Hanging out at the International Gem Show at the San Mateo County Event Center

This past Saturday I decided to check out the International Gem Show at the San Mateo County Event Center. It was overwhelming, as usual, but in a very good sense. I made the rounds and pestered the people behind the booths. It was great.

I met the proprietors of Liliana International, which features such Russian wares as matryoshka dolls, lacquered boxes and some very intriguing jewelry. There was an abundance of amber, and I saw for the first time amber pendants with cameos carved into them -- absolutely fascinating. I also loved the miniature Faberge egg pendants, which ran in price from $60 for the smaller, simpler ones to $120 for the more elaborate ones. (Santa -- I want one.)

Another favorite was Freedom Touch, which had ancient Roman and Greek coins mounted in sterling silver and 22 kt. gold jewelry. I enjoyed meeting Freedom Touch's jewelry designers, Dave and Beth, who are very charming. Beth showed me her line of jewelry, which consists of her small, colorful framed prints mounted as very delicate and lovely jewelry.

Of course, I couldn't leave the Show without checking in at Pema Arts. Their Tibetan/Nepalese jewelry never fails to evoke the contemplative side of my spirit -- very welcome during the Holidays! I tried on a massive bracelet that extended about two inches beyond the perimeter of my wrist, and was shocked at how much lighter it was than it looked. The gentlemen behind the booth told me it was hand-carved.

There was so much beautiful jewelry at the Show, and bargains abounded. It'll be back in San Mateo at the beginning of April 2010. The Show schedule can be found here for 2009, and here for 2010. And you can read my AC article coverage of it here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Some insight

I had an interesting experience recently. For my sister's birthday, I sent her the doll necklace I made earlier this year. I heard nothing for weeks. I finally spoke with her yesterday, on Thanksgiving. She thanked me for the necklace, and shared with me some of the mixed reactions she got when she wore it. When she went to the movies with her family, her middle daughter said, "Mom, you're going to have to buy a ticket for your necklace." And her students (she teaches college) said, during student-teacher conferences, "I'm sorry -- I'm trying to listen, but I'm very distracted by your necklace."

This confirmed something I've long suspected -- (1) although I think I have something to offer as an artist, (2) I am a terrible jeweler. I shall explain. The primary purpose of jewelry is to adorn, and most definitely to flatter, the wearer in some form. The problem with art-as-jewelry is when the jewelry attracts more attention than the wearer, for whatever reason -- its creepiness (in this case), its outrageousness, or its size, to name just a few.

I often envy those lucky people who can pull out a bit of chain, beads, and beading wire and come up with something truly delicate, beautiful, tasteful and enticing. My jewelry does not always fall into those categories -- in fact, it rarely does. Nor does my art. I'm much better at creepy and "what the f#@% is THAT?"

Oh well. Maybe I should stick with painting, and leave the body ornamentation to others. I'll keep you posted.

Jewelry That Used To Be Other Stuff

I love jewelry that's made from recycled or repurposed materials, particularly when it's done well. This Etsy artist, who goes by the street name Sword and Fern, crafts her pieces from junked cars. I find her work incredibly inspiring. Check out these earrings:



Here is Sword and Fern's Etsy address: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6391852.

An Amazing Jewelry Blog

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite jewelry blogs:

http://www.jewelrybloguncovered.com/

Features lots of up-and-coming jewelry designers who design in unconventional materials (which I love). Here's a piece by a Serbian jewelry designer named Tanya Igic:

The blossoms are made of leather, and beautifully crafted. You can purchase Ms. Igic's jewelry at http://www.tanyaigic.co.uk/.

Steampunked

I like this jewelry. Apparently it's called "Steampunk jewelry." The designer dismembers old watches and recombines the parts in new, provoking and very wearable ways -- way cool. What do you think? This woman has a shop on Etsy, and it's definitely worth visiting. Here's the link for it: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5927493. If you're visiting Etsy, the name of her shop is London Particulars. Tell her Freaky Jewelry sent you. And she'll say, "who the Hell is that?" :)

Here are some more contacts for London Particulars:

Twitter:http://twitter.com/SteampunkShoppeOn

Facebook: http://profile.to/londonparticulars/

Also:http://www.steampunkjewelry.ffxoh.com/

Have you heard of Novica?

Novica (http://www.novica.com/) is associated with National Geographic and offers handmade items from all over the world for sale. The jewelry is particularly wonderful. Novica was create by Armenia Nercessian de Oliveira, who had prior experience as a United Nations officer for many years. It has helped many third-world artisans to get a fair wage for their creations. Here's one of my favorite items, created by Maria Belen Nilson, who was originally born in Argentina but whose designs are "inspired by Mexico and Frida Kahlo." You can view it in further detail here: http://jewelry.novica.com/necklaces/favorites/sterling-silver-chain-necklace-aztec-victory/164765/. So if you want to save the world AND amp up your wardrobe at the same time, definitely check out Novica. Namaskara!

My Last Link to Reality

Did you see that article they released Sunday on new research yielding evidence that caffeine can boost memory and stave off Alzheimer's? Now, this explains why I'm not in the street, wandering around in my pink bathrobe ... here's the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090705/hl_hsn/moreevidencethatcaffeinecanjoltmemory

I have done extensive research on my own (mostly via the Internet) to convince myself that it is not a good thing to be a coffee addict. Unfortunately, I have not turned up ONE consistently negative piece of information about coffee, other than that overconsumption can give you the jitters. This is yet another stake in the coffin that is my resistance. Guess I gotta keep drinking the stuff .... Great.