What's In A Name - Satin Doll & Co

Hi there! My name is Gaetana, and I'm the owner, CEO and Creative Director of SatinDollCo. You may be wondering how I came up with the name? No, it's not from the Duke Ellington song, "Satin Doll"! Let's give you a lil' back story...

About 10 or 11 years ago, when I graduated college, I knew I wanted to start my own company. So, I started the ground work to achieve my goal. Over the years my older sister and I had toyed with names. The first one she came up with used my nickname, Tana - she suggested "Simply Tana". This was okay, but didn't feel quite right and I couldn't think of anything for the life of me.

Repurpose Those Soda Cans!

Don't chuck that can out! Our fabulous JET Team leader "Emo" has a great way to repurpose your used cans!

In search of a project to entertain the kids? The grandkids perhaps? Look no further! This project is simple, fun for all ages, and can easily be completed in an afternoon!

All you need is an old soda can, a can opener, a bit of dirt, and a plant (flower seeds work well, but they don't give the instant satisfaction kids crave!)

Book Review: Glass Bead Workshop

In today's article, our very own JET Team book reviewer, Mollie of RoughMagicCreations, takes a look at a beautifully illustrated book about making glass beads...

Hello again! There's just something so enticing about the idea of learning a new skill at my own pace in my own home workshop!

No critical and demanding instructor peering over my shoulder and making my hands tremble in trepidation. No competitive, querulous co-learners vying for praise and attention - and the spot by the window. No Show & Tell presentations or fearsome critique sessions. No, none of that. Just me and my coffee, my tools and my book.

The book I'm reviewing for you today is Glass Bead Workshop, written by Jeri L. Warhaftig. Now, I'm not a glass artist and probably never will be, but I do know a lovely, well written book when I see one. And Glass Bead Workshop is certainly both.

This colorful hardcover book was presented to me as a gift, and as soon as I opened it and read the first few pages, I gained a deep admiration and respect for the talent, imagination and skill necessary to create beautiful handmade glass beads.

Following an introduction, "Welcome to My Studio," Warhaftig gives us a rundown of The Basics: Tools and Materials, Annealing, Safety, and How to Use This Book.

Then come ten sessions, or lessons, each cogently explained and beautifully illustrated with stunning color photos of the process and finished product.

Aspiring artists who complete the sessions will create a Falling Leaves Bead (think autumn!), a Beach Bead (think summer!), a Geode Bead, an Off-Mandrel Galaxy Pendant, a Blown Hollow Bead and five other designs.

Appendices include Sandblasting, Grinding and Polishing, and - what fun! - Near Misses, bloopers which, to my untrained eye, all look perfectly perfect.

After a brief bio of the author and a list of Contributing Artists, an Index is illustrated with even more photos. The glossy dust jacket matches the front and back covers of the book.

And before you ask, no, I'm not parting with my copy! It makes a spectacular statement on my coffee table, and who knows? I might just change my mind and set the world on fire making my own glass beads. Someday.....!

Glass Bead Workshop is 144 pages long and subtitled "Building Skills, Exploring Techniques, Finding Inspiration,". It was published in 2008 by Lark Books, and is available from Amazon.com. The author's website is jeribeads.com

Mollie

Childhood Musings - It's Sure Different Now!

This week JET Team member Nancy, of NancysCrystalFantasy, is in a rather reflective mood. Read on to find out more!

When I go to visit my grandchildren, their parents are so cautious that they don't go out the front door. They even have a special lock installed, that even I have to struggle to open. So many fears of children being abducted from their own front yard!

How different that is from sixty years ago when I was a child! I don't remember our doors ever being locked, except at night or when we left the house, and I certainly was not restricted from going outside. We didn't even have a fence in the front or back yard.

Regal Horned Lizard, aka the Arizona Horned Toad Photo: Creative Commons

There were so many interesting things to do outside - hunting horned toads, digging in the dirt, playing make-believe with the neighborhood children. No TV or video games for most of us. Our imaginations allowed us to make up our own games.

And when I was old enough to ride a bike, I could go just about anywhere in the neighborhood. If we got thirsty while playing, there was always a water hose from which to get a drink. Bottled water? That idea would have been absurd!

Photo: Jim Harmer, sponsored by Hose

My mother had a job in an office downtown, and from the time I was about ten years old I was allowed to walk to the bus stop at the corner of my street and ride downtown by myself. When I got there and reported in, I was allowed to visit the local stores, including my favorite - the five and dime.

Or there were two movie theaters downtown where I could go to watch the latest movie hit, like "The Sound of Music" or "Gone With the Wind." Such fond memories of those days and so many other activities that we were allowed to participate in. 

It's sad that those free times are gone for our children and grandchildren. But the world we live in is such a different place now, and I certainly understand the locked doors and surveillance cameras that now are found on so many houses.

Nancy

Assessing Colored Gemstones, Part 4 - Cut

In this final part of our JET Team discussion about assessing fine colored gemstones, we look at the importance of cut in grading the stones. All gemstone images are courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Cut refers to the manner in which a stone has been cut - such as emerald-cut, step-cut, brilliant-cut - rather than to its overall shape. The skill of the cutter is demonstrated by the quality of cut, which can have a big impact on the overall color. Thus the way a stone is cut not only determines the final beauty and brilliance of that gemstone, it also affects its grade and value.

From left: Very good oval pink spinel, 5.97ct
Very good enhanced octagonal emerald, 4ct
Good oval blue zircon, 6.32ct

The most important factors here are the proportions and symmetry of the cut, and the way a stone has been polished. The cut should be neither too shallow nor too deep, and there should be a sharp and well-defined difference between the top part, or crown, of the gemstone and the lower part, or pavillion. For the highest grade the facets should be expertly cut and well-proportioned, and should be polished so that the finished gemstone reflects and transmits light evenly, giving it a bright and glittery brilliance.

From left: Very good oval golden beryl, 60.50ct
Excellent octagonal step-cut natural sapphire, 20.21ct
Excellent oval natural yellow-green tourmaline, 4.89ct

With pearls, lustre is what gives them their pearly quality, and is the way they reflect and diffuse light. Thus more lustrous pearls will be graded higher than less lustrous examples. Unlike other colored gemstones, pearls are also graded according to their shape and size. So, for example, round pearls should be as close as possible to perfectly round with the naked eye. Natural, saltwater pearls are valued much more highly than cultured pearls, while freshwater pearls are generally less valuable.

From left: Very good enhanced pear-shaped paraiba tourmaline, 1.24 ctExcellent oval-shaped pink sapphire, 2.54ctVery good natural saltwater conch pearl, 6.40ct

We hope you've found this discussion helpful! If you're considering purchasing colored gemstones, Gemfields has a useful online Buyer’s Guide.

My Favorite Tool

Today the JET Team leader Judy, of JemsbyJBandCompany and JemsbyJBWeddings, is going to tell us all about her favourite can’t live without it jewelry tool!

One of the neatest tools that I ever acquired is the looper plier. Last Christmas I put a list together of beading tools that I wanted to purchase. My "better half" loves it when I provide a list so he doesn’t have to come up with ideas for me!

At any rate, this tool proved to be a real find! It allows you to make eye pins and loop them from wire, and you can use it with precious metal, brass, copper or craft wire from 18 gauge to 26 gauge in thickness.

You simply place the wire into the tool and squeeze the handles. The "looper" creates a loop which measures approximately 1.5mm at the end of the wire. You can then trim it to whatever length you desire.

This tool is great, not only for making your own eye pins, but you can make loops on purchased headpins too. The loop looks professional and saves a lot of time over using your needle nose pliers or other tool of choice.

The looper that I use is the Bead Smith 1-Step Looper Plier (above). However, there may be others out there. This is one tool that "I absolutely cannot live without!"

Judy

Assessing Colored Gemstones, Part 3 - Clarity

In this third part of our JET Team discussion about how fine colored gemstones are assessed, we look at how clarity contributes to the overall gemstone grade. All gemstone images shown are courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Clarity is the second most important factor in grading colored gemstones, and describes any inclusions (flaws) within or blemishes on the surface of a gemstone. The higher grades are usually given to gemstones that are "eye clean", with no flaws visible to the naked eye. However, flawless colored gemstones are very rare indeed, and will therefore command very high prices.

Thus, unlike diamonds, unless the flaws are very large and/or numerous, or likely to affect the durability of the stone, minor inclusions don't usually affect the price of colored gemstones. Indeed, with some gemstones they are regarded as acceptable - these include sapphires, rubies, garnet and peridot. Star sapphires, for example, aren't star sapphire unless they exhibit needle inclusions!

From left: Very good oval kunzite, 17.31ct Very good oval paraiba tourmaline, 4.15ct Fair black opal cabochon, 7.24ct

Other stones, such as emeralds, beryls and tourmaline are very rarely found in nature without inclusions, and a long-established and industry accepted way of improving the clarity of emeralds, for example, is to fill them with oil or resin to make the inclusions less visible.

Because of the clarity differences between different types of gemstones, the untreated stones themselves are usually classified as Type I, Type II or Type III gemstones:

• Type I coloured gemstones usually grow with no inclusions visible to the naked eye, including aquamarine, morganite, tanzanite and blue topaz
• Type II coloured gemstones usually grow with some minor inclusions visible to the naked eye, including garnet, peridot, ruby and sapphire
• Type III coloured gemstones almost always have inclusions visible to the naked eye, including emerald and tourmaline

From left: Very good pear-shaped citrine, 59.36ctGood round-cut demantoid garnet, 3.67ctVery good oval colour changing alexandrite, 5.36 ct

Opaque gemstones are graded differently again since by their nature they do not transmit light, but they should still reflect light well. they should not have any cracks or fissures, or feature undesirable inclusions. But as always there are exceptions! For example, inclusions such as veining can be acceptable - and sometimes even desirable - in certain types of stone, such as lapis lazuli.

May Faire 2015

On a lovely, sunny, third weekend in May, my dear friend Diane and I took our craft booth and the EZ-Up tent, and went to the beautiful little park in the center of the village of Holland Patent, NY to participate in the fifth annual May Faire Renaissance Fair. We set up our wares and settled in to enjoy the participants and the visitors. My side of the booth, Every Day A Promise, featured my jewelry:

Diane’s beautiful stained glass, The Glass Menagerie, was set up across from it.

During the weekend we saw various entertainment presentations including singers, instrumentalists, dancers, and jugglers. Many people there were dressed for the occasion, in costumes representative of the Renaissance era, and it was such fun seeing all the interesting variations. These vendors were next to us!

Across from us was a vendor who made sculptures from shells...

And my friend Judi, below, was vending her wonderful Renaissance Garb and Notions!

I caught one of the singers performing in the gazebo!

And the Renaissance dancers performed very near our tent. They were dressed in costumes made entirely of rags!

Some of the people who attended were also dressed in costumes. They really added to the festive atmosphere as they shopped at the various booths.

And on this warm, humid weekend, you could always cool off by visiting the dragon - who was dragging the "Dragon Ice Cream" cart everywhere!

Everything in the park was decorated. Our booth was near this lovely little bridge, over a tiny water feature. The bridge looked so festive decked in flowers! On the other side there were some tents, since some of the vendors came from quite a distance and spent the night in the park.

Diane and I really enjoyed this show. It was the first year we had participated in it, but we are planning on returning next year and having another wonderful time!

Laurie

Assessing Colored Gemstones, Part 2 - Colour

In this second part of our JET Team discussion about assessing fine colored gemstones, we look at the most important factor in grading the stones, color. All gemstone images are courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Color is without doubt the most important factor in grading all colored gemstones. Of key importance is whether the colour is natural, or has been achieved through treating the stone in some way - untreated, richly colored gemstones are generally worth far more than those that have been enhanced by being heat treated or dyed. The gemstone industry has accepted methods of enhancing certain stones - for example amethysts, aquamarines, sapphires, citrines, rubies and tanzanite may be heat treated, while blue topaz is often irradiated, to improve their color.

From left: Very good emerald-cut smokey quartz, 158ct
Very good oval sapphire cabochon, 7.55ct
Excellent modified-rectangule topaz, 35.95ct

Because different stones have different characteristics, each type of gemstone has its own unique standards for optimal color and clarity. Regardless of the grading scale being used, three factors determine the grading of gemstones for color. These are hue, tone, and saturation:

• Hue is the basic color itself, such as blue or red, and the most valuable colored gemstones will have the purest color. The GIA grading system describes 31 basic colors or hues
• Tone refers to the lightness or darkness of color, such as dark blue or light red. The GIA system has 11 tones describing depth of color, of which medium-light to medium-dark tones are generally the most valuable
• Saturation refers to the purity and intensity of the colour, and often determines how a gemstone will be cut. The GIA system groups colours into cool hues such as blue, and warm hues such as red, each with six degrees of saturation. The most valuable gemstones usually display strong color saturation

From left: Excellent oval natural ruby, 2.09ct
Very good rectangular apatite, 2.38ct
Good oval peridot cabochon, 18.04ct

Wild Horses Can’t Keep Me Away

In today's post, JET Team member Judy of jemsbyjbandcompany tells us about a memorable trip to Outer Banks.

One of the most interesting and fun vacations that I have taken, was a trip to the Outer Banks. This part of North Carolina has the most beautiful habitat and ocean views. Our family - of three kids, six grandkids and my better half and I - rented a house on the beach in Corolla, North Carolina (pronounced Caralla). The weather was gorgeous, the seafood awesome and the ocean magnificent!

The high point of the trip was a ride on the beach to see the wild horses. These beautiful animals roam the sand, and drink from the puddles of water scattered about the beach. It seems strange to see a horse on a beach. However, this is the part of the Outer Banks where they are found, and they are a sight to behold.

After letting some of the air out of the tires on the SUV, we bumped and jostled our way out to the remote end of the beach. Sitting in full glory, were the horses just waiting for us. Needless to say, this was a memorable trip that won’t be forgotten. We’d love to travel back to this beautiful place someday!

Judy

Assessing Colored Gemstones, Part 1 - The Three Cs

Have you ever wondered how colored gemstones are assessed and graded? This week, the JET Team begins a four-part discussion explaining the basics of assessing fine colored gemstones. We start by taking a look at the criteria on which grading is based. All gemstone images shown are courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Diamonds are valued and rated with the Four Cs - color, clarity, cut and carat. Colored gemstones are evaluated similarly, but while carat weight will affect the final price of a colored gemstone, the size itself is not graded. Thus colored gemstones are evaluated only on the Three Cs of color, clarity and cut, and the final grade of a colored gemstone will take all three of these factors into account.

Left: Excellent rectangular citrine, 68.60ct
Excellent bluish violet oval tanzanite, 14.95ct
Good emerald-cut tourmaline, 3.38ct

While diamonds are always graded according to the same international criteria, there is unfortunately no universal grading system for colored gemstones. For example, AGL (American Gemological Laboratories), AIGS (Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) all have their own, different rating systems, and there are many more systems also in use across the globe.

Some suppliers describe colored gemstones using words like Excellent, Fine, Very Good and Good, but each supplier may apply the terms using slightly different criteria. Other suppliers may use comparable terminology of Extra Fine, Fine, Good and Commercial. Potential gemstone buyers need to be aware of these differences, and make sure they know which scale has been used to determine the grade of their colored gemstone.

From left: Excellent emerald-shaped aquamarine, 32.93ct Good cushion-cut yellow sapphire, 26.80ct Excellent oval amethyst, 133.52ct

The following table shows a basic comparison of the most commonly used systems used for grading colored gemstones:

From left: Very good undrilled black South Sea cultured pearl, 14x13.5mmExcellent whistle-cut rhodolite garnet, 5.22ctVery good black opal cabochon, 7.98ct

Planner Addiction!

Today our super-organised JET Team member and businesswoman, Gaetana of SatinDollCo, shares the planning technique she now uses to stay organised and keep on top of her businesses...

If you are an avid user of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or even Pinterest, then you'll know that 2015 is the year of the planner! My addiction with notebooks and planners started back in 2007, when I first started my business. This year it has fuelled to a whole new level, with social media publicising others like myself.

First, I found the perfect year planner from sugarpaper.com, who are on Instagram as @SugarPaperLA. Their planner is super affordable and cute compared to some of the others available, plus it can also be found at Target.

With planners taking over social media, a whole new business is developing around production of labels, stickers and so on. I've been finding more and more sellers on Etsy that carry these items, but having too much choice can be overwhelming. In fact, I got so overwhelmed and frustrated that I didn't purchase a single thing!

Then, last month, a light bulb went off in my head! I remembered a load of labels I'd purchased that were the wrong size, and were just collecting dust. So, I made a list of what labels and stickers I needed for my planner, and then made my own. Problem solved!

I was so happy with them that I couldn't wait to embellish my pages that first week! With several businesses and a very busy personal life, it's vital to stay organised. So my advice to all planner addicts like myself is - if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, just do it yourself! Then buy some cute washi tapes, and you're good to go. Happy Planning!

Gaetana