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Tips for Buying Artisan Jewelry

Enjoy. You can sign up at the new platform once you click on this link!

Thanks everyone for following my blog and being a part of my journey!

I have a new blog address now. This new format gives me lots more options to add fun stuff to the site.

(Still a wordpress platform, but now a .org version)  

New address is: www.alenesadornmentsblog.com

All the posts from the previous site are here now. Shortly I will point this address to the new site, too. But sadly my followers (that means you!) will not transfer over to the new platform.  I don’t want you to miss out on all the upcoming posts and new features. 

Please take a moment now to click here and add your name to the new address.

(sign up box to right)

You can also use this link to sign up for alerts (first look at new products, subscriber-only discounts and more)

Thanks so much for your continued support. I love hearing the comments from you as I share my thoughts and expertise.

Here is the latest post from the new site: Stone Setting; An Inside look at bezel settings.

Have you seen this term before and wondered what it meant? Here’s the scoop.

Drusy refers to stones that feature tiny quartz crystals forming on the surface or within a gem. This design shows it best. The tiny crystals create the glitz make this a statement pendant.  

Want more details?  Drusy is formed when water is forced into the porous areas of the gem. After rapid cooling the tiny crystals begin to form in the cavities created by the water. For use in jewelry design, these stones tend to be more fragile than regular quartz. The stones should not be used where they may hit against hard surfaces (as in the case of a bracelet or ring) However, if the stone is mounted properly (with some protection) a ring may be OK. For example, I designed this ring with a higher bezel that folds into the stone. This helps protect against damage.

Healing properties?? You bet! Quartz itself is considered an energy amplifier. Did you know that when Acupuncture needles are coated in quartz, the effects increase by 10% (as mentioned in The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall.) Drusy quartz is also said to stabilize our aura and aid in creative thinking. Cool!  I think I better wear my Drusy today!

I do love working with these stone. I feel they add a richness to the design. This pendant, while featuring Red Creek Jasper as it’s main component, is enhanced by the addition of the caramel colored drusy accent.  Did you learn something new today?

Want to own a drusy piece? Check out my web site for current and new designs. 

Be the first to see new designs and receive Subscriber-Only discounts and free goods with your orders. SIGN UP HERE

For alerts from Alene (first look at new designs, closeouts and Subscriber-ONLY discounts,

Patina is a term widely used by jewelers who work with metals.

After reading the real definition, I see that I was loosely defining this word to include colors other than the natural color that comes from oxidation. 

So perhaps I need to re-title this blog as ‘The Nitty Gritty of coloring metals’ 

I LOVE seeing the different ways I can make the metal colors shine and ‘pop’. This design to the left is copper that I dipped in sesame oil (when it was still hot). It created this RED finish. So vibrant, don’t you agree? To the right (NOT my cleaning supplies) are the natural household products I use to create these gorgeous colors.  (Vinegar, Ammonia, sesame oil and peanut oil to name a few)

Did you know that copper, when coated with vinegar and exposed to Ammonia (in a closed container) will create a natural blue color?  like this?

FYI, these earrings are on closeout right now for $30.00

 

My favorite though is still the heat patina. Once you heat the copper and plunge it into water, amazing things tend to happen. And the best part is that each time you get a different effect. I have experimented with this so much trying to get the same colors each time.. but the copper has a mind of its own. That is what makes designing with copper so much more fun.

I hope you enjoyed this peek at how metals can be colored. 

Check out my current closeouts today. Great values and most ONE OF A KIND.

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Did you have one of those kind of weeks? I did!  Lots of projects needed to be addressed and I had so little time .  It happens to all of us. We reach the point when we just need to ‘chill’ and re-energize.

Here are a few tips that help me. Give them a try.

1) Compliment a stranger. Do you like what they are wearing? Or perhaps you like their haircut.. Doesn’t matter. Just take the plunge and do it. Not only will you make that person feel special, but this simple act will boost you as well.

2) Write a love letter to your significant other, your parent, or your child. Take the time to express how feel about this person. Your whole outlook will shift. You don’t even have to give them the letter (although I recommend it). Your energy will lift.

3) Do jumping jacks. Go outside, even if it is cold out. Find a dry area and do 3 jumping jacks. (OK you can do modified ones if necessary) What a rush!

4) Pay it forward.  The person in front of you at the supermarket .. buy their groceries for them. Or the one in line at your favorite coffee or donut shop.  Make their day.

5) Finish that personal project you have been putting off. Gardening, fixing the dripping faucet, scrubbing the kitchen floor. Hard work always takes our mind off the hassles of the week. And you get something accomplished!

6) Make a new friend. Knock on the door of your new neighbor and introduce yourself. Or talk to someone in line at the grocery store. Make a true connection. It doesnt have to be a life long relationship. the few minutes in a conversation is enough to re-adjust your priorities

7) Take $20 and shop at the Dollar Store.  Sounds silly I know but this works. First of all it is amazing what you can still buy for $1 these days.

Have  Some Fun!

 I challenge you to try some of these tips. And let me know how you fared… You do feel better  don’t you?

If you liked this post you may enjoy Remember to Look Back

Interested in Copper and Sterling Jewelry Designs?  Join my Newsletter for SUBSCRIBER-ONLY discounts and first looks.

 

 

 

Sandy Schenkat is next in my series of people who are following their passion and living their dream.

Where do you call home?  Scottsdale Arizona 

How did your business begin?

Sandy retired from a 30 year Real Estate career when she decided to help jewelry artists market their work. From this beginning, Sandy determined that she really wanted to create the jewelry designs too! She began with training from Luxe Jewels and eventually created jewelry with beads from Kenya. This line is called Kenya Kasuals.   Two years later Sandy found her passion while working with Swarovski crystals! Her new designs are marketed as Heart and Soul Gems.

How did you come up with your business name?

Sandy was making lots of heart designs as well as using many of the chakra colors. Heart and Soul Gems was the natural outcome!

How do you market your business?

Galleries, stores and Etsy

What drives you to continue in the direction of your dream?

Sandy LOVES jewelry and loves learning new techniques. The whole process from design to sales is so much fun!

What successes would you like to share?

• Designer of the month foe Silver Silk (October 2014)
• Terrific Sales at the Angel Store in Scottsdale
• Amazing turnout for a trunk show at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Do you have any mentors?

Julie Harmon, Harmon Studios has taught me many great techniques

What are your passions not related to your business?

• On the Board of Directors for Coalition of Greater Scottsdale
• Recently graduated from Citizens Police Academy
• Appointed to the Judicial Appointments Advisory board for Scottsdale Court

(busy lady!)

Links to share:

http://www.kenyakasuals.com

http://www.heartandsoulgems.com

Facebook

 If you enjoyed this post you may like  Lucy Brookes

 

 

 

 

 

Voila! A collection is born.

I have been playing around with a new technique I learned from a recent class with Eva Sherman. (instructor extraordinaire).    Once we had learned this process of crimping the metal, I put my own spin on it.. Because that’s the way creative people think. 

So I combined the crimping with corrugation, forging, mixed metals and different patinas.

I will be photographing and listing the first 5 designs (each one is limited edition of one) on my web site. alenesadornments

If you want to have first dibs on purchasing one of these, please join my mailing list. My subscribers will get first notice AND their subscriber only discount!  

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Cubic Zirconia that is!  This stone is often used as an alternative to diamonds. The price range is less but the quality is top knotch! All the gems in this collection are cubic zirconia.

A few facts:

• Cubic zirconia was discovered as a natural mineral from in 1937

• The form you see today is a synthetic (man-made) version

• Cubic Zirconia is an 8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Diamonds are a 10

• CZ can be cut differently. Faceted edges can be rounded or smooth

• Experts can tell the difference between the two because of the difference in their thermal conductivity.
• That being said, the average person cannot tell the difference!

What do I love about it?  I can add these gems to my designs to provide sparkle and pizazz.. at a fraction of the cost of diamonds. Here are a few examples of how I use them:

I used 3 CZ stones here to bring out the colors of the jasper stone.

Amethyst gem is highlighted when I add a purple CZ gem.

What are your thoughts? do you love the versatility of these beautiful stones?? 

If you enjoyed this post you may like Rhodochrosite: good for the Heart

Wherever you go…. Go with all your heart. Confucius

Time again for inspirations to kick start your day and your weekend.  Enjoy!

Trust that an ending is followed by a beginning

A person who never made a mistake never tried something new.  Albert Einstein

Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid it will never begin. Grace Hansen

It is better to wear out than to rust out.. Francis E. WIllard

if you enjoyed this post you might like  Oh the Places You’ll go

So how does that apply to our businesses today?

I worked as a waitress during my college years. The tips went a long way towards paying my tuition!

The first thing we were taught was  ‘Once a customer sits down.. Provide them with Coffee and water immediately’.  We called it coffee-ing our customer. Our patrons were fine then to wait until we could get back to them to take their order.

Making our customers and clients feel noticed and appreciated is always in fashion. A satisfied and happy client will reward us with loyalty and referrals. They will sing our praises. Seriously, I mean this!

Here are 4 ways to Coffee your Customers.

1) Email. Answer emails as soon as possible. If you dont have the details needed to complete the answer, just let the sender know you received the email and will be getting back to them. That way the person will be confident that you are handling the question.

2) Social Media: respond to comments on your posts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and others. If someone has taken the time to comment, they are important. Let them know that.

3) Say THANK YOU as often as possible. Thank them for the EMAIL. Thank them for the comment. Thank them for the order. Thank them for their support.  Everyone appreciates hearing these words!

4) ‘Coffee’ them literally. If your client is local you can take them out for a cup or bring a cup to their office or home. If your customer is anywhere else in the world, email them a gift card. 

Having been in direct sales for the last 30+ years, I know these strategies work. Plus this is the way you would like to be treated too, right?

Do Unto Others as You would have Them Do Unto You.  Remember this from Sunday School? It applies in business as well as in every aspect of our lives.

Go out there today and ‘COFFEE’ Someone.

If you enjoyed this post you might like  You Had the Power All Along