Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Betty's newest series of beautiful hand beaded cross necklaces (part of our marathon photography session this week) will debut in  ROSJ store next week. Her original designs feature everything from simple sterling silver crosses to ornate gold filigree versions with Swarovski crystals. Here is a sneak peak of my personal favorite with luscious green Malay Jade - Betty calls this necklace Wisdom. If you are interested in this design before it appears in the Rose of Sharon Jewelry store - send me an email and I'll provide you with pricing, etc

Dawn and I reshot one of my all-time favorites from Sandra Lee - Golden Moonlight. This elegant handmade necklace has a well-balanced asymmetrical design using beautiful sun yellow quartz flattened coin shaped beads, clear crystal spacers and three magnificent golf-ball style multi-faceted round deep yellow crystal focal beads. Whew - what a mouthful - but the necklace does take your breath away even without any extra words.

The matching earrings bring the crystal's natural glow up to your face - a great way to enhance your skin and hair!

Just received a box with 17 new necklace sets from Sandra. She certainly has her own distinct artistic style. Jump over to the Rose of Sharon Jewelry store (you can search by jewelry artist) for a quick tour. You'll immediately see what I mean- you can spot her elegant jewelry creations without any name attached. Sandra lives in Houston so we only get to work in together in my beading/photo studio for about 5 weeks a year. We collect beads together and share our growing inventory so I never know how she'll combine them. It always amazes me how two different handmade jewelry designers can take the same beads and come up with totally different creations.

Over the next week, we'll be premiering Sandra Lee's newest original jewelry pieces - many of them sets with matching or coordinating necklaces and bracelets. So don't forget to sign up for email notices or our convenient RSS feed.

Our new affordable, fun, fab line - A.F.F. - is starting to get hearts and individual product views. Etsy has a huge following; but it still can be hard for a new store to get exposure. Stop by the Etsy store to see what's happening.

The women of Rose of Sharon Jewelry are pleased to announce the launch of our new A.F.F. jewelry line and the grand opening of our new Etsy store. A.F.F. stands for Affordable - Fun - Fab handmade jewelry featuring the same creative expression and quality construction as our artisan line but using more price-conscious raw materials and less labor intensive designs. This line is perfect for gift-giving and for accenting your new Spring wardrobe.

Our customers have been asking for a value-priced line for 2009 and our first hot off the workbench products are now available online. We decided to launch A.F.F. in a new Etsy-based store under the Rose of Sharon Jewelry brand to reach out to a broader audience of handmade jewelry lovers. Etsy has a great reputation and it is a pleasure to join an active network of handcrafters.

The A.F.F. line will feature a wide range of beaded necklaces, watches, earrings and bracelets in classic and trendy designs. In today's releases, you'll find several fun decorative watches featuring various silver-toned Geneva watch faces.

I'll be posting new items daily in A.F.F. price range of $25 to $75. We'll also be offering regular specials and promotions as a thank you to our customers who still want to invest in handmade jewelry but don't want to damage the budget.

Stop by the new Etsy store today and tell us what you think of the A.F.F. line - and don't forget to add us to your favorites.

Dena (my lovely niece who lives near the beach in So. Cal. and works for Simple Green) has been busy getting her new line of silver wire-wrapped pendant-necklaces ready for the Rose of Sharon Jewelry store. This weekend I got her newest photos ready for uploading and thought I'd give you a sneak of one of her dramatic pendants Isn't it beautiful? Want to see more? Sign up for our RSS Feed and/or email updates to keep informed.

If you love jewelry, but have never purchased a handmade piece - you are a "handmade jewelry virgin". But don't fret I can help you solve that problem and I won't tell anyone!

So why lose your virginity? Because wearing great jewelry is your announcement to the world that you are an extraordinary woman. Wearing a necklace where every stone was hand selected and carefully strung is like wearing a crown. Adorning ourselves with jewelry is one of the oldest ways of expressing ourselves and making ourselves more desirable. Choosing handmade jewelry means you take extra care in creating a unique persona. Wearing bold handcrafted designs announces your confidence.

This post is the first in a series of tips on what to look for when selecting handmade jewelry. Don't forget to bookmark this site so you don't miss a single installment.

Today's Tip: Look for quality, high-end clasps. Ornate and durable clasps can be a costly addition to a handcrafted bracelet or necklace so mass-produced and low-end designers typically opt for the less expensive circle/ring or lobster clasp. These clasps can be more difficult to manipulate and often fail especially when used with heavier designs. The clasp should be of significant size to handle the weight of stone beads and multiple strands. In high-end artisan jewelry, the clasp is more than a security element - it is a design enhancement. The clasp should match or coordinate with the primary metal used in the jewelry design. For example: Shiny silver pendant = shiny silver clasp. Casual designs should have a casual looking connecting clasp.

Great looking clasps are a trademark feature in necklaces and bracelets created by Rose of Sharon Jewelry artists.

What's your favorite type of clasp? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts on clasps.