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Archive for April 24th, 2009

How To Care For Handmade Gold and Silver Rings

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Have you ever thought about how long this ring would last? Like all other material things, you can expect it to fade away, or to simply lose its beauty sooner or late. There are still a good number of things that you can do to make your jewelry last longer. One of the worse things that can happen is seeing beloved handmade rings become permanently damaged when it was totally preventable. Silver and gold rings should be cared for with the same care that they were produced with, so they can last a lifetime. To avoid having to explain to mother why the handmade gold ring that has been passed down for generations is ruined, there are simple steps that should be followed.

The first steps to caring for silver rings and gold rings is to protect them from begin scratched, dented, chemically damaged or warped from extreme hot and cold. People should store their handmade rings separately and remove them when doing things like gardening and cleaning. A handmade gold ring should also not be worn when swimming, hot-tubbing or bathing, especially when there is chlorine in the water. Silver rings and gold rings should also not be stored near heating vents, window sills or anywhere extreme heat and sun will catch them.

The best place to store a handmade gold ring or silver ring is in a re-sealable plastic bag or jewelry bags with a silica-gel sachet, as this will prevent tarnishing. Owners should also try to wipe down their handmade rings after wearing them to remove dirt and skin oils. Gold and silver rings can also be washed in warm soapy water providing they are dried carefully before storage. Then they should be rinsed carefully and patted dry with a soft non-abrasive cloth.

Handmade rings of silver and gold should generally be cared for very gently and carefully. Commercial silver and gold cleaners should only be used if any stones in the jewelry can withstand the chemicals in the cleaner. Some handmade rings with gemstones that can’t be placed in commercial cleaners include those with pearls, lapis lazuli, malachite, opals, coral and turquoise.

A handmade gold ring or silver ring can also be cleaned using a solution made of ammonia and water. Owners should use a light solution of ammonia and water on a toothbrush or soft cloth and then rinse thoroughly with water. The same can be said about using this solution on handmade rings with gemstones; it should be used with caution. Tarnish can be prevented by storing gold and silver rings in re-sealable plastic bags together with a sachet of silica gel. This will absorb any moisture on a handmade gold ring or silver ring. Handmade rings containing pearls and opals, however, should not be stored in plastic bags.

This solution of soap and water can also be used on gold and silver. Take care to avoid using cleaning powder without any whitening chemicals, as they will affect the color of gold in particular. Check if the powder has any chlorine in it as well, as it would affect the finish of silver jewelry too. With a little care and preventative maintenance, hand made rings of silver and gold should be able to last for generations. Even silver rings that aren’t worth a lot of money often have sentimental value in the family, and they should be treated accordingly.

Knowing About The Difference Of Handmade Jewellery

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Murano is a small island just north of Venice and it has been the undisputable capital of Venetian glass for ages. Murano glass is a famous handmade glass product that originates from the island of Murano, where it has been handcrafted for years. Murano made its name as a commercial port just off the shore of Venice in Italy as far back as during the 7th century. Murano is regarded as an excellent tourist destination for lovers of fine art and handcrafted jewellery for good reason.

For centuries, the glassmakers in Murano held a monopoly on all quality glass and glassmaking. These master artisans refined a number of popular glassmaking technologies for the creation of handmade jewellery, including glass with threads of gold, milk glass, multi colored glass, and imitation gemstones crafted from glass. These age old techniques are still being employed as Murano glass handmade jewellery is crafted into stunning contemporary art.

Murano glass handmade jewellery was massively produced in the 50s and 60s for the purpose of exporting to other countries as gifts and for tourists. The processes used to create these stunning glass gifts is still being employed as the popularity for painstakingly crafted handmade jewellery continues to grow.

Because Murano glass handmade jewellery cannot be massively produced, but rather employs painstakingly complex glassmaking techniques, each piece of Murano glass jewellery is one of a kind and makes for an incredible gift. Anyone who appreciates the gift of handmade jewellery will appreciate what it means to own a handcrafted piece of stunning Murano art glass jewellery.

That is because no two pieces of art glass jewellery from the island of Murano are the same, and each piece is handcrafted using age old traditions that were cultivated and mastered by the finest glass artisans that the world had ever seen at the time that Murano art glass became such a sought after commodity. Anyone scouting for the best gifts to give for special occasions will be thrilled to find that there is a style of Murano glass handmade jewellery to suit all tastes and styles.

Murano art glass handmade jewellery is crafted using high quality glass and melting agents called flux. Glass is shaped and molded on rods over a flame or torch and slowly manipulated to create highly detailed and truly unique gifts in the form of pendants, beads and other jewellery elements. The colors, styles, materials and techniques used in Murano art glass handmade jewellery can vary significantly depending on what look the master glassmaker is hoping to create.

Popular styles for Murano glass handmade jewellery gifts include millefiori, filigree, enamel painted, engraved, lattimo, gold engraved, incalmo, ribbed glass and submersion glass. Each of these styles creates a completely different and unique piece of handmade jewellery, and because each is crafted by hand, no two could ever be created alike. Murano jewelry is world-famous and has been exported all over the world for years. Whether you are looking for an unusual pendant, a pair of beautiful earrings, or any other stylish piece of jewelry, by buying Murano glass you create a unique and beautiful look that will impress everyone around you.