Thursday 27 December 2012

Brand new range of Gold Chains

We were surprised when our original chain manufacturer announced it had been bought out by another company in the week preceding Christmas. Another manufacturer has come to the rescue with a larger range of chains as well as being able to provide them in rose gold and white gold.

This was not an option previously, so despite the huge amount of work required to change our range, we are very pleased to now have a greater range to offer our customers.

Two tone chains are another option we have not had before and they are quite stunning.

A great range of fancy link chains completes our new range and many individual styles are available.

Friday 21 December 2012

New Jewellery Boxes

We have just launched a new range of jewellery boxes in two styles. Our regular range boxes are black leather look with white velvet interiors and our premium range are black leatherette soft padded boxes with domed lids and padded interiors.



Friday 16 November 2012

Gold Link Locks - Silver Link Locks

Here is another excellent Australian invention; Link Locks.

These tiny self locking jump rings allow anyone to connect their charms to their bracelets as securely as a jump ring soldered on by a jeweller.

All that is needed is a pair of pliers and less than one minute.

These clever devices same both time and money and are now available with all of our charms and separately in packs of 5.

Never lose another charm, the links hold 50000 times their own weight!

Both the 9ct gold link locks and the 925 sterling silver link locks are approx. 5.5mm long.

Monday 1 October 2012

dirtgirl charms

This is so new we don't even have photos yet! Following the success with the dirtgirl pendant we are about to release the dirtgirl charm for charm bracelets. It matches the dirtgirl pendant and can be ordered with an open jump ring to attach it to an existing bracelet or a closed jump ring so it can be worn as a small pendant.

Look out for photos this week and you can place your orders at the Chain Me Up web-store as soon as they become available.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

New Charms

We have just added another 160 charms to our range which brings the total to around 4000.
All of our charms are available in solid 9ct gold and 925 sterling silver.

The new charms can be seen on this page: http://www.chainmeup.com.au/ae-charms-1.asp

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Dirtgirl Pendants have arrived!









Chain Me Up is very pleased to have been granted the exclusive rights to produce jewellery for the hit children's television series of dirtgirlworld.

Dirtgirl is a gumboot wearing eco-warrior who teaches children and adults alike how to make small changes in our lives to help the only inhabitable planet we have.

Her friends Scrapboy, Grubby, Ken and Hayman share in her adventures as she entertains and educates.

Currently dirtgirl is only available as a pendant, (with or without a matching necklace) and will soon be released as a charm and the other main characters in the TV show will follow shortly afterwards.



Sunday 1 July 2012

EOFY Competition

 
Well it's a new financial year here in Australia and we have drawn a winner for the $500 gift voucher.

Dianne Matthews is the lucky contestant so congratulations to her. I'm sure she will find a new piece or two to add to her jewellery collection.



Very, very soon we will have a big announcement about a new range of jewellery that will be exclusive to our online store. We can't wait to share that with you :)

Saturday 23 June 2012

Hey guys, it's down to the last week of our competition for a $500 GIFT VOUCHER and the number of entries is still very low, giving you a great chance to win. Entry details are here.

We have been working hard on changing the layout of our site to make navigation a bit simpler and have registered with Norton to gain a security seal. This helps our customers to be confident that our site is genuine and our identity has been established using official records.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Buying Jewellery Online

There are many things to consider when buying jewellery from an online store.

Can you trust the store? Will you get what you paid for? What is the warranty on the goods they sell? What can you do if you simply don't like the jewellery you bought?

We have placed an article on our website that gives the answers to these and more questions.

If you are thinking about buying jewellery from an online store, take a look and be aware of some of the pitfalls.

Cheers

Ross

Monday 11 June 2012

Our Competition

Just a reminder about our $500 voucher to spend in store.

We have been flooded with entries (less than 10!) so your chance of winning is pretty damned good!

I can't believe it is so hard to give something away.

Enter here

Style vs Fashion

Sometimes we can find ourselves buying to meet a need, and that need can be to find a new fashionable piece of jewellery. Fashion is too often just a game and what is chic today won't be tomorrow.

Timeless pieces are most often the best value for money as they will be choices we will be happy with for the whole of our lives, rather than just meeting a current desire. That's not too say that keeping up with current fashions is wrong, it's just something that should be considered carefully, especially when you are on a budget. http://www.chainmeup.com.au/style_vs_fashion.asp has more on this story.

Keep happy :)

Monday 4 June 2012

New Articles at Chain Me Up

Hmmm, been a bit lazy updating this blog of late, but we have been busy adding new articles to our website. It seems that there just aren't enough hours in day to get everything done. But then again, I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

A good article on choosing silver charms is our most recent addition and we have included a video showing the process of how charms are created, it's worth a look.

If you are into piercings, then the article on ear stretching may be of interest, personally I think it hurts too much!

Hope you are all well and happy,

cheers

Ross

Monday 21 May 2012

$500 voucher to spend in our store

Hey guys,

How would you like to have a gift voucher valued at $500 to spend in our store?

It's easy and free to enter so check out our competition and maybe you will be the lucky one.

Why not tell your friends and give them a chance too?


Quality jewellery for Teens

A wonderful way to introduce a teenager to quality jewellery is with a solid gold or solid silver charm bracelet. By buying a solid precious metal chain for the bracelet, you are sure to have bought a jewellery piece that will last a life time. Charm bracelets are very personal to their owners, over the years charms are added on a whim, but much more frequently to celebrate an achievement or a milestone in their lives.

Many of us who own a charm bracelet rarely take them off as they are such an extension of ourselves and a reminder of all the things that have played an important role in our lives. Sterling silver chains are very affordable if you are on a limited budget and the matching charms are also very well priced. The charges for having the charms soldered to your bracelet by a jeweller can be reduced by attaching charms in batches rather than individually.

Quality gold necklaces and charms

Solid gold is the basis for some of the world's most beautiful jewellery. It stands to reason if you are going to create a stunning piece that requires great skill and hours of labour that you would work with the very best materials. For jewellery to stand the test of time it needs to meet a very high standard with regard to materials and it needs to be timeless. The more extravagant the design the less likely it will remain in vogue and the less opportunities there will be to flaunt it. A very simple, plain style of jewellery will always remain fashionable and will suit a wide variety of occasions and a range of fashions.

The best example is the extremely elegant yet very simple gold necklace chain in a curb, belcher or figaro design. These chains have changed little over hundreds of years and continue to enjoy and very high level of popularity. Worn alone or with a pendant they have a classical beauty that lends itself to adorning evening gowns as much as they do jeans and a t-shirt. The length of the necklace should suit the size of pendant attached, so that it sits at the correct height on the chest. The thickness of the chain should not distract from the pendant either, a very small delicate pendant demands a very fine necklace chain. This is especially true where gold charms have been chosen to be worn as pendants.

Curb chains are available in very fine widths and are very much suited to tiny pendants with diamonds or other gems where you wish the pendant to be the feature. With such fine chains, either the plain curb or a diamond cut curb can look great and should be chosen to compliment the charm or pendant attached.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Collecting Charms

There are many objects collected by people all over the world for so many reasons. Stamps and gold coins were popular until the last couple of decades and the best were valued for their rarity rather than their beauty. For travellers, silver spoons seemed to take over the lounge room walls, rack upon rack with the insignia of the location from their origin, but now not so popular.

The truly discerning collector will want a collection of beautiful items and so much better if they can have their collection within arms reach so that they might share it with others. Gold and silver charms, collected over time all have a special meaning and when fitted to a stunning charm bracelet, become a beautiful piece of jewellery that allows you to carry your mementoes everywhere you go.

Buy the best you can afford and only charms that are truly meaningful and you will treasure your best collection.

Selecting a silver bracelet

A solid sterling silver bracelet is a beautiful piece of jewellery that can be worn for many years with pride. There are many styles of silver chain that are suitable for a bracelet from the very fine and feminine to thick chucky chains for men that are rugged and masculine.

Men will usually not have a chain thinner than around 7mm and more frequently a bracelet of around 9 to 10mm will be quite suitable. The length of the bracelet should be about the measurement of the wrist plus and extra 2 or 3cm, depending on how far onto the hand you wish the bracelet to fall.

The ladies also have the option to change the clasp of their bracelet to one with a bit more character. Filigree padlocks, either convex or flat are very fancy and create a new look from that of a standard clasp. Chunky bolt ring clasps look great on a heavier silver bracelet.

Monday 7 May 2012

Keysafe

We have added another free service for our customers. It's called 'keysafe' and we supply you with a uniquely numbered key tag you attach to your keys.

Should your keys become lost, the person finding them can post them to us and we will return them to you free of charge.

You should never have your address or phone number on your keyring for security reasons, but a keysafe id keeps your identity anonomous and allows your keys to be returned safely to you.

All of our customers are entitled to use the keysafe service free of charge.

Monday 30 April 2012

Shiny silver necklaces

The beautiful silvery sheen of a solid sterling silver necklace in full sunlight is spectacular in its own unique way. Jewellery is one of the few possessions that has no practical function and is only worn to delight and attract admiring gazes from others.

Yes, jewellery is for the vain, but everyone, no matter how humble they pretend to be secretly wishes for the attention and approval from their peers. Jewellery, like all fashions, is another way to draw the attention of others, nature is full of colour and sounds that animals use. Man has simply copied this phenomenon and replaced feathers with silver and gold.

Wearing silver jewellery constantly is one of the best ways to keep it shiny, the way it rubs on your skin and clothing will gently polish it as you move about. Avoid swimming pools though, the chlorine will damage the precious metal of your silver necklace.

Charm bracelets are special

One of the delights in owning a charm bracelet is the way the charms seem to dance about as you move your wrist, catching the light and gleaming in the sun. There is a much deeper and more important reason for wearing a charm bracelet however.

The charms that you collect over many years and add to your bracelet one by one, all have held a very special meaning for you. You may own some charms that you were given on a special birthday or to celebrate the birth of a child. Sometimes you will choose charms just because they visually appeal, other charms are added because of your love for music or sport.

Charms tell a story and are a wonderful way to carry mementoes with you on your gold or silver bracelet everywhere you go. People can't help but look at a beautiful charm bracelet and wonder about why you have chosen a particular charm.

Sunday 29 April 2012

Choosing a gold necklace

When choosing a gold chain necklace which you will want to wear every day, it's all about quality.

Only solid gold chains can stand the pace of constant wear. Cheaper gold filled, rolled gold or gold plated chains will lose their coating in as little as a few months of daily use. Then the only place your gold necklace will be seen is in the bottom of your drawer.

Ladies can wear a gold necklace of any width, with or without a pendant. Men, however, will need a reasonably thick gold chain. The very fine gold chains lack masculinity and are much better suited to the fairer sex.

A necklace for a man should normally be around 5mm or thicker. Ladies necklaces start at around 40cm for a choker and around 50cm for a standard chain. Men's necklaces will normally be at least 55cm, men with large builds may need a 60cm or longer gold necklace.

Quality Silver Necklaces

Silver chain necklaces come in a huge range of styles, widths and lengths. But not all silver necklaces are equal.

925 sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper and is the most common alloy used in quality jewellery. Pure silver is too soft for necklaces and bracelets, so the copper is added to increase the strength of the silver. Sterling silver chain jewellery is made to last for a life time of constant wear.

Silver plated chains are a cheap base metal, often brass and copper are used, and silver is electroplated onto the cheaper metal. These necklaces and bracelets look great when they are new, but a few months of every day wear will see the plating wear away and the base metal becomes apparent.

If you intend wearing your silver necklace every day then only a quality solid sterling silver necklace will look as good in 20 years as it does today.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Tell your story with a solid gold charm bracelet

When buying a gold charm bracelet, there's a lot more to think about than just the style and length that you are going to need. A charm bracelet will eventually hold a full life time of memories, special times, birthdays, achievements and reasons for feeling great.

There is little point in buying inferior gold plated or rolled gold charm bracelets, when they will lose their coating and the cheap base metal shows through after only a few months of constant wear. Do it once and do it right. Buy a solid gold chain and you know it will last beyond your own life time and can be passed down through your family.

The same is true of all the gold charms you will collect. As events and achievements inspire you to mark the occasion with another gold charm for your bracelet, make sure you are buying quality solid gold charms that will last.

Monday 16 April 2012

Versatile gold bracelet chains

The simplicity of a solid gold unpatterned bracelet allows it to be worn with almost any outfit from a simple t-shirt to a dinner suit, or an evening gown for the ladies. A solid 9ct gold bracelet is sturdy enough to be worn everyday for the whole of your life and gives an impression of luxury without being ostentatious.

For the ladies wishing to achieve a different look, they may dress up their bracelet with one of many the heart shaped padlocks that are readily available. Plain padlocks can be found in either flat or puffy (convex) styles and filigree gold padlocks are strikingly patterned.

A thicker gold bracelet also looks great with a bolt ring (Kartier) clasp which gives the bracelet an overall chunkier look. This is especially effective on a belcher bracelet as the links are similar in shape to the bolt ring clasp.

Charm bracelets can also have the standard clasp replaced with a heart padlock which adds interest to the overall design.

Silver charm bracelets for children

With the price of gold soaring through record highs recently many are choosing to buy silver charm bracelets at a much more affordable price than gold ones.

Sterling silver charms look great and it's much less expensive to grow your collection and fill your whole bracelet. There are so many silver charms available, it would be hard, to not be able to find the one you want. Silver charms are a great way to remember an important event or achievement. They are always right there with you.

Children love wearing jewellery, even simple plastic necklaces and bracelets, but they will be especially thrilled when its real sterling silver. A good quality solid silver bracelet and a few charms to get them started can be bought for well under $100. When the child will be able to wear the charm bracelet for their whole lives and keep adding to it, it's a truly lasting gift.

Sunday 15 April 2012

Is it real gold?

Walking through the streets of Rome it was amazing how many street vendors were trying to sell their wares. Many were selling knockoffs of famous brands of handbags, they certainly looked real but the prices made it clear that they were not.

It seemed that the government simply turned a blind eye to this practice. Another stall sold 9ct gold chains and the table was covered with bracelets and necklaces in a huge range of lengths and widths. Again the prices were below what you would normally expect to pay, but they were not overly cheap which gave a sense that they could be real.

However it would be foolish to have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold sitting on a table in the street. A few people had stopped and bought gold chains while I watched from across the street and probably thought they were buying real gold, I thought probably not.

Manly chains for manly men

Some men love to wear jewellery, while some men are somewhat hesitant. Often it comes down to how masculine a man considers the piece of jewellery to be.

When buying gold chains for men it is important to understand that a chain with a thin profile is more likely to be perceived as being too feminine. Realistically a gold bracelet for a man should be thick and solid, a minimum of 7mm in width would be advised; less than this can look a bit girlish.

Gold necklaces follow similar rules; the only time you can get away with a fine gold chain is where a pendant is fitted. A gold necklace worn by itself should be at least 5mm wide for the same reasons as that of a bracelet. Before buying gold chains for your man take him to a jewellers and see how he would feel about wearing some of the jewellery on display.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Dichroic glass pendants

Slipping off her silver necklace chain she placed it gently beside her clothes and headed out to the small pool in her back garden. She had been warned about the dangers of chlorine on her jewellery and always made sure she removed it before going for her daily morning swim. It was a great time for her, it gave a chance to clear her head and let her thoughts run free.

She had been thinking about buying a pendant for her silver necklace and she drew pictures in her mind of the designs she liked as she lapped up and down the pool. She loved the patterns in dichroic glass and a couple of her friends wore pendants in this style. She really liked the way each dichroic glass pendant was completely individual.

No two would ever be the same because of how the glass was affected by the heat of the furnace. Flicking through the colours made her decide than a bluish shade with yellow highlights would be nice.

Silver chains for men

Masculinity is a trait that many men demand when selecting the jewellery they are prepared to wear. Some men feel uncomfortable if their jewellery is not 'manly' and has a thickness that implies strength. Many mens silver chains are quite thick which gives a rugged impression and exudes a look of solidness which the owner finds important.

With this in mind a silver necklace for a man should be at least 5 or 6mm across unless it is worn to display a pendant which will allow for a finer chain than that for a necklace worn solo. Bracelets for men should be thicker again, 7 or 8mm will look masculine, less than that is probably more suited to the fairer sex.

Heavy bolt ring clasps are a good way to dress up a silver chain and still remain manly in appearance. The right jewellery will be appreciated and happily worn by many men, but chains that are too fine are likely to be put away in a drawer and never seen again.

Monday 9 April 2012

Bringing it home

Shopping on holidays is almost expected, it seems that we need to buy something from a foreign land and bring it home to remember the great time away we had. In Egypt the street vendors had rows of silver necklaces in so many designs and sizes that I couldn't choose which one I wanted to take home with me.

A lot of the jewellery was handmade and the fact that I had seen nothing like it at home made it more desirable as I knew I wouldn't be able to find it again. Like most tourists I probably paid more than I should have but at least I'm not alone in that.

The quality of the sterling silver necklaces and bracelets was very good, and the workmanship was close to flawless. We had seen in other countries in similar street markets jewellery that looked like it had been made by blind monkeys with a hangover.

Dress up a gold necklace

Sometimes we like to dress up some of our plain jewellery.

A gold necklace chain can have a pendant added for example, but what if you would like a necklace to be worn alone and still show some individuality? Normally the clasp sits at the top of a necklace behind your head and isn't seen. An alternative to this could be changing the clasp for a Kartier, or heavy bolt ring, clasp and wearing it at the front.

This looks especially good on a heavier gold necklace for both men and women. You could instead decide upon a fob that was matched to the thickness of your gold chain. It is quite a common practice to have a heart shaped padlock on a bracelet, but these plain or filigree style locks look really good on a gold necklace as well. This give you another way of wearing a simple necklace chain that will be different from most other peoples chains.

Saturday 7 April 2012

Buying quality silver chains

Most women love to wear jewellery and will often have quite of lot of pieces to choose from. Some will be costume that will get occasional wear, some will be worn every day and this should be selected because of its quality as well as beauty.

Daily wear requires solid silver chains to ensure that the piece will last, plated and filled jewellery is ok for infrequent use but it is just another form of costume jewellery. The thin outer layer wrapped or plated onto a cheap base metal will wear through revealing the brass or copper below. The piece will then be thrown into the bottom of a drawer never to be worn again.

Quality jewellery means buying necklaces and bracelets made of silver chains that are solid through, in other words pure sterling silver. These silver chains will outlast costume jewellery and with occasional but regular polishing they will always look spectacular.

Sizing a gold bracelet

Choosing the size of a gold bracelet chain is easy enough if you consider a few simple tips.

The width of the chain can range from quite fine to fairly chunky for a lady, but a gentleman would rarely wear one of the finer thickness bracelets. For men a minimum width of around 7mm should be selected to make sure it is masculine.

The length of the gold bracelet should be made to fit the wrist of the owner. To find out the correct length measure the wrist just below the hand and add either 2 or 3cm, less means the bracelet will sit higher on the hand and more means it will fall further onto the hand.

If you have a necklace you could place it around the wrist and adjust the length until it sits where you would like it to and measure it. If the gold bracelet is much thicker than the necklace you used for this, you may need to add a little more to your measurement.

Silver instead of white gold?

The decision to buy either yellow gold or white gold is most often decided by a preference for one metallic hue over the other. Some people prefer the cooler shade of silver over the warmer yellow gold.

With the price of gold rising quite dramatically in recent times, those who would normally have chosen white gold are beginning to look more closely at a 925 sterling necklace as an alternative.

Silver is almost indistinguishable to white gold in looks but it can be subject to tarnishing. Rhodium plating can be used to prevent this from happening in the same way that most white gold is also rhodium plated. It isn't cheap to have done and needs to be re-plated every 12 or 18 months depending upon how often the jewellery is worn. In any event it is still going to be significantly cheaper to buy a silver necklace than a similar white gold necklace.

Redesign of website

We have just added 3200+ new gold and silver charms to our website (now we have nearly 3700 in total) and decided it was time to make it easier to find what you are looking for.

Silver bracelets, silver necklaces, silver charm bracelets, silver charms all now have their own pages.

As soon as possible over the coming weeks we will be updating the pictures of our new range of charms, but as you can imagine it will be a massive undertaking. Every charm will need to be photographed, numbered, cleaned up and resized and then added to the website manually. In the mean while the black and white scans we are currently displaying will give you an idea of the size and form of our products.

Happy Easter everyone!

Friday 6 April 2012

Storing jewellery correctly

Whether its silver charms, a necklace, bangle or a diamond ring, you should store your jewellery properly to prevent damage.

Each item should be kept in a velvet pouch or if you have a jewellery box, then each piece in its own compartment. Rings can be stored on trees which will keep them apart to prevent scratching. Necklaces will tangle if thrown in together so either keep them separated or hang them individually. If you have some that have become tangled already, it is easier to separate them or remove kinks by dusting with talcum powder.

Finer chains can be separated by using a couple of dress makers pins and carefully undoing any knots. Rings with gem stones will easily scratch the much softer silver and gold, the stones are much harder than the precious metals and will likely be the cause of most damage when jewellery is not properly stored.

Utrasonic cleaning of silver necklaces and bracelets

I’ve been looking for a way to clean my charm bracelet and I have finally found what I think is the perfect solution. Getting into all the crevices using a soft tooth brush and warm soapy water did a reasonable job on my gold bracelet, but it was fiddly and took quite some time to do a good job. A friend has an ultrasonic cleaner, for her jewellery and raved about how well it worked. I bit the bullet and found a small one on ebay for about $50 so I ordered it last week. It is simple to use, all I had to do was fill it up with very warm water and a drop of mild detergent and push the button. It runs for 3 minutes and you can see it bubbling away as it shakes of the dirt. My charms and the bracelet chain came out shiny clean and I was surprised at how the colour of the water had changed. A quick rinse under running water removes the soap film and when they were dry my charms were really clean and shone beautifully. I must admit I got a bit carried away and went through my jewellery box and ran all my silver necklaces and bracelets through the cleaner too. It did a great job on them, so out came the watch (it is waterproof) and it got in between the links and heaps of dirt and muck was left behind in the water. I’m glad I did a bit of research, because there are some types of jewellery that shouldn’t be put in an ultrasonic machine such as pearls and opals. So, if you have solid metal jewellery, a great way to quickly and easily clean of the dirt and grime isn’t very expensive to buy.

3200 New Charms

Wow. We have just added 3200 new gold and silver charms to our website. A massive amount of work but it's great to be able to offer so many more choices to our customers.

The photos are from the manufacturers catalogue which unfortunately is black and white, but we are making arrangements to have the complete range photographed in colour in the very near future.

Drop by and take a look, all of the charms are available with open or closed jump rings or a minitature parrot clasp.

Cheers

Ross

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Looking for a gold bracelet?

Are you looking for a new gold bracelet to buy? There are some great online stores (hint, hint) that have a great range of solid gold jewellery at prices well below retail stores. Running a business in a shopping centre carries with it huge overheads in the form of wages, rents and commissions paid to the centre management.

Online jewellery stores don’t pay these large overheads and these savings are passed on to the buyer. Some online stores hold stock that can be despatched immediately, others order from the manufacturer as needed. The second store type can supply a wider range of gold chains made to the length that you order.

Custom clasps can be chosen to replace the standard lobster or spring ring with a heart shaped padlock or a chunky bolt ring clasp. Delivery may take a little longer, but you get to buy a custom made chain to your specifications.

Creating your own silver charm bracelet

Designing your own charm bracelet can be a really fun project as you examine the massive range of charms that can be found in retail shops, markets and online stores. I recommend starting by selecting an appropriate sterling silver bracelet to fit your charms to. The most common chains used for charm bracelets are the belcher, oval belcher and long curb chains.

The advantage of these styles is that they have quite small links that are closely spaced together. This close spacing allows you to connect the charms in more combinations than you would have available with the longer linked styles. The length of your bracelet should be around the measurement of your wrist plus an additional few centimetres, depending on how far down your hand you wish the bracelet to sit when you arm is by your side.

Depending on the thickness of chain you select, a spring ring or parrot clasp will be fitted. You can elect to change this to a bolt ring clasp on a heavier chain or substitute it for a plain or filigree heart padlock should you wish a style that is less simple and plain.

Probably the hardest decision is in selecting the sterling silver charms themselves as there are so many to choose from. As you evaluate each one, consider what meaning it conveys and how that relates to the events and occasions you wish to commemorate. Some will leap out at you and are going to be 'must haves', put these at the top of your list.

Examining the chain will give you an idea of how many charms can be comfortably hung and how many links you will need to separate them by. After counting the must have charms you will know how many more will have room available, so use this number to thin out the charms lower down on your list.

Monday 2 April 2012

Amazing Gold

Gold is one of the most extraordinary elements known to man. Admired for thousands of years and used extensively in jewellery, this metal has some amazing statistics. It is almost indestructible, requiring a special mixture of 2 acids (sulphuric and hydrochloric) to cause a reaction. No single acid will be able to elicit any damage by itself. Gold is non-toxic and does not rust.

All the gold every mined on earth would fit into a cube with sides around 19 metres in length. This amounts to less than 25 grams for each and every person living today, about the amount in a medium gold necklace.

It can be beaten so thinly that it is possible to see through it, no other metal can claim this ability, and it is used on astronaut's visors. Just 31 grams can be made into a sheet of 16 square metres in size.

Gold is the 3rd best conductor of electricity behind silver and copper and as it won't corrode it is widely used in electronic devices, especially on contacts in relays and the circuit boards in computers. It melts at 1064 degrees Celsius and a cube with 10cm sides (one litre) weighs 19.3 kilograms, consider that a litre of water weighs just 1 kilogram.

The largest single gold nugget ever found weighed in at around 70 kilograms and would be worth over 3 million dollars. To put that in perspective, it would fit inside a one gallon milk container. A cubic foot of gold, around about the size of a milk create, would weigh a massive 500kg.

It is no wonder with all these special properties that it has become the premium choice for quality jewellery in all its forms. Solid gold chains look great and will bring a lifetime of pleasure for the lucky owner.

Solid Gold Bracelets

Solid gold chains are the premium choice when you are shopping for a new necklace or bracelet. The quality of solid gold ensures that the jewellery will last and maintain its integrity for more than a lifetime. While it may be tempting to save money by buying gold filled or gold plated chains, it is false economy. With everyday wear, the outer layer of the cheap imitations will wear through and reveal the base metal underneath. This is usually brass or copper and will often occur after only a few months.

A solid 9ct gold bracelet will impress for all time as it is solid gold all the way through. Cleaning is easy, a bowl of hot water, a soft bristled tooth brush and a drop of a mild detergent is all that is needed to remove a build up of dirt and grime. Avoiding chlorine in swimming pools and spas as well as chemical cleaners is important to prevent stress fractures to precious metal jewellery.

Nameplates on gold necklaces

Carrie from the tv series Sex in the city wears her name on her gold necklace. Since then many women have copied this style and turned it into quite a fashion statement. Many names are quite common and these name plates are readily available from jewellers. There are some online stores where you can type in your name and have a necklace made to the length you want with your name cut from a solid gold plate. Being able to order a custom made plate means that any name is possible, rather than what a jeweller may carry in their regular stock.

As these name plates are individually made you can choose to have any word turned into gold necklaces with the chain style you prefer. You may wish to have your star sign as a word instead of the symbol as a pendant. The choices are only limited by your imagination.

Silver chains for bracelets

Sterling silver jewellery is the choice of many because of its beauty, it has a rich silvery lustre that draws the admiring eye of others. Silver chain jewellery has a wonderful fluid movement that causes light to be reflected in many directions with every turn of your head or flick of your wrist. Silver is quite heavy, a litre weighs in at around 10.5 kilograms. Compare that to a litre of water at one kilogram. It's because of this density that a solid silver necklace has a definite feeling of solidity and quality.

A wide range of sterling silver chains are available from which to choose a necklace, a bracelet or an anklet. As summer approaches in the southern hemisphere many will consider a delicate anklet as shorts and skirts come back into regular wear. The swirling twist of a Singapore rope anklet chain sparkles as the light shimmers from the many facets of the precious metal. Some of the medium width curb and belcher chains make excellent anklets and can feature a heart shaped padlock instead of the lobster clasp usually fitted.

All styles of silver chain are suitable for bracelets. When choosing for a man, a minimum width of around 7mm will ensure the chain is masculine, the thinner styles are more suited to the finer sex. Selecting the right length is done by making a measurement of your wrist just above your hand and adding between two and three centimetres. Adding more will make the silver bracelet drop further onto your hand and reducing will keep the chain higher on your wrist.

Chain necklaces for men should be at least 5mm or greater for the same reasons a bracelet should not be too fine. Ladies chokers start at around 40cm in length, a 'standard' necklace may be around 50cm and men usually would wear a 55 or 60cm chain.

Sunday 1 April 2012

Make it personal with solid gold charms

Often the choice of a piece of jewellery as a gift for a loved one can be very complex because of the huge range of items available in all styles and metals. Something you may wish to consider is how to make a gift very personal to the one you love.

A great choice may well be a solid gold charm bracelet which you can very much personalise by adding some gold charms that have a real meaning for your love.

A special birthday is an obvious choice, but you may also wish to consider a zodiac charm for those who follow astrology. For those with a new baby there are many charms to suit, booties or a dummy could be a nice touch.

Good luck charms, either Chinese symbols or horseshoes, for the superstitious. For the career minded a choice of one of the many gold charms that represent a job could be the ticket.

Designing your own gold bracelet

So you have decided that you must have a new gold bracelet. Once you have chosen the style of gold chain you like, you still need to consider the length and width of the bracelet.

Ladies will find that almost any width of solid gold chain will be suitable, where as men will need a bracelet of around 7mm or wider. Anything smaller than that lacks masculinity. To find the correct length, measure your wrist and add between 2 and 3 centimetres, if you want a tighter or looser fit then you can increase or reduce as needed.

To give your gold bracelet a little bit more character, you may wish to fit a bolt ring clasp in place of the lobster clasp that would normally be supplied. A large range of solid gold plain and filigree heart shaped padlocks, both available in convex or flat designs will also add some flair to your bracelet.

Selecting a solid gold necklace

Belcher, curb, figaro or Singapore rope? Perhaps you prefer another style altogether. It's a hard decision when choosing a gold necklace.

There are so many beautiful styles of chain, but in the end it comes down to a matter of personal choice. After you have decided on the style of gold chains you prefer for your necklace, you still have to consider the width of the links and the length.

Finer gold necklaces are great for showing off a pendant as they don't steal the lime light and allow the pendant itself to be the featured piece. The beauty of the finer chains is that you can remove any pendants and still wear the chain unadorned.

The size of the pendant you wish to wear on your solid gold necklace will largely determine the length of chain you will require. A good way to find the correct length is to fit the pendant to an existing chain and hold the ends together with the pendant sitting as you wish, then just measure how much chain was used.

Do you have enough silver necklaces?

Is the shopping bug biting? Sometimes we need to lash out and spoil ourselves by buying something that makes us feel good to own. Jewellery is often a great choice because we can wear it all the time and silver necklaces feel so good to wear.

Of course you can't deny that having others admiring your new silver chain doesn't make you feel a little bit special too.
Silver necklaces are still much less expensive than gold, so having a few different styles in your jewellery box won't break the bank.

Fine (thin) silver chains are ideal to display your favourite pendants and will keep the attention focused on the pendant itself.

You should be looking for a silver necklace of the correct length so that the pendant is displayed in the position that you want it to sit. It is also wise to not choose to thick a chain for the pendant you wish to display.

Saturday 31 March 2012

A versatile silver necklace

The big night is close by, you've picked out the perfect heels, found that unbelievable little black dress and you're almost done. You just can't decide on what jewellery you are going to wear to complete your outfit.

You know that you need something simple, plain and yet classy and chic. All of a sudden you know, it's so clear. A solid silver necklace, a diamond cut curb chain, sitting just above the cleavage. It fits the bill perfectly, elegant and stylish, absolutely perfect.

You know that on the night you will draw lots of admiring looks as the light plays on the shiny metal chain as it moves fluidly on the dance floor. The next day you chose to keep wearing the silver necklace with your jeans and t-shirt, and it doesn't look at all out of place. A quality silver necklace can be worn with almost anything, dressed up and dressed down.

Silver bracelets for men

When choosing jewellery for your man it is important to buy a jewellery chain that is thick enough to be considered masculine. A thin silver bracelet may look great on a lady, but doesn't work so well on a man.

Men's silver chain bracelets should normally be around 7mm or thicker.

The most popular styles of silver bracelets for men include curb, figaro and belcher. There are a number of widths available for all these chain types, as well as variations in the design of each.

Most men will need a bracelet of 21cm or longer. If you measure the wrist and add 2 or 3 centimetres, then you will be close to correct length. If you want the bracelet to sit higher or lower on the hand, adjust the length accordingly.

If you aren't sure, then it's better to go too long, as a jeweller can much more easily remove a link, than find a matching one to add to a bracelet.

Sterling Silver Charms

Solid sterling silver charms are very affordable and there is a massive range to choose from. Before we get carried away, we need to consider what we are going to have them fitted to. A solid silver charm bracelet won't cost an arm and a leg and will last your whole life time, even with everyday wear, which is important when you consider that a silver charm bracelet is an everyday piece of jewellery, not just to be wheeled out on special occasions.

When choosing a bracelet chain, a design with many small links will give you the most options for fitting your sterling silver charms. Start fitting your charms with even spacing around the bracelet and as your collection grows, you simply fill in the gaps. As you purchase charms, they will normally have open jump rings so you can attach them to your bracelet. When you have positioned the new charms, have a jeweller solder the rings shut to prevent loss.

Customised Gold Chains

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to walk into a jeweller and select any chain they stock and have it made to the length you want? Many jewellers only sell gold chains at the length they have in their displays
.
Luckily, some online jewelry stores let you chose to have any chain made to the length you want. This is terrific, because you can select a style you like and have it made into a bracelet, necklace or anklet or have a matching set created. You can even take your pick of Kartier (bolt ring) clasps or decide to fit a heart shaped padlock.

This is a level of customisation that the majority of jewellery shops are unable to provide because less and less jewelry stores actually have jewellers in their stores. Normally it only takes a couple of weeks to have a custom chain made and delivered to your home from our online store.

Friday 30 March 2012

Sterling Silver Charms

Finding a gift that will be loved and appreciated can be a difficult task. Everyone would like to see their money spent well when buying presents for friends and partners, so a wise choice may be a piece of quality jewellery.

Gold is priced at the upper end of the market, but charms or chains made of solid sterling silver are much more affordable and are still beautiful to behold.

If you gift is for someone who already wears sterling silver chains, then they will likely be most pleased to add to their range of jewellery. A bracelet with some relevant sterling silver charms can be a terrific gift for your child and as it can be worn every day.

When looking for a gift make sure you buy a quality product that will last a lifetime. This means you should be looking towards solid sterling silver jewellery. Silver plated jewellery will only look good for a very short period of time if worn frequently and should be avoided.

Why does silver tarnish?

Many people are confused as to why some silver appears to tarnish more quickly or more deeply than other silver items.
Silver tarnish is actually a chemical reaction between silver and sulphur compounds. There are sulphur compounds in the atmosphere because of car and industrial pollution, but most people don't realise that there are sulphur compounds in many of the foods we eat.

Quite often pieces of jewellery such as silver chains are thought to be of poor quality because the owner finds that they tarnish quickly. Usually, this same owner will have problems with all their silver jewellery and may give up wearing it altogether.

Well, it has nothing to do with the quality of the silver jewellery! Pure silver, sterling silver and any other form of silver product will tarnish if it is exposed to sulphur. It's no different to steel rusting. Steel plus water equals rust. Silver plus sulphur equals tarnish.

Back to why food is a factor in tarnishing. Eating sulphur rich foods such as eggs, garlic, cabbage, even broccoli and asparagus can promote tarnishing of silver charms and chains you are wearing. The sulphur compounds in these foods are present in your perspiration and come into contact with your jewellery. People who sweat excessively are very often the ones "who can't wear silver."

Environmental factors also make silver tarnish more quickly, a humid climate and high levels of UV radiation both speed the tarnishing process. Living or working in industrial areas is also going to make any jewellery your wear tarnish more rapidly.
An effective, but expensive way to prevent or greatly reduce the tarnishing process is to have your silver jewellery rhodium plated. Avoiding wearing your jewellery while playing sports or doing other physical work will also help in keeping tarnish to a minimum.

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Solid gold charms

With around 500 beautiful hand finished solid gold charms on our website, you are sure to find something that will be a wonderful reminder of an event in your life. Many people start out with just one or two charms on their bracelet and add to it with charms that are a reflection of a special event or time.

A solid 9ct gold charm is also a great gift idea to mark a special birthday - especially the 16th, 18th and 21st birthdays. Many wear charms that signify the things that they love, a sport, maybe tennis or football, or the birth of a new baby.

We have many styles of chains that can be made to your length, so a perfectly fiiting charm bracelet is only a matter of measuring your wrist, adding 2 or 3 cm and selecting that length when ordering. We can even fit the charms for you if you purchase them at the same time.

Gold Bracelets for men.

Some men are not overly keen on wearing jewellery but this seems to be a changing trend away from when only a watch was an acceptable article to be seen on the stronger sex.

Many men are more comfortable wearing necklaces or gold bracelets as long as they are sufficiently thick and masculine. Finer chain jewellery is much more suited to women with the exception of a fine necklace chain if worn with a pendant.

A solid gold bracelet for a man will generally be quite thick and chunky and this can drive the cost up as chain jewellery is priced based on the weight of the precious metal more so than any other factors. With gold prices continuing to rise and no change in the foreseeable future, many are turning to silver as a cheaper alternative at a much reduced cost in comparison.

Both types are equally beautiful and cost isn’t the only factor in choosing one over the other. Silver jewellery just looks better on some people and as it is all about impression, you would have to choose firstly for this reason.

Monday 26 March 2012

Why solid gold chains are best

Looks may be deceiving but time will reveal all. Buying solid gold chains as opposed to gold filled or gold plated necklaces or bracelets may seem expensive when they both look exactly the same.

Immediately you will notice the difference in weight between the two, the solid gold chains will feel considerably heavier and sturdier and they are.

The gold filled chains will look great when you first wear them but it won’t take long before the thin coating wears through and the cheap base metal becomes visible and completely spoils the look of your necklace. Plated jewellery will suffer from the same problem only it will happen more quickly.

 Either way, the money you have spent on an imitation chain will have been wasted and a replacement will be needed.

A solid gold chain however will always look as good as it did on the day you bought it with a little cleaning now and then.

Cleaning your silver bracelet or necklace

The hardest thing about cleaning a silver bracelet chain is getting in between where the links join and into the centre of each individual link.

I have found that soaking the chains first in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water with a couple of drops of a mild dishwashing detergent helps to loosen most dirt and grime. It is a good idea to leave them in for 10 or 15 minutes and swish them around every couple of minutes while they are soaking.

If you have stones on your bracelet check that water won’t harm them before doing this. Jewellery with opals for example should never be allowed to get wet.

When the soaking is finished brush gently between the links of your silver bracelet with a soft bristled toothbrush, starting at one end and working down towards the other. When you are done rinse the silver bracelet or necklace well under very warm running water and dry thoroughly.

Sunday 25 March 2012

Dressing up your gold necklace

Sometimes we like to dress up some of our plain jewellery. A gold necklace chain can have a pendant added for example, but what if you would like a necklace to be worn alone and still show some individuality?

Normally the clasp sits at the top of a necklace behind your head and isn’t seen. An alternative to this could be changing the clasp for a Kartier, or heavy bolt ring, clasp and wearing it at the front. This looks especially good on a heavier gold necklace for both men and women.

You could instead decide upon a fob that was matched to the thickness of your gold chain. It is quite a common practice to have a heart shaped padlock on a bracelet, but these plain or filigree style locks look really good on a gold necklace as well.

This gives you another way of wearing a simple necklace chain that will be different from most other peoples chains.

Silver as an alternative to white gold

The decision to buy either yellow gold or white gold is most often decided by a preference for one metallic hue over the other. Some people prefer the cooler shade of silver over the warmer yellow gold.

With the price of gold rising quite dramatically in recent times, those who would normally have chosen white gold are beginning to look more closely at a 925 silver necklace as an alternative. Silver is almost indistinguishable to white gold in looks but it can be subject to tarnishing. Rhodium plating can be used to prevent this from happening in the same way that most white gold is also rhodium plated.

 It isn’t cheap to have done and needs to be re-plated every 12 or 18 months depending upon how often the jewellery is worn. In any event it is still going to be significantly cheaper to buy a silver necklace than a similar white gold necklace.

Saturday 24 March 2012

Gold charms as a gift

Young men often find it difficult to choose a jewellery present for their girlfriends. The budget is often small but they want to buy a present she will really appreciate without sending them bankrupt.

A solid gold necklace or bracelet will cost several hundred dollars and possibly as much as several thousand which often prevents this from being a realistic choice. However a 9ct gold charm can be bought for less than one hundred dollars and often half that.

A very personal gift of a suitable gold charm that represents something very special in the girls life might just be the ticket. If she already wears a gold charm bracelet the decision is easy and the charm can be purchased with an open jump ring that a jeweller can solder closed later.

For those without bracelets but fine gold necklaces, then the charms can be bought with soldered closed jump rings which allow them to be safely worn as a pendant on a gold chain.

Friday 23 March 2012

Silver Chains for men

Masculinity is a trait that many men demand when selecting the jewellery they are prepared to wear. Some men feel uncomfortable if their jewellery is not ‘manly’ and has a thickness that implies strength.

Many mens silver chains are quite thick which gives a rugged impression and exudes a look of solidness which the owner finds important. With this in mind a silver necklace for a man should be at least 5 or 6mm across unless it is worn to display a pendant which will allow for a finer chain than that for a necklace worn solo.

Bracelets for men should be thicker again, 7 or 8mm will look masculine, less than that is probably more suited to the fairer sex. Heavy bolt ring clasps are a good way to dress up a silver chain and still remain manly in appearance.

The right jewellery will be appreciated and happily worn by many men, but chains that are too fine are likely to be put away in a drawer and never seen again.


Buying gold necklaces

There’s nothing a girl likes more than having and wearing beautiful jewellery. It gives a feeling of warmth and happiness knowing she carries a piece that will be admired by others.

Jewellery really has no practical function, its sole function is to delight and draw attention from others, much like the beautiful feathers of a peacock attract other birds. Quality jewellery doesn’t have to be expensive and the value for money is better than that of cosmetic chains and pendants because it should last you forever.

Solid precious metal chains like gold necklaces should be hallmarked with the carat rating, look for this before buying. Sometimes small jewellery won’t have a hallmark, tiny items like silver and gold charms aren’t normally suitable for stamping as it can damage them. A laser may be used instead of a stamp, but often they won’t be marked at all.

Your jeweller should be able to provide you with a guarantee that they are in fact solid and of the carat amount stated.

Thursday 22 March 2012

Charm Bracelets

For those of you who don't know, we have a wide range of jewellery that has grown considerably since we opened our doors in July 2010. Initially we only sold silver chains and gold chains with the option of a standard clasp or padlock. Around December 2010 we added around 500 gold charms and silver charms to the range.

As our silver and gold chains are custom made, it made a lot of sense that we allowed for the creation of custom charm bracelets. Simply select your silver or gold chain and matching charms from our range and tell us how you would like to have your silver charms or gold charms arranged on your new bracelet.

Normally we can have it sent out to you within 10 working days of your order being placed.

Cheers

Ross


Wednesday 21 March 2012

Dichroic Glass Pendants

In try to keep our range of jewellery fresh we have just added 20 new dichroic glass pendants to our store. It is really hard to get good photos becuase of the reflections and they look different from even a slight change of angle.


None the less they are now online and we will see how much interest they generate. This batch has silver plated bails, but future items in the range will be solid sterling silver in keeping with our store's policy of only quality jewellery.

see them here

Sunday 18 March 2012

Choosing the right chain length for jewellery

It's often a difficult decision when it comes to choosing the right length of chain for a bracelet or necklace.

So what are the considerations?

Are you going to wear a pendant on your necklace?

How long should I make my bracelet?

What about children's jewellery, they may grow out of it?

For the answers to these questions and a guide to the weight of a necklace or bracelet take at look at the full article.


Friday 16 March 2012

Half Price Scams

The markup most jewellery stores place on items can range from 4 times the cost on gold up to as much as 7 times on the cost of silver.

We all understand that a business needs to make a profit, but how can they justify the massive markups on their jewellery?

Even when they have one of their 'weekly' half price sales, their profit is at least 100%. It's about time the public woke up to this appalling practice and demand fair pricing.

full article

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Dichroic Glass Jewellery

Dichroic glass contains multiple layers of oxides and or metals which give the glass its optical properties.

The glass has the special property of reflecting one colour and refracting light of another colour.

This makes the glass display an array of different colours that will also change with the angle of view.

A number of ultra thin layers of different oxides (aluminium, titanium, magnesium, chromium) and metals (silver / gold) are vapourised in a vacuum chamber by an electron beam. This creates a vapour which condenses onto the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure.

A finished piece of this glass may have up to 50 layers deposited during the manufacturing process.

full article

Monday 12 March 2012

Precious Metal Testing

Have you ever wondered how a gold chain is tested to find out how much gold is really in it?

The oldest and most commonly used test was using acid. A known sample of a gold alloy would be compared with the piece that was unknown using either nitric acid or Aqua-Regia.

It is quite accurate but there are better and less destructive testing methods available.

The term 'acid test' that is commonly used is daily speech generally means "a sure test that gives a result that can't be contested" and this came from the testing of gold with acids.

full article

Sunday 11 March 2012

Basic Jewellery Cleaning

The following information relates purely to the cleaning of solid precious metal chains and charms WITHOUT settings of gem stones, pearls or opals etc.

In other words the entire piece is composed ONLY of precious metal.

This information is not appropriate for items of jewellery set with stones or other gems. Pearls, opals and many other gem stones require special procedures so as not to cause damage to them. Please consult a jeweller regarding the correct cleaning instructions for these pieces.
Pure gold is extremely resistant to reacting with any chemicals. In fact it takes a mixture of 2 acids called aqua regia (1 part concentrated nitric acid and 3 parts concentrated hydrochloric acid) to dissolve it, strangely neither acid alone can. However, almost all gold jewellery is made from gold alloyed with other metals, often silver and copper. Exposing gold alloys to chlorine based chemicals can in fact damage the alloy.

full article

Jewellery Hallmarks

A hallmark is used as an indication of the metal content in precious metal jewellery and is usually stamped into the piece.
A hallmark guarantees the purity of the metal as determined by assaying (testing) the metal by one of several methods.

Some of these assay methods are destructive but highly accurate (to 1 part in 10,000) and used to test random samples from a manufacturer for compliance.

Other methods are completely non-destructive but with a corresponding loss of accuracy (around 2 to 5 parts per 1000) and these would be used during a jewellery valuation to test a piece assumed to be of value.

full article

Friday 9 March 2012

Tumbling Jewellery

Tumblers are machines that rotate a barrel filled with soap flakes and water and stainless steel shot as well as the items to be polished.

The inside of the barrel is not round but has protrusions to help agitate the contents.

For polishing precious metal jewellery the shot is normally stainless steel in several different shapes and sizes. These include balls, pins, ovals and ellipses.

Tumbling precious metal will give it a beautiful shine as well as hardening the metal.

full article (including video)

Ultrasonic Jewellery Cleaners

Ultrasonic cleaners have dropped to prices where most households could easily afford to own one.
How do they work?

Ultrasonic cleaners use high frequency sound waves to agitate a solution, quite often tap water. This creates thousands of tiny bubbles that collapse and release an enormous amount of energy. As these bubbles are so small the force they place on the items in the solution is only enough to remove surface contaminants such as dirt, grease, fungus, polishing compounds and oils.

To help reduce surface tension in a water solution a small amount of detergent is usually added. The water temperature is normally quite warm, 50 to 60 degrees celcius. 

full article

Thursday 8 March 2012

Why does silver tarnish?

Tarnish is when a chemical reaction causes the silver to turn from being bright and shiny to a faint then deep yellow and then to black.

Tarnish is the formation of silver sulphide and is caused when the silver comes into contact with sulphur compounds. This can be through contact with hydrogen sulphide in the air caused by car exhaust or industrial pollution.

More commonly tarnishing occurs when silver comes into contact with the sulphur compounds that are found in these foods and everyday items: garlic, eggs, cabbage, mustard, broccoli, asparagus, ammonia, wool, latex, rubber bands, perfumes, hair sprays, onions, body oils and many cosmetic lotions.

People who eat foods containing sulphur will release sulphur compounds in their perspiration. These sulphur compounds will then react with any silver jewellery they are wearing and tarnishing will start to occur. Tarnishing also occurs more rapidly in humid climates and in areas with higher UV radiation from the sun.

Moral of the story? Don't eat lots of garlic and then go out in strong sunlight on a humid day and sweat!

Often people who perspire readily and eat a diet rich in sulphur will complain about how often their jewellery needs to be polished and are quick to blame the jewellery as being low quality.

It is a fallacy that only poor quality silver will tarnish. 
All silver tarnishes when exposed to sulphur compounds.

It is always best to put on your jewellery after using any cosmetics, perfumes, lotions and so forth.

Don't expose your silver (or gold) jewellery to cleaning products containing chlorine.

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Children's jewellery

When buying precious metal jewellery for children there are some extra considerations that should be addressed.

Whether gold or silver, the necklaces, bracelets or anklets will normally need to be made to a smaller size than an adult would wear. But what happens when the child grows and they no longer fit?

You could go to a jeweller and have him try to find matching links and have the chain lengthened. Sometimes there will be a matching chain available, but what if there isn’t? Making links may require building them by hand to match and that will not be cheap.

If you buy chains that fit the child now, they may not fit when they have grown up. This is especially true of bracelets, an adult could never wear a 13cm bracelet, it simply wouldn’t go around the wrist.

If you buy chains to fit them when they have grown, they may be too large to wear until that day, a 20cm bracelet would fall over the hand of a child.

Why not use common sense and buy a chain to fit an adult, so they can wear it for their whole life, BUT have it made up to the length that fits them today. The extra chain can be put aside to be included into the chain as time passes.

A jeweller can easily add links when he has matching ones available.

full article

A day at the shops

Last year I decided to see what other jewelelry stores were up to, this is what happened:

Today (Sunday, July 10th 2011) I went to the Robina Town Centre (at home on the Gold Coast, Queensland) to practice a bit of industrial espionage.

It's always best to keep an eye on what the competition are up to, so we can make sure that we are keeping ahead of them.

I was wearing a 21cm gold plated silver bracelet (no, we don't sell them) that is about 4 months old and is showing signs of the gold plating wearing through.

It's a fairly chunky bevelled diamond cut curb chain , weighing in at 38.3 grams, so it would be about 42.1 grams in 9ct gold. (9ct gold is about 10% heavier than the same chain made of sterling silver.)

The cover story was that I was unhappy with the plating wearing through and I wanted to buy a similar chain in solid 9ct gold.

I would of course be shopping around and wanted to take a photo so I could get the approval of my better half before purchasing a new chain.

The first challenge was to find a similar chain to get a fair comparison. The second challenge was to get detailed information (weight) on the replacement chain.

full article

Selling your Scrap Gold

Quite often people find that they have jewellery that they no longer wear because it is damaged or they just don't like the design.

 A substantial amount of money can be tied up in unwanted jewellery and this can be redeemed for cold hard cash.

Second hand stores will offer to buy your unwanted gold but often the price is well below the actual gold value. So what to do?

Firstly you need to know what it is you are selling. Is it 9ct, 14ct or 18ct gold?

In fact is it solid gold or is it a gold filled or plated piece? Read about hallmarks and what they mean.

You can calculate the amount of gold in a piece by weighing it and knowing the carat value of the piece.

full article

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Allergies to Nickel Jewellery

Nickel is sometimes used in jewellery as it is quite corrosion resistant and binds well with other metals which make it good for alloying with gold and as a binding layer over a silver item which is to be plated with gold.

Nickel does react with compounds of nitrogen, the amino acids in our bodies belong to this group. If you have an allergy to nickel, your body will react to contact with this metal, usually in the form of a rash. Once you have become sensitive to nickel, smaller amounts will be enough to trigger a reaction.

As an example, you have never had a reaction to nickel. However, you have your ear pierced with a nickel plated stud and the nickel binds to the cells in your blood. If the cells change their composition sufficiently, your body will think that you have an infection and your immune system steps in to fight it. When this happens this tissues swell up and more antibodies are sent to fight it which will dissolve more nickel and things escalate.

full article

Pandora Closing 100 stores

Pandora's sales have been down over the past 12 months and they will be closing 100 accounts before the end of March in Australia and New Zealand.

Personally, I'm not terribly surprised. Although the jewellery they sell is quite beautiful, it is based upon a fad that had to run it's course. Like yo yos and platform heels it was going to be a big hit and then the excitement would fade.

The other reason I believe for this decline is that it is so proprietary, you have to buy their bracelets and necklaces to put their beads on.

They are not cheap and they are trying to sell in a market where many of the customers can't afford the outrageous prices  they have been charging. (calculate how much per gram they are asking for, ouch!)

Beautiful they may be, but Tiffany, they are not.

The best jewellery is timeless, not a flash in the pan.

Think before you buy!

We sell customised jewellery.

Chains can be ordered to any length with a choice of clasps. Charms can be bought with open or closed jump rings or a lobster clasp.

Consider what you are going to do with  your jewellery before deciding on the clasp, length or fitting. It does make a difference.

As an example, will you wear a pendant on your necklace? This will affect the length you will require and the type of fitting. We have a detailed list of considerations you should know about.

Take a quick read before you buy.

Fake Silver Chains From China

I was at the factory where my chains are manufactured last week and got to talking with the manager about business in general and current markets trends.

He talks to all the major retailers frequently and has a good grasp on what is going on throughout the retail sector.

One of his other customers had pointed out that he could buy sterling silver chains direct from China at a price well below what the manufacturer here could achieve. In fact he could buy fully manufactured chains for less money per gram than silver bullion sells for on the world market.

This can only lead to two conclusions:

1.        The manufacturer is making chains from real silver, paying all the expenses to run a factory including wages, taxes, electricity, rent and so forth and selling his goods at a big loss.

2.        It isn’t real silver.

My guess is option 2.

A business cannot survive by selling their products below cost. It comes back to the old adage “You get what you pay for” and “let the buyer beware” (Caveat emptor)

full article

Monday 5 March 2012

Well I had a strange one today

A customer had purchased a charm from me about a month ago and it had been posted to him but he wasn't there when it was delivered. Australia Post neglected to leave notification in his mailbox of the attempted delivery and returned the package to the local post office.

He quoted me the tracking number he received in an email when the item was posted. I checked online and that is when I found they had attempted delivery but no one was home.

The email we send out when an item is posted has the tracking number in the link at auspost.com.au and all he had to do was click it to find out where the item was.

I wonder why he didn't do that?