Get it Right - Wedding Day Jewelry by Urban-Pearl-Studio and BeadzNBling

Are you or someone you know  getting married soon? As a jeweler, I know how overwhelming it can be trying to find just the right jewelry for your special day. And as a jeweler myself, I have seen some really great shops and some pretty fly-by-night shops out there on the Web. Your wedding day is one day where nothing can go wrong.

Luckily, I am here to tell you about two fantastic wedding jewelry shops where you will find exactly what you want and need, at any budget. And they just both happen to be owned by the same person, my good friend from Dallas, Texas, Lynn.  Let me tell you about BeadznBling on Etsy.com and Urban-Pearl-Studio.com. 

Lynn can often be heard saying "Your wedding is already costing you a fortune...your jewelry shouldn't have to!"

Visit BeadzNBling on Etsy.com

From a simple single pearl pendant, to her exquisite "Studio" line, Lynn will work with you and within your budget, to outfit your entire bridal party.

Simple Freshwater Pearl Necklace

Visit Urban-Pearl-Studio.com

Lynn is known for simple, elegant, chic, handmade artisan wedding and bridal jewelry using  freshwater pearls and Swarovski elements. Whether you are a traditional bride, or a flip flopping beach bride, or any type in between, Lynn will make sure you and your bridesmaids are perfectly, appropriately jeweled.

Whether it is earrings, necklaces, or bracelets,  BeadzNBling on Etsy.com  and  Urban-Pearl-Studio.com, will have you in wedding jewelry bliss. (And at BeadzNBling you will find plenty of Honeymoon goodies to pack too!)

White Pearl Earrings with Swarovski Crystals

Now, this says a lot: I make wedding jewelry, and I would go to Lynn if I was getting married. Why? It is what she does.  It is her specialty and she has been doing it a long time.

Even if you are not getting married, it is worth a peek through her dreamy, affordable, unique shops.

Thanks for reading,

Norah

Druzy, Drusy, Druse, It's All Mesmerizing To Me!

Captivating Geodes Filled With Sparkling Druzy...

The first time I saw a piece of druzy jewelry, I knew I was in it for the long run. I am mesmerized by druzy. The beauty of it, and the science of it. The thought that I am holding or wearing something that has been millions of years in the making just fascinates me. There is no material I enjoy working with more. Druzy popularity has skyrocketed in recent years and it has really become a gemstone in its own genre.


How these sparkling sugary crystals come about is a mystery to many. So I will try to explain as simply as i can.


 Remember this ?(this is the only chart, I promise)

The  constant moving of the earth’s crust and inner layers is responsible for the forming of most of the colored gemstones we see today. Many millions of years ago, as molten rock was being forced up to the surface, heat and pressure changes caused gases to expand and create cavities within the solidifying rock. Gazzillions of years later,  as the ground water,  rich with minerals, (i.e. dissolved silica) moved through the rock, it deposited  new minerals into the cavities, (or on the surfaces) of the rock, and cooling began to occur. Crystallization of these minerals on top of and inside the previously crystallized rock began the unique crystal formation called Druzy. Druzy colors are based on the particular stone that the mineral water leaked into all those years ago.

In the following photo you can see some of the filled cavities and you can see the tightly-packed matrix which creates a dense bed of individual crystals. Notice how each each crystal only has  a single termination pyramid exposed. This bed of crystals has a very fine crystalline structure similar to sugar or salt crystals. This is an "encrustation" crystal habit, or Druzy. This is why it is so sparkly. That pyramid catches light from every which way.

Naturally Occurring Druzy Crystals

There is a wide variety of minerals that can form into druzy. Many of these examples of druzy encrustation are found all over the earth, and their colors listed below represent untreated crystals, unless noted otherwise.

• Agate Drusy: Brown (Brazil) 
• Quartz:  clear, white, tan, golden (citrine), and light purple (amethyst)
• Black Garnet, Psilomelane: Black (Western Australia)
• Carnelian Drusy (Chalcedony): Orangy-Yellow, Reddish-Brown (Brazil)
• Chalcedony Drusy: Blue, Lavender (Brazil)
• Chrysacolla: Greenish-Blue (Australia, Chili, New Mexico USA, Zaire)
• Cobalto Calcite, Cobaltoan Dolomite: Pink, Rose (DRC Congo, Zaire)
• Hemimorphite Drusy: Greenish-Blue (Yunnan Province, China)
• Jasper Drusy: Brownish-Red (Madagascar)
• Onyx Drusy (Agate): Black (Brazil) *may be dyed
• Psilomelane Drusy: Indigo Blue (New Mexico USA)
• Rainbow Hematite Drusy: Rainbow, Brownish-Green (Brazil) *very rare
• Rainbow Pyrite: Rainbow (Volga River, Russia)
• Uvarovite Garnet: Forest Green (Ural Mountains, Russia)

Enhancements:

Vapor-coating (aka vapor-deposition) is one of the more common gemstone enhancements used to achieve the scintillation and myriad of colors and that are found in druzy quartz jewelry.

Titanium is used to create intense, permanent hues of blue, green, and purple, as well as adding an iridescent (schiller effect) quality and/or play-of-color

Druzy crystal can also be vapor-coated with a variety of other metals to create interesting optical effects. Gold is used to create golden druzy, Platinum is used to create pure white, or silver druzy, and silicone oxide is used to create vibrant pink and green hues.

Some countries have taken to straight out dying druzy. Dyed druzy will fade, unlike vapor coated druzy.

Example of Dyed Druzy

Grading:

Druzy gemstones are graded using the following criteria---color saturation, crystal size, purity (visual flaws), and crystal coverage (whether areas of underlying matrix shows). The highest grade Druzy is not always the prettiest. These earrings would not be considered high grade  because of the large crystals, but I think they are lovely!

Mink Druzy Earrings - Your Daily Jewels

Same with this pendant with much of the matrix showing. It would be considered "low grade"

Druzy Examples

Black Druzy - Your Daily Jewels (Sold)

Vapor Coated with Gold

Rainbow Hematite - Excessive Handling Can Dull the Natural Coloration Of This Rare Druzy

Druzy Chysocolla

Cobalto Calcite Comes in a Wide Range of Pinks

Now some Jet Druzy~

Agate Druzy Pendant - Your Daily Jewels

Twilight Drusy Ring - Love Stone Arts

Example of Agate Druzy -Your Daily Jewels

Pyrite Druzy Pendant - JemsbyJBandCompany

Asymmetrical Agate Drusy Earrings - Laura Stamper Designs

Thanks for reading!
Norah 


Oh, this is My Dream Bedroom, (I might need it a little bigger though)

Chalcedony Druzy

Rustic Rock Jewelry - Druzy Rings

Pick your size and color!

CPR and Lifesaving Techniques for Dogs

Take 5 minutes out of your day, OK, maybe it might be ten minutes, to really commit this to memory: CPR for your precious family member, your dog.

In a Red Cross survey, 89% of adult Americans think it should be mandatory for adults to learn Community CPR and basic life saving techniques. The number who actually keep up their certification falls sadly lower than this percentage.

Mucho Gusto and Sitting Bull - Bull Doggie Brothers - Courtesy of LoveStoneArts

As you can imagine, there are no statistics for canine CPR, yet so many of us  consider our dog a very important member of our family.

Tina

Read, understand, and memorize this chart. Practice on your poochie, share it with your family, hang it on your wall, email it to your friends. Look at these guys, how can you not take a few minutes to learn this simple, potentially lifesaving technique.

Good Boy Gus

Gus (mid-haircut when the groomer sent him home, halfway cut, after he was "fresh")

The Magical Face of "Lyric" Courtesy of DebrasDivineDesigns

Tina, My Sweet Girl

 

ASPCA Canine Emergency  Info

What's New in Jewelry Fashion?

Search "jetteam and wings"  on Etsy.com for lots of winged pieces. Shop the recycled silver section of Your Daily Jewels and order your custom Wing necklace of your dreams!

100% Recycled Silver Winged Phoenix Pendent - Unisex - Your Daily Jewels

Perfect for a man or a woman: Unisex Recycled Fine Silver Phoenix Rising Pendant Available on Leather or Chain, Mens Jewelry Gift , Womens Fashion Jewelry
As the story goes, the phoenix is a mythical bird with colorful plumage that lives up to 100 years. Near the end of its life, it settles in to its nest of twigs which then burns ferociously, reducing bird and nest to ashes. And from its own ashes, a fledgling phoenix rises – renewed and reborn.

                       WingedJewelry

February 20, 2012

Wings usually symbolize freedom and rising above something; what better way to express that than via jewelry? Zoe Saldana recently showed her spirit with a pair of green-gem wing earrings, which brought a beautiful splash of color to her dark hair. Wing jewelry comes in every size, shape, price and metal imaginable, so whether you want silver, rose gold, colorful, a petite necklace or a chunky ring, there's something to suit your taste. And isn't that freedom of choice exactly the thing you want to express?

Color Spot Colorful gems, stones and other pieces always offer an element of interest to an outfit Holy Harlot $185 Buy Now Max & Chloe Rachel Rachel Roy $38 Buy Now Macy's ModCloth $13 Buy Now ModCloth

Hello My Lonely Blog

I am trying to distract you with my baby porcupine photo. Did it work?

Hello my sad blog. I am so sorry I have been away so long. I write for, and am the administrator for the Jewelry on Etsy Team blog, (JETs), which is 5-6 days a week and it is hard to come back here to see you and nurture you.

Don't give up on me, sad blog. I will be back, regularly. Just not quite yet.

Thank you readers. I will let you know when I am back in the saddle, (pun intended).

This is my latest slideshow featuring my new line of 100% recycled fine silver. Totally reclaimed metal!  Fine silver is 99.9% pure so it is a little nicer than sterling, a little brighter. Sterling is 92.5% pure; the rest being copper.

I took the slideshow off the website because it was taking minutes to load! . So here instead is a link to it, taking you off this blog. But  come back soon, I will be back with content.

         Thank you,

New Feature

Laura Trevey, the artist and owner of Bright, Bold, Beautiful Blogspot wrote a little feature on Your Daily Jewels. If not for me, go visit for her amazing watercolors. You won't be sorry!



Click here to take a peek!

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