Category Archives: HandmadeJewelryBlog

Bridal Jewelry, Handmade Jewelry, HandmadeJewelryBlog, Silver Jewelry

Personalized Morse Code Ring

I thought I would feature my Morse Code ring today and talk a little bit about the process of making it. When I first thought of making it, I loved the idea of a secret code on the outside of the ring. I was already making a more slender version you can check out on my website here. I thought why not put some wording on the inside? I came up with this:

morse code ring
Personalized Morse Code Ring

It’s a little bit tricky to make, and can get stressful at times. Trying to hand stamp Morse Code onto a ring in a straight line is in itself an accomplishment. Now throw in some wording on the backside and you might think… crazy! How could I possibly get this right? Practice! and get to know your stamps.

It’s a little bit embarrassing to admit, but when I first started making these Morse Code rings I couldn’t even tell you how many I messed up by either stamping the Morse Code crooked/too deep or messing up the spacing of the phrase on the inside. Luckily, I recycle my silver, but it’s still heartbreaking to see all that work go to waste. Also being a perfectionist doesn’t help. I have to remind myself that I’m not a machine it’s not going to be perfect. Handmade is allowed to be a bit quirky, that’s the beauty of it, right?

Morse Code Ring
Personalized Morse Code Ring

Now that I have a few under my belt, they are way easier to make… It took some practice and a lot of patience but It’s truly a labor of love for me. I’m glad I didn’t give up!

Handmade Jewelry, HandmadeJewelryBlog, Silver Jewelry

Birthstone Peapod Necklace

I’ve been making pea pod necklace for a while now using freshwater pearls like this one HERE. However, I thought it might be interesting to make one using birthstones. At first I was unsure what type of gemstone/beads I wanted to go with, some can be very expensive and the sizes and colors will most likely not be consistent. Since I planned on offering this pea pod necklace indefinitely, I really wanted to use beads that I knew would be around for years to come. Hence, come in Swarovski crystals.

pea pod necklace
Birthstone Pea Pod Necklace

I hope you like it!

HandmadeJewelryBlog, Jewelry Making

Sanding away surface scratches from your Jewelry

I just can’t live without my sandpaper these days. When I first started I had no idea what grits to use so remove the surface scratches off of my jewelry. So, I thought It might be useful to some to post some of the grades I like to use myself to get the surface scratches off of my sterling silver.

I like to start off with a grade of 220-280 sandpaper (this is really rough, I use it when I’ve got some major marks to remove) then move on to 400 (my favorite to start with) then 650-700 and finish off with a 1000 or 1200.

You can most likely find the sandpaper grit you are looking for in an auto supply store.

The sandpaper is fairly cheap and such a must! I don’t know what I would do without mine 🙂

 

Handmade Jewelry, HandmadeJewelryBlog

Busy creating handmade jewelry

I’ve been very busy lately making lots of jewelry and filling orders. I was hoping I would have some time to work on my main site perfections.com where I showcase all my jewelry. Unfortunately there’s just not enough hours in the day to get the new pages finished. Hopefully I’ll get some spare time here soon and can work on those pages a bit more. Once I put the pages live, I’ll be sure to post here so everyone can check them out and give some feedback. Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy being busy and having lots of orders to fill.

HandmadeJewelryBlog

Figuring out your ring size

The most accurate method of finding the proper ring size for your finger would be to visit a local jewelry store and ask for a sizing. They usually offer this service free of charge.

Another method which you can try at home is using a string, a tape measure and the ring size chart listed below.

1. Find a piece of string.
2. Wrap it around the base of your finger.
3. Use a pen to mark the point on the string where it overlaps to form a complete circle.
4. With a ruler, measure the length from the starting end of the string to the pen mark.
5. Use the measurement and the chart below to determine your ring size.

 

Ring Size Circumference (in mm)
4 50 mm 5 53 mm 6 55 mm 7 57 mm 8 60 mm 9 63 mm 10 66 mm 11 68 mm 12 71 mm 13 14 76 mm

 

HandmadeJewelryBlog

Three Peas In A Pod jewelry

I’ve been working on some new necklaces, because.. well I’ve got a million earrings, I’ve been a little nervous about it, just because, I’m not a necklace making person! But then that was true about earrings! I love to wear them (necklaces) thought! So I thought I would start with pendants and made a cute little peapod necklace using 7mm green freshwater pearls. I also tried 8mm white freshwater pearls I think both turned out very nicely. Check out the green one!
peapod, pea,pod,green, freshwater pearls, sterling silver

HandmadeJewelryBlog

Tools Of The Handmade Jewelry Trade

I was recently looking at my tools and decided, I needed to update a few of them. Most of them came from my Brothers or Dad’s workshop, and I haven’t been living at home for…. well, a long time! So, yeah I needed something new!

A word of advice… Never buy any handmade jewelry “Tool Kit” of pliers, needle nose, cutters ect… from a craft store. I told my hubby I was thinking of asking Santa for some new jewelry tools and he took the initiative to get me some jewelry tools. (I did tell him I had no intention of breaking the bank when I did this.) Well, needless to say, those jewelry tools are now in the garage and my husband got himself a new set! I love him for trying though!

After that episode, I thought, maybe I should splurge. Don’t get me wrong, going with economy jewelry tools is fine! I have a few inexpensive jewelry tools myself, but I bought those from a handmade jewelry supply site and they work great! So if your starting out, those will work just fine.

So buying a few new tools for making my handmade jewelry dwindled down to one “AWESOME” tool. I went with new wire cutters. I searched high and low trying to get some feedback on which was best.. Low end jewelry cutters, high end jewelry cutters. I didn’t really find anything, or any opinions. I did find that every Tom, Dick, and Harry was selling them, saying theirs was the “BEST” jewelry tool around! But I couldn’t really find any reviews.

What jewelry tool did I go with?

Lindstrom 8141 flush cutter.

How did that work out?!

I have to say, I like the way they feel, and it cuts my sterling silver wire very nicely! Very Easily! If I were to change something… maybe, perhaps next time I would go for a super micro flush cutter. It cuts both ends of the wire straight, instead of just the one side like the one I have. Would I return this cutter?? NEVER!!! I love it. Definitely worth the money.

Now I need to look into some new round nose pliers!

Bridal Jewelry, Costume Jewelry, Handmade Jewelry, HandmadeJewelryBlog, Jewelry Making, Pearl Jewelry, Silver Jewelry

Taking Photos Of Your Handmade Jewelry

So you’ve made your beautiful piece of handcrafted jewelry, you love it! You want to show off your handcrafted creation and sell it online! So now you need to take photos of your handmade jewelry. Your photos should be crisp and clear, you want to show off your handmade jewelry at it’s finest! Sometimes, I’m not sure if taking photos of my handcrafted jewelry takes longer than actually making my handmade jewelry!

Here are two inexpensive ways to have your own jewelry studio!

My preference is natural light. I take most of my photos of my handmade earrings outside. I do use a white board one as a base, and another I cut with a knife partialy so that it folds like a book. I usually use a wine glass as a prop to hang my handmade jewelry from. If I am feeling really creative, I hang my handmade jewelry on branches or leaves.

It’s not a perfect world and I know weather doesn’t always comply. When I take photos of my handmade beaded jewelry inside, I use natural light light bulbs, and I bought two spot lights from the local hardware store for about $5 each (I don’t want shadows!). Yes, I still use my white board to take photos of my handcrafted jewelry. I usually take photos in a small space like the laundry room.

Experiment with angles, close-ups, ect…

If you would like to share your handmade jewelry photography please e-mail me!

freshwarter, coin, pearl, freshwater coin pearl, sterling silver, white, 12mm

Costume Jewelry, Gem Stone Jewelry, Gold Jewelry, Handmade Jewelry, HandmadeJewelryBlog

Handmade Gold Filled Jewelry

Well, I took the step and bought some 14k gold filled wire to make some of my handmade jewelry! I am quite please with the way my handcrafted earrings turned out. I’m not sure what I expected, but the 14k gold filled wire held up very nicely to my hammering abuse! (which i’m thankfull for! Not one scratch!). I also ended up making my own 14k gold filled earwires.

14k gold filled, ruby red jade, earrings

Handmade Jewelry, HandmadeJewelryBlog, Jewelry Making

Gold Filled vs. Gold Plated vs. Vermeil Jewelry

I’ve recently started looking into handcrafting my jewelry using gold wire. I was curious to know what the difference between handmade gold plated and handmade gold filled jewelry was. Oh, and of course Vermeil. This is what I found!

Gold Filled vs. Gold Plated Handmade beaded jewelry

Gold Plated
A layer of gold applied to base metal, usually by electroplating. This is usually a very thin layer prone to scratching, it is likely to wear quickly exposing the metal underneath.

If you are on a handmade jewelry budget, or just want to experiment it’s perfect!

Gold Filled
Or ‘gold overlay’ or ‘rolled gold plated’ as it can also be called. It consists of several mechanically bonded layers. A non-precious base is covered with the outside layer of at least 10 Karat gold. Manufacturers usually mark their gold filled jewelry with fractions that show the relative amount of gold in proportion to base metal in a given piece, so you know what you are buying. It lasts the longest out of gold plated and vermeil jewelry. It is also more costly!

Vermeil
Something new to me. It is basically sterling silver covered by a layer of gold. It is even more expensive than gold filled. One of th cons of vermeil, is that since sterling silver is the base, and we all know sterling silver tarnishes, so expect vermeil to darken with age.

Now you know the differences between Gold Filled, Gold Plated and Vermeil!

Have fun making your handmade handcrafted jewelry!