly well educated, but he was strong, handsome, and rich enough to give women expensive beaded jewelry whenever he liked. There came a time, however, when his eye fell on the wrong woman. Princess Kourakina was the mistress of one of Orlov’s colleagues, who was understandably upset at the affair. A great scandal ensued, which ended in a dual. Orlov killed his colleague, and never mind the damage to his reputation.

All this to-do attracted the attention of young Catherine, who was at that time only a Grand Duchess and Empress Consort, married to Peter III. She demanded to meet the rake Orlov, who could have any woman he wanted. It wasn’t long until they were lovers. That was when Catherine told him about her plans to take the throne from her husband. Orlov was intrigued, and when the time came, he organized and led the coup that dethroned her husband Peter. In return, she gave him a title, and he became Count Orlov.

Orlov was Catherine’s favorite counselor and confidant for many years. Over the course of their love affair, Orlov gave Catherine numerous gifts, included priceless gems, beaded jewelry, the throne of Russia, and a child.

But eventually, Catherine the Great turned her attentions to Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, and spurned Orlov.

He was devastated. He sought to win her back with gifts, like beaded jewelry. That’s when he came upon and purchased the enormous diamond that would eventually bear his name. He gave it to Catherine, but she couldn’t be bought back.

That didn’t mean she didn’t hold her former lover in high regard. She gave him as many gifts as he gave her—beaded jewelry, a marble palace in St. Petersburg, a title. She also named the diamond after him, and had it set in a beaded jewelry setting at the top of a royal scepter. A fitting place for the symbol of the man who helped her take the throne.

The story of the Bahia Emerald isn’t one of women flaunting dazzling beaded jewelry, but of Las Vegas heists and near blood baths in the desert. It is the largest emerald stone ever found, and the single largest emerald crystal ever discovered in embedded in rock. It weighs 840 pounds. That’s about 1,900,000 carats. It’s worth about $400 million. Chump change, right?

After it was found in Brazil, it exchanged hands several times between gem and beaded jewelry custodians, until it wound up stored in New Orleans—at exactly the wrong time.

Button jewelry is a surprisingly attractive type of handcrafted jewelry that you can get today that is custom designed and look like designer pieces of art. These items make incredibly thoughtful quality handcrafted jewelry, and those you give them to will be impressed with their quality. You can get button items crafted in the form of bracelets and pendant necklaces. These items, when combined together in the hands of a fine jewel and artist, make incredible gifts for those you love, and certainly are conversation pieces for those who own and wear them.

Giving button jewelry as a gift is unique in itself, and the recipient will be amazed at how unique this item is. Handcrafted jewelry such as this is not common and will be appreciated. The first item that you can give is a button art necklace, which is presented in the format of an articulate looking pendant on a chain. They can have many colors and patterns, and come in a limitless variety of styles. Shimmering sterling silver is often used as is glimmering gold. Some show more of an artist’s hand while others are more sophisticated and simple. These pieces of quality handcrafted jewelry are sure to be treasured for years to come.

As unique as button jewelry is in the form of a pendant necklace, crafted in fine quality, a bracelet made out of buttons and other accessories of artistic merit is also a great gift. When giving a bracelet, you will be able to see that there are many more artistic expressions in this piece of handcrafted jewelry. As a gift, a bracelet is something that someone can wear to accentuate an outfit, so if you know the recipient wears a lot of a certain color, consider getting a bracelet that will go along well with that. The many parts in a quality handcrafted jewelry piece usually flow well in a color theme.

Giving button jewelry as a gift is something that the recipient is sure to cherish for many years to come. Because the gift is so unusual, they will remember you very well every time someone asks them where they got it as well. This makes the bracelet a special gift indeed. Handcrafted jewelry always assures that the item is unique and made of fine quality. Giving a piece of quality handcrafted jewelry is a loving gesture which will be remembered for a long time.

Tips To Caring For Your Sterling Silver

As women, we love our jewelry. We admire it. We wear it, and we always want it to look as terrific as the day we first bought it. Every type of jewelry, including gold and gemstones, needs to be cared for properly if it is to last a lifetime and sterling silver is no different. Also a precious metal, sterling silver is both durable and strong. When combined with the strength of cubic zirconia, jewelry lovers have one sparkling duo that is sure to last for years to come.

Tip # 1: Always put your jewelry on last.

When you're getting ready for work, school or just running daily errands, it's a good idea to put your jewelry on last. Why? Products such as perfume, hand lotion and even hair spray can cause residue to build up on your jewelry, especially rings, and can make it more challenging to clean. In addition, hand lotion can cause your gemstones to look cloudy, so make sure that it's dry before handling your jewelry and/or putting on your rings.

Tip # 2: Store your jewelry in small bags with a zip closure.

Sterling silver, over time, will tarnish. However, it's worth noting that gold can also become dull and require a quick polish, so the fact that sterling silver too will need polishing is no reason to shy away from it. One way to preserve the beauty of your sterling silver jewelry is by polishing it after each wear and placing it in a zip-loc jewelry bag. These small bags are available in all sizes, and can be found in 1" x 1" measurements and larger depending on your needs. When you're ready to enjoy your jewelry again, simply remove it from the bag and it's ready to wear.

Tip # 3: Keep your sterling silver and cubic zirconia jewelry out of direct light.

If possible, store your jewelry in the gift box that accompanied your purchase. You may be able to slow the tarnishing process by keeping your jewelry out of direct natural and/or indoor light.

Tip # 4: Separate your jewelry to prevent scratching.

If you own jewelry that features high polishing and/or bold designs with surfaces that would show scratches easily, store them separate from other pieces. For instance, earring posts and ring settings could create a problem for neighboring jewelry pieces if they were to be stored loosely in a jewelry box. Instead, store your jewelry in a zip-loc bag and in its original gift box as noted above. Not only is this method of storage ideal for preventing tarnish, but it will also help to prevent contact and unnecessary scratching from other pieces.

Tip # 5: Clean your jewelry with care.

When choosing a cleaner for your jewelry, make sure that it's specifically made for your type of metal and/or gemstones. For instance, some cleaners and polishing cloths are created for sterling silver and others for gold. In addition, some cleaners are not recommended for certain gemstones, so always make sure to read the directions completely before using any product on your jewelry. If in doubt, use only a combination of mild soap and water to keep your jewelry sparkling.

The information contained in this article is designed to be used for reference purposes only. It should not be used as, in place of or in conjunction with professional advice on cleaning and/or caring for your jewelry.

Article by: Melanie Sparks

When Caesar was murdered, Marc Antony fought a civil war with his killers. He won (of course!), then summoned the Queen of Egypt to answer for why she hadn’t supported him. Cleopatra knew she had to impress Antony. She didn’t want Egypt and Rome at war.

So Cleopatra, being Cleopatra, made a few arrangements.