In ancient Egypt bangles were major pieces of jewellery. Amazingly they have also been discovered in ruins beneath an eruption from Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii. It was important to indicate a persons standing in the community for both the Romans and the Egyptians. Jewellery was the perfect medium for this purpose being both beautiful to look at and of great value to the owner. In Grecian times bangles were popular with men and soldiers wore defensive bands of leather, often decorated with gold, silver and/or gemstones, on their forearms.

“Look how important I am.” was the message ancient man communicated across to other by the wearing jewellery made from solid precious metals and stones. The types and varieties of jewellery have increased greatly over the years due to the discovery of newer lightweight metals and alloys. New possibilities in jewellery design are available for designers to readily experiment with.

Egyptian Pharaohs first wore bracelets or charm bracelets as they were known to bring good luck. Hence the name lucky charm. These were supposedly great protectors from evil. The Pharaohs of Egypt wore charm bracelets after death and were buried with their jewellery to indicate to their gods how prosperous they were in life. The charms were very elaborate pieces of jewellery. Throughout time, bracelets have been made from many different materials such as leather, iron, copper, beads, bone and teeth as well as precious metals and gemstone. Bracelets were known as ‘Bracels,’ from the Latin Brachium, meaning, ‘arm.’ When women caught on that these Bracels would look great on them, they started wearing smaller versions, called little Bracels…or ‘Bracel-ets.’

Right up to present day the history of the bracelet continued through the middle ages and then on into the 18th century of the Baroque period.  The wearing of torque bracelets became popular in Roman times as the trend was to wear short sleeved tops. It was popular with both men and women.  Throughout time, the wearing of bracelets and bangles have become even more popular with both men and women and not just as decorative pieces of jewellery, but as potent symbols of a persons standing in society as well as powerful protective shields against enemies or evil.

Written by John Lewis

Of Love2Have

John Lewis runs a website that features unusual bracelets that is handcrafted in the UK

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/jewellery-designs-may-have-changed-over-the-ages-but-has-all-ways-been-worn-by-both-men-and-women-1636061.html

Now you’re in the jewelry business, making lovely pieces and you need to figure out how to price them so that they will actually sell!  Below are some tips on how to set prices.

First of all, as a jewelry artist you need to decide what flavor of designer/jewelry artist you are.  Are you inclined to attract the value shopper who wants something low cost but still attractive or would you rather sell to the middle tier customer who considers jewelry an expression of who they are?  Or maybe your desired customer is the investment type who believes that buying a “brand” is as important as the jewelry itself?  Once you decide which type you are creating for, then you can begin to determine your prices.

The best way to start is to assess the pricing levels of your competitors.  Again, your competitors will fall in the three categories defined already – budget jewelry, quality costume jewelry, and designer jewelry.  Within each category there are various subcategories such as ethnic or regional, artist, handcrafted, semi-precious stones, precious metals, etc.  Search online for the products that are similar to what you craft.  Identify a number of different manufacturers and ask them for pricing.  If you don’t feel comfortable asking, persuade a friend to help you because if you don’t know what the competition is doing you can’t effectively price your product.

Another rule of thumb in manufacturing is to charge five times the cost of production.  Jewelry however usually has an additional 40 – 200% markup beyond this because often there are middle-persons who need to get paid for merchandising the product.  If you don’t have this layer in your sales process then you can compete to garner more sales for a similar product found in boutiques or department stores.

You may choose to sell direct to a retail store but you will see yourself getting paid 20-40% of the actual sales price because of this markup.  Selling online is an effective way to merchandise your jewelry also; however you will need some lessons in building a store and then marketing it.  It will require that you build a recognizable brand, build business and consumer relationships, and pay for advertising and marketing that utilize online tools.

Finally, you can always change the price if it’s not working for you, adjusting it up or down until you find the sweet spot that covers your cost of production, your overhead and a profit.  Also, don’t forget to enjoy this pricing process.  Lowering prices does not necessarily increase sales; sometimes the opposite is true because your jewelry will be seen as more valuable, more in demand, and more compelling to own.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/how-to-price-your-wire-jewelry-1585389.html

People have worn jewellery ever since time began including necklaces. Originally the word jewellery itself was anglicised from an old French word “joule” (jewel) but it does also date further back in history and is linked to the latin word plaything. Normally jewellery is made from only precious metals but in the past designers have utilised many other materials including wood, rock and even cloth however silver is still the most common. Throughout time necklaces became more and more elaborate as crafts men developed their skills. The plain and simple evolved into differing styles for men and women.

Necklaces for men are a must have fashion accessory for the modern day urban male. As necklaces were adapted into newer designs there meaning also changed for some people. Some wore them in battle for good luck whilst others used them to warn off evil spirits. A good modern day example of a potent symbol used in jewellery these days would that of the crucifix. Other examples that are used in religion are amulets which again are hung on a chain around the neck. Finally a heart shaped necklace known as a locket can also be looked upon as a symbol of love.

There are three types of necklaces available. The traditional necklace is a single threaded beaded piece or a chain. Men’s necklaces are usually just a chain for example. A pendant is another type of necklace that hangs from a chain or something like a leather thong which is an alternative option to consider. Finally a choker is a wider piece of jewellery and sits tighter around the upper part of the neck.

The most unusual necklaces in the history of mankind must be those that were worn by the Pa Dong Long Neck tribe from Burma. Children were made to wear hoops from an early age around there necks. As the child grew more rings were added until when reaching adult age as many as 28 rings were worn in one go. The rings around the neck give the illusion that the neck is getting longer and stretching. In fact what is really happening is the collar bones are being weighed down over time, forcing them to lower hence more neck length. The women who wear the rings do get to remove them but only on their wedding night. It is hard to imagine the discomfort in this procedure but much neck washing is required. They are then slipped back around the neck after the wedding night is over to remain for the rest of their lives. This is partly due to the neck muscles not being strong enough to support their heads anymore.

It was not only in Burma that the practice of hoop ring around the neck was practised but also in Africa too. The women here were called giraffe women due to the elongated necks they now had. The hoops were worn around not just there necks but also there arms and legs. The brass rings would symbolise her devotion to her husband. It was the responsibility of the husband to provide the rings which also reflected his wealth with more he provided. The rings were only removed after his death as the rings symbolised a bond which was now broken. The practice of wearing brass rings in this way is now dying out as the modern tribes prefer to wear the more usual type of necklaces.

John Lewis runs an line business selling UK made Necklaces.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/a-brief-history-of-the-wearing-of-necklaces-for-women-1580676.html

Sapphires come in different colours and in this article we will explore a few facts you may not know about these popular gemstones. One colour they come in blue. This is known as the gemstone of the heavens. Ancient writings claim that the entire earth was surrounded by a giant solitaire sapphire. Sapphires are available in the following colours including pink, purple blue, yellow and orange. The blue sapphire is available in various shades from ocean to midnight blue. Blue is the birthstone for the month of September.

The Greeks named the sapphire sappheiros and in latin it was called  sapphirus. Sapphires were believed to embody strange powers and priests used them to help them understand dreams. A sapphire was also supposed to keep you from thinking evil thoughts and to live a more spititual life style. The greeks symbolised the blue sapphire with there god Zeus – The god of the skies. The sapphire was also worn to keep the heart in good shape in order to sustain strength and honour. It was therefore significant if the colour faded in a sapphire as this meant your partner may have cheated on you. It is a well know fact that diamond is the hardest substance discovered but it is sapphire that is a close second. The scale used for measuring the hardness of minerals is the Mohs scale with a diamond at ten and a sapphire measuring nine. This why the sapphire has come to symbolise endurance and longevity.

This therefore makes the sapphire ideal for tension setting in titanium rings as featured on our site. You can choose a sapphire to tension set in various cuts including the pink heart shaped sapphire. However the sapphire can be set in all precious metals and looks wonderful when set correctly. A fact may people might not know is that the red sapphire is in fact actually a Ruby. Rubies have lesser clarity values than sapphires. A sapphire can make a suitable stone for an engagement or wedding ring and many women look upon them as an ideal alternative to a diamond as it is a symbol of love and longevity. The sapphire is a versatile stone for jewellery and not only those born in the month of September should consider wearing blue sapphire rings. A sapphire offers our customers the opportunity to purchase a beautiful precious stone set ring that is more affordable than a diamond.

Sapphires come in different colours and in this article we will explore a few facts you may not know about these popular gemstones. One colour they come in blue. This is known as the gemstone of the heavens. Ancient writings claim that the entire earth was surrounded by a giant solitaire sapphire. Sapphires are available in the following colours including pink, purple blue, yellow and orange. The blue sapphire is available in various shades from ocean to midnight blue. Blue is the birthstone for the month of September.

The Greeks named the sapphire sappheiros and in latin it was called  sapphirus. Sapphires were believed to embody strange powers and priests used them to help them understand dreams. A sapphire was also supposed to keep you from thinking evil thoughts and to live a more spititual life style. The greeks symbolised the blue sapphire with there god Zeus – The god of the skies. The sapphire was also worn to keep the heart in good shape in order to sustain strength and honour. It was therefore significant if the colour faded in a sapphire as this meant your partner may have cheated on you.

It is a well know fact that diamond is the hardest substance discovered but it is sapphire that is a close second. The scale used for measuring the hardness of minerals is the Mohs scale with a diamond at ten and a sapphire measuring nine. This why the sapphire has come to symbolise endurance and longevity. This therefore makes the sapphire ideal for tension setting in titanium rings as featured on our site. You can choose a sapphire to tension set in various cuts including the pink heart shaped sapphire. However the sapphire can be set in all precious metals and looks wonderful when set correctly.

A fact may people might not know is that the red sapphire is in fact actually a Ruby. Rubies have lesser clarity values than sapphires. A sapphire can make a suitable stone for an engagement or wedding ring and many women look upon them as an ideal alternative to a diamond as it is a symbol of love and longevity. The sapphire is a versatile stone for jewellery and not only those born in the month of September should consider wearing blue sapphire rings. A sapphire offers couples the opportunity to purchase a beautiful precious stone set ring that is more affordable than a diamond.

Written by John Lewis

Of Love2Have

Love2have specialises in quality handcrafted designer engagement rings made here in the UK by small independent designers.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/sapphires-as-a-cheaper-alternative-to-diamonds-for-diamond-engagement-rings-1532734.html

Earrings originally came in two types of pendant or hoop design when they were first introduced in three thousand BC in Asia.

Earrings were buried with the dead in ancient times and the oldest known were discovered in graves in Middle East dating back to two thousand BC. They were not only made from from bronze but also gold and silver which they are still made from to this modern day.  The piercing of ears was the first known method of attaching jewellery to ears. The Egyptians used to literally plug the ears by stretching large holes into the earlobe and inserting earplugs into this space. This method whilst still used today by African tribes has been redeveloped in the western world into just small piercings for stud or drop earrings. There have been times in the past during the dark ages for instance that recession has meant that jewellery was made from materials other than precious metals due to cheaper prices. Designers however kept there designs safe and the Greeks once again pioneered the use of gold and silver for earrings.

When the Greeks invented earrings in the seventh century AD they would often feature intricate carved designs onto the earrings of there gods such as Eros or Nike. These symbols would take on the appearance of birds. When gemstones became a popular choice for jewellery in the second century the Romans decided to create earrings to use as a symbol wealth.

When hair styles became longer in the middle ages earrings became less popular to wear. Elaborate head dresses covered the ears so it was pointless for many people to bother owning a pair including married women who were regarded as immoral for covering there heads. Such ideas would be dismissed these days and earrings come in more shapes and sizes than ever before.

Things did change for the wearing of earrings when the Italians dictated fashion styles by introducing swept back hair styles which meant once again earrings were back in vogue. The rest of Europe eventually copied all be it one hundred years later in the seventeenth century. Queen Victoria pioneered earrings for women in the seventeenth century when they became extremely popular for fashion conscious ladies to wear as a fashion accessory. A heavy pendant style was the most popular of all during this time.

Due to the weight of these pendant earrings worn in the 17th century they were heavy and pulled the earlobes down creating unsightly large holes. Nowadays these issues have been overcome with the use of clever design as we don’t like earrings to damage our ears. In olden times earrings have been available for people whether wealthy or poor due to the vast range of styles that are made from less expensive metals such as silver or beads. This has been so from early days through to modern times.

John Lewis runs a website that features unusual earrings that are handcrafted in the UK.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/clever-designs-for-earrings-have-adapted-through-the-ages-1528106.html