Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Sharing gifts of jewelry is an intimate communication that speaks volumes about your relationship with the recipient. Whether you are celebrating Christmas or remembering an anniversary, jewelry is always a great choice.

The cultural significance of jewelry along with its "impracticality" makes it a special keepsake for any woman.
Such a personal gift requires you to observe, listen and use your intuition when selecting the perfect Rose of Sharon original design. Below are some jewelry selection tips and gift ideas to help choose the right piece for that special someone.

Here’s our 10 Gift Giving Tips

1. Match the gift with the occasion.

A formal occasion such as a wedding requires formal jewelry. Special occasion jewelry can be more delicate than every day favorites.
Good choices for formal occasions are pearls, single strand necklaces, Swarovski or other crystals, delicate designs and 14k gold or fine silver components.

2. Remember the mood.

Looking for something to WOW her? Need to earn some brownie points or say I'm sorry? Go for the dramatic statement with a three-piece jewelry set featuring a beautiful necklace with matching bracelet and earrings. Think about what would make her smile (something she desires but might not buy for herself).

3. Choose a symbolic or spiritual stone or color.

For over 75,000 years, beads have been used to adorn clothing, hair, dinnerware and of course - ourselves. Across every continent, the universal gift of love has long been jewelry. Cultures around the globe have assigned symbolic meanings and spiritual properties to gemstones and other natural materials.

Perhaps she'd like a bracelet with her birthstone or Swarovski crystal representation. Or why not appeal to her spiritual side and empower her with a royal purple Amethyst or wish her a happy marriage with a string of pearls.

Red crystals represent true love and are a great choice for Valentine's Day. You'll find birthstone charts, spiritual guides and other information throughout the Rose of Sharon Jewelry site if you are interested in learning more about the symbolism of beads.

4. Select age appropriate styles.

The younger the recipient the more classic (demure) the look should be for long-term wearing.

Teens and preteens can be hard on jewelry so select more durable stones and materials and carefully instruct them on the proper care and cleaning. Look for sturdy clasps and "harder" materials.

When selecting jewelry for a more mature woman or anyone with dexterity challenges, look for pieces with easy to use toggle or hook and eye clasps.

Please be aware that Rose of Sharon Jewelry is not designed for children 6 and under. For raw material safety information, please refer to our FAQ.

5. Look for the right size and balance.

A petite woman should wear smaller scaled pieces. A larger woman's stature can carry a design with larger or bolder components.

6. Peek into her closet.

What colors are found most often? These are probably her favorites so match or coordinate your choice so she can wear your gift often. Look at necklines to choose the right length necklace. Longer length necklaces are typically considered more informal.

7. Coordinate with her wardrobe.

A jeans and t-shirt gal needs casual, funky, chunky, heavy, fun and colorful beads and gems. Subtle colors and classic shapes are great for a suit-wearing executive. Does she wear long flowing tunics, jackets or skirts? Then select a longer necklace.

8. Check her jewelry box.

Is she a gold or a silver gal? Or does she like to mix it up? If you only see silver - invest in a Rose of Sharon design that features fine silver (99.5% pure silver) or sterling silver (92.5%) beads and components. If gold tones are her fave, look for vermeil (gold over silver), gold fill, or 12 or 14k gold as the featured metal.

Does she have tons of earrings and no bracelets? The type of jewelry she wears most often is your best bet. Don't see any bracelets - then look for a necklace/earring set. If you are unsure of her wrist size for a bracelet or watch (and getting out a tape measure would ruin the surprise), go for a great pair of earrings.

9. Consider her lifestyle.

There are three types of jewelry - "Everyday" jewelry is comfortable, durable and looks great with everything from sweats to sun dresses; "I'm feeling pretty" jewelry adds a special touch to "out and about" outfits for work, shopping or play; "Look at me" jewelry makes a statement, tells people who you are or celebrates a memorable occasion. A busy Mom of twins might love a sparkly fun watch; while dangly charm bracelets or bouncy earrings could just get in the way.

10. Still lost?
A Rose of Sharon Jewelry gift certificate might be the answer. She can shop for what she'd like 24/7 from any Rose of Sharon Jewelry store and you'll still be the hero. We can even email you the certificate so you don't miss that important date!  Rose of Sharon Jewelry gift certificates are on sale through November – SAVE 15%. Stock up now for all your 2010 and 2011 jewelry giving occasions.

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Make your jewelry look its best with easy cleaning tips from handmade jewelry artist, Sharon of Rose of Sharon Jewelry. Learn how to make your prized jewelry sparkle and shine.

This series is dedicated to maximizing your jewelry investment. In part 2, I’ll share great tips and easy tricks to safely clean your jewelry before and AFTER each wearing. Whether you inherited Grandma’s pearls or made an impulse purchase at Macy’s, keeping each piece of jewelry in good shape means you’ll get more wear out of it!

Jewelry Cleaning Tips and Tricks

1. Learn what your jewelry is made from. This is especially important with precious and semi-precious stones and metals.  A stone’s hardness affects its wearability and cleaning methods. For example, softer stones can be damaged accidently with chemical cleaners and vigorous silver polishing can ruin antiqued silver components. Stones like turquoise just require a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water. With the out-of-sight price of gold and the rising price of silver, filled, plated and less costly substitutes are on the rise and quality can be unknown. Learn what you have to make the right cleaning choice.
   1. To learn more about specific stone hardness, see Antique Jewelry Investor and International Gem Society.
2. Buy a rouge cloth (a soft cloth impregnated with jewelers’ rouge paste) for removing oxidation (a dark surface resulting from oxygen slowly interacting). A quick buff before wearing will keep your pieces sparkling. BEWARE this cloth should not be used on low quality plated metal as you can erode the plating through abrasion.

1. Fire Mountain Gems and Beads sells an excellent rouge cloth.

Before wearing for the first time, gently swish your jewelry in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap. Often beads are dyed  especially in less costly products. This is a common practice in the jewelry industry, but not all processes have the same quality results. If the water discolors during cleaning, rinse until clear to protect clothing and your skin. This process also clears out any hidden grit or grim accumulated from drilling beads and polishing metals.

Read the label before using any cleaning product on jewelry. Avoid ammonia (often found in glass cleaning products) which might be a good diamond cleaner but too harsh for pearls, soft stones and metal findings.

Use warm not hot water. Excessively hot water can damage some treated stones such as those with resin stabilizers.

More Jewelry Cleaning Tips and Tricks

In writing this post, I realized that I had too many great jewelry cleaning ideas for a single post. So I’ve divided the ideas into multiple posts for quicker reading. I will also be writing and sharing a free downloadable booklet on jewelry cleaning. Watch for the booklet release in April at the Rose of Sharon Jewelry blog , on Twitter @rosjewelry and at the Rose of Sharon Jewelry Facebook Fan Page

To learn more, be sure to subscribe to the Rose of Sharon Jewelry Blog via RSS feed or email updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Time to spruce up your jewelry wardrobe for Spring. A great start is to clean out your jewelry box. These 5 tips will help you face the challenge. If you’re like most women your jewelry box has evolved into a jumbled collection of cheap impulse (yes – I do mean those Minnie Mouse earrings) items and if you’re luck an assortment of quality pieces. Tip #1  - Set up 4 sorting boxes. Over the newest few blog posts, I’ll discuss ideas and resources on what to do with jewelry in each box.

1. Keep – Classic jewelry pieces, mementos and jewelry that works with your current fashion sense and wardrobe.
2. Repair/Repurpose – “Valuable” jewelry worth the cost of repair, jewelry components that can be repurposed into other jewelry or crafts.
3. Donate – “Not your style” jewelry that in good condition can be passed on through thrift shop donations and other community charities.
4. Toss -  Seal the box so you’re not tempted and toss

Tip # 2 – Ask a good friend to help. Jewelry can stir up a lot of emotions making it hard to truly access it’s “value” in your life. A trusted friend can give you some clarity so you end up with a jewelry box worthy of all this effort. Tip # 3 – Take a good look at your wardrobe BEFORE you start cleaning out the jewelry box. Jewelry should accentuate your beauty and clothing. If that Hello Kitty necklace no longer fits  your fashion style or that bright orange floral pendant classes with your wardrobe colors – let it go! Tip # 4 – Set the 4 boxes aside for a few days before you finish your clean up project. This will give you time for your “jewelry” emotions to even out. Take a quick scan  (and I do mean quick or you’ll get lost in the feelings again)  of each box and then take action! Tip # 5 – Collect (buy or make) organizational components that fit into your jewelry box (or in my case boxes and drawers) for all the “keepers”. You’ll also need zipper style plastic bags, plastic twist ties and labels.

Sign up for the Rose of Sharon Jewelry blog via email or RSS Feed  to learn more about getting your jewelry ready for Spring. This series will run for next 4 blog posts!

Tiny mars on my silver wire  really bug me, especially when making the tiniest loops for silver earrings. Beadalon as an solution – nylon jawed round nose pliers! The nylon jaws are replaceable and the construction seems durable.

I haven’t seen these in person but it appears that the points aren’t very fine but any good tool is a very good tool!

These should be available at your favorite bead store or Beadalon wholesaler.

 

 

Couldn't resist posting another beautiful design from Sylvia Jewelry. I need to get into the studio this weekend as this really makes my creative juices flow!

Even though I am a handmade jewelry designer, I'm always shopping around for the beautiful work of other designers. This caught my eye on Flickr this morning. Flickr is a great one-stop site to explore all types of handmade jewelry. Every type of technique is proudly displayed from talented artisans from around the globe. See what I mean with this beauty?

I love sharing the art jewelry I find online with my readers. Today I found handmade metal jewelry by Nathalie Girard, Metalsmith on Etsy. Her shop Canadian Rockies Art has some wonderful oxidized silver earrings. Her designs are modern without being too far out for those of us who love classic designs. Stop by and see her great work.

Mea culpa - I copied a photo from her Etsy store so you could drool over her work, too.

Fashion's universal color is black. Always in style - black handmade jewelry amps up your looks as it captures and reflects the light on your hair, eyes and skin. Bedazzled is a new 2-piece necklace set hand beaded by Betty and available now in the Rose of Sharon Jewelry store.

Every woman should own at least one fabulous black necklace for "after 5" events. This is my personal favorite to Bedazzle 'em.