Big, Bold Style With Citrine And Tiger’s Eye November Birthstones




Sterling Silver Earrings with Trillion Fancy Cut Citrines

 

The real birthstone power of citrine and tiger’s eye is revealed in bigger gems, fancy faceted cuts, bold beads and carved artifacts. If your birthday is in November, don’t settle for gemstone chip necklaces and bracelets of citrine gems or smallish tiger’s eye power beads. 

 

Tiger's Eye In Revealing Big Beads

 This ubiquitous quartz material is really inexpensive.
Citrine and tiger's eye gems are perfect for big statement jewelry looks.

 

 

 

 

 

 




Marquis Cut Citrine Gem

 

Buying  bigger and bolder jewelry looks made with November’s birthstones won’t take a big cut out of your wallet.

Commemorate Native American Heritage Month

Concho belts are my favorite Native American Jewelry Art

 

A full-blooded Native-American co-worker sold me a cute bead necklace of turquoise chips and matching woven earrings designed with glass seed beads.  Her sister crafted the jewelry.

 

In another instance, I purchased a turquoise chip necklace at a train stop on a Reservation while traveling  to a vacation in California.

 

Buying this jewelry was an honor.

The necklaces and earrings are not ornate like the expensive artisan Native American jewelry sold at jewelry boutiques for hundreds, even $1000s of dollars.

But take it from an African-American, any and all artistic efforts to maintain a peoples’ culture are valiant, no matter how small.

Yes, November is National Native American Heritage Month.  A month is not enough.

 There are many, many websites that sell authentic tribal jewelry crafted by Native American artists. Online stores  are worth a look to get the depth and breath of this cultural craft.

 But I usually shop for Native American jewelry at art fairs. It's one way that I commemorate Native American tribes.   I pause for a moment to ponder their art and culture of tribal jewelry making.

Murano Glass’ Soft Gold Touch For Winter



Glistening Murano Glass Beads with 22kt Gold

 

I was shopping at my favorite bohemian Brazilian jeweler looking for a very thin gold chain to restring some rough diamond beads.  Then I  happened upon some Murano glass bead earrings with inlayed 22kt gold foil.

My first thought was that the earrings would look fabulous with winter-white clothes.

The glistening  crystal-like glass with the 22kt foil will be just the right soft touch, not  like an "over-golded"  jewelry look of link chains. ('Over-golded':  I define as instances of wearing too much gold jewelry or the wrong gold accessory.)

 

Murano Glass "candies"

In years past, I had purchased a few Murano glass small collectibles and trinkets like trompe l’oeil candies.

 

True Murano glass color work is such an intriguing eye-catcher.  But I stopped looking after only seeing a flood of cheap import fakes in stores:  creepy imitations not true Italian craftwork.



Detail of gold flecks in amber Murano glass

 

The Italian Murano bead earrings at my Brazilian jeweler were a real bargain for authentic craftsmanship. 

 

 I bought the Murano glass earrings for a great price that equaled the price of 1 Italian bead charm sold at many stores. The buy was a "no brainer" because the beads were already crafted into earrings.

Lock It Up! Now!

Chances are,  someone has already been lurking around your bedroom or home office without your knowledge.  Be responsible and secure your very valuable jewelry.

  

Security Costs Are Less Expensive Than Jewelry Theft

Get busy now! Here's are some ways to minimize the chances of jewelry theft from your home.

 

Small home safes are less than $100 at online stores. These safes are HEAVY.  So buy online and let the UPS guy lug it in the front door for you.

 

 

Small lockable beauty cases are less than $15 at the corner drug store.  You might like looking at your jewelry on display on your dresser top... but so do some other people. 

 

 

Don’t buy a jewelry box without a lock. You can find beautiful, lockable boxes at your full-service jeweler or online.

 

 Access Your Risk of Jewelry Theft

 

A recent episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive featured the worst case yet, hidden behind a home’s neat yellow façade. Inside, it was a hot mess, except for the owner’s jewelry which was set apart over in a corner.

Curiously, her 4 or 5 dozen gemstone rings were neatly organized in a glass display case. Gold neck chains were neatly hanging from stands. All this jewelry was among squalor and filth, probably the worst case ever on the series.

Burglary would seem to be the least of the hoarder's worries.

 

But for you and I, it’s a different story. (Isn’t it?)

Burglars might actually be the least of your worries compared to some individuals, "invited guests" you actually allow into your home without a 2nd thought.

Also secure the irreplaceable possessions of your children or elderly parents: This particular lesson, I learned the hard way. 
 

Research Security Ideas

 

Here are some security ideas that were posted in a story on Yahoo about a family’s home safe: Man Open Old Safe, Discovers Gold Coins.  Be sure to read the comments section-great security ideas are revealed there.

Enough said! Or do you need to lose your jewelry before you learn a very hard lesson?

Finally Found! WWII Nazi Art Loot

TheVerge.com reported today that German police have found over a billion dollars in Nazi wartime looted artworks. The art pieces, including paintings by Renoir and Picasso, were found in an apartment outside Munich, Germany.  Here’s the link to the article: Nazi Looted Art Found.