Sharon Zimmerman

  • Student Profiles – Alissa Bailey of Chaparral Jewelry

    This begins a new series of blog posts. Each week or so, a new student will be featured with parts of their story – why they fell in love with jewelry-making, what inspires them, and what they get out of each class.This week, Alissa Bailey of Chaparral Jewelry is on deck! Little known fact -…

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  • Student Profile – Michelle H.

    Michelle came back to wax carving after a hiatus from jewelry-making. She had a specific idea in mind for what she wanted to make, so we set up a private lesson for her to achieve her design. We laughed, we chatted, and she finished this impressive square statement ring in wax. Michelle has made jewelry…

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  • Your Knuckles Are Not Too Big To Wear Rings

    This and other myths about your fingers, coming right up.Thigh-gap, cankles; too much volume in your hair, or not enough; boobs that are too big or too small; wrinkles; grey hairs – the list of things that we are supposed to feel bad about when it comes to our bodies is a lot. But your…

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  • Three Reasons to Ask Where Your Gold Comes From

    In my first jewelry classes, more than 15 years ago, I ordered some silver. I spent a whopping $25 and that amount was so precious to me. But where did this silver come from? I asked my teachers where the silver originated and got some vague answers – Arizona? New Mexico? (Mildly true, since that’s…

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  • What I Learned at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show – the Ethical Edition

    When I made the decision 6 years ago to expand my designs to include precious gemstones and diamonds, I wanted to make a conscientious choice about my suppliers. And hoo-boy! It was a bleak landscape for those of us seeking ethically-mined and sourced gemstones. It has long been my opinion (and the opinion of others,…

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  • Becoming a Certified Green Business

    Why Become a San Francisco Certified Green Business I’ve been running an eco-friendly business since 2011, so why go through the trouble of being certified by SF Green Business? In a nutshell, I did it because I believe in it and because I think that you do too. Committing to environmental security, clean air, and clean…

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  • Ethical Gemstones – What are my options?

    What are your options when it comes to finding and sourcing an ethical diamond or gemstone?

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