Denver Gem Show -- Fall 2009 !

Each Fall gemstone and lapidary enthuiast alike gather in Denver, CO., for the Gem and Jewelry Show. Similar to the Winter Gem Fair in Tucson, but on a much smaller scale, the show is actually made up of several shows at various locations around Denver.

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The year the Denver Event runs from Sep 16th thru the 20th.

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The following individual shows make up the larger event. Some of these are open to the public, some are wholesale only, requiring business and tax certificates to enter, and some have sections for both the public and wholesalers.

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1. Bead Renaissance at Crown Plaza, Denver
2. Colorado Fossil Expo, Merchandise Mart/Plaza Annex
3. Colorado Mineral & Fossil Show, Holiday Inn/Denver Central
4. Denver Coliseum Mineral, Fossil, Gem, and Jewelry Show
5. Denver Expo 2009, National Western Complex/Expo Hall
6. Denver Gem & Mineral Show
7. Great American Gem Show, Quality Inn/Central Denver

8. Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council, Merchandise Mart/Expo Hall

9. International Gem & Jewelry Show, Merchandise Mart/Pavilion Building
10.Miner's Cooperative Mineral Show
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Click on the individual show and you will be taken to that shows info. For those shows that are not an individual vendor, there will be a listing of vendors and their booth location.

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Pendants from Natural Stones !

There are many many ways to use natural stones as pendants. Of course probably the best and most well known is that of using a faceted gemstone and it being placed in gold, silver or platinum mounting and then strung on a chain or incorporated into a complete necklace. However, the use of natural gems and stones is becoming more and more popular and there are several mounting methods that allows them to be used as pendants.

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The simplest is drilling a hole and hanging the stone from a bail like has been done with these sliced Agates.

and sliced Druzy Geodes.

Another method is to surround the stone with a very thin strip of brass, bronze, plated silver or gold and "pound" the metal into the edge surface of the stone, and then attach a bail for it to hang from a chain or lanyard.

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The following pieces of quartz have been finished in that manner.

And then for those with wire-wrapping skills, the various stones can be incased in various types of metal and held there by the simplest or most complicated styles of wire-wrapping.

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This is an Indonesial Coral Fossil Stone in a basic wrap.

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Pieces of Pietersite and Obsidian are held in place by a slihtly more complicated wrap.

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Here an Amethyst Geode is held by a simple wire-wrap.

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While this Crazy Lace Agete is held by a more complicated wire-warp.

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Thanks to several who provided pieces or pictures to use as samples.

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A New Turquoise and Magnesite Set !

It seems as if the East and West Coasts of the United States are going their own directions and are following different style and color themes for this coming Fall Season, and the mid-lands, well they continue with the old stand-bys.

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So in keeping with the majority of the country and the "Big and Bold" theme, the following new Jewelry Set has been designed using carved Arizona Magnesite Tubes, Arizona Blue Turquoise discs with Silver highlight beads and silver chain. Matching Arizona blue Turquoise discs mounted on silver French Hook earrings complete the set.

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click on picture for enlarged view

The fun part about the upcoming Holiday gift season is that anyone can wear Turquoise. Watch the spotlights and see all the celeb fashionista's that wear this stone. This is a really easy Christmas gift that is perfect for your friend or LOVE who watches what and wearing what the celebs are wearing.

See www.jewelrybycnc.com/html/body_ne_sets.html for more Turquise Necklace Sets.

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RAFB ROSC Welcome Get-Together !

Lapis Lazuli and Kyanite

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This coming Thursday Aug 27th, the Randolph AFB Officer's Spouses Club will host their Fall Roundup Get-together. The meeting will be held at the RAFB O'Club from 1000 until about 1230 hours in the main meeting room. Several vendors will be present with jewelry, craft items, snacks and household items. Jewelry by CnC will be there with some new jewelry pieces, show above and below, made especially for the show.

Yellow Turquoise & Pipe Stone-------- - Turquoise and Silver

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Onyx, Jasper & Quartz---------------Onyx & Agate

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The Fall Look !

As the end of Summer approaches, if you live in the south, or maybe you are already into Fall if your live in the northeast or northwest, do you know what colors and looks are going to rock for this Fall?

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Be prepared for this this Fall to see the return of plaid, any color or combination of plaids and also wearable leather structured garments and soft metallic colors. But don't go overboard, just make sure you also have several outfits in some of the basic colors. Every season there is one must have color. For this coming 2009 Fall Season that color is heather gray. Other basic colors that are coming on strong for this Fall are black, orange, yellow, purple and blue.

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When it comes to putting that special Fall look together using your key colors, take it from a simple look to an complete ensemble by throwing in something of patent leather or metallic. As far as your jewelry and other accessories go, be bold with a capital "B"! Actually go with a "B & B" - "Bold and Bulky" ! Being Bold never looked better than with a large Turquoise necklace, but Calcite and Amatheyst can fill the bill also.

See these designs on the Jewelry by CnC web-site.

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Wire Working Tools - Part 3

In two past posts we have been discussing the tools used when doing wire working. Taking the leap into the jewelry making business, even for a hobby, can be expensive for anyone. It is an overwhelming and sometimes a bit intimidating in learning about and choosing just the right tools.

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Here are some last suggestions, details, or recommendations to maybe help make that decision whether or how to purchase jewelry and wire working tools.

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1) The most important tools will be your pliers. Invest in good quality, heavy duty tools, even ergonomic tools if that is what you require. You will be working with these tools so much, you will need something that is comfortable and easy to work with and handle.

2) A good smooth steel bench block. You will be doing a lot of pounding and this tool saves a lot of countertops and desks.

3) Good chase hammer and files. Purchase a good light hammer; if you want to make textures and/or flatten wire, you’ll be glad you invested. Buy files in a kit so you get a lot of different angles, lengths and depths. You never know when what you might run across in needing to work with wire.

4) Research and look around before buying your tools. Check out the local hardware store, craft/hobby store, Ebay, or even the local discount store. Even starting out with ‘used’ tools will give you an idea of what you will expect before you make the leap into investment for expensive tools. You may even check with other Artists to see if they are selling ‘2nd hand’ tools. They can also give you advice on what to and not to look for.

5) Make no mistake; what you pay for is what you get. If you want quality and something that will last a long time, expect to pay more. Whatever you choice, be sure to do you research and ask around.

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The more information you get to make a better decision, the better your jewelry designs will turn out. Good Luck!

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Thanks to our daughter-in-law at TimelessDesignsStudio for the wire working info.

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$65M London Jewelry Heist !

British police have arrested a suspect in what is thought to be Britain's biggest jewelry heist. The suspect is not one of the two smartly dressed men who walked into Graff on London's upmarket New Bond Street last Thursday, but could be an accomplice or getaway driver. Police said there are at least four suspects. The two robbers were armed with handguns with which they threatened staff before getting away with 43 rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches.
As they left, they dragged a female member of staff with them and fired a warning shot outside the shop. No one was injured and the assistant was left behind as the robbers raced off. Another shot was fired soon after as the pair abandoned their BMW getaway car nearby and switched to a Mercedes-Benz, before switching to a third car later.

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"These men are extremely dangerous and fired at least two shots in busy London streets as they made their getaway," a police inspector said. "As far as the UK is concerned we do not know of a bigger jewelry raid. "Someone knows who these men are - they must have spoken about it beforehand or boasted about it afterward." The pair, dressed in gray suits and white shirts and speaking with London accents, were probably helped by at least another two men acting as getaway drivers.

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Graff is known for its diamonds and has a celebrity clientele. It was also targeted in 2003 in what until now was reportedly Britain's most expensive jewelry robbery, worth 23 million when it was robbed by jewel thief Nebojsa Denic, a Kosovan Serb and a member of the notorious gang of Balkan robbers known as "the Pink Panthers." Denic was caught and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 2007, another smartly dressed pair was chauffeured to the store's Sloane Street branch in a Bentley Continental Flying Spur. They whipped out handguns and made off with 10 million pounds worth of gems. The latest heist is also thought to be the second biggest robbery ever in Britain. First place is still held by a 53 million raid in 2006 on a Securitas depot in Kent, southeast England. New Bond Street, in London's exclusive Mayfair district, is dotted with big-name gem stores including royal jewelers Asprey. Celebrities spotted wearing Graff's jewels include Paris Hilton, Kylie Minogue, Naomi Campbell, Oprah Winfrey and Victoria Beckham.

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Surprises -- fake gemstones !

From time to time, certain gemstone catch ones eye at shows, and you just have to get one or some because they are so unique and different. But as the saying goes "Buyer Beware!" There are so many reconstituted items and downright fakes any more, without a good eye, some training and some special tools or tests, it is very hard to spot many of the fakes.

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But once you see and obtain an unusual piece, and then try to work with it, sometimes you find out very quickly that is is not a real gemstone. In a recent attempt to drill a hole for a bail in a newly found item, it quickly became evident that the gemstone was not stone at all but a piece of nicely colored resin. As seen in the picture, the diamond drill bit melted its way through rather than drilling, and left the melted resin adhered to the drill bit.

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So far the most common fakes have been found in Turquoise, Malachite, Calsilica, Copal and Amber, and this just pertains to total fakes and not colored or other modifications done to actual gemstones, or making other gemstones look like something they are not, i.e. Howlite colored to look like Turquoise..

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