Silver Jewelry

James Allen: Trendy Silver Jewelry Highly Affordable

2008-10-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

James Allen: Trendy Silver Jewelry Highly Affordable

By Stan Lennox

New York ----- In these days of global financial uncertainty, who’s thinking of buying jewelry? The smart thinking is that silver jewelry might well give you a hedge against rainy days, while providing a very trendy – and still highly affordable – fashion accessory. So say the mavens at James Allen.com, one of the world’s leading professional on-line jewelers.

Silver jewelry is very much in style these days and may be even more so with more people being turned on to the everlasting value of silver – a precious metal that has withstood the test of time in both look, worth and .value for money.

Each year, on fashion runways around the world, sterling silver jewelry is enjoying a resurgence, as talented artists and designers interpret it in new and exciting ways to suit the evolving tastes of the women – and men – who wear it.

Sterling silver jewelry is accepted as a fashion perennial: its beauty, versatility, durability, and affordability, give sterling silver jewelry a commanding lead in the fashion stakes. Whether as a ring, a necklace, or bracelet, standing alone or presented in combination with gemstones and other precious metals…sterling silver jewelry is always in fashion.

Silver jewellry provides the “white look” which has been gaining ground for a number of years, challenging yellow gold sales at the top end of the market. It goes well with almost everything, say James Allen designers. In addition to this, it helps in creating a “Bohemian” style which is very much in these days.

Silver is more affordable than white gold, is durable, wearable with almost anything – and has great appeal not only for women but also for men.”

Take by way of example James Allen’s classic' collection of men's pendants, rings, cufflinks and bangles: bold, generously proportioned and clean. Brushed and polished silver nuggets are threaded onto woven leather neck and wrist bands, highlighted with their signature brilliant-cut diamond.

“If you are trendy, then you could wear a silver necklace or bracelet studded with gems. Combinations of silver and gems are very popular and extremely attractive, as gems and silver can be easily matched with any style.”

Thus, fashion conscious men and women can choose gems set in silver jewelry of varied types and in various colors so that it matches perfectly to their wardrobe. Silver jewelry pieces go perfectly with every clothing style.

It’s not just silver jewelry that has made a fashion statement in recent years – and which looks to be continuing the trend. Sterling silver has made a fashion impact on gift items such as sterling silver frames, jewelry boxes, bridal gifts and other items. Sterling silver jewelry thus becomes a “must-have” gift idea.

Silver jewelry has very much become a niche market all of its own: More sterling silver jewellry is actually being designed for a specific look or a specific type of person – almost ‘tailor made” if you like. This because, on the whole, sterling silver is still one of the cheapest types of jewelry to wear and thus makes an excellent, affordable gift or accessory.

And as an investment, silver in jewelry could well provide that sought-after “hedge” against the stormy financial days everyone is predicting.

The simple truth is that the demand for silver has outstripped its supply for so long, that the value of silver continues to rise. According to investment experts, it will continue to do so in the current crisis. So it makes good sense to purchase silver jewelry right now as it is still much more affordable than gold.

Silvery Jewelry in History

Silver has attracted man’s fascination for many thousands of years. Ancient civilizations found silver deposits plentiful on or near the earth’s surface. Relics of these civilizations include jewelry, religious artifacts, and food vessels formed from durable, malleable silver. This metal took on near mystical qualities in marking important historical milestones throughout the ages, and served as a medium of exchange.

Throughout history, handmade sterling silver jewelry was one of the most popular types of ornate adornment made for men and women alike. At one time it was all made by hand by skilled craftsmen – silversmiths. The first mechanical production only started in 1869, with various methods of machine production gradually being developed. Initially, these were only used to make simple types of trinkets, such as chains. As methods were refined, mass production became possible for more delicate pieces.

About James Allen

Founded in 1998 by James Allen Schultz and his wife Michele Sigler, the idea behind James Allen was simple: Offer the world's most beautiful diamond engagement rings and silver jewelry, all at an extraordinary value. While the idea of selling fine engagement diamond and silver jewelry over the Internet seemed strange back in 1998, James Allen has now grown to be one of the largest and most successful of all online diamond retailers. The company is regularly featured in trade magazines such as "National Jeweler" and has been profiled by such famous publications as "The Washington Post" Newspaper, "NBC News", "US News & World Report" and "National Public Radio".

James Allen Introduces Hot Diamonds Silver Jewelry Collection

2008-10-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

James Allen Introduces Hot Diamonds Silver Jewelry Collection

By Herb Brandon
Israel News Agency

New York --- October 3, 2008...... JamesAllen.com, the leading, most respected on-line retailer of diamond engagement rings, sterling silver and gemstone jewelry since 1998, has introduced their Hot Diamonds silver jewelry collection for Fall 2008.

The James Allen Hot Diamonds silver jewelry collections are created from delicious sterling silver and brilliant-cut white diamonds. Inspired by nature, sensual, fluid, flowing and utterly feminine their jewelry is easy to love and wear.

One can view this creative silver jewellery collection with an on-line 3D view gallery to gaze upon stunning 3D movies of any silver piece. These movies provide an excellent sense of the JamesAllen.com silver jewelry collection.

The James Allen selection of Hot Diamonds' silver jewelry rings have a refreshing take on natural shapes with soft forms using both polished and rustic matte finishes on the silver, occasionally 18k yellow gold vermeil and diamonds. Any of these stunning silver jewelry pieces will be treasured forever.

The Hot Diamonds' silver jewelry collection of pendants have textured organic shapes together with warm gold and liquid silver mould and mesh together, just as they do in nature. From their multiple collections, one will find a silver jewelry piece that feels like it was tailor-made just for you.

James Allen states that: “Charms by Hot Diamonds tell the story of our lives. Tactile symbols of moments and events that we collect over time like pages of a book. They are fun, glamorous, eclectic and most of all meaningful, so go-ahead and start telling your own story.”

There is a feeling of individuality, tactility and character in the Hot Diamonds' silver jewelry necklaces. Light dances and reflects from highly polished silver and gold surfaces and the contrast of matte brushing adds depth to all of these.

Confidence and femininity - able to transform from 'day into night' James Allen silver jewelry earrings which are made with polished and matte sterling silver and brilliant cut diamonds.

James Allen asks Internet surfers shopping and buying on the Net why they would consider throwing their money away in a local jewelry store when one can find high quality, creative and modern designed silver jewelry on-line for almost half the price on the Net.

Furthermore, the cost of silver has recently fallen as U.S. equities rallied in a fragile US economy and the dollar has surged to a record gain against the Euro, cutting investment demand for the metal.

Major U.S. equity indexes rebounded from the worst plunge since October 1987 after US lawmakers sought to repair a $700 billion financial economic rescue plan voted down yesterday. The dollar climbed the most ever against the 15-nation Europe currency as France and Belgium led a state-backed rescue of Dexia SA, the world's biggest lender to local governments.

This means that James Allen is now able to provide their customers with bargain prices as many now seek to purchase diamonds and sterling silver jewelry as assets whose value remains constant throughout the decades.

And buying on-line has never been easier as James Allen offers a variety of safe and secure methods of payment including PayPal, MasterCard, Visa and Discover. James Allen is a member of both the Better Business Bureau and Ivouch and provides free shipping through FedEx.

Silver jewelry has attracted man's fascination for many thousands of years.

Ancient civilizations found silver deposits plentiful on or near the earth's surface. Relics of these civilizations, include jewelry, religious artifacts, and food vessels formed from the durable, malleable metal. This metal took on near mystical qualities in marking important historical milestones throughout the ages, and served as a medium of exchange.

Today, silver jewelry is sought as a valuable and practical industrial commodity, as well as an appealing investment precious metal.

Although silver is relatively scarce, it is the most plentiful and least expensive of the precious metals. The largest silver producing countries are Mexico, Peru, the United States, Australia and Chile.

JamesAllen.com, which is currently sponsoring a Dream Honeymoon contest where the winners will stay at the luxurious, brand-new Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso in beautiful Riva Maya, Mexico, is regularly featured in trade magazines such as "National Jeweler" and has been profiled by such famous publications as "The Washington Post" newspaper, "NBC News", "Google News", "US News & World Report" and "National Public Radio".

“Whether for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve or that special silver jewelry birthday or anniversary gift for your husband, wife, son, daughter or partner, our trusted on-line store continues a tradition of excellence and value,” says James Allen.

“Excellence which goes unmatched on the Internet when buying silver jewelry and tremendous value passed down to our customers by maintaining low over head costs. And James Allen promises to maintain to provide high quality, creative, designer silver jewelry and engagement diamond rings to our customers at just above cost levels for many years to come. Nothing makes us more proud than to see hundreds of our satisfied customers coming back year after year. ”

JamesAllen.com provides real-time advice on silver jewelry and diamond engagement rings in Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook.

The above news content was edited and SEO optimized in Israel for the Internet by the Leyden Communications Group.

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Silver Jewelry - The Secret of Making It Shine

2008-09-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Silver Jewelry - The Secret of Making It Shine

Silver jewelry retailers have dozens of decisions to make when it comes to maintaining a quality silver jewelry selection. James Allen, a respected on-line retailer of silver jewelry and diamond engagement rings provides some tips on how to maintain that brand new shining look for silver jewelry pieces, especially body jewelry.

Wearing silver jewelry has only own real purpose - to make it as attractive as possible. Thus the challenge is to make each piece stand out in its own way. This is especially important with a creative selection of silver body jewelry
Many respected companies offer displays of its wholesale silver jewelry. By using these attractive displays, much of the hard work is done already.

Next, keep like items together. Place silver rings in one display, silver earrings in another. You will appreciate the convenience of being able to quickly locate what you are looking for.

Consider putting like styles together. For example, a selection of silver nose studs will look best if each of the shapes are in the same spot. These shapes can then be arranged according to size or by price.

Some silver jewelry collectors will appreciate it if the "edgier" pieces are grouped together away from the others. For example, those who are looking for butterfly navel rings might shy away from looking at them if they are next to those shaped like marijuana leaves. Likewise place silver jewelry pieces which are more popular for men away from those more popular for women.

In addition, parents will appreciate have illusion pieces placed away from "edgier" pieces. Some parents will allow their children to use illusion body jewelry for Halloween or costume parties. They may find it disconcerting to find their child next to the more explicit pieces.

When selling silver jewelry, vary the display often, even weekly. Every time a new stock of silver jewelry comes in, move the pieces around. Customers will enjoy the adventure of finding what's new. As a courtesy, keep track of new and old locations to help customers who have finally settled on a purchase.

Wholesale silver jewelry looks best when displayed on or near dark colors. Using black or dark blue velvet or velveteen is sets silver off to its best advantage.

Make sure the silver jewelry is located in a secure area. Unfortunately in this day and age, thefts occur. By securing the stock, the jewelry investment is protected.

When stocking silver jewelry, it is important to have all information about the materials used readily available. Many people are allergic to certain metals, such as nickel and it is wise for retailers to know which of its products contain these metals, and their amounts. Also have available information about the care and cleaning of each piece.

Carefully comply with state and local laws concerning the trying on of jewelry. Because body jewelry must be carefully cleaned after each use, it is best to prohibit the trying on of various pieces.

When taking into account silver jewelry customer preferences and the unique qualities of each silver piece, a silver jewelry collector and or retailer can easily come up with creative ways to maintain and or display wholesale silver jewelry. Silver body jewelry is a rising market that jewelry retailers can readily profit from, especially as more people learn to appreciate it.

Silver Jewelry Web Site Offers Quality at Low Prices

2008-09-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

James Allen Silver Jewelry Website Becomes Overloaded With Buyers

By Carole Fradette

James Allen .com, which has sold over 20,000 high quality diamond engagement rings on-line in the past 10 years, is now witnessing an abundance of traffic and sales to their silver jewelry Web pages.

Featuring dozens of beautiful and creative styles, James Allen Silver Jewelry is highlighting their Hot Diamonds collection.

Hot Diamonds is one such designing team producing some of the most sought after sterling silver jewelry of our time. Don`t let the name fool you, Hot Diamonds does feature at least one small brilliant cut diamond in every silver jewelry piece, but the accent is just as much on the metal as it is on the precious gemstones. You can find earrings, bangles, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and rings featuring contoured shapes and fluid lines with a contemporary twist.

Each Hot Diamonds silver jewelry piece is part of a wider style line with such names as “just add love” or “back to nature” and “moonstruck” among others to captivate the imagination of buyers.

For instance, the “just add love” line features modern and whimsical hearts and stars, an inviting style prized by young adult buyers. The “after hours” line represents the designers` evening wear collection, just perfect for a night out on the town for varying levels of formality.

Why should you choose sterling silver jewelry?

James Allen.com states that if you researched the properties of silver you`d quickly realize how soft silver is by itself. Sterling silver is made up of 92.5 percent silver with the remaining 7.5 percent copper or some other metal. That is why you`ll find silver flatware pieces, even jewelry, well over a century old in excellent condition: durable sterling silver is one metal that can stand the test of time.

If you were to choose earrings made of virtually pure silver, you`d risk having them break in short order. Always buy jewelry with an eye to have it last to ensure that your investment is worthwhile and can retain its look.

A big trend for sterling silver jewelry fans is to visit estate sales to see what silver jewelry buys can be had. If you`re a fan of antiques, you`ll find the best buys at these types of sales, particularly those managed directly by the family. When an auctioneer or estate planner is brought in, prices are often marked up to cover their costs much as an antique retailer would have to charge more to cover her overhead.

For new sterling silver, your options are quite broad from flea markets to mall jewelry stores to online merchants. At flea markets you risk dealing with someone who may not be able to vouch that the earrings or pendant you want to purchase are, in fact, sterling silver. With a mall jewelry store, the merchant can attest to what they`re selling, while offering a guarantee.

If shopping online, make sure that you deal with a reputable jeweler such as James Allen. You could save a lot of money if you find the right retailer as Internet stores typically have a much lower overhead and savings are passed on to you in the form of lower prices. One can also secure valuable advice and tips for buying silver jewelry from the James Allen Silver Jewelry Internet blog.

Regardless of where you purchase your sterling silver jewelry, you`re buying classical jewelry with a strong, contemporary appeal. Whether choosing antique or contemporary sterling silver earrings, pendants, bangles, rings, necklaces, or bracelets you can reap the satisfaction of finding and wearing one of the finest of all metals.

JamesAllen.com is regularly featured in trade magazines such as "National Jeweler" and has been profiled by such famous publications as "The Washington Post" Newspaper, "NBC News", "US News & World Report" and "National Public Radio".

Design Museum Displays Silver Jewelry Collection

2008-09-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Design Museum Displays Silver Jewelry Collection

By Ula Ilntzki

The Associated Press
Contributed by James Allen Silver Jewelry

NEW YORK - The Museum of Arts and Design has received a donation of 800 pieces of silver jewelry designed in the 20th century by tribal and ethnic artisans from around the world.

The silver jewelry collection is a gift from Daniel and Serga Nadler, who amassed the silver jewelry pieces over 30 years during expeditions to remote areas of Africa, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Thailand and western United States.

The museum described the silver jewelry collection of unsigned pieces of wearable art as one of the most comprehensive holdings of tribal, ethnic and contemporary jewelry in the world.

"The silver jewelry collection helps underscore our commitment to the idea that design is a universal phenomenon and that ideas in the visual arts are echoed in other parts of the world that most people don't think about," David McFadden, MAD's chief curator, said.

Many of the Nadler pieces were worn by the indigenous people as symbols of status and wealth. All are executed in silver, with a few incorporating amber, coral, turquoise and enamel.
While the majority are decorative, some had practical applications, such as an ornamental enameled brooch used to hold together the clothing of Beni Yenni women in the mountainous region of northern Algeria.

But their "real value is vested in the design," said McFadden.

"Their forms and the techniques have strong reverberations in modern and contemporary jewelry design," he said. "Over the last half century, many, many jewelers have been inspired by this material."

Among the highlights is a pair of silver anklets from India.

The museum, formerly known as the American Craft Museum, is scheduled to move to a new facility on Columbus Circle on Sept. 27. The silver jewelry collection is part of an opening exhibition, "Forward Thinking," including the works of other jewelry artists

Founded in 1998 by James Allen Schultz and his wife Michele Sigler, the idea behind James Allen was simple: Offer the world's most beautiful diamond engagement rings and silver jewelry all at an extraordinary value. While the idea of selling fine engagement jewelry and silver jewelry over the Internet seemed strange back in 1998, James Allen has now grown to be one of the largest and most successful of all online diamond and silver jewelry retailers.

The James Allen and its silver jewelry collection is regularly featured in trade magazines such as "National Jeweler" and has been profiled by such famous publications as "The Washington Post" Newspaper, "NBC News", "US News & World Report" and "National Public Radio".

James Allen Silver Jewellery / Jewelry Market Report

2008-09-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

Silver Jewellery / Jewelry Market Report 2007 to 2008

By James Allen .com

According to James Allen, one of the most respected names in quality diamonds and silver jewelry, the growth of China jewelry industry is exceedingly faster than expected.

Starting from 2005, the sales of China´s jewelry industry has increased by about CNY20 billion annually and it reached CNY180 billion in 2007. So far, China´s jewelry industry has become the third largest consumer hot spot preceded only by real estate and automobile industry. In March 2008, the latest statistics showed that the sales of gold and silver jewelry have kept a good momentum and its sales growth has topped among various kinds of commodities for five consecutive months.

Since 2003, the retail price index of China´s gold and silver jewelry goods has risen continuously (on the basis of 100 in the previous year) and has been all higher than commodity retail price index in the same period, indicating that the growth rate of retail price of gold and silver jewelry goods has been higher than other commodities.

In 2007, the value of import and export of China´s jewelry products totaled US$14.2 billion, of which, US$6.2 billion were from the imports and US$8 billion were from the exports, up 35.57% on year and 16.81% on year respectively.

That indicates China´s jewelry market is increasingly prosperous and the import and export trade is continuously growing. China´s position as one of world´s main jewelry manufacturers and consumers has been further strengthened. By the end of 2007, there have been more than 10,000 jewelry sales enterprises in Mainland. Most of them are small outlets without independent brands and competitiveness. However, some of them with large-scale shops or chain stores have independent brands, but their brands are only regional ones, which lack trans-regional influence. For example, Lao Fengxiang Co., Ltd., as a local leading brand in Shanghai, achieved around CNY6.1 billion in the sales revenue in 2007, still amounting to only less than 4% of China´s total market share.

James Allen quality diamonds and silver jewelry states that this report was based on the authoritative statistics of the Gems & Jewelry Trade Association of China, the China Gold Association, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Bureaus of Statistics and statistics bureaus at provincial or municipal level, as well as information from financial statements of some key jewelry enterprises.

While the idea of selling fine engagement silver jewelry over the Internet seemed strange back in 1998, James Allen has now grown to be one of the largest and most successful of all online diamond and silver jewelry retailers.

The company is regularly featured in trade magazines such as "National Jeweler" and has been profiled by such famous publications as "The Washington Post" Newspaper, "NBC News", "US News & World Report" and "National Public Radio".

Gold Drops as Euro Weakens Against Dollar; Silver Jewelry Prices Steady

2008-09-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

Gold Drops as Euro Weakens Against Dollar; Silver Jewelry Prices Steady

By James Allen Silver Jewelry

Sept. 4 .... Gold fell for the fourth straight day as the euro weakened against the dollar, eroding the appeal of the precious metal as an alternative investment. Silver was little changed, translating into good prices for silver jewelry.

Competitive and low prices for quality silver jewelry can be found on the Internet where silver jewelry (jewellry, jewelery,) distributors are able to lower costs by keeping overhead low.

The euro fell as much as 1.2 percent against the dollar after the European Central Bank kept the benchmark rate at a seven-year high and said risks to growth remain. Gold reached a record in March as the euro headed toward an all-time high in July.

``Too much weakness in the euro will pull gold down,'' said Frank Lesh, a trader at FuturePath Trading LLC in Chicago. ``The euro is getting beat up pretty good, so gold is giving in a little.''
Gold futures for December delivery fell $5, or 0.6 percent, to $803.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The metal has dropped 4.1 percent since Aug. 28.

Silver futures for December delivery fell 0.7 cent to $12.94 an ounce on the Comex. Silver has fallen 13 percent this year, while gold dropped 4.2 percent.
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said the 15 countries that share the euro currency are experiencing an ``episode of weak activity.''
The ECB left the benchmark rate at 4.25 percent. The dollar has rebounded 11 percent against the euro since reaching an all- time low on July 15. The Federal Reserve slashed the main financing rate 3 percentage points to 2 percent in April from 5.25 percent last September.

Oil Drops

Gold also weakened after crude oil dropped as much as 2.6 percent to $106.52 a barrel on the Nymex. Oil is down 28 percent from a record $147.27 on July 11, while gold has declined 22 percent from the all-time high of $1,033.90 on March 17.
Still, some investors may purchase gold to preserve purchasing power as the inflation rate remains high and the global economy slows.

``Gold ultimately is a currency,'' said Frank McGhee, the head dealer at Integrated Brokerage Services LLC in Chicago, Illinois. ``It's not that the dollar is better than the euro. It's that everything is losing value.''

Gold may stage a rally similar to 2005, when the metal gained 18 percent, even as the euro fell 13 percent against the dollar, McGhee said.

Founded in 1998 by James Allen Schultz and his wife Michele Sigler, the idea behind James Allen was simple: Offer the world's most beautiful diamond engagement rings and silver jewelry coupled with the finest laboratory graded diamonds, all at an extraordinary value.

While the idea of selling fine engagement jewelry over the internet seemed strange back in 1998, James Allen has now grown to be one of the largest and most successful of all online diamond retailers.

James Allen is regularly featured in trade magazines such as "National Jeweler" and has been profiled by such famous publications as "The Washington Post" Newspaper, "NBC News", "US News & World Report" and "National Public Radio".

So how did a company with such humble beginnings become so famous and successful?

The Highest Quality DiamondsIt is estimated that less than 3% of the round diamonds sold in the US today would qualify as "Ideal" under AGS grading standards. At James Allen however, over 90% of our customers choose diamonds from our "Signature Ideal", "Ideal" or "Premium" categories. All of our stones come with grading reports from either the Gemological Institute of America or the American Gemological Society Laboratory. These two organizations are the "gold standard" in diamond grading and the only option for discerning customers.

No other company offers a finer collection of Ideal cut diamonds than James Allen.

The Best Possible Value

The Internet has changed the world. Never again will people shop for cars, hotels, airline tickets or even houses without first using the tremendous power of the Internet to educate themselves about these most important purchases.

James Allen was one of the first diamond and silver jewelry companies to recognize this change in the retail paradigm and quickly gained notoriety for offering diamonds to consumers at never-before seen discounts. By tapping into the virtual resources and global partnerships not before available, James Allen consistently offers finely cut diamonds for hundreds to thousands of dollars less than traditional retail sources.

Personal Advice & Expert Education

James Allen Quality Diamonds and Silver Jewelry pride ourselves on a database of over 55,000 loose laboratory graded diamonds. We pride ourselves even more on helping each and every customer determine which of those 55,000 diamonds is their perfect choice.

Our comprehensive "Education" section features an interactive demonstration of the importance of diamond cut, along with simple yet powerful tips and tools to help decide which diamond is right for you. If the answer you need couldn't be found on the James Allen website, our expert staff is waiting to answer any question you might have.

Our phones ring thousands of times a month, yet most calls are answered immediately and every customer is treated like a personal friend.It is this dedication to quality, value, and customer service that has helped create the James Allen legacy.

James Allen: Sterling Silver Jewelry Is A Timeless Beauty

2008-09-01T02:06:00.000-07:00

James Allen: Sterling Silver Jewelry Is A Timeless Beauty

By Herb Brandon
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem, Israel --- September 1, 2008 ..... As jewelry trends come and go, silver jewelry remains popular across all economic and fashion spectra. Silver has attracted man’s fascination for many thousands of years.

Ancient civilizations found silver deposits plentiful on or near the earth’s surface. Relics of these civilizations, include jewelry, religious artifacts, and food vessels formed from the durable, malleable metal. This metal took on near mystical qualities in marking important historical milestones throughout the ages, and served as a medium of exchange.

Today, silver is sought as a valuable and practical industrial commodity, as well as an appealing investment precious metal.

So, that elegant pair of glimmering sterling silver drop earrings once prized by your late grandmother looks great today whether you wear the silver jewelry casually or put them on for a formal occasion.

Of course, not everyone is fond of estate silver jewelry, preferring to buy silver jewelry that is new and exciting, especially something designed by one of today`s contemporary artisans. It is these same designers who are seeing a mini boom in business today as shoppers discover the value of owning quality sterling silver jewelry and at prices much lower than gold. Tight economy or not, if your creations are especially attractive, you`ll catch the attention of savvy buyers.

Hot Diamonds is one such designing team producing some of the most sought after sterling silver jewelry of our time. Don`t let the name fool you, Hot Diamonds does feature at least one small brilliant cut diamond in every silver jewelry piece, but the accent is just as much on the metal as it is on the precious gemstones. You can find earrings, bangles, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and rings featuring contoured shapes and fluid lines with a contemporary twist.

Each Hot Diamonds piece is part of a wider style line with such names as “just add love” or “back to nature” and “moonstruck” among others to captivate the imagination of buyers. For instance, the “just add love” line features modern and whimsical hearts and stars, an inviting style prized by young adult buyers. The “after hours” line represents the designers` evening wear collection, just perfect for a night out on the town for varying levels of formality.

Why should you choose sterling silver jewelry?
James Allen.com states that if you researched the properties of silver you`d quickly realize how soft silver is by itself. Sterling silver is made up of 92.5 percent silver with the remaining 7.5 percent copper or some other metal. That is why you`ll find silver flatware pieces, even jewelry, well over a century old in excellent condition: durable sterling silver is one metal that can stand the test of time.

The above news content was edited and SEO optimized in Israel for the Internet by the Leyden Communications Group.

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Silver Jewelry show sparkles at rec center

2008-08-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

Silver Jewelry show sparkles at rec center

With Sam Conn/Sun-News reporter

Article Launched: 08/31/2008 01:00:00 AM MDT

Contributed by James Allen .com

More than a thousand people are expected to visit this year's Silver Jewelry Show

SILVER CITY — For the past 25 years, it has been a silver jewelry and gem event that many look forward to — and not just folks from Silver City.

"It's the first silver jewelry and gem show I have been to in 20 years," said Randy Foster of Nashville. "This is the reason we came to Silver City this week."

Every year, the Grant County Rolling Stones go out of their way to make sure there is something for everyone. Of course, you will find gems and minerals in every shape and size, some raw, others cut, and then, if you want something really fancy, they will even polish them for you. But, it really is a lot more to it than that. You can find jewelry, huge sea shells and even belt buckles made out of bullets.

"I think it's one of the best shows they have had in years," said Patricia Falley of Silver City. "The quality is good and the prices are right."

Vendors from all over the Southwest have come to Silver City for the three-day silver jewelry and gem event, which started Saturday and runs through Monday.

Local silver jewelry and gem artists are also well represented. "We have some fabulous local talent," said organizer Judy Allen. "We have some of the best artists in the Southwest right here in Grant County."

Artists seemed pleased with how fast folks were snapping up the sparkling silver jewelry, gems and other jewels.

"Good, very good," said Therese Higgins, who is also known as Silver City's Jewelry Lady. "They barely advertised last year, but this year they did, and it has been very good."

"It is a a little smaller crowd than last year, but it's a good silver jewelry and gem show," vendor Joe Harris said.

Organizers are hoping that nice weather will bring more than 1,000 visitors to the long weekend event. "The weather has been wonderful so far," said Allen. "Just look at this weather. The vendors are really happy."

The best part of the silver jewelry and gem show for many is the price tag — admission is free. You can also catch a free ride from the Burger King parking lot on the Corre Caminos shuttle bus every 20 minutes. The show runs today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Silver City Recreation Center. If you are not familiar with the area, just follow the signs.

If you go

What: Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Show

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday

Where: Silver City Recreation Center, Gold Street. If you are not familiar with the area, just follow the signs.

The Silver Jewelry Jackpot

2008-08-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Silver Jewelry Jackpot

By James Allen .com

Traditional silver jewelery is Swapnasundari’s passion, after her dance of course.

“I’m a great shopper,” says Swapnasundari. Before you can conjure up an image of the eminent classical dancer peppering her performance tours with shopping sprees at the world’s exclusive boutiques, she explains her speciality.

“I have a huge collection of silver jewelry from all sorts of places.”

But this is no drawing room collection ordered from the Capital’s upmarket localities. “I don’t go to the Sunder Nagar shops,” she puts in. It turns out that, just as Swapnasundari’s vast knowledge of the arts focuses on dance forms of the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh region, so too her love of beautiful objects is concentrated on the vast range of traditionally crafted silver jewellery. From all corners.

In a performing career that requires her to travel regularly, the performer and guru says she has picked up silver jewelry, especially traditional tribal pieces, from all corners of India for years; sometimes at a tribal fair, sometimes a nondescript shop in a local bazaar. Sometimes, like in Hampi, where Lambada women sell the ornaments before the Virupaksha temple, she finds them right on the street.

“I am hard put to stop collecting silver jewelry,” she admits. She tries to buy only those pieces she is likely to wear. “But sometimes I buy one even if I know I can’t wear it, because I know the silversmith will melt it down, and it will be lost forever.”

Most tribal people these days, says the multi-faceted dancer, vocalist and scholar, don’t keep their traditional jewellery intact because they either want to exchange it for something “Bambaiyya”, or because they need the money. “And silversmiths are not interested in the craft as such, only in the value of the silver. So they melt it down and recycle it into fashionable designs.”

It is not easy to convince a silversmith to show you a traditional old piece of silver jewelery. Fearful of showing antique pieces in case they get in trouble, they try to dissuade the customer. “When you go into these shops in a salwar-kameez with your hair in a rubber band, you don’t look like a dehati who’s really going to wear all that,” she comments.

Once the misgivings are allayed, a few pieces appear. Most of the time, she gets them for the price of the silver. “I am not paying for the neon lights and fancy overheads,” she remarks.
Neon lights or no, unique objects appear for her.

“In Landour near Mussoorie, I went into a small silver jewelry shop and got a beautifully engraved piece with a yak’s tail hair, which is used for good luck. It came from Tibet. I had a student with me, and when I came out she said ‘I was in the same shop… I never saw that!’”

Her favourites, says the dancer, are silver ear ornaments; she has at least 50 pairs of traditional silver ear ornaments. Then there are pendants, which she sets in necklaces of semi-precious stones that she designs herself, the finger rings, the hair ornaments, including parandhis (kunjalams), and the sari pins. So much for favourites. She also has a few maatha pattis (head ornaments). Not to mention the silver bangles.

“But I prefer kadaas, because there are so many types,” she points out.

“But I absolutely could not resist buying one set of payal in Bhopal. It grips the ankle bone and then trails onto your foot. I actually got a ghagra tailored to the right length, so that when it moves, I can look at it, more than anyone else!” she laughs.

She uses some of her collection as stage silver jewelery too, if it blends with the designs. “Because if you look at our sculptures,” comments, “you see the dance jewellery is not like the temple jewellery we wear now.” Some she gets polished with gold to match the gold-bordered costumes. For those she retains in silver, she designs a suitable costume.

In the end, Swapnasundari prefers silver to gold.

“A very ornate design looks classy and understated in silver, whereas it might look a bit too much in gold.” And imagine, she adds, silver was always considered the poor man’s metal. Not anymore though. Silver has hit gold!

The Hindu Times contributed to this article.

James Allen: Silver Jewelry Prices Rise As Oil Prices Advance

2008-08-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

Silver Jewelry Prices Rise As Oil Prices Advance

By James Allen .com

NEW YORK - Silver prices rose on Tuesday, recovering their losses from the previous session as a rise in oil prices drew traders back into commodities. Prices in Silver Jewelry are expected to experience a small increase.

The dollar was strong, however, which kept trading erratic. Precious metals are often used by investors as a hedge against inflation and a weakening dollar.

Silver futures for September delivery rose 20.5 cents to settle at $13.575 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after falling by nearly 11 cents on Monday.

Silver Jewelry On Display in Washington

2008-08-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Silver Jewelry Adornment

By JamesAllen Silver Jewelry.com

Visitors to Washington, DC can admire silver jewelry from Bilad al-Sham which is on display at the Jerusalem Fund Gallery.

A wide array of hand-crafted silver jewelry and intricately embroidered costumes are on display until Sept. 12, 2008 at the Jerusalem Fund Gallery in Washington, DC.

Ellen Benson and Lynn Springer of Washington, DC’s Bead Museum organized the exhibit using treasures largely drawn from the David and Marjorie Ransom silver jewelry collection. Marjorie Ransom gave an informative lecture to open the exhibition on May 16.

Until the 1950s and 1960s silver jewelry and embroidery were widely worn in Bilad al-Sham, an area that included Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Syria. Descriptions beside each display provide a wealth of information about where each piece of silver jewelry and clothing came from and what it signified.

Silver-making techniques are also described in fascinating detail.

A complementary silver jewelry exhibit drawn from the same collection, “Silver Speaks,” closed March 2008 after successful showings at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, the Gibson Gallery at the State University of New York at Potsdam, the Jefferson County Historical Society in Watertown, New York and the Bead Museum in Washington, DC.

The Mingei International Museum in San Diego also displayed 77 silver jewelry pieces from this collection from April 2006 to September 2007. This high-caliber exhibit should travel the country to help teach Americans about the rich artistic traditions that Jews and Arabs have enjoyed for centuries.

Silver Institute: Silver Jewelry Marketing Campaign Launched

2008-08-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

Silver Industry Announces Jewelry Marketing Push

Communicated by JamesAllen Silver Jewelry.com

Washington, D.C. - July 15, 2008 .... The Silver Institute today announced that it will launch a consumer-marketing element as part of its wide range of industry programs. The "Silver Marketing Initiative" (SMI) will combine a media and grassroots campaign to increase awareness and encourage consumer purchases of sterling silver jewelry. It will also educate the consumer and trade press on sterling silver and be a source of market information and product news on sterling silver.

Commenting on the announcement, Michael DiRienzo, Executive Director of the Silver Institute, said, "The consensus of our Executive Committee is that the time is right to introduce an industry-supported marketing program in the U.S., with the initial focus being on silver jewelry."

He went on to add, "We are very pleased about appointing Michael Barlerin Associates as the consultant to the Silver Institute in the development and roll-out of the SMI."

Barlerin added, "I could not be more enthusiastic about this opportunity. In light of what has been happening to the price of the other noble metals, now is definitely the time for silver jewelry. I am also gratified by the response I have already received from key members of the jewelry trade when I told them that the SMI was to be launched, and I look forward to discussing mutual opportunities at the JA Show in New York City later this month."

The Silver Institute is an international industry association, which serves as the silver industry's voice in increasing public understanding of the many uses and value of silver. The Institute publishes the widely read World Silver Survey, an annual publication on the global silver industry. The Institute also works to increase global silver demand through a host of programs, and for years operated Silver Trust International, a program similar in mission to the SMI.

Michael Barlerin Associates, LLC was formed in 2005, with the objective of providing marketing and management services to the jewelry industry. Prior to forming the Company, Barlerin had been CEO, Americas for World Gold Council, a position he held for 15 years. He had previously held several senior marketing positions with Zale Corporation.

From Silver Print to Silver Jewelry

2008-08-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

From Silver Print to Silver Jewelry

By James Allen Silver Jewelry

The Jewelers of America (JA) New Designer Award is possibly the most prestigious award for emerging designers in the United States. Belle was delighted at winning the New Designer Award last week, something she would never have guessed just a few years ago.

Belle used to be a photographer. In college, her major was Studio Art with a concentration in photography. She worked as a photographer's assistant, contributing to the Historic Architectural Building Surveys, which is a photographic record for the Library of Congress, and later she worked on her own as a photographer. But as the photography industry moved more and more into digital, Belle felt less and less passionate about photography and started to consider other options.

Since college, she had been doing beaded jewelry on a small scale for friends and family. As business was going pretty well, she decided to go to the Farmers Market.

"So I brought the picnic table from my backyard and put it up there. The fee was only $10, and it was really fun!" says Belle. It inspired her to attend an evening metal smithing class, and then the Christmas fair at Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California. The fair earned her "a lot of money,” she laughs, “or what I thought was a lot of money." This gave her the courage to leave her employment and start working on her own, combining jewelry making with freelance photography.

Soon, however, Belle started feeling that jewelry making was her true passion, and while her jewelry was OK, it was not as good as she wanted it to be. So she decided to go back to school.

After her studies at the Revere Academy's Jewelry Technician Program, she was
certified by Jewelers of America and started to work with gold and diamonds as a bench jeweler at Studio 311 north of San Francisco. While working there four days a week, she began to build her own line in her spare time at home. During her year at Studio 311 she gained entry into two galleries on consignment. After getting married and moving back to Los Angeles, where she had gone to college, she started working fulltime on her line. Word spread quickly, and before long her silver jewelry line was being sold by six galleries.
THE NICHE AWARD RING:

It is intriguing to reflect on the fact that black and white photography is all about silver, as silver particles are embedded both in the film and in the paper to create the blacks in a print and the whites in a negative film. When the artist develops a photographic print, the picture emerges on the white paper as the light-exposed silver particles are oxidized through a chemical process.

Creating black and white art photography was Belle's absolute favorite, and the disappointment of having to move into digital photography gave her second thoughts. While it may seem like she left photography, one may as well say that she stayed with silver as photography moved into digital. She is still oxidizing her silver, just like she did when working with photographs.

After her work reached potential customers in galleries, she found out about tradeshows. "I didn't even know about them before" she exclaims. She also started applying for awards. A few tradeshows later, and after about one year, she had 25 galleries buying her line and two awards on the shelf, along with a grant for $5,000 and a lot of publicity. The awards, the grant, and the publicity gave her the encouragement to come to the JA summer fair in New York’s Javits Center last week, despite it being a rather big investment.
SIGNATURE PIECE: “Closed Circle Pendant” is one of Belle Brooke’s signature pieces. It is an oxidized silver pendant with set garnet and citrine. (Courtesy of Belle Brooke Designs Inc.)

"It is all about working hard and taking risks," she says. Attending her first national jewelry tradeshow last week earned her the most respected award she could wish for and she hopes sales will follow. When asked what her dream year would be like, she replies: "Well, this has been my dream year, really!"

Belle Brooke says that the money she invested in going to the tradeshows is starting to pay off now, and that when you start, it is a big investment and you don't really see the returns right away. It is something you have to build up.

I mean, it is not like you go to a show, earn $20,000, and go home and celebrate. It is not like that. It is low profit and it is really painful. I think it is still going to take me another couple of years to recoup my investments, and by then things will be going really well." She beams as the crystal trophy she won sparkles in the background.

Meeting Belle Brooke at the JA fair and learning about her path to success was an inspiring experience. You just can't help but wish her continued success for years to come, as you see her creations that stay true to her love of contrasts, and the twinkle in her eye despite her hard work.

Silver Jewelry - How to Wear It

2008-08-06T04:35:00.000-07:00

Wearing Silver Jewelry - For Business, For Pleasure

Silver jewelry adds a sparkle to your daily life. And should find the best way to wear silver jewelry in the office and at the theatre.

Many are confused or unsure as to when and where to don silver jewel for their clothes. Now JamesAllen.com provides some rules that can help you.

1. Professional clothes for the business environment should match a simple, elegant and fine style silver necklace.

2. Leisure clothes can highlight and or exaggerate style silver necklace.

3. All clothes can come together with silver bracelets with a little bell. It will make you very happy and lovely.

4. Silver jewelry with colorful man-made stones looks fine on young girls.

5. Tibet silver jewelry must not be worn with gold or golden jewelry. But different style silver jewelry can be worn at the same time.

6. Tibet silver jewelry must never be worn with professional clothes. It will send a message to others think you are not professional persons.

7. When you attend a reception and wear a gorgeous dress, you should wear silver jewelry with a diamond or other gems.

8. Silver jewelry can and will become oxidized and some parts will actually turn black. Don"t worry that it will affect your image. It will appear like retro style. It"s another sense of silver jewelry.

9. Silver jewelry is a fashion statement. It speaks volumes as to how successful, elegant and stylish you are.

What is Silver Jewelry? By JamesAllen.com

2008-08-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

What Is Silver Jewelry?

By James Allen.com

Silver Jewelery (also spelled silver jewellry) has been known by mankind since Pre-History. Silver Jewelry can be made for such personal decorations as a man's or woman's necklace, ring or bracelet.

The word jewelery is derived from the word jewel, which comes from the old French word "jouel" in the 13th century. It has also been suggested that the word is derived from "Jew", as the Jews were important jewelry producers and traders of that time. Silver Jewelery is one of the oldest forms of body adornment.

Silver jewelery was created for practical uses such as wealth, storage and pinning clothes together, in recent times it has been used almost exclusively for decoration.

Photo courtesy of JamesAllen.com

The oldest reference to the silver appears in the book of Genesis.
In Egypt, gold was considered to be a perfect metal, and gave it the symbol of a circle. Since silver was the closest to gold in perfection, it was given the symbol of a semi-circle. Later this semi-circle led to a growing moon symbol, probably due to the likeness between the shining metal and the moon glow.

The Romans called silver argentum, keeping this as the international name of the element, from where its chemical symbol derives. Thousands of years ago humans thought of silver as a most holy and sacred metal. Its malleability and ductility made it ideal for body decoratons and ornamental purposes. Silver and silver jewelry was also used for paying debts, in personal and religious places in Jewish temples and Christian churches decoration and in utensils of the wealthiest houses.

People first mined silver in the Bronze Age for jewelry. Silver was found in Europe and West Asia. One challenge in securing silver was that, silver ore (the rocks that had silver in them) generally also had lead in it, so that lead mining and silver mining were the same thing. But lead is very poisonous, so the men who were mining the silver were also being poisoned by the lead. Most lead-and-silver miners died of lead poisoning in two or three years. Because of this, most free men wouldn't work in the mines, and so they forced slaves to work in the mines instead.

The main silver mineral is the argentite (Ag2S), which usually occurs associated to other sulfides as copper or lead sulfide. Other silver minerals are cerargirite (AgCl), proustite (3Ag2S.Ag2S3), pirargirite (3Ag2S.Sb2S3), stefanite (5Ag2S.Sb2S3) and native silver. The silver occurs in most of the lead and copper ores, and associated to cobalt and gold arsenide. Most of the produced silver is a by-product of the extraction process of these metals. However there are some mines specially devoted to the extraction of this element. The largest world producers of silver and silver jewelry are the USA, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Bolivia, the CIS, Australia and Germany.

Photo courtesy of JamesAllen.com

Silver is a non-toxic element. However, most of its salts are poisonous due to the presence of its anions. These compounds are absorbed by the body and remain in the blood stream until they are deposited in the mucous membranes, forming a greyish film. However, there are some silver compounds, like the nitrate, with an antiseptic effect.

Solutions of silver nitrate are used in treating irritations of mucous membranes in the mouth and throat. Some proteins that contain silver are powerful anti-irritating agents of the membranes of the eyes, heard, nose and throat. Much of silver jewelry and accessories are made of beautiful sterling silver.

Sterling silver has become the standard for beautiful high-quality silver jewelry. It's over 90 percent pure silver, mixed with alloys to add strength and durability. And it won't wear down, as silver plating can. Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.
Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metal's hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful color.

The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal's value. Instead, the price of the silver item is affected by the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design. Most high quality silver items are stamped with a "fineness" or "quality" mark. This mark designates the precious metal content of the jewelry, and under federal law, must be accompanied by a maker's mark or registered trademark. Because pure silver is so soft, it should only be used when malleability is required, such as in handcrafted jewelry featuring weaving and other intricate designs.

Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability. With proper care, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewelry either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box. Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver.

Care and handling of silver jewelry should be taken to prevent silver tarnish build-up, a dulling that occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the air. To clean silver jewelry, it is recommended to use polishes formulated specifically to remove tarnish. One can find fine silver polishes, solutions, or cloths appropriate to remove tarnish at most hardware stores or specialty craft stores. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible. Although wearing silver jewelry often is the best way to prevent tarnish from building up, regular cleanings of silver items will prevent tarnish and keep your silver bright and sparkling.

The United States recently joined Germany, India, Italy and Mexico as the top silver jewelry-consuming countries, fueling an increase in production over the last decade, according to the new Global Jewelry Report from the Silver Institute.

The report finds that from 1996 to 2005, global silver jewelry output increased 17 percent to 171.8 million ounces. Helping to spur the category's growth was Chinese silver fabrication, which skyrocketed from 2.2 million ounces in 1996 to 17.4 million ounces in 2005.Overall, global jewelry trade increased 86 percent from 2000 to 2005, creating a $2.6 billion market, according to the report.London-based precious-metal consultant GFMS Ltd. produced the report for the Silver Institute. This represents the first time the company has produced separate data on silver's use in jewelry and silverware.

Today, one can purchase silver jewelry in a store, through an auction or by browsing an on-line Internet shop.

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