In celebration of the Golden Sun

Hi all,

The last couple of days have been so lovely and sunny and have put a smile on my face.

So in celebration of the big golden ball of goodness I am using this post to give you some information about gold.  (Courtesy of the book 'Mixed Metals by M. Barta and D. Fox)

With it's physical characteristics resembling those of the sun, warm, yellow and shiny, gold has long been considered the King of all metals.  Although, platinum is more valuable.

One of the main advantages gold has over other metals is that it can last forever.  It doesn't corrode when exposed to air, water or common acids.  It doesn't tarnish or rust either.

Another comparison to other metals proves gold to be the most malleable and ductile.  However, in it's purest form it is too soft to be useable.

In order to obtain additional strength, gold is often alloyed with other metals such as, silver, copper, nickel, palladium and/or iron.

Gold is associated with the Carat (Karat) system, which was developed to ascertain the amount of pure gold existing in gold alloy.  By today's standards pure/fine gold is designated as 24k gold.  14k gold (58.5% pure) indicates 14 parts gold by weight and 10 parts of another metal or metals.

Gold is found in many countries, the top producers including (but not limited to) the United States, South Africa and China.

About two-thirds of all gold produced is used in jewellery.

The most exciting 'gold fact' I've read so far is...

"It is estimated that about 15 percent of the gold in circulation is recycled.  That means it is possible your gold-filled earrings were made with gold that was once part of an Egyptian Pharaoh's ensemble"

The picture below is of a bracelet I made a month or so ago.  Whilst not exactly gold, the bead caps and clasp are gold plated.  I think that you'll agree that the colour gold really compliments the fuchsia pink and black Swarovski crystals.  Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing a similar item.

Thanks,
Annaliese (JBA)

Neglected Blog

Sorry,  I've been so busy with my bridal items that I have neglected 'Jewellery by Annaliese'.

Rest assured that there are a lot of ideas and designs in my head all of which will be bought to fruition sooner rather than later :o)

I have a fairly big project lined up that I need to get working on.  Pics will be on here as soon as I can sort them.

I often wonder where my day goes, and the term 'running' pops up a lot - 'aaaargh, I'm running out of time', 'my imagination is running wild', 'I am constantly running around trying to sort out 101 different things'.  I found this quote and suddenly all this running doesn't seem so bad.

Keep on dreaming...

Annaliese
(JBA)

What's in a Name?

Hello,

Deciding on a name for your business may appear to be an easy task.  However, some businesses will spend thousands on branding.  That's the thing you see, a name is not just a name it is a brand... your brand.

So think long and hard, you do not want to choose a name that is too long, hard to spell, hard to remember.  Or even a name that will date over time.  You want a name that is fairly quirky, extremely memorable and one that when mentioned will make people instantly think about your business.

How did I come up with my business names?  Well, 'Jewellery by Annaliese' is fairly obvious.  My name is Annaliese and I design and create jewellery, so to quote a well-know brand, my brand name 'does what it says on the tin'.

Alongside my 'Everyday Wear' jewellery, I also design and create bridal jewellery and accessories.  My brand name for that is 'Tatty Angel Designs'.

Okay, so it's fairly long but it's easy to spell and easy to remember because it's a bit different.  Designs is a bit ambiguous but it does suggest something of an arty nature.  Designs seem to run off the tongue a little better than 'Tatty Angel Jewellery'.  And as my bridal range extends beyond jewellery to accessories, cake toppers and beaded bouquets I figured I could work around my own set rule about making the name fit the business.

My bridal brand name is personal as it is a play on words.  I have an angel tattoo, my email tag is angeltatt74, so tatty angel was just another fun option.  To me the name represents two extremes.  Angels are considered pure whereas tatty is, well, not so perfect.   My handmade items are made to the highest standard using the highest quality materials but because they are not precision cut and machine manufactured no two pieces will be exactly the same.  This is the beauty of handmade items and adds that unique quality to each piece.

I will admit a couple of people have mentioned 'tatty' as having negative connotations.  Yet, I see the positive side to this, the name will definitely stick in their minds.  (Who was it who said even bad publicity is good publicity??)

However, the majority of people have commented on my business name using phrases such as 'it's so quirky', 'I love it', 'so original' and the best talking point 'how did you come up with that name?'

So, do not rush your naming process, it's more important than it seems.

I will leave you with this thought.  In a year or so when all the top celeb are wearing jewellery with a 'JBA' or a 'TAD' tag you'll know I was right, haha.  Positive thinking right!

Annaliese
(JBA)

Spring is in the air

Hello,

Today I was definitely feeling spring in the air, so this feeling inspired my new piece.  I am loving copper at the moment and I'm also enjoying learning new wire wrapping techniques.  Bead caps are also a favourite addition of mine, they can really add a certain something to a piece.  I was excited about using them in a different way.  So with all that in mind, here is my hand made, wire wrapped, spring inspired pendant.

Enjoy your evening, I'm off to make something else - I can hear the copper calling me.... :o)