Category: Jewelry

OK. I have to admit right up front that I teach jewelry making classes. So why would I say to you that jewelry making videos are a better option than taking classes?

I’ve learned this from my own experience with my students. Some of my students take my jewelry making classes just because they want to spend some time doing something interesting and enjoy the company of other ladies. They look at jewelry making as just a hobby, and that’s fine.

But my other students take their jewelry making a little more seriously. They want to make quality handmade jewelry for themselves, as gifts for friends and family, or even sell their jewelry for profit. If you are like these students then I recommend jewelry making videos as a more effective teaching tool, and also as a more cost effective option than jewelry making classes.

Why more effective as a teaching tool? It’s pretty simple really. When you learn a new jewelry pattern in class you probably will have forgotten much of it by the time you get home. That’s just how our brains work unfortunately. Even if you take home with you written diagrams showing the jewelry pattern of the piece you learned in class, many people, myself included, just can’t translate a 2-dimensional diagram into a 3-dimensional world.

This can be a very frustrating experience, as I have learned with many of my students. To help my students overcome this I created jewelry making videos showing step-by-step how to create the jewelry pieces we made in class.

What a difference this has made not only in improving the quality of the jewelry pieces my students make, but also in eliminating their frustration level of forgetting how to make the jewelry pieces once they get back home from class.

What a jewelry making video allows you to do is watch every move the teacher makes in close-up detail. But probably more importantly, with a video you can watch the lesson over and over and over again, anytime you want, in the comfort of your own home. It’s like being able to retake the class, for free, as many times as you like. This is especially important when you haven’t made the jewelry piece in a while and you need a refresher. No need to pay for another class!

And that gets to my second point, why videos are more cost effective than jewelry making classes. When you take a class, private or group, you have to pay for the instructor’s time. If you want to learn to make many different jewelry pieces, at $20/hr. for group lessons, and upwards of $40/hr. for private lessons, the cost can really start to add up. In addition, you are limited to learning whatever it is that the instructor wants to teach you.

With jewelry making videos, on the other hand, there is a vast and rapidly growing library of lessons available for viewing on the internet or on DVD. The cost for these lessons is very low, sometimes even free, and you get to own them forever. You never have to pay for them again.

If you are, or are thinking you might become, serious about your jewelry making, I recommend giving video lessons a shot.

Both the playback and the payback are hard to beat.

We need to supplement our efforts to improve our heath by increasing the use of natural healing aids. In todays hectic lifestyles, it has become popular to promote the use of natural products. This will reduce our dependency on chemical drug based formulations and enable us to lead a healthy life for many years. Did you know that amber jewelry is one of the potent natural resources that we can utilize to rid ourselves of many of the common ailments that are prevalent in many communities today. To get the proper benefits from wearing jewelry such as amber rings, you must ensure that the amber gem touches some part of your body. This is the only method to assure the heath benefits from wearing this rare gemstone. Because of the healing properties of amber, they are handed over from one generation to another as a family heirloom.

It is believed that amber jewelry possesses remarkable health benefits as it is a product of a resin that has been fossilized for many hundreds of years. Some people were quick to discover that amber had medicinal properties when they came into contact with amber. Further scientific research into this field has contributed a body of evidence in support of the healing powers that amber gems possess. It has been proved that the healing powers have been embedded in the core of the resinous jewelry at the time of fossilization. For instance, a short string of beads in an amber necklace brings relief to the person who wears them.

Amber jewelry brings specific relief from problems of the head, neck and throat. This is why wearing an amber necklace is considered to be a way of ensuring the continuing health of the nasal passage. An amber bracelet is recommended to those suffering from rheumatism and arthritis. It also reduced fatigue and a feeling of weariness. This is one of the reasons why wearing amber jewelry is recommended for those above the age of fifty. You can get elegantly crafted jewelry embellished with amber from the popular jewelry stores and use it to get health benefits as you get along in age.

Rubbing the body with amber was also recommended. This technique is applied in many wellness hotels and spas today. It is also said that amber was a major ingredient in preparing medicines for respiratory illnesses and ailments of the circulatory system. The multiple health benefits that you can get from wearing amber jewellery should be reason enough to get yourself a fine piece of silver jewelry embedded with amber stones soon enough. Apart from the benefits of wearing amber jewelry, the gem is also utilized in a mixture while preparing many medicinal concoctions as it improves the potency of the main medicinal ingredient.

It is a popularly held notion that the use of amber jewellery ensures health and good luck. This notion may have its roots in the diverse healing benefits that you can expect when you continuously wear jewelry such as an amber necklace or amber rings.

The Fun Of Collecting is in the Hunt for Beautiful and Affordable Costume, Vintage Treasures from Bygone Years. Know that in Whatever Direction your Collecting passion lies, Whether it be a Signed or Unsigned piece of Costume Jewelry or Vintage Piece, You MUST like the Piece you are Purchasing. The FUN part of Collecting is to OWN pieces you like and pieces you are proud of.

There are several Clues to collecting.Vintage Earring Hardware Clues…* Screw-back type earrings were patented around 1894, and were popular into the 1950’s. * Clip-on type earrings were patented around 1934, and were popular in the 1950’s & 1960’s. * Fish-hook type earrings were used before 1900, and are still used today. * Kidney wire type earrings have been in use since 1870. * Threaded Stud type earrings have been used since 1890, but, are uncommon today.

Pin Clasps Hardware Clues …* Locking C-Clasp, patented in 1901. Widely used for jewelry in 1910. Remains Popular Today. * Plain C-Clasps, uncommon today. Similar to the Locking-C, but, no spinning locking mechanism. * Tube Clasp, patented in 1850, used for jewelry only until after World War II.

Quick Tips For Purchasing …* Be sure all the fasteners are original and are in working order. Look for older Screw-back or Clip-on Earrings. * Plain C-Clasps and the Tube Clasps usually indicate that piece of Jewelry is an older piece. * A long Pin Stem is often an indication of an older brooch or Pin. Vintage Pins sometimes have rivets holding the different layers together. * A Copyright Symbol usually dates the Jewelry piece after 1954. * So, shop, compare and beware.

Vintage Signed pieces of Jewelry are fun to look for. One even might find a booked piece that could be worth a lot of money. It can be time consuming researching a piece, but, in the end there is satisfaction, by being able to add a piece of vintage jewelry to your new collection or add to an existing collection, or, resell. One never knows what you may find. Whatever type of jewelry your looking for, you can find it…almost anywhere, yard sales, estate sales, even on Ebay. Have Fun and Happy Searching!

Diamonds they say are a womans best friend. If you are a woman reading this then Im sure you would agree. Well, diamonds or not, jewelry has always been a big favorite with women down the ages. Worn as an adornment usually, jewelry also shows ones social standing. And now, it is a tool for displaying your political affiliation too. Yes, I am talking about republican womens jewelry. Showing your support for your favorite party was never so fashionable. The range is made up of delightful charms, pendants, bracelets and a whole lot of other pieces crafted with the republican symbol, the elephant.

All the pieces in republican womens jewelry consist of the republican elephant in its inimitable shape made on gilded metal and even silver. The colours are red and blue enamel work that adds to the patriotic theme as well. Some pieces even sport tiny jewels to look like stars. You could go in for a precious piece which has an excellent finish and an adorable pattern. And in case of souvenirs, the options are immense. From small sized charms and earrings to large pendants and necklaces, republican womens jewelry is a style statement in all its forms.

They look as good with jeans as they do with dresses. A pair of blue jeans and a red top would get accentuated with a republican womens jewelry piece. Match your favorite sundress with a charm bracelet and you are ready for that Fourth of July barbeque. The best part about republican womens jewelry is that you will avoid all heated arguments by subtly displaying your political stance. There is an almost sport like appeal to a political discussion. It starts off in a very dignified manner and soon you realise its become a free for all with actual shouting happening. Now when you wear republican womens jewelry, everyone knows you as a very pro-Republican person and youve made your point clear without uttering a word!

Just when you think that the republican womens jewelry has a complete range, youll be surprised to find out that its just the tip of the iceberg. The potential for this jewelry is so large. Imagine having little embellishments on your outfit – probably a fastener charm or the buckle on a broad belt. You can almost picture what your plain dresses would look like with such a belt! And the best part of it all its like a little community. When you see another lady wearing a similar piece of republican womens jewelry, you know youll have something in common with her. Striking up a conversation is so much fun. Guys you see the possibilities too dont you?

Sometimes, just mentioning the name of a jeweler brings to mind a vision of quality and unique jewelry. In case there’s one or two you don’t know, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 jewelry brands in the world. Follow along with our list of recommendations as see how many you know, and how many you have just been exposed to today.

Henry Winston is at the top of the list. Their diamond jewelry is famous everywhere, and they have a few stores dotted across the US that you can visit. Located in New York City, they have made diamond jewelry for movie stars and royalty alike. See how the other half lives at www.henrywinston.com

Buccellati is also world-famous, but not quite as well known in the United States. They are an Italian-based jeweler, but have stores all over the world. Their claim to fame is intricately-carved and brushed gold jewelry with gemstone embellishments. See their wares at www.buccellati.com

Van Cleef & Arpels and Graff have a solid foothold in the diamond jewelry world. If fact, Van Cleef & Arpels has a diamond setting that is unique only to them. It makes the diamonds look like they’re floating. Graff, out of Great Britian, is known for selling only rare and unusual high-quality jewelry. Visit these wonderful jewelers at www.vancleef-arpels.com and www.graffdiamonds.com

Tiffany & Co. has a long-standing reputation as one of the world’s best jewelers. They’ve been in business since the early 1800s. Their famous “blue box” has become synonymous with elegance and unique style. They’re at www.tiffany.com

The next two of our top 10 jewelry brands specialize in quality, top-end watches as well as other exotic jewelry. Both are heavily favored and promoted among Hollywood’s elite, although they have stores all over the world. See where the movie stars buy their jewelry at www.piaget.com and www.chopard.com

Bulgari is another noted Italian designer known for their unusual Roman and Greek-style jewelry with bold designs and large gemstones. Each year, the designer introduces a brand new line of jewelry, and they are a very relevant presence in the market. See their unusual pieces at www.bulgari.com

Mikimoto, the last on our list, has probably the most extensive array of pearl jewelry. Not only is their jewelry exotic, but the pearls they use to create them are just as exotic. The pearls are all perfectly sized and matched, and you find colors and designs here that exist no where else in the world. www.mikimoto.com

Well, there’s the list of our top 10 jewelry designers. If there were some names on the list you weren’t familiar with, be sure to check them out. Even if you can’t afford the jewelry, you will still be mesmerized by their elegance and style.

You can find the full article about choosing the best jewelry brands and much more jewelry advice and information on Jewelrista.com