Handmade Cards Have Great Appeal

Filed Under (sterling silver jewellery) by admin on 10-02-2011

Handmade cards have great appeal because of all of the wonderful, unique embellishments.   Handmade cards are not cheap or tacky versions of store bought card, and handmade certainly does not mean a “less than” or poor quality!

Handmade artists handcraft them from quality card stock and pretty trimmings such as sequins, felt, glitter, ribbon, beads, and decorative paper and/or fabric. Each one is meticulously embellished by hand to make them truly unique.

Many artisans who specialize in handcrafting quality handmade cards take their art very seriously, even attending workshops, classes and subscribing to handmade card magazines. They often work hard and spend a lot of time and care creating just the right one of a kind look for a card.
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Knowing something is unique and crafted by hand is a special feeling. Whether a piece of jewellery or a made to measure suit, this uniqueness and craftsmanship adds real personal value because you know it has been made exclusively by experts to suit you. And this is the very reason a bespoke, handmade kitchen can bring so much pleasure to family life.Some artisans even go as far as to hand draw or paint original works of art on their cards.

I invite you to step into the world of handmade cards where handmade artisans use their ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness to create cards that range from sophisticated and elegant to fun and humorous. There are always lots to choose from, so selecting the perfect handmade card is easy.

Personally, I always prefer giving a beautiful, original handmade card over a mass produced, clichéd store bought, one. Giving a quality handmade card to your loved one is more personal and shows that you think they are extra special.
A handmade card always stands out from a mass produced one and it always leaves a lasting memorable impression of how much you care.

Palladium – The New Face of Jewelry?

Filed Under (sterling silver jewellery) by admin on 28-01-2011

Palladium is not completely new in the jewelry industry; indeed back in 1939 it is known to have been used in jewelry manufacture. Palladium is part of the Platinum Group Metals (or PGM’s) and is mined and extracted from the same mineral deposits as platinum and sometimes even gold.

Being part of the PGM’s, palladium bears a remarkable resemblance to platinum, both physically and chemically. Like platinum, palladium has a lustrous silver-white colour and it is ideal for use in jewelry. As palladium jewelry is manufactured from 95 – 100% pure palladium, the jewelry is hypoallergenic. This means that it is the ideal metal for people with sensitive or irritable skin.

There are some significant differences between platinum and palladium however, advantages that are causing jewelry manufacturers around the world to incorporate palladium into their engagement and wedding ring designs.

Palladium is a very hard metal; in fact, it is 12% harder than platinum.
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Cheap jewelry is relative to your idea of the value of money and how much you have of it. A Tiffany replica can seem inexpensive at $40 or $50, or a reproduction of a designer ring can be a bargain at $200 if the real version is $2,000, and perhaps a copy of a famous classic antique may be cheap at $2,000 if the original is $20,000.It is also 40% lighter than platinum, a statistic that translates into a significant saving when it comes to purchasing palladium jewelry. Jewelry is priced not only according to the labour that is involved in manufacturing an item of jewelry (particularly in the case of hand-made jewelry) but also according to the weight of metal used. Therefore, when compared to an identically designed platinum ring, a palladium ring will weigh significantly less and will thus cost less.

Additionally, the price of palladium is a fraction of the price of platinum. Currently (August 2009), the palladium price is a quarter of the price of platinum and a third of the price of gold. Not only is palladium cheaper per ounce than gold, it also has a variety of other advantages over gold.

Gold, in its natural form, is a metallic yellow colour.
Thus, to create white gold, gold must be alloyed with a number of white metals such as palladium, nickel and silver. However, with 18ct white gold being 75% gold and 25% alloy (palladium, nickel and silver), it is impossible to turn gold a pure white colour. Thus, all white gold is electro-plated with Rhodium (another Platinum Group Metal) resulting in the bright metallic white colour we know so well. Over time however, this rhodium-plating wears off, leading customers to believe their gold has “tarnished”. Because palladium is a naturally white metal, there is no need to rhodium-plate it and palladium jewelry will keep it’s colour over time.

Palladium is thus a cost-effective, yet valuable metal ideally suited to engagement rings and wedding bands and what better time to invest in a ring than now, when the prices are low and palladium rings are still unique.

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