Timeless, Classic, Beautiful Pearls

 

-->Pearls: freshwater and saltwater

Pearls fit into two categories: freshwater and saltwater. As their name implies, freshwater pearls are formed in freshwater mussels that live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water. By contrast, saltwater pearls grow in mollusks that live in the ocean.

I have to send a special thank you to Lynn of Urban Pearl Studio on Etsy.com for finding me these beauties. I can't wait to see what they will become.

 

 

Urban Pearl Studio  is THE go to for handmade artisan wedding jewelry, from pearl strands, to  earrings; multi-strand necklaces and bracelets with gorgeous gemstone box clasps,  and so much more.

 

Multi Strand Keshi Pearl Necklace with Kyanite Box Clasp

 Lynn  has another shop where you can source out your own gemstones, TexasBeadz, or purchase more of her wonderful artisan gemstone jewelry at BeadzNBling, also on Etsy. Thank you again, Lynn, for finding me these gorgeous pearls!

Natural pearls are those pearls that are formed in nature, more or less by chance. Cultured pearls are those in which humans lend a helping hand, such as in China’s dominating freshwater pearl farms. Today more than 99% of all pearls sold worldwide, both fresh water and salt water, are cultured pearls, "designed" from the start to be primarily flawless.

The Different Types of Pearls 

Akoya Pearls are the pearls most people think of when they think of pearls. Perfectly round, gleaming and lustrous, white Akoya pearls were the very first cultured pearls available anywhere in the world. The classic look still reigns today as the definitive standard of the pearl industry. Akoya pearls are saltwater pearls from both Japan and China, and generally range in size from tiny 2.0-3.0mm seed pearls to the largest and rarest 9.5-10.0mm sizes.

Black Tahitian Pearls are rare black pearls from French Polynesia, shimmering with vibrant overtones that are unmistakable and unforgettable. Popular overtones include Peacock, which is a green-gold mix tinged with rose, to Aubergine or deep eggplant; silver and steel tones, and aquamarine or shades of blue-green, all laid over a palette of dove and dark charcoal greys..

Traditionally ranging from 8.0mm up to 16.0mm in size, their glamorous sizes, combined with their unique, naturally-occurring range of greys and blacks make these pearls very desirable.

South Sea Pearls: large and luminous in white and golden from Australia and the Philippians are the largest and rarest of all cultured pearl types in the world. Pearls cultured in the Pinctada maxima saltwater oyster, which can grow up to a foot in diameter at maturation, routinely obtain sizes that range from 9.0mm up to an astonishing 21.0mm! The pearls’ golden and white colors are completely natural, needing no dyes or artificial enhancements.

Cultured South Sea pearls are also known for their soft, satiny glow which is due to their thick nacre layers, acquired through as much as 4 years’ cultivation time. Gorgeously glowing. They truly draw me in.

freshwater

Freshwater pearls come in a variety of colors and shapes to suit every taste, occasion, and budget; from perfectly round, gem-quality pearls to cute button-shapes. Known for their natural pink, lavender and classic white hues, freshwater pearls are an affordable choice that brings the beauty of pearl jewelry to many, without sacrificing quality. 

Fresh water pearls are usually dyed or irradiated and it is not difficult to tell whether a pearl's color is natural. There is even a tutorial in Fire Mountain Gems on how to dye your own freshwater pearls!

There are several different types of Freshwater Pearls that you may be familiar with:

Biwa Pearls

The most famous type of freshwater cultured pearl is the Biwa  pearl which used to come from mussels grown in Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake which is now polluted. These grow to become what we know as “stick” pearls

Keshi (sometimes spelled Keishi) Pearls ( my favorites)

Keshi Pearl Necklace by Your Daily Jewels

Keshi (in Japanese it means "poppy seed") may be salt or freshwater and are sub-products of the pearl. Basically, pearl garbage. When the oyster rejects a nucleus or a pearl, the fragments of epithelium may yield keshi, baroque-shaped pearls of small diameter which have no nucleus. Keshis come in different size, shapes and coloration.

Mother of Pearl

Mother of Pearl is the iridescent substance that forms the lining of the shells of some fresh-water and some salt-water mollusks. Mother of Pearl jewelry is  made from the inside part of the oyster shell. Like the pearl it is a secretion of the mantle, (nacre). Among the chief sources are the pearl oyster, found in warm and tropical seas, chiefly in Asia; freshwater pearl mussels, which live in many rivers of the United States, Europe, and Asia; and the abalone of California, Japan, and other Pacific regions.

To learn more about pearls, how they are made, their role in history, how they are graded, etc. there is a beautiful exhibit, full of really interesting info. at the online site of the American Museum of Natural History-online . 

 also, great information on PBS at The Perfect Pearl.

Here is a hint of what will be coming from those lovely pearls I got from Lynn.

YourDailyJewels

everyone loves pearls!

Don't for get to scroll down for some JET Pearls! 
Thanks for reading,

Norah

Livery Buttons - A Short History

 

Happy Bunny on Labradorite Chain - 1850's  Your Daily Jewels

Livery Buttons

Invicta -" Undefeatable" - estim. 1790.

Sometime in the 13^th century the idea of a buttonhole and button was conceived.

In the 18^th century, buttons were truly tiny works of art. Button making became a profitable sideline for many of the starving artists of the day. Typically, the most exquisite of these buttons was about the size of a 50- cent piece. 

A “livery” is an insignia, symbol, or uniform button worn by one who provided service to a noble or aristocrat to represent their relationship to their employer.

My passion, my quest, my contribution to history:

As a card-carrying member of the National Button Society, one of my favorite pastimes is scouring the earth for 18th and 19^th Century relics in order to preserve them. I cast from them, in order to create beautiful modern heirlooms for you, to be worn and passed on for centuries more.

Initial Pendants are Made from Wax Seal Stamps and Livery Buttons at Your Daily Jewels

The word itself comes from the French “livrée”, meaning delivered. Most often it would indicate that the wearer of the livery was a servant, depend-ent, follower, or friend of the owner of the “livery.” Like heraldic Crests, a livery button was a fast way to identify friend or foe in a time of war.

Notre Dame - Early 1800's - Made to Order at Your Daily Jewels

The fashion for livery buttons started among the upper classes in the mid-eighteenth century, and lasted as an accepted practice into the Edwardian era of the early twentieth century. 

After the first World War, new income tax and changing social and economic conditions quietly put an end to the era of the livered servant among the wealthy upper class. 

Scottish Livery, "I Ready Myself with Arms"

Beyond the prevalent use of Latin, there is a whole cryptic language  and symbolism to livery buttons, heraldry, and crests & shields. I am having fun learning the meaning behind many of them. 

For fascinating history you can read The Big Book of Buttons by Hughs & Lester, http://www.ukdfd.co.uk, and Fairbairns Book of Crests, London : T. C. & E. C. Jack.  I will be more sharing as I learn.

Scottish, Cuff button

Thank you for reading,

Norah

Visit Your Daily Jewels on Etsy, here:

Spero Melior - Hope for Better Things - 1832

 

What the .GIF?!!

Add http://cargocollective.com/matthewdivito

Amazing Animated Graphic Art:

.GIFs 
(The Graphics Interchange Format)

The Internet's favorite file format is an old friend at this point, having just celebrated its 25th birthday in 2012.

The GIF — an acronym from Graphics Interchange Format — is still  living it up, even scoring the coveted honor of word of the year in 2012.

Though no one can deny the success of the GIF's career, people often don't know its humble beginnings as a dancing baby in 1987.

According to The Urban Dictionary, the proper pronunciation of the acronym is a soft "g" sound: like JIF.

www.boston.com 

http://horrorking.tumblr.com

http://patakk.tumblr.com/

 

http://hateplow.tumblr.com/

http://hateplow.tumblr.com/

Why Gifs? GIF fits extraordinarily in this web environment that never takes itself too seriously. Animated GIFs are the true artistic medium of Internet with an inherent sense silliness and playfulness.  Whether you're conveying humor, irony, or trying to drive a point home, there is a Gif out there to enhance your content.

Or, take a few minutes and make your own.

WHAT?!!!! I can't do this I am an internet moron.

Don't believe it. I did it. I am living proof that you can make one. Look at all you have learned so far! Did you ever think you would be reading such a snazzy 'blog' just a few years ago? Or blogging yourself? Or knowing, and even more fascinating, caring what SEO is? You can do this! (just to be clear: I did not make the GIF below)

mashable.com

So where do they come from and where do they go?
To make the best GIF possible on a desktop or laptop you're going to need Photoshop. Those are the ones I showed you up top, before Honey Poo-poo dancing. They are super graphic and beautiful little pieces of artwork

But to just have fun there are lots of options. There are even apps so you can make them on your phone!  ( Flixel and Cinemagram, Fotodanz.)

There are a zillion tutorials on the web, most claiming it should not take you more than a few minutes to make. http://gizmodo.com/5941436/how-to-make-a-gif-in-five-easy-steps
Then use a free file hosting site like Imgur to upload and distribute your new craze across the web. Or post it to you blog, FB, Tweet it, etc. You can google for more sites like Imgur too. Maybe it'll become a hit viral sensation!

Basically, many come from Youtube videos.
GIF Makers stop videos and "clip" a photo out, run it again, then stop and clip, etc. You don't want them too long because they take too long to load and this clogs up the internet and makes viewers annoyed. Then they take their clips to one of the many .GIF making sites and, Voila!

Make some for promo!!
You can also use the still photos you have of your jewelry,  i.e. You could use a series of three photos, (beginning, middle, final product) of a piece of jewelry you're making. Post it on Facebook to catch eyes. Or apply movement to a pendant, as above. www.Picasion.com is perfect for this:  Picasion lets you upload a maximum of 10 images, or alternatively, import up to 50 images directly from Flickr or Picasa. Once you’ve chosen your images, simply select the size (up to 400 pixels) and the speed (from slower to faster) and click Create animation. You’re then shown the GIF and given code that you can use on your website or blog.




Here is a free and easy to navigate GIF making site: http://www.myspacegens.com/handler.php?gen=animatedimage 

Other super simple GIF making sites:
http://gickr.com/
makeagif.com.


Those are just a few of many GIF generators. They literally walk you through the process once you upload your images. So that is where many come from.

Where they go? Well, I'll leave you to ponder this on your own...

This is my favorite GIF to date:

http://thepartygirls.tumblr.com/

Want to see a lot of them? Start on tumblr.com. This is where you will find the best of the best, artistically speaking. They have a list here:
http://greatestgifsofalltime.tumblr.com/
Head Like an Orange
If We Don’t, Remember Me
I'm warning you, they are addictive.

 addendum  (added 3-22)
Fantastic article from Techhive on importance of  Gifs. and how they are here to stay
http://www.techhive.com/article/2030785/craft-your-own-animated-gifs-with-these-tools.html#tk.nl_mwhelp

http://gipholder.tumblr.com/

Thanks for reading!

Norah 

 April 10, I am so easily amused. These are funny
http://mashable.com/2013/04/09/no-nose-gifs/

Bronze Beauty

BRONZE

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IT TAKES MY BREATH AWAY

Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper,  and usually with tin as the main additive.

It is such a hard metal that when I hammer it,  am jarred from the top of my head to my feet. It takes my whole body to move it a millimeter. It is harder than wrought iron on the Vickers Hardness scale. 

My Initial Pendants  - in Fine Silver and Bronze

The Bronze Age in the  Near East began in the 4th millennium BC.  This period  is often called, "the cradle of civilization,” for good reason.

 

  Cultures  practiced year-round agriculture, developed a writing system, invented the potter's wheel, created a centralized government, law codes, and empires;  and introduced social stratification, slavery, and organized warfare. Societies in the region laid the foundations for astronomy and mathematics.

Different Tones of My Bronze Initials Ranging from Copper to Gold

The Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age. Bronze required trade,  and iron was easier to find and less expensive to make into a useable metal.

It truly takes my breathe away. The beauty of the bronze I work with. The variable textures and subtle changes in color. Each piece surprises me. It polishes up to a mirror shine that gives pure gold a run for its money.

Bellezza - Yellow Bronze - I found this on HSN! $70.00

 And left rough and rugged, a modern  pendant may look as if it is a thousand years old. 

See for yourself. There will be lots more coming as I build my new website,  TheModernHeirloom.com. Many  pieces will be cast from historic relics that are hundreds of years old and bronze is the perfect medium to showcase their soulful beauty.

Bronze Fleur de Lis, Available at Your Daily Jewels

Bronze Heraldry Pieces - Not Yet Available for Sale

I will be writing much more about bronze, and the history of heraldry and livery, as these are the pieces that I draw my inspiration from for my newest line. I can't wait to unveil The Modern Heirloom  to you within the next two months. For now, it is still, "Under Construction".

Thank you for reading,