Category Archives: Jewelry Design

Yurman’s New Book has Real Lesson for Professional Pearl and Bead Stringers

Jewelry designer David Yurman evokes a number of reactions from his peers, including admiration, contempt and jealousy. The last is certainly understandable if not especially admirable. Yurman is one of the very, very few “artist” jewelers who have managed to … Continue reading →

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Gemstones, Style and Reputation

As professional pearl and bead stringers, we’re often asked about issues that might seem a little far from our area of expertise, including questions about gemstones and cultural history. Rightly or wrongly, our ability to answer these questions influences the … Continue reading →

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Even Unintentional Deception is Still Fraud

The other day I was talking to a man who has visited the public sections at the big winter gem show in Tucson. While I was chatting with him, his wife wandered over and when she discovered the topic of … Continue reading →

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Natural Pearls & Jewelry Designers

I was reviewing my gmail account today for various notifications and a number of pre-Christmas articles reminded me of one of my pet peeves. Jewelry designers are always hungry for publicity and rightly so. After all, we can’t evaluate, search … Continue reading →

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Know Your Materials

Rob Bates, the news director of JCK, a leading trade publication recently wrote an article entitled “Jewelry is About Craft. We should tell Consumers.” His point is that manufacturers should take the time to tell retailers what goes into the … Continue reading →

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Stretching Silk for Stringing

One of the issues confronted by all professional pearl and bead stringers is that most thread, including silk, stretches. Despite our best efforts and the best efforts of manufacturers, over time, the stretching results in gaps between beads and pearls, … Continue reading →

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Your Imagination and the New Year

Although I know that starting the New Year isn’t really a clean slate, it always feels like one, and it’s a good time to set goals and plan for a productive year. As a manufacturer of jewelry, you should have … Continue reading →

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Technology and Organic Gemstones: An Uneasy Marriage?

I’m all for new technology. I may be dating myself, but when I went to graduate school, I was considered lucky because I owned an electric typewriter. Obviously, I don’t embrace all the new systems and platforms available to us…who … Continue reading →

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Resources for Pearl and Bead Stringers

As the holidays approach, clients may ask you advice about pearls and/or gemstones. And, although professional pearl and bead stringers typically can answer most general questions, occasionally we can be stumped. Here is a list of web resources you might … Continue reading →

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You’re a Designer? Show them!

One of the Google alerts I’ve set for my g-mail account is “designer jewelry.” Frankly, I don’t pore over these entries, but there are a few design contests I look at and occasionally, a headline will capture my attention. Today … Continue reading →

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