7/23/2009

Garnet Jewellery

Garnet Jewellery

By Amanda


Garnet Gemstone meaning


The Garnet is known as the stone for a successful business. If your business is not as good as it should be, just put 3 or more garnets on your desk. It is believed that if a garnet is put under a pillow it will cure depression. Garnets able to be used to make a person fashionable and have self-esteem when worn as jewelry. It helps protect one on trips. Garnets bring constancy to friendships. Garnets are also known for stimulating success in business.

Types of Garnet

Garnets are a related group of minerals. Members of this group include: almandine (red to violet red); spessartite (yellow, rose, or orange to reddish-brown); pyrope (deep red); grossular (white, yellow, yellow-green, brownish-red, orange or black); andradite (colorless, yellow-green, or brown to black). The most prized garnet is an emerald green variety called demantoid and is a member of the adradite group.

Healing properties of Garnet

Garnet comes in many colors, but now we will speak exclusively about red Garnet. The Garnet is associated with the thyroid and spleen. It helps cleanse and purify both when held over the area. The Garnet is usually held in the hand or placed on top of the head when searching or meditating on past lives. Information that is beneficial and helpful will usually be released for the searcher.

The Garnet is a stone of purity and truth as well as a symbol of love and compassion. The information released in a search may be painful, but it will always be what the searcher needs. The Garnet will support everyone's security level and spiritual awareness.It able to support increase the sex drive.

Sources of Garnet

Currently, the world's largest supply of garnets is the continent of Africa. In December 1996, a student in Central Australia discovered what is thought to be the largest single garnet ever found - measuring nearly one hundred feet across! Other sources of garnet include India, Soviet Union, Brazil and the United States.

The malleability of Silver has enabled it to be hand-crafted or machined throughout the ages into beautiful works of art and jewellery. The major difficulties in making silver jewellery are porosity and fire scale. Porosity is essentially where small bubbles of air get trapped in the cooling process whilst Fire scale (or fire stain) is a red stain that becomes visible on mixtures of copper and silver. Above definite temperatures, oxygen reacts with the copper to form cuprous oxide and then cupric oxide. To overcome these difficulties precision temperature controls are used throughout the manufacturing process.

Can Your Store Benefit From Selling Handmade Jewelry?

Can Your Store Benefit From Selling Handmade Jewelry?

If you have a retail store or boutique these days you have to stand out from the crowd. With so numerous products available, providing handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas for your customers makes your store stand out and people take notice. Variety is the key to great sales. Provide your customers a wide range of styles, shapes, colors and prices. Offer a choice of materials; stones, beads, shells, resins and metals. You will find that casual sales become repeat customers if you select a great variety of unique handcrafted jewelry and gifts that will suit everyones personal style! Aim to give your customers an unique shopping experience, unusual high quality products and excellent personal service.

FREE Jewelry Pouch


Where do you find suppliers for wholesale handmade jewelry and gifts? You have lots of choices but obviously the easiest and fastest way would be online. Just Google or Yahoo! search "wholesale handmade jewelry" to find suppliers for your store, can't get much easier than that! You able to also search "handmade jewelry directories", most web directories even have a separate section for unique handmade jewelry. You able to search anywhere, anytime; whenever it is convenient for you. Today you able to find everything you need online without completely the expenses of attending the traditional Wholesale Jewelry and Gift Shows. Everyone has a contact us page so you able to ask any questions you might have if its not already in the FAQ. Online companies try to give you as much information about their products as they can. This is hard to absorb in the hustle and bustle of shows but comes naturally when you are relaxed and curious in the product. You will cognize the special features and techniques used to make the handmade jewelry and gifts. This information will support you to sell the products better.

If you are more a hands-on type, wholesale jewelry and gift shows are the next best option. At these shows you will see the actual products but attending these shows able to be quite costly, tiring and they are exclusively held at definite times of the year. The wide range of products accessible might overwhelm first time purchaseers but you'll fast learn how to narrow your search to find the items you want to see. You might just find that you able to sell the handcrafted products better when you have made a connection with a real person. Pay attention to how they sell their products to you and you able to carry that over to when you are selling their products to your own customers. The better the personal connection with a product, the better your sales will be!

Handcrafted artisan jewelry will attract new customers to your store. Many jewelry artists have a loyal following who will seek you out in order to purchase their favorite artists' jewelry. Look to provide a range of products and prices. People generally look for that extra special piece once in a while; for anniversaries or weddings. Have many outstanding pieces for them and to draw people into your store. More reasonably priced jewelry will sell more often to more people. Pay special attention to what we call the "added value" jewelry - this is handmade jewelry that looks more expensive than it is. This is the impulse purchase type of jewelry; who able to say no to unique handcrafted jewelry that is affordable and you able to wear it every day?

Your goal is to make your customers come back time after time to check out your great selection of handmade jewelry. Whatever the occasion handcrafted jewelry will continue to keep them coming back for more!



Handmade Jewelry Boxes

Handmade Jewelry Boxes

By Alison Cole

Handmade jewelry boxes look different from jewelry boxes produced in factories, in terms of class and elegance. Their price is often very high. Though their supply is limited, they are available in a wide range of colors, sizes, textures, finishes and prices. If you are still not able to find one, it is always better to search for them online.


However, this carries a risk too. It is difficult to verify the claims made by sellers that the jewelry box bought by you is handmade. Any expert may be able to tell the difference but a common buyer cannot. In some cases, the jewelry box may be partly handmade and partly machine-made. In fact, such jewelry boxes have flooded the market, though most of them are being sold as fully handmade jewelry boxes.

To be sure that one is buying a handmade jewelry box, one should go for antique jewelry boxes. Until a couple of centuries back, all jewelry boxes were handmade. There are certain companies which offer to make handmade jewelry boxes available according to individual tastes and preferences. That could, however, cost one a great deal.

Most of the handmade jewelry boxes are generally made of wood. This is because wooden boxes often last longer than metallic boxes, are much easier to make, and most of the time look more elegant, also.

Handmade jewelry boxes are made differently all over the world. However, they can be ordered from anywhere in the world, as many of them are displayed online. A connoisseur of handmade jewelry boxes must keep track of various offline and online auctions where such items are made available quite often.



Caring for Sterling Silver Jewelry

Caring for Sterling Silver Jewelry

By Jack Shafer

Sterling silver jewelry is always a silver which is 92.5% pure. It consists of 925 pieces of pure silver and 75 parts alloy, usually copper. Sterling silver jewelry is always the hallmark of silver on it, sometimes accompanied with the name of the designer or manufacturer of jewelry. The word "excellent" is the most respected in the jewelry business today. Since pure silver by itself is soft, other metals e.g. copper is added to it, to give the silver its added stiffness and other qualities. The resulting mixture is composed of 925 parts of pure silver in every 1000. This proportion never varies. It is set by law. This is known as the pound sterling and is often mistakenly referred to as solid silver.

Sterling silver jewelry is made of sterling silver, a white and highly reflective precious metal. It is of superior quality, reflecting in its look and feel. Although less durable than stainless steel and different precious metals, sterling silver is often employed in watches that coordinate or appear sterling jewelry. A protective layer can be added to preclude tarnishing. Sterling silver jewelry is not cheap, but it is not unattainable. It looks very distinctive and can be easily distinguished. No doubt reflection glossy of jewelry, one of its brands.

It adds a sophisticated charm to your personality. Sterling silver jewelry is very elegant and offers an incredible elegance to your entire look. The seal of quality food, along with the elegant sophistication makes it a wonderful "must have" product. It is a very versatile embellishment that crosses completely barriers of age, cast, creed etc. It can be used by anyone whether young or old. Some care must be taken with the sterling silver jewelry that you own. The jewelry does not tarnish with time. Tarnish silver begins as a yellow dye and is more easily removed at this stage. Silver is moving to a cloud layer blackish purple to be much more difficult to remove. Prolonged, unprotected storage is generally when there is tarnish.

In general, do not seem to blur into jewelry that is placed on a regular basis. The soft touch of the contact and the use of oils in the skin is probably to keep your jewelry bright and sparkling. Note, however, that taking certain drugs can cause changes in the skin and can cause heartburn tarnish jewelry.

To exercise good care of money, keep your jewelry tarnish free for frequent cleaning. A simple diluted solution of mild liquid dishwashing and water can clean your silver jewelry. You can make your own cleaner by putting 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of salt in an aluminum pan - make sure? S aluminum that? S what makes this work - adding hot water, add and leave your silver tarnished. A "magic" chemistry eliminates tarnishing. Then rinse and wipe dry.The presence of moisture to promote tarnish, if possible, store your jewelry in a zip-loc plastic bag with anti-tarnish paper.

Light tarnish or oxidation film can be removed with silver polishing cloths. You can find them in supermarkets, hardware stores or jewelry. Heavy tarnishing will require commercially available polishing creams, liquids, or immersion. Be careful with them, limiting the exposure of gemstones to silver cleaners as they may contain chemicals that can modify many gemstones. Always rinse and dry jewelry completely. I found that using a hair dryer works very well to assure removal of moisture. Use a soft cloth to assure no residual cleaner remains.

Note: Cream bath liquid waxes and most probably remove the tarnish and oxidation of their jewelry. Likewise, most remove any doubt, decorative designs and patinas of rust too. Therefore, it is better to keep these issues without tarnishing through proper storage and use of cleaning cloths. BUT stay away cleaning with a tissue of silver. Believe it or not, the tissues can scratch your silver.

Avoid contact with abrasive soaps, jewelry, chemicals, perfumes, hair sprays, dyes, etc. Remove your jewelry while washing, bathing, doing dishes, doing housework or cleaning with chemicals. The silver metal is relatively soft and can scratch, so you do not scrub with a cloth or abrasive cleaners. Remove your jewelry before doing strenuous activities, exercise, sports, swimming (both salt water ocean or swimming pools with chlorine) to preclude scratches, dents or loss of precious stones. Remove jewelry before going to bed to stay away breaking or kinking.

Sterling silver jewelry has an air of class, style and sophistication that surrounds it. It is a wonderful thing to own property and to give people that matters. It says a lot about your personality and taste. The use of sterling silver jewelry can immediately increase their over-all. Available for both men and women is one of the important pieces of jewelry to keep in your collection. Its versatile look allows it to be used for numerous occasions, and the feeling and the texture is very fashionable and glamorous. Knowing many of the features of silver and having a bit of attention, your silver jewelry can give you a lifetime of enjoyment.

Source: EzineArticles



7/22/2009

How to Avoid Failure on Your eBay Auctions

How to Avoid Failure on Your eBay Auctions


Many first time sellers have one thing in common –
they fail. Many of them fail time as well as time again,
never understanding what is going wrong. They do
hours of research looking for the perfect item to sell,
get the auction set up, and wait for the bidding to
begin. Hours go by and no bids are placed. Days go
by, and here are still no bids – or there are very low
bids. Finally the auction ends, and it turns out to be
a total failure. Considering the huge number of sellers
who run eBay auctions, there are certain things you
must do, and specific things you must not do if you
are to be successful.

There are numerous reasons why auctions fail. The most
common reason is that the item is not in high
demand. This problem could be avoided by doing the
necessary research to determine which items sell
well, and which items should be avoided. This
research takes a great deal of time – but in the end,
you will find that it is time well spent.

Another reason for eBay failure is pricing. No matter
what your reserve price is, your opening bid price
should never be more than $50 or so. This is how you
will attract potential bidders to your auction. If you
set that opening bid high, most people won’t
even click the link to read the description for your
item. Another pricing problem is lack of research.
Before you set your reserve price, you must
determine what the item is really worth, and the price
similar items have sold for in past eBay auctions.

Poorly written descriptions are another caused of
failed auctions. Poor grammar and misspelled words
drive people away. Failing to post a picture of the
item will also keep people from visiting your auction
page. Make sure that your description is well written.
This is essentially your ‘sales copy.’

Shipping prices scare people away from auctions if
they are too high. Find the lowest shipping prices
that you can find, and consider paying for the
shipping yourself if it won’t cut into your profits too
much. Do not charge handling fees.

Offer great ‘customer service’ for all of your auctions,
and consult your buyers to give you feedback. If the
items that you sell are everything that you said they
would be, and you offer great customer service, you
can expect wonderful feedback – and this
feedback will help a great deal in your future auctions.

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale Online

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale Online


Buying jewelry wholesale online's quite easy, and
most of the time, it is an enjoyable shopping
experience. In fact, many people prefer this method
of buying jewelry wholesale just because they
find a much wider selection at much lower prices.
However, some of the buying public is still wary of
online businesses. If this sounds like you, here is
really no need for concern. Simply follow a couple of
simple guidelines to ensure that you have a risk less
and satisfactory buying experience.
Product Details
The first step is to be aware that there are indeed
many con artists operating on the Internet – and
they will happily take your money with absolutely
no regrets. It is your responsibility to take completely of the
proper precautions to guard against this happening.
Product Details
First, find the jewelry wholesale that you are
interested in buying. Make a note of where you
found it, but do not make a buy just yet –
there is still much to be done. Take a look at different
online wholesaler’s sites and online jewelry stores
to look if you could find similar pieces. In most cases,
you can. Look at the price differences. While the
wholesale price should be lower than the retail price,
you should use extreme caution if the price seems
too low. Remember that old adage ‘if it sounds
good to be true, it probably is.’
Product Details
After you have found the lowest price, read every
detail you can find about the jewelry. Make sure
that it is exactly what you want, in terms of
authenticity. If you are unsure, don’t make the
purchase until you do cognize for sure. Don’t be afraid
to contact the company directly to ask questions –
but don’t take their word for it either.
Product Details
Check with the Better Business Bureau Online, as
well as the BBB in the area where the company is
located. You are checking to see if there have been
any complaints about this business. If there have
been, that information will be made available to you
at no charge… and if there are complaints, you
should avoid doing business with the company.
Product Details
Next, read the refund and exchange policy, as well
as the terms of service and the privacy policy at the
website. This is all important information – and if it
isn’t there, you don’t want to do business with this
company. However, just because the information is
there doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a
legitimate operation – read the information carefully,
and print it out so that you have a record of it.

7/21/2009

eBay Success - How to Price Your Items

eBay Success - How to Price Your Items


Many new sellers don’t realize how important pricing
is when it comes to eBay auctions. Many don’t even
realize that ‘pricing’ needs to be done. eBay's an
auction site after all! But eBay auctions are not quite
the same as the auctions you attend in the offline
world. In fact, quite a bit of work goes into
determining as well as setting prices.

Essentially, there are exclusively three prices that able to be
set for an eBay auction: the ‘buy it now’ price, the
reserve price, and the starting bid price. Of these
three, the starting bid price is the only one that is
required for an eBay auction. The reserve price and
the ‘buy it now’ price are optional. The starting bid
price is fairly simple – never set it higher than $50 or
so – no matter what your item is really worth. This
low opening price will get bidders to your auction.

Setting low starting bid prices creates the need for a
reserve price. A reserve price is the absolute lowest
price that you want to get for your item. You might sell
the item below the reserve price, but you will not be
required to. In different words, if you set your reserve
price at $100, and your highest bid is only $50, you
do not must sell the item to the highest bidder.
You can close the auction without any negative
feedback or repercussions. Set your reserve price
at the absolute lowest price you are willing to sell
your item for. Keep what the item is worth, as well
as what it cost you in mind.

The ‘buy it now’ option will allow you to set a price,
and purchaseers can buy the item immediately, without
bidding, for that set price. This option can be used
for any type of item, and it should be set to match
your reserve, give or take a few dollars. This option
is great if you have multiple identical items to sell.

Shipping has a price, and possible buyers take this
into consideration when they are looking at an
auction. If you can see your way clear to offer free
shipping, you will find that people are placing more
bids. Make sure that your potential buyers realize
that you are offering free shipping!

Before setting any prices, you need to determine
what the item is really worth. The value of the item in
different markets might be quite high. However, you
are selling on eBay, and it is a different world
altogether! Find out the price that similar items sold
for on eBay before setting any prices. If it is a
collectable, or a high ticket item, have the item
evaluated to ensure that you aren’t going to lose
money!