The Perfect Gift – Tips On How To Select Handmade Jewelry

Handmade Jewelry - Brass Lily Pad Earrings

Brass Lily Pad Earrings

Plan Ahead Before Shopping for Handmade Jewelry

Shopping for handmade jewelry can be difficult without the right forethought and planning. Before shopping online, at a boutique, or a gallery or jewelry store that specializes in handmade jewelry, take a moment to think about a few things. Knowing a woman or man’s taste in jewelry and what items they already own is a good start. Purchasing an addition to their collection can be a smart decision, so search through the jewelry that they already have and look for anything which they may be missing, or any materials and gemstones which they prefer. For example, if they favor gold, but only have a few gold earrings, then purchasing a pair will be a smart choice.

Choose Quality Over Quantity When Buying Handmade Jewelry

Choose quality over quantity every time. Purchasing a smaller, well-made piece, such as the three-tiered aluminum lily pad earrings from John S. Brana, is much better than buying a larger, poorer quality item for the same price. Speaking of price, those on a budget simply need to remember that good handmade jewelry is not always expensive. It is the quality and look that truly counts, not the amount paid.

Handmade Jewelry - Men's Redwood Sterling Silver Ring

Men's Redwood Sterling Silver Ring

Select Handmade Jewelry Appropriate for the Occasion

The jewelry purchased should suit the stage of the relationship which you are at. If things are not serious, do not buy anything too extravagant. Additionally, consider what each gem says. Sapphires represent friendship, rubies mean passion, and diamonds signify eternal love. For this reason, avoid diamond jewelry unless you are certain about your future relationship. Additionally, avoid rings unless proposing to prevent giving the wrong impression.

Choosing Handmade Jewelry Based on Facial Types

One final thing to consider is what style suits a woman’s face and neck. Some basic tips to remember are that v-shaped necklaces match heart-shaped faces, chokers are good for long necks, and petite women will look better in delicate jewelry. Also remember to have a good idea about wrist and ring sizes to avoid future embarrassment when buying handmade jewelry.

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Sea Cliff Handmade Freshwater Pearl Jewelry Collection

Karri Ann Frerichs talks about John S. Brana’s Sea Cliff Collection at his Bloomingdale’s – Stanford trunk show. Just like creatures of the sea, no two creations are alike as each is individually handcrafted by jewelry designer John S. Brana. Make a statement with jellyfish-shaped earrings embellished with freshwater pearls, anemone or starfish-shaped rings set with tiny gemstones and coral reef inspired silver anticlastic cuffs.

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Shop Handcrafted Designer Jewelry by John S. Brana Jewelry All Season Long at Bloomingdales – Stanford!

Apple Green Patinated Brass Tear Drop Earirngs MWE-23During his first weekend trunk show at Bloomingdale’s – Stanford this October, John S. Brana showcased just how popular his handcrafted, nature-inspired jewelry designs are with the Bloomingdale’s shopper. To celebrate this success, Bloomingdale’s – Stanford has invited John S. Brana back for a series of five subsequent holiday trunk shows beginning in November. All shows occur in conjunction with various Bloomingdale’s shopping promotions and sales, and shoppers will receive special pricing on jewelry by John S. Brana as well. Each trunk show will occur between 12:00pm to 6:00pm on the following dates: November 13-14, November 27-29, December 5-6, December 19-20, and December 26-27.

John S. Brana’s October showcase was situated in Bloomingdale’s accessory department right next to the Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag collection. Shoppers were immediately drawn to Brana’s handcrafted jewelry showcased by displays of cast iron sculptural tree branches that beautifully reflect his nature-inspired jewelry designs. “This is different,” shoppers would comment and immediately start browsing among Brana’s collections of patinated copper and brass leaf-shaped earrings, texturized sterling silver cuffs, and large carat gemstone rings. “Customers were really drawn to my latest earring designs which remind me of colored geranium leaves or lily pads,” describes Brana when asked about his best sellers. “They are also pleasantly surprised to learn that I handcraft each jewelry piece and am still able to price many of my designs under $100.”

Bloomingdale’s will host the following events and promotions which may also be applied to jewelry purchases during each John S. Brana Holiday Trunk Show:

• November 13-14, 20% off Secret Santa Promotion
• November 27-29, Black Friday Sales
• December 5-6, Bloomingdale’s Private Sale
• December 19-20, Bloomingdale’s Insider Sale
• December 26-27, Bloomingdale’s After Christmas Sale.

Shoppers are encouraged to visit www.Bloomingdales.com and choose the Stanford location through the store locator for detailed information on each sale and promotion. To preview jewelry that will be available at each Bloomingdale’s Holiday Trunk Show, shoppers are encouraged to visit www.JohnSBrana.com and click on the collections tab to view jewelry styles from the Muir Woods, Pacific Heights, Monterey, and SoMa Collections.

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“Muir Woods” Nature-Inspired Jewelry Collection is On Target for 2010 Jewelry Trends

Faceted Citrine Bronze Cocktail Ring

Current trends in the jewelry industry point to all things green. From nature motifs, to raw gemstones, to all shades of the hue, 2010 trends are reflecting the global consciousness. John S. Brana seems to be slightly ahead of the curve as he premiers his Muir Woods Collection of nature-inspired jewelry to the public at a feature trunk show hosted by Bloomingdale’s – Stanford this October 3 – 4, from 12:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. The Muir Woods collection showcases the designer’s handcrafted jewelry talents in the forms of sculpted tree branches, leaves, flowers, and gemstones in faceted and raw-earth shapes.

Central to the Muir Woods Collection are the interesting handcrafted ring designs featuring beautifully faceted gemstones set in sculpted bronze or sterling silver tree branches. Each branch features bark-like textures and clutch the gemstone as if it were its own secret treasure. The tree branch motif extends into bronze and sterling silver pendants which showcase the raw-earth gemstones that are becoming a very hot trend in the jewelry industry. These stones have not been polished or faceted and present their natural beauty in their original jagged shapes and often opaque clarity. John S. Brana further showcases his metalsmithing talents to create nature-inspired jewelry motifs in his corrugated leaf and origami floral-shaped earrings in 14K gold-filled, sterling silver and copper. Brana enhances the whimsical designs and forest shapes by incorporating brilliant colors through various patination techniques. Emerald greens, brilliant turquoise, fiery reds and oranges, and rustic blacks and browns enhance the leafy shapes of the Muir Woods Collection. Each piece of patinated jewelry appears hand painted with one-of-a-kind color variances as a result of the metallic chemical reaction process used to derive the beautiful hues.

Fold Formed Copper Leaf Earrings with Traditional Green Patina

Fold Formed Copper Leaf Earrings with Traditional Green Patina

“I’m very proud of the Muir Woods Collection because it’s completely unique and I’m one of the few jewelry designers experimenting with different patina finishes,” describes Brana. “It was perfect timing for Bloomingdale’s to contact me about a Fall trunk show.” Muir Woods is John S. Brana’s eighth collection of handcrafted jewelry inspired by the neighborhoods and natural areas in and around his home of San Francisco. For more information regarding the Bloomingdale’s – Stanford trunk show, please visit bloomingdales.com and click on the store locator. For more information regarding John S. Brana’s collections, media inquiries and events, please contact Karri Ann Frerichs, Altitude Promotions by email at info@altitudepromotion.com or call 1.402.490.2579.

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San Francisco Handcrafted Jewelry Designer John S Brana Creates Global Club for VIP Design Connoisseurs

“Handcrafted fine jewelry designer, John S. Brana, turns growing client base of online shoppers into devoted jewelry collectors.”

The number of John S. Brana jewelry collectors, versus one-time shoppers, has grown for the San Francisco-based handcrafted fine jewelry designer by 38% since launching his initial website, www.johnsbrana.com in 2006. With a diversified design portfolio of over 2000 handmade fine jewelry and fashion jewelry designs in price points ranging from $30 to $20,000, Brana has also increased his e-commerce presence to six niche market jewelry retailing websites. This innovative online jewelry retailer now invites his devoted and soon-to-be jewelry collectors to become VIP members of the Jewelry Guide for Design Connoisseurs.

Browsers are invited to become “Connoisseurs” for free and, once subscribed, receive exclusive pricing on his latest and past seasons’ collections as well as wardrobing advice directly from the jewelry designer. As so much of the jewelry buying process depends upon each client’s relationship to the designer, John S. Brana shares his design inspirations and personal stories directly with his Connoisseurs through email. First time Connoisseurs also enjoy purchase offers at incredible rates on selections of his handmade fashion jewelry.


“My client’s always let me know about how many compliments they receive on their jewelry purchases and that’s why they become collectors,” describes John S. Brana. “It really comes down to how good it makes you feel to wear it, and I wanted to reward my collectors because we all deserve extra ways to feel great!” Shoppers are invited to join the Jewelry Guide for Design Connoisseurs and receive their VIP promotions at any of John S. Brana’s targeted websites including:

Handcrafted Fine Jewelry by John S. Brana Galleria NuVo Fashion Jewelry
Handmade Earrings by John S. Brana Handmade Copper Jewelry by John S. Brana
Handmade Silver Jewelry by John S. Brana Statement Jewelry by John S. Brana

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Enter to Win a $100 Gift Certificate from Handcrafted Designer Jewelry by John Brana – July Drawing Now Open

Handcrafted Fine Jewelry, Handcrafted Designer Jewelry, Jewelry Sweepstakes

Enter To Win

Every month, JohnSBrana.com will be holding a drawing for one (1) $100 Gift Certificate good for any purchase on www.johnsbrana.com 

Contest Rules

  • How to Enter: NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE OR IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.  To participate in  this monthly drawing, just leave a comment on this post stating what you like about my designs or your favorite piece of jewelry or collection.  

  • Prize: One (1) $100 Gift Certificate redeemable on www.johnsbrana.com  Certificate is valid for 1 year, and cannot be combined with any other offer, sale, or discount. The prize is not redeemable in cash.
  • Participation: All winners must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States at the time of entry. Only one registration per person, duplicate entries will be eliminated. Your entry in the contest constitutes your acceptance of these rules.  By entering you are also requesting and agreeing to be subscribed to our free E-News newsletter "The Jewelry Guide for Connoisseurs". You can easily unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your emails or by sending an email to enews  @ johnsbrana.com.  Removing your name from our E-News newsletter or not confirming your email address (opting in) automatically withdraws that name from the monthly drawing pool.
  • Incomplete entries: Incomplete entries will be declared void. Please leave a complete post along with your email address.  All information is protected by our privacy policy

  • Must re-enter each contest period: Entries are not carried over from one contest to the next one. You must re-enter for each successive contest.
  • Contest Start & Drawing: The contest is monthly.  The July 2009 winner will be drawn during the first week of August 2009. Every month or 30 days, one (1) winner will be drawn at random. JohnSBrana.com reserves the right to cancel the contest at any time.
  • Winner Notification: Winners will be notified by email the following month and will have 3 calendar days to respond.  If the winner fails to respond in 3 calendar days, a new winner will be selected randomly from the remaining entries. Decisions about winners are final.  Winners are solely responsible for all taxes and/or fees that may be incurred.
  • Entrants Privacy: In order to receive prize, participant permits use of recipient’s name/likeness for advertising/trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. At a minimum, the winner agrees to have her/his first name, last initial, and city/state listed on http://www.johnsbrana.com/blog/sweepstake-winners/
  • Changes to Contest Rules: Contest rules can be changed at any time, so read the rules for each successive contest.  Void where prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

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Handcrafted Jewelry Designer John S Brana Talks About His Monterey Collection

Karri Ann Frerichs, PR Director of Altitude Promotions interviews San Francisco jewelry designer John S. Brana backstage at “Bella Bikini Fashion Show” by Charleston Pierce at Temple nightclub. Rich hues of the softest Italian mesh metal ribbon is embellished with precious and semi-precious stones or pearls and is available by the piece or in sets of over 30 different colors. John also describes his process of anticlastic metal raising that he uses to produce beautiful one-of-a-kind Sterling Silver, Copper, and 14K and 18K Gold Cuffs and Earrings.

Click here to view the Monterey Collection

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Handcrafted Silver Jewelry – Meant to Last a Lifetime

Handcrafted Fine Silver Necklace with ChrysopraseMany people shy away from silver jewelry for many reasons. For some, it’s because silver loses its luster over time. For others, they think of silver as simply inferior to gold. Neither of these statements are true if the silver utilized is fine silver. Handcrafted silver jewelry made using fine silver, rather than sterling silver – will last a lifetime without much attention.

At first glance, sterling silver and fine silver might appear almost identical. In reality, though, handcrafted fine silver jewelry is different in one critical way…it doesn’t tarnish over time.  This is due to its lack of copper, as opposed to Sterling Silver, which is an alloy of 7.5% Copper and 92.5% Silver.  Through the hammering process, Fine Silver becomes just as strong as Sterling, so that Fine Silver can last you a lifetime, and be passed on to future generations with pride and effortless care.

Jewelry that is handcrafted using fine silver is some of the most superior on the market. Not only has the metal itself gone through the hands of a caring craftsman, but the piece of jewelry has been designed and put together by someone who is a true artisan. There is no manufacturing process in this type of jewelry. The designs are original, the production is one at a time, and the work is done with pride and love.

When buying a piece of handcrafted silver jewelry, always insist on fine silver to ensure your piece will last and remain in its beautiful, original state for more than just a few years.

 

Click Here To Find Handcrafted Silver Jewelry

 

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Enter to Win a $100 Gift Certificate – Handcrafted Fine Jewelry by John S. Brana

THE $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE DRAWING IS CLOSED AS OF MARCH 1st, 2010 – PLEASE ENTER OUR MONTHLY JEWELRY DRAWING

Win a $100 Gift Certificate on any Selection of Handcrafted Fine Jewelry on JohnSBrana.com

Enter To Win

Every month, JohnSBrana.com will be holding a drawing for one (1) $100 Gift Certificate good for any purchase on www.johnsbrana.com

Contest Rules

  • How to Enter: NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE OR IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. To participate in  this monthly drawing, just leave a comment on this post stating what you like about my designs or your favorite piece of jewelry or collection.  

  • Prize: One (1) $100 Gift Certificate redeemable on www.johnsbrana.com  Certificate is valid for 1 year, and cannot be combined with any other offer, sale, or discount. The prize is not redeemable in cash.

  • Participation: All winners must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States at the time of entry. Only one registration per person, duplicate entries will be eliminated. Your entry in the contest constitutes your acceptance of these rules.  By entering you are also requesting and agreeing to be subscribed to our free E-News newsletter. You can easily unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your emails or by sending an email to info @ johnsbrana.com.  Removing your name from our E-News newsletter automatically withdraws that name from the monthly drawing pool.

  • Incomplete entries: Incomplete entries will be declared void. Please leave a complete post along with your email address. All information is protected by our privacy policy.

  • Must re-enter each contest period: Entries are not carried over from one contest to the next one. You must re-enter for each successive contest.

  • Contest Start & Drawing: The contest is monthly and the first drawing starts on 03/01/09. Every month or 30 days, one (1) winner will be drawn at random. JohnSBrana.com reserves the right to cancel the contest at any time.

  • Winner Notification: Winners will be notified by email the following month and will have 3 calendar days to respond.  If the winner fails to respond in 3 calendar days, a new winner will be selected randomly from the remaining entries. Decisions about winners are final.  Winners are solely responsible for all taxes and/or fees that may be incurred.

  • Entrants Privacy: In order to receive prize, participant permits use of recipient’s name/likeness for advertising/trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. At a minimum, the winner agrees to have her/his first name, last initial, and city/state listed on www.johnsbrana.com.

  • Changes to Contest Rules: Contest rules can be changed at any time, so read the rules for each successive contest. Void where prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

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John S. Brana – Handcrafted Fine Jewelry to Accessorize “Babe Be Mine” Fashion Show by Charleston Pierce

Charleston Pierce hosts "Baby Be Mine" Valentine’s Day Fashion Show Thursday, February 12, 2009 at Temple Nightclub, 540 Howard Street, San Francisco,  CA  94103.  Six San Francisco Bay Area fashion designers will be featured along with runway jewelry designs provided by John S. Brana – Handcrafted Fine Jewelry.  Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 through www.charlestonsf.com, or $20 at the door.  

 

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