(by 6 people)
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
-- Anais Nin
As a rock hound who is fond of pretty colors, I delight in designing unique, custom handcrafted jewelry and wrapping it up in great customer service. A) it's fun, and B) if you're going to do a thing, I think you should do it all the way and do it right. Attention to detail and old-fashioned handcraftsmanship are very important to me, and to that end, I am a proud member of the International Jewelry Designers' Guild. I also think everyone deserves a little artisan-crafted, good-quality pretty at an affordable price.
If you would like a piece of Dragonfly jewelry crafted especially for you or can not find what you want on the site, please send me an email or check out my custom jewelry page and see how easy it is to order your own uniquely designed custom-made piece of jewelry. And please feel free to ask questions or offer comments. I like them. Really. I do!
Trade Alert
Cost of precious metals on the rise
Thanks, at least in part, I am sure, to the rising cost of fuel, the cost of silver and gold-fill have gone up a full 45% in the last few months. This means the cost of finished product must increase as well. I can not express my unhappiness in this regard enough, but Dragonfly prices must be raised soon to reflect the higher prices, and other merchants should follow soon, if they have not yet raised their prices. If you're in the market for jewelry, buy soon to take advantage of those merchants who have not yet compensated for current market values.
Red Hot Right Now
What's going fast at Dragonfly Design?
- Valeria goldfill & jade earrings
- Say "I love you" or just kick up your heels in these frolicsome earrings. Three small hearts of red jade cascade on 14k gold-fill chains suspended from french wires. Flirty and fun for Valentine's Day.
- Vogue ring w/ pearl
- Just like the larger bracelet, this Vogue ring has a creamy white pearl in the center for that little extra touch. Stretchable band fits snugly but not too tight. Also available in goldfill or with Swarovski crystal.
- Passionate Kisses sterling silver & swarovski bracelet
- Let that special someone know what's on your mind with this crystal bracelet of deep, passionate red, reading "OXO".
Go Gold!
Fashionable Trends
Big for Fall & Winter
Bonjour from Paris!
I've been to Eclat de Mode and seen the fashions for fall and winter, and it's a total return to the 80's.
The styles to look for are baroque (remember all those bows and crests?) and big, gothic crosses. Big, chunky necklaces and cuff bracelets are also in.
Your colors are predominantly black, white, red, and gold, but you might also see a bit of brown and copper.
A bientot!
I've been to Eclat de Mode and seen the fashions for fall and winter, and it's a total return to the 80's.
The styles to look for are baroque (remember all those bows and crests?) and big, gothic crosses. Big, chunky necklaces and cuff bracelets are also in.
Your colors are predominantly black, white, red, and gold, but you might also see a bit of brown and copper.
A bientot!
Dragonfly Designs
New and featured items at Dragonfly Design
Anna swarovski crystal necklaceTotal princess style, perfect for fall and winter's baroque trend. Also available in 18k goldfill.
Buying a gift?
Here's some information to help you choose
- About Semi-Precious Stones
- Which stone is the perfect gift for an actor or dancer? What's the hardness of turquoise? Is this really jade? Tips and facts to help the consumer avoid getting ripped off.
- Anniversary & Birthstones Charts
- Did you know there are over 5 different birthstone lists? Or that moonstone is a 3rd anniversary gift? Find all of those, as well as a breakdown of stones by color, to help make your gift-giving a little easier.
Fun Jewelry Facts
Where does Queen Elizabeth keep her jewelry? Which movie star's dog once ate a 204 grain, 300 year old pearl? Where was the tradition of giving engagement rings started? Find the answers to these and more on the Dragonfly Design jewelry trivia page.
Go Retro!
How to Remove Tarnish From Your Silver Jewelry
The cheap, fast, non-toxic way to make your sterling silver shine!
Tarnish - the dark spots that spread across sterling silver - is like rust on your jewelry. There are several ways to remove it, but the least damaging is something you can easily do at home with a glass dish, hot water, baking soda, and aluminum foil.
Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a shallow dish. (I use a glass baking dish.) Set the tarnished item directly on the aluminum foil; it has to be in contact with the aluminum.
Heat a quart of water to boiling in a saucepan, then set it in the sink and slowly add 1/4 cup baking soda. Be careful, because it might fizz up and spill over, which is why you add the baking soda slowly & in the sink. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved.
Pour the water into the dish until the tarnished item is immersed. Slightly tarnished pieces will return to silver almost instantly; badly tarnished items will take longer.
You can also use this for flatware or silver/silverplated dishes. Very badly tarnished pieces will look ruined and scare the living heck out of you. All you have to do is get a little baking soda on a soft, 100% cotton pad, and *gently* buff the silver. The dull grey and residual black will fall away, and the silver will be nice and shiny again, though it may have some "water spots" or "pits" from the tarnish. Tarnish is destructive and eats into the silver, just like rust is destructive and eats into steel.
Why does it work?
Tarnish is composed of silver sulfide, a mix of silver and any sulfur it comes into contact with thru contact with the air and other objects. It basically eats away the surface of the silver. Most removal methods involve removing the tarnish AND the silver that has been destroyed by it. Instead of doing that, this method converts the tarnish back into silver thru an electrochemical reaction. Sulfur more easily attaches to aluminum than it does to silver. The baking soda and hot water are the catalysts for the chemical reaction that causes the silver sulfide atoms to react with the aluminum. Give it a push with a tiny electrical charge (generated between the silver and the aluminum), and the sulfur atoms let go of the silver to go bond with the aluminum instead. Think of it as a choice between one bite of chocolate cake and the whole piece...which would you go for? Apparently, sulfur atoms are no different than you or I. And that, in a simplified nutshell, is why this works and is less damaging to your sterling silver pieces than dips or polishes!
Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a shallow dish. (I use a glass baking dish.) Set the tarnished item directly on the aluminum foil; it has to be in contact with the aluminum.
Heat a quart of water to boiling in a saucepan, then set it in the sink and slowly add 1/4 cup baking soda. Be careful, because it might fizz up and spill over, which is why you add the baking soda slowly & in the sink. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved.
Pour the water into the dish until the tarnished item is immersed. Slightly tarnished pieces will return to silver almost instantly; badly tarnished items will take longer.
You can also use this for flatware or silver/silverplated dishes. Very badly tarnished pieces will look ruined and scare the living heck out of you. All you have to do is get a little baking soda on a soft, 100% cotton pad, and *gently* buff the silver. The dull grey and residual black will fall away, and the silver will be nice and shiny again, though it may have some "water spots" or "pits" from the tarnish. Tarnish is destructive and eats into the silver, just like rust is destructive and eats into steel.
Why does it work?
Tarnish is composed of silver sulfide, a mix of silver and any sulfur it comes into contact with thru contact with the air and other objects. It basically eats away the surface of the silver. Most removal methods involve removing the tarnish AND the silver that has been destroyed by it. Instead of doing that, this method converts the tarnish back into silver thru an electrochemical reaction. Sulfur more easily attaches to aluminum than it does to silver. The baking soda and hot water are the catalysts for the chemical reaction that causes the silver sulfide atoms to react with the aluminum. Give it a push with a tiny electrical charge (generated between the silver and the aluminum), and the sulfur atoms let go of the silver to go bond with the aluminum instead. Think of it as a choice between one bite of chocolate cake and the whole piece...which would you go for? Apparently, sulfur atoms are no different than you or I. And that, in a simplified nutshell, is why this works and is less damaging to your sterling silver pieces than dips or polishes!
Go Funky!
View My Other Lenses
- Semi-Precious Stones & Gems
- Information on many of the stones used in jewelry-making and what to look for when you shop.
- Handcrafted Jewelry
- Jewelry and lampwork by other independent artists I know and/or admire
- Tuesday Treasures
- A listing of some of the great independent business people I've come across wandering the web. Descriptions of their sites & products. Updated weekly...usually!
- Buy Indie
- Looking for a purse, jewelry, bath product, pet treat, or home accessory? Why pay more to a big business when you can get great bargains from independent entrepreneurs who really appreciate your business and go that extra mile? Buy Indie is my guide to great shops and artists I love. Updated weekly with great finds from around the web.
Artisan-crafted Boutiques
World Wide Web Pamperage
- Nesting With Style
- Handcrafted Treasures for the Home and Garden
- Lizzy Wishes - Where all your shopping dreams come true!
- At Lizzy Wishes, we believe every girl's wish of being hip, stylish and in vogue should not only be a possibility, but should also be affordable! That's why we bring you the most amazing collection of beautiful jewelry, stylish handbags, trendy accessories, luxurious bath treats, and so much more.
- Mood Swing Studio
- Mood Swing strives to create off the beaten path items that give you something extra special with which to decorate your body and home.
Friends of Dragonfly
Artisan-crafted Baubles
Great buys from hard-working independent artists and craftsmen around the web.
- Dragonfly Design
- Wire-wrapped crystal and semi-precious jewelry crafted by Jenie Clark, illuminated by nature. Features unique pendulums made to order.
- Silver Parrot Designs
- Wirewrap jewelry of sterling silver and semi-precious stone. Featuring peyote tubes and furnace glass, by Kelly Osborne.
- Wickedly Chic
- Once upon a time, there was a girl who would spend her hours searching on the internet for the very best it had to offer, until sitting in her room one night, she thought,"why don't I put together a site with the very best of the internet for everyone, an online shopping magazine"!
- Bark & Sparkle - Swarovski Crystal Collars for Pampered Pets
- Indulge your precious puppies in the elegance & pure glamour of our handwoven Swarovski crystal collars. All eyes will be on you & your beautiful baby when you step out in these breathtaking creations. Get a collar for your best friend, in crystals or pearls, then find a matching "treat" for yourself.
- Yatta. | handmade w/ attitude
- Yatta is a fashion label that makes one-of-a-kind and limited edition handmade bags, wallets, art, cards and stationery! Everything designed and handcrafted by one person -- totally from start to finish.
- Zuzu's Garden
- Handcrafted Garden Inspired Home Accents for Romantic Cottage and Vintage Chic Decor
- Paper Scissors Rock
- Pam Corwin, Proprietor - offering a unique and whimsical line of clocks and magnets
- Paper Bride - Thank Outside the Box
- Paper Bride offers a line of chic, fun, sweet greeting cards, postcards and announcements and accessories that help you to express your own individuality and emotions.
- Driving Blind Distro
- Zines & crafts to benefit disabled persons
- Mood Swing Studio
- Mood Swing is Kristen Townsend, a one woman chaos of beads, glitter & glass based in Raleigh, NC. She'd be perfectly content to play all day in her studio enchanted by 80's music and all the sparkly things she's acquired over the years but life keeps getting in the way of her playtime. Mood Swing strives to create off the beaten path items that give you something extra special with which to decorate your body and home.
- Indigo Art
- High quality matted digital prints and notecards made from Cynthia Schmidt's delightfully whimsical original paintings, featuring the Cranky Cat collection.
- Spot Organics natural and organic dog grooming products.
- Spot Organics creates natural organic spa and aromatherapy beauty products for pampered dogs. (And cats, in this lensmaster's experience.)
- Lindsay Designs - Unique Accessories For You and Your Pet
- Grosgrain ribbon belts, totes, silk and felt flower pins, handmade handbags, ribbon key fobs, and dog and cat collars. Quality accessories for you and your pet. Fun, preppy, and unique!
- 7twentyfour press handcrafted stationery : unique greetings for all ocassions!
- 7twentyfour press proudly offers fun and unique handcrafted greeting cards and invitations for wedding, baby, and everyday.
- Amy L. Burns
- The newest adventure of Amy L. Burns, artist, writer , certified life coach and abundance faerie!
- Novel Approach, Artisan Jewelry
- Kari Bryde's new and repurposed jewelry of rare crystals and high-end gemstones. These pieces create a feeling of luxury and yummy excess. They are perfect for special occasions.
- Dream Life Studio
- I combine my love of imagery and words to create whimsical, dreamlike greeting cards and wall hangings. From time to time you will find other things here as well: jewelry, handbags, sewn objects and whatever else I am moved to make. I believe that art is a healing force in the universe, and that the images we choose to bring into our homes release energies that set the tone for our lives.
Reading Room
How-To's and books on the history of jewelry
Necklace
History of the necklace, concentrating primarily from 1700 to present day
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2008)
Art Deco Jewelry
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2008)
305 Authentic Art Nouveau Jewelry Designs
If you love Art Nouveau, jewelry design or maybe even just Paris, this is a great book for you.
Though it is small, at only 48 pages, fully half the books is dedicated to great illustrations.
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 07/05/2008)
A History of Jewellery 1100-1870
Amazon Price: $18.21 (as of 07/05/2008)
Earrings: From Antiquity to the Present
The last 5,000 years in the evolutiion of earrings, by two Sotheby's experts
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2008)
Gems in Myth Legend and Lore
In-depth study of the historical uses and superstitions behind stones.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2008)
Love Is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals (Love is in the Earth) (Love is in the Earth)
The metaphysical mineral bible
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/05/2008)
Passing the Flame: A Beadmaker's Guide to Detail and Design
Lampwork artisan and teacher Corina Tettinger makes gorgeous lampwork beads and her classes are always full. You may also enjoy her website, CorinaBeads.com.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2008)
Baubles, Dangles, & Beads: Stained Glass Jewelry Book
Stained glass craftsman Kay B. Weiner's book combines the art of stained glass with that of jewelry design
Amazon Price: $15.95 (as of 07/05/2008)
