Clasps Important Manufacturing and Design Element

Large ball claspAn article from a beading magazine this morning focused on the importance of clasp in bracelet manufacture.

While the author did remind readers that a sturdy, well-made clasp is far preferable to its opposite and provided some tips on what to look for, she did omit a couple of important points to consider.

First, clasps can be an important design component. Don’t forget to factor that into your thinking when designing either a necklace or a bracelet.

Big, good looking clasps can be worn along the side or in the middle of the neck. A large clasp can be centered in a Small ball claspbracelet. Beautiful clasps can transform an uninspired design and can perfectly complement gemstones.

In the picture above, which I picked up from the internet, the large ball clasp is a decorative as well as functional element. In the picture opposite the designer should have used a larger clasp, one at least equal to the size of the beads. It would have transformed and elevated the piece.

Second, always, always consider the needs of your client. This is especially true of older clients who may have trouble with smaller clasps, particularly fishhooks. In general, do not use fishhooks with larger beads. The weight can pull the clasp apart and the space between the two attached beads and the clasp is too small for easy manipulation. The only exception to this is when designers use wire to attach the clasp and leave a large loop. This is totally unacceptable.

People have also called attention to the potential danger of magnetic clasps used on jewelry worn by people with a pacemaker  or other electric cardiac device.

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Lots of Pearls, No Kokoshniki

By the end of the year, jewelry lovers will be treated to two period pieces which rely upon sumptuous jewelry for atmosphere and detail.

The first is a remake of “The Great Gatsby” which will feature designs by Tiffany. If you’re interested in this exciting period in jewelry history, take a look at this article which explores the period in some detail.

The second is the upcoming remake of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy’s exploration of a tragic love affair between members of Russia aristocracy in the mid-nineteenth century. The movie is due to be released in November, 2012.

Faberge tiaraUnlike the Gatsby re-make which as far as I can tell attempted to be true to period costumes and jewelry design, the brief for costume designer Jacqueline Durran was to mix 1950s couture with traditional styles from the 1870s, the time period in which the movie is set. Not explained in the press releases I’ve read is why the film makers selected the 1950s from which to draw inspiration.

This creative license is also interesting because the mid-to-late nineteenth century was a period of great creativity and innovation in Russian jewelry. Carl Faberge, the best example of Russian innovation during this period, was creating tiaras which incorporated “negative” space for light, airy tiaras such as one above.

PearlsBut this is nitpicking. The photos I’ve seen depict really gorgeous jewelry and are from Chanel Joaillerie which supplied the jewelry for Gosford Park and Vanity Fair. Opposite is one of the most heavily promoted stills showing Keira Knightly wearing pearls and a pair of twisted gold, diamond and pearl earrings.

It’s worth noting that the Russians had a centuries long love affair with pearls. Both the Russian aristocracy and the gentry owned pearl jewelry and clothing decorated with the gems. Russian noblewomen often wore large headdresses, or kokoshniki, decorated with pearls, lace and colored gemstones.

Here is a photo of a kokoshniki (sometimes spelled without the i, although purists will want to know that the authoritative Pearls in Human History from Pearlsthe American Museum of Natural History spells the name of these elaborate headdresses with an “i.” This, however, may be far more than you want to know.)

In any event, the movie is due out in November and will be a feast for jewelry lovers of all periods.

 

 

 

 

and  choose

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Rare Double Strand of Natural Pearls

Double Strand Natural PearlsA rare double strand natural pearl necklace is being offered for sale by Christie’s at its October Magnificent Gems Auction today. The event is noteworthy because matched strings of natural pearls are increasingly hard to source.

This necklace is composed of 120 large-sized individual pearls from 6.50 mm to 12.25 in diameters, ranging in color from white to light cream with subtle rose and green overtones. The necklace is accented with a 3 carat, D color diamond clasp signed by Cartier.

I can find no other information on the necklace’s provenance which is too bad.

This is the third major sale of natural pearls in recent years from Christie’s. The first was a single strand that had been owned by American Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton and Marie-Antoinette, among other European royalty. In 2007, Christie’s sold the historic Baroda Pearls worn for centuries by the Indian Maharajas from the Royal state of Baroda.

Pearl and Bead Stringers

Note the clean, tight knots between the pearls. In a necklace like this, you might expect to see aged silk, yellowish in color with perhaps some dirt on the knots. Christie’s obviously had it restrung. It’s lovely.

Your clients will often bring you pearl necklaces for restringing. If you provide this service, be sure to count the pearls, even take a snap shot of the pearls as presented to you. I frequently had clients bring in Mikimoto pearls that were bought by U.S. servicemen during and after WWII for their wives and girlfriends.  The pearls may have been inherited or may have languished in a jewelry box for years.

Be sure to wash the pearls gently and let them totally dry before restringing.

I always enjoyed this, bringing a pearl necklace back to life by giving it the care it deserved.

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Promoting Tutti Frutti: Jewelry Collector Daisy Fellowes

Daisy Fellowes RingA new book from Sotheby’s jewelry experts “Celebrating Jewellery: Exceptional Jewels of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries” features a ring owed by Daisy Fellowes, a name I didn’t recognize.

Turns out Daisy Fellowes was a French heiress who as a major social figure and Paris Editor of American Harper’s Bazaar had a significant influence on fashion, including jewelry. Most notably, she was instrumental in popularizing Cartier’s tutti frutti style.

This style was created by Jacques Cartier and is characterized by combining a profusion of different gems and gem cuts in a piece of jewelry. The gem cuts include faceted stones, leaf, flower, berry  shapes, cabochons and others. The gems are always set in platinum which contributes to their light, airy feeling..

Cartier began his Indian journey in 1901 when he was asked to create an Indian necklace for Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII. The necklace was to be used with three Indian gowns sent to her by Mary Curzon, wife of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India. (Mary Curzon was the daughter of Levi Ziegler Leiter, the co-founder of the Chicago department store Field & Leiter, now Marshall Field.)

In 1911, Cartier made his first trip to India where he consolidated his contacts with India’s royalty. This stimulated a gigantic leap in new creativity and a fusion of Eastern and Western influences into the style that came to be known as tutti frutti or “fruit salad,” a reference to the many different gemstones used in the jewelry. It was also called the Mogul Style and is a part of the jewelry we group together as Art Deco.

Tutti Frutti Necklace (Daisy Fellowes)The style became particularly popular in the 1920s and 1930s.  And it was in 1936 that Fellowes asked Cartier to create what became known as the Collier Hindou, a sumptuous collection of diamonds, carved rubies, sapphires and carved emeralds. Fellowes later had the necklace redesigned for her daughter and Cartier says the original design was totally lost. (The picture opposite is of the tutti frutti necklace Fellowes created for her daughter.)

In addition to helping draw attention to the tutti frutti style, Fellowes’s jewelry was an inspiration to designer Elsa Schiaparelli, a close friend. It was Fellowes’ Tête de Belier (Ram’s Head), a 17.27ct pink diamond from Cartier that was apparently the inspiration behind the color shocking pink, the shade of pink used on the perfume box that was one of Schiaparelli’s trademarks.

While Fellowes’ influence may be somewhat overrated in some of the materials I looked at in preparing this, the importance of Cartier’s Mogul or tutti frutti style cannot. The combination of different color of gemstones and different cuts had been unthinkable in jewelry design. Equally unthinkable had been the combination of materials such as enamels and coral which became trademarks of Art Deco.

These little bits of social and cultural history not only give us a glimpse of the past they also illustrate how ideas, influences and experience can fuse into remarkable and permanently beautiful design ideas.

(By the way, I came across this Pinterest board dedicated to Daisy Fellowes which might be of interest.

https://pinterest.com/ccmfarrow/power-of-style-daisy-fellowes/#

 

 

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A Critical View of Design Shows

Tord Boontje Cherry Pit NecklaceDesign shows are wonderful sources of inspiration for anyone creating art, including jewelry. They feature established artists exploring new mediums, emerging artists, and, of course, new and unusual designs.

Design shows should not, however, be viewed uncritically. Here is one of the major conundrums I’ve noticed in a number of the many, many design shows I’ve attended over the years.

Design vs Materials

Tord Boontje Cherry Pit BraceletVery frequently artists–and the judges who curate design shows–confuse new materials with new or even good design. Often the fact that the artist is using a new material is enough to jury him or her into a show when the design is execrable.

The design in the pictures to the left are an example. And, let me say immediately that the design of this jewelry is not execrable.But neither is it new.

The jewelry is from Tord Brontje, a Dutch-born, London based industrial designer who is quoted as being drawn to “the real, the raw, and the unfinished.” He designed a line of jewelry using cherry pits and Swarovski crystals, a line that has been highlighted from the London Design Show.

Cherry pits, of course, aren’t often used in jewelry and obviously caught the eyes of the show organizers. But, at least to my eye, the design of the jewelry isn’t new.

So, is it enough to just highlight new materials in these types of shows? Maybe. Especially if the new material is, as in this example, the design.

My point is that it’s vital for jewelry designers, including pearl and bead stringers, to view these shows critically. Often our reaction to a design is intuitive, that is, we like a piece or we don’t like it. Try to take the time to articulate (even if just to yourself) why you like it or not. Better yet, take a friend to design shows and discuss the work. It will greatly assist you in developing your own design vocabulary.

 

That’s fine.

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Avoid Misleading and Unethical Gemstone Descriptions

Imperial JadeiteThe editor-in-chief of InColor magazine, Jean Claude Michelou, recently wrote a column about the usage of the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” in describing gemstones.

Although for years gemologists have been taught to avoid using the terms, the issue has resurfaced because high-end brands are increasingly incorporating colored stones outside the “Big Four” in their collections. (The Big Four are rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, often referred to as “precious.”)

Michelou points out that every professional organization within the trade, including the AGTA, ICA, CIA and CIBJO, regard the term “semi-precious stones” as misleading and incorrect. In fact, the American Gem Trade Association includes the strong recommendation to avoid using the term within its Code of Ethics.

Why? And, why is this important to pearl and bead stringers?

Gemstone beads are often produced from rough that is not high enough quality for polishing into stones. So, pearl and bead stringers often work with big four beads and other beads created from colored stones. In addition, we’re also often asked to consult with clients on various gemstones,so it’s important that we describe them accurately. That means avoiding misleading terms.

So why do we avoid the terms “precious” and “semi-precious?”

  • All natural stones that can be polished and used in the production of jewelry are rare by definition.
  • Only an extremely small part of a mine run can be polished and used in jewelry, further establishing the rarity of gemstones.
  • Some gemstones, such as tsavorite, a garnet, are far rarer than any of the Big Four.
  • Gemstone quality is also an important factor. Diamond bort, for example, used for industrial applications, cannot be considered as “precious” as a Paraiba tourmaline.

If we relied upon the terms semi-precious and precious, the Imperial Jadeite necklace pictured above that was sold by Sotheby’s would be regarded as “semi-precious.” That, clearly, is a misleading description.

So, don’t use precious and semi-precious in describing gemstones. Use the term “gemstone.”

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Synthetic vs Simulant: Know the Difference

Synthetic emeralds and diamonds. Created by “Carat”

Professional Jeweller, a UK trade publication, recently ran a story noting the increase in colored synthetic  gemstones that are impacting what it calls the “mid-market,” that is, commercially priced jewelry.

It’s no surprise that the trade is seeing an increase in demand for synthetic gemstones during a period when people are extremely cost conscious.  And, it’s important to note that there is nothing “bad” about synthetic stones. They can be made into beautiful jewelry and provide a low cost alternative to natural gemstones.

But in a market where we’re seeing more synthetic gemstones, it’s important for pearl and bead stringers to understand a couple of gemological concepts that can help when discussing gemstones with clients.

Natural vs Synthetic Gemstones

Natural gemstones occur, as implied, in nature. Natural gemstones may be treated in various ways to enhance their appearance and improve stability, but these treatments are usually detectable by experienced gemologists.

Synthetic gemstones are man-made. They’re grown in laboratories and have the same basic properties as natural gemstones. This means they have the same basic chemical structure, refractive index, specific gravity, chemical composition, colors and other characteristics.

Gemologists use the same tests on natural and synthetic stones so high quality synthetics are extremely difficult to identify. Some gemologists assert, in fact, that high quality synthetics are impossible to identify when they’re already set in jewelry.

Gemstone Simulants

Although some use the terms simulants and synthetics interchangeably, they refer to two entire different categories in gemology. A simulant is a man-made material that is used to substitute for a natural gemstone. A common example of a simulant is cubic zirconia or moissanite for diamonds. Another common simulant is the substitution of synthetic blue spinel or synthetic blue topaz for aquamarines.

Remember, both synthetics and simulants are man-made. Synthetics duplicate the characteristics of natural gemstones and when high quality are extremely difficult to detect. In the picture above, for example, the emeralds have fissures, which are characteristic of natural emeralds. Simulants substitute for natural gemstones.

Again, there’s nothing bad or wrong about buying, wearing or selling synthetics and simulants. The key is disclosure. Your clients must be told what they’re buying.

 

 

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The Royal Asscher Legacy

Joseph Isaac AsscherRecently the Royal Asscher Company donated a sapphire ring to raise money for AIDS. The auction was run by the Human Rights Campaign and received a great deal of trade coverage.

Why?

The story of Royal Asscher Company is one of accomplishment, persecution, tragedy and human perseverance.

The company was founded in 1854 by Joseph Isaac Asscher who named the company I.J. Asscher Diamond company, for his son, Isaac Joseph Asscher.

I can’t find much about Joseph Isaac Asscher. The Royal Asscher website merely notes he was already a “famed artisan” in the diamond industry.

Given the way diamond cutters had organized themselves by mid-19th century Amsterdam, this may be something of an understatement.

1902 Asscher Emerald CutBy 1815, diamond cutting in Holland had evolved into the scientific cutting of the stone along geometrical lines. That is,artisans in the diamond industry has stopped just polishing and bruting (rough cutting) stones, they were turning them into something we recognize today as cuts.

Recognizing the increased expertise necessary to handling precious stones, the leading diamond cutters of Holland established a trade system similar in some respects to the medieval guilds. That is, they declared themselves “masters” and set out to employ apprentices who would specialize in various aspects of the diamond cutting and polishing process.  I suspect the Joseph Isaac Asscher was a “master” diamond cutter.

Isaac Joseph in turn followed his father into the diamond industry and in turn was followed by his sons, Joseph and Abraham.

In 1902, Joseph Asscher designed the original “Asscher Cut.” The Asscher cut is a stepped square cut and is often called the “square emerald cut.” It has a three-step crown and a seven step pavilion and a somewhat small table . (Joseph Assher eventually reduced the steps in the crown to two or three cuts and the pavilion to three or four steps, increasing the overall brilliance of the diamond.) It was the first cut to be patented and the Asshers held the patent until World War II.

Early 20th Century Diamond PolishingThe Asscher family was a key player at the start of the modern diamond industry. In 1893 the Excelsior was found in South Africa and at that time was the largest known diamond in the world, weighing almost 972 carats. Abraham, Joseph’s brother, cleaved the Excelsior which was ultimately carved into ten diamonds.

The Asschers were also charged with cleaving the 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond. This time it was Joseph who cleaved the diamond after months of study.

The company prospered in those years. The Asscher cut was particularly popular in the 1920s when Art Deco was ascendant and the company retained their exclusive patent for the cut.

However, this changed in the next decades. On Mary 10, 1940 the Nazis invaded Holland and the nation fell six days later.

The Asscher Company’s stocks and patents were seized by the Nazis and the family and most of its employees deported to concentration camps. Of the 500 polishers who were sent to concentration camps, only fifteen survived and only ten Asscher family members survived.

Although there were some survivors, there was no company to return to when the war ended. The patent had been allowed to expire during the war and many diamond companies began copying it. Their stock had been stolen and the Amsterdam diamond industry wiped out.

In 1946, the family received an invitation to relocate in the United States. They declined, deciding instead to rebuild in Amsterdam.

In 1980 it was honored with a royal title from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands saluting the century-old role of the family in the diamond industry, thus, the Asscher Diamond Company became the Royal Asscher Diamond Company.

Nearly 100 years after the original Asscher cut was patented, the company introduced the Royal Assher Cut which improved upon the first. It is protected by an international patent and cannot be imitated.

Today, the company has a presence in the United States, England, South Korea and other major capitals.

Skill, knowledge, courage and perseverance. It’s a profound legacy.

 

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Cambridge Scientists Create Artificial Mother-of-Pearl

Man-made Nacre: Courtesy University of CambridgeFor the first time, scientists have created a material that mimics mother-of-pearl in structure, mechanical behavior and optical appearance. Nacre, also called mother of pearl, is the iridescent coating that is found on the inside of some molluscs and on the outer coating of pearls.

The research, from scientists at Cambridge University, was published this week in Nature Communications.

Nacre, as pearl and bead stringers know, is the crystalline substance that makes a pearl a pearl. As gemologists, we look for nacre coverage and depth in evaluating the quality of a pearl. Pearls that are yanked from a mollusk too early, as is frequently the case in very inexpensive pearls, are dull and can show an unappealing milky quality.

We also see nacre on the inside shells of mollusks which we refer to as mother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl can range from very low quality to beautifully iridescent, multiple colors that appear to float over the surface of the material. Iridescence is an optical phenomenon where wavelengths of light are scattered and refracted back toward the viewer. In freshwater water pearls where it occurs more frequently than saltwater pearls, It is a prized phenomenon. It occurs because (often) there is no bead that simulates the growth of nacre.

The Cambridge researchers say the new material is environmentally friendly, but tougher than mother-of-pearl. Although the research appears aimed at “coating materials” for engineering applications, it’s reasonable to assume that an entrepreneurial jewelry company will soon be producing simulated mother-of-pearl. I’ve no doubt that the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and other gemological educational organizations are following these developments carefully.

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Pearls: New Role in Combating Cancer

Medieval Therica VendorsPearl and bead stringers will be interested to know that recent news from India suggests that pearls may play a role in treating cancer.

Ajai Kumar Sonkar at the Pearl Aquaculture Research Foundation in India analyzed the micro-nutrients in several “specially” cultured pearls and discovered traces of metals and minerals known to have major health benefits.

Chief among these is zinc which plays a recognized role in preventing the growth of cancerous tumors.

Cancer may be the “plague” of the 21st century, and if the hopes of Ajai Kumar Sonkar are realized, it may be that pearls play a role in combating it.

Pearls did play a role, at least in the minds of medieval physicians, in combating the Black Plague that swept Europe in the 14th century. (1348-1350)

The Black Plague, as you know, was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. The plague killed at least 30 percent of Europe’s population. (Some put estimates as high as 60%)

Not surprisingly, remedies against this fearsome disease were frantically sought.

According to G. Frederick Kunz in his 1913 book The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, “A famous class of medical remedies used in medieval times bore the generic name theriaca, or theriac, this designation being derived from the Greek therion, signifying a beast, more specifically a poisonous animal and hence also a serpent. These preparations were primarily antidotes for poison, but were also freely administered for any form of “blood-poisoning,” for malarial infection, malignant fevers and the like.”

According to the Veronese physician Francesco India, one such theriac remedy cured the plague. Its principal ingredients included the “Armenian stone” (a friable, blue carbonate of copper), pearls, charred stag’s-horn, and coral.

The reason India and other medieval scientists and physicians believed in the efficacy of theriac had its roots in the medieval concept of disease. The plague was believed to have been sent by God as a punishment for sin. It was also believed that the plague had its origins in pestilential serpents that poisoned the rivers of Europe.

So, according to Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, “the treacle (theriac) is made of poison so that it can destroy other poisons.”

The plague was believed to have been sent by God as a punishment for sin and was believed to have its origins in pestilential serpents that poisoned the rivers.

The news from India is the latest in a centuries old effort, some successful, some not, for using pearls in medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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