Shell Pearls

Well, I am totally writing this at the crack of dawn as my kids get ready for school.   And, I have not had enough coffee, so who knows how it will turn out.

I am pretty sure I have talked about this before, but yesterday I had a customer ask about Shell Pearls.  After I am sure I bored her to tears with my lengthy rendition on pearls and shell pearls--I am pretty sure I bored her anyhow--I said I would write a blog post about it.

Shell Pearls are not real pearls, nor were they ever.   Shell pearls are made from Mother of Pearl (when they are good) and Made to have a look and feel of a real pearl.  And when you get the good ones, they really do.  Unlike glass or plastic pearls, used in costume jewelry for ages now--shell pearls are sort of new, and really come in any size--from about 4mm all the way up to about 24mm.  Yes they can be huge.

I see a lot of people wearing them, even still a few years after they became really really popular.  There was a time I could not keep shell pearls in stock in any way shape or form.  But, they are still popular.

I am thinking I should probably talk about pearls for a couple of days here--or  maybe get some coffee in me ASAP.

For Further Information, I found this neat article (it's short) on the manufacturing of shell pearls: http://www.ebeadshop.com/faonshpe.html

Personally I like them for the price, for the quality, and for the look and feel.  My sister likes to call the feel "substantial"  because they have a weight to them very much like a real pearl would.   I buy my shell pearls almost exclusively at shows--except for the strands I have bought at The Bead Factory  (Tacoma, Washington). 

Because I have to feel the pearl to know the quality--it's not something you can just look at a picture of and know what you are getting

Here's a pic of Shell Pearls, you can almost see how wonderfully full the luster is, and the perfect uniform shape:

Oh wow, did I just do that?

So I made myself a promise recently.  After searching for a supplier of gems from over seas, and being disappointed in the stones that arrived but further the customer service I got through email correspondence...I promised myself that I would not buy any more gems until I was up in Washington this summer for not one, but two shows.
 1) The Intergem show that happens in June in the Seattle Center and Northwest rooms.  I love that show.  It is separated so I can wear my kids out usually between the retail section and the wholesale section...by walking them halfway across the Seattle Center.  Super cool. Plus there is this fabulous supermarket across the street from where my mom and I park every year.  (www.intergem.com)
2) The Puget Sound Bead Festival.  This happens in the first part of July in Tacoma, usually at the Sheraton or something.  We end up parking at my Alma mater, (tacoma.washington.edu) and walking the kids to the show because its cramped and tight spaces usually.  My mother loves it, I kinda get freaked out in crowds, but its still a wonderful show. (http://www.pugetsoundbeadfestival.com)

Then I got online just to look.

100$ later I broke my promise to myself as I hit, "Confirm purchase."

Sigh, I have no will power.

It's been a while

I just wanted to drop a quick line and tell you all that I'm sorry.  I have not been writing for a few days as I catch up on some cleaning, schoolwork and my kids garden.  We are attempting to make a garden this year--well more of a patio garden because you are not really supposed to rip up grass on post and plant carrots and squash and stuff :)

I will be back to normal pretty soon, with the blogging, tweeting and the facebook.




Thanks!

Spring Sale

It's Spring, it's sunny and I am pretty sure my husband is tired of all this wonderful Jewelry lying around.

So this weekend I am haing a sale, 15% off store wide.  This woule be a good time to get some of the more expensive stones like Opal, Jade and Shell Pearls.

As an added bonus, anything I make throughout the weekend will be priced properly then reduced by 15% as well.

I just have to make room for new stuff, so that Matt starts taking his wonderfully engaging pictures again.  I am thinking of holding this out until the end of the week--for those who get paid on the first of the month.  Give me a buzz at twitter @maggiesjewelry  or on Facebook Maggies Jewelry if you think I should extend it.   I want to hear from you!

Thanks and here is a quick link to the site:  Maggie's Jewelry

History

I have a thing for history and historical figures.  So lately, as I have been perusing the the internet for beading supplies--yes I am always looking for new suppliers so if you're one--comment me and we'll converse.

But I keep running across history of beading articles--its quite facinating, I just wish we had some history of how the color enhancement of gems began.  Maybe I will look that up. 

But here is an interesting article I found--its a quick and easy read.


A Brief History Of Beading: Ezine Article.

International Gem and Jewelry Show

So this weekend Austin has a International Gem and Jewelry Show at Palmer Center.  Madison and I are going because the Tucson shows ended up being a bust to get some Pearls for Sarah. 

Pearls are just one of those things that almost can't be bought online--its a personal preference, I suppose...but I need to see each individual pearl on a strand to ensure it is good enough to make.  Plus, even when getting shell pearls, I like to know the quality I am holding.  Sarah--when wearing some of the Shell pearls I get to make calls the feel "substantial".  That's probably a good word.  Just as pearls need good nacre, Shell Pearls need weight--they have to feel like they were once mother of pearl shell before they did whatever thing it is they do to make them Shell Pearls.

That's the main reason Madison and I are going.  At least that's what we are telling ourselves :)

The real reason is the shiny goodness that comes with shows.  We can look and oooh and ahhh, hopefully without over bombardment of boredness from the boys.   Plus--we can get fantastic stuff for great prices and keep our prices way down. 

That's one thing I think I am pretty bad at showing people on my site--my jewelry is high end.  It's high end at really good prices.  Each piece can easily become an heirloom piece, something that is handed down.  I know this because when I worked on commission and as solely a designer and not a designer and seller--my items sold for about 5 times what I sell them for.  The jade alone is a steal, let alone the other fantastic gemstones I peruse the internet and Jewelry shows to find.

Why then do I sell my items for almost at cost?  Well, because I want everyone to have fantastic jewelry.  I want them to have heirloom pieces.  It started on a military installation, where I wanted the E-4 to be able to afford the same wonderful pieces as the General bought.  I simply do not feel the need to overprice stuff--because I do it for the love.  The love of playing with the stones.

It's cathartic and natural, and somehow calming to just hold the stones in my hands.

So I go to shows and get the beads cheaper from the source (sometimes ;) and I still get the benefits of playing with high quality while not having to sell for an exorbitant amount.

It's a Credibility thing...

I admit, I am new to the Facebook Fanpage and Twitter Marketing world. Frankly I am new to facebook and myspace in a way.  It's not that I do not see the merits of social media--certainly most people out there with a product or service do.

But I wonder--even with all the how-to's of social media marketing, are we as people losing sight of what we are trying to accomplish?

Some how-to's tell us to follow those who are like us on twitter, so that they will in turn follow us back.  Yes, Okay I can admit, a community may be built in this fashion.  But how deeply entrenched of a community is it?

An example:  I made jewelry by hand for a friend of mine at Fort Lewis.  She was Irish and I loved that woman like a second mother by the end of my time there.  She had some hard times with her mother back in Ireland--and even though she was there visiting for not happy reasons, after all we had been through together, she would still bring me back fantastic Irish exclusive beads to work with.  And another woman would bring me back fancy Hawaiian KaKui nuts to play with.

That was a community I built by really taking care to understand and grasp what everyone who paid attention to my jewelry loved.  I had learned how to set stones so that I could make Tiana a set of salt water pearl earrings to match her pearls she wore at her wedding when she was not as monetarily stable--and she wore them all the time.   That is the reason why I got into Etsy now--for that community involvement.

But, even new at this--I see us following each other, watching for #etsy tags on tweet deck or whatever program we use.  I see us telling each other what is beautiful in our pieces--but I do not see us opening ourselves up to a greater community.

I see exclusivity limiting our creative outlet because that is sort of what we are told to do.

I am currently reading a book on "Credibility" for my Masters Program.  It's pretty interesting escpecially if you take some of the ideas in there and transform them to your personal relationships in selling your product.

"Until we all, consituients and leaders alike, grab our picks and shovels and work to repair our interpersonal infrastructure, style will continue to succeed over substance, and technique will continue to triumph over truth." (From "Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose it and Why People Demand it," by, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, 2003, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.).

Now take that thought above and change it to your etsy shop--or any online business.  How can we repair this issue before the social media explosion implodes--or is it destined to end, leaving only those with big bucks to be able to afford high quality, targeted marketing of products or services?

Can we as individuals still market our products--AND build community that is not dominated by what we are taught now.  I don't know the answers yet, I just linger over the questions.

For Further reading, I found this from another social media marketer on Facebook Fan Pages: Enterpreneuers Question Value of Social Media


And now it's time to make more jewelry, ponder these questions and prepare for another Jewelry show this weekend.

Spring Cleaning...

I was going through my stash yesterday trying to organize it, because we humans get in the mood to clean during Spring. So I did what any good jewelry maker would do--I instant messaged my closest friend from high school--who incidentally makes jewelry for her Etsy site (http://www.etsy.com/shop/bluedreamsunshine?section_id=6728021)  and asked her if I should write a blog about Spring Cleaning your jewelry supplies.

Of course she jumped and said "YES"

So here I am admitting to the world that I have no idea how to 'destash' without making myself crazy with little bags and bottles for beads.

But have no fear I have clicked into some great articles for you all--even if I don't have a clue myself (I just rearrange it in little bags and start sitting at my desk instead of on the couch or in my bed).

http://blisstree.com/look/spring-cleaning-jewelry-business-tips/?utm_source=blisstree&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=b5hubs_migration

http://www.beadingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/04/01/organize-your-bead-studio.aspx

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/659739/ideas_for_organizing_your_beads_and.html

Don't worry I will come back and show what I chose--eventually.

After I do what I normally do--which is ship stuff off to friends and family.