Jewelry Tips

  • How to find out your partner’s ring size without them knowing

    Keep your ring shopping a surprise for your partner You’re in love, you know you want to get married and you’re ready to propose. So you run out to get a ring, but how do you know that it’s going to fit them? A ring, unlike earrings and necklaces, isn’t a one-size-fits-all piece of jewelry,…

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  • Why Does Platinum Jewelry Cost More Than Gold Jewelry?

    Platinum is less expensive than gold, so what gives?This is a question that I get a lot. And I get it – you can clearly see if you check metal prices online that platinum is currently less expensive than gold, and yet you go to buy jewelry and the platinum pieces cost more. The answer…

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  • What the Kimberley Process Doesn’t Want You To Know

    The Kimberley Process is BrokenWhen a Summer of 2021 meeting of the Kimberley Process (KP) turned contentious, I found hope.

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  • Conflict-Free – Does it Mean What you Think It Means? Great Question

    Conflict-free. It sounds so nice, doesn’t it? “This diamond is free of conflict” “these minerals are free of conflict” “this ring is free of conflict” They sound like peaceful, tranquil ephemera; drifting along, never encountering conflict. Just free as a bird or a hot air balloon – floating away from and above all of the…

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  • Why choose Fairmined gold over recycled gold?

    Making any changes to your supply chain when you make jewelry comes with a series of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style options. If you decide to change the materials you use, your story changes – different materials can change your pricing, your tools, your process, and your marketing.

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  • OMG Palladium What the Hell?

    Why I stopped making palladium jewelryUpdate – February 24, 2023 – Palladium is still too high, so I am still not bringing it back as a metal offeringA quickie economics lesson from someone with experience pricing jewelry and making jewelry – sometimes jewelry materials are really really expensive. Reductive? Yes. True? Also, yes.

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  • Why I stopped using lab-grown diamonds and gemstones in my jewelry

    At the time, lab-grown seemed like the best answer to a lot of my problems with gemstones and diamonds. When I wanted to make more bridal jewelry and incorporate more gems, the options were few – I could find a handful of traceable gem dealers with some options (none of those options were diamonds), or…

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  • The Exciting World of Jewelry Cleaning

    Originally published July 12, 2017. Now updated with video instructions for the best tarnish removal process!What’s the Best Way to Clean Jewelry?

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  • The dos and don’ts of putting in a new nose ring

    Do: Gently twist your hoop closed. You can use your fingers, but thicker gauges might require a pair of needle-nose pliers, or it might require going to a professional piercer for a jewelry change. Call ahead to a reputable local piercer and find out if they offer jewelry changes. Some places charge a nominal fee…

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  • Top Tips to Support Your Favorite Small Businesses

    If your favorite maker/designer has a blog *polite cough*, leave a comment!Subscribe to their newsletterLeave comments on their YouTube videos/subscribe to their YouTube channels. Again, *polite cough*Leave comments and likes on their social media postsReview them on Google (this really helps our small businesses look legitimate in Google searches)Re-post their social media posts (with attribution)Share…

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