Handcrafted Fine Jewelry Blog by John S. Brana » Gold Jewelry

The Best of Both Worlds: Gold Gemstone Jewelry

John S. Brana — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:01:18 +0000

If you are looking for sheer elegance and class, nothing beats gold gemstone jewelry. These pieces combine the simple glamor of gold with distinctive gemstones that reflect the personality and style of the wearer. When buying this type of jewelry, there are several things you need to pay attention to.

The quality of the gold that makes up any kind of gold gemstone jewelry is essential. Of course, you want the highest quality gold, which is measured in karats. No piece of jewelry will ever be made with 24k gold, so beware any jeweler who tries to sell you “24k gold”. This type of gold is too pure and too malleable to be worked into jewelry, and quite frankly, is too expensive. Only a king or queen would ever have anything made from 24k gold!

Most quality gold used in jewelry ranges from 10k to 22k. The higher the rating, the higher the price. It is typical for most jewelry to be made from 14k gold, although 18k is preferred by most quality jewelers.

Gemstones have their own rating system. Diamonds are also measured in carats (with a “c” instead of a “k”), and the higher the rating, the higher the price. Diamonds fall under the category of “precious stones”, along with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. A lot of gemstone jewelry, however, is made from semi-precious stones which are not as expensive, but can be equally beautiful and unique.

Gold gemstone jewelry made from semi-precious gemstones such as jade, lapis, onyx, turquoise, opals, and amber can be as beautiful as any piece including diamonds or sapphires. The quality of the gold, the uniqueness of the gemstone, and the exemplary craftsmanship of a master jeweler can make this type of jewelry worth wearing for a lifetime and handing down to your children.

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Beaded Gemstone Jewelry: Make a Statement

John S. Brana — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:01:13 +0000

When it comes to elegance, nothing really beats a statement piece of jewelry. Multi-strand gemstone necklaces add not only color, but dimension to any ensemble and express your mood, your style, and your personality. Virtually endless in styles and character, beaded gemstone jewelry offers some of the most unique designs and styles of jewelry available. Beaded gemstone jewelry is traditionally made using semi-precious, rather than precious, stones.

Everyone knows a precious stone when they see one. The diamond, a “girl’s best friend”, a ruby, a sapphire, and an emerald. These stones are loosely recognized as a step above semi-precious stones. Semi-precious stones include those which are commonly found in more economically priced jewelry, such as turquoise, amethyst, and garnet. Although these stones are often less expensive, that doesn’t mean that they are in any way inferior in quality to traditional precious stones. In fact, many quality jewelers will combine precious and semi-precious stones in one piece.

The gemstones found in beaded jewelry can be found in many different forms. Although most pieces will be small in size, they may or may not be polished or uniform in size. With semi-precious stones, the rarity of their color, clarity, or other qualities may add to their value – and jewelers often do not want to polish out those characteristics. This type of jewelry can be a unique addition to any wardrobe, both for a man and a woman. Many women choose necklaces and bracelets made from beaded turquoise or rose quartz, and beaded earrings made from amethyst or garnets are also popular. For men, darker and more masculine stones such as lapis, amethyst, or pyrite are often found. This type of jewelry is not limited to formal functions – beaded gemstone jewelry can be appropriate for just about any occasion.

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Luxury Jewelry – Gold – Diamond – Carat or Karat?

John S. Brana — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:01:39 +0000

Go back in time, up until about the late 1860s, and you’ll find that men adorned their bodies much as women did, with ornate and sumptuous bracelets, necklaces and rings. It’s only been for the last hundred years that the standard for men changed to wearing very staid ornamentation, if any, and going about in grey business suits, like regimented soldiers of commerce.

But now the tide has clearly turned in a new direction, with men reclaiming their right to jewelry. (Not to mention the new trend of body piercings which does not seem to have played itself out yet.)

So when it comes to jewelry gold diamond…well, let me rephrase that…. when it comes to gold and diamond jewelry, there are many designers these days who are producing really excellent work, and there are many clients who are reaping the benefits of that work!

Precious metals and precious stones have always formed the basis of jewelry, since time immemorial. Jewelry gold diamond… sapphires, rubies….silver….. those words even look beautiful, don’t they? Let alone….gazing at the real thing.

Gold is actually a pretty soft metal…you would not want a ring made out of pure gold because it would bend very easily. Therefore, 24 karat gold (pure gold) is used for collectible gold bullion, which sits in a vault and rarely gets handled. Gold destined for jewelry has another metal mixed into it, typically brass (copper and zinc), in certain percentages, so that such jewelry is usually 22k, 18k, 14k, or 10k.

Diamonds are another interesting substance. Just like gold, diamonds are measured in carats. The word "carat" is derived from the word "carob," a Mediterranean seed that played an important role in trade centuries ago, since they had a very uniform size and weight. The seeds were used to balance a scale when weighing precious gemstones, so as a matter of fact, all gemstones are measured in carats.

When first excavated from the ground, they look just like rocks. It’s only when they are "cut" in certain designs that they glitter and look like the diamonds we’ve come to know.

The old cuts are:

Point cut
Table cut
Old Single cut
Mazarin cut
Peruzzi cut
Old European cut

Today, the cut most often used is just called the "brilliant." Understanding the history of carat /karat weights and how they apply to jewelry can help you select the perfect accessory within your budget and style preferences without being fooled by numerical values.

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The Skinny on Designer Handmade Jewelry

John S. Brana — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:01:23 +0000

What’s the difference between manufactured jewelry and designer handmade jewelry? Well, for starters, mass-market manufactured jewelry is obviously going to be cheaper, usually of lower quality, and also lacks uniqueness and creativity. Have you ever purchased a piece of mass market manufactured jewelry, gone to a party, and seen several other women wearing a similar piece of jewelry?

This definitely won’t be the case if you purchase designer handmade jewelry. Chances are you have a unique piece, or one of only a number of limited edition pieces, and you’ll never have to worry about bumping into someone at a party and seeing that same piece of jewelry on another woman’s wrist or around her neck.

Mass market jewelry is stuff that’s stamped out by the thousands, with little or no human contact. Designer handmade jewelry, on the other hand…is something totally different. Of course it’s going to cost a little more, but you can be assured that when a designer hallmarks their handmade jewelry, they are guaranteeing you a certain level of quality and trust. The designer’s name, brand, and reputation are on the line. This seldom occurs in mass manufactured jewelry.

Handmade jewelry is also much more labor intensive. Numerous hours can go into creating, designing, and fabricating a single piece of jewelry, and that’s why the cost for designer handmade jewelry is usually higher than mass produced pieces.

Maintenance of your designer handmade jewelry is relatively easy. Over time, your silver jewelry will tarnish due to the copper content in Sterling Silver. There are several commercial products you can purchase at your local drug store or hardware store that will restore your silver to a sparkling shine. The most versatile is a polishing cloth or rouge cloth that can be used on gold, silver, and copper jewelry. For those more intricate silver pieces like filigree or chain, all you need is baking soda. First, make sure you do this in a well ventilated area. Place the chain in an aluminum pan, and cover thoroughly with baking soda. Then, pour boiling water, slowly, into the pan. A chemical reaction will occur and the tarnish will be removed. Copper jewelry can be easily cleaned with these cleaning methods. One of the added benefits of buying designer jewelry is that most designers offer cleaning services. Customers of John S. Brana – Handcrafted Fine Jewelry can send their jewelry in at anytime for a free cleaning.

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Who Knew Handcrafted Jewelry Could Be So…Interactive?

John S. Brana — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:09:05 +0000

Always an innovator, John S. Brana launched three new websites this month and even gave a sleek new face lift to his home site, www.johnsbrana.com. Each new site targets a specific customer based on their desire for gold, silver, or copper jewelry and features search and comparison features unparalleled to any handcrafted artisan in the industry. See for yourself at www.handcrafted-gold-jewelry.com, www.handmade-silver-jewelry.com, and www.handmadecopperjewelry.com .

Jewelry buyers may now perform side-by-side comparisons on any number of their favorite pieces to determine just the right style, texture, gemstone, size and price. Visitors may participate in a live community poll to tell the designer specific preferences such as their favorite gemstone, karat or quality of gold, and type of earring they prefer. Those with the most discerning tastes can find exactly what they are looking for by narrowing their search, and if you just can’t decide, customers can add their favorite items to a wish list and be notified if those items go on sale through various RSS Feeds.

"After seeing the fashion and jewelry industries suffer this holiday season, I decided I would make it easier for customers seeking handcrafted fine jewelry to find me," says Brana of his business strategies. "And when they do find me, I want to be sure I’m giving them the styles they want." Brana is known for his handcrafted jewelry designs inspired by the landscapes of San Francisco and has been consistently experimenting with new textures, such as embossing, or adding new layers to his metallic collection of "SOMA" jewelry. New styles are available online now.

For more information and to view all jewelry styles please visit:

For more information and media requests regarding John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry, please contact Karri Ann Frerichs at 402.490.2579 or karriann@altitudepromotion.com.

Fine Handcrafted Jewelry…from the Hands of an Innovative New Designer

John S. Brana — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:17:29 +0000

New work in fine jewelry by the otherwise bridge category designer, John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry, proved favorable to the crowd at the Designers by the Bay event held at Shreve & Co. August 21. This newcomer to the list of 20 established fine jewelry exhibitors showcased stunning textured cuffs, sculpted earrings and intricate filigree scrollwork in 18K and 14K gold and fine silver with gemstones. Perhaps his most beautiful new design is a pair of spiraling 14K gold fold formed leaf earrings encasing strands of 13.5carat faceted peridots which, as so many good design ideas occur, happened by accident.

“I was drilling holes for the earwires using a drill press and instead of turning it off, I accidentally increased its speed and the metal just started flailing and spiraling around the drill bit!” described Brana who created over ten new designs for the event. “When I finally got it to turn off, it had formed this twisted fan shape and I thought, ‘that’s pretty cool… now how do I do that again?’” Thankfully, he was able to recreate the shape as it is now available with several gemstone varieties at a suggested retail of $880. Equally as stunning is a pair of 18K Gold and Fine Silver Filigree earrings.

Just as Brana is entering the upper crust of fine jewelry, he continues to develop his lines of bridge category designs inspired by the city in which he creates them, San Francisco. Among the most commented upon and tried on piece of his collection for the event was his anticlastic copper cuffs. “Copper is one of my favorite metals. It showcases amazing texture and its rich, rose gold color is so beautiful on so many people,” said Brana who handcrafts original jewelry designs ranging from $65-$4000. In the coming months look for new collections including Muir Woods featuring earthy, forest themes, and an artistic collaboration with a German-born chef at sea who captures the images of sea-worn ships in abstract photography and wearable silk art. To view each of his collections, visit www.johnsbrana.com. For wholesale and media inquiries, contact Karri Ann Frerichs, Altitude Promotions at karriann@altitudepromotion.com or 402.490.2579.

**New Jewelry – SoMa Collection**

John S. Brana – Distinctive Jewelry enhances popular SoMa Collection of hammered jewelry with rings and incorporates 14K gold

John S. Brana — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:52:34 +0000

Of John S. Brana’s eight distinctive jewelry collections, SoMa is the most contemporary and has been worn by celebrities including Natasha Bedingfield and Janice Dickinson. This collection includes hammered link necklaces and earrings, as well as his unique copper collection, and will now include 14K and 18K gold designs and rings set with solitaire gemstones.

Until now, Brana’s only ring designs were elaborate cocktail rings with intricate wire settings from his Pacific Heights Collection and enchanting sea creatures cast in sterling silver from his Seacliff Collection. The new SoMa ring designs are simple and geometric and will feature 8+ carat gemstones encased in hammered sterling silver, 14K gold, or bronze. Available gemstones include green-gold quartz, blue topaz, opal, amethyst, green amethyst, and citrine…just to name a few. The designs are clean and understated yet remain true to Brana’s signature stand-out-from-the-crowd jewelry characteristics. Brana will also release designs in 14K and 18K yellow, rose and green golds which were previously only available in sterling and fine silver, 14K gold-filled and copper. Look for hammered and chased geometric link designs, several of which will be set with semi-precious gemstones.

John S. Brana resides in San Francisco where he handcrafts his eight distinctive jewelry collections inspired by neighborhoods in and around San Francisco. Each collection is as diverse as its namesake and includes:

Barbary Coast- a dramatic and colorful display of layering semiprecious gemstones

Monterrey- brightly colored Italian mesh metal intertwined through hammered silver

Nob Hill – delicate filigree wire earrings inspired by Victorian architecture

Pacific Heights- large faceted solo gemstones encased in 14K gold-filled and sterling silver settings

Sea Cliff- surprisingly elegant life-like art pieces of metal-casted marine elements

Sonoma- chainmail jewelry dripping with berry-like, cascading stones

And the Men’s silver-cast jewelry collection featuring cuff-links, bold rings, textured pendants and minimalist silver bracelets.

To view each of the John S. Brana- Distinctive Jewelry collections visit www.johnsbrana.com. For wholesale information and media requests, please contact Karri Ann Frerichs, Altitude Promotions at karriann@altitudepromotion.com or 402.490.2579.

New Jewelry – SoMa Collection

Introducing the Distinctive Nob Hill Collection by John S. Brana

John S. Brana — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:15:47 +0000

When was the last time you strolled along California Street and climbed the steps of Mason? Or, if you don’t live in our fair city of San Francisco, when have you last enjoyed the nostalgic architecture of those neighborhoods built around the turn of twentieth century? Do you notice that bricks are no longer laid in those patterns, or that columns today aren’t poured in such grand stature but with such intricate detail?

That was a time when we didn’t have to remind ourselves to stop and smell the roses. We appreciated craftsmanship and weren’t distracted by technology. With this in mind, John S. Brana sought to capture the elaborate scrolls and turbulent twists of the grill work on entrance gates that dot the neighborly streets of San Francisco’s famous Nob Hill. This is the collection of that not yet lost, but very intimate detail.

After twisting three tiny pure silver or 14 karat gold wires then running them through a rolling machine, John sculpts the inner tendrils into a paired perfection. No two sets are exactly the same. Each design is then encased by a sturdy barrier of flat or half-round sterling silver or 14 karat gold. Dangling a pair from you ears is a delicate daily reminder that if you can’t stop to smell the roses, you can at least take them with you. Necklaces and bracelets are coming soon. Enjoy life’s beautiful amenities!

Karri Ann Frerichs

Altitude Promotions