Energy Efficiency

We’re in the process of making our living and working space as energy efficient and ‘green’ as possible. It’s been a process, and will remain so as we move and develop our new work and living environment.

The process has been more pleasant than I had imagined. The old fluorescent bulbs, used in schools and other institutions, have always given me migraines. Even the first of the compact fluorescent bulbs triggered migraines, and I was loathe to try them for obvious reasons. But when I read about the new warm light soft white bulbs, I was excited. They don’t trigger headaches at all, and will be replacing the old bulbs this week.

And though we’ve been busy, I have a few designs I’ll be working on. I look forward to sharing some them with you.

Our Apologies

Those of us at Of the Earth Artisans have had our hands quite full, and our blog has been suffering for it. Our apologies for not being the reliable go-to people our customers are accustomed to dealing with.

We will be making a concerted effort to maintain and update our blog and our website as we move our business forward.

Look forward to some changes in format and a few surprises as well!

Sincerely,

the artisans, artists and staff

Fashionable Stretch Jewelry?

I’ll admit it…there was a time when elastic jewelry conjured images of young girls and plastic beads. Times have changed, and so has elastic jewelry.

Stretch jewelry, as it is now referred to, has stepped into the limelight once again, and this time with a flash! The materials used to create stretch jewelry are less obvious. No white elastic string here! The cords vary in size and colors, and come in transparent as well.

Easy to slip into or out of, stretch bracelets slip into and out of popularity frequently, always as costume jewelry. There is, however, one area where costume jewelry and bridge jewelry are intertwined.

Jewelry for those with special requirements of their jewelry. They may have one of many issues that makes wearing jewelry difficult, but still choose to wear it. I am repairing two bracelets with a newer stretch material (I’m hoping this works well for her). This is only one way I’ve learned to consider the needs of our customers. I’m grateful for the lessons.

A New(ish) Sort of Guild

In all the time I’ve been writing in this blog, I’ve spent little time introducing a business guild I am a part of.

From the beginning of this affiliation with the eSMArts Guild I have benefited. I have gained so much wisdom, so many ideas, so much forward momentum for myself and for our business, that I have to say thank you to each and every member.

Topping that list is a woman who has repeatedly given her all to her teammates and guild members. She has brought new ideas and new technologies into our awareness and boldly stepped into new avenues to test the waters for us.

Anna Lee Husband, designer and business owner, has been the backbone of our guild. She has supported countless business owners as they stepped into the arena of self-promotion. She has brought guild members and business owners together and provided us a forum where we can come together and learn from one another.

There are few words that I can offer to Anna Lee, and thank you seems so small and paltry. But I am grateful for the support, the comradarie, the guiding light, your own knowledge and your friendship.

Anna Lee has several businesses under her belt in addition to all she does for the eSMArts guild. Take a moment or two and visit Anna Lee on her websites. You’ll see what makes her a much appreciated asset in our community and guild.

Anna Lee can be found at:
http://www.gahooletree.etsy.com (jewelry)
http://www.gahooletreesupplies.etsy.com (beads, findings & studio overstock)
http://www.oraclegemdesigns.com
http://www.gahooletree.ecrater.com (supplies TBA)
http://www.gahooletree.lov.li
http://www.oraclecycleworks.com (Canada’s best recumbent bicycles)

Anna Lee’s blog is:
gahooletreedesigns.blogspot.com

Your Jewelry’s Finish

Your jewelry’s finish is probably not something you’ve spent time thinking about, though it was likely a factor in choosing the piece you did. And the more you know about the finish on your jewelry, the better you will be able to care for it.

There are several common forms of metal finishing: polishing, buffing and burnishing. Among these mechanical  finishes, there are similarities. They are applied by physical abrasion of the metal surface using a secondary media. The media may include cloth, stone, metal and plastics combined with finishing compounds to aid the process. Methods of application include wheel abrasion, hand abrasion, blasting, tumbling barrels and vibratory finishers.

Mechanical finishes can be categorized by the way the parts to be finished are handled:

• Individually handled and finished using wheel abrasion or hand abrasion
• Mass finishing using tumbling barrels or vibratory finishers

The highest quality mechanical metal finishes are usually obtained by individually handling the parts and using some type of wheel abrasion. Fine hardware, furniture, and motorcycle parts are typically finished using this method. These finishes include:

• Grinding - Used to remove large amounts of metal, grinding can be used to remove large burrs (deburring), heavy scale, rust, and major metal imperfections. The resulting finish has significant grit lines and needs additional mechanical finishing prior to electroplating.
• Polishing - Very often mistaken as a mirror bright finish, polishing is similar to grinding but uses finer grits and compounds to remove significant metal imperfections and small metal burrs. It is usually used prior to buffing in order to obtain a mirror bright finish. In some cases multiple polishing steps using progressively finer grits are needed to obtain the desired finish.
• Buffing - Using cloth wheels combined with compounds, buffing is a final mechanical finish that results in a mirror bright to near mirror bright finish, depending upon the base metal and/or prior mechanical finishing steps. Buffing does not remove a large amount of metal.
• Satin - Also a final mechanical finish, a satin finish is an even, fine-grain, brush-type finish. A fine grit polishing finish produces a finish similar to a satin, which can be achieved using emery paper 350 grit.

Mass mechanical finishing is usually referred to as burnishing. It is a cost effective way to remove burrs and brighten metal where a perfect mirror finish is not required. A wide variety of methods exist using different types of machinery, media, and compounds depending upon the base metal and the desired results. Burnishing is also often used for brightening parts after the plating process.

Cleaning your jewelry can affect the finish on the metal. This is particularly true if you have jewelry that is plated (this includes vermeil). Ask your jeweler how to best take care of your jewelry. Metals and gemstones each have special care requirements. Know these before you clean and you’ll be more likely to keep your jewelry looking good for years to come.

Buyer Be Aware: Cultured Gems

If you’ve heard the phrase “cultured” gemstone or “cultured diamond”, chances are you’re one of the first. The Federal Trade Commission has made sure you won’t be the last, however.

Despite a petition submitted to the FTC by Jewelers Vigilance Committee and jewelry trade associations, the FTC has decided that use of the word ‘cultured’ is acceptable when referring to a laboratory-created gemstone. One caveat, the marketers must include one of four terms meant to clarify the origin of the stone: (laboratory created, laboratory-grown, manufacturer-created, synthetic)

Most consumers these days are at least somewhat familiar with the word “cultured” when related to pearls. It’s a term used to describe pearls that are implanted with a piece of shell, returned to salt water, and then taken when there is enough nacre built up to satisfy the ‘grower’. Laboratory grown diamonds and colored gemstones are, scientifically speaking, as real as the diamonds mined from the earth. Lab-grown stones are generally less expensive, are more clear (have less inclusions), and are much more ecologically sound for our environment. Still, people are more inclined to want the ‘real’ stone.

It’s important to remember that the term ‘cultured’ still refers to lab-grown or synthetic stones, and these stones are as real and genuine as the gem mined straight from rock. Its simply grown under more ideal conditions in a much shorter span of time.

Cultured gems are not fakes, and are often more technically ‘perfect’ versions of gemstones. A diamond is still a diamond at a molecular level, regardless of whether it is mined or laboratory-grown, and synthetic does not mean your stone is fake.

Of the Earth Artisans often recommends laboratory grown stones for customers who can’t afford the more expensive, mined versions. We also sell these gems to die-hard environmentalists, as the stone is frequently more ethically sourced.

My advice: think about what is important to you with regards to your jewelry, then talk to your jeweler about what options you are most comfortable with. Or email my husband or myself, and we’ll be glad to discuss these (and many other) issues.

Trust: The Customer’s Dilemma

Most people are a little timid when talking jewelry with a jeweler. The language may seem the same, but there are subtle definition differences that can be confusing. And there are so many aspects of stones, gems and metals that most customers are left to trust the jeweler they’re working with to tell them what they’re looking for.

As a jewelry designer and fabricator, I want my customers (and potential customers) to be well educated. That way they know what they are looking for and because of that, they know they can trust me.

The internet has led people into the jewelery buying arena without the information they need to make good decisions. And it isn’t their fault. Jewelers, gem cutters and the like have studied the various attributes of a large variety of precious and semi-precious stones, gems and metals; they have tested samples, handled, set, or otherwise worked with samples, good and bad examples of the very pieces the customer will one day purchase.

Why am I saying this? Several reasons, really. First, I know that people can learn what they need to in order to select and purchase their jewelry. I want them to know what I’m talking about and not wonder if what I’m saying is a lot of nonsense. And as a jewelry designer I work with people to build pieces of jewelry that speak to them, that are precisely what they want. It’s much easier to do that when they ask me to purchase a stone for them. Without adequate knowledge of gems, it’s far too easy to pick up a good deal that isn’t what they thought. As a jeweler, I need to know what I’m working with in order to create the jewelry my customers want.

Periodically I will be writing up information on a precious or semi-precious stone or gem, or offering information on gemstone qualities and how to interpret them for your own knowledge and use. Previously I had written about Agate, and while that post will remain here, the longer articles will also be published at our business website, http://of-the-earth.org , where information about our jewelry and our company can be found. Look for the announcement when we get it put together.

Kim

Tidbits and a moral…

I’ve returned to the world of school, to the tech college. After spending time with Don Norris, who taught me quite a bit about silversmithing and jewelry work, I decided to head back. And, as luck would have it, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College happens to have a good, solid program for jewelry design, fabrication and repair.

Not only will I improve my knowledge and skill, I will have more tools to explore. I look forward to working with the instructors I have…they have a good reputation and are good people to work with. My husband and I are hoping to find, through this time in school, to set up a public access/club access for a local art studio we’re planning.

We’re also taking time to focus on our customers and what they need. Each customer has an entry in our Special Dates and Days database. We include personal information, dates to remember, names aand addresses of anyone they might like to have reminded of said dates (some have listed themselves to be reminded of anniversary, etc.). In it we include information on what their gift recipient has had his/her eye on, what gifts are connected to certain dates, etc. Putting this together has been a large undertaking. And while I had hopes of the information being entered from several websites, it is only available to those who purchase or work with our company.

And the moral I’m sharing is to not put off for tomorrow what can be done today. I have not spent as much time drawing as I should have. And drawing is not something to be rushed. So I’m off…and those of you working with me on custom jewelry will probably notice a big difference in my sketches as well as the software I use to scan it and then send it out.

Enjoy the day!

Comments and Answers

There are a few questions that I thought I’d answer from the comments…which I do hope continue. I may not answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

Regarding my post on Agate, I have several comments. First, Wezz, this is the only book I own. I have several on my wish list. Try the following site for ideas on what sort of book you’d prefer.

http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/books/gemstones.shtml

There are a lot of books listed, a few less interesting to me than others.

Gem Identification Made Easy: A Hands-On Guide to More Confident Buying and Selling.                                         by Antoinette L. Matlins and A.C. Bonanno

And you’ll see the Schumann book listed as well.

Another comment on the agate information by Maharshi follows:

respected sir,may i have any research paper or any scientific proove that Gemstones can work for body?……….

Thank you for your kind request. For the record, I am a woman, metalsmith and jeweler. And I apologize for any miscommunication on my part. Each mention of the “lore” surrounding a stone, including its healing powers on the body, ought to be clearly labeled as “Lore”.

Under Lore, for this and any other article, is where you will find the stories and rumors of what a stone is purported to ‘do’. There may be medicinal qualitites, spiritual qualities, etc. that some people place on these stones. I do not endorse such notions. I merely note that others believe or mention these things. I see the lore as adding to the ’story’ of each stone and its history.

Thank you for reading my blog, and keep checking back. I’ll be posting more on stones and gems. And I’ll make it more clear that the lore I post does not translate to fact, or even my own belief.

Gems and Jewels: Agate

This information is here because one person who disagreed with me on the usefulness of websites told me what he would have liked to see on a website when he was purchasing an emerald ring. I decided that was a good enough reason to start this project.

In my gathering of information for my book (Gems and Jewels, Metals and Makings), I’ve collected information on a variety of stones from a variety of sources. The most common book I’ve used has been Gemstones Of the World by Walter Schumann. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in gemstones. For those of you only needing occasional information, I hope you’ll find it here.

In this information I will bring together some lore associated with the stone, some history, and information on its uses for jewelry.

Agate:

Agate is a form of chalcedony. Banded with vertically running microscopic quartz fibers, these layers, or bands, can have the same or different colors. Agate comes in all colors and ranges from opaque to transparent, appearing soft and waxy. Many pieces of agate these days are dyed, which is how agate retains its color and highlights for so long.

Hardness (Moh’s scale of hardness):

6.5-7

Jewelry

Agate is often used in rings, as pendants, and in making cameos.

Associations and History:

Once used by the Egyptians as a gemstone, today agate is not thought of as a gemstone. It is most often used, these days, as decorations, some jewelry (rings, pendants, cameos) and in industry because of its toughness and resistance to chemicals.

Lore:

Agates are thought to foster love, abundance, luck, strength, security, courage, protection, balance, harmony, inspiration, and appreciation of nature.

Healing lore: Agates are associated with healing insomnia, teeth, gums, stomach problems, stamina.

Black/Banded Agate: Lore: This is a stone for grounding and centering the energies of the Root or Base Chakra. Use for self control, grounding, resilience, quiet power, grounding, invisibility, peace and anxiety. Black agate is considered a receiving stones and is used for calming, soothing, inward meditation and reflection. When used for Chakra healing and balancing, Black Agate represents the element earth, and is therefore related to our survival instincts, and to our sense of grounding and connection to our bodies and the physical plane. Ideally, when using black stones at the Root Chakra, they bring us health, prosperity, security, and dynamic presence.

Blue Lace: Lore: Helps to focus on the inner source of love within you that transforms and heals all wounds. Contains the qualities of flight, air, movement, and grace. Highly inspirational when working with the inner self. Works well with not only the Throat Chakra, but the Heart, Third Eye and Crown Chakra. Strengthens hereditary skeletal structure, outward manifested growths, Arthritis.

Botswana: Gray and waxy in appearance. Lore: Strongly recommended for firefighters, people who smoke, and for anyone who comes in regular contact with excessive amounts of heat or smoke. Helpful for anyone who wants to quit smoking. Beneficial to the circulatory system, the skin, and the brain. A pleasant side effect may be giddiness. Soothes depression.

Fire: Most often found in North America. Comes in shades of orange, brown, blue, or green. Lore: Strong connection to the energies of the earth.

Moss: Translucent, transparent agate containing inclusions of minerals that look like moss or foliage. Lore: Connects one to Nature. Improves ego and self-esteem, emotional balance and strengthens positive personality traits. Allows one to see all the beauty one’s eyes touch.

Plum (Purple) Agate: Agate is composed of microscopic crystals of Quartz laid down in colorful bands or ribbons. The appearance of agate is waxy and soft. Almost always translucent and occasionally transparent. Lore: Is the stone of meditation and spiritual transformation. This stone works on the upper Chakra. It assists in allowing trust with your own intuition and opens the spiritual flood gates to a realm of endless possibilities. It gives us the space to “be” our spiritual selves and clears the mind for extraordinary vision and insight. Agates are grounding stones. They help obtain a better physical/emotional balance. They work to raise consciousness. Builds self-confidence.

Red/Banded Agate: Lore: This is a stone for grounding and centering the energies of the Root or Base Chakra. The color for the Root Chakra is red or black and it is grounded with your power. When this Chakra is open, you feel in good health and connected with your physical body. It is used to ground your essence into your physical body. This Chakra gives you determination, grounds you and helps in survival in the physical realms. Red is a projecting stones which assists in destroy disease, strengthens conscious, courage, strength, physical energy, luck, and success. Red stones are used for protection, courage, energy. Help with blood, relieve anemia, stop bleeding, heal rashes and wounds.