News — handmade jewelry

  There can be a lot of confusion surrounding the terms you see online when buying any kind of jewelry. I believe the terminology surrounding gold jewelry in particular needs to be addressed. There are many different types of gold jewelry, so let's clear up some of the most used terms. Gold Plate I am going to start with gold plating. Plating is a very, very thin layer of gold electroplated to a base metal like brass or nickel. The plate is not very strong and tends to flake or rub off the base metal, and if you are allergic...

Gorgeous new things have been happening at www.heartsabustin.com! I have three brand new cuff bracelets listed and ready for gift giving - whether that gift is for someone special or a treat for yourself! First up - Royston turquoise cuff. I have a real thing for Royston turquoise - it's one of my favorites, and beautiful specimens are getting harder to find. That stone is absolutely amazing, and I adore that patterned wire used for the cuff. This stone even has hints of that deep Army green that are so characteristic of this type of turquoise. Next up is a...

Fine silver - it's a term you see all over the internet, thrown around by big name jewelry stores. Does it actually mean anything? It does have meaning, and not in relation to how the big guys use it. There is actually a difference between fine and sterling silvers. Fine silver is 99.9% silver with a little copper mixed in and is most usually found in precious metal clay pieces and the bezels used on handcrafted jewelry. It is softer and more malleable than sterling silver, which makes it ideal for surrounding a stone. Precious metal clay jewelry starts out...