Archive for January, 2007
Girlfriends: Taking Care of Fine Jewelry
ABC7Chicago.com, IL
January 12, 2007 – Many women and men received fine jewelry as a holiday present; and jewelry is a very popular gift for Valentine’s Day, which is coming up soon. But, few people know how to store and care for it. What you can use to clean gold, silver and platinum is different – and each gemstone requires its own special care and maintenance.
For example, did you know you should never wear your gold – such as a wedding band – in the swimming pool? Chlorine is one of its worst offenders
Or that when wearing silver you should avoid contact with ammonia such as found in many common household cleaning products? And even though diamonds are the hardest known gemstone, they still need TLC as they can break or fall out of settings?
Kelly Fletcher of Jewelry Television shares tips viewers tips and tricks to maintain the beauty, quality and lifetime of their fine jewelry. Kelly is a spokeswoman for Jewelry Television, as well as a jewelry and shopping expert. Jewelry Television is a member of the Jewelry Information Center.
• JEWELRY IS AN INVESTMENT — Treat your fine jewelry like an investment.
• ORGANIZE AND STORE PROPERLY — The first key to maintaining your jewelry is to organize and store it properly in special containers.
• Organization and Storage No-No’s: Do not heap all of your fine jewelry in one drawer or box. Metals and gemstones can scratch each other, so keep them separate and wrapped in velvet, paper or silk. ”
• PROPER CLEANING — Regularly clean and inspect your jewelry and remove it before showering, sleeping, exercising, cleaning house and working in the yard.
• Cleaning No-No’s: Do not use toothpaste, it’s an abrasive. Be careful with ultrasonic cleaners; they are generally not recommended for pearls, opals or emeralds.
• Golden Rule for Cleaning: All fine jewelry can be soaked in warm or room temperature soapy water (non-detergent) for 10 minutes. Pat items dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Air dry pearls before putting them away.
• When in Doubt: Consult with the purchase source regarding specific care and tolerances or visit resources such as www.jtv.com, www.jic.org, and www.gia.edu.
OTHER FACTS ABOUT MAINTAINING YOUR JEWELRY
Gold: Gold’s worst offender is chlorine so never wear it in the pool, hot tub, or while using cleaning products. Chlorine breaks down the metal and causes breakage. Platinum is also sensitive to chlorine.
Silver: Avoid ammonia.
Pearls: Store them in soft velvet cloths away from other jewelry and avoid cosmetics, perfumes and household chemicals. Restring pearls every one to two years, depending on how frequently they’re worn.
Gemstone care depends on hardness: Pearls are the most fragile gemstone, and diamonds are the hardest. But even diamonds need TLC as they can still break or fall out, especially if you’re not periodically checking for loose stones.
Other: Some gems require even more special care. Opals contain water and can crack if stored in dry or freezing environments. Emeralds, garnet and tanzanite can break if exposed to extreme temperature changes.
2007 JEWELRY TRENDS — Southwestern and cool, spring-like colors; lots of gold and silver; bold designs; big looks from quartz family; unusual, affordable colored gemstones
Kelly Fletcher
Kelly Fletcher is the spokesperson for Jewelry Television (jtv.com) and a self-proclaimed jewelry shopaholic. She has worked as an on-air jewelry program host, publishes many articles on the subject of fine jewelry and accessories and is currently studying with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Kelly identifies emerging jewelry and fashion trends for the network and has helped design several top-selling pieces. She works with many national women’s magazines and TV shows to supply jewelry for photo shoots and celebrity wardrobes.
Kelly is also a classically trained singer and spent her 20’s performing musical theatre roles across the country including two seasons with The National Opera Company. A native of North Carolina, Kelly served as Miss North Carolina in 1989 and says her love of “all things sparkly” led her to a career in fashion and jewelry.
About Jewelry Television
Jewelry Television is the nation’s fastest-growing home shopping network, focusing exclusively on the sale of fine jewelry and loose gemstones. Jewelry Television airs live programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The network is the 15th largest fine jewelry retailer in the United States.
Industry experts host Jewelry Television programming, bringing rare, beautiful and affordable merchandise to people everywhere. Many of the on-air hosts hold Accredited Jewelry Professional certifications and even Graduate Gemologist degrees from the Gemological Institute of America. Jewelry Television shows can be viewed live from www.jtv.com, which contains all merchandise for sale and a learning library with informative videos and articles about gemstones.
January 15th, 2007
USA : Horse Jewelry goes online
January 11, 2007
Fibre2fashion.com, India
In an effort to fill the little touched market of horse jewelry on the web, successful woman entrepreneur, Cindy Eldridge of New Jersey, has just launched a new web site, http://www.myhorsejewelry.com that targets gifts for horse loving friends.
The web site offers a multitude of different equestrian jewelry including, horse necklaces, horse bracelets, horse earrings and horse pins well-suited as horse gifts for horse loving friends
myhorsejewelry launched in October 2006 already has live staff working 12-hour shifts ready to take in orders by phone. The web site has a 24-hour fax line and has also been equipped with an online store and shopping cart to take in and process online credit card transactions including electronic checks 24 hours a day.
myhorsejewelry will strive to meet the needs of the horse jewelry lover or horse owner with a wide selection of horse necklaces, horse bracelets , horse earrings, horse pendants, pins, belt buckles, rings, cuff links, napkin rings, including horse equestrian gifts. Many of Myhorsejewelry’s items are made with sterling silver perfect for that special someone.
Cindy Eldridge is one of the very few successful Internet entrepreneurs. In an environment where only 1% of all business web sites claim success, the Internet is still a new environment to do business through for most people. However, the launch of her new horse jewelry business web site is certainly not a wrong move for an entrepreneur who has been online since the Internet’s juvenile days.
Cindy Eldridge is a well respected citizen of New Jersey and has a life long love for riding and showing horses. She draws off of 12 years experience in the online business this being her fourth successful web site business.
January 11th, 2007
Small Business Spotlight — Houman Jewelry Design
San Diego Business Journal, C
By JESSICA LONG
San Diego Business Journal Staff
To most of us, a doodle is just a doodle. But for Houman Omidifar, a childhood attraction to drawing without rules has led to success as a small-business owner.
The Iranian born entrepreneur, who was raised in France, owns Houman Jewelry Design in Coronado.
“My parents (had) a jewelry store, I grew up around it as a kid,†Omidifar said. “But I also always was into arts and did drawings and things with my hands as a kid. When I was in high school, I already knew that this is what I wanted to do.â€
Omidifar, 33, started the business in 1998 in Nantucket, Mass., with $1,000 from personal savings. In 2000, he moved into a workshop in downtown San Diego, and in 2003, moved once more to Coronado.
His signature work, the Luz collection, is designed around 12 emotions associated with falling in and out of love. Pieces range from one with rubies signifying passion to twisted hearts that appear to disappear.
At least nine pieces have been unveiled. The last few remain works in progress.
Watching his business grow has been especially rewarding for Omidifar, who averages 75 to 80 hours a week at work and reported revenues of $390,000 in 2005.
“I don’t have any children, (so) to me, this business is like watching my child grow,†Omidifar said.
VITALS
Name: Houman Omidifar.
Title: President.
Company: Houman Jewelry Design.
Company address: 953 Orange Ave., Coronado.
January 10th, 2007
Photography, jewelry exhibits at city library throughout Januar
Brockville Recorder and Times, Canada
An up-and-coming amateur Brockville photographer will be exhibiting his work on the walls of the Brockville Public Library during January, while in the library’s display case will be a small exhibit of silver jewelry.
Derek Atkinson, a 24-year-old student in his second year of St. Lawrence College’s child and youth worker program, says his photographic work focuses mostly on nature but includes some abstract shots and some portraits and action shots of local youth bands.
His nature scenes are all from Brockville and area, including numerous sunrises on the St. Lawrence River and views of swans, geese and ducklings at the Mac Johnson Wildlife Area just north of the city.
A hobbyist at this point, Atkinson had a small exhibit of his work this year at the Brockville Arts Centre, has sold his work to businesses and has done commissioned portraits.
During his classroom placements with children and youth in his college program, he has been using digital photography as a therapeutic medium and has found it to be a rewarding way to interact with young people.
Atkinson’s exhibit will be hung on the walls of the adult reference section at the library throughout January.
In the display case under the photo exhibit are items of jewelry created by Mardi McFarlane and Sheelah Tolton, who is just 14. McFarlane and Tolton met while taking a sterling silver jewelry making course at St. Lawrence College, and McFarlane has since encouraged Tolton to explore jewelry making even further.
McFarlane’s display features silver wire sculpture jewelry, while Tolton is exhibiting seed bead necklaces and bracelets, as well as wire-wrapped stone pendants.
“They’re pretty complicated designs, that have a sophisticated look,” says Tolton.
Also on the second floor, in addition to the photographic and jewelry exhibits, there’s an exhibit of mixed media works by students in the Grade 12 art class of Mary-Louise Olajos, at Athens District High School.
It’s located on the walls of the young adult reading area.
The Brockville Public Library is located at 23 Buell Street and is open Tuesday through Sunday in January.
Published in Section A, page 4 in the Wednesday, January 3, 2007 edition of the Brockville Recorder & Times.
Posted 4:31:26 PM Wednesday, January 3, 2007.
January 4th, 2007
Turkey is EU’s Rising Star in Jewelry
By Isa Yazar
Zaman Online, Turkey
zaman.com
Based on the data from the last 26 years, a governmental agency has concluded that the jewelry sector is Turkey’s most productive industry based on capital efficiency.
The National Center for Productivity (MPM), a governmental agency charged with measuring productivity, has recently conducted a comprehensive study to determine the level of efficiency in a number of sectors.
Turkish jewelry exports amounted to 1 billion 172 million dollars last year. Ranking second after Italy, Turkey is expanding its market share.
MPM predicts that Turkey will be the rising star of the European Union in the jewelry sector.
Noting that the jewelry sector has made remarkable progress over the last five years, the report believes the Turkish jewelry sector will dramatically improve in the future and gain substantial market shares within EU countries.
Because of Turkey’s geography, jewels and precious stones have been produced and crafted here for more than five thousands years. The report feels Turkey has overwhelming potential in this field.
According to their research, the second most efficient sector was petrochemical industry. Apparel, forestry products and furniture were the least productive, the study shows.
January 3rd, 2007
New Year’s Resolutions for the Jewelry Industry
Jewelry Weblog, CA
I’ve already looked back at 2006 and the jewelry trends we saw; now it’s time to look forward to 2007.
And, specifically, I’m going to step out here and address what I’d like to see as the New Year’s Resolutions that those in the jewelry industry should consider.
First, I’d like to see more user friendly web sites both for customers and for those in the media like myself. I’m so sick of fancy flash sites where the jewelry just whips by you. Consumers should be provided with more details both as far as images as well as materials used.
Sites should also provide a media or press area where there are easy to download images and press releases for bloggers to use. I’m not talking pdf either – I’m talking easy to use. If you want us to include your text in with ours, then give us something we can cut and paste.
Next, I’d like to see more web sites and jewelry designers with web sites provide detailed information about the designer, the design process, and the materials used to create the jewelry. Give us a picture of the designer. Who is he or she? Where and how did they learn their craft? If you want someone to buy your jewelry, then you are asking us to invest in more ways than one, so we’d like to know about how you are invested in your designs as well.
Finally, get over the whole “copyright” thing. I’m not saying anyone should be allowed to copy your designs obviously, but if you want to promote yourself on the web, the way to do that is to allow your images to be copied and passed on, to provide accessible information for bloggers, and open yourself up more. Those who copy will copy no matter what. Putting up restrictions and locking down your information only limits your exposure in the press.
Okay, I’m turning this conversation over to my readers now. What would you like the jewelry world to adopt as far as their New Year’s Resolutions?
January 2nd, 2007
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