Question About Making Soldered Ring

by Andrea
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

What's the difference between fine silver and sterling silver wire? I want to make some soldered silver rings and I'm not sure what to buy. Someone told me that fine silver is better - is it?

Answer:
Submitted by Vanessa

Fine silver wire or sheet is 99.9% pure silver and is soft. Sterling is 92.5% pure silver and the 7.5% is another metal, (most times copper). With the copper in the silver it helps to make the sterling harder and to hold the shape made. Fine silver can't do the same thing.

You can make jump rings from fine silver, nothing says you can't. The lower the gauge of wire the better.

Anti-Tarnish Silver

Question: Where can I buy sterling silver and silver plated findings and chain that will not tarnish?

I'm tired of my silver turning yellow in a year.

Answer:

Sterling silver will always tarnish eventually if left to the open air. You can prevent your sterling from tarnishing by keeping it in a zip-lock bag. If it still seems to tarnish, you can buy anti-tarnish paper from a jeweler's supply.

Silver-plate- I don't recommend silver plate- it can wear off and all your hard work will look like crap (pardon the potty-talk).

Another alternative is to buy argentium silver instead of sterling. Argentium silver is a new silver alloy that is being marketed as anti-tarnish silver.

Some Background

Sterling silver is an alloy - It is 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper. The copper gives the silver strength but all makes it more susceptible to tarnish.

Argentium silver is an alloy as well. It is 92.5% silver, and 7.5% germanium. It is said to be highly tarnish resistant.

Here is some more info about Argentium silver from Argentium Silver Findings

Argentium® Sterling Silver is highly tarnish-resistant.

Since it is made to a higher standard than traditional sterling silver, Argentium® Sterling Silver is guaranteed to be not less than 92.5% pure.

Through the heat treatment process Argentium® Sterling Silver can be made nearly twice as hard as annealed standard sterling.

The tarnish resistance is obtained through the alloying of Germanium with the silver. The result is a highly tarnish resistant material that does not require harsh chemicals to clean. If it needs cleaning it can be wiped with a soft cloth to restore the original sparkling white color. Do not use a cloth that has tarnish from conventional sterling silver as the tarnish might contaminate the Argentium® Silver.

Argentium® Silver Findings works directly with the manufacturer to provide designers and artisans with the highest quality Argentium® silver findings to create your beautiful designs that will stay beautiful for many years to come.

Argentium® Silver has been tested extensively and has been found to be highly tarnish-resistant. However, some individuals' body chemistry may react to copper. Since Argentium® Silver does contain copper, as does conventional sterling silver, individuals whose body chemistry reacts to copper can cause the Argentium® Silver to tarnish. Individuals who react to copper should understand that there is a possibility that their body chemistry may cause Argentium® Silver to tarnish.

If you are interested in buying argentium silver wire and findings, here are some sources:

(disclaimer- I haven't purchased from any of these suppliers personally so I can't vouch for them. I'm just adding them in as possibilities to check out.)

Argentium Silver Findings

Cool Tools has Argentium wire in 22 and 24 gauge.

Attaching Silk Cord to Semi-Precious Stones by May (Tucson, AZ)

Question:

I want to attach small briolette pear shaped beads to a black silk cord. How do I do it??

Answer:

Briolettes are beautiful aren't they? They are a little tricky to work with though.

I'm assuming you mean the top drilled ones (hole is at the top of the bead)?

Here's what I would do:

To attach briolettes to silk cord, I would make a wrapped loop on the briolette, then I could string the cord through the loop.

Here's how to make a wrapped loop on a briolette like the gorgeous crystal briolettes pictured above.

First thread some wire through the bead, then using your fingers, fold the wire up so that the two ends cross each other.

Grasp one end of wire with your chain or flat nosed pliers at the point where the two wires cross. Bend it slightly so that it points straight up.

With the other end of the wire, carefully make a wire wrap. Trim.

Now make a loop with the remaining end, and wrap around your first wrap. Trim and tuck the end down using your chain-nosed pliers (or your crimp pliers if you have them - my secret tip for making nice neat wraps)

You should now have a briolette topped with a nice wrapped loop. You can string your briolette onto your cord now.

I'm not sure if that's what you had in mind - if it isn't, maybe you have a picture of what you'd like to achieve?

Christine
How-to-Make-Jewelry.com

(the photo above is by Jewelry Artist Helmetti , and is reprinted under creative commons license share and share alike.

How To Make Her Say Yes During Your Wedding Proposal

by: Guest

There is no guarantee that the woman of your dreams will right away say 'yes' during your proposal. This doesn't mean that she doesn't love you like you love her. It may just be because she isn't ready yet for a lifelong commitment like marriage. Or perhaps, she wasn't just impressed with your wedding proposal.

The traditional 'will you marry me?' wedding proposal while having dinner is overused. If you want to impress your girlfriend and ensure that she says 'yes' to your proposal, these romantic proposal tips will come in handy:

Invite your girl in your favourite pub or bar. Request for your theme song (the song that you both love and you feel represent your relationship). As she enters the pub or bar, the song will be aired and you can hand your flowers and of course the engagement ring. You can also talk to the DJ and propose on air.

In the window of her room, write your proposal in the dust. When she opens her window curtain, that is the first thing that she'll see. This is very romantic, just make sure the dust is still there and nobody has cleaned the window yet before she wakes up.

You can make your proposal public. In a concert event, you can go up the stage and propose. Just make sure you ask permission from the performers. Or you can advertise full page in your local newspaper or her favourite magazine.

Take her to the beach. Talk to someone who can spell the words 'will you marry me?' on the sand. This will surprise her.

Give her a gift with the engagement ring. The engagement ring can be simple but if you have the budget, you can opt to buy an elegant diamond ring as your engagement ring. Surely, your girlfriend can't say no. This is the style where you let the engagement ring speak for the proposal.

Wedding proposals should be made unique as possible. You should prepare everything before you actually propose. Don't forget the engagement ring. Shop around for your engagement ring weeks before your proposal. This is to ensure that you get the best engagement ring for you partner.

These wedding proposal tips mentioned here will make the moment very romantic. They will sweep your partner off her feet and she can decide right away to give you her sweetest 'yes'. Surely, romantic proposals pay off.

About the Author

Maliere is a master jeweller maker in Ireland. With years of experience in designing, crafting and making engagement rings and wedding rings, Maliere has perfected the art of ring making. Maliere's collections of jewelleries are always preferred over the others because of their exquisite designs. See Engagement Rings for the many choices of engagement and wedding rings designed and crafted by Maliere.

To DropShip or Not to DropShip...

by: wholesalegemshop

People always ask whether I offer dropshipping of my wholesale silver jewelry. The simple answer is "NO!". But because there is so much interest in this topic I want to offer a bit of dialogue that I hope will be useful for those considering this sales-strategy.

As a participant in dropshipping, your role is basically to market a product whose authenticity and quality you cannot verify to a customer you do not know. And the bonus: you have no control over the order fulfillment process. Hmmm... how many things can go wrong here?! This approach to sales is clearly not in the best interest of the consumer and therefore, I posit, cannot be one on which a sustainable business model is built.

CASE STUDY - Sandra and the cell phone drop shipper
This is a TRUE story with a fake name

Last year a customer of mine, to whom I sold wholesale jewelry, decided to expand her ebay business with a drop shipper and quickly started grossing something like $50,000/ week for a couple months! But she was now broke. What happened? It turns out the drop shipper was not as credible as she believed. Everything was great for a few weeks, then the calls started coming in. Customer after customer calling with complaints including: "I ordered 3 phones and only got 1!", "My phone is broken!", "Where is my phone, its been 2 weeks since I paid!". And like a good e-commerce citizen she refunded (EVEN THOUGH most of the payment - she only got to keep $5 per phone - she had already sent to the dropshipper)all the distraught customers and had them return the phones to the drop shipper. Guess what happens next? The drop shipper stopped returning her calls. So she has no phones, not even broken ones, no money - in fact she lost money since she refunded money she did not have... all in all she was f---d !

You could argue that the drop-shipper was the responsible party here, but in the eyes of the customer, and probably the law, she was responsible to those customers as the re-seller. 100% RISK = SANDRA, 0% RISK = DROPSHIPPER. Not exactly a formula for success. The Drop shipper really has nothing to loose and if he has a lot of merchandise and other customers, no incentive to make sure the end-customer is happy.

I forgot to mention, Sandra's paypal account was suspended and she was unable to pursue her main business for quite some time.

Drop shipping sounds like a great, low-overhead, minimal work, no money down kind of thing. But in this case the old adage holds: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Think I am making this up to promote my business? Just search google for "beware of drop shippers" .

So what are the other options? Take your time and start your business the right way. Identify a good wholesale jewelry supplier or suppliers for the jewelry or other products you want to sell, get to know them, and quality-test their products before making any large investments. And the most important thing about online sales is to develop a good marketing strategy that may involve search engine and website optimization, pay per click advertising, registering in free directories, email lists, etc.

About the Author

Aaron Rome is the successful owner/operator of www.wholesalegemshop.com and does NOT offer dropshipping!

Emerging Engagement Ring Trends Blend Tradition With Modern Flair

by: James Wattvord

The diamond engagement rings - a timeless expression of love and commitment.

The classic styles available - solitaire and pave, for example - still are popular today, but there are emerging trends of which you, the potential buyer should be aware.

Note: One thing that never changes is what grooms tend to pay for engagement rings - quite a bit! Latest statistics show the average amount spent is $3,000, according to these sources:

" $3,044 (Bride's Millenium Report)
" $2,982 (Bride's Magazine)
" $2,909 (Modern Bride, as cited in Weddings for Dummies)
" $3,576 (Conde Nast Bridal Group)
" $3,165 (Modern Bride Magazine)
" $2,807 (National Bride Service)


Hot ring trends - classic, antique and modern lead the way

For example, classic solitaires are very popular. Many women are choosing a classic-cut diamond solitaire. These are assured of never going out of style and make good heirloom pieces.

However, a traditional solitaire setting is upswept and raises the diamond high. Some people today select settings where the center stone sits low, creating a look that is elegant and ergonomic. Another popular setting is one that is intricately raised, as well as twisted band.

And while the round cut continues to be popular, it is becoming more common to see the oval cut, as well as the emerald.

The pave setting, where the band is studded with diamonds seamlessly, is elegant and is becoming more popular. The idea is that smaller stones are set so close together that no metal can be seen between them. This maximizes the wattage of the ring without pushing the cost too high.


Antique, vintage rings that your grandmother might have worn also are trendy, which combines an historical, period look with current fashion. Look for gold filigree settings, floral accents and gemstone baguettes. The cuts typically are cushion, round, pillow and Asscher , and their larger facets radiate more fire under less light.

Also becoming more popular are modern styles. This type features clean, streamlined designs for a cosmopolitan, chic look. The most contemporary styles feature a bezel-set and designs where the diamond seems to "float," which is a type of tension setting.

Engagement rings with colored stones also are an emerging trend, with colored diamonds being quite the rage. Many celebrities, such as Jennifer Lopez, have chosen colored diamond engagement rings and this has cemented their popularity.

For something different, consider new diamond cuts on the market. The Zales diamond cut has more facets than traditional cuts and can increase the stone's fire. Also consider the princess cut - a modified square.

Platinum - hands down the choice today

Regarding the ring itself, platinum is definitely the hot trend. Platinum is popular because its rich luster sets off the brilliance of a diamond like no other metal. This metal is naturally white and will always keep its shine, unlike yellow gold, which may tarnish. Platinum is the strongest precious metal, and is twice as heavy as most gold alloy rings.
Some women want their platinum ring carved with designs or inlaid with gemstones.

About the Author

James Wattvord is a freelance content writer, specialising in Jewellery diamonds related matters. He has published many articles on diamond industry and diamond engagement rings, and is partial to the world of diamonds.

Freshwater Pearl Jewelry

Unlike the natural pearls fresh water pearls are produced in mussels and are grown with human intervention. Whatever be its origin and the process it also provides the same level of happiness and brings pleasure just as the natural pearls do. Both natural and cultured pearls are identical in makeup that is they are comprised of the changeable internal layer of a mollusk shell. There is some confusion with the evolution of cultured pearls. People relate cultured pearls with imitation but this is far from the original fact.Freshwater cultured pearls are pearls that are grown in mollusks that live in freshwater ponds, lakes and rivers rather than in the ocean and are produced in mussels. Cultured pearls mean that this freshwater pearl growth process was deliberately started by man. They look so natural that the best specimens of freshwater cultured pearls could be compared with the saltwater pearls—the Akoya pearl, the Tahitian pearl and the South Sea pearl in beauty and quality.Freshwater cultured pearls are produced in mussels that are nucleated, or implanted, with mantle tissue only, which is taken from a donor mussel since they do not contain a starter “bead." They are characterized by beautiful luster and a durable surface that will not easily flake or peel to reveal the inner bead whereas pearls that are bead-nucleated and prematurely harvested are prone to flaking and chipping. The most notable characteristic feature of freshwater pearls is their striking arrangement of beautiful, natural pastel colors. Pastels like cream; white, yellow, orange, and pink are common with freshwater cultured pearls. Apart from this the color pink which symbolizes romance and a pink pearl jewelry is an ideal gift for your valentine. Even lavender pearls are enjoying a rush in popularity today universally. Remember that pearls should be taken care to keep their luster for long time because once damaged their shininess could not be recovered. Therefore care should be taken that they are gently wiped with a damp cloth that has been dipped in a mild soap and water solution and air dried before wearing them again. Avoid contact with your hairspray, perfumes makeup and other chemicals. Store your pearl jewelry in the separate box to save it from getting scratched by other gems.Freshwater pearl jewelry could be found everywhere today, from the red carpet to the boardroom and beyond. The reliable reason cited behind the popularity of freshwater pearls is their availability in abundance in wide variety of pastel colors and of course the prices that are within the reach of most consumers.
About the Author
fine jewelry - wedding jewelry - Sterling silver jewelry