Handmade Jewelry-Making Basics – What is a Toggle?

Jewelry-makers should learn terminology of basic jewelry-making components and techniques to work effectively with friends, customers and suppliers.

Jewelry toggles make up one category of many different jewelry closures for handmade artisan jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry and fine jewelry.  While toggle clasps definitely fasten jewelry, they can also enhance jewelry appearance.

What is a jewelry toggle?

A jewelry toggle is a set of two pieces: a jewelry loop and a jewelry stick.  The jewelry loop is attached to one end of your unfinished jewelry; the jewelry stick attaches to the other end.  The jewelry stick gets pushed through the jewelry loop, then turned so it rests longways against the loop, gravity holding the two components in place.  A skin-tight jewelry piece without any slack will not last long — this style closure is made to have some slack.

Toggle clasps come with a bit more risk than lobster claw clasps.  However, many jewelry fans seem to regard jewelry toggles as more fashionable than lobster claw clasps.  Jewelry closed with toggles may fall off the body if they are made with too much slack; sometimes the toggles may come undone when the tension on the jewelry is relaxed.

Fancy toggles will often be used at the front of a necklace as a visual centerpiece — especially fancy shaped toggles or toggles with addition decorations.

Jewelry toggles come in many different shapes:  round, oval, square, diamond, heart-shaped, floral, stirrup, etc.

Toggle Mechanics

A toggle is most secure when it cannot easily slip back through the loop accidentally.  The widest opening of the toggle loop must still be smaller than the shortest distance from your anchor point (often a ring soldered on or cast midway a metal toggle stick) to the end of the stick.    The toggle loop must also be big enough to accommodate the smallest beads on the end attached to the toggle stick.  The stick must be pulled through the loop before it can be turned to rest against the toggle loop.  Many jewelry pieces with toggle clasps will have beads graduated in size from the larger beads at the center, where they are most visible, to the smaller beads at both ends.  Toggles that are light with respect to the center beads will shift to the top as a bracelet rotates due to gravity.  A heavy toggle will help a bracelet to hang comfortably, with the toggle loop underneath the wrist.

Fastening Toggles

In pieces made with jewelry chain, you may see chain end caps soldered onto the chain and toggles connected with link locks or soldered jump rings.  Unsoldered chain pieces will often use open jump rings, split rings or link locks.  Jewelry designers will usually fasten toggles to bead wire projects using flattened crimps.  Some designers favor clam shells or bead tips to make the transition to the jewelry closures for bead wire projects and fiber projects such as knotted silk jewelry.  Inexpensive leather or fiber pieces may be knotted directly onto the toggle pieces with overhand knots.

Toggle Materials

Your “stick” may be as simple as a button with a shank used with a loop of seed beads on bead wire.  Your loop may be quite fancy, with “expandable” toggles of several rings attached together.   The rings on both the toggle loop and toggle stick should be firmly attached.  Toggle sticks with spiral patterns seem to be susceptible to bending more than many other designs.

Toggle in the United States will often be made of one of the following materials:

Platinum Palladium Gold Gold-Filled Silver: Thai silver, sterling silver (.925 silver) Titanium Surgical Steel Brass, usually plated with gold, silver, copper, antique copper, antique brass, gunmetal/black nickel and imitation rhodium Wood Stone

Many of these materials are available in different surface textures: shiny, matte, brushed, etc.  Crystals, cubic zirconia and gemstones may decorate toggles of the more expensive metals.

The jewelry designer’s unique sense of design and style will define the jewelry aesthetics and the the possible toggles for a jewelry piece.  Fortunately, toggles are available in a wide range of prices, shapes and materials.

www.jewelrymall.com shows you how easy it is to make memory wire bracelets. These make great gifts. Fun and simple to make, easy to wear.
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This is one of my favorite bracelets to make because it’s quick and easy and looks so stylish! Plus, it can accommodate any size wrist because memory wire expands easily. You can use practically any size beads for this, just as long as the bead hole is large enough to pass through the wire. A great group project for kids! Materials list: – Memory wire (bracelet size) – Heavy duty wire cutters (or memory wire shears) – Round-nose pliers – Various beads Source for materials: I purchased the beads and memory wire from www.firemountain.com. I used my dad’s wire cutters and I was given the round-nose pliers for Christmas! Disclaimer All products used in this video were purchased by me. This video was not sponsored.

Fashionable Celtic Jewelry

For fashion lovers, just wearing the latest clothing, shoes, and accessories is not enough. Over two thousand years ago, the Celtic people adorned themselves with handcrafted jewelry made from precious metals and stones. Today, people’s desire for fine jewelry has only grown. For many, their fashion ensemble simply isn’t complete without some form of jewelry adorning their neck or wrists. While any jewelry may do, it is best to invest in jewelry pieces with designs that will be loved even after five generations. This is where Celtic jewelry offers something very unique and different that other jewelry do not possess.

Celtic jewelry dates back to the time before Christ in the form of the Celtic cross. Despite having been designed so long ago, Celtic jewelry maintains it’s everlasting luster as a fashionable piece of jewelry worn by many. One does not have to be Irish or Scottish to wear Celtic jewelry as Irish jewelry. The symbolism and metaphysical connotations of the ancient designs found in Celtic rings and other Celtic jewelry make them increasingly popular items to give as gifts and to consummate wedding vows. The intricate designs in Celtic jewelry are an everlasting reminder of the proud traditions of the Celts. Many of the popular Celtic symbols have their own meaning that are as timeless as the jewelry design and Celtic jewelry’s popularity will only grow more with time.

Celtic jewelry enables the jewelry wearer to express their unique personality. In particular, custom handcrafted Celtic jewelry trumps mass-produced jewelry any day simply because it can be tailored to your preferences. For more affordable options, you can go with existing, pre-designed Celtic jewelry that is made to your size such as Celtic rings and add your own personal touch to it such as an engraving.

Celtic jewelry comes in different forms. Celtic crosses, mentioned earlier, is a form of popular Celtic jewelry. One of the most popular forms comes in rings. Celtic rings and Claddagh rings are very often used in special occasions such as an engagement or a wedding. Celtic engagement rings and Celtic wedding rings are perfect jewelry for such occasions because of their timeless charm and deep meanings. Other jewelry you will find are Celtic pendants and earrings.

Celtic rings and jewelry can also be found made out of silver. This makes it an affordable option for those jewelry lovers on a budget. Oftentimes, these are mass-market versions of these fine handcrafted jewelry. If you are truly serious about buying Celtic jewelry that will be treasured for generations though, buying jewelry made out of precious metals such as gold and platinum are highly recommended. Celtic jewelry also includes precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, and rubies as in the case of Celtic rings, Celtic earrings, and Celtic pendants.

Whether Celtic jewelry is to be given as a gift or to be used in a wedding, it makes any fashion outfit perfect. Since Celtic jewelry never goes out of style, you can be assured that it will match any outfit of the current times.

Article written by Tim O’Malley.

Finding the Most Elegant Cz Jewelry

The jewelry industry is among the most important industries worldwide. That is because through the years, wealthy and affluent people have always been interested and truly enthusiastic about buying and amassing one or numerous sets of jewelries. Diamond jewelries of all kinds are considered the most expensive and in-demand. Thus, when alternatives to the usually expensive items surfaced in the market, everyone seemed to be ecstatic about it. Cubic zirconia (cz) jewelries are among the most extravagant and affordable nowadays.

There are many reasons why many jewelers keep on developing, designing and manufacturing different cz jewelry sets. The most noticeable and logical reason is that many people are patronizing and loyally buying the items because of its distinct extravagant quality despite the very affordable and reasonable prices. To put it simply, cz jewelry items are imitations of diamond jewelries. But you should not bat an eyelash instantly. There is a great catch. Cz jewelry products in the market are almost always of superior quality. Even experts really admire the quality and beauty of cz jewelry items sold across the market.

Why consumers keep on buying any cz jewelry

Consumers are almost always conscious about the price tags of the goods they buy. Moreover, they are at the same time almost always conscious about the accompanying and prevailing quality of the items they are purchasing in the market. Jewelries are not really necessities but they are premium items that the affluent and the fashion icons always consider as staple accessories to bolster their self image and beauty.

Because consumers are always conscious about the prices of the jewelries they wear, they know that owning and wearing diamonds is an utmost privilege. However, they may look fabulous and elegant, but for sure, they would bring risks and danger upon themselves. Thieves and robbers would always target any form of diamond jewelry because the usually high market valuation. This point makes cz jewelry purchases very common nowadays.

To date, sales figures indicate that cz jewelry products have been enjoying a steady rise of sales performance as years pass by. Since cz has been known to the market as a standard and good material for jewelry customization and development, people have been curious of the many forms of cz jewelry sets in the market.

The unusually and significantly lower tag prices of every cz jewelry in the market is a sure and absolute reason why consumers keep on buying the products. Now, the elegance and privilege of wearing authentic and real diamond jewelries can be experienced even by the commoners. Cz jewelry is the answer for such privileges.

Basic features of cz jewelry

The low price tag of cz jewelry is the basic and outstanding feature of the product. There are no other jewelry products out in the market that are as cheap but as elegant as the popular cz jewelry. Consumers who aim to own elegantly looking and beautiful cz jewelry pieces would almost always find the opportunity to have one.

Aside from the cheap price, another outstanding feature of the cz jewelry is its exquisite and unique beauty. Because every cz jewelry is a perfect and appropriate imitation of real diamond jewelries, the item is almost always as beautiful. People would almost always adore every cz jewelry they see as they would likely and expectedly mistake the items for real diamond jewelry items.

Diamonds are considered the hardest substance or material in the plant. The minerals are not just used as decors and jewelry gems. They are also used a materials to cut other hard items, elements and materials in the face of the planet. Thus, when cz was invented, developed and distributed, the synthesized and man-made mineral product was created to also have that basic diamond feature. Thus, you would notice that the cz gems and items found in every cz jewelry is as hard as real diamonds.

Where and how to buy cz jewelry

The local and traditional jewelry stores are where cz jewelry items are always found and bought. If you are aiming to buy cz jewelry, all you have to do is to basically go out of the house and go to the nearest and reliable jewelry store to look out for and check out the cz jewelry items that bear the latest and timeless designs.

Purchases can be done the conventional way using cash. Credit cards can also be used to buy cz jewelry. There are online shops that are rolling out cz jewelry items in the market for a more reliable and convenient cz jewelry purchase.

Find More Jewelry Articles

www.jewelrymakingprofessor.com This is a preview of the jewelrymakingprofessor.com video class showing how to make a pair of Picot Earrings. Full video available at jewelrymakingprofessor.com

www.jewelrymakingprofessor.com Preview of Jewelry Making Video Tutorial showing how to make a heart ring using swarovski crystal beads. To get full video please visit jewelrymakingprofessor.com website.

Fine Fashion & Costume Jewelry

Jewelry is a personal ornament, which includes a necklace, ring, or bracelet, made up from precious & semi precious stones, metals, & other substance. Jewelry is a fashion trend for many. If you are choosing a gift for someone special, buying jewelry can be real confusing.

The most important aspect of fashion & Costume jewelry is that it adds style and beauty to you and your ensemble, it further highlights your personality with the look it adds to your costume. Costume jewelry is more about defining your fashion statement, you can be classic or stylish it is your choice. Costume jewelry is made out of a variety of materials, which can be pure sterling silver, glass beads, kundan, semi-precious stones, metal, etc.

The value of the metal used in costume jewelry it makes a difference between cheap costume jewelry and fine costume jewelry. So the price mainly depends on the material used. As per the requirement of the customer there is cheap as well as fine costume jewelry.

In the Indian wedding huge sum of money is spent on the clothing & jewelry, although it might be of no use in the coming future. Instead of spending huge amounts on the real & precious jewelry you can easily switch to fashion & costume jewelry which comes in affordable prices. Indian costume jewelry is antique & unique in style so it adds weight to your dressing.

It can be hand crafted as per the design. There is a beautiful range of Indian costume jewelry is available, which has antique as well as modern designs. Bead work is also very popular these days which is being used in jewelry designs.

Jewelry is precious & it’s special.

It reflects the wearer’s personality. These qualities of jewelry should be reflected in their display in order to attract customers. Jewelry comes in all budget sizes, chunky party wear and costume jewelry is comparatively inexpensive, to semi-precious jewelry & top-of-the line jewelry with precious metals and stones.

Each kind of jewelry will attract a different kind of customers and should be displayed accordingly. There are many styles and types of jewelry but all the customers prefer that a nice piece of jewelry should appear more pricey than it actually is. A fine piece of jewelry ensures quality design and construction, as well as a unique design.

Any jewelry that is precious and is made out of metals or stones that we consider precious and expensive falls into the category of fine jewelry. The finest gold, silver, platinum and diamonds are chosen to be used in the crafting of fine jewelry. Fine jewelry is available in exclusive designs and is beautifully crafted.

Buying wholesale costume jewelry is a great way to save money since you can get assorted designs of jewelry at the best wholesale prices. While this strategy might not work out for the individual buyer, few customers can form a group & buy jewelry in wholesale. Wholesalers of Fashion Imitation Jewelry in India Delhi

Wholesale costume jewelry dealers have a large variety of jewelry designs which includes bracelets, chains and necklaces for women and bracelets and chains for men; wedding and engagement rings; stud earrings, dangle earrings. Costume jewelry can also be classified on the basis of how it is crafted. Wholesale costume jewelry supplier’s source machine made jewelry and handcrafted jewelry from different places. Wholesale Jewelry Delhi India

Though unique handcrafted pieces are expensive when compared to machine made pieces they have quite an extensive demand.

For more information please visit:

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Houston pedal-pushers Indian Jewelry meld the noisy atmospherics of shoegaze, the druggy languor of Spacemen 3, and the portentous tribal drones of Drum’s Not Dead-era Liars on “Swans”, from 2008 album “Free Gold!”. In other words, judging by sound alone (the lyrics are mostly indecipherable, anyway), the track is more likely to be about its namesake band than its namesake bird. Directed by Ivan Shumaker, the video makes the most of its arid, apocalyptic desert setting, lingering lovingly over scrub-brushed hills and naked dunes. Long shadows fall over the band members, who play solemnly, wearing shades and/or Native American-style garb, beneath a threatening, almost alien cloudscape. There will not be blood, but there will be strobes. -Pitchfork.tv: Indian Jewelry: “Swans” [Video Premiere]-

Is There Such A Thing As Fair Trade Jewelry?

A Google search for “fair trade jewelry” will bring up numerous companies, many of which sell ethnic jewelry produced in small villages in the developing world. The ‘fair trade’ concept draws the socially responsible shopper, yet the third party labeling organization, Fair Labeling Organization (FLO)- of which Transfair USA is a member – does not currently list jewelry as a category certifiable as fair trade. Apart from that, some large players in the mainstream jewelry industry are beginning to tout concepts such as “fair trade diamonds and gold.” So how does one make sense of these jewelry claims, especially as they relate to the 0 Billion plus mainstream jewelry industry?

Investigating the Self-Proclaimed Fair Trade Jewelers

‘Global Exchange’ comes up number one on Google in the organic, unpaid listings for the “fair trade jewelry” search. The Transfair logo at the bottom of their website would lead a shopper to believe that their jewelry, like the coffee they sell, is third party certified.

In the context of their claim, I emailed them, asking about the source of their precious metal and the environmental safeguards for their manufacturer’s; proper ventilation and disposal or toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing of the jewelry they sell. Finally, sterling silver is supposed to be .925% silver. Imports out of small villages in developing countries are notorious for labeling as sterling silver jewelry which has less silver content than real sterling silver.

Global Exchange wrote back explaining that that what qualifies as fair trade jewelry is that their jewelry is made in a village by small scale artisans and fair working conditions, which they monitor. They could not answer questions about the environmental practices of these small manufacturers and did not monitor sterling content.

This application of the term “fair trade” to jewelry by Global Exchange is backed by a fair trade concept that exists outside of FLO. Global Exchange also referred me to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), of which they are a member. FTF’s website FAQ pages lists jewelry as a “fair trade” product. I interviewed Carmen Iezzi, the executive director of FTF, which helped me understand that FTF has nothing to do with products: only businesses that sell them – a subtle distinction probably lost on the average person.

Global Exchange, at least, has some history behind their ethical stance; there are many small and large companies and stores using the “fair” and “eco” label around jewelry with more questionable accountability.

Though “fair trade” jewelry is helping some villagers in the developing world, it is a negligible niche market in the mainstream jewelry industry as a whole, which does over hundred and fifty billion dollars annually.

The Difficulty of Fair Trade in the Main Stream Jewelry Industry

Taking the concept of “fair trade” jewelry out of the village and into the mainstream global jewelry market (think gold, diamonds, bling bling) is like banging that old square peg into a round hole. At present, the industry is totally commodity based and price driven, somewhat like lumber or oil. Fair trade is just not part of the paradigm.

Consider the general conditions required for a fair trade item which is fairly straight forward: coffee. The beans are organically grown often in farms that work collectively, fostering entrepreneurship which translates into broader community prosperity. Third party certification assures a level of integrity that the ethical consumer buying at Whole Foods feels good about.

To translate the same concept into a jewelry product, one would have to factor in labor and environmental practices in the sourcing of precious metal and gemstones. Mining and development of the raw material – metal refining and gemstone cutting – are additional steps. Manufacturing a finished product presents another process with its own labor and environmental issues. Plus, there is a wide range of jewelry products, from toy rings to the high end. Attempting to come to an agreed upon criteria of what is ethical with such an elaborate, disparate supply chain is daunting.

The Ethical Sourcing Movement in the Mainstream Jewelry Industry

Meanwhile, a small segment of passionate, dedicated people in the mainstream jewelry industry are attempting to define “ethical sourcing”, with the ultimate aim of some kind of agreed upon criteria leading to true, third party Fair Trade Jewelry certification. This is going to be a long process.

To that end, the first Ethical Jewelry Summit was held in late October of 2007 in Washington DC. Fair trade oriented suppliers, NGOs, Manufacturuers, Miners from all over the world as well third party certification groups like TransfairUSA came together to start this process.

The jewelry industry derives most of its revenues from diamonds, precious and gemstones and precious metal. The ethical sourcing movement has attracted the interest of governments, large corporations and the World Bank, where the Washington meeting took place.

Most raw materials in the jewelry industry are sourced from small scale mining and efforts are under way to bring ethical practices to this sector. FLO’s early efforts focus on ARM (Association For Responsible Mining). Some companies, such as the Rapaport Group and Columbia Gem House, have taken strong initiatives on their own, extrapolating the fair trade concept to apply to gemstone sourcing. However, precious metals and gems in themselves do not make up an entire piece of jewelry.

Though a finished piece of jewelry could be analogous to a fair trade chocolate bar which may have parts that are independently certified, we cannot have ethically sourced jewelry without addressing manufacturing which has its own labor and environmental concerns. Fair trade concerns items that are produced in developing countries. Unlike coffee, mainstream jewelry cannot be easily manufactured in a developing world village because it requires a huge initial investment in equipment and raw materials.

Apart from companies that source their manufactured products from ethical factories, the most notable experiment in this regard is taking place in South Africa in a project called, Vukani-Ubuntu. The project essentially trains people from local townships into the mainstream jewelry trade, providing training, mentoring and equipment. It is heavily supported by government and NGOs. But according to Lores Mares, CEO of the South African Jewelry Council, one of the most difficult challenges is bringing the product to a market.

Jewelry is strictly a commodity that is heavily cost driven. This ethical sourcing concept does not bring added value because the market is undeveloped. My anecdotal research shows that the progressive, green shopper who buys from Patagonia does not feel at ease with a typical jewelry sales person. Winning the progressive ‘eco’ demographic back will not be easy. Yet those in the mainstream jewelry world who are involved, are sincere and heavily driven by humanitarian concerns – with the possible exception of the larger corporations who may be joining to polish their blood diamond, dirty gold image.

Though millions of websites reference “fair trade

jewelry,” the designation is, at this point, too ambiguous for all but a few main stream jewelry manufacturers to use. The consumer interested in ethically sourced jewelry needs to look for detailed information as to sourcing, labor and environmental practices. At present, transparency is often more valuable to the consumer than any ‘fair trade’ designation.

Learn how to make a wire wrap scroll in this free video on how to make wire wrapped jewelry. Expert: Nicole Bio: Nicole has been involved in jewelry making as a hobby for several years.
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The Art of Jewelry in America

As art jewelry comes into its own in America, galleries are clasping onto the trend and finding success with the art/jewelry mix.

Throughout the world, body ornamentation is an ancient and time-honored art form. Yet in the United States, jewelry as art has only recently come into its own.

Such art is not the series of gold tennis bracelets lined up in a glass case at the mall. Nor is it the design of a single artist whose staff puts it into mass production. These are handcrafted, one-of-a-kind works conceived and executed by the artist with all the technical elements and aesthetics that carry it across the line into the realm of fine art.

“The distinction between mass-produced jewelry and art jewelry is not just in the quantity but the design,” said jewelry artist Gretchen Kubacky of Los Angeles. “I’ve seen some stunningly high-quality designs in a department store that wouldn’t be considered fine art, and I’ve seen ,000 diamond earrings that have no design quality to them. Art is in the eye of the beholder.” All kinds of jewelry such as wholesale costume jewelry,fashion jewelry wholesale,wholesale jewelry,jewelry supply,pearl jewelry,body jewelry

Kubacky identifies her own work as “ethnicized contemporary” jewelry drawn from historical images, as well as craft and folk art. She uses sterling silver, high-quality stones and pearls, but she likes to mix them up, putting hand-made stones from India with cultured pearls–the fine and the not-so-fine–to create a more hand-made appearance.

“Jewelry-as-art depends on function and intimacy,” wrote Carolyn Morris Bach, who exhibits her bone-and-precious metal jewelry at high-end expositions and in select fine art galleries across the country. “Every piece of jewelry that leaves the studio is entirely hand-fabricated by me. While I strive for perfection in my design and craftsmanship, I am not overly concerned that every form requires perfectly rounded edges or that every element be an exact replication of its counterpart. If this is art, it should be individual and unique and preserve for the viewer deliberate traces of the decisions for fabrication; the passage of the hands through materials.”

Herein lies the realm of distinction between commercial jewelry and jewelry as fine art. Part of the departure lies in the purpose or intention behind the piece, whether it was made to be sold in quantity at a profit and ultimately worn, or if it was created for the sake of art–art that was hand crafted, using unconventional materials or traditional materials in unconventional ways. The closer the artist remains to the creative process, the closer the jewelry is to fine art.

“The difference is the same for jewelry as it is for the other decorative arts, such as glass and ceramics,” said jewelry artist and photographer Douglas Steakley, who exhibits jewelry and other fine crafts at his Concepts Gallery in Carmel, Calif. “You can tell when they change into fine art because they cease being functional, or they become sculptural objects themselves,” Steakley said. “Still, there remains a huge gray area of pieces that are semi-functional or are artistic but identifiable, wearable jewelry.”

Steakley and his wife Jacqueline founded Concepts 15 years ago as a gallery featuring the work of jewelry artists like Carolyn Morris Bach, Sydney Lynch and more. Their criteria were that each piece had to be unique, well-developed and identifiable–the artist had to create a signature.

“Concepts hasn’t changed much,” he said, “except to introduce glass and photography that follow the same artistic criteria. It’s a good mix. Glass, in particular, provides a nice contrast to the jewelry. It’s larger, visually interesting and colorful. It’s also more accessible than jewelry.”

Jewelry continues to make inroads into fine art venues such as galleries, high-end shows and expos, and it is creating quite a presence in the marketplace.

Patina Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M., dedicates half of its expansive space to art jewelry and the balance to other fine crafts. Owned by Allison Barnett and directed by her husband, jewelry artist Ivan Barnett, the nearly two-year-old gallery is renowned for representing some of the finest art jewelry in the world.

“We make a huge commitment to European jewelry artists,” said Ivan. “At lot of what I would call the cutting-edge of art jewelry is coming out of Europe. Theirs is a different, cleaner aesthetic. American jewelry artists are more decadent–not in a bad way–but there is a pared-down quality about the European designs. Americans are still tied a little more to the precious materials, largely because America is so market driven. Not to misrepresent the quality and aesthetic of many fine American artists, but Europeans are more closely aligned with our philosophy; creating surprises for people who have great sensibilities and want something way off the track.”

For the past 23 years, the William Zimmer Gallery in Mendocino, Calif., has presented an “eclectic, expansive and imaginative collection of contemporary arts” in both traditional and craft media. Along with sculpture, painting and furniture, it specializes in fine art jewelry with work from Morris Bach, Lynch, Abrasha and others.

Hot Trends in Jewelry

Consumers are cutting back on spending nowadays, but jewelry retailers are looking toward the upcoming summer months, to get consumers back into jewelry stores. Additionally, with the trends of bright colors and bold pieces, consumers can’t help but take notice of and want a piece of fashion item this year.

Fashion magazines are discussing trends in jewelry for the spring in their latest issues, and big pieces are definitely in style. InStyle magazine focused on nature- and tribal-themed pieces and bright colors, while Lucky included a whole spread of classic, yet modern, cocktail rings. In its March issue, Vogue gave brides-to-be some of the magazine’s favorite engagement rings and wedding day jewelry. A lot of this season’s trends are a natural progression from last season. Necks were bare and rings were big, but this season necklaces have made an extremely bold comeback..

For spring and summer 2008, shine is everywhere in terms of fashion accessories. From the purses we carry to the clothes we choose to the shoes we wear, the newest trend is all about shine from head to toe. Jewelry is one accessory that will never go out of style and can last a lifetime with the proper care. So while consumers may be cutting back on a lot of spending, jewelry retailers are hoping that the latest jewelry trends will get consumers into the stores and at least looking at the latest pieces. For upcoming holidays and special occasions, be sure to carry items that are on-trend.

Nature-inspired Jewelry Trend

Nature-inspired Jewelry has become one of the hottest trends in Hollywood today! Tons of celebrities are sporting nature jewelry with both elegant formal wear and casual everyday looks. Snake jewelry is one of the most popular styles of nature-inspired jewelry.

For centuries, people have crafted nature-inspired jewelry in appreciation of the world around them. In the Victorian period, romantic notions about the natural world caused a flourish of nature-inspired jewelry and art. Flower jewelry and images of animals were very popular styles; Victoria herself loved snake jewelry and believed the serpent motif represented fidelity and love. The more people learned about plants, animals, and the oceans, the more they were moved to create nature style jewelry and nature inspired jewelry.

“Enlightenment” Jewelry Trend

Sentimental Jewelry is a strong category not only for self-purchase but also for gift giving. 

Engraved jewelry featuring messages of love, poetry or initials will be the most popular.

Yoga Inspired Jewelry is becoming abundant, reflecting the growing number of people who are adopting this ritual discipline, which is said to bring physical and spiritual alignment. Yoga talismans are also popular among those who just want an overt and motivational reminder.

Green Jewelry and Green Gems are being used in many jewelry collections this season. Jewelers with a green conscience are making a point to incorporate earth friendly methods and materials into their jewelry designs.

Jewelry For A Cause is becoming plenteous. As JFC says, the jewelry industry is that with a heart! Designers today are donating proceeds from sales to endless philanthropic causes and people in need. Designers’ passion comes pouring out artistically through the creation, often reflecting the organization benefiting from the proceeds.

Big, Bold Jewelry Trend

Wearing less jewelry pieces is more when it comes to the top jewelry trends for 2008, but the key ingredient for trend-setting fashionistas is larger, bolder styles that are gem-intensive.

That advice comes from Jesse Chao of Gems by Chao, a leading Houston fine jeweler. Chao specializes in advising her gala-minded clientele-a mix of socialites and philanthropists-and matching fine jewelry to their personal style. In a statement, Chao said women who are already planning to attend galas will be wearing less fine jewelry but adorning themselves with larger, more impressive pieces, for a classic “Grace Kelly” look.  I’ve actually already seen this trend over the past year, less jewelry but each piece that is worn is big and bold – one big bracelet, no necklace but super long earrings.

While I personally don’t feel comfortable in really large jewelry pieces, for that special occasion – red carpet affair for example, it does make sense because of the dramatic statement a few large jewelry pieces can make.

Ethnic inspired jewelry is supposed to be gaining momentum. Due to the increased cost of gold, we’ll see more filigree type designs, which look great but cut down on the gram weight. Now, this sounds interesting!

Bold Pendants Trend
This is no time for a wimpy drop necklace. You need a substantial pendant that really makes a fashion statement, and two of the hottest colors will be yellow and its complementary color, purple.

Yellow
Refreshing gemstones like Citrine, Yellow Topaz, Amber, and Chrysoberyl and simulated Canary Diamond jewelry, topaz glass beads and the Cubic Zirconia substitutes will keep you on top of seasonal jewelry trends! Like this lovely Citrine:
Purple
A great counter point color for yellow is purple, which will also be highlighted this spring. Like this gorgeous pendant.

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