I’ve heard some jewelry described as “timeless,” but this has got to be the gold standard!

Archaeologists were excavating a site in Jerusalem when one of them found an ancient earring. The earring dates back to the time of Christ, making it about 2,000 years old. I’d call that a pearl of a find.

To read more, click here.

Enviously,
Olivia

Artist showcase of Christine J. Brandt’s sculptural jewelry and Sebastian Artz’s photography.

Thursday, November 6, 6PM - 9PM

Fred Segal (500 Broadway, Santa Monica)

RSVP at FredSegalGreen.com

Maybe the question I should ask is: “Who doesn’t like free diamonds?”

The makers of Secret Deodorant are giving away ten flawless one-carat diamonds! Entering is easy: all you have to do is buy Secret Flawless™ and enter the secret code from the back label. If you get lucky, you could win great prizes like five-star dinners, AMC movie tickets, and Visa shopping sprees!

But, best of all, if you find a faux diamond game piece in your deodorant, then you’re an instant winner of a real diamond!

Hey, and if you win because we told you about this contest, then you owe us an exclusive interview and some pictures of your beautiful, blingy prize!

See the official rules and full contest details here.

I had the pleasure of attending the Pasadena Bead and Design Show last Friday, and it was well worth the hour-long commute to the Pasadena Hilton!

The Pasadena Bead and Design Show

I had a great time at my first industry show. It was an excellent opportunity to meet hot new designers in the area (look for interviews and profiles in the days to come). I also learned a ton about the latest in current trends and innovative techniques.

Those of you aspiring designers out there should keep an eye out for our top ten secrets to marketing your jewelry, compliments of Angela Lovesmith of Lovestone Beads.

The Pasadena Bead and Design Show did a great job of bringing together a diverse group of exhibitors — designers and suppliers in all kinds of genres and styles, and from different walks of life — and joining them all into one unified show that actively demonstrates that, while we may all have different styles, a common love for jewelry is the only bond we need.

Connected,
Olivia

Tomorrow, I’ll be attending the Pasadena Bead & Design Show with a colleague.

Graphic by Pasadena Bead and Design Show.

I’m pretty excited about attending my very first industry show! Don’t know what I’ll see there, but I’m looking forward to seeing as much as possible!

From the show’s website:

“Pasadena Bead and Design Show is managed by Garan-Beadagio on behalf of Anna Kathleen Johnson. Having been in the artisanal trades for many years, Anna wanted to produce a show that mirrored the relationship of nature and art, the way they are lovingly interlaced in colors, textures, and patterns, at the deepest levels of the mind, and discovered through the expression of traditional handwork. She believes that art is the embodiment of dream, and that in a mystical sense, ownership is more like custodianship, passed on from generation to generation, and that it is essential that we discover the tradition continuously.”

If you’re in the Pasadena area, I encourage you to come and check it out! Maybe we’ll even get to meet!

Showing Off,
Olivia

Palladium. It’s a word I’ve been seeing a lot on the internet lately, especially in ads.

After a friend asked me what it was, I decided that I needed to look into it, for the good of Woobies everywhere.

Palladium.

Palladium is a “platinum group metal” (”PRG”), a group of metals that have chemical properties similar to platinum. Palladium has an atomic weight of 46, and is actually 12% harder than platinum. At different times in history, platinum has actually been more plentiful than palladium, driving up the price of this precious metal.

However, due to recent innovations in palladium production, palladium is about a quarter of the price of platinum right now!

People tend to look at the price of palladium and assume that it is of a lesser quality than platinum. However, the only significant downside to palladium vs. platinum is that palladium tends to discolor at high soldering heats, become brittle with repeated heating and cooling, and also reacts to strong acids. But unless you plan to wear your palladium ring in a fire or handle some sulfuric acid without gloves, you’re okay — and, even then, you’re going to have bigger problems than your ring getting ruined.

Palladium is about the same price as white gold, but has the added advantage of being hypoallergenic. Also, it’s far more resistant to tarnishing and fading than white gold. In fact, white gold is often an alloy of gold and palladium, which gives it its white luster.

The Robbins Brothers website has a great comparison chart that you can look at to see exactly how palladium stacks up against more popular metals.

Photo credit robbinsbros.com

I also found some beautiful palladium engagement rings on their website.

Vivant Palladium Engagement Ring with Round Diamonds, $595 (without center stone) at robbinsbros.com.

At a fraction of the cost of a similar ring in platinum (all the platinum designs I saw that even came close cost at least $2,000), think of how much money your fiancé will have leftover to spend on the diamond! Let’s face it: the only reason for the band is to house the diamond!

And now is a great time to buy palladium, too. There’s been a huge advertising push for palladium and, as it grows in popularity, the demand is bound to rise, which means that the cost will rise right along with it (hey, I took high school economics). So get in on the ground floor with this new trend in precious metals!

Preciously,
Olivia

These are interesting times in the jewelry world. Tammy Powley posted a great entry on her Jewelry Making Blog today, listing some jewelry blogs and vendor websites.

Enjoy!