Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Heads up...


I have a little addiction with making these.
Everytime I see toys...
I decapitate them and make brooches...
You like?
They are available on my Hello Pretty Store.


Each is a polished brass shield 
with a sterling silver pin and catch
 
 
These are the latest ones I made...
Like the Bronotosaurus?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Diamonds are a girls best friend...

I've been getting a lot of questions regarding buying diamonds for an engagement ring. What's the right one? How do we pick? What's not good?

For the first time buyer, or even if you’re seasoned, buying one is daunting.  So I've put together a handy guide using the 4 C’s to help you.

Probably the most important of the C’s is Cut, determining your stones shape.  Whether it’s round or the popular Princess cut or even a fancier one, such as Pear Shaped, each stone is uniquely cut make the most of it's shine and maximise its potential.
 
The Colour's Chart is probably the most daunting one.  The whiter (colourless) a stone is, the more it’s worth.  Stones that are valued less have a slight yellow tinge. You also get ones with a very vibrant colour called fancy yellow and the rarest of all Diamonds can be coloured pink, blue or even red. Just keep in mind, the fancier the colour: the rarer the stone and thus more the more expensive.
 
Clarity refers to stones having flaws.  Most of these you can’t see with the naked eye, the less of these, the higher your stones value.
 
And then Carat.  This refers to the stones size in terms of weight, the higher the carat, the rarer the stone is and the more expensive it is.  The closer the stone becomes to a true carat the more you’ll pay.   For example a 0.48ct is much more affordable than 0.5ct which in turn is much less than 1 Carat Diamonds.

For more in depth information please go here.

Hopefully this helps a little.  The more you know, the easier it is for your jeweller to help you and the less stress for you.  Think of it as buying a new car (talking to you boys), you want to check the horsepower before you take it for a test drive.

:)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Yma Sumac - Latest audio addiction

I've been a bit lazy with my moldy pineapple of a blog...
Making stock and such...

So for a little random snack.
Someone asked me what music I listen to while I work.
Currently I am obsessed with Yma Sumac.
 Don't know who she is?

"Yma Sumac (pron.: /ˈmə ˈsmæk/; September 13, 1922 – November 1, 2008) was a noted Peruvian singer. In the 1950s, she was one of the most famous proponents of exotica music. She became an international success based on her extreme vocal range, which was said to be "well over four octaves" and was sometimes claimed to span even five octaves at her peak. "

Check her out, she's amazing: