Tag Archives: Jewelry

Trendy Jewelry for Brides and Bridesmaids

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With such a fashion forward world it makes sense that brides would choose trendy jewelry for both themselves and their bridesmaids.  There are types of jewelry that will become dated and look old; however there are many new trendy bridal jewelry options that transcend time.

 

Chunky necklaces with vintage looks are one of the newer looks this season.  Using quality products like Swarovski pearls and crystals, these chunky vintage necklaces look gorgeous on the bride or her maids.  Large pendant style necklaces with beautifully faceted balls, pendants and teardrops are becoming a more popular selection.  Since Swarovski offers a wide variety of color options for almost all of their selections, bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers have a wonderful palate to work with. 

 

For this reason, bridesmaids receiving necklaces and jewelry pieces for their thank you gifts and to wear for the actual wedding are even luckier with the new designs.  Imagine after asking your closest friends to help with your wedding plans, wear the dresses you pick out for them, to then receive great jewelry that they can actually wear again after the wedding. 

 

Chandelier earrings have been more popular in the last few years; however the handmade designs and creations that bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers are creating are beautiful and better because they can be color customized to match your wedding colors, dresses and themes.  With the variety of bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers online, there are endless color and style possibilities that suit almost every style.

 

Take advantage this year of the newer designs of chunky bridal and bridesmaid necklaces with beautiful designs, patterns and faceted beading.  There are a wealth of bridal and bridesmaid jewelry designers online that carry a full line of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and hair accessories that can be color customized to match your wedding colors.

10 Top Secrets to Creating Incredible Photographs of Jewelry for Your Online Auctions With Guaranteed Higher Sales and Profit Results

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My name is Candy and I have been a buyer and seller of antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry on eBay for 12 years and more recently on Vintagel Gems Emporium the Premier and Exclusive Auction Boutique for Antique, Vintage and New Costume and Fine Jewelry at www.VintageGemsEmporium.com. Over the years I have discovered the ten essential secrets to getting fabulous photos for online jewelry auctions.

I took photography for three semesters in college as it was required for my degree in interior architecture, The camera I used was a Nikon 35mm and TriX black and white film. As part of the photography course work, composition, focus, contrast, and more were stressed to creating the perfect architectural photograph. Now I am by no means a professional photographer but I have discovered the secrets to getting better than average, attractive and attention-getting photos of jewelry so that the buyer will take a second look.

Of course now the 35mm is primarily used solely by the true artists and the digital camera has taken over. I currently own three Sony Mavica CD1000 cameras… why three you ask, well I love the camera so much I bought three so I would always have one that works. When I am up to full speed in listing auctions I am taking close to 1000 frames a week, so as you can see my cameras get a work out. The Sony Mavica CD1000 is no longer available but is unique in that instead of having a memory disc it actually records the images inside the camera on CD-R disc, which can be easily snapped into an adaptor and popped into the drive and the images are ready to be enhanced and turned into jpegs to be uploaded onto the auction site.

The program I prefer to use to touch up my images is Microsoft Picture It!! as it is very user friendly and has all of the bells and whistles that I need. When using any image enhancement program be sure to not overdo the touch up or you will have a lot of disappointed buyers when they receive an item and it does not come close to looking like what they saw on the auction.

Over the past eight years I have discovered the following 10 secrets to taking incredible photographs of jewelry and of course these secrets would also work for anything that is small in size, such as coins, stamps, baseball cards, cabinet and post cards and more.

SECRET # 1: Most jewelry (bracelets, pins, brooches, necklaces, earrings and sets) is either a gold or a silver finish (whether real or not) and having sets or not all look great on a black background. I prefer black velvet in that due to the nature of the fabric it will not reflect light and actually absorbs the light around the object and it is also very easy to touch up should a spec of dust, dirt or hair end up in the photo.

SECRET #2: Unlike the jewelry discussed above, wristwatches and pieces of jewelry where there is great detail in the hardware or complexity to the face with the writing and all, photograph better on an off-white or cream velvet background. The velvet again will not reflect the light and is a soft texture as a backdrop to the hard edges of the watch or other detailed pieces.

SECRET #3: Do not photograph the item looking down on it, you will create shadows and light distortions on the piece of jewelry. The best way to photo most jewelry is where it rests against something (a box underneath the velvet) that puts the item parallel to you when you are at eye level with the item. In other words, sit down at the table where you will be photographing and prop the item up so that you are looking directly at it. The photo will not distort or keystone the item and the items shape will be portrayed correctly and it will more than likely be in focus.

SECRET #4: To add drama to the photograph composition, lay the item down on its back and shoot from a side angle and this will give the item an interesting perspective. Be careful, however if you see that only a small amount of the item (especially when photographing necklaces or bracelets) appears to be in focus, just slightly raise the camera and then most of the item will be in focus.

SECRET #5: My cameras and most decent digital cameras have five things that are truly essential when photographing small items like jewelry. The first and second are Auto Focus and Steady Shot… make sure both are on. The third is a Close Up feature to get within an inch of the item to the capture detail. The fourth is how many Pixels the photo will have. Pixels are simply a dot matrix and the more dots per inch the more detail the photo will have. So if given a choice use the 1600 pixel setting or as close to it as possible. The fifth is White Balance, and this will allow you to balance the coloring of the photo by being able to have more yellow on golden pieces and less yellow and more white on silver and rhinestone pieces.

SECRET #6: The best light to show the brilliance of sets and quality of the metallic finish is a combination of Halogen and Incandescent. Halogen is the whitest light there is and incandescent adds just slight pinkish tone to the overall lighting. Fine jewelry stores use halogen lamps inside their showcases that is why you can not resist trying on that $25,000. diamond ring. What I use is a cheap gooseneck desk lamp that came with a halogen bulb and I place it behind the item to be photographed. My overhead lighting is a mix of halogen and incandescent bulbs. Halogen bulbs that fit into standard lamp sockets are available at most homestores and are about $7.00 – $10.00 each but they last up to two years and a 50 watt halogen gives off the equivalent of what a 100watt incandescent does so you save money on electricity.

SECRET #7: When you are listing an auction online you have a blank canvas basically to put your photo into… well think of this not as a blank canvas but as a billboard. Crop the photo as much as you can so that the billboard you are creating is not a lot of blank ground space (no money there) but is filled with the image of what you are selling. In the sort, your photos will stand out since there is not alot of red, white or whatever everyone else is using as their backdrop.

SECRET #8: When photographing your item try as closely as possible for it to be in a square format. In other words, not a rectangle. If the item is long and thin as with bracelets or soem pins, put it at a 45% angle so that when it is cropped it will be a square shape. Again in the sort it will stand out and make for a more interesting photo of the piece. I also sometimes photograph even a perfectly square pin tilted on the diagonal and then still crop it to a square and this is also a stunning way to show the item.

SECRET #9: There are basically three types of photos that sell the item. An Overall, a Close Up and a photo of the Back. Well for a low cost item where you do not have much opportunity for much profit let one photo do the trick… and most cases it should be the close-up, this will answer most buyers questions as to color, details and size. If there is more opportunity for profit then use all three and show the closeup first so it will be the one in the sort and the other two will be within the auction for more clarity. I also feel that holding the item in the close-up is a great idea for two reasons… it does a better job of showing scale and size than say a “25 cent quarter” and also the coloring of the piece is accentuated by the fleshtone of your hand by giving the buyer an idea of how it would look on.

SECRET #10: Finally the last secret I have to share. DO NOT OVER FOCUS OR OVER TOUCH UP!!!! Quite literally over focusing (accomplished by overdoing the contrast) HURTS your buyer’s eyes and gives them a headache and they will RUN from your auction as soon as they can. Overdoing on the touch up is also not good as this is deception.Making an item more gold or more whatever than it really is is deceiving the buyer into thinking they are buying something other than what you have to sell. Now there is nothing wrong if the photo is too bright and you need to enhance the color of the goldtone, but literally hold the piece up to the screen of your computer and make sure they look alike.Your customers will have faith and trust in what you sell and will be abck many times.

Well as stated I am not a professional photographer nor do I claim to be one, but I have over the past 8 years probably shot almost 500,000 images … now why do I bring this up… well when I took photography why back when, my professor told us to be prepared to throw away almost 80% of what we shot, as they were not going to be good. And today the same thing applies to this subject, be picky about what you show for your auctions, the time and care you take will reap more sales, higher sales and more profit. Good Luck and Happy Shooting!!!!

By the way for more jewelry tips and to buy and sell on what will soon become the place for Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry come see me and others at VINTAGE GEMS EMPORIUM at www.virtualgemsemporium.com. See you there.

About the Author: 

My name is Candace Daugherty and I live near Charleston, South Carolina. I am an entrepreneur and have worked as a retail design and marketing consultant with many internationally known retailers and fashion designers over the past 30 years. I hold a BS degree in Interior Design from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA and an MBA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA.

My passion however is Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry. I have collected jewelry for over 35 years and own many incredibly fabulous book pieces as shown in the many jewelry price guides authored by Harrice Simons Miller, Roseanne Ettinger, Jeannene Bell and others.

I love Victorian, Art Nouveau and Edwardian pieces and have been fortunate to find many wonderful and highly collectible pieces right here in my own backyard of Charleston, SC. I have a special fondness as most do for Miriam Haskell, DeMario, Schiaparelli, Alfred Philippe, Staret, McClelland-Barclay, Pennino and more and have found wonderful ways to put my hands on these pieces at a fraction of what most retailers or collectors could ever expect.

Since September 15, 2008 I along with three others have founded the first of its kind, an exclusive auction boutique for antique, vintage and new costume and fine jewelry. We started Vintage Gems Emporium at www.vintagegemsemporium.com with three concepts in mind. One, a special boutique environment in an Auction Venue just for the collector and specialist of antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry. Two, to be the lowest cost auction or fixed price venue on the internet. And three to put the entire Vintage Gems Emporium community first with unbelievable customer service and fair equal treatment of all trading partners.

My name is Candace Daugherty and I live near Charleston, South Carolina. My passion is Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry. I have collected jewelry for over 35 years and own many incredibly fabulous book pieces. I love Victorian, Art Nouveau and Edwardian pieces and have been fortunate to find many wonderful and highly collectible pieces right here in my own backyard of Charleston, SC.

Tiffany Vintage & Contemporary Silver Jewelry – How to Identify a Fake

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There is nothing more understated and elegant which screams chic than sterling silver jewelry from Tiffany & Co. The Styles & quality of this silver jewellry is universally recognized, but never equaled. Many unscrupulous jewelry makers have tried to copy their designs, but, have almost always fallen short.

At Tiffany & Co., you pay a huge premium for their unsurpassed reputation and Quality. However, you can find great deals on authentic Tiffany silver necklaces, bracelets, an other items on eBay. In rare instances, you may see an item being sold as new if for instance, the seller is stating it is a recent gift or purchase which was never worn. You can expect a small discount from retail. Most items you will see are used. However, these used items are a great place to catch a bargain.

Whether bidding on a newer item, such as a Return To Tiffany & Co. silver necklace or used, vintage Tiffany & Co. silver ring, make sure it is authentic. To help you be a more informed consumer, and get the most out of your jewelry purchase, I would like to offer you these tips on how to ensure you are buying an authentic piece of silver jewelry.

Lobster Clasps

On Tiffany & Co silver link bracelets, the clasp is referred to as a lobster claw clasp because of its shape. This clasp is beefy and thick and along with other Tiffany & Co. clasps, it has .925 stamped on its base. On fake items, the clasp is cheap looking and made from thin, stamped metal.

Bracelet and Necklace Links

The sterling silver links on an authentic item are solid and soldered smooth. On fake items, the links are pinched together and have uneven gaps. Link bracelets and necklaces come in only one size and can only be sized by a Tiffany jeweler. If a seller offers you different sizes, you are probably buying a fake.

Sterling Silver Quality

All of the Tiffany & Co. silver jewelry is .925 sterling. It is solid, and not silver plate. Fake silver is plated with rhodium, is very shiny and lacks the luster of sterling silver. Also, many of the fake items have been manufactured with steel and therefore, will be magnetic.

Quantity Of Items Available & Price

Be very wary of a seller selling multiple identical items. This is a definite sign item is fake since authentic items are hand made and few in number. Also, if a seller states they received items from a wholesaler, they are lying to you. Tiffany & Co. does not distribute their items through wholesalers. Tiffany & Co, never has sales.

If there is a Buy-It-Now price on the item, as a general rule, be wary of any item priced less than one third of the retail price. In regards to auctions, it is very common for authentic items to be sold at starting prices of $1.00.

Communicating with Seller

Do not be afraid to ask the seller questions about the item for sale. If seller does not respond, or seems evasive, find another seller. Also, avoid a seller who has chosen to hide their feedback since you can find out a lot by reading feedback from other buyers.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you take your time and do your homework, you will ensure your purchase decision is a wise choice. Now go out there and start shopping!!!

Please stop by my website and search for that unique and chic Tiffany silver necklace or Tiffany silver Bracelet you always dreamed of. Tiffany Silver Auctions

My Favorite Three Picks for the Best Antique and Vintage Jewelry Price Guides and Authors

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I have been collecting Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry for over three decades. Most of what I bought was from the Saturday and Sunday flea markets at the local drive-in theater and at a once a month massive open air antique market held in the mountains near where I grew up. I never paid much, a quarter here, a dime there and sometimes a few dollars however over the years until I really became a serious collector, I probably had no more than $500.00 in an amazing collection of over 2,500-3,000 pieces. 

Over the years I have collected many types of jewelry. At first it was bracelets, then rings and when I got out of college and pursued my career as an interior designer, I found pins and earrings to be practical and suitable. In the mid-60’s to early 70’s I bought a lot of colorful and heavy “plastic” pieces and most were bracelets. I just loved the dull clunk they made when they hit against my desk… well I am sure you know where this is going… you’re right most were Bakelite. One in particular is a wonderful art deco black, red, orange, yellow and green fins clamper bracelet and it is like having a carnival on your arm. It fits great and feels sturdy andit brings me joy. It wasn’t until I received Harrice Simons-Miller 2002 third edition Official Price Guide to Costume Jewelry, that I realized the bracelet is called “Philadelphia” and has a market value of up to $5,000 making it the Holy Grail of Bakelite jewelry.

I also became quite passionate for the charm bracelets made in the 1960’s by Napier. At one point I had over 30 of them and I rarely wore them I just loved holding them. I had the colored fruit, the Asian theme, and my favorites was the marine theme with seashells and seahorses. Over the years I paid between $1.00 – $5.00 each for them and in early 2000, I sold them individually on eBay for $125.00 and up to 245.00 each. What a great return, right. Well yes but a day does not go by that I regret selling them. They gave me more happiness than the monies they brought.

As I became more sophisticated in my jewelry search I began to love all things Miriam Haskell, Eisenberg, Pennino and Boucher. All of these names seemed to come with a higher price but still affordable and all quite luxurious. Then there came Staret, McClelland-Barclay, Schreiner, Dujay, DeMario, Reja, Deja and Alfred Philippe and Alfred Spaney’s extra special pieces made for Crown Trifari. Needless to say I was smitten and would never turn back. After a while and as I was getting older, I started to understand the beauty of 19C Victorian and Art Nouveau and in particular the mourning pieces made during and after the Civil War. The Art Deco period pieces also caught my attention because of their architectural angled designs. Well enough about me… 

Throughout the years it was truly guesswork as to what I should pay for a piece and then the harder part came when trying to find out how much a piece was worth. As a result I found that the public library had many jewelry price guides and I poured through them all for days on end and would pick out my next piece I was obsessing for. Through this research, I found three authors who stood out as being the best at giving the right information for just about anything you might need to know as an antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry collector or dealer.

The first is Jeanenne Bell. Jeanenne Bell has been on Antiques Roadshow as a jewelry appraiser and is one of America’s leading authorities on antique jewelry. She has written many books and the first book I bought of hers was “How to be a Jewelry Detective”. This book is filled to the brim with priceless information about the clues to solving jewelry mysteries. She gives easy to understand tips for testing materials, gem cuts, hardware and findings throughout the ages, marks and a whole lot more. I have recommended this book to literally 100’s of my buyers on eBay who may not be sure what gutta percha is, or is it ivory or bone and what is a briolette cut stone. She answers them all and she even has a small pocket size field guide to take along to the shops and flea markets.

My favorite book of hers is Collecting Victorian Jewelry which is a real treat for the eyes and is beautiful enough to be left out for others to peruse. In this book she shows an amazing range of incredible museum quality pieces of Costume and Fine jewelry. Each piece is a work of art and each has an easy to understand description and value assigned. She imparts the history associated with the Victorian era and who all of the main characters were. She enlightens the reader about this period in time that was all about romance, passion and heartache. Very good read and a very good aid to the serious period piece collector.

My next favorite author is Harrice Simons-Miller. I have two of her price guides, Costume Jewelry 2nd edition and Official Price Guide to Costume Jewelry 3rd edition. What I love about her books is that she knows her stuff as it relates to costume jewelry dating from early Art Deco up to the present. Her books are very good for identifying the major players in the costume and fashion design industries. She really clarifies what each jewelry designer’s signature look is and her photographs and descriptions will give you an edge when you are out in the field. Her values are truly representative of retail in fine antique or jewelry boutiques and give the reader the parameters as to what to spend to get your jewelry collection “fix”. She has bought from me on eBay on a couple of occasions and each piece she purchased was always a little odd and unexpected, making me think she knew of or was creating a trend which others were yet aware.

My third favorite author is Roseann Ettinger. She has a series of price guides that are not only about jewelry but other vintage collectibles with a lot of concentration on fashion and the fifties. Her jewelry price guides include her “popular” series and include “Forties and Fifties Popular Jewelry”, “Popular Jewelry of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s” and my all time favorite of hers “1840-1940 Popular Jewelry” the revised 3rd edition. Her price guide covers jewelry pieces that you actually might come across and be able to own for not a lot of money. Unlike Bell and Simons-Miller who are showing museum quality and hard to find pieces, the pieces shown in Ettingers are really quite attainable and I have actually had many of her pieces that she has described. Her photographs are quite large making it easy to see the details of the pieces and she doesn’t dwell on the glitzier side of jewelry but the real down to earth stuff that most of our mothers and grandmothers would have worn.

There are many great costume jewelry price guides out there from Nancy Schiffer, Lillian Baker, Christie Romero for Warman’s, Cheri Simonds, Ronna Lee Atkins and more, but my first three will give the beginner or even well seasoned antique and vintage costume or fine jewelry collector or dealer a well rounded wealth of knowledge and pricing guidelines.

For even more super jewelry tips and great jewelry to buy, visit Vintage Gems Emporium at www.vintagegemsemporium.com. Registration is free and easy.

About the Author: My name is Candace Daugherty and I live near Charleston, South Carolina. I am an entrepreneur and have worked as a retail design and marketing consultant with many internationally known retailers and fashion designers over the past 30 years. My true passion however is Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry. I have collected jewelry for over 35 years and own many incredibly fabulous book pieces as shown in the many of the jewelry price guides discussed above.

Since October 1, 2008,  I along with three others have founded the first of its kind, an exclusive auction boutique for antique, vintage and new costume and fine jewelry. We started Vintagel Gems Emporium at www.vintagegemsemporium.com with three philosophies in mind. The first is to be a specialty boutique in an Auction Venue just for the collector and specialist of antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry. The second is to be the lowest cost auction or fixed price venue on the internet. And the third is to put the entire Virtual Gems Emporium community first with unbelievable customer service and fair equal treatment of all trading partners.

www.vintagegemsemporium.com

 

My name is Candace Daugherty and I live near Charleston, South Carolina. Since Mid September -October 2008 I along with three others have founded the first of its kind, an exclusive auction boutique for antique, vintage and new costume and fine jewelry. We started Vintage Gems Emporium at www.vintagegemsemporium.com with three concepts in mind. One, a special boutique environment in an Auction Venue just for the collector and specialist of antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry. Two, to be the lowest cost auction or fixed price venue on the internet. And three to put the entire Vintage Gems Emporium community first with unbelievable customer service and fair equal treatment of all trading partners.