Monday Jewelry Quote

Got one? ;)

Beetle necklace

Sunday Home Decoration Guide

Awesome ideas in today's collection of designer items for home decoration by Anna! 

I love the color in that antler and eco-friendly candles too! 

You can open the picture by clicking on it or visit the interactive page if you are interested in these items and the shops that sell them.

Friday Gift Guide

Lovely collection in Friday Gift Finds by Irina! Love all the mint items!

(Click the picture to see the Guide better or visit it's interactive page for the featured Etsy shops)

Ammolite for an Art Nouveau necklace

One more ammolite from my gem collection. This is just the first sketch... not the best that it can be... I do like the design, however, I think it should be tighter to the stone. I will definitely make it with some changes, so it will be interesting to know at the result side by side with the original sketch :)

 

Monthly Wedding Guide

Time for Anna's monthly Wedding Guide! Anna is an expert in wedding decorative jewelry design and knows what is hip. July's catalog is delicious, isn't it? :)

(You can open it by clicking it or visit the Guide's interactive page for the featured crafters)

How to choose jewelry

I wonder how people choose jewelry? Really curious. I know how I choose jewelry... well...  I choose what I would like to make. I also design a piece of jewelry according to my desire. This way of making decision trained my mind to estimate what goes with what and why I need to make one thing and not another. I cannot make something, try it out and say: "Ah... oh well, now I will make something else and see if looks better". That would be such a waste of time and material!

Squirrel necklace with citrine and garnet

Choosing jewelry can be fun (and it often is!) If you do not really know what you want,  you go to a store or a craft fair, or an art festival and try things out. Maybe something will jump at you, maybe not... If this is what you are after, it is fair enough. Go ahead and have fun!

However, if you are determined to get something, it helps to estimate beforehand what you are going to be looking at. This way you won't waste your time and you will (most likely) find what is going to make you happy with your choice.

Think of a wedding ring... You know exactly what you want! It should be almost the same with any other jewelry if it has a purpose: jewelry for your red dress, purple dress, jewelry for your prom dress, jewelry to wear in an office, etc.

1) Does your jewelry have a purpose? (occasion or an outfit). If it is a piece of jewelry for an outfit+occasion (not just an outfit), it should be appropriate for it, of course. The size definitely depends on your answer. Color also depends on your outfit: black dress, navy dress, white shirt, disco dance or beach wedding, etc.

2) A ring, earrings, a bracelet, a pendant or a necklace? If you needed a necklace and found a great pendant... maybe it can be made into a necklace by putting it on a strand of beads.

Sterling silver pendant with fresh-water pearls

3) Is it going to just compliment an outfit or the outfit is supposed to compliment the jewelry? :)  It is very much possible to showcase a bold piece of jewelry with a neutral outfit. I often do exactly that as I LOVE jewelry that stands out!

4) Will you be wearing it often? This will help to make a decision on the price. If you love fashion and 1-season-jewelry, it is ok to go cheap. If it is for wearing every day, or once a week for the next 5 years, do not go too cheap. You do not need something that will brake soon and good quality comes with a higher price. Nobody can produce a well made piece of jewelry in 5 minutes. It requires spending time in order to produce something that will last. 

5) If it is not a one-season-piece, think "time". Do you have kids or/and grandkids? Will they enjoy going through your jewelry box in future and possibly wanting to wear what they find there? Is it going to make an interesting vintage piece in 20 years from now? You do not have to consider that, but maybe you like the idea now :)

It is a long article, but deciding what jewelery you need to look at is not that difficult. I really just needed to write: "Think of color, quality and size." :)

UPD. A few days later I remembered one more important tip 

UPD2. Now there is an infographic for your pin board.

Monday Jewelery Quote

(You can open the picture bigger by clicking on it)

Delicate sterling silver pendant

Sunday Interior Design Guide

New absolutely gorgeous Home Decoration Guide by Anna has arrived on this cool summer day. It is a nice day, actually. It is warm, dry, no Sun, no rain. I would not mind to have the whole Summer like that!

You may click on the picture to open it bigger or visit the interactive page in order to visit all the featured Etsy shops.

Friday Gift Guide

Delightful finds in Irina's Gift Guide today!

You can open the picture in a bigger size by clicking on it or visit the interactive page if you wish to visit all the featured shops.

Australian boulder opal for an Art Nouveau necklace

More stones from my Ebay hunt! This is a boulder opal from Australia that I am planning to use for an Art Nouveau necklace. 

Well, I remember when we walked in a fancy opal store in Melbourne's downtown, I looked at the boulder opals there... The cheapest was $40.00 for a stone that I would not even pick up for free if found it in a desert (ok, maybe for free and only because they were laying in a desert... great desert souvenir!) Something like this was about $200.00 in that store. Ebay and Etsy is a much better place to buy gems directly from the lapidary artists! :)