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San Francisco Jewelry Designer John S. Brana is interviewed by Karri Ann Frerichs

June 12, 2009 By 5 Comments

 

San Francisco jewelry designer John S. Brana is interviewed by Karri Ann Frerichs, PR Director of Altitude Promotions backstage at "Bella Bikini Fashion Show" by Charleston Pierce at Temple nightclub. John talks about his Sea Cliff Collection inspired by sea creatures found off the coast of Northern California and introduces the premiere of his Amazonite Jellyfish necklace made especially for this fashion show. The Sea Cliff collection is the perfect way to enjoy the treasures of the ocean everyday.

Click here to view the Sea Cliff Collection

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Filed Under: Events, Video Tagged With: Bella, Bikini Fashion, Bikini Show, fashion show, Jellyfish, jewelry designer, Northern California, Pierce, Pr Director, Promotions, San Francisco, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures

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

July 8, 2008 By 2 Comments

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
Hammered Bronze Cocktail Ring - Blue Topaz Hammered Bronze Cocktail Ring - Green Gold Quartz Hammered Bronze Cocktail Ring - Boulder Opal
Hammered 14K Gold Earrings with Peridot Hammered 14K Gold Earrings - Circles Hammered 14K Gold Earrings with Blue Topaz

 

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Filed Under: Gold Jewelry Tagged With: 14K Gold, 14K Jewelry, 18k gold, barbary coast, blue topaz, Bronze, Cocktail Rings, contemporary, distinctive jewelry, faceted gems, gemstone earrings, Geometric Link, Gold Designs, gold quartz, Green Amethyst, green gold, hammered bronze, Hammered Copper, Hammered Gold, Hammered Jewelry, Hammered Silver, janice dickinson, jewelry collections, John S Brana, Mesh Metal, Namesake, Natasha Bedingfield, Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp, Nob Hill, rose gold, Rsquo, Sea Creatures, Semi Precious Gemstones, soma, Yellow Rose

7×7 San Francisco Magazine – March 2007 Edition

March 3, 2007 By Leave a Comment

7x7 San Francisco Magazine Features John S. Brana - Distinctive Jewelry

7x7 San Francisco Magazine Features John S. Brana - Distinctive Jewelry

7×7 San Francisco Magazine 7x7sf.com is currently featuring my Pearl of the Sea Ring in the March 2007 Edition.

Catwalk to the Moon – From Head to Toe, Spring’s Hottest Styles Have a Flashy Coat of Gold or Silver by Chloe Harris highlights the hottest new Spring 2007 styles and trends….big oversized rings! The “Pearl of the Sea Ring”, along with many other sea creatures can be found in my Sea Cliff Collection

The article begins on page 126 and highlights accessories and fine metallic fabrics that combine contemporary elegance and futuristic flair from designers Viktor & Rolf, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chado Ralph Rucci, Stella McCartney, and Pollini.

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Filed Under: Press Tagged With: 7x7 San Francisco, Amp, Catwalk, Chado Ralph Rucci, Chloe, Designers, Elegance, Flair, Jean Paul Gaultier, Metallic Fabrics, Moon, New Spring, Pearl Of The Sea, Pollini, Rolf, San Francisco Magazine, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, Sea Ring, Stella Mccartney

Fine Silver Seahorse Pin Added to the Sea Cliff Collection

January 28, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Made of pure silver, this Seahorse is set with a 3*4 mm faceted Pear shaped Sapphire and measures 2 1/2 in length. Blue sapphires come in a wide range of shades of blue. Titanium and iron inclusions within the Aluminum oxide result in various shades of blue. Some stones are not well saturated and show tones of gray. About 90% of all sapphires are heated to a temperature of up to 1800°C but usually a little less in ovens for several hours. Stones are also heated in nitrogen deficient atmosphere ovens for a week.

Fancy sapphires are any sapphire other than blue or red. Purple sapphires are lower in price than blue ones. These stones contain the trace element vanadium and come in a wide variety of shades. Yellow and green sapphires have traces of iron which gives them their color. Pink sapphires are have trace element of chromium and the deeper the color pink the higher the value as long as the color is going toward red of rubies. Color shift sapphires are blue in outdoor light and purple in indoor light. Color changes may also be pink in daylight to greenish in fluorescent light. Some stones shift color well and others only partially, in that some stones go from blue to blue purple. White sapphires usually come out of the ground as light gray or brown and are then heated to make them clear. However in very rare circumstances they will be found in a clear state.

This Seahorse pin, along with other sea creatures can be found under my Sea Cliff Collection. I plan on adding a few more critters to the collection over the next month. Stay tuned!

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Aluminum Oxide, Chromium, Color Changes, Color Shift, Critters, Element Vanadium, Fancy Sapphires, Inclusions, Ovens, Pink Sapphires, Purple Sapphires, Rare Circumstances, rubies, Sapphire, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, Seahorse, Shades, Trace Element, White Sapphires

Jewelers’ Circular Keystone features jewelry designer John S Brana’s “Pearl of the Sea Ring” in What’s New in Jewelry – December 2006

January 16, 2007 By Leave a Comment

JCK - Jewelers' Circular Keystone Features John S. Brana

JCK - Jewelers' Circular Keystone Features John S. Brana - Distinctive Jewelry

JCK – Jewelers’ Circular Keystone – www.jckonline.com - is currently featuring my “Pearl of the Sea Ring” in the “What’s New in Jewelry” December 2006 issue. The monthly section of “What’s New in Jewelry” features new designs and upcoming jewelry designers in the Fine Jewelry industry. John S. Brana’s “Pearl of the Sea Ring” from the Sea Cliff Collection is featured on page 88.

The Sea Cliff Collection features unique pieces that are bold in scale and accented with dramatic sea creatures, unusually shaped beads, and precious and semi-precious gemstones. Because each piece in this line of marine-themed necklaces, rings, and brooches is fashioned from hand-selected elements, no two are alike. The result is striking jewelry that truly makes a splash. Click here to see more of the Sea Cliff Collection.

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Filed Under: Press Tagged With: Beads, Brooches, Collection Features, Fine Jewelry, Jck, Jewelers, jewelry designer, Jewelry Designers, jewelry designs, Jewelry Features, Jewelry Fine, Jewelry Industry, John S Brana, Keystone, necklaces, Pearl Of The Sea, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, Sea Ring, Semi Precious Gemstones

JQ International Jewelry Quorum features John S. Brana’s Hidden Pearl Ring – November/December 2006 Issue

December 18, 2006 By Leave a Comment

International Jewelry Quorum Features John S. Brana - Distinctive Jewelry

JQ - International Jewelry Quorum

JQ – The International Jewelry Quorum – is currently featuring my Hidden Pearl Ring in”Pearls – The Quintessential Accessory,” an article by Deborah A. Yonick, in its November/December 2006 issue.

The article focuses on how pearls have diverged in two distinct directions – fashion and luxury. “The fashion direction plays with the versatile and chameleon qualities of pearls, with designers exploring fancy shapes and colors to the max, and mixing pearls with a variety of other materials” while “the luxury direction focuses on the glamour and voluptuousness of pearls, with big pearls or pearl clusters set in precious metals richly embedded in diamond and gem pave.”

John S. Brana’s “Hidden Pearl Ring” from the Sea Cliff Collection is featured on page 32 of the magazine. The Sea Cliff Collection features custom handcrafted unique pieces that are bold in scale and accented with dramatic sea creatures, unusually shaped beads, and precious and semi-precious gemstones. Because each piece in this line of marine-themed necklaces, rings, and brooches is fashioned from hand-selected elements, no two are alike. The result is striking jewelry that truly makes a splash. Click here to see more of the Sea Cliff Collection.

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Filed Under: Press Tagged With: Beads, Brooches, Chameleon, Clusters, Distinct Directions, Fancy Shapes, Fashion Direction, Hidden Pearl, International Jewelry, John S Brana, necklaces, Page 32, Pearl Ring, pearls, precious metals, Quorum, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, Semi Precious Gemstones, Shapes And Colors

Starfish Ring Added to the Sea Cliff Collection

November 20, 2006 By 1 Comment

Starfish Ring - Sea Cliff Collection

Found over 20 years ago off the west coast of Florida on the beach at Sanibel Island, I ran across this little starfish the other day and decided to turn it into a ring. Handcrafted in Fine Silver using PMC(Precious Metal Clay), the ring is set with a 4mm faceted Peridot and finished with a patina to enhance detail.

Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August. According to folklore, Peridot brings its wearer success, peace, and good luck. Peridot has been found in Egyptian jewelry dating as far back as the early second millennium BC and was mined from the volcanic island of Zebirget, or St. Johns Island, in the Red Sea. Native Hawaiians referred to Peridot crystals as the tears of Pele, their goddess of fire.

This ring, along with other sea creatures can be found under my Sea Cliff Collection. Keep watching for more critters over the next few weeks.

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Birthstone, Critters, Crystals, Egyptian Jewelry, Folklore, Goddess Of Fire, Good Luck, Handcrafted, Millennium Bc, Month Of August, Patina, Peace, Peridot, Precious Metal Clay, Red Sea, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, St Johns Island, Volcanic Island, West Coast

Fine Silver Anemone Rings Added to the Sea Cliff Collection

November 2, 2006 By 5 Comments

Anemone Fine Silver Ring - Sea Cliff Collection

I always get asked where I get my inspiration for my designs, so I thought I would share with you how I came up with these two rings. On October 15th, Nature aired “Oceans in Glass: Behind Scenes of the Monterey Bay Aquarium The Aquarium features over 30,000 animals and plants that live in replicated ocean environments, so after taking a drive down to Monterey this past weekend, I thought I would try to capture the beauty of Anemones currently on view at the Rocky Shore exhibit.I handcrafted these two rings in Fine Silver using PMC(Precious Metal Clay), then finished by applying a patina to enhance the detail. These two rings, along with other sea creatures can be found under my Sea Cliff Collection. I plan on adding a few more critters to the collection over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Anemone, Anemones, Animals And Plants, Beauty, Critters, Inspiration, Monterey Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Ocean Environments, Oceans, Patina, Precious Metal Clay, Rocky Shore, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, Silver Rings

Jewelry Designer John S. Brana Releases New Fall Jewelry Collection – Barbary Coast

October 18, 2006 By 1 Comment

Barbary Coast Collection

New for fall, John S. Brana’s most lavish and wild collection is the Barbary Coast Collection. This vibrant collection of unique and one-of-a-kind necklaces, earrings, and bracelets is reminiscent of the buoyant feeling during the California Gold Rush.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 18, 2006 — New for fall, John S. Brana’s most lavish and wild collection is the Barbary Coast Collection. This vibrant collection of unique and one-of-a-kind necklaces, earrings, and bracelets is reminiscent of the buoyant feeling during the California Gold Rush.

Featuring gold vermeil, 14K gold filled, and 14K gold (no silver to be found here) these pieces are perfect for those who want to have fun and make a statement with their jewelry. Completing the look, the pieces are set with dynamically shaped and textured semi-precious beads.

Other John S. Brana’s women’s collections include:

• The Monterey, evoking the magic of the sea with hand-forged metal filled with delicate Italian mesh ribbon.
• The Pacific Heights, featuring comprehensive swirls of 14K gold-filled wire accented with precious gemstones.
• The Sea Cliff, bold in scale and accented with dramatic sea creatures, unusually shaped beads, and precious gemstones.
• The SoMa, sleek and contemporary with a surprising bohemian-urban undercurrent.
• The Sonoma, an epitome of relaxed sophistication.

Selected John S. Brana’s jewelry is currently available at Residents Apparel Gallery (R.A.G), Porcelynne boutique in San Francisco and Marlowe & Company Jewellers in St. Helena. For online orders, please visit John S. Brana

For Hi-resolution images and media requests, please contact Leena@theprcafe.com or phone 415.205.7094.

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Click Here to Download a PDF Version of this Press Release

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: 14K Gold, Amp Company, Apparel Gallery, California Gold Rush, gold filled wire, Jewellers, jewelry collection, jewelry designer, John S Brana, Kind Necklaces, Marlowe, Media Requests, precious gemstones, Resolution Images, san francisco ca, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, Semi Precious Beads, St Helena, Vibrant Collection

The Sea Cliff Collection

August 11, 2006 By 1 Comment

Sea Cliff Women's Jewelry Collection

There is nothing quiet about the Sea Cliff Collection. The pieces are bold and unique, with an aquatic twist. One-of-a-kind sea creatures accent necklaces and rings with unusually-shaped beads and precious and semi-precious gemstones. The impressive result is a collection full of fun and charm that truly captures the trappings of the good life.

Stay tuned for the launch of John S. Brana due out in mid-August.

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Accent, Beads, Fun, Impressive Result, Launch, necklaces, precious gemstones, Sea Cliff, Sea Creatures, semi precious, Stay Tuned, Trappings