Category: Jewelry

How is costume jewelry made?

1. Manmade stones such as cubic zirconia, rhinestone, glass, or plastic are a primary component of most costume jewelry. The most popular of which is cubic zirconia because of its physical characteristics. It is used to create simulated versions of precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Its sparkly appeal and inexpensive price tag allow for much larger, more glitzy fashion pieces that instantly attract attention. Colored glass can also be used to simulate precious stones and faux pearls. Rhinestone jewelry is also popular because of its glitzy appeal and color choices. Epoxy and acrylic are plastics that is often used to make inexpensive bead jewelry.

Instead of manmade stones sometimes semiprecious stones such as pearls, topaz, black opal, amethyst, or peridot are used to provide a more fine jewelry appeal.

2. A base metal such as tin, copper, brass, nickel, aluminum or a combination of metals that has been altered to resemble more precious metals (e.g. gold). This is achieved by a variety of methods including:

tone: Have you ever heard of costume jewelry that is referred to as silver or gold tone? This means just what the name implies. Tone refers to the color of the metal only. Gold and silver tone jewelry are silver and gold in color but contain no actual gold or silver.

electroplating: This is probably the most common method. In this process an electric current is used to deposit a thin layer, as little as 2 mils (a mil is one millionth of an inch) onto the base alloy metal which is immersed in a salt bath solution of the precious metal that will be used to plate the object.

layering: This method also utilizes the process of electroplating. However, the plated object is immersed for a longer period of time allowing for a much thicker layer of precious metal to be deposited. Layered gold or silver may consist of approximately 20-50 mils of gold or silver. Although it doesn’t sound like much, this thicker layer results in a much more durable, longer lasting jewelry piece especially when coated with a protective material such as Tarniban which is an organic substance that provides a protective shield and adds to the hardness of the metal.

overlay: This method utilizes heat rather than electricity to combine the base metal with the precious metal to form a new alloy. This creates a permanent bond between the metals which creates jewelry that can be as durable and long lasting as the real thing with proper care. Gold overlay jewelry is also sometimes referred to as gold filled. It is generally safer for sensitive skin than costume jewelry made by other methods.

Technibond: This is considered to be one of the most desired methods of gold plating because it uses a full 40 mils of 14kt gold over .925 sterling silver. For gold and silver lovers it is the best of both worlds. However, as with any plated item, a protective coating should be added for best results.

vermeil: Vermeil is considered to be the absolute best in gold plating. This type of jewelry contains as much as 100 mils of gold over .925 sterling silver and as you can expect is also a bit pricier. It may be worth it for someone looking for something closer to the real thing without paying the exorbitant price for solid gold.

3. Costume jewelry may also consist of odd materials such as wood, stone, and shell which can be either natural or colored.

Caring for your costume jewelry

Although costume jewelry doesn’t require much of an investment, it is still important to get the most bang for your buck by taking proper care of your jewelry by following a few simple steps:

NEVER allow costume jewelry to come in contact with oils, soaps, perfumes, or any harsh chemicals which can fade or even ruin the item.

ALWAYS remove jewelry before sports, swimming, exercising, washing hands, showering, cleaning, doing laundry, or applying lotions or creams.

NEVER store jewelry wet. Always dry with a soft cloth before storing.

Store your jewelry items seperately in sealable bags to prevent scratching.

Store jewelry in a clean, dry, cool, not cold place away from heat and dust.

When cleaning, be gentle! Use a soft toothbrush and jewelry cleaner that specifically states that it is safe for costume jewelry. Make sure it does not contain acid, alcohol, or ammonia. Only use jewelry cleaner as directed. DO NOT over scrub.

Only use a cloth specially made for jewelry when buffing.

Regularly check for loose stones.

Why choose costume jewelry?

Costume jewelry, also referred to as fashion jewelry, is a fun and inexpensive way to express your own unique style. Its less costly composition means that it is easy to get your moneys worth of use out of it and allows for a much larger variety of bigger, bolder, attention grabbing colors and styles that can be mixed and matched according to your mood or wardrobe.

Continue Reading

Since ancient times, India’s tribes have developed an indigenous style of jewelry-making, using easily available raw materials such as clay, bone, stone, wood and others. Today, ethnic tribal jewelry from India is as popular as handmade jewelry crafted by professional artisans using sophisticated instruments.

West Bengal is well known for its terracotta jewelry . In the town of Shantiniketan, artisans craft beautiful necklaces, rings , bracelets, anklets, pendants, bangles , hair pins and other trinkets. This trendy Indian jewelry is made of clay, which is then engraved and glazed. West Bengal is also known for its Navratna jewelry .

India is also famous for its jute jewelry . This colorful jewelry is adorned with beads, shells , and brightly colored threads. Jute is very popular with the youngsters, because it is not expensive, is light weight, and eco friendly.

The state of Orissa in India is renowned for its filigree jewelry. This is a very intricate and delicate art of jewelry making, in which fine threads of metal are curled, twisted and plaited. These are then joined by means of gold or silver solder and borax using a blowpipe.

India is one of the world’s largest exporters of pearls , and the main centre of pearl trade in India, is Hyderabad. This historical and culturally rich city has become synonymous with pearls. And these are available in a whole range of colors from the exquisite white to a dark grey. They are strung together in necklaces and bracelets and set in earrings, bangles and other ornaments.

Jewelry from Kashmir is characterized by its mirror and bead work . Kashmiri earrings are typically heavy and bell shaped. Kashmir is also famous for its sapphires. Kashmiri sapphires have been mined for nearly 40 years (1880- 1920s) in the cliffs over the small village of Sumjana.

The colorful state of Rajasthan in North-west India is associated with heavy jewelry made of oxidized silver that is worn by its tribes, as well as with exquisite meenakari, kundan and lacquer jewelry.

Lacquer jewelry: This Indian jewelry is made of lac, which is a hardened tree-sap. It is then colored; typically blue, red and green, after which it is decorated with brass and studded with glass.

Meenakari jewelry: This jewelry from India was introduced by Raja Mansingh of Amer. He invited skilled artisans from Lahore to his kingdom, and they influenced the jewelry craft of the local craftsman. Meenakari jewelry is gold jewelry in which are set precious gemstones, and which is then enameled with gold. Jaipur, Alwar, Pratapgarh and Nathdwara are the important centers of Meenakari work in Rajasthan.

Kundan jewelry is a specialty of Rajasthan. The kundan is a semi-precious opaque crystal. Artisans begin by shaping individual pieces and then soldering them together. Thereafter, they engrave the jewelry and cut holes in it. The pieces are then enameled. Lac is inserted in the back, so that it is visible through the holes. Gold is then used to cover the lac, and the kundan stone is pushed in.

Another famous form of jewelry from India is the Pachchikam jewelry of Gujarat.

Indian jewelry, we see, embraces numerous styles and techniques, and uses several raw materials. While silver and gold are the most popular materials, copper, lac, bone, wood, jute and clay are also widely used. Jewelry studded with gemstones is as popular as that which is adorned with beads, shells, mirrors and other decorative items.

Use of Gold in Indian Fashion: Indian Gold ornaments are popular because the metal is believed to have the power purify anything it touches. Ornaments of gold and other metals, often combined with precious and semi-precious gems and beads, are popular with both men and women in India. Traditionally, Indian ornaments had economic significance for women too. The ornaments given to her at her wedding constituted a daughter’s inheritance from her father ( Dowry). Customarily land and other property was divided among the sons, though this no longer holds true. In addition, a bride’s ornaments were financial security throughout her life.

Ornaments of Indian Fashion :

Nose pin or Rings : More common than a nose ring, both are symbols of purity & marriage, though today many unmarried Indian girls wear this adornment.

Necklace: These are very popular fashion accessories across India amongst girls and women of all ages. Necklaces are made of a variety of materials, ranging from glass beads to gold and diamonds. One special necklace is the mangal sutra, worn only by married Indian women. It is the Indian equivalent of the western wedding ring. Traditionally a woman wore it during her wedding ceremony and took it off only if her husband died.

Bangles: Worn on the wrist, bangles are believed to be protective bands and women always wore them as symbolic guards over their husbands. As with other ornaments, bangles today are worn by women of all ages all over India and are made of silver, gold, wood, glass, and plastic, among other materials.

Ear rings: Rings, studs and other ornaments worn in the ears are popular all over the country. In fact, a girl’s ears are usually pierced before her first birthday.

Other important ornaments are finger rings, toe rings and anklets. Rings for the fingers are again, of various materials and designs and worn by unmarried and married women. Since the ring has become a common adornment, it is no longer considered a symbol in Indian marriages. However, toe rings and anklets are still worn mostly by married women. Ornaments for the feet are usually made of silver because gold, being a ‘pure’ metal, was not supposed to be worn on the feet. This privilege was given only to women of royal Indian families.

In addition to these ornaments is the ‘mangatika’ or ‘tikli’. This ornament, worn at the top of the forehead in the parting of the hair, is usually a small pendant on the end of a chain that is clasped to the hair. Although traditionally this ornament was also worn as a symbol of marriage, today it is not so commonly worn even by married women.

Kajal or Eyeliner : From the time a child is six days old, its mother applies kajal to its eyes and also a small black dot on the forehead to mar the child’s beauty. This ‘imperfection’ is said to protect from evil.

Sindoor : dot on forehead of woman indicating married status of Indian Women, power, protection for her husband. It is applied by the husband as part of wedding ceremony.

Continue Reading

When a person is facing the problem of monetary shortage, at time he is not able to finds out a solution to get out such a situation. Are you also in such a dilemma? Do you own jewelery? If yes then loans against jewellery would sought your problem out in as less time as possible. With the help of this monetary service, the borrower would be able to fetch suitable funds by pawing jewelry. You can use this money for anything you want.

In order to do, you need to go online and search through all the options that would be available to you online. There would be a number of companies that would be ready to buy your jewelery that may be in gold, silver or diamond. Your stuff can be old, new, out of fashion, broken or anything else. Now you can very easily get rid of your jewelery if you want to do for any reason whether it has becomes out of fashion or whether you need cash help. Since there would a lot of option available to you, you need to be careful in choosing a deal that would provide you the maximum values of your possession.

Applying for loans against jewelery is quite simple. You only have to fill an online with your personal details and with the details of your things, which would be given on the websites of the companies. After they would get your application form, they experts from the company would contact you. Once the deal gets fixed, you would have to courier your jewelery to them whose charges would be bearded by them. The money one would get in his account would be completely based on the condition of his materiel and the rules of the companies. Once you repay the money in time, you would get your jewelery back.

Xavier Alexander is a well known Financial Consultant. He provide useful advice through his articles on payday loans uk and bad credit loans instant decision

Continue Reading

Jewelry comes in all kinds of designs, styles and colors and seems to be an all-time favorite for women. Be it earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces or nose studs, the market is flooded with all kinds of variety. However, if you intend to buy jewelry online you can prosper from a variety of additional advantages. Not only do you save efforts and unnecessary legwork but you can get to see a wide range of collection at one place and simply make a selection and purchase online.

Jewelry has adorned women for centuries now and owing to the changing demand of women, you are sure to come across a variety of unique designs. As a matter of fact, most women tend to wear jewelry on all kinds of occasions. Even if it’s just a visit to the next door neighbor, most women would still adorn themselves with a simple necklace or ring.

When it comes to selecting jewelry for the right kind of occasion some of the best ways you have is to either visit the nearest store or buy jewelry online. If you go for the latter option you can easily compare different online stores with one another and make your purchase. A good website would always showcase their jewelry items in an attractive way and also list down the pricing and the kind of discounts you can benefit from. Well portrayed images can assist you in the buying process and remove any confusion.

While you do look for websites that offer the option to buy jewelry online, choose a website that has categorized their products in a user friendly manner. This not only helps save time but can also help you choose what you want in the first go. A well categorized and designed website definitely enhances user experience and you can easily make up your mind as to what to buy.

Another important aspect worth considering while you tend to buy jewelry online is to notice the payment gateway process. A good and secure website should make the payment process smooth and effortless for you. In case you still experience any trouble then a reliable website would always have a contact us or customer care section where you can find the contact details of the online store. Simply make a call and describe the kind of issue you have encountered.

Continue Reading