Pearl Jewelery - A Must Have In Your Jewelry Collection

Jewelry trends come and go, but classics are always here to stay.

A classic and timeless piece of jewelry that every woman should have in her jewelry collection is pair of pearl earrings.

Whether they are studs or dangle, they can be worn for every occasion, everyday, with everything in your wardrobe, casual or dressy--in other words, a multifunctional piece of jewelry.

White compliments every color.

You may start our with a pair of earrings, and then over time, acquire a pearl necklace, pendant, bracelet, ring.

You can intermix pearl jewelery with vintage or artisan pieces.

They can be worn with other gemstone jewelery.

From corporate board room to blue jeans--you will get a lifetime of use from yours.

It will be one of the best investments you've ever made.

Cufflinks As a Fashion Accessory for Women

As women like to borrow each other's clothes--especially within the same household--two sisters, mother-daughter, you might be asking to borrow something very soon from the male members of your family.

Cufflinks, have always been the accessory for gentlemen. It gives a polished and professional look to a cufflink, as well as a touch of class and elegance to a shirt.

These days, more ladies are discovering that cufflinks are a fashion accessory for themselves. It completes an outfit and depending on the type of cufflinks you wear, can give the outfit the look you wish to achieve.

I personally love the older vintage cufflinks not only because they are from another era, but because they are truly distinct in character.

The one pictured above is very old, and does not have any engraving on the faces. Since the design is very neutral, it could grace the cuff of a ladies crisp white shirt or favorite denim shirt. You could have initials, symbol, or design engraved on the the front.

If you have a blazer with a few buttons, you could remove the last button and put the cufflink through the button hole. You would have to add another button hole for proper insertion.

Another unique look, this would take a little modification on a shirt, would be to replace two existing buttons with a cufflink. You would have to make a second button hole.

I am confident that if you look through your wardrobe, you will find some innovative ways to wear and accessorize cufflinks.

Cufflinks are available in so many materials--gold, silver,platinum, plastic, metal. Some have gemstones, others have unique shapes, animal heads, initials, etc).

Whether you choose to borrow a cufflink from one of the male member of your family, or choose to buy one for yourself, it will add a diverse look to any outfit.

Long Chains Go a Long Way in Useage

One necklace, 3 different looks, actually 4, if you choose to hang a pendant on the chain.

Take a look at your chains and see which one is the longest one. Then start to wrap it around your wrist and see if you can double or even triple it around your neck.

Imagine, a new choker chain or a new bracelet without breaking your piggy bank, just from finding a wonderful long chain in your jewel box.

New life ignitied into a long chain :)

Hiding Jewelry Within Your Home - Part 3

Many people invest in actual safes—keep in mind that a small safe that can hide in a closet is portable and can easily be carried away. A larger safe is very heavy, and while it can’t be carried away, they are harder to hide and take up a lot of space.

I personally favor safes that have a drilled space in a floor—a.k.a. floor safes. They are not portable, they are hidden and you can cover them. Ideally, they are located in basements because they can be drilled through concrete. These safes are smaller than your average wall or full standing safe, but they cannot be carried away, they are out of visual sight and therefore, concealed from a potential thief.

Many people have home alarm systems and while there are no guarantees that your home would not be burglarized, it could deter from a potential home invasion since signs are posted on windows or doors. However, if a burglar broke into a home, he would only have 2-3 minutes to find the valuables before the police would show up. If they would come across a safe, they wouldn’t have the time to open it, nor the time to ransack a home to find jewelry, if they are hidden out of sight.

Outside your home, a safety deposit box is the next securest place for your jewelry. Your financial institution will have an area for safety deposit boxes. You can keep all your jewelry as well as certificates together and bring home a few pieces every month and interchange them as you wish.

Your safety and security are #1. By taking some precautions, you can minimize the risk of being a target. Be sure that your pieces have updated appraisals which reflect the current market value of your piece(s). Having adequate coverage on your most valuable pieces will guarantee that if a jewelry item is lost or stolen, you can have it replaced or be financially indemnified. Safekeeping your jewelry wisely within your home will minimize the risk of any potential theft.

Hiding Your Jewelry at Home - Part 2

Other “home-remedy” solutions for hiding your jewelry would be to place your jewelry in Ziploc bags and hide them under sheets, towels, decorative zippered pillows, rolled into your socks. You can also store your jewels in the bottom of a bin that holds seasonal clothes, Christmas decorations and craft supplies. Tennis anyone….by cutting a slit into a tennis ball and squeezing it open you can place small items in. Your children’s stuffed animals are another less conspicuous place—simply open a seam, slide your jewelry in and re-stitch.

Be sure to keep a list of where your jewelry is hidden and in what. In the worst case scenario, if a thief is clever enough to figure out a decoy’s spot, remember, time is not in his favor, so he would grab and run perhaps with only 1 piece of jewelry rather than your entire lifetime collection.

Hidding Your Jewelry within Your Home - Part One

How well is your jewelry hidden at home? Do you have hiding places? The most obvious place for a thief to find your jewelry in your home is your bedroom, namely in your jewelry box located on top of your dresser.

Try to hide your jewelry throughout your home in various locations. There are unique “props” also known as gimmick gadgets that are made to resemble actual famous brand name products. You can hide your jewelry in them. These containers are replicas of the actual product—i.e. cans of food, household cleansers—these can be kept in their obvious locations. A pop can safe can be kept in the fridge with your other pop drinks, or a cleanser product safe, under your sink with other cleansers. These locations are much less conspicuous.

Other clever prop safes are fruits, vegetables, hollow books, stacks of C.D.’s, rocks, planters. One of my favorites is the replica of an electrical outlet that can be screwed into any wall in any room.

These replicas are not expensive and displayed in the appropriate spots where they look natural do not arouse suspicion from a potential thief.

Tips for Insuring Jewelry

When you purchase jewelry, store the receipt in a safe place, take pictures of each jewelry item and for the more expensive pieces, have an appraisal certificate.

It is very important that your jewelry is appraised by a certified appraiser. An appraisal certificate will outline all the details of the item, i.e. size of stone, karat of gold, weight, type of metal, unique features, current market value. It is also recommended to have the appraised pieces updated every 2-3 years because of the fluctuations in the gold market.

Imagine owning piece a piece of jewelry that was appraised several years ago with a replacement value of $2,000.00. Years pass and the value has increased to $4,500,00. Now if that piece is lost or stolen, and the appraisal is not current, the replacement value will be based on the $2,000.00 value.

A standard homeowner’s policy will provide a limited amount of coverage up to a specified dollar amount as stated in your homeowner’s policy. Some losses may not be covered and that is why it is advisable to purchase additional coverage, also known as a floater.

When purchasing the extra floater insurance, an updated appraisal certificate and pictures of your jewelry will be required so the insurance company has them on file. The floater would cover those pieces if they would be lost, stolen, or in some cases, if you lose a stone, they would be covered under this policy.

Insurance companies have their preferred jewelers, also know as their preferred vendors and will indemnify you to your exact state before your loss. So for example, your 1kt VS1 diamond will be replaced with a 1kt VS1 diamond.

If your ring was insured for $6,500.00, and the insurance company can have it replaced for $5,500, you have the option to have their jeweler replace your ring or you could choose to have your own jeweler replace your piece. In the latter case, the insurance company would pay you out, also known as cash-out on the actual value—in this case you would receive $5,500—less your deductible, if applicable.

With regard to antique jewelry, which would be difficult to replace, the appraisal certificate would provide all the details and it would be based on the replacement value. You would receive a cash settlement.

Please note, this is a very GENERAL OVERVIEW and may not apply to your own specific insurer. I strongly recommend that you contact your individual agent to determine your insurance company’s specific policies with regards to insuring jewelry.

14kt Gold Vintage Oval Blood Red Ruby Stud Earrings

Gorgeous, gorgeous vibrant red ruby studs--are they ever going to light up your ear. Oval in shape, these earrings can be rotated in different positions on your ear.

The rubies are genuine and measure 4x6mm each. They have natural inclusions that resembles white veins.

Earrings have post/butterfly closure and are stamped 14kt. on the post. Weigh 0.70 grams.
Wear them on their own, or in multiples with other small earrings.

They can be worn casually with your favorite pair of jeans or with business attire.

http://www.rubylane.com/shops/eternalfinejewels/item/001001

Facts to Consider About Handmade Jewelry

The beauty of handmade jewelery is that you see exceptional attention to detail as well as fine workmanship. In other words, it is not a mass produced that you will see on every 10Th person.

Many jewelers have their own signature style that they incorporate into each individual piece they create and if it is a well known jeweler his/her design is recognized by his/her followers. Some jewelers could be using a combination of metals, textures, shapes, cut-out figures, symbols, etc.

One of the key factors to first consider is to seek out a jeweler whose work you admire. You want to establish a good relationship with the jeweler, especially if you are going to be involved in the creative process. You also want to make sure that the jeweler does quality work.

You can save a lot of money on material, if you have have unused pieces of jewelry that you no longer wear. With the current high price of gold, you may wish to consider this an an option. The jeweler would melt down the pieces and may have to supplement a little extra gold, depending on the weight of the piece you are having made. You would only pay the difference for the extra materials used. As well, you may have existing gemstones that can be "recycled" and "reused" in your new piece. This can apply to all metals--gold, silver, platinum.

Taking the above into consideration, before your jeweler begins, make sure you have an estimate. Remember, it is not only material costs, but his/her workmanship to make the piece. A jeweler can spend many hours from start to finish in creating your signature piece of jewelry.

If you have a strict budget, your jeweler would be able to tell you if your budget is realistic for what you wish to have created. This is why I suggest that if you have do not have any sentimental attachments to some of your jewelry, that they can be melted down and stones can be reset.

You may also consider designing your own piece. While you may not be an artist, try to execute a sketch to show your jeweler what you have in mind. Look through magazines or on the internet for pictures. You may incorporate the design from 3-4 different pieces of jewelry into the piece you desire. Your jeweler will advise you if your ideas are practical and functional.

All things considered, the final outcome will be your signature jewelry piece.