Necklace Lengths
Posted by Administrator on May 22, 2006
When ordering jewelry online, many sties offer a choice of several different lengths for chains and necklaces. How do you know which is right for you? A lot depends on the style of shirts or dresses you wear.
A choker-length necklace is generally 14″-15″, for small to medium sized necks, and about 16″-17″ for larger necks. Chokers look great with a variety of different necklines, but avoid wearing chokers with turtlenecks or halter tops. Also, avoid any neckline that hits exactly where the choker fits on your neck - it will tend to get tangled in your shirt, or even disappear underneath your shirt.
A lot of people like the look of chokers, but find that they prefer slightly longer lengths that don’t fit so closely around their necks. In this case, for smaller necks, try a 16″ chain, and for longer necks, and 18″ chain. These necklace lengths look great with scoop neck tops and V-neck tops. They usually don’t work with turtlenecks or crew necks - with turtlenecks, they become chokers, and with crew necks, they often get hidden beneath the shirt.
So what do you wear with turtlenecks and crew necks? With a crew neck shirt, I recommend at least 18″ for smaller necks and at least 20″ for larger necks. This should be sufficiently long that the necklace doesn’t hide beneath the neckline of your shirt. I don’t recommend this length with scoop-neck or v-neck tops, because the pendant can get tucked in where the neckline of the shirt hits your chest.
With turtlenecks, I recommend at least 20″ chains for smaller necks, and at least 22″ chains for larger necks. These lengths are usually sufficiently long enough to fit around the turtleneck, without looking very tight. 24″ and longer necklaces are even better with turtlenecks, and ensure that you won’t feel like your necklace is choking you.
Extra-long necklaces have been popping up in shops and fashion magazines lately, and these are often the easiest necklaces to wear. They work with almost any shirt style, because they fall lower than all but the most daring of plunging necklines. These long necklaces can also be layered with shorter necklaces, choker length or slightly longer, or even wrapped around your neck a couple of times to create a double or triple strand look.
Anti-tarnish strips at the hardware store
Posted by Administrator on May 19, 2006
Another hardware store find - anti-tarnish strips. These are little strips of paper that have some kind of chemicals on them that help prevent silver from tarnishing. Storing silver jewelry with one of these in the container, and it should prevent or slow tarnishing for about six months.
There is also a thing called anti-tarnish cloth, sometimes called pacific cloth (no clue why) that also helps prevent tarnish. Sometimes Joanne’s fabrics has this by the yard - it would make a great lining material for jewelry boxes, or even little pouches for storing silver.
Odd sources of inspiration
Posted by Administrator on May 15, 2006
A couple weeks ago I got a really weird idea for a pendant. My thought process was basically, “so many people are making those circle pendants, but all they are is a fused or soldered jump ring, and that’s really boring. Wouldn’t it be funny to melt a bunch of my silver scrap into a circle shape and call it a fused jump ring instead of a circle pendant?”
Really random things sometimes spark an idea, and in this case, I’m really glad I decided to make the piece - in spite of the fact that it really isn’t funny at all. I ended up with a really interesting version of a circle pendant that’s nothing like the simple rings everyone is wearing on chains around their necks these days.
A couple months ago I found some really interesting rocks with holes in them. I don’t know how the holes got there, but there were a bunch of these rocks at the beach, and I took a few home and have been wearing them as pendants. It’s even simpler than the circle pendants - a plain old rock - but sometimes thinking of an object in a different way is all it takes to be a little creative.
Open Studios
Posted by Administrator on May 4, 2006
Did I mention that East Bay Open Studios are coming up?
East Bay Open Studios 2006 features up to 500 artists. Pro Arts produces this annual event, along with the Preview Exhibition located at 550 Second Street in Oakland’s Jack London Square. This event is sponsored by the City of Oakland and the East Bay Express.
My studio:
in the ActivSpace building
2703 7th Street, Studio #205
Berkeley
I will be open:
June 3, 4, 10, and 11
11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Of course I will be selling my work at this event, but I also like talking to people about jewelry and hearing about all the great work at the studios I don’t get to see since I’m working at mine the whole time. So come visit me, and bring friends, everyone is welcome!
Washing Soda source
Posted by Administrator on May 4, 2006
A while ago, I posted the aluminum foil/washing soda/hot water recipe for cleaning tarnished silver. If I didn’t mention that baking soda can be substituted for washing soda, I probably should have, because washing soda is really hard to find. None of my local grocery stores or drug stores carry it (believe me - I’ve spent hours studying the cleaning product aisles).
But I found a source - the cleaning product section at my local hardware store, of all things. Who would have thought the hardware store would be the place to find obscure laundry products that can also be used as jewelry cleaners?
This aisle was a goldmine for useful things that I always have a hard time finding, including bowling alley wax (used to protect patinas on copper) and Goddard’s brand silver cloths (great for polishing silver, and they enhance the tarnish resistance of Argentium(tm) silver).
The wax is really only useful for jewelry makers, but for caring for your silver, if you’re having trouble finding the products I recommend, try the hardware store.
Creativity for Jewelers - Part Two
Posted by Administrator on May 1, 2006
We’ve all heard the advice “just do something”. Well - sometimes, when I’m having creative block in the studio, it’s hard to even think of something to do. Here are a few options:
- make earwires, headpins, jump rings, etc.
- string pearls (or other beads)
- finish some of those unfinished projects - the final polish, attaching findings, setting a stone, whatever’s on the bench that just needs the finishing touches added
Article on Creativity
Posted by Administrator on May 1, 2006
I found a really good article about creativity online, by a guy who is an artist/advertiser. He has some really good advice on creativity in general, that can be applied to art, business, and life in general. Apparently, there is a book in the works….
