Lapis Lazuli has been used in jewelry making for over 7000 years and is one of the oldest gemstones used for jewelry. Although it has been used in jewelry making for thousands of years, it still remains popular today.

Lapis Lazuli is generally found in limestone and also has a significant amount of lazurite as well as pyrite, sodalite and mica. All of these components give the deep blue color of the stone additional flecks of gold, white and a bit of silver. Because of this, Lapis Lazuli is sometimes dyed an even darker and brighter blue to enhance the color. However, lapis lazuli that is dyed will eventually fade and not have the same color. As a result, it should only be dyed or stained if you have a really good reason.

The reason that lapis lazuli has been so popular in jewelry making for so long is because it can be polished to a bright shine. However, its popularity goes farther than this. Lapis Lazuli has been used for more than just jewelry making over the past thousands of years.

Lapis lazuli has been used for carvings of boxes, amazing figures, and vases to name a few. It has also been used in architecture for columns, mosaics, and many churches have been adorned with lapis lazuli for years. In ancient times, lapis lazuli was used for seals and even for eye shadow. Some of the most beautiful statutes from the Renaissance period were carved from lapis lazuli.

Egyptians believed that Lapis Lazuli could be used as an aphrodisiac and also as a medicinal poultice to help open sores, ulcers, and the like. However this practice declined quickly because it was not overly helpful.

Amazingly, lapis lazuli was even ground up and mixed with other materials and used as paint by the Egyptians and during the Renaissance period. However, the colors were less vibrant when they were ground up and mixed with oil so when new paints became available, the use of lapis lazuli as a paint was no longer practiced.

Lapis Lazuli is still very popular in today's society and there are many jewelry making uses for this ancient and popular stone. Jewelry making uses most of the lapis lazuli found today. But occasionally this amazing stone is still carved into statues, used as ornaments, or even featured in mosaics.

If you ever visit a museum with Renaissance artwork or a museum with Egyptian artifacts you will easily be able to identify lapis lazuli in many of the pieces. Just keep your eye out for the bright blue stones or sculptures that have flecks of gold and white in them and you will know that you are looking at Lapis Lazuli that is thousands of years old!

No matter how long it has been around, lapis lazuli still maintains its popularity in the jewelry industry. It is still jewelry fit for a king!

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Preston Reuther
Master Wire Sculptor
www.wirejewelrybootcamp.com

Gemstones have long been valued by man, both for their beauty and rarity. The poor and rich alike have always been awed by the beauty that such stones give and are highly treasured.

Over the ages, we have given them magical properties or tied them to so many superstitions, they can not all be named. Nearly everyone knows what their birthstone is, but few know what they mean or where this tradition originated from. There are a few theories, but most gem scholars agree that the tradition originated due to the Breastplate of Aaron, a ceremonial religious garment set with twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel as well as the twelve months in the year. On this breastplate, the twelve gemstones were ruby, topaz, beryl, turquoise, sapphire, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, onyx, and finally a jasper. More information on this can be found in the Exodus in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to tell which stones were actually placed in this legendary breastplate since the people back then did not use mineral names as we do today.

There were many traditions of birthstones until the year 1912 when the American national association of jewelers, Jewelers of America, officially adopted what is now the most widely used list for birthstones. The modern list is as follows:

January: Garnet

February: Amethyst

March: Aquamarine

April: Diamond

May: Emerald

June: Alexndriet/Pearl

July: Ruby

August: Peridot

September: Sapphire

October: Rose Zircon/Opal

November: Gold Topaz

December: Blue Zircon/Turquoise

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Preston Reuther
Master Wire Sculptor
www.wirejewelrybootcamp.com

I've pretty much tried every avenue when it comes to selling my jewelry. I've sold it from my hospital bed and sold it on the street. Mary and I have traveled from coast to coast selling at jewelry shows and craft fairs. I can't say that any of these were bad ideas, but the best, and I mean the very best, arena to sell your jewelry is a simple home party. Back in the day when I was making jewelry 24/7, and trying desperately to sell it, I can say without a doubt that home parties were the most effective venue ever. What has proven to be tried and true for Tupperware© can be tried and true for you, too!

Think about it. It will only cost you a small piece of jewelry for the host. You can then recruit others from your first party to host other parties, and so on.

The cost for a home party is minimal. You can build your clientele at little or no cost, and no risk. Provide a few snacks and a nice atmosphere with the help of your host, and soon you will see how a friendly environment is conducive to selling your jewelry. I'm betting no matter what the skill level of your work, you're going to sell something to get you up and running. People just love anything that is handmade and unique. Handmade jewelry practically sells itself. The idea is to keep your overhead low and expose your work to potential customers.

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Preston Reuther
Master Wire Sculptor
www.wirejewelrybootcamp.com

The mystical crystal! Yes, they can be man-made and created in a lab. It's important to know the difference between man-made and the "real deal" especially when it comes to gemstones.

Now, quartz is not considered as rare, and is still quite abundant for lapidary and metaphysical purposes. In fact, 12% of the earth's crust is quartz.

Crystals are made of silicon. Synthetic crystals are made to produce energy and are mostly used in digital production. This would be your cell phone among other sophisticated technological devices such as computers.. We could not enjoy modern technology without this discovery. Synthetic crystals came to be long before communication was even a glimmer in Alexander Graham Bell's eye. C.E. Schafhautl produced the first synthetic tiny quartz crystal in 1845. I'm not really sure for what purpose, but this was long before quartz crystals were introduced to the industrial field in 1959.

Quartz crystals are not the only things that can be manipulated in a lab. Almost any gemstone can be produced or improved under laboratory conditions, and this is what must be understood by the customer looking to buy an authentic stone. Because of the advanced technology of the process, you should always buy your authentic emeralds, rubies and other gems from a reputable dealer. Not everyone can afford the price of a high quality ruby. Rather than living with deprivation, the red tourmaline can fill the bill quite nicely.

This is not to say that man-made gemstones are bad. These miracles of science certainly have their place in jewelry making. In general all the synthetics sell well, but I prefer genuine semi-precious stones such as amethysts and smoky quartz. I readily admit I could easily get "ripped-off", so I don't go with what I don't know.

I am a wire sculptor and so my interest lies more in the aesthetic properties and pleasing my customers. It is most important to emphasize to my customers exactly what they are getting. I make that "crystal clear" because credibility is everything in this business.

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Preston Reuther
Master Wire Sculptor
www.wirejewelrybootcamp.com

Here is a great tip to increase your sales at craft shows!

One of the most effective methods of selling jewelry is to let your customer try on some of your wire sculpted jewelry. About 90% of those who tried on the jewelry ended up buying. That's a great conversion rate!

Now, remember that you will have to have a small hand mirror with you. This selling tool always should be included with your jewelry cases. It's a very important part of your overall presentation. We found that a vanity mirror with a handle worked best for us. Let your customer use the mirror to view the jewelry. Be sure to compliment them on how good it looks on them.

Also, we found that one of the quickest ways to present a pendant for our customer to try on was to slide the pendant onto a collar. This was a lot easier than using a chain for the pendant, which had to be clasped in the back and was awkward if the person had long hair. A simple collar worked perfectly. The pendant could be put on the collar in just a few seconds, and the collar did not have to be closed for the person to wear it.

Once your customer decides to buy a pendant, go one step further, and ask them if they would like to have a collar to go with the pendant. Do not approach them too early about it; wait until you have completed the sale of the pendant.

A simple presentation that usually works goes something like this.

"How about a collar for your pendant? We have a few right here. They are really hard to find sometimes. These are quick and easy to wear, especially if you are like me and have trouble working a clasp on a chain."

If your customer does not have a standard neck size, then offer to make a single wire collar for them. With this simple presentation, you can add several more dollars to your sale. It worked for us and will work for you too.

Dollar Deals: http://www.jewelrysupplycloseouts.com/catalog/Dollar_Deals-221-1.html

Preston Reuther
Master Wire Sculptor
www.wirejewelrybootcamp.com