Earrings

Posted on April 14, 2010 by

Have you ever considered wearing glass earrings? I have to admit, when I first heard of wearing glass earrings I did have some reservations but after checking out the new look dichroic glass earrings, which are all the rage now, I was very impressed with the style.

Dichroic glass is a special type of glass that is multi-layered with a coating of various metal oxides laid on top of one another, usually with a final layer of quartz crystal on the top to add hardness to the piece. Whereas glass is normally thought to be very fragile, some dichroic glass pieces are actually very hardy. The created dichroic glass looks a lot like a gemstone, although the colors that are both reflected and refracted are many more than most average stones.

Something to note with dichroic glass jewelry, which is important when you are hoping to wear matching jewelry such as earrings, is that due to the very nature of the dichroic art glass jewelry no two pieces are exactly alike. So if you are hoping to wear earrings that are perfectly matched then dichroic earrings may not be what you want. Most fashion artists who work with dichroic glass are able to make the earrings look almost identical however. Part of the charm with dichroic glass jewelry is the fact that each piece is unique and individual and you will never find two pieces that are exact.

If you are going to be purchasing dichroic glass earrings online you may want to find out what type of warranty is offered. Some will offer to either try to fix or replace an earring should one of them inadvertently break or become damaged providing you cover the postage costs.

Earrings are usually backed by sterling silver and have sterling silver posts or hooks, as sterling silver matches very well with the metallic oxides that make up dichroic jewelry. You can also find some earrings with gold posts or hooks but these are quite a bit less common than the sterling silver.

The weight of the earrings also varies, depending on the style of earring you are looking for. If you are going for an earring with multiple colors you may have to settle for a heavier earring as the colors are brought out in layers and more colors naturally means more layers. Some of the dichroic earrings are so light that you almost forget you are wearing them, though these are usually plainer and less colourful.

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Rings

Posted on April 14, 2010 by

There is a huge variety of the dichroic glass ring on sale these days, with most of them absolutely stunning as far as design. Of course, when making a ring, choosing the piece of dichroic glass to use is important as it is one singular piece that does need to be outstanding and stunning in order to really show off the patterns.

Many dichroic glass rings have large dichroic glass gems set in them to the point that some of the glass overshadows, and is wider than the ring itself. These make great fashion statements and are usually a topic of conversation whenever worn. Sometimes the dichroic glass used to make these rings is left in its natural state, meaning that the hue and design is natural and nothing has been done to alter it. Other times designs are etched onto them, such as flower designs or other more modern designs.

Most of the dichroic rings on sale use a sterling silver base. Silver seems to go very well with dichroic glass, and it matches perfectly no matter what color hues are in the glass itself. Some of the rings are adjustable in that the silver band is not closed but is left open. This not only allows the ring to be worn by different people in a ‘one size fits all’ style, but it also allows the ring to be worn on different fingers of the hand. More often than not the dichroic glass cabochons used on the rings are left an irregular shape, which only serves to add to the charm and individualism of each piece of jewelry. Other favourite designs are oval shaped and less frequently square or rectangular.

Prices for a sterling silver dichroic glass ring vary anywhere from around $5 to $100. While this can depend on the materials used, it often also depends on the design of the ring and the artisan or studio that produces the jewelry.

It is also possible to buy dichroic jewelry sets that include a ring, earrings and necklace. Sometimes you will also find that the set includes a bracelet as well, although it can be difficult to find enough of the one type of dichroic fused glass to make a matching set, especially from the smaller fashion jewelry studios. Of course, some variation in the shading, intensity of colors and actual design is part and parcel of wearing the dichroic glass ring and necklace or earring set as it adds to the individuality and charm of this style of jewelry and is part of the reason for its popularity.

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Pendants

Posted on April 14, 2010 by

Depending on the intricacy of the design and the amount of crafting and colors used to make a dichroic glass pendant, prices range anywhere from $20 to $120. Other factors that adjust the prices charged include whether it is set in sterling silver or gold and how much actual work has gone into shaping the glass.

Many of the dichroic glass pendants are made from dichroic glass cabochons, which are created by glass artists from pieces of dichroic glass that is cut and kilned till the piece almost resembles a gemstone. These cabochons, set in a pendant, look fantastic especially when they catch the light and there is a vast variety of colors and patterns available.

Purchasing an already made dichroic pendant online, or any dichroic glass jewelry for that matter, is not as easy as it may seem. Many times photos of dichroic art glass jewelry do not give a very realistic, or true to life, depiction of the actual depth and richness of color in the piece. Naturally, the more complex the piece of jewelry is and the more layers it has, the more difficult it is to bring all of these shades and nuances of color out via a photograph. In some ways this works to your advantage, as if you see a photograph of a piece of jewelry online and you buy it, you will most likely be very pleasantly surprised with the quality once you receive the actual dichroic glass pendant or other jewelry.

If you are concerned that the dichroic glass necklace you buy has specific colors in it, you may want to communicate personally with the artist who made it and double check that the colors are what you are after. Much dichroic glass jewelry is fashioned in private studios by artists and it is usually fairly easy to contact them via their website. And as with any artist, they are usually very passionate about their particular works of art and are more than happy to communicate with you about your purchase and choice of dichroic glass pendants.

While most pendants are made from cabochons which are usually left as they are fashioned, some designers will etch patterns on the cabochon–either designs, or a picture of something, or even letters. Naturally, the extra work put into these usually make them a little more expensive to purchase, but they are still very reasonably priced.

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Bracelets

Posted on February 20, 2010 by

It can often be a challenge to make a dichroic glass bracelet as no two dichroic beads are exactly identical. There will be minor differences in shape and size between the beads, but most importantly there will be minor differences in the shade and coloring of the beads as well. While some people may be dismayed by this, most true artisans who love to create their own jewelry are delighted with the individuality it gives their jewelry.

Completed dichroic bracelets can be very easily bought online, and they range in price anywhere from $25 to $350 or more, depending on the size of the beads, the number of beads on the bracelet and the coloring of the beads. Price is also dependent on the material that the bracelet is made from, and whether it uses sterling silver, gold or some other material.

Commonly, you will find dichroic glass beads linked together with sterling silver, then finished off with a sterling silver clasp. Most dichroic bracelets look great when accompanied by silver as that seems to really set off the metallic glow that actual dichroic glass has. Of course there are many different styles of dichroic bracelets currently available, and not all are made with interlinking silver pieces.

Bracelets can also be set in gold, though these do end up being a bit more costly. Some bracelets are chained together by adding a link between each dichroic bead while other beads are actually made to slip onto a chain or a leather string bracelet. One particularly captivating bracelet that recently caught my eye used a pattern of copper colored quartz beads followed by small dichroic tubes on a fine silver chain, with silver clasp. This particular bracelet was stunning!

Another style of bracelet that while not as common is also very elegant is the bracelet or bangle that consists of one complete piece of metal, either gold or silver, that goes around the wrist that is finished off with a lovely dichroic glass cabochon situated in the middle of the bracelet. There are also the soft bracelets with single dichroic glass cabochons attached in one spot, which also look fantastic.

Just as with other dichroic jewelry, there seems to be an endless variety of styles of bracelets available so you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for. With the price range being so reasonable for most dichroic bracelets, you could even buy several different bracelets in different color schemes so that you have the perfect match for your different outfits.

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