Eye-catching Men’s Rings

October 1, 2011 By
mens ring

Stainless Steel Mokume Gane Ring

A lot of men’s rings tend to be inconspicuous jewelry items.  Most of the time, they’re just cold and hard bands that are worn for their symbolic function that leave no impression on the minds of those who see them.

The custom designed ones on the other hand are often viewed as too ostentatious and tacky; big rings that are mostly associated with older men who don’t seem to know squat about keeping things classy.

However, in recent years, jewelry-makers have learned to find a balance in creating rings for men so they will stand out without looking flamboyantly cheap.

Conservative or Liberal?

While there are some men who will not shy from outrageous ring designs, it’s comfortable to claim that the majority of guys would choose to go down the more conservative road as far as rings are concerned.

There are men’s rings designs that are eye-catching but do not necessarily have loud accents. Some just feature very subtle embellishments that are more interesting than shocking in effect.

What About Mokume Gane Rings for Men?

A ring’s finish can create a great difference in the overall appearance of the ring. It’s usually the last add-on feature which gives more texture to the band.  This may be an understated feature but a finish like the Mokume Gane can completely alter the look of the band that instead of looking like metal, the band tends to look more like wood.

Only experts can pull of this kind of finish which was inspired by the metal work done on some Japanese swords.  The combination of different colored metals create this marbling effect on the ring which is both beautiful and unusual.

Stone embellishments are also attractive.  They add more sparkle and color to the common single-toned metal band. Men who prefer a more elegant ring will surely amaze with black diamonds set within a luxurious platinum band.  These can match up well with some black diamond stud earings for men.

Sapphire jewelry and emeralds are popular features as well especially among signet rings, which even without stones are already greatly admirable for their cryptic charm.

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Sapphire Jewelry Hints and Tips

September 22, 2011 By
sapphire jewelry with sterling silver mount

Heart Shaped Sapphire Pendant

Sapphire jewelery has been popular for centuries.  While most people associate the sapphire with the color blue, they do come in a wide range of colors. From yellow to black, you can find sapphires in most any color.

How to Keep Your Sapphire Clean

Sapphires are the second hardest stone on earth, the hardest being diamonds. With the way this crystal is structured it’s very resistant to breaking as well. This makes the sapphire very easy to take care of unlike some other gemstones.

Cleaning a sapphire is fairly easy. You can just use soapy lukewarm water. I would shy away from abrasives or moisturizers. The sapphire itself will handle it without problem, but your ring or necklace might not be that resistant.

Be especially careful when you have an electroplated silver ring, as detergents can have a very poor reaction to them. It could make the ring, again not the stone, worthless.

You don’t have to worry too much if your sapphire is attached to a solid sterling silver or a minimum of 10k gold piece of jewelry though, as these precious metals can generally handle detergents with no problem.

Guide on Buying Sapphires

Most important for the price of a sapphire is its colour, a more intense blue always means a higher value.  It is very much similar to emerald jewelry.

Clarity is important as well, you should not be able to see any inclusions (small irregularities or bubbles) in a high quality sapphire. If you can see some flaws like this, and the seller claims it is a high quality stone, you should leave immediately!

Every lower quality sapphires are often heat-treated to improve their color.  Oftentimes you will find these on lower priced mens earings.  The price between an unheated or heated lower quality stone is almost the same, however when you start dealing with higher quality sapphires, unheated gemstones will fetch a higher price. Sometimes up to two times higher.

There are more treatments for sapphires though these are frowned upon and are not commonly used. These include oiling to fill up cracks and dyeing to deepen its color. To make sure you are not buying such stones you should only deal with reputable gem sellers and jewellers.

For more information on buying gems I advise looking at my guide to buying gems online.

If you’re interested in other gemstones or gemstone jewelry please take a look at this site with everything about gemstones.

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Over The Door Jewelry Storage and Organization

September 16, 2011 By
over the door jewelry storage rack

Over the door Jewelry storage and organizer

There are a couple of nice options for those looking at storing and organizing their jewelry with an over the door jewelry storage cabinet or rack.

These  wonderful inventions provide you with many different choices depending on what kind of jewelry you want to organize.

Many people initially are looking for a good way to properly organize and store their necklaces, while others are exasperated with never being able to find the mate to their earrings.

An overdoor jewelry organizer solves both of the above problems and a few more.

How much do they cost?

While some of the more popular rack and hook type over the door organizers for jewelry cost around fifty dollar dollars, there are some higher end options to help protect and secure your expensive jewels even better.

overdoor jewelry organizer with mirror

Jewelry Organizer Cabinet with Mirror

An over the door, or wall mounted jewelry organizer that has a locking door helps many women feel more secure about their jewelery and will generally cost between one hundred and two hundred dollars.

What are the more expensive jewelry organizers made of?

These storage compartments and organizers for jewellery are made of heavy wood or powder coated steel and can be mounted permanently to a wall or solid door with strong screws making it difficult if not nearly impossible for a thief to penetrate and steal your jewelry.

Do they have a mirror inside?

These higher end models with a door usually have a mirror on the outside and sometimes on the inside which is another nice feature.  Some even have hidden compartments making it even harder for a thief to find your expensive jewels if they do happen to get inside.

Are there different options on the color?

While most of the best selling rack type organizers come in white, you can sometimes find them in black or brown.  If you really need to have a different color than what you find available, it is possible for you to paint them with whatever color you need to match with your decor.

The wooden wall mounted organizers usually come with a nice oak finish.

Where do I buy one of these jewelry organizers?

Your wall and overdoor jewelry organizer options can be limited if you are shopping at a local store.

That is why we recommend you Click Here to check out your over the door jewelry storage cabinet options at Amazon.com

Amazon has an incredible variety of these wall and door organizers for jewelry and you are sure to find one that suits your needs.

This type of jewelry storage and organization is getting more and more popular.  While many women (and men) still like to have a nice wooden jewelry box with many compartments, others have found that storing and organizing their jewelry in this way is a much better and more convenient option.  They are great for mens earings especially.

For another fine article on the subject, visit the Overdoor Jewelry Organizer article at MadProgress.com

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Mens Earings

September 8, 2011 By
mens earings

Mens genuine black diamond stud earrings

You can find a large variety of mens earings in many different net shop jewelry stores as well as in regular brick and mortar stores.

After all, many women’s earings work well for men too.  There are however earrings for men specifically designed for them.

Some of the most popular are the diamond studded ones.  Most men don’t spend the money for real diamond earings, but instead buy cheaper cz (cubic zirconia) sets for around $15 a pair.

Lots of guys do like to have genuine diamond earings though, and like the lady’s earring they can get pretty pricy.

One of the latest trends in men’s jewelry, especially earrings, is the black diamond studded earrings.

One can often find a pair of men’s genuine diamond earings at Amazon and other net shops for a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the carat weight, clarity, and cut.

Click here to shop for Men’s Earrings and Jewelry at Amazon.com

Another factor that can increase the price of stud earings is what the shaft or post is made of.  If you want to have a long lasting set you should not settle for anything less than sterling silver, and if you want to go all out, look for posts and screw on clips made of platinum.

Other types of Mens Earings

mens hoop earings

Men's Hoop Earrings

Other types of earings that men like to wear are the smaller hoop type earings.

Some of the most popular ones are made from sterling silver.  Other hoop earings for men are made with real gold.

The price one has to pay for these will depend upon the store they buy them from as well as whether they are 10k, 14k, or 18k solid gold.

Anything beyond 18k solid gold generally get too soft and flexible, easily damaged or bent out of shape because of the pliability of gold at this purity.

Larger hoop earrings are generally considered to not look as good on men as they do on women, but there are some guys who try and get away with it.

It all depends on the guys style and confidence level.  Some men can look good in them depending on the situation.

How to save money on men’s jewelry

One of the latest trends taking hold when it comes to shopping for most anything including jewelry for men is to buy a discounted gift card. 

There are companies that have paid cash for people’s gift cards at a discount.  Many of these folks have received a card as a gift and decided that they would rather have some cash instead.   These companies will make a cash offer the card at less than its face value and then resell them to someone else (at a slightly higher price than they paid for it), but still at a discount to its true value.

There are many times where you can find gift cards for sale at as much as a 30% discount.  This is a great way to save money on any kind of purchase, not just when buying jewelry for men.

 

 

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All About South Bend Pocket Watches

December 19, 2010 By

South Bend is not a very popular brand of pocket watches. It pales in comparison to Patek Philippe and Elgin. However, this does not take away the fact that south Bend was one of the oldest manufacturers of pocket watches in the United States.

They are no longer making pocket watches today but they certainly made history when they were still in operation.  A South Bend pocket watch is very rare nowadays.  It is not common to find one on a pocket watch stand today.

The south Bend Watch Company, as it was called, was founded by three brothers named John M, clement and George Studebaker.  They purchased it from the Columbus Watch Company.  The company identified their movement by number, as well as the type of cases of the pocket watches.

South Bend was bent on becoming a prosperous company and they advertised their products to the masses. They believed that advertising would help make people aware of their products and increase their sales.

The company took full page ads in several leading newspapers during that time.  The company produced more than 60,000 watches and employed a lot of people for work, more than 600.

The company grew and during the first two decades, steadily prospered.  They made watches in several models and the prices ranged from as little as $16 to as expensive as $125.  The watches they offered came with insured lifetime guarantees.

The company started selling pocket watches by mail order in the 1920s. This pocket watch was dubbed the “Studebaker”, in honor of the owners of the company.

A lot of people were confused with the names during the old days and they thought that Studebaker was a company which is independent and separate from South Bend.  The Studebaker watches were purchased on credit and all that people needed to initially do is pay a down payment of a dollar.

The company had to close down due to financial problems brought about by their refusal to switch to making wristwatches which were fast replacing pocket watches.

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