Jewelry Industry Embargo On Zimbabwe’s Conflict Diamonds
Apparently Zimbabwe’s plan to sell off the conflict diamonds from their Marange diamond fields is simply not going to come through as long as the HRW (Human Rights Watch) has any say in the matter. The HRW specifically instructed the leading diamond jewelry providers in the world to keep their distance from any diamonds from Zimbabwe. Specifically, Arvind Ganesan, Director of the Business & Human Rights Division at HRW, released an official warning regarding a full on embargo of Zimbabwe diamonds due to their many violations of serious human rights conditions. According to Arvind Ganesan, Zimbabwean diamonds are conflict diamonds in every sense of the term, and as such the HRW is requesting that jewelry retailers and jewelry consumers boycott these diamonds until the human rights infringements reach their end. In fact, Arvind Ganesan wrote a letter asking as much from leaders in the diamond jewelry industry, such as Cartier, Tiffany’s, and Zale.
Arvind Ganesan has turned to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme as well as the World Diamond Council in an attempt to expand the current definition of blood diamonds to contain diamonds acquired by governments in conflict and not only diamonds by rebel groups. In his letter, the Director of the Human Rights Watch requested that major diamond jewelry retailers issue public statements regarding refusal to purchase Zimbabwean diamonds. Such acts on the parts of the major players in the diamond retail community will surely have some significant long-term effects on diamond production from the Murowa diamond mine, as well as the River Ranch diamond mine, which are thought to be channels for the sale of diamonds from the Marange fields in Zimbabwe.
In the letter, Arvind Ganesan also appeals to the powerful members of the diamond industry to use their influence on the Kimberley Process to ensure that Zimbabwe is fully suspended from the group up to the point when they actually meet basic human rights standards. As per reports from HRW, such human rights infringements as killing, smuggling, and child labor have been going on until just this October and there are no signs of any considerable changes since then. These diamonds have been smuggled to neighboring countries mixing with diamonds from other nations and basically causing a situation where conflict diamonds are traded worldwide.
Hence, it is up to the jewelry retailers to be responsible enough to make sure that they do not vend such conflict diamonds to their jewelry consumers. As diamond consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about conflict diamonds and requesting certifications as to the origin of their diamonds, it was only a matter of time before Zimbabwean diamonds became too risky to be associated with.
The problem is that generally speaking, jewelry providers can’t just boycott their diamond jewelry items, but then again, nobody wants to be linked to conflict diamonds either. It looks like we’ll just have to wait and see how the major members of the diamond jewelry community intend to comply with the demands of the Human Rights Watch.
How To Promote Your Jewelry Designs
From beginners to skilled handmade jewelry designers, you can craft & sell your products online. Get the pleasure of creating stunning jewelry that pleases your clients. Offer specials to marriage parties, or sell one item that you concentrate more such as earrings, necklaces, rosary bracelets, ankle bracelets & even complete sets. There are so a lot of types of jewelry that you can with no trouble make yourself, you will be surprised.
When advertising your gems whether synthetic or natural gems keep in mind that color assists determine the beauty & value of your handmade ornaments. You can locate jewelry making supplies, Swarovski crystals, synthetic or natural gemstones at a range of craft stores & online stores, such as Fire Stack Gems. You can generate your own ecommerce web site easily with host such as instant store, which is very user friendly, & offers a 40 day free trial, or ebay stores & auctions, as well as Yahoo & Amazon. Also you should hunt online for upcoming craft events to register your products. Magazine eStore sells a lot of jewelry crafts magazine subscriptions that present great information for making & selling your handmade trinkets crafts, such as:
Simply Art Beads Jewelry Magazine Subscription:
Simply Beads presents nearly 90 pages of new Bead prototype in an oversized perfect bound layout. Simply Art Beads Jewelry Magazine shows you how to craft your own jewelry scrapbooks, projects, Afghans & will enhance your own creativity.
Beads & Buttons Magazine Subscription:
Beads & Buttons Magazine is devoted to helping all Beads & Buttons enthusiasts with creative projects & providing collectible information. Know where to buy for all your beading projects.
Bead Style Jewelry Magazine Subscription:
Bead Style Jewelry Magazine features 40 plus Jewelry Projects for novice to seasoned bead professionals. Each blueprint in Bead Style Jewelry includes colorful step by step photos & simple instructions for making great bracelets, earrings & necklaces. Bead Style Jewelry Magazine crafts projects fun, fast & easy, with effortless techniques that help imprison your own imagination.
Art & Jewelry Magazine Subscription:
Art & Jewelry Magazine features enormous wire metal & precious clay projects for artists at all talent levels. Learn latest techniques try new materials or acquire ideas for your own projects with Art & Jewelry Magazine Subscription.
Jewelry & Crafts Magazine Subscription:
Jewelry & Crafts Magazine gives you dozens of Jewelry making Project ideas.
[Top]Carring For Your Handmade Copper Jewelry – Copy
Placing your handmade copper jewelry in re-sealable plastic bags along with anti-tarnish jewelry paper will keep it bright and shinny flor a long time. Before storing your handmade copper jewelry, make sure it is clean and moisture free. Look for handmade copper jewelry that has been treated with a protective coating that resists tarnishing. Copper jewelry that comes in direct contact with the skin, such as rings, necklaces, cuffs, and bracelets will tarnish faster than earrings due to constant abrasion that wears off the protective coating.It’s surprisingly easy to care for handmade copper jewelry once the protective coating wears off, just as it is for caring for Sterling Silver jewelry. The only kind of metal that won’t tarnish, but is way too soft for most jewelry applications, are 24K Gold or Fine Silver. Copper acts as an oxidation catalyst, but due to its strength, is commonly alloyed with most metals.
One of the simplest ways to bring back shine to your handmade copper jewelry is by using a jewelry polishing cloth that can be purchased at most local drugstores or from your local jeweller. A jewelry cloth (commonly referred to as a rogue cloth) is well worth having, since it can last for years. For those more delicate pieces, have a professional jeweler steam clean or use an ultrasonic cleaner. If the piece is set with gemstones, don’t attempt to clean the piece yourself, or you could damage the piece and reduce the value. Quite a few gemstones can be easily damaged by using an ultrasonic cleaner, so you might save a few dollars by cleaning your jewelry yourself, but you might end up with a worthless piece. If your are unsure, take your jewelry to a professional. Touch base with the artist you bought your handmade copper jewelry from. Most artists will clean their own work for a nominal fee, or sometimes even for free.
If you are short on time and need a quick fix to spruce up your handmade copper jewelry, you can use any of these easy solutions (not to be used on jewelry with gemstones or pearls):
* Vinegar – (White, Apple Cider, Wine, Balsamic) – Set the jewelry in a plastic or glass container. Make sure you don’t use metal. Pour enough vinegar into the container until it covers the entire piece of jewelry. Let stand four about 10-15 minutes. Rinse under warm water, dry off, and your finished!
*Lime or Lemon Juice – Same directions as above for vinegar, but throw in a dash of salt as a catalyst.
*Ketchup or Worcestershire Sauce – Squeeze a dab onto a soft cloth or toothbrush, then rinse throughly under lukewarm water. Make sure not to expose gemstones, as they should not be exposed to any natural or chemical cleaners.
[Top]Fashion Jewelry Enhances The Beauty Of The Attire
People are into the fashion jewelry for very long time. The jewelry helps in defining the personality of an individual. It also brings out the best features of the wearer and compliments the outfit in the best way. The jewelry usually varies vastly in prices due to the use of the different materials. It ranges from the expensive and formal to the inexpensive and casual ones. Designers often use different types of material like glass, metal, plastic, fiberglass, rice, paper and wood to create some gorgeous pieces. In fact they use just anything to create these trendy pieces. Even some of the designers often use the recycled garbage to create jewelry. To create the individual fashion identity one must choose the correct piece of jewelry whether made of gold or wood. The material does not matter at all because the craftsmanship makes them look as exotic as the expensive stuff.
When choosing costume jewelry one gets various options. One can even consider a particular theme to base all the jewelry pieces on it. Some like to buy animal jewelry including turtle bracelets, snake earrings and frog pins. These are available in different colors matching perfectly with the outfits. This way a person can create an individual identity. On the other hand one can also select the signature color and can base the whole collection on it. Some people look for variety, for them it is advisable to select the trendy jewelry suite complementing different outfits. So one can choose the best and the most desirable jewelry matching ones taste and style very easily.
Most of the people like to buy the jewelry in a very small budget. They do not want to spend their hard earned money just on one jewelry piece. The low pricing jewelry can also be procured from variety of physical and virtual stores. The pricing is not the only thing the quality also matters. First go for the quality then the price. Best fashion jewelry is the one that is well made and lasts long in the wardrobe. Make sure that one must choose the pieces that remain in fashion for a long time. Otherwise it will be wastage of money. One can find them in numerous places. These are available in popular stores, specialty shops and craft shows. The online stores prove to be a better choice to procure the favorite piece of jewelry because it saves time in going around. It also gives the advantage of matching the outfit with the screened piece of jewelry.
Costume jewelry accentuates an individuals best features and also develops the persons fashion identity. By wearing different types of pieces with the same dress on different occasions one can create a new look every time. Mix and match is the real thing. The other advantage is that one can also check the discounted outlets to get some qualitative pieces of jewelry at very reasonable rates. It is certainly the best way of stretching the wardrobe by adding some valuable jewelry pieces.
[Top]China Jewelry Supplies Store Tell Us Knowledge About Ancient Silver Tribal Jewelry In Central Asia
As we all know, Jewelry from central Asia is most often silver, like agate, stone, coral, turquoise nozi – gardon five-element uzbek emerald, coral, silver. The birds in the central pendant represents happy and protection, and fish shapes hanging on behalf of male fertility. Now china jewelry supplies website will tell you some knowledge of ancient silver tribal jewelry in central Asia.
Central Asian jewelry is so striking that the elaborate stone-inlaid items, stamped and engraved with graceful designs, might seem to be purely for the sake of adornment; in reality, almost all are amuletic in intent. In societies where superstition is prevalent, those most in need of protection (usually women, children, and sometimes livestock) are given specific amulets to wear.Except for Tajiks, who speak a form of Persian and are descended from the earliest Indo-European settlers in the region, most Central Asian tribes were nomads of Turco-Mongolian heritage. Since their wandering ways have brought them to Iran, China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Iraq, and elsewhere, there are Kazakhs living in Turkmenistan and Turkmen in Tajikistan, and there is often a mingled influence of cultures in jewelry design and function.
Women traditionally wore forehead and chest decoration, earrings, bracelet, beads, and pendants for bottom of braids, which are worn down the back. Todays woman in Uzbekistan is rarely seen without earrings, bracelet, rings, or beads in her attire. The Uzbekis we encounter are well dressed, although the average per capita income is under $700 U.S. (and Uzbekistan is better off financially than other countries in the region.)
In museums in Tashkent and Samarkand, Eve and I see variations of jewelry we already own. Beautiful pieces are for sale in the museum gift shops and in the bazaar. Wanting to contribute to the economy, not to mention our collections, we buy, but only after obtaining proper customs receipts and assurance of help should any problems arise when we are leaving for home. (We imagine help may involve wiring our loved ones, advising them that our vacation has been extended for an undetermined length.)In Kazakhstan, the metalsmiths craft flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries, using an inventory of swage block, files, vices, pincers, chisels, draw-plates, punches, scissors, hammers, and only a few other tools. Master silversmiths, whose names are still honored today by Kazakhs, melted down Russian, Chinese, and Polish coins for silver. Unlike Uzbek and Tajik ornaments, Kazakh pieces are austere and large, though not as massive as those of the Turkmen.
Kazakh jewelry is easily distinguished from other Central Asian styles. Using such stones as topaz, pearls, rough and faceted diamonds, rubies, crystal, carnelian, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, and coral, Kazakh artisans employ diverse methods, sometimes depending on what part of the country they come from. Most often seen is an item with a raised bezel with ruby-colored glass behind a filigree vitrine like a magnificent miniature stained glass window. Engraving, openwork, applied and grain filigree, and niello techniques are also common. For engraving, a surface is filed clean and a design is engraved with a chisel, after which sheet gold is pressed into the outline. Filigree work, once executed only for wealthier clientele, is now more widespread. In openwork filigree, the elements of the pattern are soldered together; in applied and grain filigree, the finished design is soldered onto the metal. Several methods of niello work came into play some time in the 19th century. Granular work is traditional in southwestern Kazakhstan, while in western Kazakhstan, silver articles were often gilded, and differ markedly from the other ornaments in appearance and decoration techniques.
While some Turkic invaders of the region settled in and took up agriculture, others practiced pastoral nomadism until the beginning of the 20th century, raising sheep and, especially, horses. Some of the most beautiful baubles are, in fact, horse trappings, since the Turkmen (and Kazakhs, as well), revere their horses as friends, a source of livelihood, a mode of transportation, a form of currency, and a measure of wealth. To see some truly spiffy horse gewgaws, check out Kalters The Arts and Crafts of Turkestan.
Ancestor worship is common to Central Asians. In the mythological consciousness of the Turkoman, positive magic power is attributed to the decorative details crafted into their jewelry. Water signs, mountain motifs, tree-of-life, ancestral symbols, horn representations, leaf and blossom designs, are paired, much as in the Chinese concept of yin and yang, into male-female, east-west, sun-moon, bright-dark, etc., in a bid to preserve the balance of order in their environment. These designs emanate from early animist traditions largely unchanged despite Muslim influence. Many customs combining shamanistic ritual and Islamic practices involve using amulets and talismans to destroy malevolent forces. For an in-depth discussion of these symbols, consult Schletzers Old Silver Jewellery of the Turkoman.
Silver wire is cut into tiny sections and heated on a perforated plate. When molten, the silver falls through into a bowl filled with cold water and hardens; the resulting granules are soldered onto the jewelry base. To decorate, gilding is used to accentuate and define incised lines. Fretwork is used on borders of larger elements. Solid gold is never found as the primary metal of old Turkmen jewelry, and is often avoided by some Muslims. Gold jewelry is inexpensive,claims a Kyrgyzstan Web site, because Kyrgyzstan takes the seventh position in the world gold stocks rating, and further mentions, Kyrgyzstani women prefer silver to gold because it protects against misfortune.
Among the Turkmen, young girls of marriageable age and women who havent yet had children wear amulets and talismans specifically intended to exert a magical power on men and on their own fertility. In their hostile environment, where infant mortality was not long ago 60 percent, the very survival of their race relies on somehow tempering the capricious forces of life. Turkmen children are protected by triangular cloth talismans called doga (an example of which hangs from the top of the headdress shown on page 20, another of my Internet purchases).
Upon reaching puberty, a Turkmen girl wears her hair in four braids, usually two in front, hanging down the chest, and two down the back. Married women wear two braids down the back. The distinctive heart-shaped asyk, a wedding gift from the grooms family, is a braid adornment for the bottom of the brides plaits, usually hidden by veils or scarves. This is probably the most universally recognized Turkmen ornament. Its myriad manifestations combinations of two and three of the shapes, variously embellished with chased and impressed patterns could, in themselves, comprise a magnificent collection, were a jewelry connoisseur to concentrate on that item alone. They also make nifty necklace pendants.
Another distinctive ornament is the dagdan, or tree-of-life symbol, named for the Dagdan tree, from which potent wooden amulets are fashioned. The prevalent rams horn motif in Central Asian jewelry is associated with many childbearing rituals. (When in doubt, you can usually be safe in guessing that the desired effect of an amulet is something involving fertility.)
The carnelian, usually set in raised round or oval bezels, is considered Allahs favorite stone by many Muslims. Some Turkmen claim it protects the eyes from disease; other sources claim the Turkmen believe it gives general protection from death and illness and brings the wearer good luck and peace. In some cases, another substance stands in for carnelian most commonly, red glass. The Yomud tribe uses other colors of stone or glass, and Yomud jewelry is further distinguished by its use of thin gilded silver repouss plaques soldered on top of a plain silver base, according to Fitz Gibbon.
And, indeed, the over 30 different tribal groups have distinctive styles. The jewelry we see most are from the Yomud, Ersari, and Tekke tribes. It helps to remember these three if you really want to turn heads when you show off your jewelry. Saying Turkoman is not nearly as impressive as saying Tekke Turkoman and being right. We really impressed our tour group with our spouting off; before long, they were consulting us on potential purchases.
Yongbao jewelry factory (http://www.chinajewelrysupplies.com) is a leading jewelry wholesaler and supplier in china,we supply more than 30000 styles of wholesale jewelry such as wholesale supplies, wholesale supplies, jewelry supplies, fashion necklaces, fashion earrings, fashion rings, fashion bracelets ,with cheap and competitive prices, We export jewelry to ship jewelry worldwide, Please enjoy your online wholesale business from china jewelry supplies.
.
Company Name: Yiwu Yongbao Jewelry Factory
Contact Person: Apple
Address:3f,No.13-15,Building 4,A zone,Futian jewelry street,yiwu city,zhejiang,china(322000)
Email: yaling.
MSN: apple.
SKYPE: carlchen20091
Tel +86.579-85597585
Fax: +86.579-85320753
Site: http://www.chinajewelrysupplies.com/
[Top]