Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with jewelry

Shops that make and sell individualized, eclectic hand-made jewelry in the Portland, Oregon area

Auden — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:21:07 -0800

Shops that make and sell individualized, eclectic hand-made jewelry in the Portland, Oregon area? (... X-mas gift help request) It's Christmas and I'm agonizing over my 60-something Mom's gift, my original plans having fallen though.

Mom is now of the age and attitude ("When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go") where she likes to wear the occasional dramatic unusual, artistic jewelry. So I'm thinking of finding her a necklace (under 150$), something hand-made, arty, brash/dramatic/eclectic/unique. (I have no idea if this price limitation is unrealistic, but that's my budget)

I'm looking for local crafts-people or shops where I could look for this kind of jewelry in the Portland, Oregon area. (and a big thanks in advance!)

How do I clean my silver and pearl bird's nest necklace?

pluckemin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:55:55 -0800

How do I clean my silver and pearl bird's nest necklace? I have a bird's nest necklace made out of silver wire with pearls. After wearing it every day for, oh, about a year, it's not looking so good. Not only is it really tarnished, it also looks kind of gunky, probably from my sunscreen. (Side question: is it just me, or does silver tarnish crazy fast in Chicago?) I can't even wear it anymore because it looks so grungy.

But I have no idea how to clean it! I can't dip it in silver polish because of the pearls; my silver-cleaning cloth is of no use because it only rubs the very exterior of the nest and doesn't get into all of the little nooks and crannies. Is there some kind of pearl-safe silver dip I can use? Can I take it to a jeweler and let them deal with it? Or is this just a necklace with a limited lifespan?

Industrial Jewelry

lore — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:55:34 -0800

Industrial jewelry in the Bay Area? Can anyone recommend a place in the San Francisco Bay Area that sells jewelry with an industrial flair? A good example would be a bracelet I saw made of the insides of analog watches. It's too late for shipping, so I want someplace local.

Ethically-sourced sapphires and fair dealings.

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:12:34 -0800

Are certificates of origin for sapphires a scam? Is my jeweler going to overcharge me for a sapphire, and should I get one online instead of through him? I'm trying to get a custom sapphire engagement ring made. My beloved has picked out a ring from Brilliant Earth which she likes, both for the design (which I'm using for inspiration) and for their ethical origin materials. As far as I can tell, their claims for their sapphires are based on them coming from Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka's strict worker-rights laws and ecological preservation practices.

I'm thinking that it's reasonable to conclude that "Ceylon" sapphires, from Sri Lanka, are about as ethically-sourced as it gets. I brought this up with a jeweler I'm working with, and he said he doubted his sapphire supplier could produce certificates of origin, and that the whole concept was more or less a ruse because you just can't trace a sapphire's origin in this market.

I'm also concerned about getting a fair price. For my price range of ~$500, he estimated that a round-cut mined sapphire would be around 0.75-1 carat. But online it looks like they're in the $200 range or cheaper, for larger Ceylon stones with the same cut and with a bright color (which is supposed to be more expensive).

Is the jeweler just shining me on because he can't get ethical sapphires? Is it rude or foolish at this point (he's already ordered some in for me to look at, which should be arriving soon) to tell him I'd like to buy one elsewhere (from a presumably non-scamming website) and bring it in to be set?

I'm aware of lab-created sapphires, and am pretty sure I don't want one. For private responses: mefiengagement@gmail.com (previously)

Where could I go to sell a watch in NYC?

clon7 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:11:06 -0800

I need to make some quick cash and intend to sell a watch that sold for about £400 in the UK five years ago. Does anyone know of a reputable place in NYC that I could go to? There are so many choices out there my head is spinning :) I have never sold a piece of jewelry before so any specific suggestions would be welcome. Or would posting on eBay be a better choice? Thanks in advance.

Custom jewelry in Orlando, FL

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:45:53 -0800

I'm looking for advice on getting a custom engagement ring made in Orlando on a budget. So I'm starting with next to no knowledge of jewelry shopping, but I want to work with a jeweler to make a custom engagement ring. I'd like to make a narrow band of white gold, with a particular engraved or molded design which I can roughly sketch, and set with a round-cut sapphire of about 1ct/6mm (I'm happy to go lab-created to save money). I want it to be similar in feel to a particular one she's pointed out online that she really likes, but obviously not the same as it.

Is one to two thousand dollars a reasonable price range for this project? Is 6 weeks a reasonable time span to get this done in? Assume I'll be able to visit the shop conveniently. I'd also appreciate general advice/experiences with custom jewelry shopping on a budget. And most importantly (since I'm feeling adrift), does anyone have a recommendation for an independent jeweler around the Orlando/Central Florida area or advice on finding one?

Send private responses to mefiengagement@gmail.com.

How do I care for sterling silver jewelry?

peanut_mcgillicuty — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:36:22 -0800

How do I take care of sterling silver jewelry? I feel dumb that I don't know how to do this, but I have no idea how to take care of jewelry. My family does not wear any for religious reasons, so I've never seen how it's supposed to be stored or cleaned.

I mostly own costume jewelry, but I have a number of pieces of sterling silver jewelry, most of which is from SilverJewelryClub.com. Some of the pieces are tarnished and dirty, but not all of them, and there's no rhyme or reason--it's not the pieces I wear the most that look tarnished, nor the pieces I wear the least. Some of the pieces are just as bright and shiny as the day I bought them.

All the pieces are less than five years old. I keep all my jewelry in a clean old makeup case which was never used for storing makeup, so doesn't have any residue in it. I never wear the jewelry swimming or in the shower and don't sleep in it. I hang the necklaces so they don't get tangled, and toss rings and earrings into the box of the case, which is lined with cloth. It is open to the air, so could be getting dusty, I suppose. The room is not especially humid nor especially dry.

I used an aluminum foil/baking soda/hot water mixture to clean and brighten some of the pieces a few weeks ago, which made a difference but some of them still look just, well, old and dirty. I've done some reading online about how to care for jewelry, but I'm looking for realistic advice--I'm not going to wipe down my jewelry with a special cloth every time I take it off, or store it in a special jewelry chest with velvet linings or anything like that. That's not really how people live, right?

So. Am I being unrealistic and sterling silver jewelry really does need that level of care? Or are the pieces with the problems more likely just junk? Or am I doing something else wrong?

Could you tell me about how much these diamond earrings are worth? More inside...

picapica — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:32:49 -0800

Could you tell me about how much these diamond earrings are worth? More inside... I would like to find out about how much these diamond earrings are worth, but I don't need an exact amount. Can anyone help me with this?

Relevant information:
-2 diamond earrings, purchased for $600.00 in 1975
-14k white gold setting
-.96 point (This I don't quite understand. On the receipt it says ".96 Point", but on another tag it says "96 TW".)

Thank you!!

Jewelry shopping in Boston

Aizkolari — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:04:25 -0800

BostonFilter: Can you point me to a reasonably priced jewelry shop? I'm new in town and am looking to spend 40-60 bucks buying a simple gift for my girlfriend's birthday. Maybe something a little funky done in silver with semiprecious stones, either a necklace or bracelet, or perhaps earrings.

Can any Bostonian Mefites point me to some stores? I've done some walking around on Newbury and Charles with moderate success, but wanted to query the Hivemind for help.

Bonus points if the shops are in Cambridge or Somerville, but I'm willing to hoof it on the T to any cooler shops.

Further bonus points for any advice on buying jewelry in general.

Let's play dress up!

mostlybecky — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:45:25 -0800

Help me (a female with basically no female friends to ask) accessorize this red cocktail dress! (hair & jewelry) I'm headed to a midday fall wedding in a week and after some fruitless, perfectionist dressing shopping here (in Boston), I settled on wearing my recently-found "back-up dress." 2 pics. Chiffon, ruched bust and middle, satin empire waist, layered, fishtail. I am 5'11. I have a subdued gold pashmina, gold strappy sandals on the way, and a gold clutch. I just need to figure out jewelry, makeup, and hair! I have medium length wavy hair with tapered side-swept bangs (can be pinned back), but - and maybe it's because I've looked at the dress pictures too many times - I really like the headband idea, perhaps a gold one with blown out hair? Very mod; to much Mad Men for me. (I'd like to keep my hair down rather then up and slicked to the side.) All curly? However I don't want to look costumey. I want to look tasteful yet fabulous.
Pendant? (I have a 1" gold heart with silver scrolls in it with matching non-dangly earrings very similar to this but bigger) or a larger design? Wide collar style? Choker? Some gold bangle bracelets? I basically have none of these things, so it's hard for me to experiment. Please, I'm pretty much a helpless tomboy, but I'd love your ideas, links to pictures, suggestions for shapes, to give me an idea of what I could hunt for locally to dress this outfit up. I'd like to look nice... I have very few friends, all of which will be there.

Note: I will be dancing my ass off, probably. Poofy bangs and/or complicated hair may not make it past 30 min.

How old is this ring?

angry.polymath — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:27:04 -0800

Please help me get an idea how old this ring is, and what stone is in it. Among my grandmother's things was an old silver ring with an opaque blue stone in it.

It's clearly hand-made, and has some sort of sizing apparatus on the back. I've never seen anything quite like it.

I know nothing about gemstones or minerals or jewelry, so can anyone give me even a vague idea of when this kind of ring was in fashion, and what "style" it is? And also, what is the blue stone in it?

Pics are here, here, and here.

Thanks!

Renting Jewelry??

mmf — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:52:32 -0800

Does anyone have any experience with renting jewelry for a wedding? This is a new concept to me, but our soon-to-be bride has found a couple of places (mainly Adorn and BagBorroworSteal.com) where she is considering renting a large necklace, because we have nothing appropriate to fill up the space her strapless dress leaves looking empty. Any advice??

What is the hierarchy of high-end jewelry brands in New York?

L'homme armé — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:22:39 -0800

What are the most impressive/exclusive quality diamond jewelry brands with a retail presence in Manhattan? I am looking for those that are known to the reasonably knowledgeable New Yorker but not necessarily as well-known outside. I worry that Tiffany is too over-exposed and perhaps not the best value for the money.

More specifically, I am looking to buy for someone in the upper half of her 30's who has lived in New York for about 15 years and has a classy, timeless sense of style but is brand-conscious. Thus the name on the box must be recognizable.

A few alternatives come to mind: H. Stern, Cartier, De Beers, Harry Winston, Piaget, Van Cleef but I don't have any idea how they rank on quality, value, or brand recognition. Can you provide some insights?

Where do I get the ring that Nancy Botwin wears on the show Weeds?

BuddhaInABucket — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:30:18 -0800

Asking for my sister: "On the show Weeds, Nancy is always wearing an awesome gold and emerald snake ring on her middle finger. Does anyone know where to get one?"

Should I get my ears pierced?

brainmouse — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:49:39 -0800

I’m considering getting my ears pierced. Just regular old lobe piercings. Help me decide if I should, then help answer all the probably simple questions about the process, because I seriously know nothing. Before you bring it up – I’m planning on going to a real piercing place, not Claire’s. I got my ears pierced when I was in elementary school. Once they healed, I took the earrings out and basically never wore any again, so the holes closed up. I could feel the hole through my ear still for a long time, but it’s been gone for maybe 15 years. There are still little marks on the front of my ears where you can see that they were pierced.

I’m considering doing it again. I’m just undecided. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I think I will always be undecided if I keep on this route… so I just thought I’d ask for opinions. My pros are: I think earrings look pretty on people, and I think they would look pretty on me. Also, most adult women wear earrings, and it's often assumed that I do to. People occasionally think it's weird that I don't. These people sometimes include me. My cons are: I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, even when I like it, so I’m a little worried I won’t actually wear earrings either, and they'll close again. Also, I can't help but thinking I shouldn’t be literally mutilating my body for beauty (note: definitely not judging people who have even many piercings; I mostly think they look great and have never had that feeling about other people, just myself). I’m just not sure how reasonable that is – especially given I’ve already done it once, and you can still see the holes.

Once you answer that (or not, whatever), can you help me with answers to the following questions about the process?:

1. Do I bring my own jewelry in or get some at the piercing place? I don’t especially like studs, and don’t plan on wearing them after the healing part of the process is over. How small can they be and still be ok? What should they be made of? (assume gold isn’t an option)

2. Will it hurt? How much? For how long? Is there anything I can do to mitigate the pain at the time of the piercing or later?

3. I really really really don’t want them to get infected. If they do, I plan on taking out the piercings immediately and permanently and not trying again. What are the odds that it will? What can I do to keep it from happening? Where do I buy the cleaning supplies?

4. How much should I expect this to cost?

5. Will I need to make an appointment or is this the sort of thing you can walk in for?

6. Long-term, how often, roughly, do I need to wear earrings to keep the holes open? How do I keep them as small as possible while keeping them open?

7. Can anybody recommend a good piercing place in downtown Oakland or downtown Berkeley (or, I guess somewhere BART-able in San Francisco would work too)?

8. Is there anything else I should know?

Thank you!

Need to convert gold to cash at the best rate.

Vorteks — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:49:14 -0800

How can someone sell gold and or jewelry for the best price? I'm asking this question on behalf of a friend.

She's down on her luck and is looking to sell some of her jewelry, especially gold jewelry. Of course, there are myriads of places that buy gold, including local jewelers and "cash for gold" places. But are they the best place to go? How do you know if you're getting a fair price? How does one research the going rate? Is it better to sell jewelry as jewelry, or as scrap?

Thank you for any advice.

SAY MY NAME!

Bageena — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:04:45 -0800

Simple Mefi, simple! I just want to buy a replica of the Orin from the 80's fantasy film The Neverending Story. I'd like a nice one, but at this point.... Thus continuing my epic quest to ask Metafilter to provide me with things that simply don't exist (see my last question where I asked for an apparently very rare version of The Jerk), I really, really want a nice, high-quality replica of the Orin from The Neverending Story. You know, the little symbol of the two snakes biting one another found on the book Bastion steals from the book store. Help me Mefi, help me.

(I still haven't found that copy of The Jerk either)

We knew she liked jewelry, but not THIS much!

globetrotter30 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:53:43 -0800

What's the best way to divide a large jewelry collection among 12 inheritors? A relative recently passed away, and the will states her entire estate is to be evenly distributed among 12 nieces and nephews. Easy enough to do with cash and proceeds from house sale, but what about the jewelry? There are a few heirloom pieces, which will be handled separately, but we're not sure what to do with the "everything else". She has thousands of pieces, ranging in appraised value from a hundred bucks to several thousand dollars each. The inheritors range in age from teens to fortysomethings, with varying levels of interest in the jewelry itself. Eight live locally, four live out of state. To the best of our knowledge, nobody has sentimental attachment to any pieces in particular, yet some would presumably appreciate a chance to go through and choose items that catch their eye.

What to do? Now that we've realized we're dealing with a serious kitty, we want to make extra-sure we do this right. Some have suggested total liquidation before distributing, because basing distribution on estimates alone could get ugly down the road if and when actual sale values don't match appraisal values. Some have suggested liquidating NOTHING, and letting the inheritors have no say in what they get - just arbitrarily dividing into 12 equal-based-on-appraisals piles and handing everyone a big bag-o-jewels. Some suggest allowing those who want to choose their own loot to do so, but is that fair to the out-of-towners who can't be here in person and will be left with the reject bling? Taking thousands of pictures for the out-of-towners to preview seems like overkill.

I've done the googling, know the basic pros and cons. I'm just curious what Real People Like You might think. Ever found yourself in a similar situation and liked/disliked the way it was handled? Or have any other creative alternatives? Thanks in advance - best answer gets a blue topaz ring! [i wish, but she didn't have the foresight to mention that in the will....]

Jewelry finder - where can I get that bracelet?

heather-b — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:40:57 -0800

Anyone know where I can get the silver bracelet Kirsten Dunst wears near the end of 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' when she is listening to her tape...

Where to buy wholesale price gold earrings

KimikoPi — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:40:24 -0800

Where can I get wholesale price gold hoop earrings in Los Angeles? I actually work very close to the downtown LA jewelry district, but it's kind of a mindboggling maze. Are those stores actually wholesalers or do they get their inventory from wholesale stores? Bottom line: what is the cheapest place to buy real gold hoop earrings in bulk (say, 10-20 at a time). And what do you think is the wholesale price for 18k or 24k gold hoop earrings?

Identify my jewelry

jeather — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:32:18 -0800

I own two pieces of jewelry. I want more jewelry like them, and I don't know who designed either of them. The pendant was bought in the summer of 1992 or 1993, at Compliments in Kennebunkport, ME. It's silver with an amethyst, two pieces of tourmaline, a moonstone (I think) and a piece of quartz. I was told that the designer did some kind of crystal therapy in California. The owners of the store have no idea who designed it, nor do they remember the piece. They had a few by this same artist at the time, and I believe it cost about $150 then. It is not signed.

Photo of the pendant. Another photo of the pendant. Picture of the back of the pendant, plus gratuitous shot of cat who likes the camera.

The set of necklace and earrings was bought in the early 80s, at Salamandra Glass in Portsmouth, NH. The store later closed. It has since reopened in a different location (same city), and I believe it is shutting again; as before, the owners do not know the manufacturer, though they remember the pieces. It's made of a number of very thin pieces of dichroic glass, much unlike the dichroic glass available now, in various triangle, rectangle, square and diamond shapes. There is no pattern on the glass. The pieces tend towards different colours, though it's quite subtle when worn. I think it was done by a glass manufacturer more than a designer.

Photo of set. Another photo of set. On white instead A set of photos because I am not good at photographing glass.

I would like to know the actual name of the designer of the first piece, and either the name of the designer/manufacturer of the glass or any way I could find very similar pieces for the glass jewelry.

Which jewelry brand uses a capital letter G with a halo for their logo?

suimin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:52:41 -0800

What jewelry brand stamps their jewelry with a capital letter G logo with a halo over it? I found this thick stainless steel necklace (I can't tell if it's for a man or a woman) and on one end it's stamped with the words "stainless steel," and on the other with a logo: a capital letter G with a halo encircling it. What brand is this? I don't recognize it.

Luxury Jewelry Store sale?

darsh — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:25:01 -0800

Does Lux Bond & Green ever have a sale? I am the lucky recipient of a $50 cert at the jewelry store Lux Bond & Green. There's one right near work, so I went in to take a look at how I could spend my loot, and quickly realized that everything was WAY above that price point.

Not having previously paid attention to this store, I dont know if it's worth waiting for a summer sale event - do any Boston area Mefites know whether this place ever has a sale, or marks items down?

Ethnic Jewelry in NYC?

tk — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:22:17 -0800

I'm looking for a store in New York City (Manhattan and Brooklyn, ideally) that sells ethnic and sterling silver jewelry. The store could have clothes, accessories, or art, but it should have a significant amount of jewelry for sale. Can anyone help me out? I'm of course googling on my own, but this is the kind of place you would know when you see it, and I can't walk all the streets of NYC. Thanks for any leads.

What everyday objects can I turn into nifty bracelets?

NoraReed — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:19:52 -0800

My girlfriend really likes bracelets made from ordinary objects. She has a fork bracelet and a bike chain bracelet already. What are other objects that I could turn into bracelets for her? Or, alternatively, what are some cool Etsy shops that make cool bracelets out of everyday stuff? She likes them to be thick enough to cover a (fairly small) scar on her wrist, so nothing that only wraps partially around (or that's super thin).