Handmade Jewelry As A Hobby and Business

What is handmade jewelry and why is it becoming so popular?

Handmade jewelry is made by individuals with the aid of simple tools. To be truly handmade, nothing should be machine made and as such, it is truly unique. The uniqueness is what makes handmade jewelry valuable and popular in this age of mass production and computer aided designs. Handmade jewelry is a work of art.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of handmade jewelry?

Advantages

1. It is unique, no one else has the same item. No two items are alike and there are people who are willing to pay for the uniqueness of handmade jewelry.

2. Generally, more durable than the machine made jewelry. Many who are in the handmade jewelry business are there not just to make money but also to practice something they love doing. Since they love jewelry making, their creations are usually made with the utmost care and dedication.

3. Makes for an interesting conversation piece because there is usually a story behind most handmade jewelry.

4. An expression of one's individualism. There are handmade jewelry pieces that the majority wouldn't care to wear but there are those who see them as an expression of who they are. And since no one else has that item, then the wearer is truly unique.

5. Could be a valuable item in time particularly if the creator becomes a popular artist. This has happened in other art forms where the value of the items go up with their creator's rise to fame. It sometimes pays to invest in really good pieces of art.

Disadvantages

1. More expensive than a mass produced item of almost the same model. This is understandable since everything in a handmade jewelry is really handmade. You can't buy machine-made parts, assemble them manually and consider the finished item as handmade.

2. Requires more time, skill and concentration. Yes, the process is slow and requires the skills of a crafter.

3. The jewelry looks just like the hundreds or thousands that have been mass-produced.

4. Loses its value with time.

Handmade Jewelry as a Business

With the growing popularity of handmade jewelry, there is also a growing demand for it. Since not everyone has the knack for actually making handmade jewelry, this is the time for the hobbyists to become entrepreneurs. Going into business is also a chance to earn doing something you truly enjoy.

Different Kinds of Gems in Men's Gemstone Jewelry

Jewelry. While it is a more common practice for women to wear jewelry and gemstones, there are certain jewelry designs that are suitable for men and have been worn by men over the years. Most of the more common men's gemstone jewelry that you find are rings and cuff links but there are a few other kinds that seem to be becoming more popular with the younger generation of males these days.

The Diamond

The most common gemstone that you can find in men's gemstone jewelry is the diamond. Due to its versatility and classy appearance, diamonds have always been seen on rings for men and for women as well. This kind of a gem, one of the most expensive gems that can be used in jewelry, can be found in men's rings and cuff links and are usually cut in the classic round shape. Of course, as versatile as the diamond is, it can also be found combined with other gemstones in certain designs that are somewhat masculine or manly to the eyes.

Precious and Semi-Precious

Other gemstones that can be found in these kinds of jewelry are other precious and semi-precious stones that have been cut in either a square, oval or round shape to give the gemstone a more manly appeal. The gemstones used in men's gemstone jewelry is also in chunkier and bigger sizes than those usually seen on women's jewelry to help exude that same masculine air.

This kind of a logic in jewelry cuts and designs has long been in use in jewelry and you can see those big precious and semi precious stones on the fingers and cuffs of a lot of men. Among the precious and semi precious gems that are often seen on men's gemstone jewelry pieces, you can easily find the red ruby, amethysts, opals, quartz and emeralds.

Big Jewelry for Men

Most men's gemstone jewelry designs are chunky bracelets, necklaces and stick pins as well. This kind of a trend in men's jewelry design has been around for quite a while and there are men's gemstone jewelry that do have thinner components on certain designs, the overall assembly still ends up being a bit on the bigger side as compared to women's jewelry.

Men can easily find gemstone jewelry at a lot of jewelry stores and online shops everywhere. Finding the right kind of composition and design for their choices will solely depend on the individual taste of each man who buys them.

Categories of Gemstones

There are many different types of gemstones, and knowing the different categories can help a collector or enthusiast expand his repertoire greatly. Some precious gemstones are so unique in chemical composition and crystalline structure that they fall into their own categories, while others can be collectively lumped into one. Here are the major types of precious and semi precious gemstones:

Diamond - diamond is it's own type of gemstone, and is well known for being the hardest naturally occurring substance known to man. Diamonds are primarily high-carbon crystals that were fused under extremes of pressure and heat.

Diamonds themselves aren't especially rare, with thousands being mined throughout the world every year; however, large diamonds of high quality are extremely rare, and it is these which are well known for setting the standards of diamond gemstones as the world's most precious stone.

Corundum - this is the second hardest type of gemstone, and is primarily defined as being composed of aluminum oxide and various trace minerals. The trace minerals create different types of corundum, and perhaps the two most well known examples of this type of stone are rubies and sapphires. Rough corundum isn't used as a gemstone, but is used as an industrial strength abrasive element due to it's tough nature.

Chrysoberyl - this is the third hardest gemstone, and while it uses aluminum oxide as a base element like corundums, it has high quantities of beryllium mixed in with it. Appearance wise, chrysoberyls often come in a green to yellow shade, though their appearance is best known for having the tendency to actually change color somewhat under different types of lighting. Cat's eye and alexandrite are two common chrysoberyls used in jewelry.

Quartz - this is actually one of the most common types of mineral in the world and comes in a wide variety of colors. It's main tendency is to form in hexagonal shapes and it makes an excellent prism if unflawed.

The main reason quartz can still be categorized as a valuable gemstone is that, while it IS easy to find quartz stones, finding a large, perfect, and unflawed quartz crystal of jewelry quality is extremely rare. Some examples of quartz gems commonly used in jewelry are onyx, amethysts, citrines, and carnelians.

Beryl - this is a stone well known for it's beauty and has elements in common with both chrysoberyl and quartz. It's basic chemical composition is similar to chrysoberyl, with beryllium and aluminum prevalent but mixed in with other trace elements. It's basic crystalline structure, on the other hand, is closer to quartz, being hexagonal in nature.

At it's simplest, beryl is actually transparent, while it's other colored variants include emeralds and aquamarines. It can come in yellow and red shades as well, and these are referred to as "red" or "yellow" emeralds.

Jade - this is one type of gemstone originally lumped into the same category as beryl. The main reasons for this are because both can be mined in similar places and they possess similar textures, opacity, and appearance (just different colors).

Later on, chemical analysis showed that the elements which made up the different forms of precious jade, namely nephrite and jadeite, were different from beryl completely, thus earning jade it's own category among gemstone collectors. Jade based stones are often composed of calcium and magnesium elements.

Feldspar - this is a unique type of gemstone whose base material is tectonic in nature. It is often found in areas of high geographic instability like earthquake faults and volcanic chains. Feldspar's basic chemical composition is made up of very common elements found deep inside the earth's crust.

What makes it valuable as a gemstone is the same factor that makes a diamond much more valuable than a lump of coal that would normally contain the same elements as diamond. That is, with sufficient heat and pressure applied, the tectonic elements fuse together to make a rare red gemstone known as feldspar.

Organic Gemstones - the most famous examples of this are pearls and amber. Basically, organic gemstones are ones which occur naturally in organic sources as opposed to mineral sources. Pearls are formed from oysters, while amber is a yellow stone formed from fossilized tree sap. While not gemstones per se, organic gemstones are still used heavily in jewelry so are included in this list.

Care For Your Jewelry

You have to remove your jewelry whenever you are doing activities that are risky. These activities may cause an impact or expose the jewelry to chemicals. Don't wear your jewelry when you're playing sports or doing house hold chores.

If you have rings that can't be removed and you have to use strong cleaning products, particularly those with an Ammonia base, you can protect it (as well as your skin) by wearing gloves made of rubber. Rings and bracelets are jewelry that are often worn, earrings and necklaces are also prone to damages from chemicals, especially whenever they are worn while putting make-up, spraying fragrances and spritzing hair products.

A jeweler can also restring your pearl necklaces every two years. This should be done if it is your favorite jewelry. You can also clean your jewelry yourself by using mild and warm water with a soapy solution. Use a soft brush in cleaning the edges. Dry them using a soft cloth.

Be mindful of the loose clasps and gems before you wear your jewelry. You wouldn't want the stones dropping off. Neither would you want to lose the entire thing when you're walking down the street.

Don't pull the stones. Some women who wear jewelry pull on the stones whenever they are bored; just so their fingers have something to do. Well, this practice results to the gemstones being more prone to oil, dirt and sweat. You may even risk these because you loosen the setting on the metal.

It is also not advisable to store your jewelry in one big pile. This will cause the metal and the gems to scratch one another. Store your jewelry in separate sections. Wrap them in paper, silk or velvet. Put them in a jewelry box.

Here is a quick run-through on how to clean common gems:

1. Alexandrite
Clean using soapy water or commercially available products. The best is alcohol. You can also resort to mechanical cleaners.

2. Aquamarine
Steer clear of chemical cleaners and heat. These shouldn't be cleaned frequently as well. Use a soapy solution.

3. Diamond
Chemical and mechanical cleaners are said to be safe, but they should be avoided when cleaning diamonds because the stone could be fractured. Rinse the diamond dry and well after using a soapy solution.

4. Emerald
Don't use mechanical and chemical cleaners. It will only dissolve oils during the cleaning process. Emeralds must be cleaned using soapy water. Have a jeweler re-oil the gem once every year.

5. Garnet
Just use soapy water.

6. Jade
Soapy water is the best, safest and easiest solution. You can also resort to mechanical cleaners, just steer clear of the chemical ones.

7. Opal
Wipe the stone after every use with a slightly damp pr dry cloth. Do not wash or scrub hard.

8. Peridot
Don't use chemical or mechanical cleaners. Just use soapy water.

9. Ruby
Use soapy water or the cleaning solvents that are commercially available. Mechanical cleaners are also safe but these should be avoided because it may affect the clarity of the ruby.

10. Sapphire
Use soapy water and cleaning solvents. Mechanical cleaners are also safe but when these are used, they may affect the sapphires clarity.

11. Spinel
Use soapy water and the commercial cleaning solvents. Mechanical cleaners are to be avoided because these affect the clarity of the spinel.

12. Tanzanite
Don't use chemical or mechanical cleaners. Just use soapy water.

13. Topaz
Same with tanzanite, don't use chemical or mechanical cleaners. Soapy water is fine.

Caring for Your Pearls

Pearls are quite durable. Proper care keeps them lustrous and even more beautiful. Here are some general tips in doing so.

1. Wipe the pearls using a damp warm cloth. This removes dirt and body oils which harm the original color of the pearl. Do this before you put them away.

2. Pearls must be stored away from other jewelry and objects. Keeping them close to such could scratch the surface. Wrap them in soft cloth or linen and put them in pouches. Don't store your pearls in packages that are air tight because they might lose their moisture.

3. Wash them using mild soap and wipe them dry with soft cloth. You can use also use acetone polish remover.

Titanium Ring for a Wedding Ring

Titanium is the perfect choice for a wedding ring today. No other item of jewelry has played such important role in demonstrating affection as the wedding ring. Of the precious metals used to create wedding rings, titanium has merits that supersede gold or platinum in its beauty, quality and value that make it an ideal choice as the symbol of your love.

Why a Men's Titanium Wedding Ring?
While titanium has been known to us for many years, it was originally used in aerospace and salt water projects, becoming widely used in commercial applications and now in jewelry designs during the last two decades. One reason why titanium wedding rings are gaining in popularity, especially with men, is because of its strength that belies its light weight feel.

The style and design of your titanium wedding ring aside, there are some practical reasons why choosing titanium makes sense. Because it is an inert metal, it is ideal for people with sensitive skin. This fact accounts for its use in the production of equipment and tools for medical procedures. You will never have to worry about damage from the elements to your titanium silver wedding ring, unlike silver, it will remain completely tarnish-free.

Whenever you buy jewelry, quality is always the primary concern. The wide spread use of titanium within jewelry industry confirms its quality and its market appeal. In respect to the purity of the metal itself, neither gold or platinum can match titanium. Today, jewelry designers are using titanium for more of their work, taking advantage of titaniums beautiful grey sheen that rivals the look of platinum at a more affordable price.

How to Buy a Wedding Ring
A titanium wedding ring is an investment that brings beauty and aesthetic pleasure. But keep in mind that there is a distinct difference between the shape of the hand of a man and a woman. Some are slender with tapered fingers. For this type of hand, a ring that is designed with a diagonal pattern works well, even with an array of stones. However if the hand is broad and fingers are very thick, a flat design, perhaps with contrasting bands could be a good starting point. With the variety of black titanium wedding ring designs available, you are sure to be impressed. You can find solid titanium as well as titanium rings in combination with gold or platinum.

Buying Rough Gemstones

Rough gemstones are gemstones in their natural cut and phases. Rough gemstones aren't yet cut and designed for jewelry and other accessories. They are literally rough. The overall appearance is unadulterated and isn't yet cut and smoothed for jewelry and design purposes.

Rough gemstones basically look like they are freshly extracted from mine deposits. As a matter of fact, they are freshly sculpted from mines. Thus, the texture is rough and the overall appearance is still unaltered. If you are wanting to buy rough gemstones, you can easily do so.

There are special wholesalers who sell them. You'd also be surprised that such items aren't as pricey as the designed and smoothed gemstones, although the quality and composition are the same.

Jewelers and stone designers are the usual clients and buyers of rough gemstones. They then cut and shape them based on how they will be used and integrated into jewelry. You could opt to buy rough gemstones, turn them over to a jeweler or designer and have your jewelry or accessory customized.

Here are some tips that will help you make a good purchase transaction for rough gemstones.

- Buy only from regulated and accredited sellers of rough gemstones. This will help ensure that your purchase is legal and the items you buy are genuine. Authorities also advise buying from such sellers.

- Look for bargains when buying. You can always bargain for lower prices when buying rough gemstones. If you can make the purchase at lower rates, the better. You can't lose trying.

- Try searching for online sellers of rough stones. There are numerous rough gemstones sellers across the Internet so you can't miss the best deals and discounted prices. Be observant and explorative when looking for online rough gemstones.

- Prepare a significant amount of money for the transaction. Buying rough gemstones can be an important and pertinent deal so expect that prices will be high.

Many experts recommend buying rough gemstones. It is far more advisable to have your jewelry and accessories custom made. So when you want to customize your items, you have the power to choose the gemstones you like. By buying rough gemstones, you will be able to secure and come up with good and more elegantly looking jewelry.

A Guide to Buying Jewelry

Even the most affordable pieces of jewelry are still costlier than most of the everyday things we purchase. Furthermore, its easy for people with untrained eyes to be fooled into paying a lot for fake jewelry. Use the tips below to ensure you're making the smart and the right investment when buying jewelry pieces.

How to Buy Gold Jewelry

Gold is one of the most commonly used materials for jewelry. And as gold jewelry doesn't discolor like silver does, they are ideal for people with allergy concerns. Because of its malleability, gold is mixed with other metals to improve its durability and structure. That's why even 24K gold isn't really made purely of gold.

Gold jewelry is measured by its karat or the amount of gold it contains. 24K gold is the highest karat amount you can look for. The next would be 18K, 14K, 12K, and 10K. Any gold jewelry with a rating lower than 10K is no longer considered gold jewelry. In Europe, the karat rating is shown in percentage. 18K would be .750 because it contains 75% gold. 14K would be .583, 12K would be .500.

How to Buy Jewelry Made of Silver, Platinum, and Other Metals

Other metals beside gold are also used to make jewelry. Platinum is one good example and today's market prices it even more expensively than gold. Platinum jewelry is also rated according to its platinum content.

92.5% is the highest rating provided for silver or sterling silver jewelry pieces; it signifies the amount of silver used in the jewelries. Other metals commonly used for jewelry are pewter and vermeil.

How to Buy Gemstone Jewelry

There are two primary types of gemstones: natural and artificial. Natural gemstones are more expensive. Artificial, company-created, or synthetic gemstones are made in the laboratory.

The size and weight are important when buying gemstones. A 1-carat gemstone will weigh 50 points or 1/5th of a gram. At times, gemstones are subjected to certain treatments to change or improve their durability or appearance. The laws require jewelry makers to label their items clearly if they had been treated in any way. In most cases, treated jewelry pieces are less costly than untreated ones.

Commonly used treatments today include bleaching, dyeing, diffusion, fracture filling, impregnating, irradiation, and heating. Bleaching is used to whiten pearls, jades, and other similar stones. Dyeing, diffusion, heating, and irradiation mostly have to do with improving the color of gemstones. Impregnating and fracture filling, on the other hand, make flaws of gemstones less visible.

Gemstones are also appraised according to the same 4C’s used for appraising diamonds, and they are cut, color, clarity, and, which has been previously discussed, carat weight.

Darker gemstones aren't always better. Sapphire that's too dark could have its bluish shade ending up appearing black, and this is considered undesirable by many. Its best to view the color of gemstones at all light levels to judge it more accurately. Ultimately, look for vividness and brightness in colored gemstones.

Clarity refers to the absence of flaws in a gemstone. Imperfections, or inclusions as they're called, are sometimes used to as birthmarks because they indicate the gemstones origins. Other times, they actually increase the value of the gemstone, such as it is in the case of stars in star rubies and sapphires.

Cut doesn't necessarily make a gemstone more expensive, but it could enhance or detract from its appearance.

Gemstones can be classified into several categories. Traditional gemstones are made up of emerald, blue sapphire, and ruby. They were originally called precious gemstones and with the rest merely delegated to semi-precious category. Most of the time, rubies and emeralds are more expensive than sapphires because of their rarity.

New classics refer to currently fashionable gemstones, those on the rise in the industry like aquamarine and tourmaline. Connoisseur gemstones refer to those that are hard to find like alexandrite, a rare pinkish stone, sapphires that have other colors than blue, and black opal.

Collectors gems are rare but affordable and of great beauty like morganite and zircon. Lastly, affordable gemstones are those with high quantity in the market, affordably priced, but with excellent overall value such as amethyst and blue topaz.

How to Buy Pearl Jewelry

Pearls may be natural, cultured (naturally grown but with human intervention), or synthetic. Artificial or synthetic pearls are man-made and produced using plastic, glass, or other similar materials. Pearls are judged according to the skin, luster, shape, and size. Skin refers to the absence of blemishes, luster is an exclusive quality of pearls, referring to its surface glow, and shape places preferences for the most perfect spheres for pearls.

A Charming Beauty

Among the many beautiful stones, emeralds are but one of the most attractive gemstones. It possesses the most intense green color you will ever see. For centuries only the wealthy had this priceless gift. The rare pure green emerald is more valuable than most of the diamonds. But there are some varieties of emerald which can have yellowish or bluish colors.

The name emerald is from the Greek word smaragdos, the name been given among the number of unique stones. In the Zodiac signs, this is the birthstone that has been assigned to Taurus. It is even used as the anniversary gemstone for marriage, because it symbolizes kindness, faith and purity.

Emeralds are known to have a healing ability. Although it isn't directly a replacement for the traditional medical treatment, emerald was used for emotional and physical healing. The refreshing green color quality of emerald can cure eye problems; it is even a good amulet for eye troubles.

Moreover, when emeralds are worn around the neck and fingers of children it can prevent them from having convulsions. Emeralds help patients with ailments of the spine, and it helps fight neurological and mental disorders. It can even be an antidote for most poisons and eases wounds associated with poisons.

Emeralds are believed to have some mystical powers. Some people say that it can drive away evil spirits. Having an emerald with you can make you a man of wisdom, for it is said to bring wisdom to those who have or wear it. The ancients believed that it was a good amulet for those who wanted to have good fortune.

Lastly, emeralds are popularly known to be a symbol of faith and love. It can even discover false friends, because it actually changes color in their presence. As for love, when the emerald fades, that means that love weakens so better check the color.

To achieve a lasting beautiful emerald gemstone, care and treatment is needed. To clean the stone, use a soft, dry cloth to wipe it. Use oil when treating it, never use ultrasonic cleaner, because it can remove the oil that is being used during treatments. Lastly, never soak it in hot water, the color of the stone easily changes when it is strongly heated.

When buying your precious emerald, consult a professional retail jeweler to make sure that you will get the real one. A professional knows about details of the emerald, it is very confusing sometimes to compare a true emerald from a synthetic one.