Wrap It Up Jewelry Hand Crafted Wire Wrap Jewlery
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR WIRE JEWELRY AND CUSTOM CABOCHONSNewsletter
The following exerts are from this years previous newsletters.
If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter with specials and new items please e-mail us at wewrapit@yahoo.com and ask to be added to our e-mail list.
AUGUST
Hello again from Jeff and Mary
It amazes me how quickly time flies it seems like just yesterday I was typing the news letter and hear it is time again. As you can see Mary and I have been very productive this month. We have added several new items to our website you can see on the NEW ITEMS tab at www.wewrapitup.com
Question of the month from Tonya Orlando. Jeff, I noticed on your web site that you have some jewelry made with Synthetic gemstones and some made with Natural gemstones. What exactly is a synthetic gemstone and how does it differ from a natural gemstone?
AN ATTEMPT TO CLARIFY
Synthetic and Simulant are terminology used by the USBM for laboratory grown gemstones. Others in the gemstone industry may use different terms to refer to laboratory grown gemstones. Laboratory grown "synthetic" gemstones have essentially the same appearance and optical, physical, and chemical properties as the natural material that they represent. Laboratory grown "Simulant" gemstones have an appearance similar to that of a natural gemstone but have different optical, physical, and chemical properties. Additionally, certain colors of "synthetic" sapphire and spinel, used to represent other gemstones, would be classed as "Simulants." Colored and colorless varieties of cubic zirconia are the major "Simulants" produced.
Lab Created and Lab Grown and Synthetic are synonymous terms. To use any of these terms, according to the FTC, the gemstone must be identical to the natural gemstone in every way. Composition, Hardness, and Optically. There are a lot of sellers on the internet, who try and denote a difference in these terms, but according to the FTC they are identical terms. The Federal Trade Commission is very clear on the use of the term Lab or Laboratory Created. The stone must be identical to the natural in every way. Here's the quote from the FTC guidelines for gemstone sales for your reference "(c) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "laboratory-grown," "laboratory-created," "[manufacturer name]-created," or "synthetic" with the name of any natural stone to describe any industry product unless such industry product has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the stone named."
Thank you Tonya I hope this answers your question.
What do you think about our Web Site?
In a constant effort to make wewrapitup.com the best we can, I would like your opinion. Please Let us know if you like our web site. Is it easy to navigate? Are the pictures good? Let us know at wewrapit@yahoo.com
Invite a friend.
If you know someone that you think would enjoy or newsletter send me their contact information along with your information and I will send them an invitation to join our growing e-mail list.
Up Coming Show Schedule
*AUGUST 2008*
August 30, 31, Sept. 1 Art in the Park, Glover Park on Marietta Square, Marietta, GA
*SEPTEMBER 2008*
Sept. 5-7 Mountaineer Folk Festival Fall Creek Falls State Park Pikeville, TN
Sept. 26-27 Pellissippi State Balloon Festival Knoxville, TN
*OCTOBER 2008*
October 3-4 Apple Festival Erwin, TN
October 11-12 Heritage Festival Rogersville, TN
October 18-19 Webb School Arts Festival Bell Buckle, TN
*NOVEMBER 2008*
November 22-23 Centennial Holiday Show Franklin, TN
JEWELRY WINNER
Congratulations Mark Huntington from Lexington Kentucky. Mark was our jewelry winner for August.
Until next month, I hope all goes well for you and yours
JULY
Hello every one it is that time again. Actually it is way past time. Here it is the last week of July and I am finally getting around to the July newsletter.
Mary and I have been on the road a lot this past month and we are both just worn out. July 5th we did the Christmas in July Festival, a one day show in West Jefferson, North Carolina. West Jefferson is a very nice place. The show was good but it rained all day. We were soaked. July 18-20th we were in Marion, Virginia for the Hungry Mother Festival. We had a great time. Let me tell you when they say Virginia is for lovers they are not kidding. The people in Virginia were absolutely great. I can’t remember ever meeting a friendlier bunch of people. If you like to camp or just visit a really nice state park you must put the Hungry Mother State Park on your list. To learn more about Hungry Mother and other great state parks in Virginia go to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov . I guarantee you won’t regret it.
I am having a ball answering all the questions I get. I love doing the research necessary to answer the questions I receive each month. I look forward to this part of the newsletter more than any other part because I learn every time I answer one of your questions. Please keep them coming. If you have any questions please feel free to send them to me. I do my best to answer each question I receive and I pick one or two each month to include in the newsletter.
Question of the month from Beth Dolman: I first saw Larimar when I was on a cruise to Jamaica. I thought it was Turquoise. In one of the local jewelry shops they told me it was rare and the only place I could get it was in the Caribbean. Jeff is this true, can you tell me what is Larimar and where does it come from?
Beth: the information given you by the salesperson in the shop was fairly accurate. Larimar is found in only one place in the world, it comes from an old volcano in the southwest mountain area of the Dominican Republic in a town called Barahona. Larimar was initially discovered early in the 1900’s by a Spanish priest but never mined. In 1974 it was rediscovered in the volcano by an American Peace Corps volunteers Norman Rilling and a local missionary Miguel Méndez while they were working in the area.
Residents use to find small pieces of Larimar on the beaches and thought that it was washed up from the sea. In fact these small pieces had been breaking off larger pieces and washing down the river to the sea from the volcano.
The honor of naming this gorgeous stone belonged to the men that had found the source and the two men agreed to name it Larimar. Larimar is a combination of Miguel Méndez's daughter's name LARIssa, and "Mar" the Spanish word for sea. Larimar is also known as the Love Stone, Dolphin Stone and Atlantis Stone because many people think the Dominican Republic is the location of the fabled lost city of Atlantis.
Larimar comes in many colors of blues and greens, all the different colors of the sea. There is red Larimar which is actually copper. Some stones are silky in texture and some have pronounced patterns of blues, greens and whites. The quality of Larimar is determined by the purity of the blues in the stone. Personally I like the patterns, textures and personality of the mixes rather than the solid blues, but that’s just me.
To this day the miners still use primitive tools such as picks, shovels and hammers to dig in the mines. The only modern items they have to work with are electricity and an air pump to provide fresh air. Safety in the mine is lax and many miners have lost their lives due to flooding and mud slides caused during the rainy season primarily because of the lack of adequate shoring.
The quality and quantity of Larimar left in the mines is unknown, which makes the supply of Larimar uncertain. Many believe all that remains in the mines is a lesser quality and that the mine will soon be closed. Some say the mine has been closed and the only mining still active is that of trespassers and amateur miners.
The metaphysical characteristics of Larimar are still being investigated but it is said to have healing powers for the throat Chakra area and also heals in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual ways.
Larimar is one of my personal favorites and I enjoy working with it. I hope they hit a big new vain because I hate to think there is no more of this beautiful stone. I also think maybe if they find more the price will go down, Larimar is very expensive and only going up kind of like crud oil.
What do you think about our Web Site.
In a constant effort to make wewrapitup.com the best we can, I would like your opinion. Please Let us know if you like our web site. Is it easy to navigate? Are the pictures good? Do we provide enough information in the descriptions? What should we do to improve our site. Let us know at wewrapit@yahoo.com
Invite a friend.
If you know someone that you think would enjoy or newsletter send me their contact information along with your information and I will send them an invitation to join our growing e-mail list.
Franklin Rock and Gem Show
Mary and I went to the Franklin Rock show this month and we got some really nice rough to cut. Very soon you will start seeing some new cabs on the web site. Things to look for: Dalmatian Jasper, Orbicular Jasper, Ocean Jasper, Larimar, Rhodocrosite, Polish Flint, Gold Stone, Blood Stone, Orange Marble, Tiffany Stone, Eudalite, Poppy Jasper, and Black Garnet.
Up Coming Show Schedule
AUGUST 2008* August 30, 31, Sept. 1 Art in the Park, Glover Park on Marietta Square, Marietta, GA
*SEPTEMBER 2008* Sept. 26-27 Pellissippi State Balloon Fesitval Knoxville, TN
*OCTOBER 2008* October 3-4 Apple Festival Erwin, TN October 11-12 Heritage Festival Rogersville, TN October 18-19 Webb School Arts Festival Bell Buckle, TN
*NOVEMBER 2008* November 22-23 Centennial Holiday Show Franklin, TN
JEWELRY WINNER Congratulations Tami Stratton from Saint Augustine Florida. Tami was our jewelry winner for July.
JUNE
Hello again from Jeff and Mary. I hope this newsletter finds all of you doing well. As usual it has been a fun but busy month for Mary and me. Between cutting cabs, making jewelry, gardening and just general day to day life it seems we don’t slow down. I really don’t think we want to slow down though, if we did it may be hard to get started again. We have some really neat new items on the web site so give them a look.
Mary and I would like to thank everyone for the cards and e-mails about Pee Wee. Yes, it is very hard to lose a beloved pet, but it sure helps when others reach out to let you know they are thinking about you. I would also like to tell you about the most amazing thing that has happened. We also have a Yellow Napped Amazon Parrot. His name is Grinder or as we refer to him Devil Bird. Grinder has not been the friendliest or most loving bird but we love him just the same. Over the past 15 years Grinder has bit Mary over her eye (required 3 stitches) on the back of her hand (2 stitches) and many times that did not require any medical attention. The amazing part is that Mary continues to treat the Devil Bird with nothing but kindness. Last month when we lost Pee the Devils attitude completely changed. Grinder has become a very loving bird. We can pet and hold him now and he makes no effort to bite at all. I am not sure if he was jealous of the Pee or if he misses him. Whatever the reason Grinder’s transformation has been nothing short of amazing, and very welcome I might add. Look for up coming pictures of Grinder in fun pictures.
LENOIR CITY CRAFT SHOW
This past weekend we were at the Lenoir City Craft show and man was it hot. I think the heat kept a lot of people at home because attendance was way down. We still had a good time. The Thursday night before the show started, Mary and I walked around the park at the waters edge. We found a hollow tree that had a family of baby rabbits living in it. (see pics on web site) We never saw mom or dad but we saw 6 baby rabbits. They were not afraid of us and they came out and played while we watched and took pictures just a few feet away. Mary wants to go back in a few days to make sure they are ok, I’m sure we will.
JUNE/JULY SHOW SCHEDULE *JUNE 2008*
June 7-8 Lenoir City Arts Festival Booth 142 Lenior City, TN June 28-29 Blooms Days Garden Festival and Marketplace Knoxville, TN
*JULY 2008*
July 5 Christmas in July Festival 2008, West Jefferson, NC
July 18-20 Hungry Mother Festival Marion, VA
DICHROIC GLASS
Have you ever wondered what Dichroic (di - kro' - ik) glass is and how it is made? I know I did. Dichroic glass was first developed by NASA as an insulator to use for mirrors on satellites and the space shuttle. Of course you know it did not take long for the first artist to realize Dichroic glass could be used to make all kinds of pretty things including jewelry. I always thought it was just foil poured into layers of glass (shows how much I know). I recently did some research and discovered I was way off and so I decided to pass my new found knowledge on to all of you. Dichroic glass is actually a very complex process of multiple-layers of quartz crystals and metal oxides that have been vaporized using an electron beam. The vaporized particles are then allowed to float up into liquefied glass where it condenses on the surface of the glass creating a crystal like prism that reflects light wave lengths to create the various colors you see in the finished project. Dichroic glass has two primary colors and many other secondary colors. The transmitted color is seen when holding the glass directly at a light and the reflected color is seen when the glass is placed against a dark background. As the glass is moved around a prism effect is created by the multiple reflections. These multiple reflections make many other colors spring to life. Dichroic glass is poured into sheets or plates and multiple sheets are stacked and fired creating even more layers and more reflections of light. The resulting plate of Dichroic glass can then be fused with other glass in multiple firings. Certain wavelengths of light will either pass through or be reflected, causing an array of color to be visible. Due to variations in the firing process, individual results can never be exactly reproduced; therefore each piece of fused dichroic glass is unique. Dichroic glass with the multiple colors and reflections will display some of the most vibrant unusual and opal like colors that it is perfect for that very special piece of jewelry.
After researching Dichroic glass I have a new found respect for glass makers, as I said earlier I thought it was a very simple process and even considered learning to do it my self. I don’t think I will be in to big a hurry to start making my own Dichroic glass, as a matter of fact I think I will continue getting mine from Carolyn Beebe -“The Dichroic Lady” Carolyn does a great job, visit her web site to see some really nice dichroic glass http://www.dichroiclady.com.
LIKE OUR WEB SITE
If you like our web site, please go to www.jewelrygalore.top-site-list.com or from Wrap It Up Jewelry home page you can VOTE FOR US on the tabs on the side. Vote as many times as you like.
JEWELRY WINNER
Congratulations Sandy Selvage of Hickory NC. Sandy was our jewelry winner for May.
MAY
Hello again from Jeff and Mary. I can’t believe how fast the month goes by, it seems just yesterday I was sending out my newsletter and here I am again. April was a very exciting and very sad month for Mary and me. Pee Wee our 12 year old boxer passed away in April and Mary and I have just been beside ourselves with grief. I can’t believe how much we miss Pee and how much a part of our life he was. Many of you probably knew Pee, he was always in our booth at craft shows and he just loved to visit with everyone. He never met a person or another animal that he didn’t like. I could go on about Pee Wee all day long but I’m sure you would get over it real quick so I will make myself stop. I added some pictures of Pee Wee to the web site; take a look if you like.
NEW ITEMS
Even with all my business travel Mary and I have managed to make some really great new items. I have most of the new jewelry listed on the web site under new items, but I have not had time to list all the new cabochons we have cut. I am trying to get some added every day.
As I reported a few months ago I have been traveling to New York fairly often and have made some great contacts to get new rough stones. One place in particular is The Astro Gallery of Gems. Astro Gallery of Gems is a family operated gem and mineral store in downtown New York . If you ever get to New York I highly recommend you visit. Last month I had a few days in Manhattan to kill so I went to visit the show room for Astro Gallery and boy am I glad I did. I have never seen stones, gems and minerals so beautiful. If you get the chance go see them or check out their web site www.astrogalleryofgems.com. The address is 185 Madison Avenue New York , NY 10016 .
FRANKLIN ROCK AND GEM SHOW
Mary and I went to the Franklin Rock show this month and we got some really nice rough to cut. Very soon you will start seeing some new cabs on the web site. Things to look for: Dalmatian Jasper, Orbicular Jasper, Ocean Jasper, Larimar, Rhodocrosite, Polish Flint, Gold Stone, Blood Stone, Orange Marble, Tiffany Stone, Eudalite, Poppy Jasper, and Black Garnet.
LIKE OUR WEB SITE
If you like our web site please go to www.jewelrygalore.top-site-list.com or from Wrap It Up Jewelry home page you can VOTE FOR US on the tabs on the side. Vote as many times as you like.
JEWELRY WINNER
Congratulations Candice Jenkins of Lexington Kentucky . Candice was our jewelry winner for April.
MARCH
Hello everybody it is good to be writing to you again. I always look forward to telling you what is new with us and answering your questions about our jewelry, lapidary work, and our web page. A lot has happened since last month and I am not sure where to start, so lets just jump in.
I added a new section to the web page “Fun Pictures” This is just a place for us to show you what is important to Mary and me. This would be our friends, family and of course our pets, anyone who knows Mary and me also knows Pee Wee and as you will see from the pictures Pee is a big part of Jeff and Mary. If you haven’t already, take a look, we will update this section from time to time so check it often.
Lapidary News for March we are excited to announce we have added a new line of Lapidary equipment to our web page. Covington Engineering is one of the finest manufacturers of lapidary saws, tumblers, drills and grinders in the world and I am very happy to welcome them to Wrap It Up Jewelry.
I must say I get some great questions. All of you that ask a question get a direct response from me, but I like to take a few each month to include in my newsletter. I got some really good questions this month, so here we go.
We have had numerous requests for sterling silver jewelry and a lot of people want to know why we do very little in silver. It is quite simple I hate cleaning silver over and over and anyone who has silver jewelry knows it takes a lot of cleaning to keep it looking good. It has been said and is very true, if you dislike something enough and you are patient someone will come up with a way to remedy the problem and cleaning silver is no different. The answer to sterling silver and tarnish is Argentium®. So, this leads us to our first question for March.
What is Anti-Tarnish Argentium® Sterling Silver Wire?
Argentium® Sterling Silver is real sterling silver -- it is 925 parts out of 1000 silver, or .925. The difference is what the other 075 parts are. Traditional sterling silver uses copper as the balance of the sterling. Argentium® Sterling Silver is a trademarked and patented alloy that uses a combination copper and Germanium to make up the 075 parts of the sterling silver.
Argentium® Sterling Silver is highly tarnish resistant. One jewelry designer who has been using it for years in testing claims that she has never seen tarnish on any of her Argentium® pieces! In fact, Argentium® increases its tarnish resistance over time. Argentium® wire is just a little bit harder to work with than standard sterling. At only about $1.00 to $2.00 more per ounce, it is tarnish resistance and makes it well worth the money.
What is Wire Wrapping?
No one really knows when or where the ancient art of wire wrap originated. It is known that Egyptian and Phoenician artists practiced the art over 5,000 years ago as pieces have been found in the pyramids as well as ancient Pharaoh’s tombs.
It is the only known metal jewelry that is created completely without soldering or casting. The wire used may be from many different alloys such as copper, brass, sterling silver or gold. Although this art was lost for a while in history, it reappeared during the Victorian Era, where it’s popularity surpassed traditional cast jewelry. In the last 30 years, wire wrapped jewelry has continued to increase in it’s popularity due to uniqueness, flexibility, and the “create ability” of it’s artisans.
What is Gold Filled Wire?
Pure gold is 24Kt. and is so soft that is it impossible to utilize it in wire wrap. Gold-filled refers to the process in which a layer of 14Kt gold is mechanically bonded under heat and pressure to one or more surfaces of supporting base metal (usually jewelers brass), then rolled or drawn to a given thickness.
The finished product thus has a surface layer of gold of the appropriate karat weight which is very thick compared to gold plate, gold electroplate or rolled gold plate. The quantity of gold must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total product. This is commonly marked as 14/20, 12/20 or 10/20, which means receptively 1/20th by weight 14Kt. gold-filled, 12Kt. gold-filled, etc.
Gold Plate is made the same way as gold-filled material, but with a lower gold content. The minimum standard is 1/40th the total weight of the product must be gold. An item marked 10KRGP is 1/40th 10Kt. gold by weight. Beware of the difference! A 14Kt. Gold filled material carries over a 10% cost increase over 12Kt. material. Most wire wrappers use 12Kt. gold filled wire. Mary and I uses only 14Kt. gold-filled, Sterling Silver and Anti-Tarnish Argentium® Sterling Silver wire.
How to Care for my Wire Wrapped Jewelry?
Wire wrap jewelry, as with all fine jewelry, requires reasonable and sensible care. You can safely use the same cleaner that you use on your other fine jewelry. You can either take it to your jeweler, or if you prefer it is recommend you use a household soapy ammonia, like Lemon scented Joy or Dawn, and a soft (old) toothbrush. First dip both the jewelry and the toothbrush in water. Now dip the toothbrush into the soapy ammonia and gently scrub the jewelry. Rinse well. This process may be used on all fine jewelry and works especially well on blackened sterling. All fine jewelry should be cleaned often to maintain its beauty and prevent oxidation, that hand creams and soaps build up.
The winner of this months jewelry give away is Tabitha Davis from Chattanooga Tennessee.
FEBRUARY
Hello to all, I hope you had a great January. So far it has been a very interesting year for me. Recently in New York on business I met a gentleman who imports some of the nicest rough stone I have seen in years. I came home with some very special stuff. Mary and I can’t wait to start cutting it. Watch the web page for some super nice Green Zebra Agate, Fancy Jasper, Green Moss Agate, Leopard Skin Jasper and Rainbow Obsidian. I think you all will love it as much as we do. In the mean time take a look at the very nice Cabochons and jewelry pieces we have available now at www.wewrapitup.com .
In the past few weeks I have had a lot of questions about Herkimer diamonds. I am by no means an expert on Herkimer’s but I will tell you what I know. First of all a Herkimer diamond is not a diamond at all, it is doubly terminated quartz crystals (pointed on both ends). It is called a diamond because of its clarity. Herkimer diamonds are found in Arizona, Afghanistan, Norway, Ukraine and China, but they were named for Herkimer County New York which is the location of the largest deposit of Herkimer’s ever found. These little beauties are very easy to mine; many can be picked up off the ground. Amateur miners will collect large stones from the area and break the stones open looking for these quartz crystals. More advanced miners will actually dig into the side of the hills in the area hoping to dig into large pockets of Herkimer’s. Well that is about all I know about Herkimer Diamonds, I told you it wasn’t much. I do however know they make some very pretty pieces of jewelry as well as great display pieces. I wish I had some nice Herkimer Diamonds, maybe on my next trip to New York (I HOPE).
JANUARY
Well it has been almost 2 months since my last mail out, I get behind so quickly. We have several new items on our web site as well as some new ring designs by Mary, so please check them out.
I get so many e-mails asking about the duck that adopted or Boxer Dog Pee Wee at the Lenoir City craft show that I thought I would give a quick update on the duck. For those of you that don’t know about the duck. Our adult Boxer Pee Wee travels with us to all the craft shows and usually he is in the tent with us during the show. Last summer at a show on the lake in Lenoir City Tennessee we stayed in our motor home in the camping area of the park where they were holding the show. As soon as we arrived and started setting up our motor home a white duck came up from the lake and started hanging out with our dog. In just a few minutes you would think Pee Wee and this duck had been best buddies all their lives. Over the next few days the duck and Pee ate, slept and traveled together. The duck even stayed in our tent during the craft show. People were coming from all over to see and take pictures of this crazy duck with his dog. People thought the duck belonged to us, but we had never seen this duck before. All weekend people were trying to get Mary and me to take the duck home with us. Even the local police assured us that if we did not take the duck home with us that the duck and Pee Wee would suffer broken hearts. To this day we see people and get e-mails from people asking if we took the duck home and what ever happened to the duck and dog. So here is what happened, the last day of the show we were packing up to leave and at the same time discussing what to do about the duck. Mary and I decided we did not need a pet duck so we would not take it with us. As we started to drive out of the campground I looked out my window and this duck was running beside the motor home. I could not believe it. This duck broke my heart so I had to stop and get this dumb duck. As luck would have it the duck would have nothing to do with Me or Mary and we could not catch him?her?it, so we ended up not taking the duck home with us. I think Pee Wee was actually relived. We later found out the duck was relocated to a state park in Georgia to live with a larger flock of ducks. We were assured the duck is very happy and is doing fine. I have had several folks tell me they will send me pics of Pee and his duck, I hope they do. I would love to put some pictures of Pee Wee and his duck on the web site some day.
With the end of the show season Mary and I will be back in the studio cutting stones making lots of new and exciting jewelry and teaching some classes so visit our site often to see what’s new.
If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter with specials and new items please e-mail us at wewrapit@yahoo.com and ask to be added to our e-mail list.
AUGUST
Hello again from Jeff and Mary
It amazes me how quickly time flies it seems like just yesterday I was typing the news letter and hear it is time again. As you can see Mary and I have been very productive this month. We have added several new items to our website you can see on the NEW ITEMS tab at www.wewrapitup.com
Question of the month from Tonya Orlando. Jeff, I noticed on your web site that you have some jewelry made with Synthetic gemstones and some made with Natural gemstones. What exactly is a synthetic gemstone and how does it differ from a natural gemstone?
AN ATTEMPT TO CLARIFY
Synthetic and Simulant are terminology used by the USBM for laboratory grown gemstones. Others in the gemstone industry may use different terms to refer to laboratory grown gemstones. Laboratory grown "synthetic" gemstones have essentially the same appearance and optical, physical, and chemical properties as the natural material that they represent. Laboratory grown "Simulant" gemstones have an appearance similar to that of a natural gemstone but have different optical, physical, and chemical properties. Additionally, certain colors of "synthetic" sapphire and spinel, used to represent other gemstones, would be classed as "Simulants." Colored and colorless varieties of cubic zirconia are the major "Simulants" produced.
Lab Created and Lab Grown and Synthetic are synonymous terms. To use any of these terms, according to the FTC, the gemstone must be identical to the natural gemstone in every way. Composition, Hardness, and Optically. There are a lot of sellers on the internet, who try and denote a difference in these terms, but according to the FTC they are identical terms. The Federal Trade Commission is very clear on the use of the term Lab or Laboratory Created. The stone must be identical to the natural in every way. Here's the quote from the FTC guidelines for gemstone sales for your reference "(c) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "laboratory-grown," "laboratory-created," "[manufacturer name]-created," or "synthetic" with the name of any natural stone to describe any industry product unless such industry product has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the stone named."
Thank you Tonya I hope this answers your question.
What do you think about our Web Site?
In a constant effort to make wewrapitup.com the best we can, I would like your opinion. Please Let us know if you like our web site. Is it easy to navigate? Are the pictures good? Let us know at wewrapit@yahoo.com
Invite a friend.
If you know someone that you think would enjoy or newsletter send me their contact information along with your information and I will send them an invitation to join our growing e-mail list.
Up Coming Show Schedule
*AUGUST 2008*
August 30, 31, Sept. 1 Art in the Park, Glover Park on Marietta Square, Marietta, GA
*SEPTEMBER 2008*
Sept. 5-7 Mountaineer Folk Festival Fall Creek Falls State Park Pikeville, TN
Sept. 26-27 Pellissippi State Balloon Festival Knoxville, TN
*OCTOBER 2008*
October 3-4 Apple Festival Erwin, TN
October 11-12 Heritage Festival Rogersville, TN
October 18-19 Webb School Arts Festival Bell Buckle, TN
*NOVEMBER 2008*
November 22-23 Centennial Holiday Show Franklin, TN
JEWELRY WINNER
Congratulations Mark Huntington from Lexington Kentucky. Mark was our jewelry winner for August.
Until next month, I hope all goes well for you and yours
JULY
Hello every one it is that time again. Actually it is way past time. Here it is the last week of July and I am finally getting around to the July newsletter.
Mary and I have been on the road a lot this past month and we are both just worn out. July 5th we did the Christmas in July Festival, a one day show in West Jefferson, North Carolina. West Jefferson is a very nice place. The show was good but it rained all day. We were soaked. July 18-20th we were in Marion, Virginia for the Hungry Mother Festival. We had a great time. Let me tell you when they say Virginia is for lovers they are not kidding. The people in Virginia were absolutely great. I can’t remember ever meeting a friendlier bunch of people. If you like to camp or just visit a really nice state park you must put the Hungry Mother State Park on your list. To learn more about Hungry Mother and other great state parks in Virginia go to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov . I guarantee you won’t regret it.
I am having a ball answering all the questions I get. I love doing the research necessary to answer the questions I receive each month. I look forward to this part of the newsletter more than any other part because I learn every time I answer one of your questions. Please keep them coming. If you have any questions please feel free to send them to me. I do my best to answer each question I receive and I pick one or two each month to include in the newsletter.
Question of the month from Beth Dolman: I first saw Larimar when I was on a cruise to Jamaica. I thought it was Turquoise. In one of the local jewelry shops they told me it was rare and the only place I could get it was in the Caribbean. Jeff is this true, can you tell me what is Larimar and where does it come from?
Beth: the information given you by the salesperson in the shop was fairly accurate. Larimar is found in only one place in the world, it comes from an old volcano in the southwest mountain area of the Dominican Republic in a town called Barahona. Larimar was initially discovered early in the 1900’s by a Spanish priest but never mined. In 1974 it was rediscovered in the volcano by an American Peace Corps volunteers Norman Rilling and a local missionary Miguel Méndez while they were working in the area.
Residents use to find small pieces of Larimar on the beaches and thought that it was washed up from the sea. In fact these small pieces had been breaking off larger pieces and washing down the river to the sea from the volcano.
The honor of naming this gorgeous stone belonged to the men that had found the source and the two men agreed to name it Larimar. Larimar is a combination of Miguel Méndez's daughter's name LARIssa, and "Mar" the Spanish word for sea. Larimar is also known as the Love Stone, Dolphin Stone and Atlantis Stone because many people think the Dominican Republic is the location of the fabled lost city of Atlantis.
Larimar comes in many colors of blues and greens, all the different colors of the sea. There is red Larimar which is actually copper. Some stones are silky in texture and some have pronounced patterns of blues, greens and whites. The quality of Larimar is determined by the purity of the blues in the stone. Personally I like the patterns, textures and personality of the mixes rather than the solid blues, but that’s just me.
To this day the miners still use primitive tools such as picks, shovels and hammers to dig in the mines. The only modern items they have to work with are electricity and an air pump to provide fresh air. Safety in the mine is lax and many miners have lost their lives due to flooding and mud slides caused during the rainy season primarily because of the lack of adequate shoring.
The quality and quantity of Larimar left in the mines is unknown, which makes the supply of Larimar uncertain. Many believe all that remains in the mines is a lesser quality and that the mine will soon be closed. Some say the mine has been closed and the only mining still active is that of trespassers and amateur miners.
The metaphysical characteristics of Larimar are still being investigated but it is said to have healing powers for the throat Chakra area and also heals in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual ways.
Larimar is one of my personal favorites and I enjoy working with it. I hope they hit a big new vain because I hate to think there is no more of this beautiful stone. I also think maybe if they find more the price will go down, Larimar is very expensive and only going up kind of like crud oil.
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Franklin Rock and Gem Show
Mary and I went to the Franklin Rock show this month and we got some really nice rough to cut. Very soon you will start seeing some new cabs on the web site. Things to look for: Dalmatian Jasper, Orbicular Jasper, Ocean Jasper, Larimar, Rhodocrosite, Polish Flint, Gold Stone, Blood Stone, Orange Marble, Tiffany Stone, Eudalite, Poppy Jasper, and Black Garnet.
Up Coming Show Schedule
AUGUST 2008* August 30, 31, Sept. 1 Art in the Park, Glover Park on Marietta Square, Marietta, GA
*SEPTEMBER 2008* Sept. 26-27 Pellissippi State Balloon Fesitval Knoxville, TN
*OCTOBER 2008* October 3-4 Apple Festival Erwin, TN October 11-12 Heritage Festival Rogersville, TN October 18-19 Webb School Arts Festival Bell Buckle, TN
*NOVEMBER 2008* November 22-23 Centennial Holiday Show Franklin, TN
JEWELRY WINNER Congratulations Tami Stratton from Saint Augustine Florida. Tami was our jewelry winner for July.
JUNE
Hello again from Jeff and Mary. I hope this newsletter finds all of you doing well. As usual it has been a fun but busy month for Mary and me. Between cutting cabs, making jewelry, gardening and just general day to day life it seems we don’t slow down. I really don’t think we want to slow down though, if we did it may be hard to get started again. We have some really neat new items on the web site so give them a look.
Mary and I would like to thank everyone for the cards and e-mails about Pee Wee. Yes, it is very hard to lose a beloved pet, but it sure helps when others reach out to let you know they are thinking about you. I would also like to tell you about the most amazing thing that has happened. We also have a Yellow Napped Amazon Parrot. His name is Grinder or as we refer to him Devil Bird. Grinder has not been the friendliest or most loving bird but we love him just the same. Over the past 15 years Grinder has bit Mary over her eye (required 3 stitches) on the back of her hand (2 stitches) and many times that did not require any medical attention. The amazing part is that Mary continues to treat the Devil Bird with nothing but kindness. Last month when we lost Pee the Devils attitude completely changed. Grinder has become a very loving bird. We can pet and hold him now and he makes no effort to bite at all. I am not sure if he was jealous of the Pee or if he misses him. Whatever the reason Grinder’s transformation has been nothing short of amazing, and very welcome I might add. Look for up coming pictures of Grinder in fun pictures.
LENOIR CITY CRAFT SHOW
This past weekend we were at the Lenoir City Craft show and man was it hot. I think the heat kept a lot of people at home because attendance was way down. We still had a good time. The Thursday night before the show started, Mary and I walked around the park at the waters edge. We found a hollow tree that had a family of baby rabbits living in it. (see pics on web site) We never saw mom or dad but we saw 6 baby rabbits. They were not afraid of us and they came out and played while we watched and took pictures just a few feet away. Mary wants to go back in a few days to make sure they are ok, I’m sure we will.
JUNE/JULY SHOW SCHEDULE *JUNE 2008*
June 7-8 Lenoir City Arts Festival Booth 142 Lenior City, TN June 28-29 Blooms Days Garden Festival and Marketplace Knoxville, TN
*JULY 2008*
July 5 Christmas in July Festival 2008, West Jefferson, NC
July 18-20 Hungry Mother Festival Marion, VA
DICHROIC GLASS
Have you ever wondered what Dichroic (di - kro' - ik) glass is and how it is made? I know I did. Dichroic glass was first developed by NASA as an insulator to use for mirrors on satellites and the space shuttle. Of course you know it did not take long for the first artist to realize Dichroic glass could be used to make all kinds of pretty things including jewelry. I always thought it was just foil poured into layers of glass (shows how much I know). I recently did some research and discovered I was way off and so I decided to pass my new found knowledge on to all of you. Dichroic glass is actually a very complex process of multiple-layers of quartz crystals and metal oxides that have been vaporized using an electron beam. The vaporized particles are then allowed to float up into liquefied glass where it condenses on the surface of the glass creating a crystal like prism that reflects light wave lengths to create the various colors you see in the finished project. Dichroic glass has two primary colors and many other secondary colors. The transmitted color is seen when holding the glass directly at a light and the reflected color is seen when the glass is placed against a dark background. As the glass is moved around a prism effect is created by the multiple reflections. These multiple reflections make many other colors spring to life. Dichroic glass is poured into sheets or plates and multiple sheets are stacked and fired creating even more layers and more reflections of light. The resulting plate of Dichroic glass can then be fused with other glass in multiple firings. Certain wavelengths of light will either pass through or be reflected, causing an array of color to be visible. Due to variations in the firing process, individual results can never be exactly reproduced; therefore each piece of fused dichroic glass is unique. Dichroic glass with the multiple colors and reflections will display some of the most vibrant unusual and opal like colors that it is perfect for that very special piece of jewelry.
After researching Dichroic glass I have a new found respect for glass makers, as I said earlier I thought it was a very simple process and even considered learning to do it my self. I don’t think I will be in to big a hurry to start making my own Dichroic glass, as a matter of fact I think I will continue getting mine from Carolyn Beebe -“The Dichroic Lady” Carolyn does a great job, visit her web site to see some really nice dichroic glass http://www.dichroiclady.com.
LIKE OUR WEB SITE
If you like our web site, please go to www.jewelrygalore.top-site-list.com or from Wrap It Up Jewelry home page you can VOTE FOR US on the tabs on the side. Vote as many times as you like.
JEWELRY WINNER
Congratulations Sandy Selvage of Hickory NC. Sandy was our jewelry winner for May.
MAY
Hello again from Jeff and Mary. I can’t believe how fast the month goes by, it seems just yesterday I was sending out my newsletter and here I am again. April was a very exciting and very sad month for Mary and me. Pee Wee our 12 year old boxer passed away in April and Mary and I have just been beside ourselves with grief. I can’t believe how much we miss Pee and how much a part of our life he was. Many of you probably knew Pee, he was always in our booth at craft shows and he just loved to visit with everyone. He never met a person or another animal that he didn’t like. I could go on about Pee Wee all day long but I’m sure you would get over it real quick so I will make myself stop. I added some pictures of Pee Wee to the web site; take a look if you like.
NEW ITEMS
Even with all my business travel Mary and I have managed to make some really great new items. I have most of the new jewelry listed on the web site under new items, but I have not had time to list all the new cabochons we have cut. I am trying to get some added every day.
As I reported a few months ago I have been traveling to New York fairly often and have made some great contacts to get new rough stones. One place in particular is The Astro Gallery of Gems. Astro Gallery of Gems is a family operated gem and mineral store in downtown New York . If you ever get to New York I highly recommend you visit. Last month I had a few days in Manhattan to kill so I went to visit the show room for Astro Gallery and boy am I glad I did. I have never seen stones, gems and minerals so beautiful. If you get the chance go see them or check out their web site www.astrogalleryofgems.com. The address is 185 Madison Avenue New York , NY 10016 .
FRANKLIN ROCK AND GEM SHOW
Mary and I went to the Franklin Rock show this month and we got some really nice rough to cut. Very soon you will start seeing some new cabs on the web site. Things to look for: Dalmatian Jasper, Orbicular Jasper, Ocean Jasper, Larimar, Rhodocrosite, Polish Flint, Gold Stone, Blood Stone, Orange Marble, Tiffany Stone, Eudalite, Poppy Jasper, and Black Garnet.
LIKE OUR WEB SITE
If you like our web site please go to www.jewelrygalore.top-site-list.com or from Wrap It Up Jewelry home page you can VOTE FOR US on the tabs on the side. Vote as many times as you like.
JEWELRY WINNER
Congratulations Candice Jenkins of Lexington Kentucky . Candice was our jewelry winner for April.
MARCH
Hello everybody it is good to be writing to you again. I always look forward to telling you what is new with us and answering your questions about our jewelry, lapidary work, and our web page. A lot has happened since last month and I am not sure where to start, so lets just jump in.
I added a new section to the web page “Fun Pictures” This is just a place for us to show you what is important to Mary and me. This would be our friends, family and of course our pets, anyone who knows Mary and me also knows Pee Wee and as you will see from the pictures Pee is a big part of Jeff and Mary. If you haven’t already, take a look, we will update this section from time to time so check it often.
Lapidary News for March we are excited to announce we have added a new line of Lapidary equipment to our web page. Covington Engineering is one of the finest manufacturers of lapidary saws, tumblers, drills and grinders in the world and I am very happy to welcome them to Wrap It Up Jewelry.
I must say I get some great questions. All of you that ask a question get a direct response from me, but I like to take a few each month to include in my newsletter. I got some really good questions this month, so here we go.
We have had numerous requests for sterling silver jewelry and a lot of people want to know why we do very little in silver. It is quite simple I hate cleaning silver over and over and anyone who has silver jewelry knows it takes a lot of cleaning to keep it looking good. It has been said and is very true, if you dislike something enough and you are patient someone will come up with a way to remedy the problem and cleaning silver is no different. The answer to sterling silver and tarnish is Argentium®. So, this leads us to our first question for March.
What is Anti-Tarnish Argentium® Sterling Silver Wire?
Argentium® Sterling Silver is real sterling silver -- it is 925 parts out of 1000 silver, or .925. The difference is what the other 075 parts are. Traditional sterling silver uses copper as the balance of the sterling. Argentium® Sterling Silver is a trademarked and patented alloy that uses a combination copper and Germanium to make up the 075 parts of the sterling silver.
Argentium® Sterling Silver is highly tarnish resistant. One jewelry designer who has been using it for years in testing claims that she has never seen tarnish on any of her Argentium® pieces! In fact, Argentium® increases its tarnish resistance over time. Argentium® wire is just a little bit harder to work with than standard sterling. At only about $1.00 to $2.00 more per ounce, it is tarnish resistance and makes it well worth the money.
What is Wire Wrapping?
No one really knows when or where the ancient art of wire wrap originated. It is known that Egyptian and Phoenician artists practiced the art over 5,000 years ago as pieces have been found in the pyramids as well as ancient Pharaoh’s tombs.
It is the only known metal jewelry that is created completely without soldering or casting. The wire used may be from many different alloys such as copper, brass, sterling silver or gold. Although this art was lost for a while in history, it reappeared during the Victorian Era, where it’s popularity surpassed traditional cast jewelry. In the last 30 years, wire wrapped jewelry has continued to increase in it’s popularity due to uniqueness, flexibility, and the “create ability” of it’s artisans.
What is Gold Filled Wire?
Pure gold is 24Kt. and is so soft that is it impossible to utilize it in wire wrap. Gold-filled refers to the process in which a layer of 14Kt gold is mechanically bonded under heat and pressure to one or more surfaces of supporting base metal (usually jewelers brass), then rolled or drawn to a given thickness.
The finished product thus has a surface layer of gold of the appropriate karat weight which is very thick compared to gold plate, gold electroplate or rolled gold plate. The quantity of gold must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total product. This is commonly marked as 14/20, 12/20 or 10/20, which means receptively 1/20th by weight 14Kt. gold-filled, 12Kt. gold-filled, etc.
Gold Plate is made the same way as gold-filled material, but with a lower gold content. The minimum standard is 1/40th the total weight of the product must be gold. An item marked 10KRGP is 1/40th 10Kt. gold by weight. Beware of the difference! A 14Kt. Gold filled material carries over a 10% cost increase over 12Kt. material. Most wire wrappers use 12Kt. gold filled wire. Mary and I uses only 14Kt. gold-filled, Sterling Silver and Anti-Tarnish Argentium® Sterling Silver wire.
How to Care for my Wire Wrapped Jewelry?
Wire wrap jewelry, as with all fine jewelry, requires reasonable and sensible care. You can safely use the same cleaner that you use on your other fine jewelry. You can either take it to your jeweler, or if you prefer it is recommend you use a household soapy ammonia, like Lemon scented Joy or Dawn, and a soft (old) toothbrush. First dip both the jewelry and the toothbrush in water. Now dip the toothbrush into the soapy ammonia and gently scrub the jewelry. Rinse well. This process may be used on all fine jewelry and works especially well on blackened sterling. All fine jewelry should be cleaned often to maintain its beauty and prevent oxidation, that hand creams and soaps build up.
The winner of this months jewelry give away is Tabitha Davis from Chattanooga Tennessee.
FEBRUARY
Hello to all, I hope you had a great January. So far it has been a very interesting year for me. Recently in New York on business I met a gentleman who imports some of the nicest rough stone I have seen in years. I came home with some very special stuff. Mary and I can’t wait to start cutting it. Watch the web page for some super nice Green Zebra Agate, Fancy Jasper, Green Moss Agate, Leopard Skin Jasper and Rainbow Obsidian. I think you all will love it as much as we do. In the mean time take a look at the very nice Cabochons and jewelry pieces we have available now at www.wewrapitup.com .
In the past few weeks I have had a lot of questions about Herkimer diamonds. I am by no means an expert on Herkimer’s but I will tell you what I know. First of all a Herkimer diamond is not a diamond at all, it is doubly terminated quartz crystals (pointed on both ends). It is called a diamond because of its clarity. Herkimer diamonds are found in Arizona, Afghanistan, Norway, Ukraine and China, but they were named for Herkimer County New York which is the location of the largest deposit of Herkimer’s ever found. These little beauties are very easy to mine; many can be picked up off the ground. Amateur miners will collect large stones from the area and break the stones open looking for these quartz crystals. More advanced miners will actually dig into the side of the hills in the area hoping to dig into large pockets of Herkimer’s. Well that is about all I know about Herkimer Diamonds, I told you it wasn’t much. I do however know they make some very pretty pieces of jewelry as well as great display pieces. I wish I had some nice Herkimer Diamonds, maybe on my next trip to New York (I HOPE).
JANUARY
Well it has been almost 2 months since my last mail out, I get behind so quickly. We have several new items on our web site as well as some new ring designs by Mary, so please check them out.
I get so many e-mails asking about the duck that adopted or Boxer Dog Pee Wee at the Lenoir City craft show that I thought I would give a quick update on the duck. For those of you that don’t know about the duck. Our adult Boxer Pee Wee travels with us to all the craft shows and usually he is in the tent with us during the show. Last summer at a show on the lake in Lenoir City Tennessee we stayed in our motor home in the camping area of the park where they were holding the show. As soon as we arrived and started setting up our motor home a white duck came up from the lake and started hanging out with our dog. In just a few minutes you would think Pee Wee and this duck had been best buddies all their lives. Over the next few days the duck and Pee ate, slept and traveled together. The duck even stayed in our tent during the craft show. People were coming from all over to see and take pictures of this crazy duck with his dog. People thought the duck belonged to us, but we had never seen this duck before. All weekend people were trying to get Mary and me to take the duck home with us. Even the local police assured us that if we did not take the duck home with us that the duck and Pee Wee would suffer broken hearts. To this day we see people and get e-mails from people asking if we took the duck home and what ever happened to the duck and dog. So here is what happened, the last day of the show we were packing up to leave and at the same time discussing what to do about the duck. Mary and I decided we did not need a pet duck so we would not take it with us. As we started to drive out of the campground I looked out my window and this duck was running beside the motor home. I could not believe it. This duck broke my heart so I had to stop and get this dumb duck. As luck would have it the duck would have nothing to do with Me or Mary and we could not catch him?her?it, so we ended up not taking the duck home with us. I think Pee Wee was actually relived. We later found out the duck was relocated to a state park in Georgia to live with a larger flock of ducks. We were assured the duck is very happy and is doing fine. I have had several folks tell me they will send me pics of Pee and his duck, I hope they do. I would love to put some pictures of Pee Wee and his duck on the web site some day.
With the end of the show season Mary and I will be back in the studio cutting stones making lots of new and exciting jewelry and teaching some classes so visit our site often to see what’s new.