Site of the Month for October 2011 talks about Jewelry Directory. Jelwelry Trek provides high quality links to jewelry, jewelers, body jewelry, bracelet, pearls, costume jewelry, personalized jewelry, diamonds jewelry, rings, earrings, jewelry supplies, earrings, gemstones, wedding jewelry, handcrafted and more.

Beads are most easily pierced before firing, although they can be drilled afterward. To pierce a bead, use a skewer or needle. Hold the bead between your fingers and poke a hole almost all the way through it, not allowing the needle to come out the other side. Then withdraw the needle and poke it through from the other side. (This avoids creating an unsightly lump of clay around the edges of the pierced hole.)

If your bead’s hole is too small for the cord you want to string it on, you can use a needle file to ream out and enlarge the hole.

Hip Hop or Bling- Bling jewelry is among the popular styles of jewelry that can be termed as simple and elegant to outrageous and lustrous. From the various amazing styles and designs of jewelry, Hip Hop is the most preferred and desired by youngsters to match up with the current fashion trend and style. This style of jewelry has been patronage by various musicians, rap artist, sports icon, movie stars and other celebrities of style and glamour world. Use of this jewelry by famous personalities has forced many boys and girls to emulate their stars and use this jewelry for style and fashion.

Hip Hop jewelry is a catchy and extravagant accessory that serves as status symbol for many fashion enthusiasts. This elegant range of glitzy jewelry is adorned by many hip hop artists and fashion conscious people to leave an everlasting impression on their fans and followers. This high quality and elegant range of jewelry is also worn to celebrate one personal and professional success in life. This is the main reason behind celebrity adorn themselves with these highly extravagant jewelry.

Hip hop jewelry is made from different material such as from gold, to white gold to platinum so that it is perfectly termed as exclusive and expensive. Hip hop jewelry when first came to the world of fashion, gold was the standard material used in the making of this jewelry but during 90′s with the coming of luxurious style the new era of Hip Hop jewelry was started with the use of gold, diamond, platinum, and silver. Within no time the Hip Hop jewelry became the rage among the modern generation. During this period only this type of jewelry was also referred as Bling-Bling jewelry.

With the fashion trends coming and going at the link of the eye, Hip Hop jewelry has manage to sustain its charm among the young generation. This range of jewelry has been given the unique and uncommon name due to its bold look and rap connection. Hip Hop jewelry is not just constrained to chains or gem studded cross but one can also find watches and other fashion accessories in the range of Hip Hop jewelry.

Hip hop jewelry are available in varieties of designs and styles that can range from gold ropes to Iced Out diamond crosses and chains. Other collection of hip hp jewelry includes iced out platinum jewelry, LED belt buckles, spinner watches and personalized dog tags. Highlighting and differentiating feature of hip hop jewelry is the bling-bling imaginary sound, which is created when light reflects on diamond and due to this feature this jewelry is also termed as bling–bling.

When you think of fashion jewelry you have to think of women. By contrast, men represent only a small market for fashion jewelry and comprise a minute amount of the wearers of it. On the other hand, women clearly predominate in this world. For women such jewelry has become an indispensable aid in their wardrobe and an essential fashion accessory. The glittering appeal of this type of jewelry undoubtedly lies in its abil8ty to accentuate and add some flash to a woman’s wardrobe. For the well-dressed woman fashion jewelry is not just a mere add-on. It comes to embellish her clothes, her look and her very personality. The glittering façade of this jewelry lends itself perfectly to a contemporary glamorous look, appearing confidently modern while nodding towards the distant past with a smile.

Like all the world of fashion, the world of fashion jewelry is always held captive to trends. As with all trends, those in this field tend to follow a cyclical pattern. The trend of today will not last; its turn to be replaced will come. But what falls out of fashion may one day spontaneously remerge, gifted with some retro appeal. But some classic jewelry never fades from fashion. Jewels from such precious stones such as diamonds and pearls, or gold and platinum are certain to remain perennially popular with women for the foreseeable future. However, fashion jewelry is its own distinct type-its glittering surface and vibrant colors do so much to give a woman innumerable fashion options.

There are many reasons behind women loving to wear fashion jewelry, firstly it is not much expensive as compared to the original ones, and secondly one gets the huge variety to match them with various outfits. Moreover, they also add a variety and fashion to your outfit. Adoring themselves with sparkling earrings and bracelets helps a woman express confidence in her feminine allure and mystery. When you look at the world of fashion jewelry you will be astounded by the seemingly infinite array of sizes, shapes. colors and designs. Earrings run the gamut from huge pendulous hoops to tiny ear studs that you have to be real close to even detect. Just the same as earrings, bracelets are a dazzling swirl of shape, sizes designs and textures. The bottom line in fashion jewelry is that there will never be a shortage of variety and beauty available for a woman to choose from.

Masonic jewelry is worn as a sign of membership of the brotherhood or passed down as family heirlooms. Here is a guide to this unique and interesting tradition.

The Brotherhood

The Freemasons have the longest history of any organization in the world. The first Grand Lodge was formed in 1717 in London, but there was loose organization and use of terms and symbols centuries before that. Stonemasons were the founding fathers.

Today, it is not necessary to be an actual mason to be a member as the principles of the brotherhood are self-improvement, social works and self-awareness. They were behind the creation of public schools in Europe and America.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, they also took it upon themselves to make sure orphans, the elderly and widows were taken care of when the system provided no protection for them. There are a lot of conspiracy theories, movies and books surrounding the mystery of the Masons, but there is no real secret to this philanthropic and educated organization.

Types of jewelry

To designate membership in a Masonic lodge, there are a variety of Masonic jewelry pieces that a member can wear. The traditional piece is the signet ring, but there are other options as well. For the man who already owns a Lodge ring, other gift options are cuff links, tie pins, pocket watches and even pendants. These can all bear the same the emblems as the rings.

The Symbols

Symbols in freemasonry are important and they designate the degree of the member, the lodge and what the member wants to say about his membership. The most common symbols are the square and compass which represent the cornerstone of freemasonry.

In the center of these tools is the letter “G”, which stands for geometry, a principle of freemasonry, and for God, the original builder. Some other tools of the trade found in Masonic jewelry are the trowel, the plumb level and columns. There are many other symbols to choose from when designing different pieces.

Proper wear

Only members should wear membership jewelry, but there are cases where antique Masonic jewelry is passed down as family heirlooms. As far as how to wear the rings, there are no rules on the proper way. Some men like to wear the emblems facing them but others like to wear them facing out for others to see. Married men typically wear their rings on the right hand ring finger. Some men choose to wear their ring on the pinkie finger. So, really it is all about personal preference and comfort on how to wear the pieces.

How to clean it

In gold or silver, Masonic jewelry can be very simple or quite ornate. The more intricate the design, the dirtier it can get. Gold pieces can be soaked in warm soapy water and scrubbed with a soft brush. If there are enameled or synthetic colored parts, don’t soak the piece, but gently scrub with a soft soapy brush. Regularly polish with a soft cloth. For sterling silver pieces, only use cleaners designed for silver cleaning. These products come in wipes, cloths and creams.

There are millions of freemasons across the world and a gift of men’s Masonic jewelry is a great way to recognize his contribution to society and to honor his pride and dedication to his brotherhood.

While other types of bands and rings are made of metals such as gold, silver, or titanium that begin in solid form, a tungsten ring is initially made of powder. Tungsten, along with carbide, is forged at temperatures that are upwards of 2,400 degrees. This may seem like something that is impossible, but the resulting rings are proof of this amazing combination, and they are as scratch and dent resistant as they come.

These rings are also permanently polished. No matter how much abuse they withstand on the finger, they will continue to look the same as they did on the day they were purchased. This is something no other metal can boast, as this is a feature that is only had by rings made out of tungsten and carbide.

To get a good idea of how resistant tungsten is, consider the fact that the metal is ten times harder than 18k gold, and four times harder than titanium. They are also right under diamonds in hardness, which sit at 10 on the Mohs scale, with this material sitting at a solid 9. They are so solid in fact, that if they somehow get stuck they must be removed by a professional — though this is extremely rare and is not something that most people would have to worry about in the least.

Sizing is an issue, as it is extremely difficult to resize a tungsten ring. Many jewelers or specialty shops that sell them require that they be sized to order, as to not run into any difficulties later on. If the rings need to be resized later on, the shop or vendor will only resize them for a price, which can range anywhere from $50 to $100, depending on their policies and the ring itself. Some shops do offer warranties on their rings which allow you to get them resized for free within a certain period of time. These policies are rare, and it can be difficult to find a vendor that instills this type of warranty on their tungsten pieces.

Depending on the brand, a ring of this type can range from the double digits to the quadruple digits. It is imperative that any tungsten ring that seems to be too affordable is carefully inspected, and you should be sure to ask the jeweler whether or not the ring is 100% tungsten.

If you are looking for the best place to buy tungsten rings, look online at MensRingStore.com. Tungsten Rings, Ceramic Rings, Titanium Rings, and Stainless Steel Rings from your number one Men’s rings store. They offer the highest quality rings you can find anywhere. They have the cheapest prices on Tungsten Wedding Bands, all rings are scratch resistant. If you have any additional questions about any of the mens rings they carry, please call one of their customer service representatives. They will help you make the choice that meets your needs. They can also help answer questions about sizing, his and her bands including ceramic rings and mens rings and a variety of other subjects on fashion jewelry for discerning buyers.

Girl’s fashion jewelry encompasses a wide range of jewelry items such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, hair bands, nose rings, anklets etc. It basically describes any type of jewelry that is used to accessorize your clothes. Girls fashion jewelry has evolved to become a major business today. There are many different sources from which you can purchase these types of jewelry. The amount of design and styles available today is truly mind boggling. Local jewelers, online stores, flea markets, garage sales are some of places where you will be able to find girls fashion jewelry.Places such as flea markets and second hand jewelry stores are also a good place to buy vintage fashion jewelry for any age at a good price. Another great source for fashion jewelry is online auction sites. There are many different types of girl’s fashion jewelry to choose from, some of which we will discuss here.

Necklaces

Necklaces are perhaps one of the oldest and most widely used fashion accessories. The reason for this is because necklaces are the most
easily seen jewelry piece and they come in a wide variety of styles, makes, colors, and lengths and so on. It is safe to say that no other jewelry item whether its girl’s fashion jewelry or any other type of jewelry, necklaces just can’t be beat when it comes to style. You will also be able to attach various other accessories to the necklace such as charms, pendants and so on. Getting a necklace that has a birth stone attached to the pendant is a very popular girl’s fashion jewelry item.

Rings

Rings along with necklaces are one of the most common items in girl’s fashion jewelry. Nowadays larger rings have come back into fashion.
Rings that will have ornate styling and various colors are also very popular with girls of all ages. Rings are also a great accessory for birthstones. The great thing about rings is that they can be found in wide range of prices, which allows the buyer to decide many different styles.

Bracelets

Bracelets and bangles are very popular items of girl’s fashion jewelry. Like rings and necklaces, bracelets and bangles can be made from a wide variety of materials, perhaps even more so compared to other jewelry. Materials such as gold, silver, copper, stainless steel and even crystal are used for making bracelets. Another popular form of bracelets is stringing together different color beads. There will also be choices such as buying a set of bracelets or bangles that will suit your personality.

Earrings

Earrings come in a wide array of styles and prices. There are diamond earrings that can cost thousands of dollars or a metal stud that only costs a few dollars. They will be available for people who have pierced earrings or if you need clip on rings then that will also be available. Some of the more popular earrings in the market today are chandelier earrings and hoop style. You will be able to find many different shapes such as, hearts, various geometric designs such as teardrop and so on.