What is it about the Diamond!

How did the people in April get so lucky to have a diamond as their birth stone. It is a girls best friend, referred to as ice, the traditional stone for an engagement ring, measured in carats, can be cut into pears and Lucy is in the sky with them.

I have one piece on my site that could even be considered for those lucky April birthday girls.

Of course, I'm sure they would be happy with any piece of jewelry from stranded.com

Then, there is always cubic zirconia.

Charmed I'm Sure

I have always loved charms. The smaller and the more intricate the better. I have been scouring swap meets and antique stores for charms for a couple of years to find the most unique pieces. I have incorporated several of them into my jewelry. I also love working with Milagro charms (which means small miracle). My friend just sent me a link to Ann Taylors "September Must Haves" and they feature charm necklaces. anntaylorloft.com/atlShowCategory.process?RestartFlow=t&Section_Id=727&ap2

One of the favorite pieces I made has an antique key, antique heart and an angel a friend bought me in from Mexico.

I also have a piece incorporating a Milagro charm.


For more "charmed" jewelry go to www.stranded.com

August's Gemstone is Peridot
Anybody who knows me, knows I love green. You may notice that a lot of the jewelry I design is green so naturally I'm attracted to the gemstone Peridot--which is also known as Olivine. The color of Peridot runs from a transparent yellow green to a deeper shade of chartreuse. In ancient times, it was thought to foster friendship and it was suppose to rid the mind of any envious thoughts. This powerful stone was also thought to prevent liver disease and excess fluid retention. In ancient times people thought the Peridot stone was a gift from nature to celebrate the beginning of spring. Major sources of Peridot can be found in Arizona, China, Pakistan and Burma. Just one more tid bit of information about Peridot--it isn't a very hard stone so it can scratch very easily. Check out some of these pieces on stranded.com

The first item was designed by Joy and it contains some Peridot stones. The second item I designed and the necklace is made from Peridot chips. Finally, the third item I designes and these earrings are made from Peridot colored Swarovski beads.

My 15 Minutes of Fame
I have had my first article published in the Bead Bugle. They sent out an email asking for contributors and I thought that my story of bringing stranded.com to the internet might be of interest to other artists. My background in marketing helped me understand the process but it was so much more difficult to do it for myself than for other people. If you are interested in reading the article, here is the link: http://www.beadbugle.com/html/stranded_s_journey_to_the_inte.html

The Hidden Emotions of Jewelry

I read the most interesting article about Jewelry in my More magazine (June, 2006) www.more.com (OK so I might be giving away my age at this point but I'm not ready for my AARP card yet.) The article was called "Our Baubles, Ourselves" written by Kim Johnson Gross. It basically said that Jewelry has an "emotional shelf life" unlike clothes that have a "physical shelf life".

Think about the jewelry you have had for years and still wear, such as your wedding ring or your mother's wedding ring. If you get divorced, you may get rid of the ring or melt it down and make it into something else. I remember buying myself a ring with my tax return check in my mid twenty's. I still wear that ring and remember the place I purchased it and who was with me. It represented a time in my life when I could finally spend money on something frivolous.

Currently I'm creating myself a charm bracelet with old charms, new charms and milagros. Each charm has a special meaning. I intend to keep adding to it until I can't add any more. Jewelry expresses who we are and can define us. Some people wear the classics such as pearl necklaces and tiffany bracelets. Others, like me, follow trends and collect special pieces that are timeless (most of those came from my husband). All of my big plastic earrings from 80's have been retired and sold at garage sales. However, some of my jewlery that I don't wear anymore, get's stashed away. I take it out every so often and remake it into something else, extending it's "emotional shelf life".

May Birthstone is an Emerald

I hope to get more emerald green jewelry up on my site for May. The emerald is associated with spring, healing, and new life. It also gives the wearer faithfulness and unchanging love. It may also give the wearer the ability to see into the future. Fine-quality emeralds can be more expensive than diamonds. The priciest emeralds are bright green; pale or cloudy stones are less. The emerald gem stone is actually a virety of the mineral beryl.

If you know of anyone born in may, buying a real emerald may be out this question and this would be an appropriate gift:


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How Much is Too Much to Pay for One-of-a-Kind Jewelry?

I put some of my jewelry in a store this week-end on consignment. Once the store's mark-up goes on, my pieces are more expensive than what I put them for on my site. However, I know they are still worth this price. I have seen similar items sell for as much or more plus I know how much time I put in to each piece and the quality of materials I use. However, the store owner was very doubtful she could sell them for her retail price.

I chose this store because their merchandise is high end--Jeans for $125-$200 and beaded t-shirts for $100+. Would a woman who spends this much on clothing spend $150 on a one-of-a-kind beaded necklace? According to the store owner, her customer wears real jewels. She carries the Prada purse. So, my pieces are too little for her, but too much for the other customers.

According to the latest Jewelry Arts and Lapidary Journal, woman are buying more jewelry for themselves. Especially younger woman who make their own money. They must, however, trust the person they are buying from. They will even save up to buy a special piece. According to this article, the pieces on STRaNDED are perfect for this customer. They want something that no one else has.

I will continue to look for my niche in this jewelry market. But if you are reading this, I would love your thoughts.