Category: Jewelry

Fantasy Role Playing Games – Enchanted Jewelry

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Right up there with mythical swords that blaze with fire, legendary armors that can wreathe a hero in fire, wizard’s staves that…make the mage…better at casting fire…huh. Anyway! Right along those powerful if not versatile devices in fantasy stories and games are pieces of jewelry imbued with magical powers. From the religious jewelry or holy symbols that priest-class characters often use to cast or enhance their spells to powerful rings that can ward against harm to mighty amulets that can bind extra-planar creatures to the wearer’s will, magical jewelry is a staple of fantasy characters.

In most role playing games, there are limits to the amount of enchanted jewelry and other magical items you can have and use. This is often done as a sort of “body slot” system, where a given part of your body can only hold one magic item of a given type. This is often used as a balancing factor against an abundance of magical jewelry; if it weren’t for being allowed only one ring per hand slot, enterprising and wealthy characters would gladly equip a different ring for each of its ten fingers, or maybe two or three rings per finger.

Where magical jewelry is concerned, the most common body slots to use are the two hand slots (one ring per hand), and the neck slot (for an amulet, necklace, or the like). Earrings do not seem to get much love, although a case can be made for using the head slot (normally reserved for hats, helmets, or, for those who want to be decked out in magical jewelry, tiaras, coronets, or crowns) for such things. Bracelets often use the “gloves” slot, which is also focused on the hands, cheerfully destroying whatever logic there was about certain parts of the body only being able to have so much constant magic applied to them, if indeed any logic was given.

One of the advantages of enchanted jewelry is it tends to have less of a themed functionality than other forms of enchanted equipment. A magic sword is probably going to have damage-causing effects, magical boots will enhance travel, hats will increase mental attributes, and so on. Rings, amulets, and other forms of mystical, psychic, or religious jewelry, however, will likely have a much wider selection of effects. This also means that there are likely to be more pieces of magical jewelry found in a given game than magical clothing. Weapons, of course, are still by far the most common.

Native American Jewelry A Tradition Of Beauty

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Native American jewelry has its roots in prehistory and has been remarkable in its ability to reflect tradition as it evolves into the highest forms of contemporary handmade jewelry. Although Native American jewelry began as crude inlaid shell work, the finest Native American jewelry of today exhibits highly unusual designs containing beautiful rare natural turquoise, coral and other gem stones set in gold, silver and palladium. Its appeal is worldwide.

Collectors of Native American jewelry are drawn by a number of factors. Turquoise itself has been viewed over the centuries as a source of power, healing and protection. With its variety of deep blues and greens, this unusual stone is, in fact, rarer than diamonds. Though many collectors of Native American jewelry love the deep blue stones with what is called spider web matrix, others are attracted to turquoise with deep green or lime green hues and flecks of gold host rock. So, often,the turquoise becomes a focal point around which the piece of Native American jewelry revolves.

Another important factor that attracts collectors is the artist who designs and makes the piece of Native American jewelry. In early years, individual artists did not sign their work. Many pieces, however, are recognizable in their design elements and use of techniques. Now, artists take great pride in their jewelry and are careful to sign each piece with a unique hallmark.The fame of individual artists make their pieces highly prized.

Then there is the value of the metals involved in Native American jewelry. As gold and silver continue to gain in value, the weight and use of these materials add to the appeal of Native American handmade jewelry. So, with the combination of tradition, beauty, uniqueness and intrinsic value, Native American jewelry has transcended time and become not only a reflection of the past, but a uniquely American symbol of the future of Native American artistry.

To assure one receives top quality Native American jewelry, it is important to deal with an established, ethical dealer. Turquoise Direct has been in business for nearly 40 years. They have a long history in dealing directly with the miners of rare naturalAmerican turquoise and the best Native American artists. Because of this, Turquoise Direct can offer the finest Native American jewelry at the most competitive prices.

Turquoise Direct issues a Certificate of Authenticity with each piece purchased. This certificate contains the name and tribal affiliation of the artist, the materials used and the retail value. Visit them on the web at www.turquoisedirect.com to see a beautiful array of contemporary and antique Native American jewelry.

Gold Jewelry Crosses – Never go Out of Style

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Gold crosses are often worn by people of a religious belief, but they are also worn as a fashion statement even by those that do not consider themselves to be spiritual. Several years ago, crosses represented a very personal Christian message as those that wore them as necklaces did so as a proclamation of their Christian faith, but times have changed and many people are drawn to crosses that are not a part of the Christian faith. Many wear them simply because they like them and they make more of fashion statement than a faith statement.

Today, it is possible to find gold jewelry crosses in silver, yellow, and rose gold. In addition, you will find many crosses with nothing on them at all and very smooth, which is a very popular style. There are also the Celtic crosses with various grooves and cuts, which traditionally were worn by those that adhered to the Celtic Christian values, but these crosses, as with Christian crosses have also become a fashion statement for many people that know nothing about the Celtics.

You can find gold jewelry crosses in a variety of sizes, from tiny to wear as an anklet to large so that it can be worn around the neck. Many crosses are unisex; meaning both men and women can wear specific styles, which many couples will have matching crosses as a symbol of their commitment to one another. In addition, cross necklaces are one of the most popular gifts that are given to people of all ages. It is a gift that has many different meanings to the giver and the receiver, which is something that no other gift can compare to.

You will find many women wearing gold jewelry crosses with dresses in a formal setting, and others wear them with jeans in a more casual setting. Men typically will wear jewelry crosses that are a bit large and thicker than the women’s style, unless they are specifically unisex, then the crosses and the chains are of medium size. Indeed, most people that wear plain crosses do so with fashion in mind rather than the cross having any religious meaning. In addition, even young teens wear crosses as part of their fashion wardrobe.

It is amazing that something as simple as the gold jewelry crosses have become so popular. Moreover, something that once had a significant religious meaning is now seen so often that is more about fashion than the sentiment it once was. However, there are those that still wear crosses for religious reasons. When you are shopping for jewelry crosses, be sure to check around online, especially if you are looking at the crosses more for fashion because there are many choices you can find online. The selection is larger and the prices are lower than you would find at your local jeweler, which allows you to buy more than one because they are less expensive.

Customize your funeral jewelry to create a personal dedication

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Cremation jewelry is a new and exciting way to honor a loved one that has passed away and can no longer physically share your life. Saying good-bye to a loved one is so difficult and when you don’t get the chance to say your good-byes, can be devastating. Through the tragedy of losing people in our lives, the jewelry industry has worked hard to come up with innovative ways to keep them alive in our hearts. Jewelry Keepsakes is one of the premier online jewelry stores to have cremation jewelry available directly to consumers. Their line of pendants is diverse and beautiful and makes it easy to find an honor to your loved one that you can wear at all times.

Funeral jewelry should be accessible to consumers with a variety of different options. Without options, it makes it difficult to customize and personalize your keepsake to reflect the loved one you are commemorating. Having a medley of options also allows consumers to take the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary by adding something special that you chose and that brings to life your memories of those that you lost. Jewelry Keepsakes not only has an extensive collection of cremation keepsakes but most of their pendants offer many different options for customizing and personalizing. One of the more popular options for customizing your jewelry urn is engraving. Selecting a small amount of engraving for the back or front of your keepsake gives it a name or a feeling that helps you associate your pendant with your loved one. If you think about it, what would make the keepsake pendant alive – pendant with no engraving or a keepsake with your loved one’s name, date of birth, a special anniversary or even a nickname. Every time you ran your finger over the engraving it would bring their memory to life.

A cremation pendant with engraving is an area where Jewelry Keepsakes is especially strong and they have many keepsakes that offer engraving. Most of their memorial lockets offer anywhere from one to three lines of engraving on the back of the pendant. Each line will hold three to ten characters depending on the individual jewelry. In addition to offering engraving, Jewelry Keepsakes also gives their customers the option of engraving styles. Each remembrance jewelry urn by Jewelry Keepsakes typically offers block font as well as script font as an engraving style choice.

Another option that you will find with a funeral urn pendant selection is the option of selecting the chain or cording that is inclusive with your purchase. Many online companies do not offer a chain selection or have a very limited assortment for you to choose from. Other online retailers, like Jewelry Keepsakes, not only offer you a range of free necklaces and cordings that are included with your purchase but they also offer the option of upgrading your chain or cording selection. Jewelry Keepsakes offers your choice of either a matching sterling silver or gold filled chain with each cremation pendant purchase as well as the opportunity to upgrade to a sterling silver or 14 karat gold snake chain or sterling silver or 14 karat gold box chain. Optimizing your selections that are available with your cremation jewelry allow every customer to maximize the emotional benefits they will reap when wearing and displaying their jewelry pendants. Options are an important and vital part of selecting the cremation jewelry to commemorate the life of a loved one that has passed away. Choosing the correct metal that compliments your lifestyle and personal taste as well as the theme or image that correlates to your loved one is important and necessary when creating your lasting memory.

Jewelry Keepsakes is one of the best online cremation jewelry companies when it comes to quality, affordability and options for pendants. They offer engraving on most of their keepsakes and encourage their customers to upgrade their chain selection by making it affordable to do so. Versatility can make the difference between loving a pendant and liking it and Jewelry Keepsakes has the options to help you create the memory of your loved one that you’re looking for. Contact them via phone, email or online chat.

Jewelry Keepsakes has several different options available with their pendants. Their knowledge of products and variety of personalization make honoring your loved one a special and loving occasion.

Costume Jewelry Care Tips For Worn Out Costume Jewelry

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If you have old, worn out, seen better days costume jewelry just lying around gathering dust don’t throw it out. You can revitalize those dirty, outdated and broken pieces by following a few simple steps:

Worn out gold or silver plating:

Because typical costume jewelry plating is very thin it can eventually rub off from wear or become damaged from the use of harsh chemicals, creams, or perfumes. If this happens there are several options in gold and silver re-plating solutions that can be found online. Some are fairly simple and can be performed without the use of heat or electricity while others are a little more complex. I found one website in particular that offers a very good variety of plating options (e.g. immersion plating, pen plating) and general plating instructions for precious metals including gold, silver, platinum, and rhodium. It is www.shorinternational.com. Click on the contents and search box and then plating gateway. One word of caution: I would recommend buying only cyanide free plating solutions as cyanide is poisonous. For silver lovers there is one product that I have personally used that has worked well for me and it is called Silver Brite. This is an all in one cream that cleans, polishes, and re-plates worn silver on jewelry and other items. It is very easy to use and fairly inexpensive. Just rub the cream on with an applicator sponge or a Q-tip for small items and rub off with the buffing cloth that is included with the kit. The result is a clean, sparking silver finish.

Tarnished or dirty:

Cleaning costume jewelry is simple but choose your cleaner wisely. Only use a jewelry cleaner that specifically states that it is safe for costume jewelry and read the ingredients to make sure that it does not contain alcohol, acids, or ammonia because these can strip the gold or silver plate. Use a children’s soft bristle tooth brush for cleaning around costume jewelry stones. Its probably not be a good idea to immerse rhinestone jewelry because the stones can become unglued.

If your costume jewelry items are only lightly tarnished a good buffing with a soft dry jewelry cloth may do the trick. A good jewelry polish works great in restoring heavily tarnished items.

Loose or missing stones:

If a stone such as a cubic zirconia, plastic, or glass has become loose or fallen out a drop or two of super glue will do the trick. Just be careful not to use too much. You certainly don’t want the glue to leak out and cause the piece to stick to your skin or another object. Most of the time a single drop will suffice unless it is a very large stone in which case you may want to use two drops. If you cannot find the missing stone there are companies online that sell loose cz stones if you have a special chain or ring band you want to salvage. Simply do an internet search for cz stones.

Broken clasp:

If your necklace or bracelet has a broken clasp make sure it is the actual clasp that is broken. Be sure to check the jump ring which is a small metal ring with an open spot where the clasp attaches to the chain. If this is the problem it can be easily fixed. First identify what kind of clasp it is. There are several types (e.g. lobster clasp which is shaped like a lobster claw and has a tiny spring loaded lever, a magnetic clasp which is just as it sounds) then visit your local craft store or do a search online for jewelry clasps and you should find what you need. If the clasp is soldered on you will need to contact a jewelry repair professional.

Outdated:

If you simply want to add a new flair to your old costume jewelry pieces you can simply mix and match. If you have a pendant with sentimental value bring it to life with a more modern chain. Add new charms to your favorite bracelet or re-plate that old silver necklace with a shiny new gold finish. Be creative!