And here are some splendid options from the JOD, (Jet of the day), Eleven13, from dreamy Santa Barbara, CA:
Handmade Antique Wax Seal jewelry. Custom and Artisan gemstone and gold jewelry. Jewelry for Men.
Monday, January 31, 2011
JET of the DAY: Eleven 13
And here are some splendid options from the JOD, (Jet of the day), Eleven13, from dreamy Santa Barbara, CA:
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Efrat Deutsch
Spotlight on Efrat Deutsch, Toronto, Jewelry Artist Extraordinaire
Often in my daydreams I fancy myself as an artist living in Toronto in a loft on the water, speaking French, and dressed effortlessly stylish. Then I look around and realize I am still in NJ, squished in my bedroom studio, in my sweats. Efrat is the fake me! She is an artist. And lucky for all of us jewelry lovers, jewelry is where she focuses her talent. She painstakingly designs each piece and each piece benefits from a solid foundation of form and function that was learned while Efrat was achieving her BFA as a goldsmith.
A sunflower was Efrat's inspiration for these gorgeous earrings. She created the flower pattern using a rolling mill and then hand cut the shape from a sheet of brass and also plated the piece herself using 18k gold plating.
Efrat was in inspired by a beautiful flower that was missing a leaf, when she designed these earrings.
This artist finds her inspiration in nature, as well as the urban world in which she lives.
If I had to put a name on her style I would call it, "Geometric Organic."
As in nature, no two of her pieces are exactly the same.
Efrat's creative process is compelling, and I was so pleased to find great sequential photos of some of her projects in her blog. Even better, Efrat is holding a giveaway of one of her jewelry pieces! To enter, click the blog link above and you will find the instructions for entering.
I am so happy I got to share this incredible artist with you. It is no fun keeping your new favorite find to yourself.
Thank you for reading,
Norah
http://www.etsy.com/shop/efratdeutsch http://efratdeutschjewelrydesign.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Efrat-Deutsch-Jewelry-Design/111142605597975?ref=ts
Please leave a comment. You can really make my day by following my blog!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Designs By Cher, Spotlight on the Jet of the Day
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So beautiful it hurts my feelings... Mossy Artisan Oxidized Silver Bracelet |
From deep in the heart of Texas, comes Designs By Cher: handcrafted contemporary and vintage styled creations
Tourmaline Gemstone Latch Bangle Bracelet, hand forged brass and wire wrapped silverNew Feature: JOD, huh? That is Jet of the Day
A Jet of the Day is chosen everyday as part of the many ongoing promotional campaigns of JET. This is such a cohesive and supportive, (and funny) group of jewelry makers. I am happy to showcase the JOD, right here on my blog, daily.
Stay tuned,
and thanks for reading,
Norah
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
We Have a Winner
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| The Kiss |
Next giveaway at 50 followers.
Thanks for reading,
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Erika Price Designs: A Jewelry Designers Glossary, Part 3 - Ca to Ch
My friend, Erika, has a huge undertaking going on over at her blog. She is writing and compiling a very comprehensive Jewelry Glossary. I plan on heading her way with my questions. Whether you make jewelry or just love it, you should check it out this invaluable resource. Here is a link to the latest portion.
Erika Price Designs: A Jewelry Designers Glossary, Part 3 - Ca to Ch
Erika Price Designs: A Jewelry Designers Glossary, Part 3 - Ca to Ch
Jewelry Metals Guide
There are several metals used in the creation of handmade jewelry. By knowing information about the metals, their benefits compared with each other and their unique qualities, you will be able to make a better and more informed decision about purchasing your jewelry.
Most of the pieces you will find at Your daily Jewels are made of Sterling or 14K gold filled.
Sterling Silver is a mixture of pure silver and some other metal, usually copper. The resulting alloy gives the silver strength. Sterling Silver contains no nickel.
The standard is at least 92.5% silver. Hence the .925 stamp you see on some sterling silver items. This standard alloy is used to assure consistent quality among sterling products. Sterling is 92.5% pure instead of 100% pure in order to achieve the requisite hardness and stability to resist wear and tear, and hold its shape
Silver that is not sterling has less pure silver content and will often be softer, darker in color and less shiny.
Bali Silver: Jewelry items made with a minimum silver content of 92.5% guaranteed, are individually handcrafted by highly skilled silversmiths in Bali, Indonesia.
Argentinium: Argentium Sterling (AS) is a patented alloy of silver. It is resistant to tarnish. It is Sterling mixed with an alloy of 2% Germanium and is as strong as Sterling, brighter, and does not tarnish like Sterling.
Gold is measured in the Gold Carat. There are several carats available for gold. The carat is the gold content of the metal. The carat measures the proportion of pure gold mixed with other metal alloy to make up the final metal.
(You may have noticed that carat or is also used to measure the weight of diamonds and gemstones. Although the same name is used, the two measurements are measuring different characteristics of jewelry)
The higher the proportion of gold used in the final metal, the more valuable and expensive the metal will be.
9kt yellow gold contains 37.5% pure gold (375 parts per thousand parts).
14kt gold contains 58.5% pre gold (585 parts per thousand parts).
18kt gold contains 75% pure gold (750 parts per thousand parts).
The remainder of the metals is a combination of alloys. These different metals are what can help to give the metal its unique appearance, such as a different white gold, rose gold, etc.
Gold Vermeil (Pronounced: Vermay) is sterling silver that has been gold-plated. Most of vermeil is plated with 24K gold. This is a good combination for those with allergy to normal, plated findings.
The difference between vermeil, and gold-filled, is in the thickness of the gold and the base metal used. In vermeil, the base is sterling silver. The standard is for the Vermeil gold plating is much thicker than ordinary plating
Gold plating is the process of adding a thin layer of gold to another metal in order to give that metal a gold-like appearance. In most cases, the layer of gold is very thin, just enough to cover all exposed surfaces of the other metal. It is commonly used in decorations and in jewelry plating.
The benefit of gold plating for jewelry is that it gives the look of gold, but is cheaper. It wears poorly compared to Gold Filled.
Plating or electroplating is the process in which one metal is coated with another metal using electricity
Gold Filled is made of a base metal (usually brass) covered by sheets of gold in a mechanical bonding process.
Effectively a thick coat of gold: the legal rquirement is gold content is 5% or 1/20 (one part per twenty) of the total weight. Most gold-filled is 12kt or 14kt gold-filled
Gold filled is used for top-of-the-line jewelery. Usually made with 14k gold, it is hard wearing. With reasonable care it will not peel or flake, and should last as long as solid 14k gold jewelry.
Gold filled is constructed in two or three layers. It is a quality material that is common in all types of jewelry. The product is easy to care for and will maintain its golden shine for a lifetime
Base Metals used in Jewelry are non-precious metals used as a core for plating and gold-filled items. Brass is the most common base metals in jewelry. Nickel is not used as regularly anymore because many people are sensitive to it. Copper is also used.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions that are not answered in this brief guide.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Spotlight on Sandy Vern
Having spent most of my life in the city, I must admit I was never exposed to the art of soap making. It truly is an art, and Sandy Vern is The Soap Artist
Sandy has told me a little bit about her process:
Her soaps are made from scratch using the old-fashioned cold process method of combining various oils, butters, and lye in just the right amounts to create a luxurious soap. All of her soaps are made in very small batches to ensure precise quality control over the entire
process.
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| Blue Cocktail Earrings |
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| Jolly Ranchers |
Two of her many earring themes are cocktails and candy!
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| Berry Soap Popsickles |
Sandy also taught me about “melt and pour” soaps and the artistic details involved in this process. In these molded soaps she uses a combination of quality goat milk and Shea butter bases, as well as oatmeal and honey bases.
Molded soaps come in any shape or color you can imagine and make great little gifts. Sandy is happy to take custom orders. Most items can be custom made with your choice of colors and scents.
What a great gift idea for a theme wedding or Party!
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| Pink Grapefruit and Lavender Bath Bombs |
Other items to look for in Sandy’s shop are hand knit washcloths, exfoliating soaps, whipped Shea butter, lotion bars, lip balms, and bath bombs.
I know you will want more of Sandy, so here are all of her addresses across the web:
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| Vanilla Daisy Soap |
Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment down below, and you can really make my day if you "follow" me
Norah
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Alzheimer's is Not All Bad
It has been two years since Alzheimer's took its final ravage on on my mother's brain and body. I spent eight years, day in and out, with a lot of help, caring for my mom.
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| My mom on High School Graduation day |
Nancy Reagan's quote is very true,"When you have met one person with Alzheimer's disease, you have met one person with Alzheimer's disease". Every patient has a slightly different presentation and every presentation changes by the day. What I tell people who are fumbling through the early stages of care and feeling like they cannot do anything right to protect their loved one is: "The only plan is to plan for no plan to work".
It will sound odd, but my fondest memories of my mom are during her years with Alzheimer's. She became a kinder, gentler mom. Happy to be helped. Happy when I covered for her in conversation, or told her "I always forget...".Happy to laugh. Happy to have her children there, almost everyday. She lived in the moment and enjoyed many moments. Yes, she had her battles, especially in the early stages, asking me "Why haven't I slipped away yet, why do I know this is happening?". My mom spent her last eight years with her children. Had she been healthy, we probably would have visited two or three times a year. Instead, we moved her close to all of us, and few days went by when one of her children was not with her. All four of her children became bonded in the commitment to make her days happy and safe.
My mom had the brightest blue eyes you have ever seen. People would stop just to comment on how beautiful she and her eyes were. They shone bright and sparkled through the disease process, while the eyes of others fell dull. At the moment of her passing, after seeming to asleep for over a day, she opened her sparkling eyes with her last breath. All four children around her; I believe it was her message that her light shines on in all of us. We became close siblings because of Alzheimer's disease, we became more patient because of Alzheimer's disease, we learned how to selflessly give to others because of Alzheimer's disease, and we learned of the healing power of laughter when you just do not know what to do next.
During the long goodbye to our mom, we became better people in the world. We graduated Alzheimer's University with honors. I thank my mom for living through the long goodbye with graciousness, humor, and trust. I thank my siblings for loving so unconditionally. I thank God that we could all find the positive in a situation that many cannot bear. This was my mom's final lesson to her children.
My mom and her sisters
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