18th Annual Alzafar Holiday Extravaganza

For those in the San Antonio, Texas area, come on by our next big show! We are again combining with Timeless Designs Studio this coming weekend for the 18th Annual Alzafar Holiday Extravaganza at the Alzafar Shrine (1604 between Stone Oak and Blanco), San Antonio , Texas -- Saturday & Sunday -- November 7th & 8th -- 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (both days) .

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Timeless Designs Studio will have….
-Glass Pendants & Earring Sets

-Stone, Ocos Agate, & Fossil Pendant Sets

-New designs with fossils, ocos agates and stone pendants

-Small stock of bagged loose beading stones

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Jewelry by CnC will have….

-New stock of over 100 unmounted pendants; wide selection of cuts to choose from

-New jewelry set designs to include some with wired or mounted pendants, some for men

-Select lapidary slabs and a small selection of faceted gemstones and cabachons, both mounted and unmounted

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Come early as we have knocked down prices for the coming Holidays! Wide selection of custom jewelry featuring some of the world’s most unique and unusual natural stones and cuts; and as always, each piece comes with it’s own tag describing what type of stones are used in each jewelry design.

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Pendants and Cabachons !

I was recently asked at a show how I can call off the names of the various pendants and cabachons I am selling without having to look them up in a book or some kind of a listing. Well I would have to say that I get some of the common ones right most of the time, but probably some of the rarer ones only about 70-75% of the time. My biggest problem is spelling the name correctly for the person after I identify the pendant or cabachon. Then of course there is the all time major consideration that the name I know the stone bye may not be the same name that the person I got the slab from to make the pendant or cabachon, called the rough rock. And of course as I travel around to different areas for shows, the stones may have locally used names that differ from what I am calling them.

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What I like to do for several days before a show is lay all the pendants and cabachons out in a pile, like in the picture, and start pulling them out and naming them as I remove them from the group. Those I take a bit to long to ID or miss completely, go back in the pile to be selected again. All of the stones, pendant or cabachon, have an ID tag on the reverse side so that I can confirm if correct or wrong based on what I know the stone as. If someone totally disagrees on a name or doesn't agree that the stone can have another name, I do have a computer program that I carry with me that lists all the names, species ID, group ID, misnomers, local names and false names for several thousand gems and gemstones used in Jewelry.

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Gemstone Pendants - new varieties just completed !

The following pictures are of some new material picked up recently. Although I have shown the name given to the stone by the source I acquired them from, several I recognize as having seen listed under other names. Most gemstones have their mineral name, a gemological name, a common name, a misnomer name and sometimes several totally off the wall names. Also remember the same stone can be called by a different name in a different part of the same country or in different countries. So have fun identifying if the name I have listed is not familiar to you.

Transvaal Jade.................Sodalite..............................Pink Opal

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Maw-Sit-Sit......................Meshwork Jasper..............Stromatolite Fossil

Chrysotine......................Chrysocolla..........Green Fire Opal

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Gemstone Jewelry - Requests Lead to Interesting Pieces !

As one works with gemstones and is continually trying to come up with new designs or find new kinds of gemstones to incorporate into the various pieces, sometimes a request for a particular kind or piece of jewelry is a welcome change.

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This first piece is a slight change in design from an earlier necklace set, but the requester did not want the large multi-color pendant that matched the colors of the necklace. Thus we now have a much simpler and definitely a more light weight piece containing Mahogany Obsidian and Turquoise Beads with Silver Highlights. Matching French hook earrings complete the set.

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This set is constructed of Sodalite and Lapis Beads with Silver Highlights. This is a change from the original necklace construction which contained the same Sodalite Beads and Silver Highlights, but instead used five large rectangular Lapis pieces at the center.

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Here we have a totally new piece constructed of large 50mm and 35mm Chinese Painting Stone (Jasper) Coin Style pendants, Turquoise ovals and Silver Highlights with a hook clasp. Leaverback earrings complete the set. The Painting Stone pendants were provided by a friend who just recently returned from a trip to China and picked up several unusual gemstone pieces while there.

A nice Tiger Eye pendant mounted in vermeil hanging on a golden chain with matching earrings also makes for a nice simple set.

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Unique One-of-a-Kind Jewelry Set !

In an effort to get away from the norm, to try something different, to be a bit bold with designing, to be different, this necklace design fills the bill in all departments. Thanks to an article in Beading Magazine about doing something different, this necklace set was born.

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The retangular Lampwork beads are highlighted with a crystal dangle and silver that allows the attachment of Autumn Jasper chips that end in black Seedbeads that complete the necklace which matches the black Seedbeads coming from the Lampwork beads with a Silver hook clasp. French Hook earrings with matching Lampwork, Crystal and Seedbeads complete the set.

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Jewelry Coral set to make Endangered Species List !

JEWELRY CORAL (CORALLIUM) LOOKS SET TO MAKE THE 'CITES' LIST OF ENDANGERED SPECIES NEXT MARCH.

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Having just escaped addition to the infamous Appendix II list of endangered species in 2007, jewelry coral will almost certainly be cited as protection-worthy by CITES in early 2010 when the group meets again. On October 8th, the U.S. and the E.U. jointly announced their intention to seek trade protection for red and pink coral at the upcoming March meeting of CITES—a 178-nation consortium that monitors some 30,000 maritime flora and fauna for the purposes of preserving them.
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This startling announcement gives heightened importance to the “Coral: Symbol, Substance and Significance” conference being held Thursday-Saturday, October 29-31, 2009, at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Organized by Lisa Koenigsberg, president of Initiatives in Art and Culture, the gathering will bring together all stakeholders in the explosive debate over jewelry coral management and use. Among those making presentations: Michael Kowalski, chairman of Tiffany’s; designer Stephen Dweck; artist Michelle Oka Doner; fashion forecaster David Doneger; and museum curators, jewelry historians and representatives from several coral growing regions and wildlife monitoring groups.

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Reprint from Colored Stone Magazine

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AGTA Seminars for Tucson Gem Fest 2010

The Tucson Gem Fest 2010 in coming the last week of Jan and first two weeks of Feb 2010. Each year the AGTA runs many seminars for visitors to the show. Below is a listing of this years Seminars. BUT, you have to sign up early because the size of the Seminar is limited by the seating of the room being used. Once that limit has been met, no addition persons will be allowed in. Some Seminars are Entry until Full. The FREE Seminars run from Wed the 3rd thru Sat the 6th. Live demonstrations run from Tue Feb 2nd thru Sun Feb 7th. There are also several fee based classes presented by the GIA.

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WEDNESDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Best Buys in Tucson
Options When You Buy Over the Counter
Visual Display of Color)
Internet Marketing to Drive Local Traffic
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WEDNESDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Navigating Counter Space in Colored Gem Sales
Creating Demand for Cultured Pearls
Training Your Staff
Understanding and Using Color Trends
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WEDNESDAY 6:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Yoga for Jewelers experience. 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
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THURSDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Developments in the Chinese Pearl Industry
Colored Gemstone Wardrobe, Fashion Informed
Personal Jewelry Insurance: Service Beyond the Sale
Meet JVC’s All-Star Federal Regulators at a Jewelry Town Hall Meeting
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THURSDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Books for Gem Lovers!
Use Social Media to Sell Design
The Andes to the Pantanal – The Story of Bolivia’s Gem Ametrine
Hand-Held Instruments
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THURSDAY 6:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Yoga for Jewelers
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FRIDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Intriguing Gem Stories
Considering CAD-CAM
Strategies for Driving Sales Performance
Capitalizing on Color
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FRIDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Country-of-Origin and Gemological Updates
Why On-Premises Services Benefit Retailers
Gem ID – Parts I and II hands-on (3 hour extended session, ends at 4:00)
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SATURDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
GIA Research Update
Improve Your Return on Effort with Color
Platinum Bridal – The “Bright Spot”
GIA Pearls Update hands-on (2 hour extended session, ends at 11:00)
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SATURDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
HPHT Enhanced Colorless, Pink and Yellow Diamonds
The Lost World of the New York Jewelry Industry: 1914-1941
Gem ID – Parts I and II hands-on (3 hour extended session, ends at 4:00)
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GIA Class & Seminar Descriptions (Fee Based Seminars and Classes)
Gem Identification Lab
Monday – Friday Feb 1-5, 2010 - 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuition: $1,350 + $45 book fee = $1,395 Total
To enroll, call 800-421-7250 ext. 4001 or visit www.gia.edu
Pearls
Saturday - Feb 6, 2010 - 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Tuition: $145.00
To enroll, call 800-421-7250 ext. 4001 or visit www.gia.edu.
Gemstone Treatment Update
Saturday - Feb 6, 2010 - 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Tuition: $145.00
To enroll, call 800-421-7250 ext. 4001 or visit www.gia.edu.
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Full explanations and other courses that may be added can be seen at
http://www.agta.org/tradeshows/gft-seminars.html
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New Gemstone Jewelry Designs !

After taking a couple days off following the last show, decided to get back to work and come up with something new to move on into the fall season.
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First we take a look at some faceted Autumn Jasper mixed with Cognac Amber Chips highlighted with copper balls. The necklace is 24 inches long and has matching hoop earrings.








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Next we have Turquoise barrels and Black Onyx highlighted with silver balls mixed with Multicolored Lampwork beads. This 22 inch necklaced is combined with matching French Hook earrings.






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Colorful Agate shapes are paired with Agate and Black Onyx beeds and highlighted with silver. This 22 inch necklace has a 4 inch extender and is combinded with matching Leverback earrings.







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Burgundy and Lavendar Fresh Water Pearls are combined with Mauve Lampwork Puffs in this 3-string 23 inch necklace. There is a 2 inch extender and the set has matching French Hook hoop earrings.






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