Made in America

Below is an article from National Jeweler. I am disappointed to see that they could not find striking silver and gold plated jewelry right here in the US. Remember to support your local jewelry artists. American made never goes out of style!

Pictured here is a sterling silver reclaimed mink ring by Washington DC artist Gayle Friedman. Simply irresistable.

Empoli, Italy--Rebecca, the Italian jewelry brand known for its gold-plated bronze and sterling silver jewelry as well as its recession-friendly price points, saw its sales double for the first half of 2009, the company has announced.

"This is an exciting time for Rebecca in the United States," U.S. president of the brand Agostino Magni said in a media release. "Our new sterling silver line and our stainless and gold-plated bronze jewelry are so innovative that celebrities love it, and retailers and their customers can buy great fashions at truly affordable prices."

Manufactured in Empoli, Italy, by Testi S.p.A., a company founded by Alessandro Testi in 1998, the brand is distributed in the United States by Testi USA.

The brand is sold at U.S. jewelers such as Fred Segal, based in Hollywood, Calif.; Mednikow in Memphis, Tenn.; Polacheck's Jewelers in Calabasas, Calif.; James and Sons in Chicago; Tappers Diamonds and Fine Jewelry in West Bloomfield, Mich.; Kings Jewelers in Aventura, Fla.; and Orr's Jewelers in Pittsburgh, as well as Bloomingdales and other independent high-end retailers.

Rebecca changes collections seasonally. Most recently, the brand released several new collections, including "Lucky" (pendants, amulets and rings with Italian good-luck motifs engraved on them), "Cleopatra" (Egyptian-inspired cuffs, bracelets, necklaces and earrings with geometric detailing) and Griffe (large open-work hoops in steel and bronze). All the jewelry carries a two-year warranty.

Trash for Gold

You have heard of cash for gold now meet trash for gold!

Swiss designer, Sylvie Fleury, uses gold to make a statement. Nope - not a jewelry statement like so many of the celebs this summer, but an artistic statement by using gold in everyday objects that comment on the state of luxury in American society.

Gold-plated items from phones and remote controls to pet mattresses and chocolates have appealed to the rich and famous for years, and now Fleury is giving the well-heeled among us an opportunity to put their money where their trash is.

Her first attempt at gold sculpture came in the guise of a 24-carat vintage New York city trash can in her "Yes to All" exhibit, reports the blog Bornrich.org. Now, she's offering up a smaller gold-plated trash bin that is covered in nickel and coated in gold sheets.

The artist made 25 pieces for her limited collection and is selling the golden garbage grabbers for a mere $10,000 - $15,000 each.

Is that all?

Excerpt from http://www.jewelry.com/2009-07-jn-gold-trash.shtml

5 Carat Cushion Cut Pink Diamond WOW!

Hong Kong--A five-carat cushion-cut pink diamond known as "The Vivid Pink" is set to lead Christie's Hong Kong sale this fall.

According to a media release from the New York-based auction house, The Vivid Pink is the largest potentially flawless fancy-vivid-pink diamond ever offered for sale at auction.

Property of a private collector and set in a ring by renowned jeweler Laurence Graff, the diamond is expected to fetch HK $39-$55 million (about $5 million-$7 million).

Christie's fall Hong Kong sale is set for Dec. 1.

Prior to the sale, The Vivid Pink will be on display in the following cities: New York, Oct. 17-20 at Christie's Rockefeller Center Galleries; Singapore, Oct. 29-30 (by appointment only); Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 11-12 (by appointment only); Geneva, Nov. 15-17 at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues; Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 21-22 at the Fubon Life Assurance Building; and Hong Kong, Nov. 27-Dec. 1 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Excerpt from National Jeweler.

Great Jewelry Does Not Necessarily Mean High Price

Sometimes the simplest design can be a work of great art. I took a class with Charles Lewton Brain once and he talked about how any jeweler that can make a living full time at their craft is an amazing individual. This is the basis of the whole Indie movement in craft, affordable quality jewelry. This is not to say that all of the Indie work is great but as with any other profession greatness is bestowed upon a few. To find quality Indie jewelry in your area I suggest you contact the local "Craft Mafia" located in most major metropolitan area or visit sites like Etsy and Indie Public. There are over 10,000 stores so you will need to sharpen your search skills. Since this work is not juried you'll have to kiss a lot of frogs. But it is wonderful feeling when you find a gem!

Hand Textered Bracelet by Pat Baker $83

Jewelry Sale

I am a huge fan of Atelier Hratch Babikian and his jewelry is now on sale. Stop by and see for yourself the work of this amazing artist. www.artjewelryonline.com/hratchbabikian.

The Apprentice Sells Jewelry

I saw the jewelry made by the apprentice winner. In my opinion it was singularly unimpressive. Still it may have some value as a novelty item. Jewelry is a combination of taste and crafsmanship. So as long as it is well made and you like it I say go for it.

Tourmaline Gemstones

Pink and water melon colored tourmaline are my favorite gemstones. If the center of the slice is red and the area around it green, the stone is given the nickname 'water melon'. Although there are plenty of gemstone deposits which contain tourmaline's, good qualities and fine colors are not often discovered among them. For this reason, the price spectrum of the tourmaline is almost as broad as that of its color.

Tourmaline's are gems with an incomparable variety of colors. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the center of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colors of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today.

In the fascinating world of gemstones, the tourmaline is very special. Its high availability and its glorious, incomparable color spectrum make it one of our most popular gemstones - and apart from that, almost every tourmaline is unique.

Pictured left to right: Green tourmaline necklace by Lauren Schott, faceted pink tourmaline stone and rough water melon tourmaline.

For more information on tourmaline contact your local jeweler or go to the site listed below.

Bibliography: International Colored Gemstone Society http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/gem-by-gem-by-variety.html