A new personal style for our Costume Jewelry Blog: daily commentaries by Janeojewels boss

Hidden Treasures-Exploring the Butterfly Brooch

2008-06-18T21:00:00.003+01:00

The Butterfly Brooch is an amazing jewel. There are several reasons why people hold them as treasures. Butterfly Brooches have been around for centuries. The “Blue of Jingtai” Butterfly Brooch dates back to the “Ming Dynasty” in the reign of Jingtai (1450-1456). The Mandarin Chinese name for Butterfly is “Hi-Tieh” the word “Tieh” stands for “70 Years” this made Butterflies the symbol of a long life.

Butterfly Brooches mean a lot of different things to many different people. The Cloisonnes Butterfly Brooch dates back 500 years and are in the colors of yellow, red, and green. The Brimstone Butterflies see only in red, yellow and greens. Their adult life span only lasts for 8-9 months. Though they have a short life they have much to see. Their average speed is around 12 mph, believed to give energy to the wearer.

There are many other meanings for the word butterfly as the Greeks called the butterfly “ Psyche” meaning “Soul” because they believed that the butterfly carried the souls of those recently passed on their journey to heaven. While others believed that butterflies were thief's. Trying to steal their milk, butterfly meant “Licker of milk” or “Milk thief”.

Though no matter where you are in the world butterflies are attention getters none the less. The use of the Butterfly on jewellery is something many hold dear. Vintage Butterfly Brooches have become a hidden treasure of sorts. This will give them luck, or lengthen their life, or help them with many other lores in their lives. There are many other famous Butterfly Brooch's like Dragonfly Amber Brooch and Amethyst Brooch with silver sets. Additionally a great piece is the Pugster Antique Rhinestone Butterfly Brooch.

Trifari Butterfly Brooch-

The Trifari Butterfly Brooch was designed by Alfred Philippe in the second addition of “Jewels of India” in 1965. The “Jewels of India” piece was first designed in 1930's however it did not include this piece. The Trifari Butterfly Brooch contains Diamond Crystal jewels, and the wings contain pear-shaped red rubies with gold and Rhodium plated wings. Additionally the piece has internal swirled pink glass strips.

A most exquisite piece of Crystal/ gemstone jewellery. Ideally the Butterfly Brooch is a sight for sore eyes and while we quite often enjoy lavish pieces of jewellery these gems are true hidden treasures. Finding a piece like the Trifari Butterfly Brooch is difficult but you can lavish in the glamor of butterfly brooches across the country. There are several to choose from in Silver collections as well as crystal you will have a difficult time choosing which you want the most. Decide to choose them all you will not regret it!

The beauty is out there and its waiting for you to engulf yourself in its mystery. Look into the shining gold and sparkling crystals that lay before your eyes. You will be amazed by their elegance and stunned by their beauty. Affordable Butterfly Brooches find one today!

Elizabeth Taylor- The Jewelry of Her Heart

2008-06-13T11:00:00.001+01:00

We all know the young charmer that touched our hearts in that forever remembered “ Lassie Come Home” in the mid-1940's. As the years passed Elizabeth Taylor continued to charm, and amaze us in her continued performances again and again. As she grew we grow wanting to be like her, to smile, walk and charm like her. Every girls dream to be in the spotlight.

Elizabeth Taylor continued for over 60 years to bring us the into the movie with her elegance, and incredible acting abilities. And over the course of 40+ years see has collected the most stunning pieces of jewelry around the world. Elizabeth Taylor describes them well in her new book “My Love Affair with Jewelry”. Her undying passion for jewelry has marveled fans everywhere. In this book she intimately describes her stories of how she collected each piece. Additionally she has unbelievable illustrations of all the pieces never before captured together.

La Peregrina Pearl-
This pearl was discovered in 16 century La Peregrina means “The Pilgrim”. This lovely 203.84 grain pearl is a prize to behold. Elizabeth Taylor received it in 1969 as a gift from her husband Richard Burton. Belonging to Queen Mary as a gift from her husband now resides with Elizabeth Taylor.

Krupp Diamond-
Another fabulous piece owned by Elizabeth Taylor the Krupp Diamond was purchased in 1968 at a remarkable $305,000 dollars. It is the heart of Elizabeth Taylors collection she wears it almost everyday and can be seen with it on her well known appearance on the “Simpson's”. The diamond weighs 33 carats and was mounted beautifully the ring seen here.

Taylor-Burton Diamond-
This diamond is truly a sight to be had. Richard Burton purchased it for his wife in 1969. She later sold this lavish piece using the proceeds to build a hospital in Africa. Despite the fight Richard Burton had to acquire this lovely piece Elizabeth Taylor felt the money to build the hospital was of greater need.

Elizabeth Taylor later started her fragrance lines “Passion”, “White Diamonds”, “Black Pearls” once again showing her love for jewelry. Elizabeth Taylor's love for jewelry still continues today with diamond studded earrings, chandelier earrings, crystal jewelry and much more. Her taste in fashion jewelry is one admired by millions around the world.

Elizabeth Taylors stardom continued as she appeared on such Soap Opera's as “All My Children” and “General Hospital” and played the voice of “Maggie” on the Simpson.
Elizabeth Taylor has fought numerous bouts of illness's including skin cancer, and Congestive heart failure while still showing her starry side each time she meets media. This woman is an inspiration to us all.

Fact of the Day: The Taylor-Burton Diamond was purchased from Cartier in 1969 for Burton's glamorous wife Elizabeth Taylor for a massive $1,050,000 dollars! This is a surprising amount for jewelry in 1969. The Taylor-Burton diamond weighted 69.4 carats!

Yves Saint Laurent- "A Life to Remember"

2008-06-11T11:00:00.003+01:00

The sorrow struck Sunday June 1st when the fans heard the news of Fashion king Yves Saint 's passing. Many fashion Icons bowed their heads in sadness and heartache when this horrible news came across the BBC. Yves Saint Laurent was suffering a brain Tumor diagnosed last year and was 71 years old. His memorial was held on Friday at Saint Roch Church in Paris. This is quite a sad time for all of us and Janeo Jewels is paying tribute to this long time fashion king on the site.

The life of Yves Saint Laurent was an accomplished one. This world renowned “Fashion King” inspired millions with his wit, keen sense of fashion, and adorning gowns. Saint Laurent closed his well known haute couture house after tending to it for more then 40 years in 2002. The surprise of his retirement struck the fashion industry hard.

Saint Laurent had many admirers including Elizabeth Taylor and Queen of Iran. His fashion first struck the industry in 1957 when this young entrepreneur International Wool Secretariat for his cocktail dress design. Following up again in 1962 when he brought out his groundbreaking “Trapeze Dress” in the house of Christian Dior Saint Laurent created what every woman desires from Crystalline handbags, to revolutionizing dress for the modern women with his dress suits he made a woman's life what it is today.

The Brilliant designer along with other great designers like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior made Paris what it is today. Paris soon became fashion capital of the world! He soon added to his collection many perfumes and accessories like the crystalline handbag. You can see his large assortment of Celtic earrings, Mother of Pearl Earrings in London, Chandelier earrings, gemstone earrings, vintage crystal pins or brooches, genuine leather belts, and much more at his official site!

The rush of jewelry Yves Saint Laurent brought out continued up until his passing. He featured in “Instyle” magazine in 2005 with his brilliant Vintage 1970's Rhinestone Stickpin. The piece generated quite a stir in the fashion and beauty industry. He brought out a piece “Talisman Ring” inspired by Louise Nevelson- her sculptures of metal and wood from the 1960's.

Which added beautifully to his wide collection of jewellry in February 2007. With other pieces such as his Silver/Crystal Earrings to his handbags featuring a beautiful Croco-embossed patent handbag his empire is one to remember. The bond he had with Pierre' Berge was on he held dear. Although Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre parted as partners they remained friends.

Saint Laurent's long time partner and friend Pierre' Berge had much to say on his day of passing The long time friend met Saint Laurent in 1958 and even though they were not partners they remained close friends. Pierre' Berge is best known for being the founder of Yves Saint Laurent Couture House. When the company closed in 2002 he became CEO of “The Pierre' Berge” located in Paris. This long time friend freely shared his thoughts with adoring fans on Sunday. His words were passionate, heart felt and understandable. Below is a bit of what was said on that tragic day.

Quote: According to the “Associate Press”:
Berge Stated- “Chanel gave women freedom” and Saint Laurent “Gave them Power”.
Saint Laurent gave incredible recognition to fashion jewellry, clothing, and accessories in general. This great fashion icon retired in 2002. After many years of struggling with health conditions. He stayed tried and true till the end the world will miss him!

"A New Earth" Oprah's Sacrifice

2008-05-26T17:34:00.007Z

In new events Oprah Winfrey the Goddess of Fashion, love and relationships has decided to make one of life's biggest sacrifices. Oprah has went Vegan. According to MSN Oprah stated after reading the book “A New Earth” it was too hard to eat meat, knowing what happened to the animals we were eating. A change of heart; difficult for most...her motivation? Spiritual evolution. Oprah has once again made her ever glowing spirit stand out in the hearts of her fans- and a lovely addition to her already pleasing smile ...her shining fashion earrings.

This fashion Diva has inspired many women in her life. She is a true inspiration for what our younger generations should grow to become. Oprah Winfrey has touched the hearts of millions on her television show “The Oprah Winfrey Show” her media presence has changed many lives. Oprah’s strive to be the best at what she does has taken her through many trials however she has come out on top. Oprah will always be a diva in the minds of millions!

Also this week pleasing Paris has graced us with her radiant smiles in these gorgeous pearl earrings. This great photo snapped by no other than Dan Kitwood/ Getty Images and of course published on MSN. Were they have stated Paris has dropped her new fragrance “Can Can” definitely a smell to behold. The fashion Jewelry adding a definite sparkle to her glamorous appearance. Paris Hilton has always graced us with her beauty, smiling at every occasion in her sparkling jewels.

Paris Hilton has graced us in movies and sitcoms. She has authored a book entitled “Confessions of an Heiress” and created fragrances to charm any heart. Fashion has always been a big part in this heiresses life and in this photo it shines like a gem. Though she has come a long way from her starting nickname “Paris the Heiress” she will be thought of in the minds of millions.

Though many of us have heard our fair share about these two lovely divas there is one thing they have in common. What’s that you say? They will always be remembered.
No sure about what your ears are hearing? Looking for the goods or articles yourself? You can read the above top gossip by clicking the links above! See for yourself and enjoy your fashion jewelry!

Fact of the Day: The Word "Crystal" is a "Greek Word" meaning Icy Cold. The ancient greeks believed that the crystals were frozen water and that it would never melt! Now aren't you glad we have evolved?

Bold Beauties of the Stars-

2008-05-25T04:00:00.016Z

The television show “Dancing with the Stars” is hyping up the scenes with glamorous and elegant beauties-- as well as...those who are unfortunately... not so graceful. Their costumes are simply to die for as well as the fashion jewels they wear! These lavish fancy pieces can be very pricey however there are gemstone earrings in our reach to make us just as stunning. Take a look at the handsome Mark Ballas and the stunning Kristi Yamaguchi on ABC's website. The gorgeous gown worn by Kristi Yamaguchi added to her elegance on the ice . This pairs elegant yet sassy style make them stand out as the bells of the ball.

The handsome suit sported by Mark Ballas added to the couples charm. You can see the shine and sparkle of the fashion earrings as well as the glow of the win across her face. In this photo published by ABC you can see the stardom of these dancers come right off the screen.

Kristi Yamaguci has slid into our hearts on many stages-- the art and grace she portrays is a bold beauty to behold. The talented Kristi Yamaguci has authored two books— “Figure Skating for Dummies” and “Kristi Yamaguchi always dream” showing strength in not only beauty but intelligence. She truly is a role model for the American women. The glistening stardom that has befallen this American beauty is well deserved. To read more on Kristi Yamaguchi visit her official site!

Another face gracing the screens today is actress Cameron Diaz. Who has gone bald for her latest film. According to ET Cameron Diaz has a hairless—yes you heard right! Hairless scene in “My Sisters Keeper”. She still looks gorgeous! Her eyes shine and sparkle just as radiant as any gemstone! Cameron Diaz has been in several films including—Vanilla sky, Shriek, Charlie's Angels and Something about Mary. Playing the voice of “Fiona” in the trilogy “Shriek” and "the semi-insane beauty on Vanilla Sky” this damsel has shown us every side of her personality.

Cameron Diaz is a role model for young women everywhere. Did you know that Cameron Started her career as a Fashion Model? In her early years Cameron Diaz starred on the front page of Seventeen magazine! See did shots for names like Levi.

Cameron has a personality that shines beyond her beauty and has fashion sense galore! This beauty has worn it all. Shiny gemstones and glistening crystal earrings to bring out her smile---this diva can portraits beauty standing on her head! So can you with affordable prices check out some chandelier earrings for you or your better half and shine with the stars!

Fact of the Day: Did you know that only 1 in 10,000 oysters yield a natural pearl? Most pearls we buy in the stores are man made and cultured. Cultured pearls are real and are made inside a oyster but are produced with our intervention. Natural pearls are created inside an oyster without our interference...an accident really. This is rare...so if you have the chance to own one....buy it!

Ever Try Stainless Steel Jewelry?

2008-03-12T20:26:00.003Z

One of the hottest trends today is stainless steel jewelry. Worn by men and women alike, it's inexpensive, looks sleek and fashionable, and ages beautifully with nearly no change. It's surprising no one picked up on the fashion potential of this high-tech material until just recently.

Stainless steel is a relatively recent alloy invention, only about a hundred years old or so. It was used extensively in art deco construction, so you'll see it in many buildings constructed during that time period. Check these out. Do you see any aging problems? Probably not. That's because stainless steel wears incredibly well over time. Your stainless steel bracelet or ring will look almost exactly the same in fifty years.

In appearance, stainless steel is very similar to titanium, but costs a fraction of the price, making it an excellent substitute. It has a very modern appearance when used just for itself, too, and it is very masculine. In many cases, it's being used as a wedding ring, while in others it is simply used as either a base or for its own intrinsic decorative beauty.

Though stainless steel has been used for medical prosthetics and in body piercings for decades, only recently did someone figure out that it's also a pretty material, and its hypoallergenic properties make it ideal for many different types of jewelry. You do have to be careful about what kind of stainless steel you purchase, though. When you're looking for real quality stainless steel, you want 316L or 316LVM.

Stainless steel is iron-carbon, like all steels, but with significant chromium content, which makes it extremely resistant to corrosion, rust, and staining. Because of its resistance, it's also unlikely to cause allergic reactions when it comes in contact with you, which is why it is used in earring posts and surgical instruments. 18/10 stainless steel uses 18% chromium and 10% nickel, and is one of the highest quality types of stainless steel. There are several other types of stainless steel, mostly used for industrial purposes. The finish on stainless steel varies, and can be anything from a satin to a brilliant mirror sheen.

The best stainless steel jewelry is polished to a sheen and has no rough edges or pitting anywhere. The inside of rings or bracelets may not be quite as well polished as the outside, as it's harder for polishing tools to reach these areas, but even these spots should be free of roughness.

You can clean your stainless steel jewelry with soapy water; rinse and dry with a soft lint-free cloth. Never use anything abrasive, and don't use chemicals harsher than soapy water. If it's something you love, just wear it into the shower and dry it off afterward, polishing if necessary.

Janeo Jewels offers several different types of stainless steel jewelry, primarily bangles and bracelets for both men and women, but we just introduced pendants as well. Over the next month or so, we'll introduce stainless steel rings, which we think you'll love. Check out all our stainless steel products.

All About Swarovski Lead Crystal

2008-03-10T19:07:00.003Z

There is nothing that rivals the spark and brilliance of real Swarovski crystal, not even diamond. Swarovski crystal sculptures, beads, and pendants are mesmerizing in sunlight and jewelry store light, the way they refract and dance colors on the walls and your hands. How do they do it? What makes Swarovski crystal so utterly beautiful in the store and against your skin?

Perhaps most startling about Swarovski is that these crystals aren't pure glass. They are instead lead crystal, 32% lead by weight. Lead, however, makes glass harder to crystalize, so other things are done during processing to encourage the molten lead-glass mixture to solidify in the right way. Swarovski's foundation is the 1891 invention by its founder, Daniel Swarovski, of an automatic cutting machine that could handle lead crystal without shattering it.

Swarovski crystals may also be coated with metallic chemicals on one, several, or all sides to maximize rainbow refraction. This is a new technique, but then, Swarovski has always been known for innovation.

History of Lead Crystal

Swarovski did not invent lead crystal. Instead, it was created in 1676, by an Englishman named George Ravenscroft. He'd learned glassmaking in Italy, where the masters added less lime, a strengthener, to glass to create crystallo, a markedly clearer glass than others manufactured at the time. But crystallo was already showing its weakness: glass disease, a condition where overly-low carbon content led to glass cracking and clouding over time.

Ravenscroft experimented with dozens of different methods, and finally hit upon adding lead, rather than lime, as the perfect solution for strong crystal-clear glass. At first lead crystal was only blown glass, but he soon found that allowing it to crystalize and then cutting it instead led to better results, and also showed off the true beauty of lead crystal.

For centuries, lead crystal has been used to make decanters and goblets for alcohol – you've seen those cut-crystal decanters in old movies. Don't do it yourself, though. The lead is harmless in your necklaces and bracelets, but when it's used to hold alcohol, lead leaches out of the glass and into your drink.

Cutting techniques for lead crystal glass have been refined over years, with Swarovski mastering the most advanced ones before anyone else. This makes older Swarovski sculptures surprisingly valuable. You can always identify real Swarovski by the logo cut into the bottom; it was an edelweiss flower until just recently, when the flower was traded in for a swan.

Janeo Jewels and Swarovski Crystal

Janeo only uses genuine Swarovski crystal, purchased from the source and then put together into beautiful works of art by our staff. We love this material, and so much is sold we can tell that you love it too. You'll see more selection in Swarovski crystal in the near future in our store, and you can also expect to see more transparent semiprecious stones as well.

In Celebration: International Women's Day

2008-03-08T07:09:00.002Z

Let's talk about women.

They're amazing.

The first person you ever knew was a woman. The first person who kissed you, who fed you, who cleaned and dressed you: a woman. You learned at an early age to go to women when you feel bad, when you get hurt, when you need comforting and love.

That's because women have so much to give. They are the nurturers, the ones who always seem to have time. Mothers, sisters, aunts, lovers, women are special to each of us.

Women do the work of bearing and raising babies. They are miracle workers, bringing forth civilized human beings out of nothing. Women maintain homes, transforming them from dwellings to places of joy and comfort. And often, women use their gifts of harmony and beauty to create other things: jewelry, clothes, fragrant gardens.

That's why Janeo loves making jewelry. The soft skin of a woman is the perfect complement to sparkling jewelry; only a woman is strong enough to not be overpowered by brilliant Swarovsky crystal.

We love to see sparkling silver and gemstones sharing the same light as the gleam from a beautiful woman's eyes, lips, and hair.

We are honored when a woman chooses one of our creations to adorn her body with. She is the expert in beauty, after all; when she wears something we made, it is the most genuine compliment possible.

And because it takes a woman to understand what other women really, truly love, Janeo purchases beautiful original creations from women around the world, women who work to keep their homes welcoming and beautiful, who work to raise honorable and loving children, women who must work to keep their families together.

It is an honor to contribute in some small fashion to the success of women throughout the world.

We want to share that honor with our customers. Janeo is creating a fair trade product section, a product range including items hand-crafted by women all over the world, women like you who need nothing but a chance. Your purchases from that collection will support small women-owned business in the poorest countries, places where women work just as hard as you do and sometimes harder but do not have the good fortune of living in a wealthy country.

Please, share your love just one more time, this time by helping another woman. We are strong individually. But when women work together, the foundations of the world can change.

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In celebration of women everywhere, Janeo Jewels is offering a £5 discount on all purchases on our site of at least £25. Come together with me, and adorn yourself in celebration of who and what you are!

Choosing The Right Necklace

2008-02-27T08:51:00.002Z

Did you know that the right necklace can elongate the lines from your face and make you appear thinner? Or that you must match the length of your necklace to your neckline?

Okay, so you know that – what exactly is the right length to choose? 16” or 18” for a T-shirt neckline? How about a plunging one? Just a couple of inches can make a great deal of difference.

Collars

Collars are the shortest necklaces, shorter even than chokers. These are the ones that fit snug around your neck, often with a slider pendant but just as often with no decoration. A torc is an example of a collar necklace. If the collar fastens in the back or front, the right length for most people is less than 30 cm.

More than any other necklace, a collar should have an adjustable fastening. Even in people of roughly the same weight and height, neck sizes can vary widely. Also, if you have a round face a collar is a necklace style to avoid; a too-tight collar makes it look like your neck is blowing a bubble. Not a good look!

Chokers

Chokers come in lengths of around 40-45 cm, and can be as short as 35 cm. These necklaces are just long enough to not be snug. In most cases, chokers do not have a pendant; if they do, it's a very lightweight pendant. Chokers are perfect on women with great collarbone and neck structure, as they call close attention to good bone structure. They are also ideal for T-shirt necklines. Do not wear them with dangling earrings – the two styles clash.

Princess Necklace

These necklaces tend to be around 50 cm in length, and are great for slightly elongating necks. A princess necklace is a graceful look, and is fine with or without a pendant. These necklaces should always be against bare skin for the best effect. This is probably the most average necklace length, and goes well with almost any neckline.

Matinee Length Necklace

A matinee length necklace is about 60 cm long – think a knotted pearl necklace. These necklaces hang low, well below the neckline, and if you have a good bosom they are perfect for drawing attention to it. If your bosom is only so-so, avoid this length and go for a shorter one; flat chests can wear a longer one.

Opera Length Necklace

These are very dramatic necklaces, about 70 cm or even longer. An opera length necklace is not quite long enough to loop double. Women with large chests generally can't carry off this look; it draws too much attention to the bustline, making them look matronly. This goes double for shorter women. For a tall, relatively slender woman, however, the opera length is a wonderful evening look, bringing glamour to a plain dress. Opera length necklaces are almost always worn over clothes, and they go best with long flowing lines.

Rope Necklace

These necklaces are extremely dramatic and almost always beads or pearls of some sort. They measure as long as 110 cm, and are often knotted at the bottom or looped around two or more times to create a layered necklace. These should be chosen if you want to really accent some curves, but wear them with caution. They make short women look shorter, and very curvy women can wind up just looking fat.

Other Information

You can easily switch one length to another if you have an adjustable clasp – for instance, a necklace that ends in chain links that allow for varying positions. Often, you can find extenders that blend well with a necklace, so look for these as well. Also, ask to be certain whether the clasp length is included in the overall necklace length, especially for the shorter necklaces.

If you have the sort of necklace that cannot be adjusted, be extra certain you get just the right length. It's a shame to get your beautiful jewelry in the mail, and then find that you cannot wear it as planned.

If you don't have an average size neck, measure it at the base before ordering a necklace. If you measure more than 15.5-16.5”, add an inch or two to necklace lengths; less, and subtract one half to one inch. This will ensure that your necklace looks just right on you.

How Jewelry Feels: Buying Jewelry By Touch

2008-02-23T04:21:00.003Z

We often forget, when looking at beautiful jewelry, that appearance is not all that matters. Beauty, even in jewelry, is more than just skin-deep; it has to do with weight and texture and how cold something is when you wear it. In short, jewelry that looks beautiful and appeals to your sense of touch has an added appeal.

This can be critical if you're buying jewelry for someone who is blind or visually impaired in some way. What jewelry can you get for your mother if she's losing her sight? Or for your sister who is color-blind and does not appreciate jewelry in the same way you do?

Look for tactile qualities in your jewelry as well as visual ones. Specifically, think about the following qualities:

Texture. This is the first, most critical tactile judgment. Jewelry is traditionally metal and stone – but what about the new trends in jewelry today, especially in necklaces, for using crocheted beads, leather, feathers, plastic, glass? Blending a variety of unique textures can add tactile pleasure to your fashion accessories.

Weight. We don't often think about this, especially when buying jewelry online, but if you have a plastic gemstone and a lead crystal gemstone, you can tell instantly. Light, airy necklaces give you a different feel from heavy pendants, and different drape as well. Heavy dangling earrings add a sensuous brush to your neck, and light studs let you forget about them. I still remember the shock when I first picked up an amber necklace and realized how light its heavy-looking beads were.

Material. Related to texture, the material your jewelry is composed of changes its nature. Nylon feels different from silk; leather is very different from even the best synthetic copycat materials. With more and more jewelry being made from nontraditional material, this is a growing consideration. The best rule of thumb is that natural materials wear better, look better, feel better, and clean better.

Sharp edges v. rounded edges. This is not about safety or comfort. Rather, it is about your tactile experience with your jewelry. Do you prefer smooth round pieces, or do you like some edges to your beads and pendants? Your own answer may surprise you.

If You're Buying Jewelry For A Person Who's Blind

There are three more things you need to consider if the actual wearer of your jewelry is blind.

Neutrality. A blind person or one who is visually impaired has trouble matching jewelry to clothes. If you purchase a simple piece that matches many things, or if you make sure that jewelry is tactilely very different from other pieces your blind friend owns, they can easily match jewelry to outfits. Multicolored jewelry is a good choice, like cloisonné. Neutrals, like jewelry based around gold, silver, and white, also work well.

Practicality. You have trouble with some lobster claw clasps – why torment your visually-impaired friends with them? If it's hard for you to put on, it's hard for them to put on. Instead of buying jewelry that requires complex fasteners, opt for bangles and stretchy bracelets, rings, long necklaces that just slip over the head, or even jewelry that uses magnets to fasten.

Safety. This sounds like a no-brainer -- but it's probably a bad idea to purchase pins for blind friends. Before buying something, close your eyes and imagine trying to put on that necklace, pin, or bracelet if you could not see what you were doing. You might be surprised.

Spring Jewelry: Time To Think About Sunshine

2008-02-23T04:09:00.004Z

It's moving into the tail end of February, and that means only one thing: spring is in the air (at least on the north half of the world). I's time to pull out your jewelry wardrobe, put away the winter jewelry, and think about what you're going to wear this spring.

While winter jewelry is dark in tones and rich in colors, spring jewelry is lighter and brighter. Glass and crystal are perfect for reflecting the brighter tones of spring, and while pastel is always welcome, light jewel tones are also wonderful. Think transparent. Think light. And think living things.

Art nouveau drew heavily from spring themes like organic plants and flowing lines, and today we see fashion jewelry moving in that direction again. Here are a few pieces we like for spring this year, in no particular order.

Sparkly Faux Gemstone Bracelets

Bracelets are one of the hottest trends lately, especially wearing them layered. Wear several on each arm for a powerful statement, with or without a pretty watch. (Hint: if you don't wear a watch, you have a perfect excuse to strike up conversations with strangers.)

Start with something like this: our pretty hearts-themed scallop drop bracelet adds lots of sparkle and takes up lots of room on the arm – both key to giving your forearm that filled-up look you want from layered bracelets. Add something like our wide brass crossover bangle, pictured below, to add weight and an aged look.
Layer new pieces on that express who you are – a charm bracelet with your favorite collection of pendants, a couple of pretty tennis bracelets, or maybe your birthstone. Another new trend is looping a long beaded necklace around the wrist as a bracelet – that's a great way to add a really unique flavor to your look.

Look at our bangle and bracelet collection for dozens of other ideas.

Hearts and Flowers Jewelry

Valentines Day is really the beginning of spring, in a lot of ways; it celebrates love, and spring is all about love and life. Don't put away your Valentines jewelry – add it to flowers and give it a vivacious new look. Consider some contrasting crystal, like this:

Our suggestion: Add this pretty set of Swarovski crystal chandelier earrings to your heart necklace, hairpiece, or brooch, and you have a fresh spring look.

Jewelry looks that blend hearts and jewelry are particularly nice.

Brooches go very nicely in the winter when you want something to decorate coats, jackets, and scarves, but this late in the season you also want something that reminds you spring is on the way. This brooch is hand-stitched leather with a crystal heart and beadwork, and comes in brown and black too so it matches all your late winter fashions.

We'll be revisiting this topic as spring starts uncurling from its long nap, so check back regularly.

Colourful Jewelry: More Than Just Accessories

2008-02-20T07:33:00.002Z

How would you feel in a room that was entirely pink? Or one that was entirely black? How about rainbows, or industrial gray? Do you express positive moods with dull grey earrings, or with vivid bright-colored jewelry?

Wearing the right color, even in jewelry and other accessories, can change your mood instantly, or it can make others see you in a new light. Try it: blue jeans and a T-shirt for tranquility and innocence – paired with a vivid red beaded necklace to show how sexy you are. Or wear brown to express honesty, and accessorize with bright yellows to brighten your mood.

Here's what major colors mean, and how you can expect them to influence people.

Black is the most powerful of colors, and it's all about power. Widows wear black to show their powerlessness, but it's also a popular color for business suits. When you don black, you're inviting others to a power struggle. White, on the other hand, symbolizes purity or sterility. It reflects color, while black absorbs it. Jewelry worn against a black sweater can look stunning, but the same piece on white may be swallowed up. Both colors should be worn only when you feel very confident that you can pull them off.

Red gives you confidence rather than requiring it. It's been shown that red has a powerful stimulatory effect on humans; that's why it's the color of anger, of love, of passion. It is better used as an accent in most cases, though it's hard to find great red jewelry. Wear red when you really want to get attention.

Pink is derivative of red, and instead of being stimulating it calms the nerves. Wear red for a passionate evening, and pink for a more romantic night out.

Because it calms the nerves, blue is perfect as a bedroom color. If you have a job interview coming up, wearing blue jewelry or other accents send the subliminal message that you are loyal. Blue also gives the impression of class and culture. Green is calm too, soothing the eyes and refreshing the spirit. Because it is associated with the earth, it's a perfect color for nature lovers. If you want to be seen as an earth mother or nurturer, calm green and blue accents are perfect.

Yellow is the color to wear if you trying to lose weight, but only bright yellow; it has been shown to speed your metabolism. The cheerful nature of yellow calls attention to you, but be careful – it has a similar stimulatory effect to red, and in the wrong circumstances can get exactly the opposite reaction you're seeking. Yellow jewelry, however, can almost always be classified with browns in their effects on people. Orange colors are the same – bright ones are stimulating, while more subdued ones are closer to browns in effect.

Brown is an earth color, a masculine color and a practical one. If you wear brown gemstones or wooden necklaces and other jewelry, you seem more genuine and honest – down to earth.

Wearing purple jewelry accents is a way to indicate that you are unique, original, and creative. It is also not often found in nature, and may feel fake unless you really a unique, original, and creative person. Be cautious about wearing purples, and only wear them if you really can carry them off.

The author of this article uses a variety of color combination methods to show you how color can be used to create a theme mood, not just a simple one. It's the best description I've seen of how that fashionable friend can wear a green sweater and bright red necklace and look stunning, not like a Christmas leftover.

Awards Jewelry Sets Fashion Trends

2008-02-18T09:05:00.002Z

One great way to stay ahead of the jewelry fashion curve is by following awards ceremonies – not for what celebs wear, but for what's in their bags.

Specifically, their gift bags. Every year for decades now, the celebrity gift bags passed out to presenters and nominees at the the Emmys, the Grammys, the British and American Academy Awards have contained clothing, tickets, makeup, and fashion accessories of all sorts. The standouts have always been jewelry.

How Jewelry Is Selected

Because one of the best ways to get worldwide exposure for your designs is to have a celebrity wear them, the competition to give things to celebs in their gift bags is fierce. Most winning designers “know” someone in the business, dressers who are connected to the awards shows. Regardless of who you have connections with, getting your designs chosen is a grueling affair involving up to a six-month selection process as well as providing hundreds of free items of very good quality and a hefty placement fee.

With luck and the right product, giving items away to the right ceremony can make a jewelry design company's reputation. And by watching what items are provided to celebrities each year, you, the customer and fashion afficionado, can stay ahead of the fashion trends yourself, picking up jewelry just before it gets hot.

Selected Jewelry: 2006

Along with a four-day stay at the exclusive Hawaiian Halekulani Resort, celebrities at last year's American Academy Awards received a Tara and Sons cultured Tahitian pearl necklace. While Tahitian pearls are a relatively conservative choice for a gift bag like this, they demonstrate one of the overriding themes in fashion recently: globalism. Exotic jewelry, jewelry made in poor countries by artisans, have become increasingly popular in fashion.

Selected Jewelry: 2007

Lorenzo's sterling silver and gold jewelry graced the Grammy bags in 2007. Lorenzo has a unique sleek look, focusing on the beauty of the metals and vivid gemstones, mostly semiprecious. You can achieve a very similar look by focusing on the Janeo Swarovski collection, particularly the silver and bright colors.

What for 2008?

This year's Oscars should have some amazing stuff; the pre-awards bags, which always have the smaller gifts, feature Kwiat Diamonds and Maggie Ferrari jewelry.

Ferrari's jewelry is of two types: heavy, chunky, smooth-textured sterling silvers, and necklaces blending a variety of links and beads, similar to some of the Janeo designs. Like Janeo, Ferrari uses many Asian influences, including jewelry from Tibet and Afghanistan.

Kwiat Diamonds create silver jewelry in a variety of shapes, most of which owe a great deal to Victorian and gothic looks – yet they still manage to look modern and updated.

The contents of the main awards bags are a heavily-protected secret. As with every year, though, expect to see items that are unique, beautiful, modern, and almost certainly global.

Rene Lalique and the Quality of Light: Jewelry As Art

2008-02-15T09:22:00.003Z

So often today we wear jewelry with little understanding of where it came from. The red necklace is to set off the black dress suit, or the crystal set looks perfect on that maroon velvet dress.
Cheap jewelry, the kind you buy in chain stores, is nothing more than decorations for your outfits. Real jewelry, however, is art. Rather than a finishing touch on an evening look, it is wearable art, something your outfit should frame. The very best jewelry should, in turn, complement you. It works in harmony with you and your personality, bringing out your best just as you bring out its best.

Once upon a time, jewelry was designed to take center stage. Heavy gold settings framed opulent gemstones, and the idea was to wear as much of it as possible to demonstrate how wealthy you and your family were. It was common to melt down an old fashioned necklace, have the metal reworked, and reset the original jewels into a new modern setting. There were a few real artists who created jewelry, and an enormous number of craftsmen who could make settings that held gemstones. But all of it depended on the qualities of the material, not the quality of the craftsman.

Art noveau in the late 19^th century shaped modern jewelry, just as it revolutionized the art world. This was when Japanese art arrived in Europe, shaping the way the French impressionists looked at the world. Influences from Muslim art, where the focus is on design and symmetry, were melded with the freestyle floating forms of the Orient and the traditions of Europe. Suddenly, focus was not on the materials in jewelry, but on the form and the style of the piece as a whole. The peacock pectoral below could never have been created in any other artistic atmosphere.

During this transition, many of the great jewelry lines we know today came of age: Tiffany, Bulgari, Cartier, Faberge. One of the earliest jewelers for Cartier was a young French artist named Rene Lalique. He became one of the greatest jewelry artists of his time.

Lalique worked not with gold and silver, but with horn, ivory, glass, and semi-precious stones. It is fair to say he was one of the first wearable art designers, for he was not concerned with the value of the material but the beauty of the artwork. Typical of the Art Noveau movement, his work was all flowing lines and living things, breathing life into cold materials and showing the brilliance and light in each piece that went through his hands. Lalique's work lives on today in the very upscale Lalique Company, but even the best of the modern work pales besides Rene Lalique's designs.

This cat's choker is a perfect example of Lalique's work. Each square is an individual tiny work of art, with the joints that allow it to bend disguised cleverly with small diamonds. The cats are individually carved out of rock crystal, and the whole is fitted together into a nearly seamless puzzle, transitioning from cat to cat with perfect grace and sinuousness.

There is no Lalique today, but Swarovsky crystal owes much of its heritage to him. Each glittering piece of crystal depends heavily on light for its beauty, and many of the finest pieces of Swarovsky are shaped into animals and flowers, stone brought to life. The beautiful cut crystal can trace a clear line back to the Art Noveau movement, and when you wear necklaces and earrings made of Swarovsky crystal, you have captured some of the magic of light Lalique worked so hard to shape his works around.

The next time you buy jewelry, remember Lalique, and look for quality, light, and that certain je ne sais quoi, the sense that the piece has a life and spirit all its own. This is the kind of jewelry that expresses your inner glow, and the kind that you cherish for your entire life.

Art Jewelry: What Makes Your Jewelry Art?

2008-02-12T19:20:00.001Z

Calder. Picasso. Man Ray. Dali. What do these artists have in common, besides the fact that they are all postmodern painters?

They have all delved into the unique subgenre of art that is wearable art – more specifically, art jewelry. This is extraordinarily unique jewelry crafted individually or in tiny lots, almost always handmade, and created for a particular artistic purpose in mind.

You've seen those unique pieces of jewelry on models and actresses in magazines? This is where they get it – from the wearable art world. These often-beautiful, always-striking pieces are designed around a theme or a specific gem or just as an expression of how the artist feels that day. They go far beyond simple jewelry, though jewelry often picks up the themes of wearable art in the fashions of the day.

As you can see from the images here, the jewelry created by these great artists varies in theme and tone, but it is always beautiful and always influential. It tends to make you look twice, to think about the jewelry, and to say something important about the wearer.

Man Ray created these “lampshade” earrings, once photographed on Catherine DeNeuve, which inspired dozens of copycats. That's part of the problem: while jewelry created by recognized name artists go for many thousands of dollars, it's difficult to authenticate any given piece. Especially for Dali, there are a hundred imitations for each real piece. And in the case of artists like Picasso, there are only some thirty pieces, each made privately with a specific person in mind, making them incredibly valuable despite their somewhat mediocre quality.

But art isn't a price tag or a particular person. Rather, it's a very personal thing. Anything that is created or modified from its natural form into a form that is pleasing to you – that's the real definition of art, and it's different for everyone.

How To Choose Your Art Jewelry

Probably, you don't have thousands of dollars to spend on jewelry. You can have the same stunning effect with jewelry, however, if you just choose your ordinary jewelry wisely.

Art jewelry can be everyday jewelry. A great piece of art jewelry can become your signature piece. You want jewelry that wears well, that goes with lots of different things, and that you love because it expresses something about who you are.
The best art jewelry should stand out, yet be complimentary to who you are and how you look. This means use common sense. Round earrings aren't flattering to round faces, though long dangling lines can work very well. If you are a shy, retiring person, you may not want to wear a huge dazzling pendant – unless it matches a hidden part of your personality.
Try to choose pieces that have a timeless quality. While the latest trend jewelry can be fun for a season or even a year, pieces that look classic will be fun to wear in ten years, and the best pieces can even be resold.
Be bold. If you see, for instance, a chunky ring that you love but you think you can't carry it off – try anyway. It won't always work. But most of the time, when you see something that just calls to you, it's calling for a reason.
Express yourself, but don't limit yourself. You are proud of your Celtic heritage, so you wear Celtic jewelry. That's fine, but does that define who you are? Think about who you are, what message you want to give the world about you.

Remember, when you wear jewelry you are a living canvas. The right jewelry does not define you, nor you it; instead, you enhance the beauty of one another. That is real living art, and the end purpose of wearable art.

Jewelry -- Smaller (company) Is Better

2008-02-11T19:44:00.000Z

When you buy jewelry online, what are you really looking for? Quality, beauty, value all come to mind. You want your silver rings to shine, your diamond and diamond-look jewelry to sparkle. But what we often forget about is the importance of customer service.

With that in mind, I've noticed Overstock.com is making a real push lately to sell jewelry. It's pretty jewelry, and looks great online. But what happens if it isn't what you expected when you get it? It may not be worth sending it back. Here's why.

About 60% of Overstock.com's products are actually sold by partner organizations. Because Overstock may not be shipping your necklace, when it gets to you it may be damaged, poorly packaged, or not even what you ordered in the first place.
When you do have problems with your purchase, Overstock.com has a very unfriendly customer replacement/refund guarantee. It's in flux right now, as they are trying to make it a little more palatable, but the typical replacement involves a 21-day wait for any recourse – a $4.95 or more restocking fee, which you will never get back and which applies no matter whose fault your dissatisfaction is – and the potential for spending hours on the phone with customer service trying to get the prepaid mailer to return your product.

As an alternative to Overstock.com, think about smaller companies when you buy your jewelry. Though they don't have the massive jewelry inventories of a giant like Overstock, they also don't have the massive jewelry inventories of a giant like Overstock.

In other words, small companies depend more on great customer service. If you don't get the right necklace or ring, the smaller company cares a great deal. They can pay more attention to what they're shipping to you, and get it right the first time. They have a small staff to address your problems promptly, and it pays for them to not have those problems to begin with.

Overstock, on the other hand, has grown too fast for its own infrastructure. They're trying to cover it up, but this company is in a great deal of trouble. If it's not taken over soon, it will probably go under, taking your orders with it.

What About eBay?

Ah, the other giant. eBay is also in some trouble right now. Every year, they change their rules governing how payments are processed, which causes their merchants a lot of stress.

How does that affect you, the customer?

Well, the best merchants on eBay, the ones that sell the most jewelry and who have the highest customer satisfaction ratings, are moving off and starting small companies. This leaves a smaller pool of companies for you to choose from. And the smaller, newer companies – guess – often have customer service problems.

What good is it to win the auction or find the perfect piece of jewelry when you have to return it immediately? eBay does have much better return policies, but isn't it better to get the right item to begin with?

Let's bring it back to JaneoJewels.

We have a relatively small stock of jewelry compared to the giant companies, but every piece on our site is of excellent quality and good value to you, carefully selected by our experts to give you only the best. Most of our jewelry is hand-crafted, real wearable art and not just cheap costume jewelry. Our Tibetan silver is imported from Tibet, and we have artisans around the world, often in the poorest countries where people desperately need work, creating beautiful hand-made jewelry especially for our customers.

Whether you're looking for the perfect Tibetan silver ring for your lover, or brilliant sparkle from a dazzling piece of Swarovsky crystal, JaneoJewels can provide it. Our inventory size is just right – small enough to guarantee all our jewelry are quality pieces, but large enough to give you plenty of selection to suit your own tastes. And we give you personal service. Our business depends on your satisfaction – no, on your delight. Check out our dazzling collection of Swarovsky crystal jewelry, and our hand-beaded necklaces, and see where your curiosity takes you next.

Tibetan Silver: A Rising Trend

2008-02-09T01:25:00.000Z

Some of the most beautiful jewelry at Janeo Jewels are labeled Tibetan Silver. What, you might ask, is Tibetan Silver?

Tibet has significant silver deposits, and for millennia its artisans have worked this unique silver into millions of pieces of art, from rings to ornate silver metal screens used in their temples and homes as room dividers and decorations. Tibetan Silver has a few unique features:

It is not hallmarked silver, or silver that has been certified with a certain purity or alloy content. This is because there is no agreed-upon hallmark for Tibetan Silver; it is a much rawer form of silver than most castings and can have considerable variation in its alloy. The best Tibetan Silver is about 92.5% silver, with the remainder of the content typically copper. This gives Tibetan Silver a naturally aged appearance even when new.
The designs on Tibetan Silver pieces are hand-shaped, not cast, and are based on traditional Buddhist designs.
Tibetan Silver pieces often have gold or copper overlays to add color to the designs.

Janeo Jewels offers several authentic Tibetan Silver rings and matching bangles, like the ones you see here.

“Ah-ha!” you say after looking at a few. “Janeo charges more than the ones I see online. I'm a smart shopper, so I'll go elsewhere.”

You might want to rethink that.

Popularity Breeds (Sometimes Dangerous) Copycats

China and other emerging economies innovate a lot – but they also have gained the bad reputation of copying things, often illegally, and often with inferior materials. This is barely okay as long as it remains on the gumball-machine, we-all-know-it's-fake level. But often today, these inferior products are passed off as the real thing.

Real Tibetan jewelry is made of a silver-copper alloy with other trace elements and gold or brass ornamentation, and very little dangerous metals like lead and arsenic (just so you know, tiny trace amounts of lead are in every piece of silver; it's impossible to totally purify it.)

The fakes that have begun proliferating on the Net and small markets are a tenth the price of real Tibetan silver. They are also not Tibetan silver at all. Instead, they are cheap castings of Tibetan and contemporary designs made sometimes of nearly-pure lead, but more often of nickel, tin, and antimony, often with lead impurities. In many cases, dangerous levels of arsenic have been found in them as well. Arsenic and lead, as you know, can make you ill, cause severe skin irritation even in people who don't have sensitive skin, and even kill you.

Because Tibetan silver is not hallmarked, it is much easier to pass off fakes as real. The only way you can protect yourself, bar buying a whole bunch of lead testing kits, is by purchasing your Tibetan silver only from companies you trust.

Janeo Jewels guarantees the content of its Tibetan silver. Our silver has only trace levels of lead or other dangerous metals, and our rings and bangles are not cast, but hand-crafted, as tradition dictates, to bring forth the true beauty in this unique metal.

You will find a number of lovely unisex, easily-resized Tibetan silver rings at our site, purchased by our agents in Tibet. If you have sensitive skin, these rings still may bother you -- remember, Tibetan silver is not pure silver. However, we also have a collection of wonderful stainless steel jewelry that will not irritate or discolor your skin, just in case.

Lets view Jeremy Beadles death in a postive light...

2008-02-05T02:46:00.000Z

IT was indeed sad to hear about the death of Jeremy Beadle; but at a recent and sudden death in my family also of some one who was only 23 years old, it was the positive aspect of his life I focused on and indeed the same with Jeremy….. both brought so much joy to so many others…

Carrying on my theme of positiveness form yesterday, the story is the same!
We can all, so easily fall in a trap of looking at things for the worse and dwell on that……

So what if some one bought a piece of jewelry at $4500 from the net-a-porter.com site, specializing in designer fashion and jewelry only!
Hopefully it brought joy to them, they liked wearing and showing it off for its beauty, brand and its associated wealth ( its their wealth)…
They may have had the perfect neck for wearing the crystal necklace they bought for instance; and to look at them wearing it made us admire them, comment on how it beautifies the crystals into the neckline contour, etc…

We perceived all positive notions of this scenario…. Life should be the same; Jeremy Beadles Obituary by the BBC is full of this quality of him which all his acquaintances admired and commented on.

He was truly generous, always available, and helpful to any more; above all he made people laugh with his pranks on the TV show and he made people smile simply by being him and displaying his huge smile he was known for.
I personally also watched for the huge rings and also necklaces that he some times use to wear… he loved his costume jewelry and his gold jewelry too…that made him happy too!
Id like to think any jewelry you purchase form our site is having a fruitful impact on you too… id like to think so!

Lets be positively jewelry mad

2008-02-03T16:12:00.000Z

Every day I read articles about such thing as the 10 worst eating disorders, the 12 bad habits we must break, the things to notice if some ones being unfaithful, and so on …. But you get my drift… the usual things that we read on first page of MSN or Yahoo, etc.
Its always the negatives, the don’ts….

What prompted me to write today was today’s headline article in MSN, 21st Century Health Hazards;

Ross Chainey, the author bases his article on a WHICH magazine report, and talks about the dilemma of the sandwich, the take away coffee to work, the muffin we buy.. etc.

I’d like to talk about positive things… rather then all the precautions we need to take and so called hazards about eating or doing various things in our life.

The ''positiveness'' in costume jewellery for example, since that’s my subject!.

There can hardly be negatives, and before you say it! There are hardly any allergic reactions by wearing imitation costume jewelry, especially when we sell all our jewellery nickel free.
A small, very select few can not wear imitation jewellery, but they will probably not be able to eat additives, or wear non natural fibres etc.... you cant satisfy everyones needs 100%, and since when has having nickel in jewerly killed any one... Its a stupid peice of legistaltion!
Wake up EEC!!!
Concentrate on turning the butter and milk mountains being wasted and thrown away, and converting them into useable food aids to third world, rather then creating totally bureaucratic rules….woops, lets get back to postiveness!

(If allery is something that worries you when buying costume jewlery, then remember we have a our new stainless steel collection, soon being added to with also stainless pendants, and rings; they are totally allergy free…!)

Jewlery brings pleasure to the wearer, and lifts their self esteem (some time over the top I grant it..) but it helps the wearer feel better, be happier, and be positive!
Costume jewellery is what its says, costume; imitation, relatively non expensive jewellery , which in the case of janeojewels uses genuine swarovsky crystals, and we can produce a stunning look without spending a fortune…

It brings joy to some one when they admire and notice an individual wearing gorgeous jewelry.
When you comment some one wearing nice attire, it lifts their spirit as well.

I’m personally involved in the selection process of http://www.janeojewels.com/ , jewelry, and I always have one thought at the back of my mind when I select what goes into our collection; is it going to make the wearer have a feel-good-factor, will it give them pleasure, joy and of course satisfaction …..

For example, For the coming season, we want to offer some thing a little more unusual… so our new key rings collection, has 3 uses: just a key ring, a bag charm, since it has a large clasp, and finally to make it different, we attached a long chain on the jewlery charm pendants, so they are a really funky necklace cum key ring necklace collection; a ring holding your most important key attached. Safe and fashionable.

Have a look, tell us what you think, and drop me a line, .. id love to hear your suggestions.

There’s new things happening on our jewellery website, and we want you to be part of it.
Do a post here on our blog please.
Lets talk positive jewlery!
Give Positive vibes;
Lets be positively jewelry mad!

Paresh raja Director: http://www.janeojewles.com/

Say it with Jewelry, not flowers, Send a subtle hint to Cupid!

2008-02-01T23:25:00.000Z

I said id write each day, and that’s exactly what im doing:

Love is in the air; Valentine is approaching and we at the jewelry online store say:

say with jewlelry, not with flowers!

But then we would…. costume jewellery and mens jewelry is what we sell!

BUT, there is a point here though: You spend a minimum of 15.00GBP upwards to send a bunch of flowers which last a few days; you spend the same and they last a life time!

Were introducing a special feature on the website for Valentine;

SEND A SUBLE HINT TO CUPID !
Every costume jewelry product page will have this tab, if you like the jewelry on that page, simply click the CUPID tab and fill the details; we will send it to your loved one; Fill a special message also, and let cupid work its magic!

There are valentine hearts falling on the janeojewels.com website….make some one happy, choose your gift, and there s even a special Valentines Charity card we have introduced: $1.00 extra , and 50% of this goes to our nominated charity !
Say it with jewelry !
Enjoy

Paresh raja
www.janeojewels.com

Gaslighting: Stealing Your Inner Sparkle

2008-02-01T09:08:00.002Z

Ever see the movie Gaslight? In this 1944 Ingrid Bergman classic, a jewelry thief murders a famous opera singer, but flees before finding her jewels. He returns to marry her niece, and to maintain control over her, he gradually convinces her she is insane by doing little things: making a brooch disappear, hiding a gold watch chain, or dimming gaslights. His goal is to have her committed so he can find the jewelry without interruption.

A type of psychological abuse takes its name from the movie. Gaslighting is when a person -- usually a significant other -- makes little changes in your personal world reality to make you doubt your sanity, memory, etc. A recent article on UK-MSN addressed how to spot gaslighting in your relationship and put a stop to it.

No, the gaslighter doesn't do it by hiding your jewelry or other possessions. Instead, he hides the things you know to be true, chipping away at your self-assurance a little at a time. "Oh, I thought we were having that great lobster dish for dinner, not steak. No, no, that's okay." "You don't cook as much as you used to." To your child, "Come on, sweetie, I'll clean you up since Mommy's too busy reading her novel." It's insidious, and sneaky, and absolutely unacceptable.

What helps? Sometimes just having something physical to hold on to -- like a string wrapped around your finger helps you remember. Once you've learned to spot gaslighting, it can't hide anymore, provided you remember to watch for it.

Because the exact right jewelry can be surprisingly empowering and gives you that physical thing to hold onto, we at Janeo Jewels decided to have a little fun putting together the collection we would use to heal from this sort of ordeal, step by step. According to the article in MSN-UK, there are ten different things you can look for to identify gaslighting in your relationship; we have a beautiful piece of jewelry to answer each.

"1. You are constantly second-guessing yourself and ask yourself, 'Am I too sensitive?' a dozen times a day."
We thought a black piece would be appropriate for this dark mood. Black is also a power color, the shade you wearwhen you're ready to get serious about something. Pair sparkling black Swarovsky crystal with a silver spiral pattern, and you have this pretty pendant.

"2. You are always apologising to your mother, father, boyfriend or boss and wonder frequently if you are a 'good enough' girlfriend/wife/employee/friend/daughter."
Red is for anger, getting even, and energy. We found a dark red beaded necklace to wear during those evenings when you must remind yourself to be strong.

"3. You can't understand why, with so many apparently good things in your life, you aren't happier."

In the original movie, Ingrid Bergman was tormented by having a brooch hidden from her (she's holding it in her hand in the picture at the top of the post); her husband convinced her that she had misplaced it in her growing "madness." Your brooch will stay right where you put it.
"4. You frequently make excuses for your partner's behaviour to friends and family."

Have you done this? Then it's time to make amends to your favorite girlfriend. Buy the first brooch for her, and the second for yourself; that way, every time you wear it, you'll remember your friend, who still loves you and will help you get through this. Bright rainbow Swarovsky crystal will keep your spirits up.

"5. You find yourself withholding information from friends and family so you don't have to explain or make excuses."
This is the point when you're turning inward, instead of reaching out to those who love you. Pick up this lovely pink Swarovsky crystal conversation piece of a necklace instead, and draw attention to yourself with its Hollywood glamor.

"6. You start lying to avoid the put-downs and have trouble making simple decisions."
This pink Swarovsky crystal heart brooch reminds you that you love, and you are loved. The ones who love you don't expect perfection from you -- but they deserve the truth. So do you.

"7. You think twice before bringing up certain seemingly innocent topics of conversation."
Again, the answer to this is to draw attention to yourself. This bold turquoise jade piece, with its American Indian feel, brings you back to the complex center of things, and draws all eyes to you.

"8. You have a sense that you used to be a very different person."
So rediscover who you are. Pick up a free natal chart to help you remember your strong and weak points, and then choose your zodiac symbol from our hand-carved leather necklace collection.

"9. You feel as though you can't do anything right."
This is completely brought on by your abusive partner -- of course you do things right! Make yourself feel better with something sexy and dangly, something that draws all male eyes to your femininity. This Belli-design iridescent Swarovsky crystal necklace drops dangerously low, making you feel sensual and wicked, and the matching earrings brush against your throat, sparkling perfectly in candlelight.

"10. You find yourself furious with people you've always got along with before."

And why not? You know something's wrong. It's hard to peg where the something is -- so you aim it out, and whoever gets in the way gets the blame.

You have two choices: fix the relationship you're in now, or break it off and start a new relationship with someone who deserves you. Make a promise to yourself: you will not remain in a relationship that gaslights you. Seal the promise with one of Janeo Jewels' sexy Tibetan silver rings. Wear the ring until you find the perfect man -- or your man shapes up and earns your forgiveness -- then pass it on to seal your commitment once again.

the man behind janeojewels.com costume jewelry

2008-02-01T01:39:00.000Z

I went to a blog workshop today….. as the guy behind www.janeojewels.com and I guess im the boss, well yes I am;
The breakfast seminar was great and revealing! Costume jewelry and selling jewelry on line is what I need to promote more and blogs are one aspect of my on line marketing strategy.
To come to the point, what it taught me today was that I need to write my blogs EVERYDAY here on my blog…. My personal feelings of what ever I feel strong about that day! So folks, well here it is, my late, but new year resolution to write a few words of wisdom ( or not) as the case may; each day!
I want to get personal and i want to hear what you have to say....

I attend many seminars and toady was really one I enjoyed, as the style of delivery and content struck a cord!
Jewlelry is my love and my business and I want to tell people about it, I want to know what else I can do to make my selection and my site better…and so from today, im going to invite anyone who wants to comment and tell me: say a few words please about our jewelry selection for men and women, do u like our swarovsky crystal range…, do you like the stainless stele jewelry recently introduced for men… non allergic, life time plating guarantee, wear in the sea… and its really funky….

She, I mean the speaker, Eileen Brown from Microsoft was simply wonderful! Shes a so called Technology Evangelist (see her blog)…. check out other related blogs around she said, in www.Technorati.com ( what I said…but she had it all printed for us too for reference!) ( TECHNORATI : the blog webiste of them all ) and so I did; I typed a few words like costume jewelry, fashion jewelry and jewelry in the search , and behold… , yes really, IM still amazed!…. I WAS THERE! On the first page( of 176 results), 5th entry down, there it was, my last blog I wrote 16 days ago was there! ( Join us! link to our fashion jewelry Website; it’s a win-win situation )….. im not sure what it meant or not; but it made my day: blogging works!

Thanks Eileen…. Ha la lo yah, The Evangelist blog queen had a conversion today!
There no stopping now , just for you Eileen Brown, im going to compose a HYMN, to evangalise about from a disciple.. ( oh well may be that’s going too far…. )

So drop me a line… put me on cloud 9!
Paresh raja
Creator: www.janoejewels.com

Why Live Flowers Suck As Valentines Gifts (And Why Jewelry Is So Much Better)

2008-01-29T03:04:00.001Z

Diamonds really are a girl's best friend. Or at least the sparkle of diamond – and gold, and silver. Give your favorite girl Swarovsky crystal jewelry this Valentines Day from Janeo Jewels.

Looking for a Valentines Day gift? It's traditional to give your girl flowers, especially roses, for Valentines Day. We understand that. But:

1. Roses don't last forever. You want to give her something showing that your love WILL last forever, or at least past next week.

2. Fresh cut roses are flown in on jets – talk about your carbon debt! Most roses today are not grown in local hothouses. And everyone wants to buy these things for their girls for Valentines Day. That means an army of gardeners must nurture a forest of roses, and then select blooms that are on perfect stems, etc., less than half the flowers.

They can't do it. So florists import most or all their flowers. They're grown in Brazil or Ecuador or China or Bangladesh, which may mean harmful pesticides are added. They are then flown, at great expenditure of jet fuel, to your country, and sold to guys like you.

And then they die.

Not so romantic anymore, are they?

There are tons of alternatives that your girl will just swoon over, though. China flowers, fake flowers, things like that. But my favorite is floral jewelry. It comes in every shape and style, every material, every color.

For instance, this Janeo Jewels multicolored art deco pin is gorgeous. If you want to seem really romantic, here's what to say:

“I just thought of you when I saw it. It sparkles, like your eyes, or like our love. And you can wear it with anything, so you'll always be reminded of how much I love you.”

Okay, okay, that's really corny. But corny works, especially when accompanied by sparkling jewelry.

You can try this one, too. It's a Janeo Jewels Swarovsky crystal piece, and trust me, there's plenty of sparkle here. The antiqued silver jewelry setting looks good on almost any girl, and the fuchsia (yes, that's fuchsia)diamond-like glow of the crystals brings out the red in her cheeks and lips. You say:

“I saw this online and thought how nice it would look against your throat.”

Then you do the obligatory smile-while-she-squeals thing, offer to put it on for her, kiss her neck when you fasten the clasp – and I think you can figure out the rest, curtains drawn, cut to black.

Now isn't floral jewelry more fun and ultimately more rewarding than dead flowers?

You can find more beautiful floral jewelry at Janeo Jewels online. With .925 silver jewelry, sparkling Swarovsky crystal, and everything from belts to rings, Janeo can provide you the perfect “I love you” for your perfect woman.

Love hearts are trickling all over the janeojewels website for Valentine

2008-01-28T19:16:00.000Z

There are hearts trickling down on every page of the janeojewels.com website.
AS February descends and love is in the air, so the jewelry website for men and womens costume jewellery gifts is showing of its new collection for Valentine.

For men they introduce the wonderful selection of quality stainless steel bangle bracelets; and for women, a really amazing selection of Pendant charms necklaces, which are used in any one of 3 ways.

Janeos innovative style of offering a value for money jewelry gifts : many of the pendant charms are fitted with key rings attachments hanging with the pendants and supplied with a necklace chain.
So wear the key chains with the decorative pendants around your neck, with your keys! Funky Necklace key chains
Use it as Just a bag charm (remove the chain) or use it ( shame though) as a Key chain only.

The Janeo theme is all about fruits and butterflies and of course hearts….
Strawberries, apples and even a beautiful crystal studded parrot pendant key chain ..

Have a look: the fruits and hearts collection for Valentine

Enjoy, janeostyle.

Join us! Link to our fashion jewelry website; its a win-win situation

2008-01-15T18:31:00.000Z

There is no doubt about it; getting found on the web site entails have two main ingredients: good relevant links and fresh content !
Its NO art! In fact it simple, but does need regular time spent on it!.

Having a good linking strategy with sites which link into you, ideally with INBOUND links, i.e sites having your website holding your URL link in their website. In addition to this, they should be sites which are relevant and appropriate to your products or market place.
There is NO point at all having links for the sake of it! They serve no purpose and in fact can have be counter productive.
( don’t ever believe a person doing a links campaign for you that its all about having lots of links….. quantity is of no significance if the quality and relevancy is not there.

For my site www.janeojewels.com, I want sites primarily who sell costume jewelry or fashion jewelry; mens jewelry, fashion related sites, be it fashion magazines or selling fashion clothing and jewelry.
But you get my drift… I want links from other websites which are related to my site and my products.

Further; don’t ever think that by linking to a site which is a competitor that there is no point: there is EVERY point: far to many business on the web, fail to recognise this single most important fact! Its in your interest to link with a site selling similar stuff to you… at the end of the day, your sales or not determined by how many visits you have, the finals sale is all about how appropriate your product is to the buyer on your site to your competitors. What the links from one site to another will do is encourage a constant flow of traffic; so link to sites which are similar to yours for maximum benefit! Its a win-win situation for both parties and only you if you are foolish if you think other wise!

But I could broaden this to include fashion related sites; such as fashion colleges and institutions specialising in fashion jewelry design, a fashion prediction company, and so on.
What I dont want is accountants and plumbers on my online fashion jewelry shop!!( A one linking company was doing for me when i was less wiser!)

The best links are ones which are direct, from a specialist site, rather then doing thru other links and sites etc..( stay away from links which have complications! The so called Linking experts often use jargon that you may not understand and make you believe it’s a good strategy… the simple rule is stay away from links to sites which are NOT directly related to your business activity!).

The higher the quality of the link, i.e its Page Rank (PR), the better the link and the results it will bring… i.e it will induce more traffic your way.
Our aim is to build your own ranking up and up with time … and the better the quality links , the more the spiders crawls their site and hence through traffic your way! Simple!

The second most important factor in increasing traffic to your site, and this only happens if the spiders crawl your site more regularly, is to have constantly changing content!
Add and change content on your site all the time, and write about new products and services…; promote certain products by writing about them and offering them as offers … etc; but do this REGULARLY!.
The more content you change, and the more interesting you make it to read… the more the spiders will see you site as being important as its dynamic!
Create and write in your blogs about things on your site, in my case I will relate it the to current fashion scene and its relation to my fashion jewelry I’m selling.

Both these factors will help improve the ranking of the site, and how its found more organically on searches.
( there is the big issue of key words enriched content, but lets save this for another article which I wil write soon.).

The other important factor that effects page rank and being found organically , is longevity; the longer you have been on the web, the more importance it wil be given by search engine spiders… but of course this has to be matched by always refreshing and adding to the site. A stale site is of no appetite for anyone!
Why do we have a changing wardrobe… as we want to look different each day and get noticed… the principle is the same for the web. The more fashion conscious I become, the more I’m noticed and talked about!

So I want to encourage any fashion and particularly jewelry websites , to read my article in the simple terms its written and to talk to us with a view to linking to us.
IF you are in any way related to fashion and particularly selling jewellery, its in both our interest to link.
I will concentrate on adding bonus and innovative content to my site which is original which you can also use by having a link into your site.
You will soon see a dramatic change on my site with fresh articles and content being added regularly by my self and a team of experts.. about jewelry, fashion, and selling fashion jewellery on the web.
You will ONLY benefit by having a www.janeojewels.com link on your site.
Please drop me a line.. and lets work together: paresh@neotrims.com.

One final thought! Beware of the so called linking experts: there are few and most are cowboys. Their flowerily language about their knowledge is no match to what they can deliver, in fact most would just simply be worthless if not counter productive. What is far more positive and with good results is having a links campaign which you personally direct , talk to other owners of the sites , one website owner to another, and know that they are true and genuine, providing relevant links.
I look forward to hearing form you. Join our fashion jewlery site!

I want to attract the following areas :

1) if you are a fashion jewelry retailer on the web ( online fashion jewelry; men jewelry; fashion accessories, silver jewelry, crystal jewelry, belts and bags, fashion watches and wristbands accessories etc)
2) Wholesalers of jewelry and associated products in Uk and Europe only!
3) Fashion Educations and fashion prediction companies; if you are a university running fashion courses or costume jewlry design courses etc.
Join us!

author: paresh raja. Owner: www.janeojewels.com

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