Time for the Women

When most people think of Finders Keepers, they imagine one of our two stores, but there are so many other places we can be found.  Being big fans of supporting local shops and activities, we are often participants at different shows, conventions, and of course volunteering at many different events throughout the year.  Even if you have never made it into the store, chances are you have encountered the Finders Keepers girls out and about, giving back to the community and participating where they can.

This weekend, we can be found at the Spokane Women’s Show in the convention center.  General admittance is $5, but if you are participating in the Race for the Cure, admittance is free.  With tons of vendors, music, and presentations, it is sure to be a great turn out!  We are very excited to be participating again, always happy to be involved when we can.

So come on out to the convention center this weekend!  We will bring resin charms, leather bracelets, and a selection of hats.  Not only will you get to see all sorts of amazing people and shops, but you can cheer on (or join) all those remarkable people participating in the Race for the Cure!  Check out their website for all the times and events so you don’t miss anything.

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!

I don’t know about everyone else, but I am loving this bubble necklace craze!   They are big enough to be bold, yet simple enough to work with a number of outfits.  And it’s transitional!  Who doesn’t need some great, transitional pieces?!  Wear them to work over a collared or buttoned down shirt, or to an evening event over an awesome blouse.  I saw a girl wearing a vibrant yellow one over a navy shirt yesterday, and it was the perfect accent.  Now if only I could decide which color would be best for me…or maybe I should just get several!

These are just a few of the pieces Deena has been sending us from NY.  It’s so nice having her there, getting the good fashions first and sending them over.  Every week we get new styles and colors of them, and I for one, can’t wait to see what comes in next!

Luck and the Irish

Are you all set for St. Patrick’s Day?  Your green outfit is ready and you are there to  pinch anyone not as prepared?  We’ve all learned that lesson the hard way once or twice.  I know if I lose track of the days, I am scrounging to find anything that can pass for green and be worn.  Rather than throwing a last minute outfit together, with only an iota of green, come and find something fun to accessorize with that you can wear year round.   Who says your something green has to be plastic and garish?  Instead grab an amazing green brooch, or a fun layered necklace.  Perhaps you want to stick with more of a Celtic theme?  There is always the classic shamrock.

Not to be confused with a four leaf clover, shamrock comes from the Irish word seamróg for young clover and comes with three leaves.  It is rare that the fourth leaf sprouts, and the term shamrock cannot be assumed to refer to this particular form.    While the four leaf clover is considered to bring luck, the shamrock has a longer history in Irish culture.

Many people wear the shamrock to symbolize the holy trinity as taught by St. Patrick, a tradition that has been in style since the 17^th century.  Others wear it simply because it reminds them of Ireland.  This is still fitting as it is thought the Druids of Ireland held it sacred due to its triad nature too, making it a long standing symbol in Irish culture.  Its common appearance throughout Ireland also helps the association between them.  Thus it does not need to have a religious connotation to be worn.

Found on flags, sport teams, and many other affiliations, it is often now considered to be a symbol of Irish pride. So whether you are looking for a traditional shamrock, or trying to give yourself or someone else an extra bit of four leaved luck, you have a wonderful accessory for St. Patrick’s Day that can be worn any time.   After all, we’re all Irish once a year.  Let your pride show!

July looks to the ruby

The month of July is when summer really gets rolling around here.  Temperatures climb and people head for the sun.  But if you need some fiery jewelry to set your look blazing too, look no further than July’s birthstone; the ruby.

Ruby is a variety of corundum, colored by chromium, and on occasion iron.  It ranges all shades of red, from pink, to violet, and even an orange-red.  The most desirable color is known as pigeon’s blood red.  All of the other colors of same construct are known as sapphires, as they have the same structure.  Even pale pink rubies are known as pink sapphires.  They can only be considered rubies once they achieve a certain depth of color. Its name even comes from the Latin word “ruber” for red.

Ruby color chart

Rubies hold a hardness or 9, making them second only to diamonds.  They are a very strong stone and excellent for jewelry making because of this and their resistance to heat.  They also show pleochroism, which means that their color shifts depending on the direction they are viewed from.  They also have a tendency to fluoresce, which helps experts determine what region they originated from.  Burmese rubies fluoresce in mere sunlight, which is what gives them the appearance of glowing and makes them more desirable.

The Mogok Ruby: an untreated Burmese stone

Rubies are commonly heat treated to give them greater clarity.  Unless the jeweler specifically says the stone is untreated, you can safely assume it has been heat treated.  Rubies are a considerably valuable stone, the most valuable of the corundum family.  Gem quality rubies are more valuable then diamonds of comparable size.  Even heavily included stones are seen used in jewelry, though the inclusions make the stone less stable.

Many stones that were used throughout history as rubies were actually spinels, which is a separate stone entirely.  These famous stones are still dubbed “rubies” even though the name is inaccurate.   These include Catherine the Great’s Ruby which is in the Russian Imperial Crown of Russia, and the Black Prince’s Ruby which is in Britain’s Imperial State Crown.

The Hixon Ruby Crystal

Rubies are said to bring devotion, integrity, courage, and happiness to their wearers.  They can also enhance energy, and bring about prosperity and success.  The protection they bring from misfortune has been commonly believed throughout history, the best example of which is in the Black Prince’s Ruby, which currently resides in the Tower of London.

So bring a little devotion to your own life with a ruby!  This famous gemstone has been treasured throughout history.  When you look down at your ruby jewelry, you can know you are sharing part of this experience and treasure it yourself.

May Emeralds

Now that spring is finally here, we can look out the window and see green.  But nature is not the only thing turning green this month.  May’s birthstone is emerald, and even its name comes from an altered Latin word literally meaning “green gemstone.”

Said to bring good luck and enhance well being, they are said to be the stone of beauty, constant love, life, and spring.  A fitting stone for the turn of the spring season!  It is also said to enhance clairvoyance, intelligence, and ease childbirth.  Emperor Nero even watched gladiator fights with a pair of emerald glasses because he believed they refreshed his sight.

Emeralds are actually a form of beryl, the rarest color other than red.  Strictly speaking, it should be impossible for emeralds to actually form in nature, as the chromium which gives it the rich green color is not found in the same part of the earth’s crust that the beryl is.  Only through tectonic processes and disruptions have they merged together to form this gemstone. The darker the color, the better the emerald.

The emerald is one of the most heavily included stones.  These inclusions are called a garden or jardin.  A perfect and clear natural emerald is much more valuable than a similar quality diamond of the same size.  In fact, in relation to its quality and size, the emerald is one of the most expensive and sought after stones. Most perfectly clear emeralds have been synthetically created, and jewelers should be upfront with this information.

Even though it rates a 7.5 to an 8 on the hardness scale, its fissures and gardens make it fragile.  It has become common practice to seal emeralds with a cedar oil to make them less susceptible to breaking and to minimize the surface inclusions.  This is an accepted practice, so long as the oil is not tinted to make the emerald darker.  While this sealing is allowed, it is still recognized that an untreated stone that naturally has the clarity of a treated one is substantially more valuable.

Mogul Emerald from India

Emeralds were mined in ancient times in Egypt, Austria, and India.  In India they were even elaborately carved with designs and prayers the most recognizable being the Mogul Emerald, though Cleopatra’s mines near the Red Sea are the oldest mined emeralds (just not the best quality).  Today, most of the nicest emeralds are mined in Colombia.  The largest recorded is the Gachala Emerald at 858 carats.

Gachala Emerald from Colombia

Now doesn’t all that make emeralds just sound like a lovely accessory?!

 

The 4 C’s

So for the last week and day of April, I thought it might be nice to learn about the 4 C’s of diamonds, since it is the birthstone of the month.  We’ve all heard them before: Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut. Do you know what they really?  Or how to gauge what a good rating is?  It was always a bit of a mystery to me!  I knew a VS1 diamond was good for clarity, but I had no idea what being a VS1 actually entailed.  I decided enough was enough and did some research.

Diamond color is rated on a scale of D-Z, with D being the best as colorless and Z being yellowed.  I find it easiest to view it as a color gradient, and found the following diagram to be most helpful in seeing the transition of color.  It can also be rated on a 1-10 scale with one being the clearest color.

Clarity is rated on a scale of Flawless to Imperfect.  These are abbreviated to FL or IF, VVS, VS, SI, and I.  The numbers afterward show the level within each rating.  For example, a VS1 is better than a VS2.  VVS and VS imperfections can only be seen with magnification, while SI and I can be seen with the naked eye.

Carat is the size by weight, which is pretty well-known (though not to be confused with Karat which refers to gold purity), though it’s history is rather interesting.  The word carat came from the carob bean, which were used to weigh gemstones in ancient times.  In fact, 5 carats is equal to 1 gram.

Last, but not least, is the cut.  The cut is harder to grade and judge unless you are a diamond grader or cutter.  The easiest way to determine if a cut is good is to see if it sparkles.  If the cut is bad, then then light will not refract properly and the diamond can seem dull rather than brilliant . And don’t make the mistake of confusing the cut with the shape.  Remember, it doesn’t matter if a shape is pear, marquise, round, or emerald, so long as it is cut well.

Dave and Johnny

Dave and Johnny has a classically elegant style, which is probably one of the reason I’m so visually drawn to their dresses.  They are cut to flatter most body types and with that timeless sweetheart neckline that they have perfected, you can’t go wrong.  After being in business for three decades, they have learned what makes a dress elegant and beautiful, and their designers look to couture fashions around the world to make sure everything is always on the current edge.

If you have looked in any prom magazines, you have probably seen Dave and Johnny dresses, as they have been featured in Your Prom, Teen Prom, and Seventeen Prom. Chances are you’ve already seen them at many events you’ve been to as well. 

 

My favorite part of Dave and Johnny though, is the materials.  Every time I walk past one of their chiffon dresses on our racks, I want touch it, because it is so soft.  And how can you beat a dress that not only looks good, but also feels good!?  We’ve all made ourselves uncomfortable, to look good to an event, but there is no reason for that.  So come on in and see our whole collection of Dave and Johnny!

Trunk Show!

This coming weekend is going to be an exciting one here at Finders Keepers.  It is the weekend of our Trunk Show at the jewelry store!  If you haven’t been here for this before, you should definitely come on in and check it out.

While we are always known for our amazing rhinestone collection, this weekend is going to be even more spectacular.  Christi, our main rhinestone dealer, will be bringing in the rhinestones she normally only takes to shows.  Vintage designers, with amazing stones and sparkle.  She’s even parting with some of her personal collection and will be in store, both days, wheeling and dealing.

Rhinestones aren’t the only thing that will be special in store.  Several of our in-store jewelry designers have been hard at work making fun new styles for the spring.  Are you a fan of D. Caruso designs or Artishion Fox?  They are always making new and wonderful things, and they are ready for the new season!

Or maybe you prefer to look through all the new pendants with words, quotes, maps, and images to find something which speaks to you.  It’s a good time to come in for a visit and freshen up your spring style!

Delicious New Inventory!

I don’t know how many of you have come into our jewelry store this month, but if you haven’t, I would suggest coming on down!  Deena has been on a buying trip to Vegas, and let me tell you, the new inventory…stunning.  Well, what’s left that I haven’t bought myself at least.  Let’s just say most of my paychecks for April are long gone already.   But at least I will look amazing!

These make feeling blue a good thing!

Normally at these shows, we get lots of sterling pieces, which is why I’m usually safe from the product.  I can love on it all I want, but I’m a gold girl and can recognize I’m just not going to wear a large sterling cuff, no matter how amazing it is.

This time, she brought back just as much gold toned pieces as silver.  Hence my true trouble.  And some of the gemstone jewelry?  Beyond amazing.  Both simple pieces and chunky.  Check out some of these necklaces!

Druzi Necklace

They rest right across the collar bone, and lay smooth, but are wide enough to be funky and fun.  While others are long simple strands of gemstones and pearls.  Just enough to give a little pizazz to a simple outfit.

Gemstone and Pearl Necklaces

Best of all, check out these long necklaces.  One of my favorites for sure.  Mine is in a raw ruby coloring, which one is your favorite?  They have a fun Victorian feel to them, while being totally wearable and fresh.  I love when jewelry has a new take on a classic concept.  I guess that’s what comes in working in a vintage store so long!

There are tons of bangles and earrings too, all with large stones in all different colors.  Total statements in whatever color you choose!  Now the only problem is deciding which pieces you love the most…

Gemstone Bangles

Diamonds: April’s Best Friend

Diamonds are easily one of the more recognizable precious gemstones. The diamond was first discovered in India around 800 B.C.E. and were valued for their hardness and often believed to have magical properties.  The word diamond even comes from the Greek work “adamas” for unconquerable.   Famous not only for their strength and durability, but also their sparkle and rarity.

Diamonds began to become popular in Western culture in the 14th-15th centuries.  The first recognizable diamond engagement ring was given in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy.  At this point, it was popular among the upper class to wear diamonds, though not many could afford them.  Then in the 18th century, the Brazil diamond mines opened and the diamond became fashionable among all classes.

Then came the Industrial Revolution, at the same time as the opening of many African diamond mines.  This led to an affordability and availability that had not been previously attained.  Diamond jewelry became commonly seen adornments, and it was around this time that the Tiffany setting was released.

Then came the icing on the cake.  De Beers coined the ultimate advertising slogan.  You probably all ready know it in fact.  Every heard the phrase “A Diamond is Forever?”  With this one simply line, the diamond became established in the hearts of Americans.  It became the symbol of eternal love and the engagement ring of choice, as well as the perfect statement piece for any woman to wear.

So are you someone lucky enough to have the diamond as your birthstone, make the most of it!  This is one stone you don’t have to worry about injuring, and will always draw the eye.  After all, aren’t they “a girl’s best friend?” 

Even if you don’t care for the clear stone, remember, you can find diamonds in all different colors.  Yellow, White, Brown, Pink, Blue, Orange, and rarest purple .  So keep your options open, cause there is a diamond out there for everyone!

Diamond Color Chart