Monday, July 9, 2018

Colored Gemstone Choices for Fall and Winter 2018

After studying Pantone's color choices for Fall and Winter 2018, I selected the best gems for you that match the color palette.  These are gems that will compliment Fall and Winter's fashions in clothing and accessories; colors you may want to consider while planning your jewelry creations for later in the year.

Image borrowed from Pantone website
 Red Pear - Ruby, Garnet

Valiant Poppy - Red Coral

Nebulas Blue - not really sure on this one

Ceylon Yellow - another one I am not really sure of

Martini Olive - Smokey Quartz

Russet Orange - Carnelian, Peach Moonstone, Amber

Ultra Violet - Amethyst, Charoite

Crocus Petal -  Phosposdarite, Pink Amethyst, Lavender Moonstone Quartz, Sugilite

Limelight - Lemon Quartz

Quetzal Green - London Blue Topaz

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Color Trends for Fall and Winter 2018

Here we are, summer has just begun, and the color trends for Fall and Winter have all ready been chosen.  Actually, they were chosen in February!  Amazing. 

For more than 20 years, Pantone has been considered the global authority on color.  Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, to collect feedback on prominent collection colors, color inspiration and color philosophy. This information is used to create the Pantone Fashion Color Report, which serves as a reference tool throughout the year for fashion enthusiasts, reporters and retailers

Laurie Pressman of the Pantone Color Institute, describes Fall's colors as "Autumnal hues that evoke the feeling of leaves on the forest floor, rich plumage and twilight reveal a modern fall palette of deep and rich tones with outbursts of colorful surprise."

In total 10 colors are chosen as part of Fall and Winter's color palette.  Here are two color charts to show you what you will be seeing in fashion and decor.  These charts may also be helpful for you, as a jewelry designer, to know what gems to choose in your jewelry creations, that will compliment the coming fashions. 

Image borrowed from Pantone website



Red Pear - deliciously deep red, whose luscious depth entices

Valiant Poppy - brave and outgoing red shade, effusive in it's allure

Nebulas Blue - reminiscent of twilight, a thoughtful, starry-eyed blue

Ceylon Yellow -  savory and spicy yellow, adds an exotic touch

Martini Olive - smooth, sophisticated and urbane green

Russet Orange - this forest floor orange speaks to earthern warmth

Ultra Violet - inventive and imaginative, lights the way for what is yet to come

Crocus Petal - a cultivated and refined hue adds a light and airy spring-like feeling

Limelight - animated and effervescent, a pungent yellow green

Quetzal Green - a deep elegant blue-green hue, suggestive of rich plumage

Image borrowed from Pantone website


And these five colors above are called the classic color palette, considered the building blocks for ones Fall and Winter wardrobes. They are Sargasso Sea, Tofu, Almond Buff, Quiet Gray and Meerkat.  

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

What is Amber?

I recently sourced some beautiful amber cabochons for the store.  I LOVE amber, and I thought I would look into what it actually is, and the best ways to take care of it.  


"Amber is fossilized resin from Ancient forests.  Amber is not produced from tree sap, but rather
from plant resin.  This aromatic resin can drip from and ooze down trees, as well as fill internal
fissures, trapping debris such as seeds, leaves, feathers and insects.  The resin becomes buried and
fossilized through a natural polymerization of the original organic compounds."

"Amber is formed as a result of the fossilization of resin that that takes millions of years and involves a progressive oxidation and polymerization of the original organic compounds. Although a specific time interval has not been established for this process, the majority of amber is found within Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary rocks (approximately 30-90 million years old)."


Care of Amber

"Amber has retained its beauty for million years and the polished luster can be retained indefinitely, if a few precautions are observed. The softness, brittleness, and susceptibility to attack by chemicals of amber requires some special care in handling and storing. Do not put your amber jewelry on before hairspray and perfume is applied, because it will likely create a whitish coating on the amber that may be permanent.

Never put amber jewelry in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner, which would shatter the gem. Never let amber come in contact with strong solutions, soaps, detergents, commercial jewelry cleaning solutions, perfume, or hairspray. All of these can dull the finish and/or give a whitish coating. Keep the amber away from common kitchen substances such as lard, salad oil, butter and excessive heat of ovens and burners.

Dust and perspiration can be removed with clean, lukewarm (never hot!) water and a soft flannel cloth. The amber can be dried and rubbed with clear olive oil, then rubbed with a soft cloth to remove excess oil and restore the polish.

Do not place amber art objects near heating ducts or in direct sunshine. Displays in lighted showcases should be properly ventilated. Avoid exposure to sudden changes of temperature, such as hot tubs, very cold water, and reaching into ovens, followed by a cold sink. Remember never to wear jewelry you value when doing strenuous, physical activity (e.g. gardening)"

***Information for this post borrowed from the website, World of Amber.

Etsy, What's Going On?


I don't know about you, but since Etsy went public and started selling stock options in April of 2015, the Etsy that I used to know when I began my business in 2007 changed.  Of course, change is inevitable in life and business, but it seems to me they sold out from their original vision.  When Rob Kalin started Etsy in 2007,  he was dismayed with Ebay and felt they were too corporate and so he wanted to change the way commerce worked with a mission to promote sustainable products, handmade products and the supplies to make them, online.  (Here is a good article from 2007 where Kalin talks about his beginning vision for Etsy -  https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/184996).

Since "going corporate," Etsy seems to have left the handmade model behind.  Yes, there are still many small handmade businesses on Etsy, but there are also MANY resellers selling products that they are purchasing all ready made from other countries, and trying to pass them off as products they have created themselves.  Seems like Etsy no longer cares who sells on their platform.  They are just looking to make a sale to anyone, from any seller, and they are even willing to set up competition between their sellers with their new "see similar items" link that pops up when your mouse hovers over a listing.

And now they are running tests continually that they say are going to help bring in more buyers, and consequently, bring in more sales for their sellers.  Uh, sorry, not seeing any results there.  Quite the opposite.

One thing I noticed recently that I find really disturbing is the results I get when I do a search on Google using my most popular keywords.  I am not sure if you have tried this.  I would recommend  that you do.  This is what I found.

So I clicked on four different listings of mine.  Here are the results: 

-  one Etsy Studio listing was for Amethyst cabochons - when I clicked on the listing, it went to another suppliers listing, and for Peridot cabochons.

-  another Etsy Studio listing for Amethyst cabochons took me to another suppliers listing, not mine, but at least this time it was for amethyst cabs

- another listing for Amethyst cabochons took me to the home page of my Etsy store, not the listing

- and the last listing I checked was for Smokey Quartz cabochons.  When I clicked on that listing, it took me to a listing of mine for Rainbow Moonstone cabochons.  And when you scroll to the bottom of that page, Etsy has "you may also like," suggestions for other sellers cabochons.

I don't know about you, as I stated above, but I really feel Etsy has lost it's way.  Or just changed it's way.  And as a long time seller, I feel like the changes Etsy has made and continue to make are for the benefit of themselves and their stock holders.  My own personal opinion is that Etsy has lost the heart and soul of what made Etsy a unique platform for artisans.