Archive for July, 2008
Eve Dove Gagnon and husband Paul Gagnon have found a new place to call home and sell their wares.
The pair have been operating Gagnon Antiques out of De Mille’s Summertime Market since the long weekend in May, after returning from selling at antique shows across B.C. and Alberta.
“He puts in hundreds and hundreds of days,” says Eve of her husband, who she credits as being the public face of the shop, while she deals with most of the behind the scenes details.
Eve and Paul sold antique jewelry out of Piccadilly Mall for years but have been without a physical place to sell from for quite some time.
“It was weird not to have a place,” says Eve, who is a gemologist and diamond grader. She says that they were without a retail space for about four years.
“It’s been sad because we live here.”
Eve and Paul, originally from the U.S., have been in Salmon Arm since 1992, and have been in the antique business since the 1970s.
“We know what’ we’re giving you,” asserts Eve, who says that part of the appeal to antique pieces, especially jewelry, is that it’s difficult to run into anyone else with the same item.
She says that although growth has been slower than they would like, and the new space is a touch small, the rediscovery by old customers has been rewarding.
Gagnon Antiques is home to estate jewelry, antiques and unique glass lampwork beading made by Eve herself.
“We’re largely jewelry, that’s our specialty,” she explains.
“The old stuff was made with attention to quality that is rare now.”
With her beading, which is made by melting long glass rods with propane fuel and oxygen, Eve was part of the Shuswap Artisan Co-op last year, next door to their current location at the market.
“At the artisan meeting we found out that the tack shop wasn’t coming back (this year)… Pretty much that day I left the co-op,” says Eve.
Paul and Eve are now renting the space throughout the year, and hope to be able to stay open as the seasons change, although this is dependent on whether or not they can find a way to heat the small shop.
Eve says that the couple is happy to share their knowledge, and along with buying from customers, Eve and Paul are pleased to help date, identify and evaluate antique pieces.
Source: http://www.bclocalnews.com/
July 31st, 2008
Tiffany ” Co. has many designer jewelry lines for all kinds of jewelry. Of Course, they all have the different styles.
Diamonds by the Yard Tiffany jewelry is an elegant yet minimalist designer jewelry line well known for its sophistication and simplicity.
This prestigious jewelry line is designed by the renowned Elsa Peretti, an Italian jewelry designer who first joined the Tiffany cadre in 1974. For more than 30 years, she has been designing exquisite pieces, including Tiffany necklaces, Tiffany earrings, Tiffany bracelets, Tiffany rings, Tiffany pendants,and more. As a former model and a designer for other luxury companies such as Oscar De La Renta and Halston, Peretti uses her innate sense of style and elegance to create stunning jewelry infused with her belief that simple style can be the most outstanding. That celebration of the simple things in life is also the inspiration behind her Diamonds by the Yard jewelry line available at Tiffany ” Co.
The high quality of Tiffany jewelry is not inexpensive, and the Diamonds by the Yard line ranges from $500 for a small piece – a single stone pendant or small pair of earrings — to greater than $12,000 for larger designs that incorporate more diamonds and gemstones. Some pieces in the collection are available in either gold or platinum, and platinum designs are more expensive. And, You can get the discount price from tiffanymall.us.
Tiffany jewelry designs are available through authorized Tiffany mall online, Tiffany retailers and official boutiques. Individuals interested in purchasing Diamonds by the Yard Tiffany jewelry can visit a boutique or shop online at the official website, where a store locator can also help interested buyers locate an authorized retailer in their area. Because these designs are very simple they can be easily imitated, and buyers should be cautious about deals that seem too good to be true or offers from unverifiable merchants.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 at and is filed under Uncategorized, Shopping. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Source: http://scottmao.indiainteracts.com/
July 29th, 2008
Fashion, Lifestyle, Trends
Press release from: San Diego Jewelry Buyers
Over the past year, skyrocketing gas and grocery prices have sent many Americans looking for ways to leverage their existing capital, including those assets which have been gathering dust in their jewelry boxes. Near record level prices for gold and diamonds has been a boon for hard-pressed consumers in need of extra cash, as well shoppers who’ve decided now is the time to bring their fine jewelry and watches into the 21st century. To better assist those who are considering selling their second-hand jewelry, San Diego Jewelry Buyers has just announced the publication of the SDJB Selling & Loan Guide for fine jewelry, diamonds, and watches.
Highlights from the guide include:
**The United States has over 12,000 businesses that buy and sell used jewelry, watches, and diamonds. Not all are the same. When deciding on whom to entrust with your fine jewelry transaction, be selective, do research, and choose only those businesses that specialize and understand the current jewelry market.
**For simple gold jewelry, the rule of thumb is to accept 50%-80% of gold’s current trading price, otherwise known as the “spot price”. Remember that 24K jewelry is pure gold, 18K is 75%, 14K is 58%, and 10K is 41.7%. For name brand fine jewelry and watches (such as Tiffany, Cartier, Rolex, and Patek Philippe) you can expect to get higher prices, depending on the condition of the piece, as well as the maker, and overall desirability.
**Not all jewelry can be resold or used as collateral. Very few businesses will accept costume jewelry, unless it a very rare item. And silver jewelry is worth only a fraction of what gold jewelry is worth, although some kinds of designer and/or antique silver jewelry can be valuable.
**To ensure the best price for your gold jewelry, deal only with those buyers who set their scales in grams. Some buyers set their scales in penny weight (1.55 grams), which likely means less money for you.
**Avoid those businesses which charge an unreasonably high interest rate on their loans. In states like Texas the legal rate for short term loans can go as high as 240%! Do not allow a troubling financial situation to force you into such a loan arrangement. There are always businesses to be found that will charge you a reasonable interest rate. And if you need help, seek guidance from a free consumer credit management service, such as: Debt-mgt.org or Familycredit.org.
**When obtaining a loan on fine jewelry or watches your anonymity and credit rating are protected. Loan operators don’t do credit checks. If the customer can’t pay back the loan it doesn’t hurt their record. The loan operator simply keeps the collateral.
To read the entire SDJB Selling & Loan Guide, please visit their website at SanDiegoJewelryBuyers.com.
San Diego Jewelry Buyers
861 6th Ave, Suite 125 San Diego, CA 92101
619-239-0900
Contact: Alan Blyler
sandiegojewelrybuyers@gmail.com
Located at the Jewelers Exchange Building in the gas-lamp quarter of downtown San Diego, SDJB leverages over 20 years of industry experience and fine jewelry expertise to make certain that customers receive the fairest cash offers and loans for their diamond/gemstone jewelry, and premiere brand watches.
Source: http://www.openpr.com/
July 29th, 2008
P.K. Abdul Ghafour
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Customs Department has urged all incoming and outgoing travelers to declare cash or precious metals worth more than SR60,000.
“Saudi Customs reminds all passengers with cash, transferable monetary instruments or precious metals exceeding SR60,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency to declare them to customs officials upon arrival or departure,” the department said in a statement.
“Failure to make the declaration would subject them to confiscation and the bearer will be liable to legal penalties,” it added.
It said the filling of declaration forms was important in accordance with Article 14 of the Anti-Money Laundering Law. “Those who do not declare the precious metals and jewelry they possess while leaving the Kingdom have to pay customs duty on them on their return,” the statement said.
Declaration forms are available at all of the Kingdom’s entry points, including airports and seaports. Passengers should write their names, passport numbers and addresses in Saudi Arabia. They should also state their country of origin and destination, flight numbers, the type of currency they are carrying, the total amount in Saudi riyals, the value of precious metals in Saudi riyals, their source and the purpose of carrying them.
The declaration form also asks travelers to state: “I hereby acknowledge that the information declared above is correct and I shall be criminally responsible for any mis-declaration.” The form also warns in red, “not declaring will expose you to legal questioning.”
The main purpose of the declaration is to prevent money laundering and terrorist funding. The Kingdom has intensified its efforts to combat money laundering at the national, regional and international levels.
“The Kingdom is among the first few countries, which gave special attention to counter money laundering by committing to and complying with many rules and international conventions,” said Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf in a statement.
The Kingdom has adopted new laws to combat money laundering and terror financing, which were enacted in May 2003. The Kingdom has implemented all 40 recommendations regarding money laundering and all eight regarding terror financing of the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Saudi Arabia and the United States established a joint task force in August 2003 to deal with terror financing. This task force operates as an integrated unit and brings the resources of both governments together. On Sept. 21-25, 2003, the Kingdom hosted a FATF team to make a joint evaluation on the procedures the Kingdom has taken to combat money laundering and terror financing, and found that Saudi Arabia’s new laws in the area were amongst the strictest in the world.
Source: http://www.arabnews.com/
July 28th, 2008
Wal-Mart hopes new line eases worries over mining tactics
By Steve Painter
LITTLE ROCK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s recent move toward enabling jewelry shoppers to trace the origins of their purchases has drawn praise and cautions from groups that monitor the mining and jewelry manufacturing industries.
Wal-Mart’s new “Love, Earth” jewelry line is aimed at easing buyers’ concerns that their gold and silver items might be the result of forced labor or other unethical workplace practices, or that the precious-metal mining process left an environmental disaster behind.
The Bentonville-based company - the world’s largest jewelry retailer - announced the initiative earlier this month. By 2010, Wal-Mart said, it intends to have 10 percent of its jewelry meet the new standards, a step toward …
Subscribers must LOG-IN to read this full story. Once you are logged in, all stories appear in their entirety.
If you are a print subscriber, click here to sign up for free access to the online edition. If you are not a subscriber, click here to sign up for the online edition for $4.95 a month.
Stories older than seven days are available for purchase in the archives at $1.95 per item. Click here to search the archives for this specific story. If your search doesn’t return any results, contact the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette library at (501) 378-3851.
This article was published Sunday, July 27, 2008.
Business, Pages 77, 86 on 07/27/2008
Source: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/
July 28th, 2008
Why are earrings the most important item of jewelry? By important I mean the piece of jewelry that will do the most for your appearance. As with all jewelry it should blend with your overall attraction. You don’t want the first comment to be about your great jewelry and then you come in second. Your overall look is what needs to be fabulous, then after the comments of how stunning you look, they can notice your cool jewelry. Later we will look at what style of earrings the stars wore to the Oscars.
Earrings are what frames your face, along with hair, if the colour and style of your earrings are right they will be like two spotlights adding a glow to your face, making it brighter and more alive. Earrings with a decoration on the front of the post, covering the pierced hole, has the reflected light starting from the right point. Earrings with a shepherd hook usually start from a lower aspect and part of the effect can be lost. Also with the shepherd hook if the earring is heavy it shows up the drag on the lobe, these earrings are probably better suited for lighter more casual wear.
Looking at the Oscars 2007. On the Red Carpet almost all of the earrings that the stars wore were decorated from the front of the post, very few were shepherd hook earrings. Most earrings at the Oscars were quite elaborate but not overly so. Some like Nicole Kidman only wore tiny studs. I only saw one star, where the first thing that stood out was her jewelry, the rest were very tasteful.
More Earrings from the Oscars 2007
Cate Blanchett – black stone on the lobe with a larger stone dropped from the first
Emily Blunt – Stud earrings
Gwyneth Paltrow – Stone on the lobe with a large elaborate diamond shaped drop<
Helen Mirren – Medium button style
Jennifer Hudson – Long drop earring with the piercing covered
Jennifer Lopez – Long drop earring with the piercing covered
Nicole Kidman – Tiny stud
Penelope Cruz – Large flower shaped button style
Portia de Rossi – A short drop from a smaller stone on the lobe
Jada Pinkett Smith – Large diamond shaped drop from a covered piercing
Maggie Gyllenhaal – A medium retro hoop with a filigree decorated boat at the bottom of the hoop – piercing was exposed
Rachel Weisz – Stud earring
Kate Winslett – an elaborate button style
My vote goes to Penelope Cruz for making her earrings work for her, there are some photos on my Blog, the link is below, go and leave your comment.
Earrings have a long history and date back to the earliest of times. From ancient countries the earrings recovered have nearly all been a variation of the hoop earring, a style that has remained popular to this day. In Cyprus, from the middle of the 2nd Millennium BC, the popular earrings were painted terracotta in the form of stylised nude females. Earlobes were pierced 2 or 3 times and large terracotta hoops suspended from them.
In Ancient Egypt jewels were an important part of the culture, worn by men, women and children. They also used jewelry to adorn statues. There were various hoop styles among the earrings. Earlobe piercing was evident, and the wearing of very heavy earrings from an early age caused the earlobes to be extremely elongated and deformed.
From the late 4th Century BC, earrings were becoming more elaborate in design. The earrings often had suspended pendants and chains. Filigree, granulation, leaf, rosettes and doves were all used to decorate the boat or lower half of the hoop.
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance earrings were in decline due to the fashion of high collars and a headdress that often covered the ears. It was not until centuries later, about the 1530s that earrings began to emerge again, this was again due to the change in hair and headdress styles. The newly emerging earrings were in the form of plain gold hoops with a pearl drop.
Then in the 17th century earrings started to make a real comeback. By the middle of the 17th century earrings were an essential item. The designs became more complex and interesting. They used ruby, pearls, emeralds and enamel in floral motifs.
18th and 19th centuries saw beautiful and elaborate designs, often using semi-precious stones. They also used diamonds and pearls and very intricate goldsmith techniques.
Early in the 20th century around 1910 to 1930 Art Deco style was popular. At this time ear piercing began to be thought of as barbaric, and clamping earrings to the earlobe with a screw fitting became popular.
1947 saw the feminine new look by Dior. This set the scene for earring design to come to the fore in a new and creative way.
In the 1970s earring design become larger and more varied. The ever popular hoops were back in demand, with many of the hoops decorated with precious gemstones.
In the late 1970s ear piercing started to make a comeback and was popular again. This trend has continued up until today when almost every woman, a large number of men and children have their earlobes pierced once or many times.
Now, as seen at the Oscars, styles are very diverse from studs to shoulder dusters. Fortunately for us we do not have to pay as much for beautiful earrings as the stars do. With today’s technology the quality of man-made gemstones is very good. Resulting in beautiful and much more economical earrings, and other jewelry. Good quality inexpensive jewelry can look as good as the expensive items. For example the cubic zirconia which is made from minerals, resembles the much more expensive diamond. Cubic zirconia is not quite as hard as a diamond but it can be cut and faceted in the same beautiful designs that a diamond can be cut in. Cubic zirconia can be colored to resemble ruby, emerald, sapphire or any other stone. Another cost cutting technique is to quality plate Sterling Silver with 18k Gold. This gives the benefits of gold at a Sterling Silver price. The choice is yours, try all styles and see which does the best for you. Enjoy your earrings and look fabulous.
By: Kathleen Luvit
Source: http://www.pressemeldungen.at/
July 25th, 2008
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre will host the first Dubai Diamond and Jewellery Summit, with the objective of providing the international jewelry trade with a forum to initiate relationships in the Middle. The two-day event will focus on Middle East-China diamond and jewelry trade. It will be held Nov. 8 and 9 at the Atlantis Hotel, Palm Jumeirah.
The summit builds on a visit to China by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice President and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai.
The event is an attempt to reinforce ongoing efforts to strengthen trade relations between both countries, DMCC said in a statement. It also follows two strategic agreements signed earlier this year by DMCC with the government of Panyu, China, and with the Gems & Jewellery Trade Association of China, for increased cooperation towards mutual growth and promotion of diamond and jewellery trade.
Diamond trade in the UAE alone witnessed record growth in 2007, eclipsing $10 billion. Dubai’s rough diamond trade alone witnessed a 32 percent growth in the first quarter of 2008, with a total of $ 1.5 billion while polished diamond trade reached $2.7 billion. The Chinese jewelry industry has also achieved record sales in 2007, with a growth of 11 percent more than $26 billion.
“Emerging economies such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt are all set to become the center of the fast-growing jewelry business in the next three years, with Dubai being the natural gateway for the wider region,” said Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCC executive chairman. “In fact, the UAE and Hong Kong are among the prominent markets experiencing exponential growth. This summit will focus on the growing business potential between China and the Middle East, two major global trading blocs.”
Source: http://www.jckonline.com/
July 25th, 2008
By ANDREA MURRAY
Try to imagine Cartier without gobs of sparkling diamonds. Really. Try it. Still can’t? The Museum of Fine Arts’ new exhibition puts aside all the bling bling and brings back a more organic jewelry palette. One of the big names featured in the exhibit is Tiffany—and not that one. Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of Tiffany & Co.’s founder, was the creator of the first Tiffany-style stained glass lamp..S Art Nouveau jewelers were rebels in the decorative arts during their time. They rejected the “tyranny of diamonds” and used materials that were praised for intrinsic over artistic value. Enamel, elephant ivory, manipulated horn, molded glass and a sparse amount of diamonds is the angle here. The pieces are dreamy and sometimes romantic. They feature natural imagery in three distinct motifs: flora (flowers and trees), ethereal or dark creatures (like swans or panthers), and the female figure, which represents the changing role of women in society. “Art Nouveau jewelry is regarded by many as the most beautiful and technically sophisticated jewelry ever created. It was flamboyant, fantastical, sensual and poetic,” says Curator of Jewelry Susan B. Kaplan. Fuck you, Usher. You and your diamond-encrusted “U” necklace.
[Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry. Wed 7.23.08-Sun 11.9.08. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 617.267.9300. $6.50-$17 . mfa.org]
Source: http://www.weeklydig.com/
July 24th, 2008
Dhyan Sherri exhibits her ancient-inspired treasures at Karats in Vail this weekend
Cassie Pence
Vail CO, Colorado
VAIL — Symbols are a necessary part of the human experience. Whether it’s an illustration, shape, letter or a combination of all three, symbols are one of the earliest forms of communication.
Artist Dhyan Sherri is inspired by ancient symbols. She’s particularly drawn to the Egyptian Utchat, or eye, which conveys moon when it’s the left eye and sun when it’s the right. It’s the design of symbols that she’s drawn to, and she incorporates symbols from all across the world in her jewelry.
Egypt, in general, has always been a point of inspiration for the artist. When living in New York, she spent all of her free time roaming the Egyptian corridors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it’s here where she decided to embark on a jewelry making career.
“I have always been drawn to Egypt,” Sherri said. “The way I make my jewelry is very similar to the way ancient Egyptians used to make their jewelry.”
In her quaint seaside studio in Maui, Sherri crafts one-of-a-kind pieces by hand using 22-karat gold and natural gem stones. Sherri studied jewelry making and design at Parsons School of Design and Jewelry Arts Institute in New York City. She’s schooled as a contemporary jeweler, but she prefers the visceral experience of shaping jewelry by hand and using rustic tools like heat and a hammer to create adornments that are reminiscent of the past. She extended her formal training to learn and master ancient jewelry-making.
Karats in Vail hosts a trunk show with Sherri Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Vail Village. The artist will be on hand to discuss her jewelry.
‘One big tribe’
Most of her work is kissed with intricate filigree work, a technique that’s become a signature look for Sherri. Filigree is done by heating 22-karat gold with a torch and then using the torch like a paint brush to fuse together separate shapes. She uses the technique to create ancient symbols on her jewelry, like an OM dangle on her earrings or a Celtic clasp on her wrap necklaces.
“I think it’s important to bridge all different cultures. The reason why I like different symbols from different cultures is I believe that we are all one big tribe,” Sherri said. “It’s a way of sharing. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can appreciate something from a different culture.”
Lately, Sherri’s inspiration arrives from the oldest set of symbols — the starry night sky. She’s created a whole collection of constellation jewelry, using diamonds and sapphires to map out the stars. Rather than fuse together a gold Taurus symbol with filigree, she forms the beast’s constellation using gem stones on a hand hammered bracelet, for example.
Her first constellation piece was designed especially for a client. Sherri wanted the jewelry to have special meaning, so she mapped out Aquarius, the woman’s Astrology sign, on a thick cuff. Sherri also added symbols that were in the Hawaiian sky during the time of the piece’s creation. A big diamond represents the full moon.
“That’s the direction I’m headed. I want to personalize the jewelry. My hope is that more people will come to me with their specific design,” Sherri says.
She’s also been playing around with Jyotish, or Vedic astrology, jewelry settings, where she specifically sets stones so they touch the skin. Vedic astrology followers believe that stones are powerful, so when they touch the skin, it affects your life. Sherri works with Vedic astrologers to help her clients determine what stone would have the desired effect.
“I totally enjoy doing Vedic settings because it feels purposeful,” Sherri said.
During her exhibit, Sherri will take commissions by appointment only. In the past, people have requested her to re-set old stones and draw personally meaningful symbols with the gold. Sherri can also suggest which gem stones would be most powerful to you. For more information, visit www.karatsvail.com.
Cassie Pence is a freelance writer based in Vail.
Meet the artist
What: Trunk show with Dhyan Sherri
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Karats in Vail Village
Information: Call 476-4760
Source: http://www.vaildaily.com/
July 24th, 2008
Have you been taking a good look at those multi-millionaire celebrities recently? They don’t have much in common with us ‘common folk’ since their lifetyles are always so glamourous since they can afford so much more. Their houses are amazing, vacations out of this world and of course their designer clothing is nothing that we can ever afford. Recently however, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Jessica Simpson, Kim Kardahshian and others have been spotted wearing something that we all wear on a daily basis - that’s right - costume jewelry. Some of these colorful beaded jewelry that they’ve been seen wearing truly makes a fashion statement and brings out their more trendy and youthful side. At last week’s fashion awards in New York city Paris Hilton wore bangles and bracelets on both arms and none of these were gold or platinum. These were all friendship bracelets no doubt and charm bracelets. Her chunky necklace complimented her slender neck and those amazing dangling swarovski crystal necklace put an extra twinkle in her eye.
I think it’s simply amazing that most of us cannot afford most of what these celebrities wear - but we can most certainly afford the jewelry they now wear. It could be because of the Sex in the City craze that started years ago where Carrie Bradshaw consistently wore those beautiful promise rings and fashionable jewelry sets but I am also inclined to believe that celebrities too can see the importance in mixing and matching a look just like all the rest of us, and costume jewelry truely allows for this self-expression. In short dressing this trendy is an art-form in itself.
Now with three physical stores in Miami, Hollywood and Las Vegas, Jewelry Meets Fashion has opened their discount costume jewelry online store for everyone to finally have access to the jewelry that Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian made famous.
By: Milanya
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
July 2008
Source: http://www.pressemeldungen.at/
July 22nd, 2008
Previous Posts
