Topaz Iridescent Crystal Decor Beaded Fan Pull
Handcrafted modern decor silver 7 inch beaded fan pull with a 7 inch ball chain created with a large topaz crystal (2×2″)with an ab finish to give it that iridescent look, and silver-plated art decor findings (2×3″), and a stainless steel ball chain.
FP01 – $38.00
Turquoise Blue Pearl Crystal Beaded Anklet
Handcrafted adjustable 10¼ – 10¾ inch beaded anklet created with charlotte turquoise seed beads, indigo blue ABx2 Swarovski Austrian crystals, white freshwater pearls, bright Bali .925 silver, and sterling silver.
AG1014/09 – $36.00
Blue Purple Crystal Mix Beaded Anklet
Handcrafted adjustable 10-10½ inch beaded anklet created with blue Charlotte seed beads, tanzanite, amethyst, violet purples Swarovski Austrian crystals, small Bali .925 silver, and sterling silver.
AG10/04 – $37.00
How to Choose a Piece of Handmade Jewelry
by Kristie Leong M.D.
When you choose a piece of handmade artisan jewelry, you are purchasing a piece of work directly from the artist’s hands. This gives it special meaning and value. Much thought and design knowledge has gone into creating your special handmade jewelry piece. Here are some guidelines to help you make the best selection:
1. Are you buying handmade jewelry for yourself or as a gift?
Handmade jewelry makes a very special gift. It shows you’ve taken the time to find a piece of jewelry not found in a department store or produced on the mass market. This will be reflected in the beautiful craftsmanship that the individual artist adds to the piece. There’s also the option of having a custom design created by the artisan for a special, one-of-a-kind gift.. When you buy handmade jewelry, you’re getting the highest quality components and design because the artist has complete control over each phase of the process. You’ll have a unique design that you can wear with pride knowing that it won’t be seen on everyone else in town.
2. Do you like a classical look or do you lean more towards a funky, eclectic style?
If you prefer the classics, you may want to consider purchasing a simple, single stranded necklace with matching bracelet and earrings, possibly in a solid color. This kind of look never goes out of style and looks elegant with almost everything you wear. If you lean towards the funky, eclectic look, consider wearing a larger, chunkier necklace or layering several smaller necklaces for a unique and offbeat look. Who says the earrings have to match the necklace? You can choose necklace and earring combination that suits your own unique personality. The sky’s the limit!
3. What is your basic body build? Are you tall or short, petite or big boned?
If you have a petite build you may find more delicate pieces are appropriate so that you aren’t overpowered by your jewelry. A petite woman can look quite dramatic in a large necklace if it’s worn with a solid colored outfit and is the focal point of her look. In a case like this, you might want to choose a smaller, more delicate pair of earrings to avoid looking overdone. If you’re tall or larger boned, the sky’s the limit! You’ll find big and dramatic pieces to be quite flattering and you can easily pull off the layered look. Although the above is a general guideline, there are no hard and fast rules. Jewelry is all about expressing yourself the way YOU see fit!
4. What is your basic skin tone and hair color?
Again, there are no hard and fast rules here at all. Sterling silver can be particularly flattering if you have dark hair or grey undertones. Blondes tend to look stunning in gold, goldtone, and brass shades. Copper shades are just made for the rare redheads of the world, although copper looks great with almost any hair color!
Jewelry is fantastic for drawing the eye to your most flattering features and pulling the eyes away from your less desirable ones. If you have an overly round shape, a round earring shape will only accent it. Why not try an interesting drop style to draw the eye downward. If you have a long, narrow face, you might want to avoid the drop style earring and go for a shorter button type. Do you love your hands? Accent them with a beautiful handmade bracelet! Likewise a nice manicured hand can be accented with a handful of artisan rings.
As you can see, handmade jewelry can change the way you look and feel. Use these guidelines to help you select pieces that are right for you. The result will be a stunning collection of artisan jewelry that you’ll treasure for many years to come.
2009 Beads Jewelry Fashion Trends Forecast Article
by Krista QQ
Spring of 2009 is right around the corner and there’s no better time to plan for the upcoming bead jewelry trends than right now, before the 2009 spring and summer seasons really begin! Predicting future fashion and jewelry trends is always a little bit of a game, but I’ve been reading a lot of fashion magazines, listening to my customers that visit my bead jewelry display table and generally talking to people about what they are looking for. There are some definite trends for 2009 and here are some of the things I’m hearing:
Colorful and Natural
I have seen some emphasis on “nature” influences which sometimes shows itself in the materials such as wood or stone beads use in jewelry, but I’ve also seen a lot more “flower” and “leaf” shaped beads and pendants on the scene. Any sort of botanical or organic looking jewelry pieces or beads are still popular from what I’ve seen. I don’t make much, but I’ve actually had people asked me if I have anything that has “natural warmth”.
Big and Beautiful
It sounds like the days of dainty shiny pieces of metal jewelry are gone for the moment and the big and colorful gemstone jewelry and beads are still pretty hot right now. People are still asking for more “chunky” jewelry, sometimes with larger stones and crystals that catch the eye, sometimes with asymmetrical patterns or at least oddly cut beads and gemstones.
Cocktail Rings
If you’re shopping, wearing or making rings, consider “rings with bling!” Cocktail rings are generally over-the-top diamond or gemstone rings that are overly colorful, shiny and, yes, sometimes a bit gaudy. But that’s part of the fun! These go along with the bright and bold bead jewelry you might be wearing and could even match or compliment it with similar gemstones or beads. You can make cocktail rings with gemstone beads, crystal beads or just about any other shiny materials.
Charms and Pendants
Again, going with the bold and bright bead jewelry, what stands out more than a beautiful chain that meets with a large bold diamond or gemstone charm or pendant on the end? Yes, natural and chunky are in, but there is still room for metals in beaded jewelry, especially when it is sleek and modern looking or even mixed with natural materials like wood and stone beads. There are always people who like the more “modern” beads and jewelry as opposed to the more traditional bead jewelry designs. You can buy modern beads for jewelry making or you can go for a more unique look and actually make
beads jewelry out of hardware washers!
Silver and Gold
Silver has been popular for the last few years and that will probably continue, but you’ll also see more gold and even two-tone chains and metals being used in both beads and jewelry pieces. Some of those silver and gold Trollbeads are excellent examples of mixed metals being used as a charm or pendant in bead jewelry pieces.
Faux Foreign Influence
I’m still seeing a lot of Asian and Moroccan influences in fashion, home furnishings and even jewelry. The influences don’t have to be completely genuine or “realistic” but that sense of something coming from a foreign country and past time are still popular. Even the big chain stores are catching this vibe and a lot of their house wares and jewelry give off that “Pier One” vaguely Indian or Eastern Orient vibe. When you’re creating bead jewelry necklaces or bracelets you could think about using dark wooden beads (natural) and mixing it with large metal Oriental looking coins and rings with a hole through the center to bring in the foreign feel!
Colorful
You’ll want to think about bright and bold, but remember that natural element! Neons and wild synthetic colors are not popular, but bright natural colors definitely are in, both in clothing and jewelry fashion. Once again, I have to turn to the color experts at Pantone who have picked out the trendy colors for 2009. Don’t forget to look at the 28 page Adobe Acrobat guide there! It’s fun and inspirational! I’m thinking about printing a few of the pages out and hanging them around my beading area for inspiration when I’m creating my jewelry.
Last, if you have seen any other bead jewelry trends for 2009 that I missed, pls don’t hesitate to let me know…
Good Morning Stephanie,
My ankle bracelet arrived without a hitch. It’s beautiful and well made as you had indicated. Just what I wanted.
Thanks so much,
Lisa
I wanted to let you know that I received the purse charm today and I am so pleased with it. It is beautifully made and very striking. It is a birthday present for my daughter and I know she will be thrilled.
Thank you — I hope to shop with you again.
Janie
Stephanie,
Hello my name is Joseph and we spoke the other night on the phone regarding my wife’s anklet that you crafted so artistically, it was the mystic topaz one. She received it in NYC and thought it was glorgeous, which is a word I made up, part gorgeous and part glorious. I am still not able to receive any emails from your site so perhaps you have an alternate email to reply with but if not no biggie and thanks again… with kind regards,
Joseph
Pearls: Classic and Stylish
by Linda Blatchford
Pearls are June Birthstones: along with Pearl, Moonstone (Traditional: Alexandrite).
There is so much history about pearls that five (5) months claim them as their birthstone: February, April, June (traditional), July and November.
Pearls are an astral stone for the signs Gemini and Cancer are linked to the moon. Pearls have been called the “teardrops of the moon”. Some believe that pearls were formed by the passage of angels through the clouds of heaven.
Spiritual Benefits of wearing pearls:
* Stimulates spiritual transformation
* Promotes prosperity and success
* Encloses you with an aura of calm and beauty
* Helps with stomach, digestion and emotional stress
* Amplifies focus, meditation skills and wisdom
* Helps balance the solar plexus chakra
Over time, the pearl has become the symbol of purity and innocence and it is often sewn into bridal gowns, or worn as jewelry by the bride.
Pearls are classic, elegant and may be expensive. They are very popular at the Gem Shows.
Queen Alexandra’s Pearls*
Most fine jewellery in the 1900s was white and made from either diamonds or pearls. Queen Alexandra initially wore dog collar chokers, called a ‘collier de chien’ to cover a small scar on her neck.
For state occasions and formal events she plastered herself in arrangements of pearl necklaces. The rarity value of real pearls then was such that an American skyscraper exchanged hands for the price of a pearl necklace . This is not as ridiculous as it seems, since fine south sea pearls still command a high price.
Pearls were very fashionable, but still very, very costly. After the 1890s, Kokichi Mikimoto of Japan, produced highly acceptable cultured pearls by placing a small bead into an oyster shell. The bead coated itself with nacre (mother of pearl) and so good looking pearl jewels became more affordable.
Various combinations of pearl necklaces come in and out of fashion with regularity so pearls too are a must. Both fake and real freshwater or cultured pearls are very affordable today. The price of pearls has dropped by about a fifth in the past 10 years and the Chinese are making waves in the pearl world with their cheaper prices. The Japanese have suffered disease in their pearl beds as well as facing competition and are finding it hard to compete with China’s prices.
Value of Pearls
In the early 1900’s, the financier Morton F. Plant exchanged the building for a Cartier two-strand Oriental pearl necklace much coveted by a woman he admired.
A pearl is judged by its luster, size and markings. Although baroque, or unevenly formed, pearls have often been popular, it is the perfectly round ones that are now most desired. The best have a creamy, slightly pinkish glow. Black pearls (actually, a sort of silver-gray shade) are also coveted. Pearls are measured in millimeters, with 7 to 7.5 considered respectably modest while something larger than 10 millimeters becomes pretty important. For the last 70 years, they have been ”farmed,” which means the deformities have been given a helping hand. These pearls are called cultured, and today natural pearls are extremely rare.
Most of the cultured pearls, Mr. Mondschein says, come from Japan, while the largest ones come from the South Seas, Burma, Tahiti and Australia. Pearls should always be kept in a soft pouch; they can be professionally cleaned with soap and water. ”But spray perfume is the killer,” says Mr. Mondschein. ”I’ve seen people ruin pearls that way. And once the bloom is off the pearl, it can never come back.”
Fuchsia Crystal Blue Glass Necklace
Adjustable 19- 20 inch beaded necklace created with large fuchsia seed beads, fuchsia pink Swarovski Austrian crystals, blue floral imported glass beads, Bali .925 silver, and sterling silver.
N153 – $127.00
Black Cane Crystal Silver Necklace
Adjustable 17- 18 inch beaded necklace created with black charlotte seed beads, black handcrafted glass cane furnace beads, crystal AB Swarovski Austrian crystals, brigh Bali .925 silver, sterling silver, and a sterling silver heart clasp.
N163 – $117.00
