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Archive for August, 2011

Wire wrapping is one of the oldest techniques for making jewelry by hand. In wire wrapping, jewelry is made using jewelry wire and findings similar to wire (like head-pins) to make components.

Jewelry wire is available in various shapes, such as round, square and half round, and patterns, such as flat and pre-twisted. It is also available in a variety of material, including brass, steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, etc.

Memory wire is a rigid, pre-coiled wire that makes it easy to create finger and toe rings, bracelets and necklaces.

Beading wire is a twisted stainless steel wire with a nylon coating. It is good to use with abrasive beads.

Copper wire is copper based crafting wire that is soft, extremely malleable and retains shape moderately well. Copper wire can be hammered quite thin.

Brass wire is a little stiffer than copper, but it can be manipulated very easily.

Metal wire, to include sterling silver, fine silver, and gold are the most common, is used for wire wrapping, chain making and other jewelry construction. Sterling silver is soft enough to manipulate, but holds its shape well once it has been formed.

Currently, wire wrapping techniques are not frequently used for mass produced jewelry because of simple economics. However, there is no easier way to make bracelets, rings, earrings or necklaces than with memory wire, tiger tail and other beading wires. From shiny precious metal wires to colorful copper wires, you are sure to find the right beading wire for each project in this huge selection.

Every professional jewelry supplier should include plenty of jewelry wire. Jewelry wire is traditionally used by artisans to connect different components. It helps mold the final jewelry products. However, this is not the only function of jewelry wire. It is also used to create bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, and more, through wire jewelry. Wire jewelry creates some of the most innovative and fun jewelry styles in the industry.

To take wire jewelry to the next level, jewelry makers can use different jewelry making techniques. For example, soldering can be used in combination with wire work to expand the creative possibilities. To improve the efficiency of your business use a jewelry wire supply source, who has a large selection of jewelry wire, jewelry tools, another essential jewelry supplies. A one-stop shopping will leave more time dedicated to creating quality jewelry pieces. And PandaHall.com will be your best supplier.

Gone are the days when weddings were cut and dried affairs. You’ve seen one and you’ve seen them all. Brides wore almost identical wedding gowns with almost the same kind of wedding bridal jewelry. All grooms practically looked the same. Wedding receptions were all the same, too. Everything was predictable, down to the cake. It was almost as if you just had to cut and paste in the particular bride and groom into the scene. Nowadays, brides and grooms want the opposite. They want their wedding to reflect their individual personalities and their tastes as a couple. This is why the lure of beaded wedding bridal jewelry is so strong among modern day brides and grooms.

Beaded wedding bridal jewelry is usually made with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls. The combination of manmade crystals and natural pearls, although cultured, gives these jewelry pieces a decidedly modern touch. The fact that both the crystals and the freshwater pearls come in various shapes, including unusual forms, adds character and expands the range of possibilities for creative imagination. This is very different from the staid styles usually associated with traditional wedding bridal jewelry.

The quirkiness of beaded wedding bridal jewelry fits right into the mood of non-traditional weddings. Imagine how it will fit into a beach wedding or a garden wedding. Even couples who cannot have their weddings right at the beach or in a garden can capture the atmosphere through the dcor of the setting they choose as well as their wedding attire and accessories. A bride in a wrap-around sarong or a short breezy summer dress with flowers in her hair will look perfect with beaded wedding bridal jewelry with freshwater pearls.

Beaded wedding bridal jewelry is quite inexpensive compared to fine jewelry and is, therefore, within the reach of everyone. It is no less precious, though. Swarovski crystals represent the best man made crystals in the world. Cultured freshwater pearls represent the natural wonders of nature coaxed into being by human nurturing. These elements are then crafted by jewelry artists by hand into exquisite designs that can range from being fanciful and ethereal to being sleek and minimalist. Each piece represents a serendipitous fusion of the finest aspects of man and nature.

Brides who do not want traditional wedding dresses and the same old fashioned wedding bridal jewelry will surely be attracted to beaded wedding bridal jewelry with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls. Beautifully beaded pearl earrings and beaded pearl necklaces and bracelets can be found in many jewelry stores. There are even online jewelry stores like Samantha Rose of Dallas,Texas that specialize in them. Brides from any part of the country can easily get access to these gems online.

Beaded wedding bridal jewelry can help make a wedding truly unique and personal. This is something that makes a wedding truly meaningful, bearing the mark of the bride and groom in every aspect. The couple who makes this stand as early as their wedding day is setting the tone for a lifetime to be led on their own terms.

Samantha Rose Designs, a jewelry store and online shop that specializes in handmade beaded wedding jewelry and pearl bridal jewelry, will be presenting its pieces at the Dallas Bridal Show in Dallas Market Hall on January 29 and 30, 2011 from 10 in the morning to six in the evening. Dallas Market Hall is located at 2200 North Stemmons Freeway TX 75207.

There may not be a cut and dry answer to what’s better between handcrafted jewelry and machine-made sterling silver jewelry. It comes down to personal preference. However, it’s also important to know what you’re getting with each one before you decide which one you prefer. Indeed the one trait they have in common is that both varieties are made of sterling silver, but that’s about where the similarities stop.

Machine-made jewelry is made with castings and mass-produced, so your piece isn’t going to be unique, but it’ll likely be easier to find while you’re out shopping on the weekend. Machine-made jewelry is often made with a technique that joins two pieces of silver together in a stamping die, as opposed to handmade jewelry, which is often made from one slab of the precious metal. It is also treated with special polishers and grinders to make production faster and more efficient, and the pieces look more refined. Machine-made jewelry also tends to be less expensive because it is mass-produced.

Sterling silver handmade jewelry, on the other hand, is a reflection of the jewelry maker and gives you a unique piece for your collection. It is more expensive than machine-made jewelry; however its worth is justified because of the workmanship and time that goes into making each piece. Handmade jewelry is also valued higher, for the same reasons.

Each sterling silver jewelry designer has a different signature

Some of the best jewelers can even make a custom piece from just a photo. Or they can let their creativity take the lead and create pieces from their own ideas. You’re more likely to find something that speaks directly to you because the designs are more original than mass-produced jewelry. And if you find a particular designer you like, you can keep going back for more pieces to create a cohesive collection of sterling silver jewelry.

Purchasing jewelry from a designer can become a personal experience and if you’re giving the handmade pieces as a gift, it’s even more special than one that is machine-made. Even if you wanted something as simple as a necklace, there are so many variations on the types of links and clasps that it might make sense to go with a custom design.

So it’s difficult to say if sterling silver handcrafted jewelry is better than machine-made. If you just want a nice piece of sterling silver jewelry that doesn’t cost much, then machine-made is a good choice for you. But if you’re looking for a truly special piece that’s going to be worth the investment for many years to come, then handmade jewelry is worth it.

There is nothing more personalized than wearing a piece of name or initial jewelry. Who can forget Carrie’s necklace in Sex and the City? It was her trademark piece. Nameplate necklaces and initial jewelry are all the rage for fashion conscious girls and even some guys. Ironically, initial jewelry has been used for centuries by noble men in the form of signet rings and other rings bearing some form of seal, coat of arms or regalia, indicating a person’s position and influence. Earliest use of this type of initial jewelry goes back to ancient Egypt. Signum means “sign” in Latin, and the signet ring was used for identifying the person wearing it as being of noble birth or holding some elevated office in the church such as the Pope’s ring.

Nowadays, initial jewelry is regaining popularity as a way to personalize a piece of jewelry. Men have taken to wearing intial jewelry in a big way. It’s a fashion statement that appeals to both sexes. Initial jewelry and nameplate jewelry is a craze especially among youth who follow the hip hop culture.

Sportsmen like Michael Jordan are often photographed at events or in public wearing jewelry. Hip hop jewelry is extremely popular among African American men and women. Icons like Kanye West have made this type of jewelry trendy among the mainstream as well. Once upon a time, men like Liberace, the famous pianist of yesteryear, were considered kitschy and awkward when they wore heavy jewelry. The trend is in reverse now, with men loving the freedom to experiment with heavy chains, pendants, wristlets, and signet rings. Guys are even wearing diamond earrings and other jewelry that were once exclusively worn by women. Bling is certainly in!

Initial or name jewelry is the perfect gift for a close friend or someone you love. Without much fuss it indicates that the piece was chosen only with that person in mind. Initial and name necklaces will never go out of fashion and that special person will wear it every day happily. Initial jewelry can be plain or iced giving it the desired look. Crystal initial pendants are popular items too. Bracelets are in vogue among guys and girls. A really nice gift for Christening or other naming function of a close family member’s child would be a tiny personalized pendant. Jewelry made of gold and silver is always a gift that says you care and spent money and effort to purchase it. A parent would always value a personalized gift of this sort over a gift of cash.

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You might be wondering if or why you should get a wood jewelry box. Aren’t there other kinds of jewelry boxes out there? Sure, you could try some alternative materials but it’s not like they’ll measure up to a wood jewelry box. Let’s take a look at the competition.

Ice Jewelry Boxes: Jewelry boxes carved from ice are lovely to look at. They have a have a transparent beauty that allows you to see all of the jewelry while admiring the box at the same time. The problem, however, is that the ice jewelry box doesn’t last long, especially if your air conditioning is broken. Once it begins to drip, you will want to stick it in the freezer to refresh its solidarity. Then of course the drawers are stuck together because the box is now one solid piece of ice. Either that or you are left with the puddle jewelry box and a bunch of wet jewelry. A wood jewelry box holds up much better at room temperature than an ice jewelry box.

Duct Tape Jewelry Boxes: It’s the universal repair tool. You can make entire prom dresses and tuxedos out of it so why not jewelry boxes too? It may take some time to shape the drawers and get everything symmetrical but it just might be worth the effort. The problem is, of course, sometimes the drawers might stick together and the jewelry might stick to the drawers. Also, it could easily get broken and then the only thing you can fix it with is- well, you know. It probably won’t stand the test of time the way a wood jewelry box will. With a wood jewelry box you won’t have to worry so much about fixing it and you know it will be around for many years to come. Also, duct tape only has so much potential, unlike carved wood, for artistic beauty.

Chocolate Jewelry Boxes: Talk about romantic! Chocolate is one of the most popular gifts to give on Valentine’s Day and so are jewelry boxes, so why not combine the two? Well, it’s similar problem to the ice jewelry box. If it get’s too hot, you get a pile of chocolate covered jewelry that looks like candy but will be very hard on your teeth. If that doesn’t happen, you may get hungry in the middle of the night and nothing is more embarrassing than having your wife wake up to find you eating her jewelry box. You won’t be tempted to eat a wood jewelry box, and it has a lot less potential for making a mess.

Liver Jewelry Boxes: This is very similar to the chocolate jewelry box except your dog will eat it before you can. And he might not be smart enough to spit out the jewelry. A wood jewelry box is much less appealing to dogs. Really only a human can fully appreciate it.

So, with all of the competition eliminated, we are left with the wood jewelry box being the best choice. They are far more beautiful, durable and non-edible.