I'm Back. I Think Lol!

Well, its been quite a while since I have posted last.  Its been a crazy 7-8 months at my house.  My youngest graduated from high school this May and everything leading up to graduation has just kind of taken over our lives.  Her grad party is finally going to be next Saturday then we will be done!  Of course, college starts next month, my oldest's last year of college and my youngest's first year of college.  Lots of changes in our house.  In the mean time I have started adding items back to my Etsy shops, so for those of you who prefer to shop on Etsy, most of my new work is there.  You can find my jewelry at silverriverjewelry.etsy.com
I've added a mixture of old and new to this shop, with several new styles including more beadwork, ear cuffs and more.

I have also been adding new beads like mad to my etsy bead shop silverriverglasswork.etsy.com  Lots of new beads, more orbits beads, some very large lentil and heart focals among other things.  The lentil in the picture is a whopping 1 1/2 inches across!  This would make a stunning focal.

One more item on the shop news front, I have re opened my stitch marker shop on Etsy also, so if you are an avid knitter or crocheter, and want unique stitch markers/row counters come check them out! silverriverstitches.etsy.com.

I am hoping to be able to start posting again more often and may do a weekly post involving a coupon or an item prices at a special price for the day.  Keep an eye out, you might come across a great deal.  And dare I say it?  Christmas is only 5 months away!

Handmade Sterling Silver And Amethyst Purple Faceted Hydro Quartz Earrings

I saw this stunning pair of bright, sparkly amethyst purple, faceted teardrops and just had to have them! They are big, bright, and sparkle like crazy. Wrapped in sterling silver this pair of earrings would be a staple in any wardrobe. Hydro quartz is a man made glass, so even though these look super expensive, they are quite affordable! Just click on the picture to get to the listing!

Jewelry Item of the Week November 10th

Yes, I know, I am a bit behind. I was away at a bead retreat in Pennsylvania over the last weekend in October and I just managed to get all my beady stuff unpacked this week! (more on this great weekend later) Lots going on as the holidays approach!

This bracelet is made with tiger striped lampwork glass beads made in my home studio and sterling silver. I will give a 10% discount on this bracelet if you mention that you saw it here in my blog. I will refund the 10% after purchase. Simply click on the picture and it will take you directly to the listing.

New Coupon Codes At Artfire!

As many of you probably know by now Artfire has created the capability for shop owners to make coupon codes for their shops. This is a huge help for those of us who run the occasional special or might want to give people a chance to save some money. I am offering a one time coupon for anyone who visits my blog and would like to save a bit on a purchase. Simply type in BLOG in the appropriate area when checking out and receive a 10% discount on your entire order! Christmas is not THAT far off and this would be a good time to get some shopping done early. Also keep in mind that when shopping on line for Christmas (no matter who you shop from) you need to take into account the shipping time, which the closer it gets to Christmas the longer it usually takes lol! Also custom orders do start to stack up closer to Christmas so keep that in mind when ordering!

Last Couple of Days Jewelry Sale!

Silver River Jewelry
Just a quick note that my 10% off sale will be over on the 1st of September, so if you have your eye on something in particular now is the time lol! Just click on the link or the picture!

Spring Give Away!

So spring is right around the corner and Ohio got a little taste of it over the weekend (including heavy downpours lol). It was such a nice change from icy winds, lots of snow and gloomy gray skies. In fact it put me in such a good mood I decided to do a give away of my own. I will be giving away my Vintage Glass Sky Blue Cat's Eye Sterling Silver Ring. I will make this in your size if you win. (sizes 4 to 15 available and it will take a week or two for me to mail since it will be custom sized for you).

The rules are simple. Go to either my 1000Markets shop or my Artfire shop and choose the item that you like the best and then leave your pick in the comments along with a way to reach you if you win. Also please leave your ring size in the comments. The winner will be chosen by random.org on Sunday March 15th 2009.

"Lovely vintage blue cats eye glass cabochon set in a fine silver bezel with a sterling silver hammered band. This ring is oxidized to give it a lovely aged finish."

Have fun and good luck! If you decide to make a purchase during this give away simply put Spring Blog Giveaway in the notes to seller and I will refund 10% of the price.

Is it real or not?

There is a huge amount of information and also a huge amount of mis-information about what a stone is or isn't. Is it man made, is it quartz, is it jade, is it serpentine, is it glass? I am fairly new to stone identification so most of the time I can't answer that question without some help and relying on the dealer or store that sells it to me. I do know that it takes time to learn the differences and trust me, I am going to learn, not only because I don't want to get ripped off myself but I also don't want to steer my customers wrong. Today's learning tidbit is this: If it has bubbles in it, it is almost certainly glass. Yes I know that quartz is considered "glass" but the gemstones with rampant bubbles in them are man made glass not the good stuff so to speak. So if someone tells you it is genuine blue aquamarine and you see bubbles run the other direction. So can you tell? Are these "real" or are they "glass"?