Jewelry Trends and More

Dress for Success Tip on Accessories from VP's Jewelry

A boardroom-ready look includes one show stopper plus subtle accessories. That means if you're going to put on a chunky beaded necklace, stick to minimal earrings and bracelet.

What’s New in Jewelry Big & Bold statement necklaces, chandelier earrings and cuff bracelets add drama to your fall jewelry wardrobe. Fall 09 brings a co-existence between the urban landscape and nature. Colors like urban concrete, midnight blue, moonlight, iridescent sky, opalescence will be featured this fall. A kaleidoscope of vivid colors like pumpkin, imperial purple, red coral will be in abundance as accents. The Fall 09 will be playing with effects, light and shine - special effects. It's all about color, dye, tint, hue... Crystals are everywhere in the full spectrum of color. What better way to bring life to a structured dress with little detail than to accessorize it with brightly colored rocks. Merging the industrial and the handcrafted techniques will be reflected in the colors. Urban alongside Rural, Organic alongside Artificial, Warm tones alongside Cold tones, Industrial alongside Craft, Caring alongside Happiness.

Statement Necklaces - Big rocks, stones, pearls and artisan handcrafted glass will be used in necklaces to make a big and bold statement. They're the type of pieces that will transform a simple casual outfit into something glamorous, and are best worn with neutral colors for the fall 2009 season. Chandelier Earrings - Exotic-inspired collections, garnet, topaz, and black diamond have been added to the mix for 2010. Look for over sized chandelier earrings with bead detailing for a fresh new look this fall. Long and dangling or big hoop earrings to make that big and bold statement you are looking for.

Cuff Bracelets Cuff bracelets are statement jewels that turn a simple sheathe into a stunning outfit. Your little black sleeveless dress or strapless gown looks even more amazing with the addition of a Crystal Cuff Bracelet. Timeless classics cuff bracelets in gemstones are hot this season Add a simple Sodalite Cuff Bracelet to that urban concrete business suit for a fresh and new twist. A Cuff bracelet is a good investment for now and in the future as they will remain a classic for years.

Summer Trends are Still Hot Spring/summer of 09 is best described as a season of renewal and growth, defined by rich, elegant hues that offer a vibrant selection. New York's fashion designers emphasize cooler blues, greens and purples in the top five tones used in their collections, followed by variations of warm red, orange and yellow. The more traditional soft hues, apricot and pale grays are also among the spring color choices. The new cool colors of spring such as Bluebell and hibiscus (Sponge Coral necklace) are features VP's Jewelry. VP's Jewelry has lots of and roses to choose from. Artisan Handmade Glass Beads Lampwork

Lampworking is a type of glass work that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with a variety of tools and hand movements. It is also known as flame working or torch working, Although the art form has been practiced since ancient times, it became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. It was not until the late 1960s that lampwork became recognized as a serious art form by German born lampwork glass artist Hans Godo Frabel who utilized his scientific glass blowing training to create relatively large pieces of lampwork glass art in borosilicate. Lampworking can be done with many types of glass, but the most common are soda-lime glass, sometimes called "soft glass" - and borosilicate glass, often called "hardglass." Different colors of glass must be carefully selected for compatibility with each other. Different major types of glass, e.g.,borosilicate and soda-lime glass are not compatible with each other. Chemically, some colors can react with each other when melted together. This may cause desirable effects in coloration, metallic sheen, or result in anesthetically pleasing "web effect". It also can cause undesirable effects such as unattractive discoloration, bubbling, or diversification. Borosilicate glass is considered more forgiving to work with, less apt to crack during flame working than soda-lime glass. However, it has a narrower working temperature range than soda-lime glass, has fewer available colors, and is considerably more expensive. Some of the renowned glass artisans featured in VP’s Jewelry are: Breezy Riggs Harvest Beads, Kalera Stratton - The Beadwife, Austin Hamilton Collection, Josh Bonazza – Juba Glass, and Rocky Mountain Beadworks. Throughout VP’s Jewelry you will find a great selection jewelry made with one-of-a-kind artisan lampworks beads.

All About Pearls

A natural pearl is a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of mollusks, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls (baroque pearls) occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Cultured pearls (nucleated and non-nucleated or tissue nucleated cultured pearls) and imitation pearls can be distinguished from natural pearls by X-ray examination. Nucleated cultured pearls are often 'pre-formed' as they tend to follow the shape of the implanted shell bead nucleus. Once the pre-formed beads are inserted into the oyster, it secretes a few layers of nacre around the outside surface of the implant before it is removed after six months or more. Freshwater pearls are a kind of pearl that comes from freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the United States on a limited scale, but are now almost exclusive to China. Man made glass pearls are manufactured to look like the real pearl but are mass product. VP's Jewelry offers a selection of fine cultured pearls. Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. Fine silver (99.9% pure) is generally too soft for producing large functional objects; therefore, the silver is usually alloyed with copper to give it strength, while at the same time preserving the ductility and beauty of the precious metal. A number of alloys, such as Argentium sterling silver have appeared in recent years, formulated to lessen firescale or to inhibit tarnish. VP's Jewelry offer sterling silver rings, pendants and as accents in necklaces and earrings. Sterling silver noodles are featured in VP's Jewelry bangle bracelets.

What is Gold Filled?

Gold-filled jewelry is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass. Some high quality gold-filled pieces have the look, luster, and beauty of 14 karat (58%) gold. By definition, the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped GF must equal at least 1/20 the weight of the total item. 1/20 12kt GF is the most common stamp you will find on gold-filled jewelry. >Gold filled items, even with daily wear, can last five to 30 years but will eventually wear through. Gold-filled items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate.

Cabochon and Faceted Gemstones

A gemstone or gem (also called a precious or semi-precious stone) is a piece of attractive mineral, which—when cut and polished—is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However certain rocks, (such as lapis-lazuli) and organic materials (such as amber or jet) are not minerals, but are still used for jewelry, and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their lustre or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. Most gemstones are cut and polished for usage as jewelry. The two main classifications are stones cut as smooth, dome shaped stones called cabochons, and stones which are cut with a faceting machine by polishing small flat windows called facets at regular intervals at exact angles. Stones which are opaque such as opal,turquoise, variscite, covelite, etc. are commonly cut as cabochons. These gems are designed to show the stone's color or surface properties as in opal and star sapphires. Gems which are transparent are normally faceted, a method which shows the optical properties of the stone’s interior to its best advantage by maximizing reflected light sparkle. VP's Jewelry offer you a wide variety of both cabochons and Faceted stones in their jewelry.

Copper Jewelry

Copper, as native copper, is one of the few metals to naturally occur as an uncompounded mineral. Copper was known to some of the oldest civilizations on record, and has a history of use that is at least 10,000 years old. A copper pendant was found in what is now northern Iraq that dates to 8700 BC. Copper also has a significant presence as a decorative metal art. Here, copper provides that special zing to VP's Jewelry Copper Selections. Many are paired with natural gemstones or Artisan glass beads. Each piece is one of a kind.

Care of Copper Jewelry Using a jewelry polishing cloth on copper jewelry will restore the shine when tarnishing occurs. Polishing cloths cost only a few dollars and can be purchased at most stores that sell jewelry, and also at many drugstores. A jewelry polishing cloth can last for years. Storing your copper jewelry in plastic zip lock bags when not being worn will keep the jewelry clean & polished, since continuous exposure to air and moisture is what causes oxidation or tarnish. Try Anti-tarnish Bag for better prevention of tarnish. Dipping copper jewelry in a small solution of lemon or lime juice (1 lemon)with a dash of salt (1/2 teaspoon) will clean and restore shine to copper jewelry. Rinse the piece off well after dipping and dry before storing. Use the polishing cloth to add extra luster and keep the piece shining between cleanings.