Strength and Quality
Strength:
All jewelry is strung on 49 strand Beadalon or Accuflex cable. This special cable is nylon coated and weighs as much as #8 jeweler silk, but is 4 times stronger. Cable is as flexible as silk, and all necklaces hang naturally without bends or kinks, and will not stretch, rust, or discolor. The cable I use is .014" and has a strength tested for 20lbs. On pieces with heavier stones I use .019" with a strength of 26lbs.
Crimps:
The crimp is what holds the wire on a piece of jewelry. The crimps I prefer to use are .925 Sterling Silver and have a twist to them which locks them tight. The quality is much higher and they are 10 times stronger then brass or aluminum.
Toggles and S-Clasp:
All Toggles on bracelets are .925 Sterling Silver and the S-Clasp on the necklaces are also .925 Sterling Silver. For the jewelry were I use gold Toggles or gold S-Clasps, I use Vermeil which is Sterling Silver, heavily electro-plated with 22kt yellow gold. I use only Toggles or S-Clasp on my jewelry because they allow you to hook your jewelry with ease. (Ever have a favorite piece of jewelry you just couldn't hook yourself?) Much easier than the lobster clasp. I do have some pieces with Sterling lobster clasp for those who prefer this type of clasp.
Swarovski Crystal and Czech Crystal:
Swarovski is the producer of the finest quality Austrian full-lead crystal in the world. Swarovski crystals are renowned for their brilliance and clarity, because of their precise edges and angles light passes through and reflects in a prism of colors. That is why they are considered the top of the line.
Czech Crystal beads are high quality machine cut lead crystal beads from the Czech Republic. They are of good quality, but not as brilliant as Swarovski.
Lampwork Beads:
So, what is a lampwork bead? The hand making of glass beads is called lampwork, because hundreds of years ago, artisans heated glass using oil lamps. I use a propane/oxygen torch to heat imported glass rods to over 1700F. Then I wind the molten glass onto a "mandrel", which is a stainless
steel rod, and using gravity, a variety of tools, color, form and design... each bead I create is a small wearable treasure. Lampwork Beads are truly unique one of a kind works of art. I also purchase Lampwork beads from some very talented artist who make some really fantastic beads.
Sterling Silver Beads:
I use .925 Sterling Silver beads on most pieces. I also use Bali beads because of there beauty, they are known world wide for there wonderful intricate beads and Sterling Silver pieces. (Sterling has gone up 20% in the pass year due to the weak US dollar)
Freshwater Pearls:
Freshwater pearls are the product of mussels that inhabit freshwater lakes and rivers. Freshwater pearls are characterized by their irregular shapes and unusual colors. Supply and demand also contribute to the value of pearls. There are vast quantities of freshwater pearls available each year,unlike saltwater pearls whose perfectly round shapes and mirror-like luster make them more difficult to acquire. This is why freshwater pearls are so affordable. Whereas saltwater pearls are investments. Freshwater pearls make for beautiful jewelry at affordable prices.
Cultured Pearls:
The cultured pearl consist of an oyster or other mollusk, the shell nucleus that is to be implanted, a tiny bit of live tissue (from the mantle or lip) from another oyster, and water. Different types of oysters or mussels produce variety in pearls, and the akoya oyster from Japanese saltwater and the biwa mussel from that country's freshwater Lake Biwa may be the best known pearl-bearers. Producers claim freshwater pearls are more natural because nuclei are not used; instead only a piece of mantle is implanted to culture these pearls. All the materials are natural, although human intervention is required. Because the process occurs over several years, a perfect balance of conditions is required for the aquaculture, or growth in water, of pearls.
Turquoise:
Turquoise is getting harder to come buy, and for that reason more expensive. High-grade turquoise is already hard to find, with not enough to satisfy the market. It is actually much rarer than diamonds or other stones like lapis. The price must increase. Allot of the Turquoise you see in stores are actually composite's of Turquoise dust and hardener.
Coral:
Coral is the calcified skeletal remains of a particular form of marine life called 'coral polyps'. Each coral secretes a stony cup of liquid that form as a skeleton. The polyps divide as they grow and form coral colonies. It comes in several colors, including white, pink, red, orange, blue, brown and black. It is extremely fragile in its natural state and must be protected against blows and anything that may scratch it. Darker colors will fade when exposed to the sun so be sure and store them properly. Then of course there is the Red Coral on the market..Another fact is they have stopped all harvesting of Red Mediterranean Coral. The red coral you see now is really coral that has been dyed red, but the quality of the coral itself is very important.
Larimar:
Larimar is a unique, as no two pieces of stone have the exact same patterns and shading of color. They are all unbelievably beautiful blue tones. Larimar is found in only one square kilometer of the world., in the remote mountains of the Caribbean island country of the Dominican Republic. Its exquisite beauty, unique color and extreme rarity all combine to make Larimar a truly precious gem.... Mining is in such a small area, that it can only be mined by hand. Rainfall and mudslides during Hurricane season which last 5 months means the mines are often closed. These factors all contribute to making the stone very difficult to excavate. Larimar colors range from soft greens to the deepest blues. The colors mimic perfectly the Caribbean Sea. This is a true beauty.
Fossils:
Ammonites are an extinct type of mollusk which inhabited the earth 350 million years ago. Most are fossilized with calcite. Other fossils are Megalodon teeth which come from one of the largest sharks ever known to live. These monster sharks ranged in size up to 60' in length with a weight of around 20 tons. They were from the Miocene Period some 6 to 26 million years ago.
Stones:
I use real Turquoise, Coral, Lapis, Jasper, and many fine natural and semi-precious stones that vibrate with color. ( royal purple of Amethyst, deep rich blue of Lapis, golden Citrine, yellow Jade, rich red of Garnet, red-orange of Carnelian, black Russian Amber, and honey Baltic Amber) are only a few of the stones I use. I hope I have given you some useful information and a understanding of how I make my jewelry. Thank you, Denise
