Chat…Just Because

I hope everyone’s summer has been smashingly great so far ! I’ve been keeping busy with the new puppy, keeping up with Elyse (who was in rehearsals all of June for ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.’ She was The Candyman, and a sassy one at that. See pic below.), keeping up with Madeline and her preparations for leaving in September (to attend school in LA), keeping straight where Parker is at any given time (he’s been working a hockey camp out of town for a few weeks), taking care of myself (down 30 pounds and counting), spending time with Don, and in general, enjoying life.

Some wonderful news: Madeline graduated high school on Memorial Day and we were thrilled by the surprise announcement that she was named salutatorian in her class of 308 students, with a GPA of 4.6! We knew she was oh so close to the top, but the announcement that evening caught me off guard. While she received her medal, the assistant principal read a prepared speech that Madeline had written earlier in the week. It had come down to her and another student for that particular slot, and so they were both asked to write speeches. Of course, I got all weepy and then they asked her dad and I to stand up to be recognized. We were in an arena! Madeline even had trouble picking us out. It was very emotional for me and her dad. Such a proud moment. And she worked so hard during all of her school years, particularly high school. She absolutely deserved it. (And she was such a stinker for keeping it from us!! But looking back, I’m sure she didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up in case it didn’t work out.). She also received six honor cords for her efforts.

Believe it or not, it’s mid-July and I have YET to get to the pool or any body of water in which to swim! That’s ok though. I do love swimming, but really need to watch my time in the sun. But we have been out on the bikes a few times (even with Tucker in his little bike trailer), and of course hiking. No wineries yet though! Boo. Not really on the Jenny Craig plan now, is it?

On the jewelry front, I am in the early stages of developing ideas for a Web site and blog refresh and will need to enlist the help of Don to get that accomplished when the time comes. One of my major hurdles with this is coming up with a graphic concept that represents Just Because Jewelry. I’m not a graphic designer, so I feel somewhat limited when it comes to conveying what I think I’d like to see. I know that once I figure it out though, things will come together quickly and this is what excites me and keeps me motivated.

Also, I’m planning several new pieces for the collection and they’re in the ‘on the board’ phase, meaning, the beads have been selected and are on the design board waiting for me to arrange them in the most pleasing manner possible. It may take a few days or weeks for that to happen, but getting the beads out is the first step.

Of course, I’ll keep y’all posted on my progress and not go so long between blog posts. Just a reminder, if you are on Facebook, I would be so happy if you would please stop by my Just Because Jewelry fan page and become a fan!

Until next time … have a beautiful day!!

I’m back, if only for the moment. So much has been going on these past few weeks. Early in May, I chaperoned Madeline’s junior/senior prom. I had so much fun seeing all the young ladies and gentlemen decked out in their finest, completely absorbed in the moment, walking that fine line between teenager and young adult, having not a clue (and probably not giving a second thought) about what awaits them as they make the jump from high school to college or work.

The variety of dresses was mindblowing! It was like watching a designer fashion show right before my eyes. Madeline wore a vintage beaded dress that weighed about 7 pounds!

Believe it or not, my sister found it in a resale shop for $25, and once I had a new zipper put in, we had our original prom dress. It was just the teeniest bit roomy on her, but oh my, I must say, she looked stunning. I know I’m her mom, but still … (Pay no attention to the doorknocker tiara in the photos. Sorry about that!) With all that beadage going on, we decided a simple pair of crystal earrings was all this little number needed. She got so many compliments and had a wonderful time.

She’s basically finished with classes, having taken all of her AP exams and been exempt from the rest for having ‘A’s. Graduation for her is coming up on Memorial Day and then there’s the party in June, plus a quick trip to LA to see where she’ll be living when she attends The American Academy of Dramatic Arts! You’ll see her in films someday, so just remember, you heard it here first.

Elyse is finishing her freshman year and Parker his sophomore year. We’ve attended banquets and awards shows, spring hockey and lacrosse games, and dealt with school projects and activities, and now these two are approaching exams. I know you parents can relate.

I’ve got a few more tidbits to share with you, so please stop on by in the next few days!

New Just Because Jewelry items are now available here! Please check back too, because we’ll be adding more pieces in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your patience and support!

Just Because Jewelry is having its first sale! In an effort to make room for the new batch of inventory currently taking shape in my studio, we are offering several items at reduced prices during the month of April.

Please take a look at what we have to offer in our April Spring Sale, and if you like something, act quickly. Sale ends April 30, after which time, those sale items will become part of our online viewing gallery. This is a great opportunity to stock up on some beautiful Just Because Jewelry pieces for the summer and fall.

Look fabulous at a great price … just because!

Part 5 of 5
In my final post of this series, let’s address the reasons why your skin may turn green (or possibly black) after wearing rings, bracelets, or other metal jewelry, and what alternatives you might consider if this is an issue.

Usually the green coloring left on your skin after contact with a metal is due to oxidation. Those with highly acidic skin will experience this reaction, even with sterling silver in some cases. Oxidation can also be hastened in highly humid weather. One other reason for green finger is an allergic reaction to the alloys used in the sterling silver or gold. An alloy is a metal made up of more than one element, and when used with sterling silver and other metals, make those components highly durable. Usually it is the nickel alloy used in inexpensive jewelry and the composition of your unique body chemistry that will cause a green reaction on your skin.

To combat tarnish, many times metal components used in jewelry are plated with rhodium, a member of the platinum family. Rhodium is highly lustruous, does not normally oxidize and will protect the jewelry from interacting with your skin. So silver rhodium is an excellent choice in keeping the the verdigris (and tarnish) factor down and out.

Other hypoallergenic metals you may want to consider for your jewelry if you’re prone to green skin or allergies would include titanium, black PVD titanium or noibium.

˜And so ends my little tutorial. There is much more information available about metals in jewelry, but hopefully I’ve covered enough in this series to pique your interest and arm you with a bit of knowledge that you can use for future jewely purchases. If you have any other questions, please send them my way and I’ll do my best to provide you with what you need.

Oh! And for those of you not familiar, Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West) is the title character in L. Frank Baum’s book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” on which the award winning musical, “Wicked” was based. Madeline and I saw the show about five years ago in NYC with the original Broadway cast. T’was awesome! Obviously Elphaba was the green witch, and her name is made up of a variation of the author’s first initials.

Part 1: Let’s tawk
Part 2: Embracing differences
Part 3: This or that?
Part 4: Out, damned tarnish!

Good Monday morning! Here’s a quick shot of one of the fun necklaces I finished this weekend. It’s made of beautiful faceted carnelian, some small smoky quartz rounds (in the back), along with a turquoise pendant. The bright sun actually washed out the color a bit in the photo, but it is absolutely gorgeous in person.

All of the components are sterling silver, and I hand wire wrapped the links on to tiny sterling silver rings. It measures just under 17″ with a 2.75″ pendant. I only have one of these, so if you’re interested let me know. I’ll add it to the site with its formal studio photo in the next few weeks, along with the other new pieces I’m finishing up.

Part 4 of 5
Now that you have an understanding of the types of and options with your metal components, you should also know why certain metals may darken or tarnish. What’s up with that and why do some things tarnish easily and others don’t?

Tarnish is the result of the sulpher in the air reacting to the metal in the jewelry, a process called oxidation.

Pure silver doesn’t tarnish, sterling silver’s partner in crime — copper — does. (Remember from Lesson 2, sterling silver is made up of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper). And it will tarnish more quickly in humid conditions. In addition, other external variables such as lotions, perfumes and your own body chemistry can affect the rate at which sterling silver tarnishes. That’s the case whether the copper is part of sterling silver or if it is in jewelry by itself. It will get darker over time.

How can you stop the tarnish? Wearing and handling your sterling silver jewelry will actually help slow down the oxidation process because the oil in your skin coat the silver and protect it from oxidation. While not wearing your items, store them in a ziploc sandwich bag (NOT a heavy plastic PVC bag though) with a small strip of anti-tarnish paper, which absorbs moisture and prevents tarnish. Please note: If the silver item also contains pearls, store it a jewelry box where the air can circulate, along with your anti-tarnish strips. Pearls need a bit of moisture. But that’s another series, right?

If your sterling does become tarnished, a light rubbing with a silver polishing cloth will ususally remove the offensive darkness. If the tarnish is difficult to remove, your best bet is to have a professional jeweler clean and polish your sterling silver items. There are commercial dips or solutions that are on the market for jewelry, however I’ve read that they damage the silver over time and it loses its luster. You should never use the solutions if your sterling silver jewelry includes gemstones though. Gemstones just need a gentle rinsing with mild soap and water — except for opals and a few other fragile gemstones that only need a wipe with a tissue.

If you wear a lot of copper or other easily tarnished base metal, a coat of clear nail polish applied to the metal will offer some protection for a time, or you could try using a product called Renaissance Wax to coat your copper items. Wearing your copper necklaces over your clothing, rather than next to your skin, will also delay the oxidation process a bit.

Next up: Lessons in metal: Part 5; Hello, Elphaba?

Part 1: Let’s tawk
Part 2: Embracing differences
Part 3: This or That?

Part 3 of 5
Now that you have some information about precious and non-precious metals, let’s look at another element of considering your jewelry components: The plated vs. filled options.

Plated metal findings, gold plated or silver plated, simply refers to a thin layer of either, that has been electroplated to a base metal. While the plated gold or silver components use real metal, the layer is usually so thin that it can be easily scratched and wear off quickly, exposing the base metal underneath.

A more expensive option to gold plated, but with the look of gold, is jewelry that uses vermiel components. Vermeil (pronounced as ver-MAY) is gold that has been coated to a sterling silver base. The gold must be at least 10K and meet a certain thickness requirement to be considered vermeil. Highly tarnish resistant, it is a long lasting and lovely alternative to gold jewelry. Vermeil is used in some Just Because Jewelry designs, and is noted as such in the appropriate production descriptions.

Gold filled components are yet another gold option and are considered a much higher quality product than plated materials. Precious metal of at least 10K gold is mechanically bonded to a base metal. The layer of gold is much thicker than the thin layer used in gold plated items, and the results are considered long lasting. All of the gold chain and wire used in Just Because Jewelry pieces is gold filled, including this necklace. Read more about it here on the Web site.

So what does all of this mean in terms of jewelry durability and tarnish? Ahh, Grasshoppah. You must return for the next lesson very soon …

Next up: Lessons in metal: Part 4; Out, damned tarnish!

Part 1: Let’s tawk
Part 2: Embracing differences

Part 2 of 5
To continue our tutorial about metal, I wanted to provide you some brief guidelines about the metals you may encounter in bridge and costume jewelry. Metals are divided into two broad categories: Precious and non-precious.

1. Precious metals — include price when included in jewelry. Just Because Jewelry uses mostly sterling silver components, so let’s talk a bit more the different types of silver available.

Sterling silver is a combination of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. Silver is harder than gold, but softer than copper. It is the whitest of metals and considered the standard for fine jewelry.

Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, but is typically too soft to use by itself in larger objects. It is highly tarnish resistant though, and can be fused without the use of solder.

Argentium silver is a relatively new silver. It is 92.5% pure silver, but the 7.5% metal it is combined with is called germanium. This particular silver is highly tarnish resistant and extremely hard and lustruous, because apparently, germanium loves oxygen, the component that interacts with certain metals causing darkening or tarnish. I don’t have a chemistry degree, so I’ll defer to this Web site if you’d like more information about germanium’s affair with oxygen.

2. Non-precious metals or base metals — traditionally include copper, brass, tin, zinc, nickel and lead. Because these metals are inexpensive, you may not need to invest a lot of money in jewelry made with strictly base metals. Base metals can be used on their own but can also be treated to include a thin layer of gold or silver to simulate the look of a precious metal. Here’s the rub … literally: Depending on the type of metal, the length of contact with your skin, the amount of perspiration on your skin, the air temperature and a host of other variables, this layer will wear off eventually, exposing the base metal underneath.

Some people allergic to base metals, even in the small amount of copper contained in sterling silver. If you experience any redness, itching or soreness after wearing your jewelry on your fingers, wrists, neck and ears, you may be allergic to the metal it is made of. Allergies to nickel are the most common, so be aware of any skin flare ups when you are wearing your jewelry.

Next up: Lessons in metal: Part 3; This or That?

If you missed Part 1 of Lessons in metal: Let’s Tawk, click here.

I’m often asked about the types of metal materials I use in my jewelry designs. Some people are allergic to certain metals and most want to make sure they are investing in a quality item that won’t turn their necks, wrists, ear lobes and fingers green! I thought a short series of posts about the differences in the metals commonly used in bridge and costume jewelry would be helpful. The posts will appear over the course of the next week or two, to keep things moving. While there is much information to share, I will give you the basics to understand what you are buying. Educated consumers are the best!

Part 1 of 5

To begin, the metal parts of any jewelry item are often called findings. Basic findings include earring wires and posts, clasps, extenders, chain, wire guardians, crimps and scrimps, jumprings, headpins, bails, cones, connectors, spacer bars and metal beads. All of these types of components or findings can be made of any variety of metal, including copper, brass, silver and gold.

Most jewelry contains one or more of these findings, and it is important that you know what materials you are buying, so that you can make a judgment about how much money you want to spend. For example, you are going to pay dramatically less for the cute, plastic, trendy jewelry sold at Target that is finished with silverplate findings or base metal, than you would a piece of handmade jewelry that uses semiprecious gemstones and sterling silver or goldfilled findings. It all depends on your taste. If you’re looking for something classic and long lasting, you’ll likely need to spend more money for the quality materials and workmanship.

Next up: Lessons in metal: Part 2; Embracing differences