Silver Hills Gems

Zambia citrine

2011-08-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

August 2011
We returned from France with an order for citrine and dioptase. The dioptase mine belongs to us. We have marked the coordinates in the Zambian mining authority and have permission from the local chief to mine in the area. This process takes a couple of months. So the mine belongs to us. You will only be able to get these exotic stones through Silver Hills Gems

We decided to go by truck and trailer because we were in a hurry to get our goods. Early Tuesday morning we set off for Zambia. It is actually only as far as Cape Town but you have to pass through two borders on the way up and drive through Zimbabwe.

We got to Beitbridge border post by midday and it took only minutes to pass through the borderpost on the South African side. On the Zimbabwean side we got our first hick-up. The line was about 3 hours long and we decided to use 'agents' to help us speed up the process. This is a mistake, listen to me, never use these touts. They will cheat and rob you. We quickly found this out. Fall in the back of the line and wait your turn and smile at everybody and say yes sir, thank you sir.

Buying banannas

We only took one and half to pass through but we were minus R1700. They robbed us blind. We quickly found out that the promised insurance document was also missing in the papers. So we set off for Zambia with no vehicle insurance. We just prayed that we will not be stopped and asked for it. We decided to sleep in Masvingo. Once we reached Masvingo we pushed on to Harare. We reached Harare around 11 o'clock at night and started looking for fuel, food and bed. $300 US later we had all 3. The hotel belongs to a well known chain and was fine but a bit jaded around the edges. It is a fact that everybody is still waiting to see what happens in Zimbabwe before investing more money there. They are exchanging the Rand at 1 to 10 to the US dollar there. It is better to have a stash of small denominations of US$ in your pocket when travelling there.

The next morning we set of early for Zambia and stopped on the way to have a look at the Chinhoyi caves. The Chinhoyi Caves are a group of caves near the town of Chinhoyi in Zimbabwe. They are situated about 8 km north of Chinhoyi itself, and 128 km north-west of the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare. The caves are named after a local chief who used them as a refuge from Ndebele raiders.
The cave system is composed of limestone and dolomite, and the descent to the main cave with its pool of cobalt blue water is very impressive. This pool is popularly called Sleeping Pool or Chirorodzira (Pool of the Fallen).
Divers have discovered a submarine passage leading from the Bat Cave, a subchamber of the Dark Cave to another room known as the Blind Cave. Diving is fantastic in the Caves all year round, with temperatures never below or above the 22 - 24 Degrees Celsius marks with zero thermocline. Visibility is fantastic too, 50 metres and above is not unusual.
These caves are the most extensive cave system in Zimbabwe that the public can access. The caves were designated a National Park in 1955 and as such are managed by the Department of National Parks. There is a campsite run by the National Parks and a quiet hotel located there.
The caves are 345 meters deep and extemely blue. Yes it is the correct colour on the photo. Our legs were very sore for 2 days afterwards due to the steps down and up to the waterhole.

Sitting at the border post taking random photos

At the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia we discovered that we lacked the neccesary paper work to enter Zambia. We have now travelled 1300 km and we needed a police clearance paper for the vehicle and a letter from the trust saying that we are allowed to use the bakkie. The letter was faxed to me by my office but we had to bribe the corrupt officials to allow us entry into Zambia. We came so far and decided that it is worth the bribe just to be able to buy our stones.

In Zambia we encountered the worst potholes. If you think that the South African potholes are bad you should see the Zambian ones. A vehicle can loose itself in one of these holes. We made it to Lusaka by nightfall. Lusaka was designed with 200 000 cars in mind and now there is 800 000. It is one of the most congested cities in Africa. The infrastructure is not designed for the amount of cars and taxis.

At the Ministry of Mines

It took us a full day to get export papers for the stone. This was done in record time. It can take up to two weeks to get your papers. The person doing your papers must have all their money paid up and taxes up to date otherwise you will not get your papers. My Zambian partner was up to date. This is one of the things that makes it difficult to do business in Zambia. It is just getting the stuff out of the country. It is easy to buy material but very difficult to get it out of the country. It will cost you. In the end our cost were R25 000 to Zambia and back. This has to be added to your goods before you calculate your prices. In many ways it is easier to go to a trade show and buy your goods. You never know if there is stock available in Africa. It is like a huge gamble. You just go and hope for the best.

We were shocked to find out that the diopside mine had a fire and almost 2 tons of specimens were destroyed by fire. This placed great stress on us and we had to mine new stock in a hurry.

The last day we went to town to buy drums. In the centre of town we picked up someone to show us the way to where we can buy drums. We then went back to town to drop the guy and that is when it all happened. Someone opened the drivers door and slammed it shut a couple of times. At the same time they opened the back door and stole our rucksack. Luckily Geran saw it from the corner of his eye and jumped out after the thief. They set off down the street and half a block further the thief saw that he was going to be caught. He dropped the bag and we were fortunate to get our bag back. Our export papers and original vehicle papers were in the bag. This was very stressful.

We bought 960 kg of citrine and stored this at a house in the suburbs of Lusaka. When we weighed the citrine at home we discovered there was only 800 kg. That is Africa. They stole 160 kg at the place where we stored the material.

The citrine will be a new line for wholesale from Silver Hills Gems. We negotiated with the mine owner to buy all his production every month. The next consignment of crystals and citrine will be here at the end of September.

Serious conversation with a miner. Gerdus himself

Going back was uneventful. But I must tell you it is a long and arduous trip to Zambia and back. At every border they will test you to the limits. In Zambia itself you have to know your prices. They will take your money and laugh at your stupidity if you do not know your prices.

We have already sold all 800 kg of the citrine and the diopside we brought along. Thank you for all of you that bought from us wholesale. Please enquire in time and place your order for the new stock before they come. We have been doing some marketing to customers overseas and I can tell you that many of them have placed orders already.

Blessings
Gerdus

June 2011 visit to the Gemshow at Sainte Marie Aux Mines

2011-07-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege to take part in the Sainte Marie Aux Mines mineral show in France. It was a last minute decision to go. And boy are we glad that we went. I was washing our new diopside from Zambia when I came accross a stunning specimen. I walked through our office and made a declaration. I am going to take these specimens to Sainte MArie Aux Mines. It was an inpromptu decision. I went down to town and bought two tickets for me and Geran my son. We then went in to Johannesburg and applied for the Visums for Europe. The Visums were issued on the last day before we were suppose to leave for Europe. This was rather scary.

We landed in Amsterdam and spend the day there.

We took along 30 kg of specimens and had to pay R700 at the airport for excess babage. This I did not like.
In France we had no problem at the airport and breezed through customs.

I hired a small Renault Twingo. Driving on the 'wrong side' of the road at night with scanty map details is scary. We lost about 1 hour of aimless driving through the backstreets of Strasbourg.

The next day we reached Sainte Marie Aux Mines after visiting the postcard towns of Riquewihr and Ribeauville. Visiting these places is like food for the soul. It is sooo pretty.

At the show we set up our banner and packed out our 'new find' stones.
It was great watching the buyers and their reaction to the stones. Competition at this shos is fierce. There are 1100 exhibitors. It is the 3rd largest mineral show of it's kind. Literally everybody with something to show is at this market. It is a feast for the eyes. You can see the type of specimens I brought back on our website. http://www.bronnrocks.com/

We picked up a few substantial orders but realised that the material is more commercial in nature. We are now selling the diopside in lots of 100 kg at $1000 per lot. You will get a mixed parcel for this price. This is dirt cheap. I have stacks of enquiries that I need to follow up. This translates to around $2 to $3 per specimen. You can make a huge profit on this. Please write to us as soon as you read this to place an order. Stocks are limited.

We will be marketing this worldwide and will have no problem to sell such a well crystalized mineral at such a good wholesale price.

The secret to making a success selling wholesale is to give your customers such a good deal that they keep on coming back for more.

We are very excited about our prospects. A friend of mine in Zambia said that when you go and hunt the Impala and encounter the Kudu you are welcome to divert your attention to the Kudu. We are going to Zambia this week and hope to get a few more exciting things to add to our arsenal.

Improve customer satisfaction

2011-05-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

We all want to increase our turnover. This article will give you some tips on how to do ten simple things that will help you to increase your turnover.

1. Make your customers feel welcome right away. If possible greet them by hand. Learn their names and greet them by name. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Greet everybody even if they do not greet back. My local Woolworths has a doorman that greets people as they enter. I am sure this does not go unnoticed.

2. Conduct customer surveys. Ask the customers what they want, this shows customers that you care about what they think. If you pick up problems you must address them immediately. You may even get back lost customers by fixing the issues.

3, Follow up to inquire about satisfaction. When was the last time you just called a customer to follow up on his or her experience? This is not a sales call. Just call and ask them if they are happy with your service. If they bought an expensive item you might ask them if they are still happy with their purchase.

4. Learn to listen. It must be the most difficult thing in life. Listening. To truly listen is an art. You must listen to what they say because by connecting with you emotionally they become loyal. If you do not listen there will be no emotional connection and thus no loyalty.

5. Build on online presence. Open a Facebook page for your shop or start a blog. Many customers might hear about you and want to visit your store and will Google your name. If they fail to get a web presence you might miss out on their business. Also do not forget to be in online directories.

6. Keep in touch with E-Newsletters. Create a newsletter and send out a monthly newsletter. Do not bug the people too much or they will unsubscribe. If you keep in their thoughts they will come back to you again and again. You add value to their lives and this is important. Always ask yourself what you can do for your customers.

7. Make the purchasing process an experience. If you can you may give beading classes in store. Show people how to use your products. Give advice. Become an expert, read up as much as you can but remember not to crowd your customers give them advice if they need it. The truth is that you must earn those customers by giving them an extraordinary experience every time. Just last week I went to Vodacom to sort out a new contract. They gave me a coffee voucher and a disc that flashes when it is your turn to see the customer representative. This was a good customer/client experience for me.

8. Offer Birthday specials. We give off R100 to every person that has a birthday. I am now going to extend this to be used any time in that year. What do you do for your customers on their birthday? Do you send them a card or do you phone them? My birthday wishes are send out with a cron job. Please ask me and I will show you how to do it.

9. Hold special events. Have a special exhibition and invite your customers with finger food and wine. Have a special sales night. Make a calendar of special events and tell your customers about it so that they can bookmark that day. Arrange a flea market and give out balloons with prizes.

10. Volunteer for a good cause. Do something in the community. Go to the old age home and give a free beading class. You'd be surprised by how many new customers you can gain by reaching out.

Good luck with your business and please use the comments section to give more tips on building customer satisfaction.

Gerdus

Some ideas on buying

2011-05-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

This article I will share some ideas on how to buy and what kind of markup will work for you.

I started off in manufacturing and ran my own pottery factory for 15 years. I was the designer, maker and marketer of the pottery. This taught me many skills of which I am grateful today. The limitations as manufacturer were many. Time was the biggest limitation. I only had 24 hours a day and I can only make so many pots a day. My kiln also limited the amount of items I could fire.

When I started a buying and selling business I was liberated from these limitations.

I realized that the the only limitations are the ones I set myself. It is like a farmer who goes out to sow a field. If the farmer sows a field of 1 hectare he will reap a harvest of 1 hectare. He can fertilize aggressively and get a slightly larger crop. On the other hand we get a farmer who plants 100 hectares. His returns can be 100 times bigger.

So the bottom line is in the size of your thinking. If you limit yourself by planting just a hectare you will reap what you have sown. We have a limit of R300 to avoid the low order fee of R150. Some customers complain about this and say that R300 is too much for them to spend. I have often wondered about this statement. If you use a markup of 100% you will sell this stock for R600. If you use a 200% mark-up you will sell the items for R900. I do not recommend such a high mark-up. It will be detrimental for future business. Customers are clever and they know how to look up information. If they buy something for a high price and later discover they could buy it for much cheaper elsewhere they will feel cheated and avoid your store in the future.

I recently shopped around for a remote control. I found one priced at R150. I decided to look further and found the same remote control for R59.00 at the steel merchant. I needed 4 remotes. This is a savings of R396.00. I have very negative feelings about the store where I saw the more expensive remote. I have told about 4 people of my findings and they are also negative about this store.

So how do I avoid this negativity. Use a standard mark-up. If you buy an item cheaply you must mark it up cheaply. We often make the mistake to think that an item has an unlimited price. To give you an example. We sell a single pearl bracelet for around R10 plus VAT. The same item was seen at a market for R120.00. Imagine where the people will buy next time. You have to keep close records on your best sellers and buy these all the time. Many of us get caught up in buying from reps that pressurize us into buying. And so our cash flow goes out into dead stock that sits on our shelves. I keep very precise reports on sales and know at any given time how many of each items sells per month. If it sells well I make sure that I stock it again. Money is made between supply and demand. If an item is in demand you will make money when you can get supply. We just struggle because our supply period might sometimes be too long apart. I stock up every 3 months. We try and buy only items that we know moves fast.

So let us get back to some predictions. If I need an income of R30 000 per month I need to buy R60 000 worth of goods if I have a mark-up of 100%. This means I will get in R60 000 and I will make a profit of R30 000 and still have R30 000 to buy more items. If I only bought items worth R10 000 and have a mark up of 100% I will only make R10 000 and be short R20000 to pay all my bills and have quality of life. You must spend money to make money. Set a larger target and get enough funds to make your business healthy.

So let us summarize.

Buy enough quick sellers
Use a low mark-up
Set yourself targets on how much to buy
Force yourself to buy enough to make the business viable
Say no to the wrong products
Source your own products from suppliers with a good track record
Work on turnover rather than profit to avoid long term harm

Good luck.
Gerdus

PS: Avoid buying one of a sort. Buyers do not take you serious when you only have one of an item on the shelve. Discount all items that gets to ones and twos. Rather stock less but stock deeper. (buy more of each item)

Zambia: buying tourmaline

2011-04-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

I decide to renew my contacts in Zambia and invest in our own rough there. Zambia is mineral rich and setting up a mining concern in Zambia is pretty straightforward.

I decided to go and see a closed tourmaline mine to look at possibilities to open the mine myself. This meant a quick trip to an area that I have not visited before.

We decided to buy some tourmaline that we could lay our hands on to test the market before we open our own mine. There are 3 areas that are well known for tourmaline. We decided to go to the Eastern Province in Zambia.

We started off in Lusaka and visited some crowded markets and landed up on the third story of a ramshackled building. This office was manned by Senegalese. The prices started at $2 per gram and after heavy negotiations we manged to get a better price. The parcel contained stones in many colours. See the photo below

This parcel is going to make stunning colourful beads. We then set off to Nyimba in the east of Zambia. The rental car was only good for the tar roads and not for offroad driving to the mine. Our Zambian partner told us it is only 200 km that turned into 320 km. We stopped on the way to look at the fish stands at the Luangwa river.

This was real Africa.

One of the roads we travelled

The juke boxes were at full blast and the happy half drunken souls were dancing in the tar road. The basket sellers were ever hopeful that they were going to make a sale. We bought a few bags of dried smelly fish for the miners. The smell was something.

About 10 km further we hit a large pothole but survived. This was the beginning of 50 km's of potholes. Some fairly large. Ouch! We stopped on the way to look at an abondoned mine that has produced gem quality tourmaline before. We want to open up the mine again. Aparently the bulk of the material from here was all gem quality. Even some Paribas blues. Wow! We will keep you updated when we open the mine. Maybe we can get a contact for a National Geographic video when we start opening up the mine. It sure is pretty in that area. The only hassle are Elephants, lions and Hyena. And Malaria.

We stopped to look at another deposit of tourmalated quartz. These are also worth mining. Our final destination was Nyimba. Let me warn you about potential scams. We connected with some locals and asked them to arrange some showings the next morning. We parted with around R360 for travelling expenses etc.

Breakfast was a typical Zambian meal. The fish was Tilapia. Delicious!

The next morning our new 'friends' told us that there were some Senegalese buyers the day before and that he failed to get any material for us to buy because of these buyers. Imagine the disapointment after having traveled so far. We just had one mediocre parcel to look at that turned out to be almost just black tourmaline.

We turned our vehicle and started heading back to Lusaka in the late afternoon. Enroute we decided to confirm the 'friends' story at a roadside stand. It turned out to be all lies. The miners were eagerly awaiting us. We ended up buying 31 kg of gem quality tourmaline. It was hectic. Negotiating and pleading*&^%$# At one stage we came to a deadlock and after climbing in the car and turning our vehicle towards Lusaka we broke the deadlock when they saw that the money is leaving. It was such fun.

The goods are on the way to China now and will be made into beads soon. It was quite a capital outlay with some material costing almost $1 per gram.

It was dark when we left. This turned out to be a mistake. The potholes were waiting for us. I forgot about the monster pothole and when I hit it I knew we were in trouble. We have just spend all our Zambian money and here we were with 2 flat tyres on the side of a malaria infested road. Well we limped into Lusaka the next morning totally beat but satisfied. I had some tyres to fix. A visit to the Ministry of Mines was neccesary to clear the gems. The process is not easy but I know my way around the place and we managed just in time to get the plane back to South Africa.

Future plans is to open our own Rose quartz, Sodalite and amazonite mines.

Have fun and leave us a note when you have read this.

Gerdus

Nickel or nickel free findings

2011-04-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

Silver Hills Gems will be changing to nickel free and lead free findings during 2011.

What does this process involve? All findings are made from either copper or zink alloys. We need to change the way that the findings are plated. Most metal articles are plated after manufacturing. Zinc plating is both durable and easy. You just pop the article in the plating solution and before your eyes the item turn to a bright silver colour. It is like magic.

Plating with zinc free solutions is a bit more complicated. Zinc will plate any metal but not all metals can be plated by the same zinc free plating. The process demand more time and is more expensive. Some plating needs 3-4 different coatings to get the same shiny result.

The discomfort is that nothing can be bought off the shelve. All the findings have to be ordered and I will have to buy larger minimum quantities to get them to make and plate them in nickel free. I now need you to write to me on the basic items you need that we will need to stock.

I plan to start off with headpins, jumprings, clasps, chain, earhooks, wire guardians and such items.

We can't change an item that is already plated by nickel to a nickel free item. So we have to sell out our current range.

Why would we like to change to nickel free? It is already a requirement in all of Europe and the UK. If they require it we want to find out why and follow suite.

Is nickel dangerous? Not really. It gives an alergic reaction to some people. Small amounts of metal can build up in your body over time but studies are not conclusive enough to give a total ban on nickel. Remember that we are behind on some things and it usually takes around 3 years and then our goverment follow suite.

See what one of my customers wrote this week.

Wow, Nickel free findings would be GREAT?!!! I have been making beaded jewellery for 7 years, I only use nickel findings as I have searced high and low for Nickel Free findings and so far havent been able to find a supplier locally. I would definately buy all my nickel free from you. I have had offers to sell my jewellery abroad but due to my findings not being nickel free I was turned down. Nickel free is much better quality too (found some clasps only from a supplier) and looks much better too. I commonly use toggle clasps, split rings, wire guardians, eye pins, head pins etc.

Let me add some links here to usefull articles to read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroless_nickel_plating

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0xFlIQ9MhQ Nickel plating video

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plating A general article on plating.

Hear what Ted Mooney had to say on this subject.
I have seen in print that 40 percent of adult women under 30 are sensitive to nickel, and that 30 percent of women 30 to 40 years old are sensitive, etc.
Once you have the allergy you have it for life, so it is imperative that this not be read as an indication that sensitivity goes down with age, but rather that exposure has gone up among younger women (probably primarily due to piercings).
Whether the survey numbers are exactly accurate, though, isn't the salient point. The point is that the numbers are skyrocketing, the allergy is acquired, and is strongly proportional to exposure. It is not impossible that virtually all of us would acquire the allergy if we wore nickel plated piercings for years. It is urgent that we do everything we reasonably can to get nickel out of jewelry as rapidly as possible.

http://www.tanury.com/tech5.htm Another interesting article on the challenges facing anyone going nickel free.

What materials can be used to plate nickel free jewwellery. Copper, tin alloy or rhodium or 925 silver. Each plating method has it's own challenges.

It is also important to buy from a reputable source because some people might say that their items are nickel free just to corner the market. We use a nickel testing kit to make sure that all the items are truly nickel free. Also make sure that the coatings are plated to the right thickness. You do not want the plating to come off after cleaning it the just a few times. We use a plating company that has years of experience when it comes to plating in nickel free plating.

Buy from Silver Hills Gems with confidence.

Buying beads close to the source

2011-03-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

Buying beads close to the source

At Silver Hills Gems we are continiously looking at ways to be unique. Gerdus went on a fact finding trip to establish his own small gemstone factory in Ketang, China.

I traveled to Guangzhou and took a taxi from the train station to the Eastbound bus to Ketang. This was quite a tricky business. I phoned my friend in Ketang who told me to give the phone to a Chinese national. This person wrote down the name of the town after some deliberation over the phone. I went to a second person and phoned my friend again. The second person told me that the address was incorrect. Imagine the doubts in my mind when it took over 30 minutes by taxi to reach the bus station.

At the bus station I was just in time to catch the 14h00 bus. They pulled out of the station immediately after I boarded the bus. All the Chinese sat close to the bus TV in front of the bus. I had the whole backside for myself. Halfway to Ketang we had a quick stop for refreshments. None of the goods in the freezers looked familiar. I ended buying a tub of strawberries and a chickenwing heated over a charcoal stove.

Just before we reached Haifeng my blackberry's battery died on me. Does this sound familiar? I reached the final stop and found nobody to welcome me. This caused me 5 minutes of stress until I noticed a red telephone in the convenience kiosk. I indicated with sign langauge that I need to use the phone. I gave the shopkeeper the number who dialed it for me. My friend was frantic with worry. He has been trying to reach me for the last 20 minutes and he was waiting at the wrong station. After around 10 minutes he arrived and we set of for Ketang.

Ketang and surrounding area has the largest concentration of gemstone bead factories in China. It is the heartland where most of the manufacturing in gemstones takes place. I slept in the only Hotel in the town. The cost was only about R125 per night for a bed. The bed was rock hard. All Chinese sleep on hard matresses and they expect us to do the same. The cushions are also very hard and round. The toilet is a hole in the ground and it shares the same space as the shower.

The lift had a spelling mistake.

I walked to my friends house after we booked in the suitcases and this was most interesting. There are no zoning and you can sleep in your own factory. So here is the typical scene. You pay around R500 for the streetfront space which measures 10x5 meters. You sleep in the back and manufacture your beads in the same space and you set aside the very front of this space as a small shop. Internet is aquired at R15 per month. Meals cost around R5 per meal. They work until 9 o'clock at night. Now you can work out why we will never be able to be price competitive when it comes to making the same things here in South Africa.

Every where we walked there were glass or stone on the pavement waiting to be made into beads. It amazes me that there is so much money just lying on the pavement. Theft does not exist here. You can just leave your goods outside and still find it there the next day.

There are small factories everywhere

I climbed on the back of my friends 125cc motorbike and we went down to the fresh produce market. Here they were selling fresh fish and vegetables. A large onion cost R1 and a bag of greens about R2. The calamari cost R8 and we had enough for a meal for 3 people. I made the calamari with the onions and some soyasauce and garlic. It turned out to be pretty good. This we consumed with rice. My friend had a rice cooker and a oneplate stove.

Here is the difference between us and them. Their little was a lot to them. My friend is such a happy person. In fact all the Chinese I met were contented. There is a lot to be learned from them. They are happy to be on the yourney to their dreams. Many of us think we will be happy when we have reached our goals. The yourney is usually an unhappy event. We never seem to arrive.

What struck me was how many people were involved in making beads. I was taken to small factories with 2 to 3 workers and larger ones with hundreds of workers. They become speciallist in one field and they can do this the rest of their lives. I visited a factory that works in rhodochrosite exclusively and another that only works in tourmaline and another that does schorl beads. Then we visited a small factory that only does lapis lazuli. I drank liters of bitter Chinese tea while doing deals. Here is how it works. The 'big boss' of the factory will take you through a quick tour through his factory and then whisk you to a meeting room that is usually overdone to impress you. They will then prepare tea. The status of the visitor determines the quality of the tea. The more expensive tea can be around R1000 per kg. All the teacups and containers are washed with the first batch of tea. You are then given a small cup of green tea without sugar or milk. You can down this in one go or sip it. The tea contains antioxidants and is rather refreshing when you get use to it. It is also very healthy and help with weight loss. Every factory will offer you tea.

See the garnets in the street. I bought us some.

I visted around 40 factories and had to drink tea at every one of them.

I learned that they are able to polish any stone. A stone that is too soft to take a polish is first stabilized. They stabilize the stone by boiling it in a plastic solution and then baking it in an oven. This is costly but any type of stone can thus be polished. The proces might be repeated 3 times. All stones with cracks are given this treatment.

I will look after your hemimorphite at night. Woof Woof!

Every factory has some dogs who guards the more expensive stone. This chap was still a puppy.

I also learned that there is a lot of outsourcing. I visisted a small second story factory with 10 machines that only make holes in beads. I noticed that there were few workers and was told that the economic crunch has caused a lot of problems with a lower demand.

These machines drill holes in the beads. They do not have work at the moment.

I was also told that workers are demanding salaries in excess of R2000 now. The margins are getting smaller and many factories refuse to work cheap stones because there is no profit in the stone. Stones like black lava are not being worked at the moment because the prices have dropped and profit margins dissapeared.

The more expensive stones are in high demand. It is a question of supply and demand. If any one of you have access to good tourmaline and kyanite and rose garnets. I am in the market to buy such rough

Families are still small. They usually only have one child per family. Children are raised in the small stone factory and play with the stones. They get used to gemstones and will also work with stone one day

After 3 days the little one accepted me.

There are so many small factories that needs stone and that needs a market. The feeling I got was that rumours will spread about the popularity of one or another stone and that everybody will start to chase that stone. This causes an oversupply and it will keep prices in tow.

I loved their transport vehicles

More stone in the background.

We plan to set up a small factory with less than 10 workers. I am now looking for high end rough that can be turned into beads.

So what are my final thoughts. Anybody can do this if you are willing to pay the school fees. It is not easy to get someone that will help you. Getting someone who can speak English is very difficult. In Ketang there are very few individuals who speaks English. Everybody wants to make money from you. Minimum order quantities can sometimes be high to get good prices. I had to buy 234 strings of one kind of garnet to get the best price. You need a big wallet. It is also difficult to ship goods from Ketang because you have to get the goods to a bigger centre to ship. The logistics can be a nightmare. The first two or three trips might be a total loss until you learn the ropes.

Advertising on Google Addwords

2011-03-29T03:35:00.001-07:00

Advertising on Google Addwords

Google is the biggest search engine in the world. More people use Google than any other search engine. They have developed many new tools to make your life easier.

I use two of these tools all the time. The one is Addwords and the other is Google Analytics.

When you do a search at Google.com you will notice some adds that are situated on the right hand side of the page and some on the top of the page. These are all paid adds. Anybody with a valid website can advertise on Addwords.

You have to to register yourself as a Google client first. Then you can create your first add. There are basic plans and more complicated plans. I suggest starting with a basic plan. There are lots of articles to read and videos to watch on YouTube about Addwords. It is best to take a couple of hours to learn as much as you can about making yourself as visible as possible.

Many people think that they can just create a website and everybody will see their website. There are millions of websites out there. Google rate your website on many criteria. Things that Google and other search engines look at is. How many people link to your website? Is the content valid? What are the ratio of pictures to text? What are your metatags? When did you last work on the page? How many people visit your site? If you score high on these points you might find yourself on the first page of the search. If you do not score high, you might find yourself on page ten or twenty. And we all know that people do not go past page two when they do a search.

If you use Google addwords they will make sure that you get on page one. How does this work. It all depends on the budget that you set. The higher the budget the bigger will be your visibility. See it as shop rent that you pay. Shop rent should not be more than 5% of turnover. So work on 5% of your turnover. Or projected turnover. You can tell Google what you are willing to spend on advertising. If you budget a small amount Google will limit the amount of adds that shows per day. Let us say you want to spend R30 per day on Addwords, Google will then calculate the cost of every click through. A click through occurs when someone clicks on your add. If the click through cost R1, you will have 30 chances that day for people to click on your add. After the 30 clicks your add will disappear from the Google search page until the next day.

Once your add is up and running you can get info on the appearance of the add by going to Google Analytics. Here you will see where your customers come from. You will also see what they have searched, eg what keywords were accessed most.

Now you can tweak your add. It is best to use specific words rather than general words. General words are words like property. Specific words are townhouse in Centurion. It will avoid someone clicking on your add and just exiting again. Remember you pay for every click through.

Does it pay to advertise on Addwords. For us it does. We may get one extra customer every two days but this is enough for us to justify the cost.

Please feel free to write to us if you have any questions on this.

gerdus@bronnrocks.com

I copied the following article from Wikipedia below.

AdWords is Google's main advertising product and main source of revenue. Google's total advertising revenues were USD$28 billion in 2010.[2] AdWords offers pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, cost-per-thousand (CPM) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for text, banner, and rich-media ads. The AdWords program includes local, national, and international distribution. Google's text advertisements are short, consisting of one headline and two additional text lines. Image ads can be one of several different Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) standard sizes.

Sales and Support for Google's AdWords division is based in Mountain View, California, with major secondary offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan,[3] the company's third-largest US facility behind its Mountain View, California, headquarters and New York City office.[4] Engineering for AdWords is based in Mountain View, California.

Contents [hide]

1 Pay-Per-Click advertisements (PPC)

2 AdWords Features

3 Placement targeted advertisements (formerly Site-Targeted Advertisements)

4 AdWords distribution

5 AdWords account management

6 Click-to-Call

7 History

8 Legal context

9 Technology

10 Ad Content Restrictions

10.1 Allowed keywords

11 See also

12 References

13 External links

[edit] Pay-Per-Click advertisements (PPC)Advertisers select the words that should trigger their ads and the maximum amount they will pay per click. When a user searches on Google, ads (also known as creatives by Google) for relevant words are shown as "sponsored links" on the right side of the screen, and sometimes above the main search results. Clickthrough rates (CTR) for the ads are about 8% for the first ad, 5% for the second one, and 2.5% for the third one. Search results can return from 0 to 12 ads.[5]

The ordering of the paid-for listings depends on other advertisers' bids (PPC) and the "quality score" of all ads shown for a given search. The quality score is calculated by historical click-through rates, relevance of an advertiser's ad text and keywords, an advertiser's account history, and other relevance factors as determined by Google. The quality score is also used by Google to set the minimum bids for an advertiser's keywords.[6] The minimum bid takes into consideration the quality of the landing page as well, which includes the relevancy and originality of content, navigability, and transparency into the nature of the business.[7] Though Google has released a list of full guidelines for sites,[8] the precise formula and meaning of relevance and its definition is in part secret to Google and the parameters used can change dynamically.

The auction mechanism that determines the order of the ads is a generalized second-price auction.[9][10] This is claimed to have the property that the participants do not necessarily fare best when they truthfully reveal any private information asked for by the auction mechanism (in this case, the value of the keyword to them, in the form of a "truthful" bid).

[edit] AdWords FeaturesIP Address Exclusion

In addition to controlling ad placements through methods such as location and language targeting, ad targeting can be refined with Internet Protocol (IP) address exclusion. This feature enables advertisers to specify IP address ranges where they don't want their ads to appear.

Up to 20 IP addresses, or ranges of addresses, can be excluded per campaign. All ads in the campaign are prevented from showing for users with the IP addresses specified.

Location-based exclusion is also offered as a method of narrowing targeted users.[11]

Frequency Capping

Frequency capping limits the number of times ads appear to the same unique user on the Google Content Network. It doesn't apply to the Search Network. If frequency capping is enabled for a campaign, a limit must be specified as to the number of impressions allowed per day, week, or month for an individual user. The cap can be configured to apply to each ad, ad group, or campaign.[12]

[edit] Placement targeted advertisements (formerly Site-Targeted Advertisements)In 2003 Google introduced site-targeted advertising. Using the AdWords control panel, advertisers can enter keywords, domain names, topics, and demographic targeting preferences, and Google places the ads on what they see as relevant sites within their content network. If domain names are targeted, Google also provides a list of related sites for placement. Advertisers may bid on a cost per impression (CPM) or cost per click (CPC) basis for site targeting.[13]

With placement targeting, it is possible for an ad to take up the entire ad block rather than have the ad block split into 2 to 4 ads, resulting in higher visibility for the advertiser.

The minimum cost-per-thousand impressions bid for placement targeted campaigns is 25 cents. There is no minimum CPC bid, however.

[edit] AdWords distributionAll AdWords ads are eligible to be shown on www.google.com. Advertisers also have the option of enabling their ads to show on Google's partner networks. The "search network" includes AOL search, Ask.com, and Netscape. Like www.google.com, these search engines show AdWords ads in response to user searches, but do not affect quality score.

The "Google Display Network" (formerly referred to as the "content network") shows AdWords ads on sites that are not search engines. These content network sites are those that use AdSense and DoubleClick, the other side of the Google advertising model. AdSense is used by website owners who wish to make money by displaying ads on their websites. Click through rates on the display network are typically much lower than those on the search network and are therefore ignored when calculating an advertiser's quality score.

Google automatically determines the subject of pages and displays relevant ads based on the advertisers' keyword lists. AdSense publishers may select channels to help direct Google's ad placements on their pages, to increase performance of their ad units. There are many different types of ads that can run across Google's network, including text ads, image ads (banner ads), mobile text ads, and in-page video ads.

Google AdWords' main competitors are Yahoo! Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter.

[edit] AdWords account managementTo help clients with the complexity of building and managing AdWords accounts search engine marketing agencies and consultants offer account management as a business service. This has allowed organizations without advertising expertise to reach a global, online audience. Google has started the Google Advertising Professionals program to certify agencies and consultants who have met specific qualifications and passed an exam.[14] Google also provides account management software, called AdWords Editor.

Another useful feature is the My Client Center available to Google Professionals (even if not yet passed the exam or budget parameters) whereby a Google professional has access and a dashboard summary of several accounts and can move between those accounts without logging in to each account.

The Google Adwords Keyword Tool provides a list of related keywords for a specific website or keyword.[15]

[edit] Click-to-CallGoogle Click-to-Call was a service provided by Google which allows users to call advertisers from Google search results pages. Users enter their phone number, Google calls them back and connects to the advertiser. Calling charges are paid by Google. It was discontinued in 2007.[16] For some time similar click-to-call functionality was available for results in Google Maps. In the Froyo release of Google's Android operating system, in certain advertisements, there is a very similar functionality, where a user can easily call an advertiser.

[edit] History This section needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2011)

The original idea was invented by Bill Gross from Idealab who, in turn borrowed the idea from Yellow Pages. Google wanted to buy the idea but a deal could not be reached.[citation needed] Not wanting to give up on this form of advertisement, the company launched its own solution, AdWords in 2000.[17] AdWords followed a model that was significantly similar to Bill Gross' creation which led to legal action between the two parties. Eventually the dispute was settled out of court.[citation needed]

At first AdWords advertisers would pay a monthly amount, and Google would then set up and manage their campaign. To accommodate small businesses and those who wanted to manage their own campaigns, Google soon introduced the AdWords self-service portal. Starting in 2005 Google provided a campaign management service called Jumpstart[18] to assist advertisers in setting up their campaigns. However, this service is no longer available, so companies needing assistance must hire a third-party service provider.

In 2005, Google launched the Google Advertising Professional (GAP) Program to certify individuals and companies who completed AdWords training and passed an exam. Due to the complexity of AdWords and the amount of money at stake, some advertisers hire a consultant to manage their campaigns.

In 2008, Google launched the Google Online Marketing Challenge (http://www.google.com/onlinechallenge/), an in-class academic exercise for tertiary students. Over 8,000 students from 47 countries participated in the 2008 Challenge and over 10,000 students from 58 countries took part in 2009. The Challenge runs annually, roughly from January to June. Registration is at the instructor rather than student level.

In 2009, Google revised the AdWords interface, introduced Local Business Ads for Google Maps and Video Ads.

[edit] Legal contextAdWords has generated lawsuits in the area of trademark law (see Google, Inc. v. Am. Blind & Wallpaper Factory and Rescuecom Corp. v. Google Inc.), fraud (see Goddard v. Google, Inc.), and click fraud. In 2006, Google settled a click fraud lawsuit for US$90 million.[19]

Overture Services, Inc. sued Google for patent infringement in April 2002 in relation to the AdWords service. Following Yahoo!'s acquisition of Overture, the suit was settled in 2004 with Google agreeing to issue 2.7 million shares of common stock to Yahoo! in exchange for a perpetual license under the patent.[20]

[edit] TechnologyThe AdWords system was initially implemented on top of the MySQL database engine. After the system had been launched, management decided to use Oracle instead. The system became much slower, so eventually it was returned to MySQL [3]. The interface has also been revamped to offer better work flow with additional new features, such as Spreadsheet Editing, Search Query Reports, and better conversion metrics.

[edit] Ad Content RestrictionsAs of April 2008 Google AdWords no longer allows for the display URL to deviate from that of the destination URL. Prior to its introduction, Google paid advertisements could feature different landing page URLs to that of what was being displayed on the search network. Google expounds that the policy change stems from both user and advertiser feedback. The concern prompting the restriction change is believed to be the premise on which users clicked advertisements. Users were in some cases, being misled and further targeted by AdWords advertisers.[21]

As of December 2010 Google AdWords has decreased its restrictions over sales of Hard Alcohol.[22] It now allows ads that promote the sale of hard alcohol and liquor. This is an extension of a policy change that was made in December 2008, which permitted ads that promote the branding of hard alcohol and liquor.

[edit] Allowed keywordsGoogle has also come under fire for allowing AdWords advertisers to bid on trademarked keywords. In 2004, Google started allowing advertisers to bid on a wide variety of search terms in the US and Canada, including the trademarks of their competitors[23] and in May 2008 expanded this policy to the UK and Ireland. Advertisers are restricted from using other companies' trademarks in their advertisement text if the trademark has been registered with Advertising Legal Support team. Google does, however, require certification to run regulated keywords, such as those related to pharmaceuticals keywords, and some keywords, such as those related to hacking, are not allowed at all. These restrictions may vary by location.[24] From June 2007, Google banned AdWords adverts for student essay writing services, a move which was welcomed by universities.[25]

Google has other restrictions, for example the advertising of a book related to Facebook was restricted from advertising on AdWords because it contained the word "Facebook" in its title - the rationale being that it was prohibited from advertising a book which used a trademarked name in its title.[26]

Earrings

2011-03-29T03:33:00.001-07:00

Before starting to make your own earrings, first decide on the type of earrings you want to make. This will help you know the specific charms, beads, tools and materials you will need.

If you make earrings, you will need to have tweezers, round-nosed pliers, nail clippers, wire cutters and a bead board (this is to avoid beads from spilling or rolling). You also have to have headpins, ear wires and beads.

It would also help if you have patience, a tad of creativity and the passion to make your own jewelry earring:

1 First step is to collect two head pins (these look a lot like thin long nails) and two ear wires (this would serve as the drop earring’s hook part which will then go through the ear hole).

2 You also have to have at least six or eight beads and spacer beads (these are small beads which look plain enough to offset the showy beads).

3 Place your beads on two pin heads. At this point, allow your creativity to go wild as you select the colors and designs you want to see. As much as possible, do not be afraid to try something new in terms of placing beads and charms on the head pins. Play around with the various beads on the head pin. Combining various patterns, colors, textures and sizes could help create a truly unique design. Do remember that whatever pattern you select, these have to have matching beads for each earring piece.

4 Also, leave at least a space that is large enough for a bead atop the head pin. This ensures that you have enough room to close it off. You can leave as much as a 1.5cm

5 Using the pliers, bend the end of the pin head to a loop. But primarily, make sure to bend the wire out towards a right angle from the section of the beads. After which, bend the wire in order to make a small loop. Do not forget that the wire end must be in contact with the top bead. Also, a small space must be left so you could easily insert the beaded head pin to the ear wires.

6 After which, you can now close the headpin. This could be done by making a loop with the use of a round nosed plier and twisting the wire.

7 Then, connect the headpin with the ear wire by closing the premade loop with the help of tweezers.

Voila! Your very own personally made earring to brag, wear and show off. Who knows, you can even sell them yourself.

NOTE: Prior to using the earrings, they need to be sterlized with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab.

You can use 925 silver if you have alergies.

Zambia November 2010

2011-03-29T03:32:00.001-07:00

Zambia November 2010

My job takes me all over the world and this November I was in Zambia rockhounding. Africa is such an exciting place to visit. In the past I used to travel to Africa Central all the time but it has been a while since I was there last.

I had to go and inspect the production at the mine and this was why I went up.

I do not know if you know but Silver Hills Gems still has a share in some quartz mines in Zambia. Some of the mines I discovered myself through prospecting up in Zambia but not all of them turned out to be feasable mines.

This time I was pressed for time and I only had two days to finish what I went to do.

I took a flight from OR Tambo to Ndola International airport and hired a vehicle through Europecar. The inspection cart of the car rental company said. Many small scratches around the car. This will give you an indication of the driving skills of the average Zambian driver. My first stretch took me through Ndola to the Kitwe road. I was not sure if I was on the right road and asked at the nearest filling station. When I rolled down my window the guy said "sorry no fuel" I was glad that I did not need fuel. They confirmed that I was on the right road.

It is a very scenic drive to Kitwe. The road follows the contour of the land. It is a kind of a highway. Why I say kind of is because the road is double lane but has a myriad of side roads entering at any time. And there is a stack of heavy vehicles on this road. This is the main artery from the Congo to Botswana and Zimbabwe. So any and all is carried by truck. A lot of the truck drivers are driving without shirts due to the heat. It is an experience just sitting next to the road and hearing the roar of these big machines as the pass by.

There are 2 road blocks between Ndola and Kitwe, these are manned by the Police. They flag you down and then ask you where you are going. Sometimes they want to see your paperwork. I remeber the one time when I received a fine because I did not have a T on the back of the trailer. I stopped at the first garage and bought some reflective tape and made the biggest T that you will see on any trailer.

You realize that you are entering Kitwe when the buildings get more dense. But what strucks you immediately is the lack of paint on any building. Everything looks run down. The vehicles are dented. SO by the way, the car I was driving had hardly any shocks. It was rocking like a ship. I took it dead slow. The roads are shot. The further you get out of town the worst it gets. In one road that we travelled there were a tar road once. But the tar road is now riddled with potholes. And not just any potholes. It was raining the past few days and this complicated driving. I was crawling along. Large trucks was passing ignoring the potholes. That is driving African style.

In Kitwe I took a room at the Shelbourne lodge. The room cost me around $100 per night. I was sheer luxury. The bed was comfortable and the cushions was good. There were ample hot water and even DSTV in the room. The Guest house was a conferted old house with high ceilings and slasto floors with a stoep in front. The owner loves plants and the place was a veritable nursery or shall I say paradise. If you are willing to pay you will find these gems all over Africa. The contrast to this is the mosquito invested YMCA I stayed in the last time. Here music keeps you awake all night while you are sweating in the dirty bed with the hard cushion and no hot water.

We left for the mine the next day and traveled around 200 km on passable roads. The roads gets smaller and smaller and eventually it is just a 2 track road into the bush. There are cash crops even in the remotest areas. They plant beans and maize.

At the mine there is a huge open pit with 10 workers who are mining with pick and shovel. To mine specimens is slow work and you can not rush it. I love the bush but time did not allow me to stay there long

I discovered rutile specimens in the same area. I am just waiting for 300 specimens to come. These have not yet been seen in the market.

At the miners house I sorted through the specimens. Africa is hot. Gerdus

The problem with specimen hunting these days is that the miners browse the internet and think that the prices they see there is the prices they should get.

But if you do not travel you will not get any stones. We remain leaders in our area because we are willing to travel into Africa.

We needed some tools for the mine and this took us back to town. In most towns in Zambia you will get a freemarket system where anybody can sell anything at any price. The market at Kitwe is such a market. I attach some pictures. Paper is not available everywhere and we had to buy a bale of paper to wrap our crystals.

You can find litterally everything in such a market. I imagine stands selling missiles and others selling dried animal medicine. I noticed that evrybody is busy. There are very few beggars. Money changes hands all the time. Nothing gets thrown away. Everything gets recycled again in such a market. We had to dwaddle through muddy backallies. It rained the whole night before and this released all the interesting smells of such a market. At every step you get a different smell. Everybody greets you along the way and expect you to greet back.

The car that I drove brought me safely back to the airport. Please look out for our new specimens that will be listed in early 2011.

We will charge your phone for you!

Buying tools can turn into an interesting exercise!

We are buying paper to wrap the specimens with

How to sell your beads on Ebay

2011-03-29T03:31:00.001-07:00

How to sell your beads on Ebay

This article was written by by Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs

These are my own personal tips for success as a beadmaker on ebay. Please keep in mind that my intent here is just to let people know what works for me, in case they need some help and want some advice. This kind of thing tends to change over time, so please use what you can from this and feel free to toss the rest.

General Tips

I have been making beads for about 3 years now. I have been a member on ebay for something like 7 years - and before I sold beads on ebay, I sold handmade jewelry. Those of you who sell jewelry on ebay now have a much tougher road ahead than when I did. There is so much competition in the Designer/Artisan jewelry section on ebay, that even unique, gorgeous jewelry is hard to sell at decent prices. These tips may work well for beadmakers but may not work for anyone else.

I sell only my best beads. I constantly work to improve my technique and designs so that what I put up for sale is my best work. If I have beads that are not my best work ("seconds"), I label them as such, so my customers do not get confused when they see something selling at a much lower price. But for the most part, all my beads are of the highest quality I can possibly make. That means even dot placement, even shapes, smooth, puckered holes, matching sizes (as much as I can, anyway) and all that.

Art is of course subjective, but I find that the better my technique is, the more my beads will sell for, and the happier my customers are. Plus, I feel good and proud of the accomplishment. If you're new or haven't mastered certain techniques, you cannot assume you are going to get high prices. If you're okay with that, then great. However, I have seen some beads posted on ebay that have crooked bumps, pointy holes, lumpy shapes, etc, and then the seller will post complaints about how their beads are not selling. Look at your work. Are the flowers smeared? Is the encasing uneven? Is your raised work melted in enough to keep it from popping off later? Do your bumps have under-cuts? Do your beads have sharp, pointy ends that may cut a designer's stringing material? These are just some things lampwork bead buyers look for when buying beads to go in their designs.

So basically, the very first thing you need to look at when sales are not going well is your own quality and workmanship. Work to improve that while working to improve other aspects such as auction layout. A good way to check quality is to do a search on ebay for the highest priced "annealed lampwork" (make sure the title and description box is checked). Look at these beads in terms of quality and workmanship. I am not talking about design or artistic expression - purely about craftsmanship. There are quite a few sellers whose quality and technique are top notch. Not all of them are getting high prices, but you can see some examples in the high price search.

Lampworkers are getting better and better at technique as time goes by. The competition is almost staggering, and more and more people are making beads these days. Keep that in mind when listing on ebay - you are listing beads with hundreds of other lampworkers, so you need to find something that makes you stand out in the crowd. On any given day there are over 5000 listings in the Handmade Lampwork category. Do something unique - pick unique colors, try a new shape, do anything that will make you stand out when people are looking.

Photography

One main thing I think needs to be addressed here is auction photography. First off, I recommend that you do not use ebay's picture uploading as your sole picture host. They compress and resize pictures when you upload them, and this tends to distort your images. Find another photo host and use HTML to reference the pics in your auction description. A number of hosts can be found by searching Google. I use my web host (netfirms.com) - I get 1000MB of space for my website, and that is more than enough, so I use some of the space for auction pics. I pay $10 per month for hosting services, but you can likely find something much cheaper if you're just looking for picture hosting.

Learn to take decent pictures. If you use a scanner and that works for you, great. But by and large, most of the auctions I see that use digital images look much better in my opinion. I use a digital camera (Nikon Coolpix 4100 - I upgraded last year) that I bought for about $300. I know that seems like a lot, but it's so worth it. The pics are clear, crisp and detailed, and show true color. There are tips and tricks on photography everywhere - google.com is a great place to search. There are threads in many forums - go look at them as well. Also, the ebay community web boards have tons of information on photography and other things. Don't take your pics with a regular camera that has no macro - these are not close enough or true enough to see your artwork unless you are a professional.

Get picture enhancing software and use it. I know people who use Photoshop and various other programs to touch up photos. I use Paint Shop Pro 7. I have no idea what a lot of the features do, but what I do know works really well. I can get completely true color when I enhance a pic with PSP. No, I don't make the beads look more colorful or better than they look in person. I make the pics look more realistic. For instance, Moretti/Effetre Ink Blue photographs much bluer than it really is under normal lighting even with a digital camera. PSP can make it look much more like it does in person by using the Hue Map, Color Balance, and Levels features on the Color Menu.

There are quite a few tutorials for photo software on the web. Make use of Google and you'll find them easily. I also have a few resources for photography help on my Links List. Also, WetCanvas and other forums have tons of threads devoted to photography.

If you'd like a more professional approach to photography, I would recommend looking at some of the new photo set-ups on ebay that are made specifically for taking pictures of small items, including beads and jewelry. This particular ebay store has a nice selection, and the prices look good: Tabletop Studio LLC. I have not bought from them, but I am considering it, because I have seen recommendations from other beadmakers.

Describing Your Beads

When you list your beads for sale anywhere, including ebay, there are a few things you should always have in the description. Buyers often won't buy from you if you're missing some of these things, so it's important to be thorough in your descriptions. Here's a list:

Bead Size - this is a biggie. In the bead world, people utilize both inches and millimeters. I personally use millimeters in my description, because most of the components my customers use with the beads they buy are listed in millimeters by the manufacturers. (for example - crystal bicones, sterling silver beads, jump rings, etc.) Some buyers also like a size reference picture - a penny, a ruler, a hand, etc. There's much debate over what people like for size reference, so you can use what's most convenient for you, as long as you have some reference to size in your description. For many, size in millimeters (mm) is enough, so that's what I use.

Hole Size - Also important enough for its own place on this list is the size of the hole in your bead. Since most beadmakers (at least here in the US) are making beads on mandrels which are sized by the inch, it makes sense to put that in your description for people who need to know. Buyers will often need this so can determine what size of stringing material or findings to use. Again, measurements for findings do vary, so use whatever measurement unit is more convenient for you. I use inches, because my beads are most often made on 1/16" mandrels, a 1/16" mandrel is somewhere between 1mm and 2mm - not very exact. If you're in a country that uses the metric system for mandrels, it's no problem to use mm in your description. Whew - long winded, aren't I?

Number of Beads/Extras - This may seem like a no brainer, but if you have more than one photo of your beads, some people might be confused as to what's actually included in the auction. Be clear about the number of beads included, and whether the buyer also gets what's shown in the picture - are the beads strung with crystals, silver spacers or other beads? Are they included in the auction? Does the buyer get that quarter? (LOL It may seem silly, but some people do ask).

Type/Brand of Glass - Many buyers don't care, but some do, so it's nice to list what kind of glass you're using in your beads. Whether it's German made Lauscha, Italian Effetre or some kind of borosilicate made here in the US - a lot of buyers do like to know. And if you're using premium hand-pulled colors that are scarce or more expensive, saying so can attract customers. I also like to list the colors I use, because monitors don't always show true colors, and the buyers who are familiar with certain glass will know what they're getting and can plan ahead.

Annealed or Not? - This is perhaps your most important descriptive term. If your beads are kiln annealed, say so. People who buy handmade lampwork really want beads which are annealed properly, because they won't break nearly as easily as beads which are cooled in vermiculite or a fiber blanket. If you're not annealing your beads in a kiln, you should definitely say so. Not saying so is misleading to your customers. Many people do search the terms "annealed", "kiln annealed" or "kiln-annealed" when looking on ebay for lampwork beads.

Shipping and Payment Terms - Be clear about your terms. Always state what payments you accept, what the shipping costs are, and how long it will take for you to ship out beads. State clearly any return policies and any time restrictions on payment (payment due within 7 days or whatever). Also state whether you ship worldwide, what the restrictions are on that, or whether you ship to your own country only.

The next issue at hand is using ebay's features to your advantage. Always, always use the gallery pic option. It's only 25 cents, and most people in the Handmade Lampwork category use it, so if you don't you may be skipped over. Many customers have posted everywhere that they only look at the gallery view on auctions. If you don't use this option, you are missing out on a lot of customer traffic, and that means fewer bids and lower sales.

Sometimes, it may bring more traffic if you use the Featured Plus on one auction and then have several other auctions going at the same time. Using the subtitle feature on a couple of auctions, or the bold feature can also help. Use sparingly, though, because those get pricey if you do them all the time.

If you haven't created your own auction layout, use one of ebay's. They aren't bad, and having some sort of visual layout is a huge plus. Or, learn HTML to create your own layout. However, don't go overboard. The customer is there to see your beads, not all the bells and whistles of your auction layout. Go easy on the images, and stay away from java-scripts as much as possible. Some of that stuff can actually crash a customer's system, and then you can be sure they will never come back. Commonly used unnecessary features to stay away from are:

Huge, bright text

Trailing cursors

Blinking or animated images and text

Music

Marquee lines (text moving on the screen)

Screen fading scripts (they make the screen change in odd ways when someone leaves the auction)

Slideshows (auction lister programs like Andale and Vendio provide these)

Keep any images that are not your beads small and fast loading. If you have a logo, make it small or short so that the customer does not have to scroll a huge long way to get to your bead pics. This is what works for me, and what I am drawn to when looking at auctions.

Reputation

When you first start at ebay, you're starting at the very bottom. You'll have low or no feedback - no one will know you. You have to build a positive reputation to attract buyers, and that's no small task on ebay these days. Your feedback rating is really very important to potential buyers. Start by making some small purchases to get a few positive feedbacks and to get your feet wet on ebay. Buying is the best way to get to know the climate. Leave feedback for the transactions you take part in, and hopefully you will get some good feedback in return. Then, start listing a few smaller things here and there, and follow the rest of the advice here to get a good start. At first, keep your expectations low. You will sell things at a lower price at first - almost everyone goes through this at the beginning. It takes time to build a good feedback rating, and even more time to build up a good customer base. Be patient and keep trying.

Know Your Market

The next issue is a touchy subject for many of us. But one that really needs to be addressed, IMO. Market Research and understanding your target audience. In this case, you are looking for people to buy your beads on ebay. So you need to listen to what people want. There's a happy medium between total artistic individuality and giving the customer what they want. Here's a trade secret for you. I make what I like. But I also pay a lot of attention to what the customer likes. If pink is in, I incorporate the color into my work. I pair it with colors I think look great with pink. I experiment with colors I might not normally put with pink just to see what's cookin'.

Research, all the time!! If your market is the jewelry artist/designer, check and see what people are wearing on TV. Check to see what your friends and family like to wear. Look at bead - craft - art magazines, fashion ads, awards shows. If your main market is the bead collector, check to see what shapes and colors are hot right now for the collector. Then, incorporate that knowledge into your own artistic expression. For instance, I don't like making lentils. But they are hot hot hot right now (still!). But I only make them every so often. So I check to see what other shapes might be hot, and go with those. Shapes in general are doing well right now. I love to make cubes and square tabs, so I stick with those!

Hang out where your customers hang out. Get to know them. You'll gain knowledge and friendship at the same time.

Here are a couple of examples:

The ebay community jewelry category board. I read there from time to time, to check the current "pulse". Most lampworkers don't post there, so I post on occasion just to let them know I am around. We post auctions in the Jewelry category - doesn't it make sense to see what people are up to there? There are a surprising number of potential customers who read and post to that board. It's main discussions are about gemstones, but a lot of them seem to really like pretty sparkly things, and when they notice what I do, they comment about it!

The ebay community bead groups. These are new, and right now there are three that I know of: BeadHive, Beads, Beads and More Beads, and Lampworked Beads. There are a lot of members on each board, and each has its own culture. I don't have time for all three, so I stick with one of them. I have gotten to know the people in BeadHive, and they've gotten to know me and my work. They are a fun group of people!

Also, the rec.crafts.beads newsgroup. This is a public group and is **hugely** populated with people who adore beads. And they will let you know what they like in a heartbeat (and what they don't like!). If ever you needed opinions from a customer's point of view, that's the place to get them. Don't have a newsgroup reader? Go to Google Groups and enter rec.crafts.beads into the search. Who knows - you may make a few more friends while you're at it. But please, please get to know what newsgroups are about before posting. Read for a day or two to get a feel for the group. It's fast paced and has its own etiquette and culture.

I know a lot of people frown on making beads that other people want you to make, and instead wish to make only what you like. This is fine. But please don't complain about sales if you aren't willing to consider your customers' desires. There is a happy medium. You can do what you want *and* do what they want. You can take risks and still have high sales.

Targeting your Audience

Once you know who your audience is, it's time to get in touch with them when you have beads available for sale! The best way to do this is to start a mailing list. (But please, be sure that people give you permission before adding them to any list or you can get kicked off ebay.) You can do this by putting a link on your About Me page on ebay or on your website. Link to a Yahoo group or other kind of email list that you control. There are lots of places to create a mailing list - perhaps the easiest is just to start one in your emailing program. Do some research on Google if you are unfamiliar with how mailing lists work. Then, when you have items available, you'll have a pool of people to email. You can create weekly or monthly newsletters, specials, promotions, whatever you like.

Another great way to get people to look at your items is to create business cards with your ebay ID and email address (as well as any other info you wish) printed on them. Pass them out to friends, and mail them out with your beads to customers. I get mine from Vista Print - they have very good prices and high quality cards. They will even let you upload your own artwork - if you can figure out the little card creating program on their website. It's a bit klunky, but does the job.

Having a website is another way to get in touch with your buyers. Do lots of research, learn HTML and create your own, or if you have the means, pay for someone to create one for you. (My friend and mentor Paulette does fabulous web design for artists.) As an alternative, look to ebay's About Me page creation for a small simple place to promote your ebay auctions.

Basically, marketing is very time consuming and can be difficult to do. However, the more you market, the more buyers you will have - period. So it's in your best interest to try a few of these things. It's a pain - it's my least favorite part of selling beads! But it's worth the time and effort, I promise. Ebay may bring some traffic to your auctions, but your own marketing activities will create the all important "word of mouth" that you need to succeed.

A Few Last Thoughts

Another touchy subject is that of talent and design. These cannot be taught, in my opinion. They have to already be there. You can bring them out by observing your surroundings and finding beauty. But if you have no eye for color or design, you may not be able to make a whole lot of money in this business. Of course, this art is not always about business or making money. You have to really love what you're doing. If you're totally in love with glass, fire and color, it will show in your work and you will have higher sales. If you are just doing it for money, I don't believe you will really succeed. Move on to something you love. Life is too short!

Be prepared to pay money for some of the things I have mentioned above. I pay for premium glass colors, tools, equipment, web hosting, a decent digital camera, lighting, photo software, gallery pics in the auctions, etc. You don't have to spend a fortune, but spending a little can be really worth it in the end. If you aren't willing or cannot spend a little money on your business, you will probably not do as well. If you can't afford the necessary tools to do this art safely and properly, I don't think you should really be doing it.

One last and very important point - Ebay is not impossible. But *be prepared* to work very, very hard, and for long hours - especially at first. Don't expect immediate success - it will take some time. And try to keep a positive attitude! You cannot go into this with the attitude that you can make quick and easy money, and then when you don't succeed, get down on yourself for it. It doesn't work that way, and if you look at ebay often, you will see tons of evidence of that. As a matter of fact, you *should* look at ebay often if you are trying to sell there. Look at your competition. Of course, don't copy their beads, but look at what sells and more importantly, look at what does *not* sell. Think about why some sellers continuously have a hard time. Think about why some sellers seem to have unlimited success.

Does any of this make any sense? I hope so. Am I giving you trade secrets? Well, no. This is all common sense, and came from reading everything I possibly could on the subject, and from my own experiences. My auctions do well. Almost every time. The above is why. I hope some of these things will work for you.

Beading Christmas ornaments

2011-03-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

Beading Christmas ornaments

Have you always wanted to create your own beaded ornaments but have little experience with bead work? Provided in this article are some simple tips that will help you create stunning and beautiful hand made beaded Christmas ornaments that will make your home more festive this holiday season.

If you have never made bead Christmas ornaments, you will first need to select either a pattern or a kit. There are many kits available that typically include the beads, needle, thread, glue and any other materials required to begin making bead Christmas ornaments. The next step is to assemble the proper tools.

Tools Needed for Your Hand Made Christmas Ornaments

Pliers are the most important tool for getting started in making your hand made bead Christmas ornaments. Important pliers that are used with bead making include Flat Nose Pliers, Round Nose Pliers, Chain Nose Pliers, Crimp Nose Pliers, and Split Ring Pliers.

Another tool you will need is a good pair of wire cutters. If you are making wire bead Christmas ornaments, then wire cutters are absolutely essential. When selecting wire cutters it is important to select the appropriate strength wire cutter for the wire that you will be using. Wire cutters come in both lightweight and heavy-duty strengths. Light weigh cutters will suit your basic needs for the beading wire you will be using.

Lastly, when making hand made Christmas Bead ornaments purchase bead needles. These needles come in a variety of sizes. Choose needles applicable to the project you are making.

Different Types of Hand Made Christmas Bead Ornaments

A simple bead ornament recommended for a young child to make may consist of little more than stringing "pony beads" or other suitable bead onto pipe cleaners. Children can simply place the beads on the pipe cleaners then twist them into various shapes such as bells, stars, candy canes, and Christmas trees.

Here is another way that you can create sparkling and beautiful hand made Christmas bead ornaments no experience required. First gather your supplies. These will include fabric paints (or other dimensional paint), small glass beads (or seed beads) satin finished ornaments, a small tray, and a small cup. First, sketch a simple shape on the ornament with the fabric paint. Ideas for shapes typically include simple snowflakes, trees, and stars, but ultimately the choice is up to you. Create your pattern as simple or as elaborate as you like. After you have drawn your design on the satin ornament with the fabric paint, hold the ornament over a small tray, and sprinkle the tiny beads over the ornament using a small cup. This is similar to projects where you apply glue and then sprinkle glitter over the glue. After your ornament finishes drying, you can hang it with a beautiful cord or complimentary satin ribbon.

It's as easy at that! So go ahead and gather your supplies and get started making your own personalized hand made Christmas ornaments for the holidays!

Agates how they are formed and the believes around agates

2011-03-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

Agates how they are formed and the believes around agates

Most agates occur as nodules in volcanic rocks or ancient lavas where they represent cavities originally produced by the disengagement of volatiles in the molten mass which were then filled, wholly or partially, by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon the walls. Such agates, when cut transversely, exhibit a succession of parallel lines, often of extreme tenuity, giving a banded appearance to the section. Such stones are known as banded agate, riband agate and striped agate.

In the formation of an ordinary agate, it is probable that waters containing silica in solution—derived, perhaps, from the decomposition of some of the silicates in the lava itself—percolated through the rock and deposited a siliceous coating on the interior of the vapour-vesicles. Variations in the character of the solution or in the conditions of deposition may cause a corresponding variation in the successive layers, so that bands of chalcedony often alternate with layers of crystalline quartz. Several vapour-vesicles may unite while the rock is still viscous, and thus form a large cavity which may become the home of an agate of exceptional size; thus a Brazilian geode lined with amethyst and weighing 67 tons was exhibited at the Düsseldorf Exhibition of 1902. Perhaps the most comprehensive review of agate chemistry is a recent text by Moxon cited below.

The first deposit on the wall of a cavity, forming the "skin" of the agate, is generally a dark greenish mineral substance, like celadonite, delessite or "green earth", which are rich in iron probably derived from the decomposition of the augite in the enclosing volcanic rock. This green silicate may give rise by alteration to a brown iron oxide (limonite), producing a rusty appearance on the outside of the agate-nodule. The outer surface of an agate, freed from its matrix, is often pitted and rough, apparently in consequence of the removal of the original coating. The first layer spread over the wall of the cavity has been called the "priming", and upon this base zeolitic minerals may be deposited.

Many agates are hollow, since deposition has not proceeded far enough to fill the cavity, and in such cases the last deposit commonly consists of quartz, often amethyst, having the apices of the crystals directed towards the free space so as to form a crystal-lined cavity, or geode.

On the disintegration of the matrix in which the agates are embedded, they are set free. The agates are extremely resistant to weathering and remain as nodules in the soil or are deposited as gravel in streams and shorelines

Here are some believes about agates. At Silver Hills Gems we do not believe in the magical qualities of stones but we include this just for interest sake.

As the astrologers say, Agate is the stone of Mercury, Venus, Moon and Saturn. If worn as an ornament, it brings luck to those born under the signs associated with the mentioned planets. The beads are classified as Talisman agate and amulet agate. The former sows self confidence in young minds and the latter curbs all kind of falsehood addictions. It is believed that keeping an agate bead under the pillow while sleeping will grant you sweet dreams. Also, wearing a ring with the black agate is known to make the wearer seductive.

Agate beads are believed to have amazing healing properties. People of Greece recommended wearing ornaments made out of these beads to those that badly suffer from ailments such as chronic cough, throat and dental diseases. Ancient-time agate stones used to have a picture engraved on them that symbolically represents a disease. For instance, if one suffering from migraine buys an agate bead having the image of a woman in loose hair and makes use of it in some way, his ailment will subside.

And yes, Agade beads have magical properties also. Sounds pretty interesting, isn't it? Farmers of ancient Rome strongly believed that Agate has the power to grow their plants well, no matter how adverse the weather conditions are. It also helps athletes to win as it is capable of suppressing unreasonable anger and gives them the necessary confidence and the winning energy. Black Agate has the property to protect one from danger, evils of the dark and it also brings a balance in his emotions.

Though it is the Romans that gave vibrant colours to the Agate beads, the credit of having used Agade stones for the first time in the making of seals, rings and decorative vessels goes to the Egyptians. Whatever may be the history, Agate stones have adorable properties that help the human race in some way. So, look no further. Get an awesome looking chain/bracelet made of Agade beads for you loved one and spread the love.

How to try and make your website faster

2011-03-29T03:28:00.001-07:00

How to try and make your website faster when you are using oscommerce as your shopping cart.

Two weeks ago I had too much time on my hands and just one small mention by one of my customers that the site was extremely slow on her end to force me again to see if there was any way I could speed up the site. I must mention that this dear client is from Harare and I honestly do not know how technologically advanced Harare-Zimbabwe is these days after all the things they have been through.

I read extensively and landed up on several websites that had some good advice. At the same time I did a search on my site on the internet and found a site that rates your website and that also gives you specifications on the site. It rated us as 1 170 000 most visited site worldwide and 7376 in South Africa. But the things that concerned me was the fact that 93% of all websites were faster than mine.

So I took up the huge task of speeding up my website. This is easier said than done because our website uses the Oscommerce shopping cart.

The Oscommerce basic website is one large blank canvas that can be changed to a myriad different forms once loaded. It is completely free. Anybody can download an Oscommerce site and start using it. Oscommerce runs on PHP. This is an interactive language that allows you to do ecommerce or sales on an online website. This language is written in code and it is rather difficult to understand. I taught myself PHP and can now help myself but it took a couple of years for an old Toppie like me to learn something new.

Oscommerce allows each user to start a session when they get on the website. This means that it kind of remembers what you have done. You can thus enter goodies into the shopping cart and proceed to another page where you can then send this detail to the shop owner who can then dispatch your goods to you. The other nifty thing about Oscommerce is that it will allow you to log in and create a more permanent shopping cart. You can enter an item in your cart and come back next week and the same item will still be there. This is one of the things that really drew me to Oscommerce because this allows you to create a type of wishing list of the items you might want to buy up ahead.

Every time you do a query Oscommerce must run through the whole database to recover the detail requested. If your database is large like ours you satrt to get a bit of drag. We now have 9000 images and 3700 active items. But there are currently over 7500 items in the database. This is a lot. The worst offenders that creates slow speeds are specials in oscommerce. You will notice that we do not have any items under the specials tab. This is because it makes your site slow. So what I do now, I just mark off the items that I am selling as a special and sometimes I will make mention of it in the description.

To speed up the site you use a process called caching. It will create a cookie that remembers the essential detail of every page that you have visited. You will notice that some pages may be slow at first but when you visit them again they become lightning fast. We also reduce the size of the pictures. This makes them a bit small but they do load faster.

Here are the problems you might run into when using Oscommerce. Oscommerce has over 6000 add-ons. These are changes that you can make to the blank canvas. This is like leaving a kid in a candy store. At first every change you make changes the 'canvas' but then you discover that they can really make your site slow. Why is speed such an issue. If you wait longer than 4 seconds for a page to load you loose interest. Do you agree with me?

Something that looks harmless might mess up your site terribly. I tried a paid add-on just two weeks ago that gave me some serious headaches. This one claimed that it will reduce a 6 second site to only a fraction of a second. I struggled with the instalment and when I had it installed I discovered that it would just log you into any somebody else's profile. Caryl had a good laugh about it. The only good thing that came out of this is the Ioncube application that I loaded in the root folder. This application helps to decipher PHP and make it more readable for different browsers. I have measured the site before and after and found that it is almost twice as fast now as before.

I removed banners and trackers off my site. This reduced the queries considerably. I still have around 3000 images on my site that is not used. I am trying to clean this up and it is not so easy. I removed some images just to find out that I actually do need them in the end. If you discover an item without a photo please send us an email about it. We will endeavour to fix it as soon as possible.

If you want to design a Oscommerce website I would love to help you set it up.

I will give you some tips on how to get on the map after you have set up your site.

Gemstone beaded jewellery

2011-03-29T03:27:00.005-07:00

Gemstone beaded jewellery

Create your own design-

Before threading a single bead, choose the best pattern and kind of beads you need. Create a beautiful design. If you don't have a beading board, use a small terry-cloth towel to keep the beads from rolling away. After laying out the pattern, make any final changes or adjustments.</P>

Attach half of the jewelry clasp -

Tie one half of the clasp onto the end of the beading thread. A regular double or triple knot will do. After tying the knot, put a small dot of glue or clear fingernail polish on the knot. Once the glue or nail polish has dried, use beading scissors or nail clippers to cut off the loose end as close to the knot as possible.</P>

Thread the beads -

Slide all of the gemstone beads that you set out in a pattern as above onto the beading thread using the attached needle. Once all the beads are on the thread, hold the strand up with the clasp that is already attached at the bottom. Let the beads naturally fall against each other so there are no gaps between them.</P>

Connect the other half of the buckle-

This is the hardest part of making gemstone jewelry. The thread must be pulled the knot tight and snug against the last bead to avoid any gaps. To do this, slide the clip to the thread and make a very loose knot at the base of the buckle. Put the bead knotting tool or a large pin through the center of the knot loose. Not tighten the knot carefully the work of the node to the heel so that the knotting tool or pin is comfortable against the last bead.

Lift the thread up and make sure that there are gaps. Pull the thread tight to the beads, but don't allow the knot to tighten again. Without releasing the tension on the wire through the beads, lay the thread down and start to tighten the knot while maintaining pin comfortable against the last bead. (This process is similar to tie a knot on a package with a finger to keep the knot tight. In this case, the pin is serving the same purpose as the finger on the package.) Continue pulling the thread until the knot is tight without gaps. Gently remove the pin or push the issue on the bead knotting tool. Place a small dot of glue or clear nail polish on the node. After the glue or nail polish is dry, use scissors or nail clippers to cut the beading free end close to the knot as possible.

Have you ever made Jewelry with Gemstone Beads? You may have seen various kinds of jewelry like handmade jewelry, gold, silver jewelry, metal, diamond jewelry, fashion jewelry, body jewelry, sterling silver and gemstone jewelry. But have u ever thought that how can u make your own jewelry using gemstone beads like semi precious beads and precious beads.

You can make beautiful earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pendants and many more to gift your loved once. You can also wear on various occasions and daily life as well. Natural Gemstone beads are long lasting and look beautiful.

You can create a different jewelry piece, or two, to go with every outfit. Making gemstone jewelry isn't difficult, and designing each piece can be a lot of fun. You can check out our gemstone jewellery at THE SILVER HILLS GEMSTONE page

7 Things you should know about pearls

2011-03-29T03:27:00.003-07:00

7 Things you should know about pearls

When shopping for pearl jewelry, whether online or in a jewelry store, you are going to see and hear some industry terms that you may not be that familiar with. You’ll be told that the nacre of this pearl is thick, it’s luster is excellent, it’s surface is clean and that is why it retails for R5000. The only thing you might recognize from that description is the price! So educating yourself on the terminology used to describe pearl jewelry before you begin shopping will allow you to accurately compare pearls from one another, understand their value, and can lead you to making a very good purchase on quality pearls. You may even end up saving a few dollars just by knowing a few terms!

Cultured vs Natural

Let’s start with knowing the difference between Cultured Pearls and Natural Pearls. While both are real pearls, the way they are created is what sets them apart. Cultured pearls are harvested on pearl farms in controlled conditions. With the assistance of pearl farmers, they insert an object into the mollusk to jump start the creation of the pearl. The end result is still an authentic pearl that carries the same properties as a natural pearl.

Natural pearls by contrast are those found in their natural environment. They are pearls that have been stumbled upon by chance. Therefore, natural pearl jewelry may carry a heavier price tag than cultured pearl jewelry because of the unique, natural quality they have. Cultured pearls tend to be more affordable because of their ability to be mass produced. However, each is still very similar in their qualities and authenticity.

Shape

As you study the pearls that interest you, pay close attention to the shape of the pearl. The closer each pearl is to a perfect sphere or being perfectly round, the higher in value the jewelry will be. Round pearls are pretty rare to come across and only account for a small percentage of the pearls coming out of pearl farms.

From there, you will see the term Near-round to describe pearls that are not quite perfectly round, but close to it. Oval pearls look just as they sound. Button style pearls are pearls that appear to be thinner, or squashed by comparison. Drop pearls have the appearance of a tear drop.

Lastly are Baroque pearls. These pearls are irregular in shape and are non-symmetrical as well. In fact, the actual shapes of a baroque pearl can range from simply being semi-round to stick or cross shaped. Many times however, a strand of baroque pearls will be similar to each other thus creating a uniform strand. Incidentally, Tahitian and South Sea baroque pearls are also very unique as the process to create them takes much longer. Therefore, their value may be considered greater.

Nacre / Mother-of-Pearl

Nacre, or mother-of-pearl, is a secretion of calcium carbonate and conchiolin that a mollusk will release to cover an object such as a grain of sand that has entered the mollusk. This object acts as an irritant and triggers the secretion to begin. Layers and layers of nacre will build around this object and leads to the production of a pearl. In fact, a real pearl can be identified by its layers of nacre present. The thicker the nacre, the higher quality and more durable your pearl is against nicks, scratches and overall wear and tear.

Luster

Luster is a term used to describe a pearls ability to reflect light. The more translucent each layer of the pearl, the greater its ability to reflect light. You can visually determine a pearls luster by its ability to show your reflection or have shine to it. If the pearl is dull or really doesn’t have a reflection, then it is considered to be poor in quality.

Surface

A pearls surface can be described as clean, blemished or marked. The surface is basically how you see the pearl. Looking at it, do you see any marks or discolorations in its coating or color? If you do, these are the pearls blemishes or marks. If a pearl does not appear to have any, then it is described as clean. A pearl with a clean surface is considered to have a higher value than a pearl with a blemished surface. If you have your eyes set on a strand of clean pearls, be sure that the strand is uniform and that each pearl has a clean surface. While blemished pearls are considered to be lesser in value, they are still considered to be of good quality. Pearls whose surface is so poor generally do not make it to the jewelry stage.

Color

Colors of pearls vary from bright whites to rich shades of black. The color of the pearl will depend on the types of pearls you are looking at. For instance Akoya pearls generally come in whites with cream or pink overtones. Tahitian pearls on the other hand are most likely black or shades of gray. South Sea pearls meanwhile are generally associated with golden pearls.

The color of pearls really doesn’t affect the pricing of it. However you will want to be sure that all of the other quality factors still apply to the pearls you are considering. Your choice of colored pearls should be chosen carefully to compliment your skin tone. As a rule of thumb, people with tan or darker skin tones tend to find darker pearls or pearls with cream overtones to compliment their skin best. Women with lighter, fairer skin will find that pearls with pink or rose overtones work well.

Grades

With so many terms used to describe pearl jewelry, it’s not a wonder we felt the need to write this article! However, all of these characteristics can be combined and defined with a simple grade. Yes, pearls receive grades based upon their quality. There are three grades that can be assigned to a pearl ranging from A to AAA.

A pearl with a grade of AAA means these pearls are of the highest quality and greatest value. It means all of the characteristics listed out above are of the best conditioning. You can expect these types of pearls to be higher in price.

Pearl jewelry given a grade of AA is your middle of the road pearl. The pearls generally will be round or near-round shape and may have slight blemishes here and there. These and the rest of the qualities will either be considered of high quality or slightly below.

Lastly, pearl jewelry given an A generally means you’ll find a few more blemishes, a lower luster quality, and either a near round or semi-round shape. It is important to note that pearls with a lower grade do not necessarily mean they are not worth the investment. They are still quality, authentic pearls that have been matched with each other to create a uniform, cohesive set of pearl jewelry.

Perhaps you may not be able to remember all of the terminology, but knowing the significance of a pearls grade will ensure you will be able to select a quality piece of jewelry that is worth the asking price. Now you hopefully will be able to go into a jewelry shop, online or off, and will have a clear advantage to make a smart purchasing decision. Couple this information with knowing the different types of pearls available and you will be all set!

Beautiful and sparkling jewelry have always enticed women since their inception. Who can resist the temptation of getting those irresistible pearl earrings or beautiful gemstone jewelry to match that exquisite gown!An investment in a unique pearljewelry is a family heirloom. The beauty and majesty of the pearl is unmatched and incomparable. They make a bold style statement, while at the same time exuding elegance and grace.

Pearl jewelry have been royal treasures and the early interactions between the Europeans and the traders from South East and Central Asia made the natural gem a prized possession of the crème de la crème in society. This mainly springs from the fact that the pearl comes in so many natural and cultivated varieties and the charm of each is explicit and unique to behold. The risk involved in scooping this treasure of Mother Nature from the womb of the oyster and the treatment thereafter adds to the uniqueness of the pearl, whether a freshwater pearl or a cultured one. A unique pearl necklace is known to radiate a certain mystical charm and convert even the simplest attire into a celebration of fabric and gem!

When selecting a pearl necklace, it is essential to get educated on the six different types of pearl necklaces. There are collar pearl necklaces and chokers and the elegant princess varieties. Then the more contemporary matinee, opera and rope pearl necklaces are also real scene stealers. The collar pearl necklaces are ideally crafted between 10 and 13 inches in length. The collar variety of unique pearl necklaces is great as casual, as well as gorgeous evening wear. The unique choker pearl necklaces are designed between 16 and 18 inches in length. The freshwater pearl necklaces and the cultured pearls necklaces within this variety go great when teamed with essential formal wear.

The attractive princess pearl necklace is crafted to a length of between 17 and 20 inches and essentially fits into the wardrobe collection as graceful evening wear. These necklaces make a personal style statement at any social ‘do’ and are real master pieces. Then, there are the unique matinee pearl necklaces. These necklaces are designed to a length of 20 to 24 inches. They compliment business attire and formal suits. The unique matinee freshwater pearl necklace and the cultured pearl necklace is an essential component of any working woman’s wardrobe. The opera pearl necklaces are also unique in respect to the elegance and string length of between 28 to 34 inches. The opera pearl necklace is an absolute hit at special occasions, like formal corporate events or private parties.

Pearl jewellery are designed for people of different ages. The variety, other than whether they are fresh water pearl necklaces or cultured pearl necklaces, also includes difference in shape and form. You could choose to flaunt a simple single strand or multiple strands of pearls or highlight a single pearl pendant on a chain. There are many women who prefer to wear the necklaces closer to the neck, like chokers. These work wonders on highlighting smooth, unblemished skin, against a low neckline! You should be careful while making the investment and consider the surface, color, size, luster and shape of the pearl or pearls. Now, there are pearls that are treated to flaunt different hues and you should indulge in comparison shopping to identify the right color to suit your complexion and budget. The latter depends on whether the investment is in a unique fresh water pearl necklace, which are expensive or a cultured pearl necklace, which is cheaper.

Beading for Children

2011-03-29T03:26:00.001-07:00

Beading for Children

Simple ideas that don’t require fancy tools or expensive materials include beaded key chains, friendship and name bracelets, necklaces, and bookmarks. For each of these projects, pony beads are the perfect option because they are economical and easy to find at your local bead or craft store. Personalized key chains can be created with just a bag of alphabet beads, a key ring and thick cotton cording or plastic lacing. With just a spool of stretch string, kids can also very easily create friendship or name bracelets. Beads offer variety in shapes, sizes and colors, so that children can create an array of unique designs and never get bored. Stretch cord is perfect because it is easy to knot (using a surgeon’s knot is recommended).

Bookmarks can be easily created by adding beads or charms to the ends of a piece of cording. The cording is placed between the pages and the beaded ends dangle from the outer edges of the book.

For simple, yet professional looking jewelry, use a crimp tool with flexible beading wire and crimp beads. Use the tool to attach clasps to necklaces and bracelets. This technique can be used with single strand and multi-strand pieces. Instructions can usually by found on the packaging of any quality crimp tool.

For more advanced projects, macramé techniques can be used to create beaded friendship bracelets or hemp bracelets. Kids can get creative by using a variety of beads and cording. Embroidery floss and hemp are available in many colors and will provide endless possibilities when combined with beads.

Beading projects are perfect for summer, weekends and rainy days. Kids will have fun creating jewelry they can wear and give as gifts. Bead crafts can be done as a pair, a group or individually.

To get started, visit your local bead shop for expert advice on basic supplies and techniques. You can also find project ideas and additional resources on the internet or at your local library or bookstore.

Where do I get new ideas?

2011-03-29T03:25:00.003-07:00

Where do I get new ideas?

Ideas seldom come from the people who lead your business. They are so engrossed by the demands of reaching targets end getting through all the work every day.

Ideas often come from new people that have just started working for you. They see the business with new eyes. Many of us get used to the small inconsistencies or inadequacies that gradually become acceptable. We do not see our own mistakes anymore. It often needs someone looking in to point out the inconsistencies. So ask the new hires if they have any ideas.

You also get new ideas from people on the periphery. Ask the cleaners or the packers. If you are on the perimeter you might have a dozen good ideas.

The front line workers know all the shortcuts. Work with them for a day and see what they do. You will get plenty of good ideas.

Your customers will also give you ideas. Customers do know what they want, they do know what they like, and if you show them new things they will quickly tell them what they think. Starbucks often use this method to test new drinks. If you want to gather up great ideas you must set up listening posts where your customers can talk to you. They will appreciate the opportunity and you will learn a lot.

You can also learn from great companies in other industries. If you are in retail you can find out how a great airline sell the same seats over and over again. If you are in decorating you can visit great hotels where you can see their take on interior decorating. The history of innovation is full of 'geniuses' who begged, borrowed and stole ideas from one category and simply applied them to another.

Here are a few time-tested techniques for coming up with great ideas.

1. Focus on quantity, not quality. Most of us think we have to wait for one big killer idea to strike. In the process we ignore or screen out a myriad of smaller interesting, useful, clever ideas. But the truth is, they are all worth considering. You never know when a small idea will morph into a big one. So love them all.

2. Collect them all. Once you get into the ideas generating business, you will want to collect all the ideas you can get your hands on. When you think of an idea, write it down. When you see something interesting, write it down. You should carry a notebook with you. You should transfer these ideas to your computer where you can pick through what you have collected, review it and see what really stand out.

3. Get outside of your comfort zone. If you want new ideas, the best thing to do is to go looking for them. Do you get ideas from magazines? Go to the nearest magazine rack and buy five magazines that you never read. If you do beading you can buy a cookbook or a garden magazine, ideas come from a spark. If you are a historian, try and read a novel. Try and develop your peripheral vision. You will be surprised what you notice when you are in unfamiliar territory.

4. Travel. They say that travel is broadening but it is also deepening. The enemy of new ideas is the familiar. So go someplace new. If you can't go to an exotic country, you can read the travel guidebook as if you are going to travel there. At a minimum try and eat at an exotic restaurant. Open up the borders of your mind.

5. Reach out and touch someone. Make a list of people whose minds you genuinely respect. Make it a point to call them on a regular basis for a conversation. All you have to ask is. "What's new?" Then listen and take notes. Journalist does it all the time. It is called, developing sources. Try it in your business, it works.

6. Get taught. Sign up for a class. Generating ideas is part of learning. It could be anything. Gardening, cooking, a new language or photography. Your mind will open. Once you start noticing new things in class you will notice them at work too.

I hope I have given you some food for thought. I do this all the time and I also get new ideas. I want you to succeed and make tons of money.

Gerdus.

The coffee I just had came from Portugal and was percolated in our Swiss made coffee machine. It tasted real good.

Is beading on a decline or not?

2011-03-29T03:25:00.001-07:00

Is beading on a decline or not? Just yesterday someone told me of a local beading concern that closed.

I guess it all depends from which angle you are looking at the beading hobby. I believe that beading is here to stay. Once a beader, always a beader. The satisfaction that comes from making your own creations gives you loads of joy.

I hunted around for some indication on the internet if bead shops are indeed in trouble. This is what I found.

Lolly wrote this

My LBS is in the process of being sold, hopefully. The owner sorta gave up on it when she started having some minor health problems. BUT, I recently visited some shops in New Orleans and Baton Rouge where I shop once in awhile. Two of the shops are not as busy as they were a year ago and have down-sized the beading part. Both shops have put in a line of other things that interest women,,i.e. handbags, soaps, candles, etc. One of the shops is pushing bead embroidery big time and has classes all the time. One of the shops even down-sized the amount of space it use to rent in the mini mall. SO, it may be that the jewelry business boom of several years ago is on the down-side. However, remember, "what goes around,comes around". It may leave for awhile but it will arise again. I think that the people who are well entrenched in the business will survive. Others might not be so fortunate. We'll see.

This gives me food for thought and at Silver Hills we have found that people need better quality. The discerning buyer do not mind paying for quality. Rare and aesthetic beads usually carries a higher price tag because they retain their "investment" value and will be passed down as inheritance jewellery from one generation to the next. My daughter is already eyeing my wifes jewellery. Most of the jewellery she designed herself from Silver Hills Gems stock.

John Madsen wrote this

It wouldn't be all that unusual for an industry to change its' point-of-sale model as it matures - look at the music industry, the mortgage industry, the video film ibndustry, etc. What I think a lot of beadstores did not do was figure out what their customers were actually buying - discretionary spending almost always buys something other than merchandise - people are buying some kind of experience - when you don't provide it, your merchandise becomes a commodity, and price rules - plus, I think a lot of the store managers who've been around a few years are getting bored by dealing with "newbies" - and it shows - lots of sucky attitudes in stores - john

We make a point of listening to our clients and we keep on buying the fast sellers again and again. The new stock that is on its way will prove this again. Many of our clients have been buying from us from the first day we opened and they are still with us. We have even lowered our prices now.

Theresa J wrote this

In June, one of my favorite bead stores in San Francisco went out of business. Beadissimo was not only a great little bead shop, in a great location, but also offered amazing classes plus free monthly open studio nights where you could go and use all of their fabulous metalsmithing tools. They also hosted trunk shows, brunches with themes, and swap nights - my personal favorite as you would show up with items you wanted to trade or swap with others. I found it a great way to "get rid of" items I was no longer inspired to use -- those destash items -- and trade for some really amazing items that I would most definitely find a use for. They had only been in business for 5-1/2 years, but had become quite the spot in the local beading and jewelry making community. I was distressed not only because of the loss of one of my favorite shops, but also because of the bigger picture. This kind of business was the perfect model for what I had been incubating in my brain for years as the type of business I personally wanted to own some day -- sort of my dream. It's closing left me feeling that my dream was a pipe dream.Then, to add fuel to the fire, at the end of July, I got another email informing me that The Bead Shop in Palo Alto on University Avenue was also closing. Again, a great little bead shop with location, location, location, great classes, etc. and it was closing after 26 years! This is the message they sent out: "After 26 years of passionately serving the beading community, The Bead Shop is closing at the end of August. The decision to close did not come easily. Vendors have chosen to go directly to beaders and many beaders enjoy the selection and pricing online and at gem shows. It's understandable; the marketplace is changing. Maintaining a full-service bead store in the midst of this shift has become impossible for us. " Then they listed their final sales and last classes, but in closing, stated, "Please be well and support the other bead stores on the peninsula and east bay."While I am an avid online shopper as well as a huge gem show fan and shopper, I still frequent all of the local bead shops in my area, as well as usually add them to my list of things to check out when I'm traveling to other areas, both for shopping and for classes/workshops/etc. I think we all need to remember to support our local, small, independent brick and mortar businesses. It would truly be a shame if they go the way of the dinosaur!

At Silver Hills we import all our items straight from the factories and because of our selections we will not likely go the same route as the guys above. I have considered opening more branches but then it will mean employing more staff and working so much harder. At the moment we are still experiencing growth. We have found ways to be more competitive. We are now giving a 10% reward voucher for all customers who purchase a combined total of R2500. I have also dropped my wholesale price with a further 10%. That is a price swing of 20%. That is what I call great value. I ask you to compare our new prices. But our strength lies in the quality of our beads. We select only the best. I can also buy cheap discounted items and sell these at bargain basement prices but this will be the beginning of the end of our shop. Once people realize that the quality at Silver Hills is no longer up to standard they will stop buying from us. You might have good sales for a season when you sell cheap items but when the item is made it will look cheap. We sell quality at affordable prices. This is our philosophy. We stick by it. It works for us.

I often lament that I do not have the same supply base as the bigger American suppliers. We do not have acces to many of the brand names. But let me tell you something. You can make jewellery with any material. There is not just one way. Be creative. We live in Africa. Use the material that you find here.

Phone us at 012 2531396 or 012 2531846 for more details.

Prayer beads or Rosaries

2011-03-29T03:24:00.001-07:00

Prayer beads or Rosaries are used by members of various religions such as Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Bahá'í Faith to count the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions. They may also be used for meditation, protection from negative energy, or for relaxation.

Contents

1 Use

1.1 Structure

2 Hinduism

3 Buddhism

4 Christianity

5 Islam

6 Sikhism

Use

Prayer beads may have physical, metaphysical and psychological effects on their users. Since the beads are fingered in an automatic manner, they allow the user to keep track of how many prayers have been said with a minimal amount of conscious effort, which in turn allows greater attention to be paid to the prayers themselves.

There are three widely accepted uses for Prayer beads:

Repetition of the same devotion a set (usually large) number of times. This is the earliest form of prayer beads (the Japa Mala) and the earliest Christian form (the prayer rope). This is also the type in use by the Bahá'í Faith

Repetition of several different prayers in some pattern, possibly interspersed with or accompanied by meditations.

Meditation on a series of spiritual themes, as in e.g. Islam or Catholicism.

Structure

The number of beads also vary depending on the different religions, Islamic prayer beads, called "Tesbih", "Tasbih" or "Misbaha", usually have either 99 or 33 beads. Buddhists and Hindu Brahmanists use the Japa Mala which usually has 108 beads, or 27 which are counted four times. Baha'i prayer beads consist of either 95 beads or 19 beads strung with the addition of five beads below. The Sikh Mala also has 108 beads. The Greek "komboloi" has an odd number of beads -- usually one more than a multiple of four, e.g. (4x4)+1, (5x4)+1. Roman Catholics use the "Rosary" (Latin "rosarium", meaning "rose garden") with 54 with an additional five beads whereas Eastern Orthodox Christians use a knotted "Rosary" with 100 knots, although "prayer ropes" with 50 or 33 knots can also be used. Although Anglicans have not in the past used rosaries, in the 1980s Rev. Lynn Bauman from the Episcopal church in the United States introduced a Rosary for Anglicans with 33 beads[1].

Hinduism

Hindu Japa mala prayer beads, made from Tulasi wood, with the head bead in the foreground.Main article: Hindu prayer beads

The earliest use of prayer beads can be traced to Hinduism, where they are called Japa Mala. Japa is the repeating of the name of a deity or a mantra. Mala (Sanskrit:????;mala) means "garland" or "wreath".[2]

Japa mala are used for repetition of a mantra, for other forms of sadhana (spiritual exercise), and as an aid to meditation. The most common mala have 108 beads.[3] The most common materials used for making the beads are Rudraksha seeds (used by Shaivites) and Tulsi stem (used by Vaishnavites).

Buddhism

Japanese Zen Buddhist prayer beads (Juzu)Prayer beads, or Japa Malas, are also used in many forms of Mahayana Buddhism, often with a lesser number of beads (usually a divisor of 108). In Pure Land Buddhism, for instance, 27 bead malas are common. In China such malas are named "Shu-Zhu" (??); in Japan, "Juzu". These shorter malas are sometimes called 'prostration rosaries', because they are easier to hold when enumerating repeated prostrations. In Tibetan Buddhism malas are also 108 beads: one mala counts as 100 mantras, and the 8 extra are meant to be dedicated to all sentient beings (the practice as a whole is dedicated at its end as well). In Tibetan Buddhism, often larger malas are used of for example 111 beads: when counting, they calculate one mala as 100 mantras, and the 11 additional beads are taken as extra to compensate for errors.

Various type of materials are used to make mala beads such as seeds of the rudraksha tree, beads made from the wood of the tulasi plant, animal bone, wood or seeds from the Bodhi tree or seeds of the lotus plant. Semi-precious stones like carnelian and amethyst is also used. Another commonly used material is sandalwood.[4]

Christianity

Greek Orthodox komboskini of 100 knots.The Desert Fathers of the 3rd to 5th century, used knotted ropes to count prayers, typically the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner"). The invention is attributed to St Anthony or his associate St Pachomius in the 4th century.

Catholics and some Anglicans use the Holy Rosary with 54 + additional 5 beads as prayer beads. The Rosary's name comes from the Latin "rosarium", meaning "rose garden" and is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation in sequences (called "decades") of an Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be to the Father, as well as a number of other prayers (such as the Apostle's Creed and the Hail Holy Queen) at the beginning and end. The prayers are accompanied by meditation on the Mysteries, events in the life and minstry of Jesus.

Catholics also use prayer beads to pray chaplets. Their rosary beads are composed of crucifix and center which can be made of sterling silver and/or gold; beads are usually made of glass, amethyst, rose quartz stone, crystal, black onyx, lavender glass or pearl.[5]

An Old Believer Russian Orthodox lestovka, made out of leather.Eastern Orthodox Christian use prayer-ropes with 33, 50, or 100 knots. The loops of knotted wool (or occasionally of beads), called chotki or komboskini to pray the Jesus Prayer. Although among the Orthodox, their use is mainly restricted to monks and bishops, being less common among laity or secular clergy. Among Russian Old Believers, a prayer rope made of leather, called 'lestovka', is more common, although this type is no longer commonly used now by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "The rosary is conferred upon the Greek Orthodox monk as a part of his investiture with the mandyas or full monastic habit, as the second step in the monastic life, and is called his 'spiritual sword'."

Hand-carved Roman Catholic rosary beads.In the mid-1980s an Anglican Rosary or "Christian prayer beads" was developed in the Episcopal Church (United States) by Rev. Lynn C. Bauman[7]. However, his authority in church matters is unclear, particularly as he has since been 'de-frocked'[8]. The set consists of 33 beads (representing the 33 years of the life of Christ) arranged in four groupings of symbolic significance. These 'Anglican Rosaries' continue to be promoted via internet websites but it is not known whether they been adopted by any Protestant group in any formal sense. Many Anglo-Catholics use the Catholic rosary, and may also be using these Anglican prayer beads.

Pearls of LifeThe contemporary "Pearls of Life"[9], invented by Martin Lönnebo, Bishop Emeritus of the Linköping Diocese of the Swedish Lutheran Church, is a set of 18 beads, some round and some elongated, arranged in an irregular pattern. Each one has its own significance as a stimulus and reminder for meditation, although they can also be used for repetitive prayer.

While there are liturgical churches using prayer beads in prayer, non liturgical Christian churches do not use them.

Islam

A MisbahaIn Islam, bismillah prayer beads are referred to as Misbaha or Tasbih, and contain 99 beads, corresponding to the 99 Names of Allah. Sometimes only 33 beads are used, in which case one would cycle through them three times to equal 99. Use of the misbaha to count prayers and recitations is an evolution of Muhammad's practice of using the fingers of his right hand to keep track.[citation needed] While widely used today, some adherents of Wahhabism shun them as an intolerable innovation, preferring to stick to the exact method believed to have been used by Muhammad.[citation needed] Their use as a religious item has somewhat diminished over the years, except among adherents of the Sufi orders, and many use them nowadays strictly as worry beads and as status symbols.

Though the fact that prayer beads are mainly used just as worry beads may be contested, since many of the Iraqis often use prayer beads to count Allah's name.

Sikhism

Sikhs, pray with 108 beads. Sikhs also pray regularly and meditate by repeating God's name, often with the aid of rosary beads[11]. The founder of the religion, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, is often depicted in paintings with the mala in his hand.

Personal note from Gerdus

I believe that salvation is through faith in God. Prayer beads should only be used to help you focus your faith. I do not use any prayer beads myself. I try to pray daily and believe that spirituality can only be imparted by God from the inside out. God lives on the inside. He said that without Him we can do nothing. He also said that there is no other name by which man can be saved but the name of Jesus.

July 2010 shopping list

2011-03-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

July 2010 shopping list. This is stock that is on its way from the suppliers and it will arrive sometime in September.

Glassbeads

The chinese roundel beads from 4-10 mm in size in the most exquisite range. I bought a lot. These are proving to be some of our best sellers. I also brought round beads in glass.

Gemstone beads.

There is a host of new agate beads from Madagascar. Banded beads in soft colours up to 18 mm in size. You will love these. Stacks of great coloured lapis lazuli at a steal. Blue howlite in chunks and buttons. Quartz in facet rounds. Tumbled citrines in a very yellow crystal. Garnets in 5 and 6 mm and facceted strings.

Green garnet in good clean greens. I struggle to get good clean greens. I do not like to much black in the green garnet.

Hematite in 3, 6 and 8 mm. These will be selling for a steal. They are so inexpensive.

Howlites in different sizes.

Mookaite in soft browns

Great large moonstone rounds in larger sizes. Prices are coming down now. There is a fair amount of blues in the moonstone.

Black onyx in all sizes. 4,6, 8 10, 12. Roundels. I bought a lot of black onyx. Black onyx is so versatile. You can use them anywhere. I even got some banded onyx. You will make some designers jewellery with this.

I got some seraphinte again. I love the shiny silver bits in the beads. This is what makes gemstones so special.

Snowflake obsidian in superb round beads

Sodalite in good blues.

Zebra stone beads proved to be very difficult to find but I hunted down some fine beads in this designers stone.

Tourmaline and tourmaline coloured quartz. This last is so well done. The colours are vibrant. The larger sizes gets to be a bit garish so I stuck to the smaller sizes.

Kyanite

Amazonite

Pietersite beads in 10 mm. This is going to be great.

Sugilite cabachons in silver.

Blue lace in large round beads

Morganite

Amethyst in 8 and 10 mm

Apatite

Aventurine

Carnelian

Shell strings

I have a great surprise. I managed to hunt down the inexpensive round shell beads. This will not be in the shop long. We bought about 6-7 boxes of these in all the colours.

Coral

Coral chunks, coral chips and coral beads. All sizes at a very good price. This supplier ticked me off because he was trying to cheat me at first but I believe I got the better of him. I managed to negotiate the best price. I have about 4 boxes of coral coming. It will be a feat of coral. There are a lot of chunky coral that you can use to make great focus jewellery.

Pearls

I bought more pearls than I usually do. There are pearls in all shapes and sizes. I got small sead pearls and small ovals, thee are roundels in the best quality you will get anywhere. I got bigger round whites. Some are circled. I also bought some coloured pearls. I invested in some funky coloured pearls. This is brand new and I do not think there is anybody else in South Africa who will have this in their inventory. I also bought black pearls with half drilled holes for earrrings. I hope to increase this range in the future.

925 Jewellery

Pendants, earrings and rings in 925 silver with delicate marcasite designs.

Gemstone bullet points

You will love these new points, they are chunky with a great silver cap on the side. I have 14 different stones. There must be over 700 pieces. Then we have cabbed the bullets as well. I then have new keyrings with a new design at an absolute steal. These will be very popular for resale.

Clasps

I then stocked up on the clasps with gemstone cabachones and shell flowers. They are always very popular and I managed to negotiate an even better price on these.

Shellbearls

Shellpearls in all colous and sizes. We concentrated on the oval shapes in many new colour combinations. They will be well received.

Tigerstail

I bought 14 colours in a thickness of 0.5 and 0.38. I think I also bought some thicker tigerstail in silver for chunky beads. Let me tell you something about the tigerstail. I discovered that none of the rolls have 100 meters on them as the tags say. So to be safe we say that there is only 50 meters on a roll. But the rolls themsevels are labelled as 100 meters. Each roll have around 70 meters.

Birthstone earrings

925 earrings in all the different birtstone months.

Hotfix.

Swarovski hotfix. The swarovski hotfix is more expensive but then they are swarovski precision cut with superior glue. These will be listed soon. What are hotfix. They are glassbeads in round brilliant cut that are ironned on clothing. They make designers pieces from ordinary clothing.

Findings

I stocked up on most findings such as

Roundels in all sizes and colours

Earring hoops

Headpins

Bails

Bowtie links in metal net

Jumprings

Chain

Chain with clasp

Crimps

End cap for strings

Angel wings

Butterfly beads

Daisy roundels

Silver S clasps

Rose clasps

Key chain clasps

Barrel screw in clasp

Signoretti clasps

Bar and toggle clasps

Great new charms in cloisonne

Celtic tribal charms

Celphone slings

Bead caps in different sizes.

Horse shoe protectors

Headpin with rhinestones

As you can see there is a lot to look forward to. The new stock will be here in September.

Making Memory Wire Jewelry

2011-03-29T03:19:00.005-07:00

Making Memory Wire Jewelry

Making jewelry is a fun hobby and for some can become a full time business. At the very least, you will be able to make gorgeous and unique jewelry to wear and give as gifts. As with any hobby, you need to start with the basics and using memory wire to make jewelry is a method that requires a bit less skill than some of the others. Memory wire jewelry does not need a clasp or fancy crimping and one size fits all.

Memory wire is flexible wire that springs back to it's original form when not stretched - kind of like a slinky. It comes in necklace, bracelet and ring sizes. You simply cut off a section to the size you want and string on beads!

Of course, the first step (and the most fun) is to decide on the beads! Some people are inspired by artisan made lampwork beads, others by gemstones beads and still others by the vast array of crystal beads. Some like to use all of the above in their beaded jewelry designs! You are only limited by your own imagination and there is no "wrong" combination of beads so choose the beads that "speak" to you and incorporate them into your design.

To make beaded jewelry using memory wire, you will need:

1. A tool that cuts the memory wire (can be found in any bead supply store - don't use regular wire cutters as you will soon ruin them!)

2. The memory wire (sold in packages where you can get 2 or 3 pieces of jewelry out of each package)

3. Needle nose pliers

4. The beads!

Step 1 - Cut the memory wire to size. For a bracelet or ring, decide how many times you want it to wrap around your wrist or finger - wrap the wire right around your own wrist and cut to size. A necklace can only go around your neck once (well, you could probably make it to wrap around a couple times but I think it would be hard to get on and off). You want to size it so that the ends overlap a bit.

Step 2 - Now you need to close up one end so that the beads don't slide off. Take the tip of your needle nose pliers and place them right at the very end of the wire. Now take the wire in your other hand and bend it around the pliers. The wire is pretty hard, so this might be difficult and yoy may have a hard time with this at first. Try practicing on some smaller pieces first until you can make a perfect little loop. Make sure the loop is closed off so no beads can escape. Don't worry - if you screw up you can just cut off the end and try again! You want the loop to be as small as possible so it doesn't detract from our design

Some people also glue on little silver end cap beads. While this looks a bit better, you run the risk of the glue not holding and all your beads sliding off. This happened to me once and is why I use the loop method. To make the loops look a bit snazzier, I just dangle a bead from them!

Step 3 - String the beads! If you are making a necklace that has a certain design or focal piece in the middle, you will have to be careful to space the beads exactly so that they are symmetrical and the focal piece is in the exact middle.

Step 4 - Close the other end. Using the method in step 2, close up the other end and you are done!

At Silver Hills Gems we always try and stock a good supply of memory wire. You can just punch in the word 'memory' in the quick search block. I have 2 sizes of memory wire in the new lot of stock that will be here in about 30 days. Bracelet size 60 mm and necklace size. The price is really inexpensive.

Some features of the website

2011-03-29T03:19:00.003-07:00

Some features of the website

When you get to the page www.bronnrocks.com/catalog you will notice the following words

Quality beads and findings that you can afford!

Welcome all beaders and DIY jewellery artist! Please log yourself in Please join our exciting group by creating an account?

When you register you will receive a gift voucher that you can spend on any item or items in our online shop. So go ahead and register right away, an email will be send to you with the voucher number.

Scott str 74, Hartbeespoortdam, South Africa. Our physical shop is open seven days a week from 8h30 to 16h30. Sundays we open at 10h00. Tel 012 2531396 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 012 2531396 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

A low order fee of R150.00 will be added to the subtotal for all orders that are less than R300. To get our low listed price on the final invoice at checkout you must buy for an amount of R300 or more.

On this page you can log in or create an account. Why should I create an account. You will receive a R100 voucher that you can spend at your will. You will only be able to use this voucher once. You will also get on our mailing list and receive notice of our offers and updates.

Once you are logged in you will see all the items that you have previously entered into your shopping cart. Here is how this works. You can browze our new items and if you see something that you like you can add it to your shopping cart. When an item is added to your cart it will stay there until you remove it. We can not remove items from a shopping cart. This way you can create your own wishlist. You might receive an email from us once that offers to give you a 10% discount voucher if you finish up your order but this will only happen occasionally.

But there seems to be no products on your website. Our site is organized under 6 main headings

Finding -DIY items

Freshwater pearl strings

Swarovski components

Finished jewellery

Hartbeespoort shop

Bead strings

Everyone of these headings have subheadings up to 3 layers deep. It might take some time to get used to where all our items are listed under but once you know where they are you will find that our website is very user friendly. We have over 3000 items listed in these 6 categories.

You can choose items and add them to your cart. Once you have added your items to the cart you must open your shopping cart to adjust the quantities and remove any items that you no longer need. On the right hand side you will see a box with the totals of your cart.

There is a quick find window on the right hand side. Here you can enter key words to search for items. Once the search has been done you can add the items to your cart. You can always try different keywords. to find what you are looking for.

We enter at least ten new items everyday. Some days we do 30 to 40 items a day. This makes Silver Hills an exciting place to visit because there are always new items to look at.

Thank you for taking the time to do read this, I will add more info in a next newsletter.

Building a solid business

2011-03-29T03:18:00.004-07:00

Building a solid business.

Customers go through 5 different phases when they are looking to buy any product. Ons of the most important phases are the information gathering phase. People will buy from your because they think that you will meet their needs. A buying urge is usually born out of a need. Sometimes the need might be emotional. Some people need to shop to feel wanted. How can you meet a need like that. You can listen to your clients. You can make them feel wanted. Just a friendly smile. A connection is sometimes all that is needed to turn a sceptic into a loyal customer.

I have learned one thing. If you really want to succeed you must stock deeper. You need to stock more of a specific item. I have many people who buy from me who purchase one or two of a kind and I just think of how difficult they make it for themselves. You should rather buy many of one kind and instil in your customers the feeling that you can truly supply their need. My experience is that sales go down when the item is almost sold out. On the internet it is not always the case but in a physical store it is.

Service, service, service. I can not stress this enough. A business stand or fall on their service. Go out of your way to meet your customers needs. Surprise them by your service. If you can not supply them it is best to send them to someone that can supply them. These people will always remember that you have helped them and will be back to support you again and again. Stand behind your product and be always willing to take returns on your products. Be willing even to loose money to keep your name in high standing. One satisfied customer sometimes might spread your good name but an unsatisfied customer will tell 10 others.

Incentives are no replacement for poor service. Use an incentive scheme only as part of your already good serv ice.

Be willing to negotiate. In South Africa we struggle with this. I have traveled abroad often and find that in most commercial centres it is expected to bargain. Once you get the hang of it it becomes a habit. Most visitors from other places have these strange habits and it can irritate us tremendously and we often get insulting. It is a lifestyle in many places and no deal feel complete without some bargaining for people from the orient or South Europe. Let me give you a hint here. Rather than loosing cash you should give them something to make them feel good about the sale. We are always willing to give around 10% off when pushed, it always clinches the sale.

Rewards

2011-03-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

Silver Hills does it again. We have come up with ways to reward our loyal customers who buys from us regularly. You can now deduct 10% from the price to see what you will spend on each item when you get your reward voucher. This means that we are even more competitive than before.

We have decided to change the way that we reward the frequent shoppers amongst our clients. Our previous policy only rewarded people that spend more than R2500 before VAT in a single purchase. Many of our loyal customers do not have such a large purse to spend at any given time. It felt unfair towards them if they do not get recognition for the frequent purchases at Silver Hills Gems. One of our clients have bought from us 122 times already. That calls for reward or do you not agree.

We will now give a 10% discount to all our clients in the form of a voucher to all clients that reaches the R2500 mark and then the R5000 mark and then the R7500 mark and so on.

Installing the discount system turned out to be much harder than I thought. I tried 3 different systems and the 3rd one worked the best but it has some quirks. See the letter below.

Please read your birthday wish email because I also have a birthday voucher hidden in the birthday wish email.

How does the new system work. Every 1st or 2nd of the month we draw a report that gives us the totals spend by all our clients. We then send out vouchers to all those that have qualified for a voucher. If you qualify in the first week of the month we will only send you the reward voucher in the beginning of the next month.

The best way to use the voucher to avoid any complications is to make all your changes to your order in the shopping cart. You must then proceed to the checkout page. Here you must enter your shopping voucher number and then press the redeem voucher button. Your voucher will now show as deducted in the totals. Please pick your postage option and then your payment option. Go directly to the vonfirm order button and confirm your order. If the voucher kicks out any funny figures we will correct it on our end and send you the correct figures. We are still figuring out how the voucher is suppose to be working. Please bear with us.

Vouchers can only be redeemed once. If you ever get a 10% discount voucher from us it would be best to use it on a larger amount for your will be only able to use it once.

We are also sending out a questionair from time to time with a 10% voucher and this letter is aimed at improving our services to you.

You can send us a quick email at any time to enquire on the total you must spend to get to the reward voucher total. Do it today and you might be surprised.

Many of you have received a letter like this below

Silver Hills Gems just want to say thank you for your continued support.

As a sign of our thanks we will be issuing a voucher to you shortly after your next purchase.

If you spend another R? before VAT and postage, (subtotal) you will receive an email from us with a voucher for R250

All previous discount systems will no longer be honoured at Silver Hills. We now work on the new Voucher system exclusively. Reward vouchers will only be issued at the beginning of every month.

Vouchers that had not been redeemed during a given month will be forfeited.

The new reward came into being on the 10th of June 2010.

We hope to be your preferred supplier for years to come.

Gerdus and team.

How do I redeem this awaited voucher.

1.Place your items in the shopping basket and proceed to checkout.

2.You will see a window where you must ente r the voucher code.

3.Press the redeem voucher button.

4. Pick your preferred method of postage and payment

5.Then press Confirm order and Viola your discount will be applied to that order.

Known bugs on the system.

1.The amount must be higher than R300 after the voucher has been deducted. So please make your order for an amount of at least R550.00 otherwise the R150.00 low order fee will be applied.

2.Sometimes the voucher is deducted double from the checkout page but not so on the final invoice. Please check your figures before you submit the voucher and if the voucher gets deducted double, do not get too excited because it will only show as being deducted once on our side.

3.If you submit alternative shipping method after having made your selection it might mess up the totals as well. It is best to exit the website by logging off and logging on again and starting over. If you do not log off, it will remember the voucher in the cache file.

4.If the voucher struggles to load you must submit it a second time.

5.If you get an error message your voucher might have expired. Remember it is just for that given month.

6.You might also get an error message if that voucher has already been used for that email address.

7.Please do not change quantities on the checkout page but rather go back to the shopping cart and change your quantities there and then proceed to checkout and apply your voucher as stipulated above.

Glass Beadmaking

2011-03-29T03:17:00.001-07:00

Glass Beadmaking

The technology for glass beadmaking is among the oldest human arts, dating back 3,000 years (Dubin, 1987). Glass beads have been dated back to at least Roman times. Perhaps the earliest glass-like beads were Egyptian faience beads, a form of clay bead with a self-forming vitreous coating.

Common types of glass bead manufacture

Glass beads are usually categorized by the method used to manipulate the glass - wound beads, drawn beads, and molded beads. There are composites, such as millefiori beads, where cross-sections of a drawn glass cane are applied to a wound glass core. A very minor industry in blown glass beads also existed in 19th century Venice and France.

Wound glass beads

Probably the earliest beads of true glass were made by the winding method. Glass at a temperature high enough to make it workable, or "ductile", is laid down or wound around a steel wire or mandrel coated in a clay slip called "bead release." The wound bead, while still hot, may be further shaped by manipulating with graphite, wood, stainless steel or marble tools and paddles. This process is called marvering, originating from the French word "marver" which translates to "marble". It can also be pressed into a mold in its molten state. While still hot, or after re-heating, the surface of the bead may be decorated with fine rods called stringers of colored glass. These are a type of lampwork beads.

Drawn glass beads

The drawing of glass is also very ancient. Evidence of large-scale drawn-glass beadmaking has been found by archeologists in India, at sites like Arekamedu dating to the 2nd century CE. The small drawn beads made by that industry have been called Indo-Pacific beads, because they may have been the single most widely traded item in history—found from the islands of the Pacific to Great Zimbabwe in southern Africa.[citation needed]

There are several methods for making drawn beads, but they all involve pulling a strand out of a gather of glass in such a way as to incorporate a bubble in the center of the strand to serve as the hole in the bead. In Arekamedu this was accomplished by inserting a hollow metal tube into the ball of hot glass and pulling the glass strand out around it, to form a continuous glass tube. In the Venetian bead industry, molten glass was gathered on the end of a tool called a puntile ("puntying up"), a bubble was incorporated into the center of a gather of molten glass, and a second puntile was attached before stretching the gather with its internal bubble into a long cane. The pulling was a skilled process, and canes were reportedly drawn to lengths up to 200 feet (61 m) long. The drawn tube was then chopped, producing individual drawn beads from its slices. The resulting beads were cooked or rolled in hot sand to round the edges without melting the holes closed; were sieved into sizes; and, usually, strung onto hanks for sale.

The most common type of modern glass bead is the seed bead, a small type of bead typically less than 6 mm, traditionally monochrome, and manufactured in very large quantities.They are a modern example of mechanically-drawn glass beads. The micro-bead or "seed bead", are so called due to their tiny, regular size. Modern seed beads are extruded by machine and some, such as Miyuki delicas, look like small tubes.

Molded beads

Pressed or molded beads are associated with higher labour costs. These are made in the Czech republic. Thick rods are heated to molten and fed into a complex apparatus that stamps the glass, including a needle that pierces a hole. The beads again are rolled in hot sand to remove flashing and soften seam lines. By making canes (the glass rods fed into the machine) striped or otherwise patterned, the resulting beads can be more elaborately colored than seed beads. One `feed' of a hot rod might result in 10–20 beads, and a single operator can make thousands in a day.

The Bohemian glass industry was known for its ability to copy more expensive beads, and produced molded glass "lion's teeth", "coral", and "shells", which were popular in the 19th and early 20th century Africa trade.

Lampwork beads

A variant of the wound glass beadmaking technique, and a labor intensive one, is what is traditionally called lampworking. In the Venetian industry, where very large quantities of beads were produced in the 19th century for the African trade, the core of a decorated bead was produced from molten glass at furnace temperatures, a large-scale industrial process dominated by men. The delicate multicolored decoration was then added by people, mostly women, working at home using an oil lamp or spirit lamp to re-heat the cores and the fine wisps of colored glass used to decorate them. These workers were paid on a piecework basis for the resulting lampwork beads. Modern lampwork beads are made by using a gas torch to heat a rod of glass and spinning the resulting thread around a metal rod covered in bead release. When the base bead has been formed, other colors of glass can be added to the surface to create many designs. After this initial stage of the beadmaking process, the bead can be further fired in a kiln to make it more durable.

Modern beadmakers use single or dual fuel torches, so `flameworked' is replacing the older term. Unlike a metalworking torch, or burner as some people in the trade prefer to call them, a flameworking torch is usually "surface mix"; that is, the oxygen and fuel (typically propane, though natural gas is also common) is mixed after it comes out of the torch, resulting in a quieter tool and less dirty flame. Also unlike metalworking, the torch is fixed, and the bead and glass move in the flame. American torches are usually mounted at about a 45 degree angle, a result of scientific glassblowing heritage; Japanese torches are recessed, and have flames coming straight up, like a large bunsen burner; Czech production torches tend to be positioned nearly horizontally.

Dichroic glass beads

Increasingly, dichroic glass is being used to produce high-end art beads. Dichroic glass has a thin film of metal fused to the surface of the glass, resulting in a surface that has a metallic sheen that changes between two colors when viewed at different angles. Beads can be pressed, or made with traditional lampworking techniques. If the glass is kept in the flame too long, the metallic coating will turn silver and burn off.

Furnace glass

Italian glass blowing techniques such as latticinio and zanfirico are adapted here to make beads. Furnace glass uses large decorated canes built up out of smaller canes, encased in clear glass and then extruded to form the beads with linear and twisting stripe patterns. No air is blown into the glass. These beads require a large scale glass furnace and annealing kiln for manufacture.

Lead crystal

Lead crystal beads are machine cut and polished. Their high lead content makes them sparkle more than other glass, but also makes them inherently fragile.

Other methods for making glass beads

Lead glass (for neon signs) and, especially borosilicate is available in tubing, making true blown beads possible. (Soda-lime glass can be blown at the end of a metal tube, or, more commonly wound on the mandrel to make a hollow bead, but the former is unusual and the latter not a true mouth-blown technique.) In addition, beads can be fused from sheet glass or using ground glass.

Modern Ghana has an industry in beads molded from powdered glass. Also in Africa, Kiffa beads are made in Mauritania, historically by women, using powdered glass that the beadmaker usually grinds herself from commercially available glass seed beads and recycled glass.

Molded ground glass, if painted into the mold, is called pate de verre, and the technique can be used to make beads, though pendants and cabochons are more typical. Lampwork (and other) beads can be painted with glass paints.

FIFA 2010 World Cup. How do I experience it?

2011-03-29T03:16:00.001-07:00

FIFA 2010 World Cup. How do I experience it?

Last night we went to Sandton Square in Johannesburg to really experience the world cup. What an amazing experience. The square was packed with soccer madness. People were blowing vuvuzelas and waving flags. They were all singing in different languages. The Paraguay people had their funny hats on and everywhere there were Dutch people adorned in their orange colors. One guy had a suite on that was a size or two too small in orange with an aorange hat. It was so festive! We decided to have a bite to eat at one of the steakhouses. The prices were hiked up by around 40-60%. We ended up paying just over R400 for 2 plates of food. Ouch! This did not really bother me. I could have moved away from there and eat anywhere else. But I chose to eat there to drink in this atmosphere. We looked like the only Bafana Bafana supporters. There were people from every corner of the globe.

While we waited for our table we spoke to USA people who came here for the World Cup and people from England. They all love it here. When seated we had Brazilians to the one side and Argentineans on the other side. Everybody was animated and load and most were just talking soccer. I never knew the extent of this game. The table next to us stood up for a photo and posed with a guy who just walked in. He was immaculately groomed. He then went and sat at his own table. We were bursting with curiosity and asked them who he was. He turned out to be a famous ex-goalkeeper of Italy who just came for the soccer.

So what does this World Cup mean to us. It gives me pride in my nation. We belong to Africa. My forebears came here in the early 1800 and settled this land. I love South Africa. I want to add value to people that live here. The tourist will come and go but we will still be here. Did we hike up our prices? No we did not. Did I gear myself to sell stuff to the tourist? Not really. We are just off the major tourist route. Hartbeespoort does not host any team and we are more than 50 km away from the nearest stadium. Have I seen an increase in business? Not yet. Should I have marketed myself to the tourist more aggressively? Maybe

My ideas went like this. People come here to watch soccer and these people will do their shopping around the areas where they live and where they go to watch their soccer. My neighbor who runs a guest house do not have any bookings for the World Cup yet. The people who got it right and who has their shops in the right places will surely make money.

However I can tell you that my new stock has arrived and we are working in overdrive to list new items everyday. I unpacked 32 new amethyst geodes in the shop and can say that one is going to Italy. Well there is a world cup sale.

It is going to depend on you how you experience this World Cup. Go to Sandton or any other soccer centre, experience the vibe. It is here!

In life, all experiences will either make you bitter or make you better. Let us become a better nation through participation.

How to Buy Pearls - Does Pearl Size Matter?

2011-03-29T03:15:00.001-07:00

How to Buy Pearls - Does Pearl Size Matter?

Beth Schmitz

When talking about the size of a pearl, you must talk about the variety of pearl as well. For example, size of a Chinese Freshwater Pearl is very different from size of a South Sea Pearl. The Freshwater Pearl is cultured using mantle-tissue nucleation; the South Sea Pearl is cultured using bead-nucleation. Mantle-tissue nucleation adds virtually nothing to the size of the pearl. Bead-nucleation is used to define the size of the pearl -- the bigger the bead, the bigger the pearl.

In this article, I will use two bead-nucleated pearls to discuss the Size Value Factor, one of seven value factors to consider when purchasing pearls and pearl jewelry. Tahitian cultured pearls and South Sea cultured pearls are both cultured using bead-nucleation. In bead-nucleation, a bead made from a freshwater mussel shell is inserted into the oyster as part of the culturing process. Also common to these pearl culturing processes, only one pearl is grown at a time. If the oyster produces a healthy, marketable pearl, the oyster may be implanted again. The subsequent nucleus must be slightly larger -- the size of the pearl just removed. So, the second generation pearl is larger.

The oyster is returned to the waters for its growing period. As with the first generation, this is 18 months to 3 years depending on the farm, growing conditions and desired results.

Upon harvesting the second generation pearl, a third generation implantation may occur. This is rare. As the oyster ages, the quality of pearls it produces goes down. Luster is highest in the first generation.

Can you tell if you are buying a first generation pearl or a third generation pearl? No. You cannot tell the ‘parentage’ of the mollusk just by looking. If you are working closely with the farm, you may have this information. But even the farm is most interested in producing fine quality, lustrous smooth pearls.

This article focused on considerations regarding size of just two varieties pearls. The best rule of thumb? Buy the pearls with the highest luster and the smoothest surface for the best investment value. Buy the pearls that appeal to your heart for the most pleasure.

Beth Schmitz, CEO Avant Pearl, GIA Pearls Graduate

Pearls are an enduring classic of romantic beauty and sophistication suitable for almost any occasions or celebrations. Pearls may be worn with formal eveningwear, with a business suit, or casually with a sweater and jeans. The official June birthstone provides an ideal choice for brides, young women looking for a touch of elegance, or a cherished gift for birthday, Christmas, graduation, sweet-sixteen, anniversary, or just to say I love you.

Once rare and expensive, modern cultured pearls have become an affordable luxury. To choose consider six factors contribute to the value of a pearl: luster, nacre thickness, shape, surface texture, size, and color.

Luster- the Essence of Pearl Beauty

Pearls gain their unique beauty from the play of light reflecting through layers of fine crystalline nacre gradually deposited by an oyster. Nearly transparent nacre gives the deepest luster and the highest reflection. A high-quality pearl will have a brilliant even reflection with a fine warm glow or radiance. Lower quality pearls have a dull sheen.

High-quality Akoya pearls have a higher luster than South Sea or Tahitian pearls, which tend to have a softer, more diffuse reflection.

Color and Overtones

The dominant color of a pearl comes from the main reflection from the pearl surface. The deeper reflected light draws the inner color from the pearl, called the overtone.

Light colored pearls are available in shades of white, cream, and golden. White with pink or silver overtones are generally the most valuable. The most desirable dark colored pearls are black with green or blue overtones.

Color matching is also important when buying pearl jewelry. Perfectly matched pearls in color and size are more valuable than poorly matched pearls.

Shape and Surface Texture

The highest quality pearls are perfectly round with smooth surface, very few surface imperfections, and even coloration. Lower quality pearls may be nearly round, or show more surface imperfections, such as wrinkles or large pits on the surface.

Pearl Size and Necklace Length

The pearls in a strand are measured in a range, such as 7-7.5mm. They are strung with the largest pearls at the center of the necklace and gradually smaller towards the clasp. Larger pearls are more valuable and they create a more dramatic look. High-quality pearls larger than 9 mm are scarce and very expensive.

The classic and most common pearl necklace length is the 17-19 inch princess. It is a good choice for a first pearl necklace because it can be worn with many things.

Decide Pearl Types

There are four types of pearls:

1.Classic Akoya Pearls

2.Large Exotic Black Tahitian Pearls

3.Large Golden or White South Sea Pearls

4.Inexpensive Decorative Freshwater Pearls

The above four types of pearls are all cultured pearls. Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls, and South Sea pearls grow in ocean saltwater so they are also called saltwater pearls.

Akoya pearls are the most popular type for their appealing high luster, luxury and affordability.

At Silver Hills Gems we always stock a wide range of pearls. We concentrate on buying pearls that are both affordable and have high luster. I do not always try and buy the most perfect pearls out there. I like the irregularities in the pearls and believe that these are like signatures or fingerprints. When perals are too perfect I usually do not buy them. As an artist I feel that the character of these not so perfect pearls lends the character to the beading project.

I also feel that so many imitations are now being manufactured and going for perfection will land you with an item that could be manyfactured by any skilled craftsman in a factory. This is just my personal thought.

Gerdus

Findings glossary

2011-03-29T03:14:00.003-07:00

Findings glossary

Clasps, earring findings, and other types of findings described

Findings are components, usually made of metal, used to finish, connect, space, or embellish jewelry. Vendors may use the term for all metal jewelry-making components, or they may use it for specific items, such as clasps. Other metal components, such as spacer beads, may be classified as beads.

Clasps

Clasps finish and connect the ends of necklaces and bracelets and should enhance the overall design of your piece. When choosing a clasp, try to keep the size proportionate to your jewelry; a casual and lightweight necklace may be quickly and easily fastened with a lobster claw clasp, but a chunky bracelet of heavy gemstones might warrant a larger toggle or box clasp. Here are some of the basic clasp types available, but keep in mind there are many hybrid-type clasps also on the market.

ball-and-joint and snap clasps

Ball-and-joint and snap clasps differ in shape, but the names are sometimes used interchangeably. Both clasps feature a ball that inserts into a socket to close the clasp.

box and tube clasps

Box, sliding tubes, bayonet, bead, pearl, and tab clasps are closely related. For these clasps, the outer box, tube, or bead shape is attached to one end of the necklace or bracelet, and an inner tab, hook, or tube is attached to the other. The inner component slides inside the outer component to fasten the clasp.

Fold-over clasps, often found on vintage jewelry and watches, consist of a hinged connector and a barred U or loop. The hinged connector has a notch on the bottom where the bar or loop can sit, and the other half of the connector folds over the bottom and latches into place to secure the bar or loop.

hook-and-eye clasps

Hook-and-eye clasps fasten by sliding a hook component through a ring component. They rely on the weight of the piece to hold the clasp closed. This form of clasp can be simple or ornate, and can vary greatly in shape. Multistrand variations are available.

lobster claw clasps

Lobster claw clasps are operated by a trigger, which pivots a small lever to open the clasp. Lobster claw clasps are most often oblong or round in shape, but novelty shapes, such as hearts or animals, are easy to find. Lobster claw clasps can be paired with loops, split rings, soldered jump rings, or two-hole metal tags for a secure finish. See also split rings and soldered jump rings.

Magnetic clasps use the attraction between magnets to hold a necklace or bracelet securely. Some fit one side within the other or fold over for additional security, and others allow you to glue the magnets in place after the clasp has been attached to your jewelry.

S-hook clasps

The S-hook clasp is closely related to the hook-and-eye clasp. A ring is fastened to each end of the necklace or bracelet, and the S-hook attaches to each side.

spring ring clasp

A spring ring clasp has a small trigger that pulls a wire segment inside a tube. When the trigger is released, the wire springs back into place to close the opening. Use them with loops, split rings, soldered jump rings, or two-hole metal tags for a secure finish. See also split rings and soldered jump rings.

toggle clasps

Toggle clasps use a bar and ring to fasten a necklace or bracelet. The bar is pivoted and fed through the ring, then turned so it spans the diameter, holding the piece securely closed. Like hook-and-eye and S-hook clasps, toggles rely on the weight of the jewelry to hold the piece closed, and it is important to have a toggle bar that is long enough to stay braced against the loop.

Earring findings

Earring findings, sometimes called earwires, slide through pierced ears or clamp onto earlobes, providing a loop or base for attaching earring components. They are available in a wide range of styles and many different metals and finishes. All have simple and decorative options.

clip-on earring findings

Clip-on earring findings use pressure to attach earrings to earlobes that aren't pierced. They can clamp on with hinged or screw-on backs.

earring thread findings

Earring thread findings consist of a thin chain attached to a short metal bar that slides through pierced ears.

French hook earring findings

French hook or fishhook earring findings are great for dangling earrings. If desired, small rubber ear nuts can slide onto the back of the hook for additional security.

hoop earring findings

Hoop earring findings are round in shape and often feature loops for dangles. Hoop earring findings attach directly to pierced ears, while hoop design components can be attached to other types of earring findings. See also design components, under Other Findings.

kidney earring findings

Kidney earring findings consist of a single piece of wire shaped into a hook with a loop in the front. The wire bends under the earlobe to hook around the back of the earring.

lever-back earring findings

Lever-back earring findings hook through pierced ears, and are secured with a hinged back.

post earring findings

Post earring findings feature a wire post and a perpendicular loop where you can hang beads or components. Use an ear nut to secure the post in place.

bail

Other findings

Bails have a large loop or tube, which can be strung over a cord or bead strand, and a loop for attaching a pendant or dangle.

bead caps

bead caps

Bead caps are domed spacers that fit around one side of a bead.

bead tips

Bead tips are used to finish projects strung or stitched with thread, Fireline, or cord. A knot or bead sits inside the basket or clamshell of the bead tip, and the hook closes around the clasp loop.

bullion

Bullion, also known as French wire, is a fine coil of very thin wire, usually gold or silver, that slides over thread, cord, or flexible beading wire to conceal and protect it.

chandelier component

Chandelier components or findings are design components commonly used for earrings or pendants, with a single loop above a larger frame with loops or holes for attaching beads. They are very closely related to filigree components and spreaders.

crimp beads

Crimp beads are compressed onto flexible beading wire to hold beads in place, finish the ends of strands, and attach clasps. Crimps are available in round, twisted (or Twisted Tornado), and tube shapes. Round and twisted crimp beads are flattened with chainnose pliers, while tube crimps can be used with chainnose or crimping pliers. Tube crimps come in several sizes. When used to end a project, macro crimps (3 x 3 mm) can be used with multiple strands or heavier gauge beading wire, such as .024. Regular crimps (1 x 2, 2 x 2, and 3 x 2 mm) can be used with beading wire .012-.024, while micro crimps (1 x 1 mm) work only with .010 beading wire, unless they are being used on each side of a bead to hold it in place.

crimp covers

Crimp covers are C-shaped hollow forms that fit over a crimped crimp bead. When closed, they look like a 3 or 4 mm bead.

crimp ends

Crimp ends are used to finish cord and ribbon strands. They compress or fold over the ends of the strands to hold them in place and provide loops for attaching clasps or other

cones

Cones are used to reduce the number of strands or elements in a piece. They are often used at the ends of multistrand necklaces to gather the strands into one group for finishing, and can be used to cover unsightly strand clusters or cord ends.

dangles, drops, and charms

Dangles, often called drops or charms, are used at the end of a strand or fringe for a decorative finish.

eye pins

Eye pins are lengths of wire with a loop at one end used for making links and dangles. They are usually available in 1-3-in. (2.5-7.6 cm) lengths, with a standard thickness of 22- or 24-gauge. It's easy to make your own eye pins - just make a plain loop at the end of a wire. If you are making a project that requires many links, it can be a great time-saver to purchase eye pins instead of making them.

filigree component

Filigree components are wire or metal design components with a lacy, open style. They are often used as links, spreaders, or chandelier components.

head pins

Head pins are lengths of wire that have a ball, cap, or decorative element on one end to keep the beads from sliding off. Head pins are most often used to make dangles. They are usually available in 22- or 24-gauge thickness, and in 1-3-in. (2.5-7.6 cm) lengths. You can make your own head pins by hammering the end of a wire to form a paddle, or by turning the end to make a closed hook or spiral.

jump rings

Jump rings are tiny circles of wire, preferably with flush ends that close securely. They are used to link components, including clasps and strands, and to make chain maille jewelry. Most jump rings are round, but ovals, square, and other shapes are also available. Jump rings can be found in an incredible variety of gauges and diameters, which is a great advantage in chain maille designs. Jump rings are measured by gauge and by the inside diameter (ID) or outside diameter (OD) of the ring. The ratio of the diameter of the ring to the gauge of the ring (the aspect ratio) determines how the chain maille fits together and how the finished piece drapes. When using jump rings with dangles or clasps, round jump rings can turn, and the stress on the ends can cause a gap, leading to a lost dangle, or worse, a lost necklace or bracelet. Oval jump rings can be particularly useful for connecting dangles, since the elongated shape ensures that the dangles hang below the opening in the ring.

links

Links are decorative one-to-one connectors, meaning they have a loop at each end to attach one element to another.

pearl shortener

Pearl shorteners are hinged rings used to turn long necklaces into short, two-strand necklaces. The clasped necklace is folded in half, and the pearl shortener links the two ends, and acts as the clasp of the shortened necklace.

ring findings

Ring findings are usually made of metal. They may be set with a channel that beads or components fit into, or they may consist of a plain or split band with one or more loops on top for attaching beads.

Soldered jump rings are permanently closed, making them ideal for use with lobster claw and spring ring clasps. See also jump rings, split rings, lobster claw clasp, spring ring clasp.

spacers

Spacers sit between strung beads. They can be used singly or in groups and are available in an almost endless variety of shapes, including round, daisy, square, tube, multistrand, large-holed, gemstone-embellished, and more. This type of component is often considered a bead rather than a finding.

Specialty findings evolve as new jewelry trends emerge. The most common types of specialty findings are watch faces and ring findings, both of which are available in a variety of styles.

split ring

Split rings look like tiny key rings. Made from fine-gauge wire, split rings offer the security of soldered jump rings, but are more flexible in their use, since closed loops or soldered jump rings can be attached to them. See also jump ring, soldered jump ring.

spreaders

Spreaders are a type of connector used to increase or decrease the number of strands or elements in a piece of jewelry. Often these connectors are known by the number of strands involved, one example being two-to-one findings. Chandelier components for earrings and filigree components are closely related to this type of finding.

Thread and wire protectors safeguard thread, cord, or flexible beading wire from friction and wear at clasp connections. See also bullion and wire guards.

watch face

Watch faces can be used to make wrist or pendant watches. Bars, loops, or holes around the band are used to attach bands, beads, thread, cord, or other components.

Wire components, including head pins, eye pins, and jump rings, are used to make both simple and decorative links and dangles. They are described in the same terms as the wire used to make them: Gauge and size. Gauge refers to the thickness of the wire. The higher the gauge, the thinner the wire. Size is measured in several different ways: Head pins and eye pins are measured by length, while jump rings are measured by inside or outside diameter. See also eye pins, head pins, and jump rings.

wire guards

Wire guards are U-shaped metal plates used to protect beading wire from wear.

Pearls

2011-03-29T03:12:00.000-07:00

Quality natural pearls are very rare jewels. The actual value of a natural pearl is determined in the same way as it would be for other "precious" gems. The valuation factors include size, shape, quality of surface, orient and luster.

Single natural pearls are often sold as a collector's item, or set as centerpieces in unique jewelry. Very few matched strands of natural pearls exist, and those that do often sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. (In 1917, jeweler Pierre Cartier purchased the Fifth Avenue mansion that is now the New York Cartier store for US$100 cash and a double strand of matched natural pearls valued at the time at US$1 million.)

A pearl strand of the best quality will cost you thousands of Rands. When they are knotted and the strand brake you will just have to look for one pearl, the others are still on the strand. If you loose that one you will still have the other pearls.

I do not think it is neccesary to knot pearls that are coloured and inexpensive. It is time consuming and it does not justify the effort.

Knotting is a next level of proficiency in creating strands. Here the stringing medium (traditionally silk thread or another similar, synthetic medium) has knots tied into it as a means of separating the individual beads from each other. The traditional strand of pearls is a well-known example of this technique. Pearls are threaded onto silk, and a knot is tied between each one to not only space them for greater individual prominence but to also keep them from rubbing directly against each other and risking the abrasion of the nacre that gives them their luster. This classic design can be varied by adding or using other varieties of beads or varying the number and placement of knots used.

Some more notes on pearls below.

A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, 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, and because of this, the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable.

Valuable pearls occur in the wild, but they are very rare. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters make up the majority of those that are currently sold. Pearls from the sea are valued more highly than freshwater pearls. Imitation or fake pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of their iridescence is usually very poor - and generally speaking, artificial pearls are easily distinguished from genuine pearls. Pearls have been harvested and cultivated primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past they were also stitched onto lavish clothing. Pearls have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines, or in paint formulations.

Pearls that are considered to be of gemstone quality are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them. However, almost all species of shelled mollusks are capable of producing pearls (formerly referred to as "calcareous concretions" by some sources) of lesser shine or less spherical shape. Although these may also be legitimately referred to as "pearls" by gemological labs and also under U.S. Federal Trade Commission rules,[1] and are formed in the same way, most of them have no value, except as curios

Link to a simple but effective method to know pearls.

Tips for storing and caring for your jewellery creations

2011-03-29T03:10:00.001-07:00

Silver Hills Gems: Tips for storing and caring for your jewellery creations.

We have some great tips for storing your jewellery in our info newsletter below.

At Silver Hills we had a very busy week.

We are listing new stone pendants at the moment. Loads of them. It is all hands on board listing taking pictures and labelling them.

Let me tell you what exciting things we have listed. Whats new?

I am in stock again with the hematite and black agate rings. These literally walk out of the shop every weekend.

I then have stock again of all the popular tumbles.

Black onyx

Blue goldstone

Dalmation stone

Jade

Zebra stone

Moss agate with holes.

The large ankh crosses are spectacular. I have them in a variety of stones. They are the rage in Europe at the moment. The size just jumps out at you in a piece of jewellery.

There are very detailed sunface pendants in picture stone

We renamed all the jumprings with a new code for better stock keeping. Apologies to all who are inconvenienced by this.

The 20 mm amethyst beads in stunning purple has a 2.5 mm hole. This is great for using in leather necklaces.

Does anybody have a better name for our 'lame' description of off-centre donuts? Have a look at the new items to see what I am referring to.

I again have some of those broad 10 mm wide jasper and tigers eye rings. They are so appealing.

The thumb pendants have a modern look to them and their simplicity is great as a focus piece.

The angels and skulls in tigers eye will be very popular.

Next week we do tools and gemstone beads. Exciting.

I am also expecting a brand new shipment in a week or two.

Ten Tips for Storing and Caring for Your Jewellery Creations

After you make your beautiful handcrafted jewellery, you should take one more important step in the process of becoming a jewellery aficionado: knowing how to keep your jewellery looking forever fabulous. We will show you how to properly store your jewellery, as you know how to keep it clean and in ready-to-wear shape at all times. You find out how and where you should store your finished jewellery pieces, as well as ideas for cleaning and maintaining you jewellery creations so you can enjoy them for many years. When you start making jewellery for other people you may want to pass along a few of these tips to them as well.

Use Polishing Cloths

One of the most economic items you'll ever purchase to help keep you jewellery looking fabulous is simple polishing cloth. These are available from jewellery supply vendors, but you can also find them at most discount stores for around R35.00 each. These supersoft cloths are chemically treated. Simply rub the cloth along your silver or other metals, and with a little elbow grease and time, your metal jewellery will look shiny and new. Invest in a few of these. Keep one in your jewellery toolbox and another near your jewellery storage area for quick swipes when you're racing out the door but need to clean a piece before you wear it.

Know What to Store Flat and What to Hang

Depending on the design of the jewellery item, how it's constructed, and how it's meant to be worn, you need to store jewellery pieces two different ways:

"Hanging: For some items, such as chains and most earrings, you want to hang them. This way, they don't get tangled up when you aren't wearing them. Nothing can drive you crazier than to have to pull a knot out of a piece of chain or to unkink a pair of dangling chandelier-style earrings.

"Storing flat: Some jewellery pieces last much longer if they are stored flat because they can stretch. These include bracelets and necklaces strung on mediums such as elastic cord, nylon or silk. The weight of the beads on the stringing material can, over time, stretch the piece and distort it. So try to find a shallow drawer to store these types of pieces in.

A jewellery armoire provides a way to hang some pieces and store other flat. So if you're a jewellery junkie, it may be worth it to invest in one. Most discount and department stores carry them these days. The most varies depending on the size, but R500 is a ballpark range for smaller armoires.

Keep Sets Together

Though many items can be mixed and matched, when you go through the trouble of making a complete jewellery set - matching necklace, bracelet and earrings - it's worth the extra trouble to keep the pieces together when you store them in your jewellery box. Many jewellery armoires these days come with shallow drawer that are section off. This can help you keep sets organized so they're together and easy to find when you have that perfect outfit to show off the particular bead in your jewellery set. If sets are split up in your jewellery box, it can be difficult to find all the pieces when you need them.

Inspect Your Knots

Tying knots between beads keeps your beads from hitting against each other and possibly cracking or breaking. Knots are also handy when a necklace may break, because they keep you from losing all your beads (or marbles, as the case may be). But it's important that you are aware of your knots. What shape are they in?

Most jewellery pieces like your classic strand of pearls, which is worn regularly throughout the year, should be restrung and reknotted annually. If you don't have time to do this (or if you forget), try to check your knots now and then to see how they are doing. If they become loose or frayed, it's time to restring and reknot your piece.

My brother sent me this important email below. I know you all get hundreds of these. If it feels like spam to you, I apologize.

Crucial &ldots;

Because of recent abductions

In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do

in an emergency situation...

This is for you,& for you to share with your wife,

your children, & everyone you know.

After reading these 9 crucial tips,

forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful

in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :

The elbow is the strongest point

on your body.

If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide.

If a robber asks for your wallet &/or purse,

DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you....

Chances are that he is more interested

in your wallet &/or purse than you,& he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,

kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out

the hole & start waving like crazy.

The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars

after shopping, eating, working, etc., & just sit

(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.

(DON'T DO THIS!)

The predator may be watching you, & this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in

on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,

and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR,

LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head

DO NOT DRIVE OFF,

Repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead run the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you.

If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it.

As soon as the car crashes bail out and run.

It is better than having your body found in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting

into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.) Be Aware:

look around you, look into your car,

at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van,

enter your car from the passenger door.

Most serial killers attack their female victims

by pulling them into their vans while the women

are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,

& on the passenger side.... if a male is sitting alone

in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back

into the mall, or work, & get a

guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.

Stairwells are horrible places to be alone,

& the perfect crime spot.

This is especially true at NIGHT!

7. If the predator has a gun & you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target)

4 in 100 times; & even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying

to be sympathetic:

STOP!!

It may get you raped, or killed.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,

well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.

He walked with a cane, or a limp, & often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,

which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard

a crying baby on her porch the night before last,

& she called the police because it was late

& she thought it was weird.... The police told her

'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby

had crawled near a window, & she was worried

that it would crawl to the street & get run over.

The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,

whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

He told her that they think a serial killer

has a baby's cry recorded & uses it to coax

women out of their homes, thinking that someone

dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it,

but have had several calls by women saying that

they hear baby's cries outside their doors

when they're home alone at night.

10. Water Scam!

If you wake up in the middle

of the night to hear all your taps outside running,

or what you think is a burst pipe,

DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE!

These people turn on all your outside taps

full bore so that you will go out to investigate

& then they attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!

Please pass this on.

This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because

the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on

America 's Most Wanted when they profiled

the serial killer in Louisiana

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.

It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..

I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives,sisters,daughters, etc.,

you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need

to be reminded that the world we live in

has a lot of crazies in it, & it's better to be safe than sorry..

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this.

It may save your life or

a loved one's life

Have a great weekend.

Blessings

Gerdus, Cornel and office staff at Silver Hills Gems

www.bronnrocks.com

Clasps

2011-03-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Clasps

Clasps are an integral part of jewellery making. In their simplest and most practical form clasps are simply to join two ends of a necklace or bracelet together easily for the wearer so they can take the jewellery on & off smoothly.

However, for the more imaginative there is an endless availability of decorative clasps which can be used to enhance the jewellery.

Whether you are choosing your clasp for functionality or for design, it is important to know what is available & what would work best for the intended purpose.

The simplest clasp available is the “S” clasp. The S Clasp gets its name from its appearance. It is an almost closed “S” shape, almost a figure of 8.

This allows for each end of the jewellery string to end on a ring & for each ring to be threaded onto one side of the S. As the “S” is nearly closed, the jewellery should not fall off easily.

This clasp comes in a plain style, but is also available with embelished designs. Silver Hills does not currently stock the S clasp, but it is something we are seriously looking into.

Another simple clasp is the barrel clasp. Often barrel like in shape they consist of two halves which you screw together to secure, and unscrew to release.

These are mostly found on anklets as they are quite tricky to do up on bracelets & necklaces by yourself!

The two most common clasps found on jewellery (particularly mass produced jewellery) are the spring ring & lobster claw.

The main part of the spring ring is circular.

It has a small immobile loop attached to the outside of the circle for affixing to one end of the jewellery.

Opposite this is small section that you can draw back with a little lever to open a break in the main circle.

Then a jump ring or other ring (often provided with the clasp) attached to the opposite end of the jewellery string can be inserted into the main circle.

Then the small movable section slides back into place when the lever is released & the necklace or bracelet is securely fastened.

There is a small spring within the circle that keeps the sliding section closed unless the lever is drawn back.

A subsiduary of the spring ring is the Signoretti Clasp. This is a clasp stocked at Silver Hills. This clasp works the same as the simple spring ring.

The difference is that it is divided by three bands into three sections. The loop that you thread your jewellery through is free & able to move around its section of the main clasp ring, as is the opposite loop.

The last section is simply for the lever that pulls back the opening. The opening / closing of the sliding section allows for the opening / closing of the jewellery, as with the spring ring.

The signoretti clasp also seems to be thicker & larger than the standard spring ring. It is made to be seen, as opposed to the discreet spring ring.

The Lobster Claw Clasp is named for its resemblance to a lobster claw. It has a small loop at the one end for attaching to your jewellery string, and another larger loop at the opposite end. This loop has a lever, which when pressed pulls back a section (arm) of the loop (in the manner of a door opening) for you to insert the secure loop from the other end of your jewellery string. When you release the lever the arm will go back into the closed position and your jewellery is secure. As with the spring ring it also has an internal spring to keep the opening closed unless the lever is pulled back. Lobster clasps are often a little easier to use than spring rings, particularly the smaller ones!

Decorative clasps often used as part of jewellery design are Box clasps and Bar & Toggle clasps. Though these too can be made plainly so they do not detract from the overall jewellery design, there is more scope to make them fancier & more detailed.

Box Clasps are in their simplest form, a box with a ring for attaching to jewellery at one end, and an opening on the opposite end. The second part, which is attached to the other end of the jewellery is almost V shaped. The open end is inserted into the gap in the box & locks into place there. To release the V & open your necklace/bracelet, you squeeze the two tips of the V together & pull it out gently. Box clasps can be made highly decorative & used in jewellery design, not just as a fastener at the back of the jewellery. Box clasps also come with a various numbers of rings for attaching strings. Some will accommodate the classic single string, but others can hold many more, our website has box clasps for one, two or three strings.

Another decorative clasp is the Bar & Toggle clasp. This clasp is easy to use. It is simply a circlet that attaches to one end of your jeweller & a bar that attaches to the other end, at right angles to the direction of the string. The bar is passed through the circlet to close the jewellery. These clasps can be simple & discreet, but are usually larger & decorative.

They can be used on a single string as a simple / decorative fastener, or they can be used cleverly to help the deign. For instance, you can have jewellery with multiple sections that can be mixed & matched together. You can join two or more bar & toggle bracelets to create a necklace. You could have multiple toggles through the one ring, so your design can go from one string (perhaps worn at the back of the neck) into multiple strings (perhaps to hang at the front). The bar & toggle clasp provides your work with the option for real versitility.

Lastly, we also supply Magnetic Clasps on our website. These are the simplest of all clasps to use, just touch the two ends together & the clasp is fastened. Grip & pull them apart with sufficient force & the clasp is opened. The disadvantage is the magnetic force may fade, particularly if the jewellery is dropped, and that the design cannot be a heavy one as the clasp may come undone.

Clasps come in a variety of materials. The best & most lasting materials are gold and silver. These are strong & durable & their quality will not degrade as steeply over time as cheaper metals. They are also best for humid areas like the coast, where cheaper clasps really erode quickly. If given the choice, you would always choose clasps of this material. However the reality is that gold and silver can be expensive & other cheaper materials are available. They are just as attractive as the gold and silver & often made to look just like them.

A range of gold & silver clasps are available on our website in the “925 Silver Findings” category. Clasps just as beautifully crafted in different materials are available in our “Clasps” category.

STRINGS

2011-03-29T03:05:00.000-07:00

STRINGS

Beading designs & creations would be impossible to make a reality without something to string the beads onto. Be it wire, thread, chain or elastic, the string is an integral part of beading & choosing which to use for your design is an important task.

At Silver Hills Gems we have offered chain for sale on the website for some time. Now we are pleased to announce the addition of Tigertail wire, stretchy cord & nylon thread. You can see this range by going to the "chain & string" category of the following page

http://bronnrocks.com/catalog/

TIGERTAIL WIRE

Tigertail wire is widely used by beaders & is great for stringing all sorts of beads, particularly gemstone, glass & crystal beads.

Tigertail wire is made of multiple stands of wire running together & coated in coloured nylon. Different thicknesses are available (in wire thickness is referred to as gauge) & the variation is due to different numbers of wire strands in the core. The more wires the bigger the gauge, the wider & stronger the Tigertail.

Advantages of Tigertail wire:

- Colour: The wire comes in a rainbow of colours & so you can match it to your design.

- Memory: The wire in the Tigertail has "memory". This means if you bend it in a specific place as part of your design, the wire will stay bent or kinked there for good. The thicker the wire, the greater the memory.

- Stiffness: The wire is stiff enough to be threaded through the beads alone, without the aid of a needle or other tool.

- Durability: The nature of Tigertail makes it excellent for stringing potentially sharp beads, such as gemstone chips. These will not cut the tigertail or damage it to breaking point. It is also great for heavier beads as it is very strong & will not stretch or break easily under the weightier beads.

Disadvantages of Tigertail wire:

- Memory: Although this can be a distinct advantage if you intend to include bends or kinks in your wire, it is a disadvantage if you create one by accident & then cannot flatten it back out. Luckily the smaller the gauge, the less memory the wire has & you can work the wire until the kinks are quite unnoticeable. Silver Hills Gems stock such a thin wire.

- Not for pearls: Pearls are a soft bead, they are likely to become worn away & abraded by the hard Tigertail.

- Difficult to knot: The Tigertail can be difficult to knot (though not impossible) if you wish to include knots in your design. However it does work very well with crimp beads & these can be an attractive alternative to knotting.

Silver Hills is stocking Tigertail in 100m reels of 0.38mm gauge (thickness) wire. We have white, brown, silver & gold colour available. If this proves to be a popular item we will look into stocking more colours and possibly more thicknesses. If you have a specific request, please visit the "suggestions" board of our forum:

http://bronnrocks.com/catalog/forum

S T R E T C H C O R D

Stretch cord is a beaders "must" for stretchy jewellery, particularly jewellery that is a continuous loop with no clasp. Necklaces & bracelets made with stretch cord & no clasp can be stretched onto & off the user. They make great "one size fits all" jewellery.

TIP

To increse the strength of the string, particularly with heavier beads, you can double up the thickness & run two strings of stretch cord through your design.

To finish off your jewellery neatly, tie the stretch cord with a double overhand knot (making sure beforehand that the jewellery fits nicely over the head or hand). Then add a drop of glue to your knot to hold it firm & wait until this dries. Then snip off the excess cord from the knot, leaving just enough to thread back into the adjacent beads to keep the ends hidden neatly.

Silver Hills Gems is stocking a white stretch cord in 100m lengths.

NYLON THREAD

Nylon thread is fantastic for beading with Pearls. Traditionally a silk thread is used, but nylon is a viable cheaper alternative.

Pearls are strung onto soft thread because they are delicate. They are easily abraded by sharper strings, which can ruin their appearance

Another advantage of using thread for pearls is that it is easy to knot. When working with pearls it is best to tie a knot after each pearl. This way they are seperated for one another & so do not rub against each other, causing erosion of their surfaces. Also, if the thread should happen to break, then you would only spill a few pearls from around the break, the rest would stay securely knotted onto the thread.

Nylon thread is not the best material to work with when designing with regular beads. It frays easily & does not have the strength or durability of wire.

We at Silver Hills Gems are stocking a white nylon thread in 100m lengths.

Please visit our online catalog to see our stock of chain & string, along with a wide choice of beads to accompany them:

http://bronnrocks.com/catalog/

Crimping Tutorial

2011-03-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

Crimping

Crimping Tutorial

Crimping is a method used to secure beading wire. It essentially involves squashing a special metal crimping bead or tube so that it sits tight & immovable on the wire.

It is most often used at the end of a length of beaded wire to create a loop for securing the all important clasps.

It can also be incorporated into designs, for instance to create a loop, to hold part of the pattern secure or to split or pull together multiple strings on the same design.

The things you will need in crimping are; wire, crimping bead or crimping tube, wire cutters & preferably crimping or flat nosed pliers.

In selecting a crimp bead, look at the diameter of its thread. Your wire must be able to fit though the thread snugly when doubled back on itself.

The diameter must be slightly bigger than double the thickness of your wire. If the wire is too loose within the crimping bead, then you may not achieve a secure crimp & the wire may slip though it.

If the wire only fits through the crimping bead once, you will not be able to create a loop (this is obviously okay if you do not wish to make a loop but simply want to secure part of your pattern on a single thread).

After deciding where you want your crimp bead, thread it onto your wire as you would with a normal bead.

To create the loop, thread the end of the wire back though the bead the same way that it came (so the end points at your beading).

If you are attaching a clasp, thread the crimping bead, then the clasp, then pass the free end back through the crimping bead. Make sure not to let your newly created loop slip back through the bead too!

Using standard flat nosed pliers, hold the bead & squash it firmly between the pliers. Apply pressure as evenly as possible, then turn the bead over and repeat to make sure the flattened crimping bead will hold to the wire securely.

If you want extra security you can use multiple crimping beads in a row, threading your wire through all of the crimping beads and then back again before using the pliers on any of them.

This will provide extra security but can also look good as part of the beading design itself.

After your crimping bead is flattened, trim the loose end and hide it by passing it through the first bead or two of your design.

Crimping tubes can be used with the same method as above, or can be used to create a rather more professional looking finish with special crimping pliers.

A new type of crimp bead has recently become available, it is called the twisted tornado crimp bead.

These are made out of sterling silver or gold filled so are a good quality & don't deteriorate in appearance. The “twist” in them adds extra security to your crimp & you can attach them to your work very simply with flat nosed pliers.

Their advantage over the crimp bead, which is also flattened with the flat nose pliers, is that they seem to be more secure & less easy to break with pressure.

The advantage they have over the tube beads is that they do not require a specific crimping plier to achieve their maximum potential.

Sadly the twisted tornado crimp bead is hard to come across in South Africa. We eagerly await it reaching our shores!