I have been reading up on akoya vs. freshwater pearls because I LOVE pearls and I wanted to find out about all these different types of pearls. Bottom line? Akoyas are saltwater and are grown in Japan. Freshwater pearls are from China and are grown in fresh water! Oh, yes, one more thing, freshwater pearls are WAY more affordable than akoyas and, besides that, they are beautiful! For my money? It's freshwater pearls, all the way! Read more about freshwater pearls here.

There are so many different types of bracelets! I'll talk about 2 types here with more to follow on another day.

Gold-filled jewelry is jewelry composed of a thick layer of gold bonded to the outside of a high quality jeweler's brass core. The gold-filled jewelry we use is solid 14k gold over the base which means that the gold on the outside is "real".  Click here  or here to see examples of my handmade jewelry using gold-filled wire!

The 14k gold that’s on the outside of gold-filled is the same gold as you would get from a solid 14k piece so gold-filled pieces have the same appearance as solid 14k gold jewelry! 

It's interesting that all the gold on "gold-filled" jewelry is on the outside - there is actually no gold "filling".  Pretty confusing terminology!

Gold "plating", on the other hand, is a minuscule layer of solid gold applied to a brass base. The plating does not compose any measurable proportion of the product’s total weight. Gold plating can wear off quickly and expose the brass base product. It does not stand up to heat, water or wear over time. If you want jewelry that lasts, avoid anything "plated".

By comparison, gold-filled contains 5% gold by weigh. All the gold is on the surface is solid, "real" 14K gold, which offers product protection from tarnish and wear. ​

Click HERE to see an example of my handmade jewelry using gold-filled wire!

So, there you have it! Now you are an informed jewelry shopper so get out there & have fun!

Amethyst is the birthstone for February! Looking for the metaphysical "meaning" or healing properties of amethyst? There are many, but here are a few:

> promotes calm
> enhances life balance
>enhances peace
>eliminates impatience
> improves intellectual thoughts 
> prevents drunkenness!

Know a jewelry lover with a February birthday? She would love this!

 
Do you sometimes find your jewelry looking like this when you open your suitcase? I know I do and it's no fun to untangle everything just to have something to wear.

Here are 5 tips for helping your organize your jewelry so it will be ready when you are - no more wasting precious vacation time untangling all those chains and earrings!

1. Buy or make a beautiful jewelry organizer....I know, it seems obvious but if you have a really cute jewelry organizer, like this one from Vera Bradley, you are much more likely to keep everything where it belongs!

​2. Buttons are great for organizing earrings - just put the posts or earwires through the holes in the button and, voila! - earring sets stay together! Earrings could all go together in a small ziplock bag for better organization.

3. Use pill organizers! They come in lots of different sizes and are inexpensive - everything stays separate from other jewelry and easy to grab & go.

4. How about simply using a small ziplock for each item and then put the small ziplocks into one larger one? Simple and effective!

5. Plan out what you will be wearing on your trip and limit the jewelry you take - each piece that goes into your bag must work with at least two outfits that you plan to wear. Limit large statement necklaces - they tend to be heavy and take up precious room in your suitcase. 

Are you wondering what to get for a February birthday? Or maybe you need something for yourself? These sweet little sterling silver and amethyst earrings are great for a February birthday or a little gift for yourself! The best news? These amethyst earrings are back in stock NOW - just in time for February!

If you are like most women, you have a lot of jewelry of all types in your jewelry box.  What to do with all of it?  It’s overwhelming to think about much less do anything about!  Know this:  you can manage your jewelry as part of your ongoing plan to simplify your life – ready?  Let’s do this!

First, choose a time when you have a couple of hours to yourself.  If you attempt to squeeze this in among all the other things you need to do, you’ll just end up frustrated!  Now get yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee and settle in for an enjoyable afternoon of simplifying your life, one necklace at a time!

You probably have a fairly large pile of jewelry once you get it all out to begin the process of paring down and simplifying.  Here are some simple steps to take:

First, sort your jewelry into 3 piles (at this point, don’t pay attention to cost of the pieces): 

1.  Jewelry you absolutely love, for whatever reason – maybe it was a gift from someone special or something you bought for yourself and still love. 
2.  Jewelry pieces that are your “staple” items – the jewelry you wear over & over, day after day and day into night. 
3.  Jewelry you once loved but now….not so much
4.  Jewelry that you never loved & still don’t.

So now you have two main categories – #1 & #2 above are your “keepers”.
Categories #3 and #4 are the ones we need to think about a little more.  

We will tackle this in the next post so stay tuned!

Laura