Nersel’s Designer Trendy Gold Jewelry

Ruby is a beautiful red gem and the birthstone of July. Rubies have been used in jewelry since the ancient times. Ruby’s red color is caused by chromium. Natural rubies are rare and thus expensives. A lot of the rubies used in jewelry today are lab created. Rubies are mined in Africa, Asia, Australia and Greenland. Burma, Sri Lanka , Kenya , Madagascar and Thailand are famous with their high quality natural rubies. The most important characteristic about that valuable stone is its color. The name “Ruby” was derived from the Latin word “rubens” meaning “red”.Ruby gemstones are valued according to several characteristics including size, color, clarity and cut. All natural rubies, just like natural emeralds, have imperfections in them, including color impurities and inclusions of needles known as “silk”. Artificial rubies may have no imperfections. Fine quality of natural rubies are rare.

Rubies come in differenct shades of red, red purple and red orange. A medium toned red or red with slight blue is most desired. Clarity of the stone and inclusions are also taken into account to determined the stones value.

Red symbolizes love, warmth and a strong sense of life.  For thousands of years Ruby has been considered on of the most valuable gemstones of our Earth. It has a wonderful red color,, excellent hardness and brilliance.  The red of Rubies is in a class all by otself: warm and fiery. Two magical elements are associated with the symbolism of this color are fire and blood, implying life. Red is a hot, passionate and powerful color. Ruby is the perfect symbol of powerful feelings. A ring set with a precious Ruby does not really symbolise a calm and moderate sympathy, but rather passionate and unbridled love which two people feel for each other. Rubies also symbolize courage and bravery in some cultures and thus have been used to decorate the swords, crowns, and thrones of Ottomon Sultans.

The world’s biggest ruby is the Rajaratna Ruby, which weighs 2,475 carats (495 g = 1 pound 1.46 ounces). Because the Rajaranta shows asterism, it is also the largest star ruby. The world’s biggest double-star ruby (with a 12-pointed star) is the Neelanjali Ruby, weighing 1,370 carats (274 g). Both rubies currently belong to G. Vidyaraj from Bangalore, India. A 8.62 ct. Burmese ruby sold for $425,000 per carat (2,125,000 $/g) or $3,800,000 on 15 February 2006 at Christie’s in Switzerland.

Resources: wikipedia.org, gemstone.org, jewelry.com

When choosing jewelry for yourself or for your loved one if you are having hard time deciding whether to get a Modern ( Contemporary) or Traditional Jewelry consider the following factors:

Life Style and work environment: While modern jewelry and simple designs maybe more acceptable in the corporate environment , entrepreneurs, artists, freelancers, self employed, or people who work in casual business environments can afford to wear more bold jewelry with bigger stones.

Fashion Style: Do you wear suits to work? Or jeans and a shirt? I am not going to suggest that you wear minimal jewelry or very simple jewelry just because you wear a suit to work. It actuallly looks very nice to spice up that dark suit. You can always try to choose elegant jewelry with colorful gemstones or beads or even colorful glass. Vintage jewelry may go very well with a black or navy suit. If you keep the shirt and the accessories simple you can wear vintage or ethnic jewelry at work.

White or Yellow: White Gold is more modern and contemporary while yellow gold is more traditional. A lot of people to do not like to mix and match yellow and white gold but a lot of designers are using multi color gold in their designs, so why not break the rules if you feel like it. I actually like the combination of white and rose gold jewelry.

Bold or Minimalist: If you choose to wear bold jewelry try to keep your outfit simple or wear minimal jewelry if you are wearing a big red gown!

What would you wear it with? Going out to a party at night, an event, to work, to a gathering, funeral, business meeting, birthday, theatre, visiting in laws? Always consider the occasion when choosing which jewelry to wear.

And the most important factor to consider is : What looks best on you? Always consider your skin color, hair and eye color when choosing jewelry. Just like makeup some gemstones and gold color look good on some people but not others. If you are very pale white gold may make you look even paler, why not go with 18K yellow gold, you may choose a satin or matt finish. If you have darker or olive skin I suggest you go with colorful gemstones, 18K or 24K shiny gold.

The below group of pictures below is modern. Tiffany’s jewelry is modern and in my opinion somewhat boring…

And here are some more traditional , ethnic or vintage jewelry:

The birthstone for June, is among the most timeless, classic and treasured of all gems. Throughout history, the noble pearl has been associated with wisdom, wealth, purity, romance and mystery. Pearls are an organic gem, created when an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. Long ago, pearls were important financial assets, comparable in price to real estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched for only one pearl. They were rare because they were created only by chance.

Today pearls are cultured by man: shell beads are placed inside an oyster and the oyster is returned to the water. When the pearls are later harvested, the oyster has covered the bead with layers of nacre. Most cultured pearls are produced in Japan. In the warmer waters of the South Pacific, larger oysters produce South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian black cultured pearls, which are larger in size. Freshwater pearls are cultured in freshwater mussels, mostly in China.

The quality of pearls is judged by the orient, which is the soft iridescence caused by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and luster, the reflectivity and shine of the surface. Fine pearls do not have any flaws or spots in the nacre: it has an even smooth texture. Other factors which affect value are the regularity of the shape, size, and color: rose tints are the most favored.

Cultured pearls and natural pearls can be distinguished from imitation pearls by a very simple test. Take the pearl and rub it gently against the edge of a tooth. Cultured and natural pearls will feel slightly rough, like fine sandpaper, because of the texture of natural nacre. Imitations will feel as smooth as glass because the surface is molded or painted on a smooth bead.

Pearls make the perfect gift for June Brides, Graduates, and Birthdays. And pearls are not just white anymore. Cultured pearls come in a variety of shades from the classic white to Tahitian black to delicate pink. The only gem not mined from the Earth, Pearls are environmentally clean. Cultured Pearls are produced on farms in a sustainable process so the luminous Pearl’s reputation for purity is well deserved.

Resource: www.gemstone.org

One of the new trends in jewelry is the Right Hand Ring. Is it just a marketing gimmick by jewelry companies or is it celebration of  the independent career woman with good income to afford a nice diamond or gemstone ring for her right hand?

No matter what the purpose is , it is the hottest trend now. It stands for success, strength, self assertiveness, and freedom. The designs vary but most do not resemble engagement or wedding bands. Engagement rings, wedding bands, eternal love rings, anniversary rings celebrate love, relationship and commitment whereas right hand rings celebrates personality and individuality.  Their designs do not resemble matrimonial rings, they use open spaces, smaller stones instead of a single, and colorful gemstones in combinations expressing the personality and individuality of the wearer. The buyers of the right hand ring are mostly independent career woman and celebrities! 

The idea is to celebrate life, your accomplishments, successes, independence, rewarding yourself for being you! You do not need to be engaged or married to wear a beautiful diamond ring. It is an indication that women do not want to be seen only in roles of lover, partner,or housewives. The left hand ring stands for the labor, responsibility, commitment and promises that marriage brings along while the right hand ring reads as the independence and self esteem.

To feel like a sultan, check out our sultan ring on http://www.nerselandirene.com/shop/show_item.php?id=47&cat=1&thumb=47 for your right hand

Emerald is the birthstone of May. Emeralds are beautiful gemstones with their gorgeous green color. They have intense and a radiant green: the emerald green. Symbolizing the eternally returning spring, this gemstone celebrates all of life and living, and is linked with eternal love, beauty, and rebirth. The name emerald comes from the Greek smaragdos via the Old French esmeralde, and really just means ‘green gemstone’. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. These gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as ‘Cleopatra’s Mines’, had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century. Emerald has been used in jewelry and decorating objects in palaces for hundreds of years. The Turkish sultans also loved emeralds. In Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace there are exhibits with items of jewelry, writing-implements and daggers, each lavishly adorned with emeralds and other gems.  
Emerald is also believed to promise good luck. Emerald stones are also believed to emit negative energy and protect the wearer from diseases. In some cultures emeralds are believed to bring rain. Emerald is considered to be one of the most difficult gemstones to cut because of its brittle structure and the many inclusions found in crystals. Emerald is cut in many shapes, however the cut that seems to work best with Emerald is the “Emerald-cut”, or that of a rectangle. It ensures that the gemstone is cut with minimum imperfections and preserves the natural beauty of the stone. A good-sized Emerald can easily be more expensive than an equal-sized diamond.Fine emeralds are found in Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia.   

The below article by Carly Wickell is a great resource on Gold and provides some useful information.

“Understanding Gold Terminology

Gold jewelry never goes out of style, and for good reason, because gold is as wearer-friendly as it is beautiful. Pure gold doesn’t react with other elements to create tarnish, the residue that accumulates on some metals before transferring to your skin as a stain. Sometimes people have allergy or staining problems with metals that are combined with gold, but the gold itself is rarely a problem.

Gold can be worked into nearly any shape, from tiny strands that do not break easily to very thin sheets. One ounce of gold can even be hammered into an ultra thin sheet that’s ten feet square. Gold can be manipulated nearly any way the artisan desires.

How Pure Is Your Gold Jewelry?

Chances are the ring on your finger is marked 18K, 14K, or 10K, with the K standing for karat, the system used to describe the percentage of pure gold an item contains.

The higher the karat number, the higher the percentage of gold in your gold jewelry. 

• 24K gold is pure gold. 
• 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold. 
• 14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 58.3% gold. 
• 12K gold contains 12 parts gold and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold. 
• 10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called “gold” in the United States.

European Markings

European gold jewelry is marked with numbers that indicate their percentage of gold, such as:

• 18K gold is marked 750 to indicate 75% gold
• 14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
• 12K gold is marked 417 for 41.7%

Other Markings on Gold Jewelry

The karat marking on your gold jewelry should be accompanied by a hallmark or trademark that identifies its maker. The item’s country of origin might also be included.

Why Are Other Metals Mixed With Gold?

You’ll find examples of pure gold jewelry, but pure gold is soft and isn’t practical for daily wear. Other metals are mixed with it to make it more durable (and to lower its cost).

Adding other metals to the mix also allows metallurgists to change the color of gold. Palladium or nickel can be added to create white gold. Adding copper produces a rose or pink tint, while silver gives gold a greenish cast.

When metals are added to the gold the result is an alloy, a blended mixture of the metals that you can think of as a very expensive cake batter. Solid gold is a term that can be used to describe an item that’s at least 10K (in the US) gold all the way through. Even though it’s a gold alloy–18K, 14K, or anything down to 10K–it can be called solid gold.

When Gold Is Used as a Coating

There are many ways to mechanically apply a coating of gold onto a much less expensive metal, reducing the item’s cost. The thicker the layer of gold, the less likely it is to wear away easily and expose the metal underneath.

Gold Filled Jewelry

Newer gold filled items have markings that indicate how much and what type of gold was used for the layer. A marking that says 1/20 12K G.F. means that the jewelry is at least 1/20th 12K gold by weight.

Gold Plated Jewelry

The gold layer in gold plated jewelry is typically thinner than the gold in gold filled jewelry, so it usually wears away more quickly. Plating is done in different ways.

You might see terms such as gold washed used to describe a very thin layer of gold–one that won’t be very durable.

So What Should You Buy?

Solid gold is durable, so it is a better choice for jewelry you’ll wear regularly. If you have allergies to nickel or other metals, choose items that have high gold content, such as 18K or 22K gold jewelry.

Gold filled or plated jewelry is suitable for jewelry that you wear occasionally. Everyday use would eventually diminish the gold layer, exposing the metal below, which might stain your skin or cause an allergic reaction.

For pieces that will last a lifetime and beyond, buy the highest quality gold your budget allows.”

 resource: http://jewelry.about.com/od/jewelrymetals/a/gold_jewelry.htm?nl=1 

by Carly Wickell

Check out the twin charm pendants and twin bracelets on www.nerselirene.com

1. Wearing yellow gold and white gold together unless they are a part of a composition for mix and match. Try not to wear white gold earrings with yellow gold bracelet.
2. Mass produced jewelry, made in China or Chinatown jewelry
3. Gold plated jewelry..gold will wear out or chip and it looks cheap
4. Walmart and Kay Jewelry
5. Too much bling, huge gansta diamonds
6. Wearing too much jewelry and too many of your pieces at the same time: Your body is not a jewelry store
7. Wearing beautiful rings with chipped nails.
8. Wearing big bold jewelry with long fake nails. If you are wearing jewelry that makes a statment it is best to wear your nails shorter and with white or neutral nail polish so the jewelry stands out.
9. Granny jewelry: Vintage is cool if it is a trendy style. Old fashioned classic jewelry is out.
10. Tiffany Jewelry: Dull, boring, standard, conservative, not unique, does not reflect individuality, mass produced, ” good wife” jewelry is really out
11. Expecting your partner or husband buy you all your jewelry. It is time you do your own jewelry shopping. Reward yourself for those late nights in the office, kissing up to your boss, losing all that winter weight, making money in the stock market, successful real estate investments, finishing school, promotion, birthday, and all your other accomplishments.

Check out www.nerselirene.com for some cool handmade high quality jewelry.

Professional Jewelry Photographers can break the bank! Learn to do it yourself.

If you are interested in photography in general with practice you can take beautiful pictures of your jewelry or any other precious item. I have tried various lights (artificial and natural), different backgrounds, different positions, distant or close up pictures( with or without the macro lens)… After taking literally hundreds of pictures I found the perfect angles for my jewelry. Although I have bought a Studio-in-a-box I figured that the best pictures I took were under the natural sun light. I like holding the camera and trying different creative angles rather than using a tripod and the box. The pictures I took using the tripod and the box turned out to be very commercial looking, artificial studio pictures. I wanted more creative and exciting pictures that reflected the true nature of my pieces. So sunlight, jewelry on the floor on natural brown paper and jewelry with blue sky used as background turned out to be really nice ( that actually was my husband’s idea). To test my pictures I have sent a mass email out and told my friends that I hired a very expensive photographer to take pictures of my jewelry and asked their honest opinions.Everyone believed me, they said the pictures are beautiful and it is worth every penny I paid!!! The thing is I did not pay a penny.. except of course for the camera and the lens. I use Canon Digital Rebel XT. None of my friends suggested that the pictures looked amateurish. And guess who the model is in the pictures? ( The older pictures are on http://www.nerselirene.com/. )

  Check out http://www.nerselirene.com/ to view more pictures ( click on view more pirctures of this product to see different pictures of each jewelry. You can also email each item to your friends and family or your partner …to give him/her a hint)

Seven Major Jewelry Market Trends

by Rena Klingenberg

“Here are seven of the fastest-growing trends in the jewelry industry. Some of them have been building momentum for a few years, while others are just emerging. But all seven of these trends are making a major impact on the jewelry marketplace. 

Consider how your jewelry business can profit from the market niches that these trends are opening up!

• New metals - 
  

  Although yellow gold is popular again, the real trend to watch is the emerging jewelry metals. Consumer demand is growing rapidly for jewelry made with titanium, steel, or palladium.

   

  In March 2006, “titanium jewelry” received 15 times more online searches than “copper jewelry” - and roughly the same number of searches as “emerald jewelry” and “sapphire jewelry” combined.

   

  The excitement surrounding these newer materials is part of an overall interest in new ways to use metal in jewelry. Links are a hugely popular jewelry component. Links of all shapes, materials, and sizes combined or used individually are a hot trend in jewelry.

   

  Along with the interest in links comes the popularity of chains - lots of chain in mixed sizes and weights; chain in earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. And chain maille - especially when it’s combined with other jewelry techniques.

   

   

• Custom-made jewelry / personalized jewelry - 
  

  Jewelry that’s significant to the person wearing it is another major trend. If you can offer affordable custom jewelry options, or ways to personalize jewelry for your customers, you should do quite well.

   

  People love to choose their own stones, beads, or Swarovski colors; they love name bracelets, personal message tag jewelry, and charm jewelry with significant dangles. They love to wear and give precious metal clay jewelry that has custom words, designs, and shapes. And photo jewelry is extremely popular.

   

   

• Men’s jewelry - 
  

  No matter what jewelry market niche you usually serve, you may want to consider adding a line of men’s jewelry and promoting it heavily.

   

  Men of all ages are wearing more and more jewelry, and surprisingly (at least to me!) most of men’s jewelry purchases are made by men shopping for themselves. This is a huge and fast-growing wave, and it doesn’t look like it will be disappearing any time soon. Men’s jewelry is currently the “must-have accessory”. Stainless steel is a dominant trend right now in jewelry for men.

   

   

• Right-hand rings - 
  

  I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating: Rings made for the right-hand ring finger of single women have grown into a multi-million-dollar industry in less than three years.

   

  This jewelry item is typically purchased by a single woman for herself. Although this accessory began as a “diamond right-hand ring,” women are choosing right hand rings of all styles, with or without gems.

   

  If you design rings, you may want to research this rapidly growing market more thoroughly.

   

   

• People purchasing jewelry for themselves - 
  

  As two of the above trends have shown, people are purchasing jewelry for themselves more than ever before. Self-purchases now account for over 60% of all jewelry sold. And 80% of consumers are likely to purchase jewelry for themselves when they’re out shopping for other people.

   

  I’ve definitely seen this trend in my own jewelry business - and I’ve learned which price points work best for my self-purchasing customers. Find out which pieces your customers tend buy for themselves, and how much they’re willing to spend on self-purchased jewelry.

   

   

• Jewelry for “Generation Y” - 
  

  Generation Y is the name given to the children of the American Baby Boomer generation. Born between 1978 and 2000, the members of Generation Y are now 6 to 28 years old - and approximately 76 million strong.

   

  Why are they significant to the jewelry marketplace? Because they’re an even bigger market segment than their parents’ generation. Generation Y is an important demographic in every market because they’re such a huge group of consumers with a lot of buying power - and an enormous future purchasing impact.

   

  It’s also worth noting that this generation is very computer-oriented and spends a lot of time online - which means they are (or will become) major online shoppers. They are also big fans of ipods and other related devices; businesses that market to Generation Y via these devices stand to make a significant profit.

   

   

• Diversity in pearls - 
  

  Pearls have always been popular - and people can’t get enough of all the fantastic new pearls that are available!

   

  The incredible variety of pearl colors, shapes, sizes, and types enable you to offer your customers some wonderfully unique pearl jewelry. Currently there’s especially great interest in baroque pearls and the “new” pearl shapes such as petals, coins, and squares.

Keep an eye on these seven trends and watch how they continue to form. A good way to capitalize on them might be to merge them into your unique jewelry style - and give the resulting jewelry a prominent place in your displays and website. “

Source of article:http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/index.html

 Check out www.nerselirene.com for new fashionable jewelry