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My gem collection. Blue lace agate

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Do you miss snow yet? :)

The picture of the stone is not great. The color is right. It is an icy-looking agate of a very light blue color. I lived in a climate that got lots of snow. It is very usual to see the trees with a snow cover still having tiny red berries for the birds to survive. This is what the stone reminded me of.


How to choose a jewelry gift for her‏

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

What girl does not like jewelry? Have you met one? Ok, you probably have... We all met one girl who did not like wearing jewelry... But if you are still reading this, you are not that lucky this time ;) or unlucky! After all, if a girl likes any kind of jewelry, it is an easy shopping :)

Yes, it is easy! I can suggest a few ideas. Keep reading if you need them.

Silver and white bronze maple leaf necklace


1) I like simple solutions. Don't you? The simplest solution would be to ask her. She might give you a few choices or even one. Then you go, buy and package it (or get it packaged by a seller). Done!

Not very romantic? Want to make a surprise? Then keep reading :)

2) Second simplest solution would be to ask her best friend / sister / mother. They know, I guarantee! Just ask them to keep it a secret.

Still not romantic enough? Ok, keep going :)

Sterling silver jelly-fish necklace with an amethyst


If you really want to make her a surprise... and not to ask her... or her mom or sister or a friend, then you need to become very observant:

3) What metal does she wear? Does she wear any metal at all? 
  • She might not like gold (yes, I've met those girls!),  
  • she might wear nothing but gold (there are a lot more of those!), 
  • she might not wear any metal (I've met a girl, who hated metal on her skin so much, that she wanted her wedding ring made of glass. The whole ring!), 
  •  she might have allergies for some metals (being allergic to nickel is very common. If you are not thoughtful when buying silver, you might get silver alloy with nickel in it. Mind you, regular sterling silver should not have nickel in it, just copper... but ask if a seller can guarantee that).
Sterling silver charm bracelet

If a girl wears gold at all it is really simple to get her a small gold pendant, just one or two letters on a chain... or stud earrings with her birth stone.

4) Does she wear any stones? Maybe there is a stone she is obsessed with? It might be diamonds or pearls or crystal points, etc. Pearls and diamonds are easy... but the crystal points... there could be some metaphysics involved and you should read on the stones' qualities before you buy anything (ex.: amethyst is for good dreams, rose quartz is for love, etc)

Sterling silver hoop earrings with the seahorses

5) Does she like designer silver jewelry? I often meet people who do as this is what I sell.  
  • Go simple if you are not sure about her taste. Simple geometric shape pendant with or without a small stone can always be worn... or simple earrings.
  • A pendant necklace that has a birth stone or an initial letter is another easy choice.
  • Another good idea is to give her a charm bracelet with one charm (then it will be easy to add more charms to it later).
  • Silver earrings would be one more great choice. All girls who like sparkle will always say yes to a pair of silver earrings with Swarovski crystals that are meant to sparkle like diamonds (Swarovski crystals are a girl's second best friend ;)  (tweet this!)
Swarovski silver earrings


I hope this post has been helpful and I've proved that buying jewelry as a gift for a girlfriend (or wife, or daughter or any other woman) makes indeed your shopping simple! :) (tweet this too!)

If you have any questions, please, feel free to leave a comment and ask!

Monday Jewelry Quote

Monday, July 28, 2014

Sunday Interior Design Guide

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Lovely finds in today's Home Decoration Ideas by Anna!

Discover what else the featured sellers have in their shops by visiting the Guide's interactive page.


Friday Gift Guide

Friday, July 25, 2014

Today's Gift Collection by Irina reminds me of dark chocolate. Mmm... I used to not like dark chocolate. I do now... Might have to go get some today... :)

If you are interested in the feature stores, visit the interactive page for the Guide



Triangle plume agate for a unique pendant

Thursday, July 24, 2014



Triangle stones like this one usually suggest an asymmetrical pendant design. However, I wanted to design something that the stone did not suggest with its shape. I like what I've come up with.

Wooden Bathtub by Bubinga Wood Design

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

How about a new item for my virtual wish list? Great piece for day dreaming, isn't it? :) Mmm... If I had a million dollars.... :)  

I find it interesting how you do not think that something exists (like a bathtub made of wood), then you come across the idea and suddenly start liking it. Does it ever happen to you?



How to wear jewelry at the beach

Monday, July 21, 2014

Wearing jewelry at the beach is a big no-no. Used to be... and still is. There are ways to go around this "no-no", I can through a few suggestions at you :) But first let's see why wearing jewelry at the beach is not a good idea.
Turquoise cocktail ring
(turquoise can get discolored by salt water and scratched by sand)

 2 big reasons not to wear fine jewelry to the beach:

  1. It is easy to lose your jewelry in the water. Fingers shrink, earrings' locks unlock as well as chains' locks. You feel sorry, but too late. 
  2. Jewelry gets destroyed. There are a few ways how it can happen:
  • The sand will scratch pretty much anything. It has hardness of quartz, so any metal and a stone with the hardness lower than quartz' will get scratch. Metals can be re-polished, but the stones can or cannot be, depending on your piece. 
  • Salt and water will rust your stainless steel jewelry.Corrosion can happen on other metals too.
  • Some stones can lose their color on the sun or in the salt water.
 So, what are we supposed to do? Not to wear jewelry at the beach? This is an option! Jewelry at the beach will stop you from getting even suntan :) But if you really-really want it, look into getting some not fine jewelry. Something on a cheaper side. You need to be ready for your jewelry to get destroyed or lost. Simple strands of beads made with hemp or any kind of inexpensive beaded jewelry with agates, beach glass or shells will be perfect for the beach. 


Monday Jewelry Quotes

This is such a beautiful explanation for why we need an engraving on a ring. Love it! 
Now I just need to find my engraving tools and wipe the dust off them :) 

Wide silver band with a writing in Russian :) There is something written here ;)

Sunday Interior Design Guide

Sunday, July 20, 2014

I absolutely love today's collection of home decoration objects by Anna! What an eye candy! (Good I got one today, considering that I procrastinated and missed my usual Saturday Eye Candy :)

If you wish to pay a visit to the featured shops, follow this link to the collection's interactive page.



How to wear jewelry with glasses

Friday, July 18, 2014

Have you ever thought that not any jewelry can go with your glasses? Now thinking of it... I look into mirror while choosing jewelry to wear... and I will put on one piece or another if I see any glasses there. Anything goes on when I see my usual prescription glasses with a neutral thing metallic frame.




What if it is sunny outside and I am planning on wearing my sun glasses? Long dangling bright earrings will go with the dark sun glasses.



Glasses with a bold frame is an accessory on its own. It is easy to go overboard with the big earrings. It is better to choose something relatively small.



And... all those rules do not apply if you have long hair. Really small earrings, if any at all and a pendant necklace would be the best choice.


Friday Gift Guide

Delightful collection of Friday Gifts by Irina has just arrived, fresh from the press! :) Enjoy!

(If you wish to visit the featured shops, visit the Guide's Interactive page)


My gem collection. Dendritic agate

Thursday, July 17, 2014

I considered myself being very lucky when I've come across this dendritic agate. I think it is absolutely fantastic!  (The picture does not give it justice)

It could make a great piece for my Ocean Life collection... However, all those sea creatures that I put around the stones increase the pendants' sizes considerably... This Art Nouaveau design is a bit crazy, but I think I like it :)



Virtual collection. Jewelry box by NacreArt

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

It was awhile since I added any jewelry boxes into my virtual collection! This store has a few fantastic jewelry boxes with the mother of pearl inlay. I admire the work and I am going to consider a box for future.


What jewelry to wear with a yellow dress

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

What jewelry can we wear with a yellow dress? Perhaps, if you think "gold" or "black", you might be right. Those two colors will work. Both of those choices would be a bit too usual and boring, in my opinion. The gold color will blend in and the black is not really classy when paired with yellow... way too bold. Jewelry that is contrasting with a yellow dress is good. It just needs to be contrasting in a good way... elegant, perhaps is the word for what I am trying to achieve when I pair jewelry with an outfit :)

An extensive yellow dress needs a contrasting piece of jewelry that gives your outfit real drama. Bright purple stone pendant is the best choice, in my opinion.




A dress with a fancy lace texture can be hard to pair with a piece of jewelry. However, bright peacock pearls and metallic blue / green earrings won't get lost in this look. 




An outfit that is classic and classy. Cute vintage dress with a floral pattern and a large sterling silver pendant with a pink pearl. A dress does not need to be vintage to look great with a pendant like this, by the way ;)




Creative yellow dress can be matched with a creative statement necklace.  If you do not mind lots of positive attention, go bold! Here is a necklace that has everything: it is big, it is made of mixed metals and it features a bright blue stone. Lots of attention, I promise! :)




A simple dress goes with a simple silver pendant. You just need to find your perfect simple  pendant. 



Slip dress
modcloth.com



Low cleavage yellow dress can be matched with a big blue stone pendant. Yellow and blue can look fantastic together if you mix them thoughtfully.






Dark copper and silver pendant will look great with a simple dress of yellow color that is not too bright and not too pale. Just silver pendant would blend with it, however copper helps it to stand out.


What jewelry to wear with a yellow dress by nataliakhon featuring Copper and silver waxwing bird necklace 


 
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