February 14th is Valentines Day – a worldwide celebration of love and romance, marked by giving red roses and hearts or giving unique gifts and by sending valentines.
Gallery Five has a collection of unique gifts and art-to-wear jewelry handcrafted by prominent and promising artisans.
glass hearts by Lisa Aronzon
metal clocks by Hays-Cash
heart rattles by Caroline Koons
amethyst necklace by Julie Shaw
amethyst by Marty Schaerer
February’s traditional birthstone and the suggested stone for the 6th anniversary. Amethyst is the most valued member of the quartz family and can be found in numerous shades of purple, lilac and mauve.
A beautiful quartz, usually purple, or violet in color, Amethyst is a stone of pure love, it is beautiful as well as spiritual and it has no negative side effects. It is therefore a must for anyone’s crystal and jewelry collection!
When held in your receptive hand (left hand if you are right handed and right if you are left handed) an Amethyst’s peaceful vibrations aid in soothing, de-stressing and calming – especially helpful after a stress-filled day.
Or wear Amethyst next to your skin to keep you calm in stressful situations.
When placed beneath the pillow Amethyst is said to be able to ward off nightmares and insomnia.
It aids peaceful sleep and pleasant dreams – which can sometimes be prophetic.
Healing Properties
Amethyst inspires the healing of all organs and brings about mental peace and a state of relaxation.
The gift of Amethyst is symbolic of protection and the power to overcome difficulty. It is said to strengthen the bond in a love relationship, so it is an ideal anniversary or engagement gem. Whether or not Amethyst holds such power, its stunning beauty will certainly make anyone who wears it feel like royalty!
According to Legend
Amethyst originated when Bacchus, the God of Wine, grew angry at mortals. He vowed the next mortal that crossed his path would be eaten by tigers. At that time, a beautiful young maiden named Amethyst was on her way to worship the Goddess Diana. Diana, knowing of Bacchus vow, turned Amethyst into a pillar of colorless quartz to protect her from the tigers. Bacchus, witnessing the miracle, repented and poured wine over Amethyst, staining her purple.
If gazing into the sparkling purple depths of an Amethyst suffuses you with a sense of powerful well being, this is only to be expected. The ancient Greeks believed that this gemstone held many powers, among them protection against intoxication. In fact, the word Amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethystos,” meaning sober. In ancient Greece, the gemstone was associated with the god of wine, and it was common practice to serve this beverage from Amethyst goblets in the belief that this would prevent overindulgence. Even today, Amethyst is considered a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors.
Gallery Five Jewelry Show is from February 1-28 featuring Shellie David, jewelry artist.
Artist Statement: “I make jewelry with my hands, constantly changing my materials and techniques to accommodate new concepts. With my heart, my aim is to make beautiful things that will uplift the spirit of those who both see it and wear my work.”
“My goal is to create three-dimensional images that look alive — if a completed piece looks as if it will get up and walk away — that to me is ART! I begin with fabulous gems and minerals that I’m drawn to and choose for their earthy quality. I then add gold, silver and texture. I carve in wax, repousse, hammer in wood, and use rolled print metal. My work is always evolving. As a result, my display cases reflect the different moods and styles I’ve developed. I hope you enjoy looking at and wearing my “little sculptures.”
Browse more sterling silver jewelry, art to wear! currently featured at Gallery Five.
Hand-dyed silks and metallic accessories and clothing in a broad palette of color and texture
Leni Hoch is a master at dyeing silk in complex and creative ways and transforming it into elegant, shimmering scarves, shawls, jackets and wraps with varying textures that are truly feminine. Her colors are sensitive and rich and change with the seasons.
Leni Hoch’s Wearable Art Fashions
Trunk Show – January 26-30
Gallery Five, 140 Bridge Road, Tequesta, FL
Photo on right: Bronze crop metallic layered jackets. Soft Swing with small crinkle crop with scarves.
Photo below: Layered two boleros and light weight crop. Flower and scarf belting.
NY Variety Bracelet
Art jewelry by Wendy Waldren and Betsy Gribble, Investment Design, is created from alternative materials which after being given a second chance sparks imaginations and starts conversations.
Investment Designers are Wendy Walden and Betsy Gribble. Their work currently focuses on collage pieces to be worn. Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, cuff links, and pins are fashioned from vintage and antique pieces. They have created a line of contemporary jewelry, composed of nostalgic found objects of all kind, from antique buttons and subway tokens to Scrabble game tiles.
The designers compose shape and color, selecting from a palette of the most mundane objects. There is a wonderful irony as these bits of the past, each in their own way representing technology and mass production, are now handcrafted into jewelry.
Gallery Five has a collection of contemporary jewelry from vintage pieces by Wendy Waldren and Betsy Gribble.
Make a fashion statement with unique limited editions and one of a kind designer art-to-wear clothing.
Elizabeth Garver Trunk Show Jan. 19-23, 2010
Gallery Five, 140 Bridge Road, Tequesta, FL
Showroom has a unique selection of Jackets, Shirts, Scarves
Soft, flowing, unconstructed jackets and scarves in hand dyed silks with applique details are Elizabeth Garver’s specialty. The carefully contructed and beautifully designed details brings these garments to a new level of aesthetic experience as she offers a selection of distinctive artwear for the woman with an active contemporary lifestyle.
Elizabeth Garver designs limited edition and one-of-a-kind art to wear.
Baharal-Gnida oval bronze earrings with sterling silver lines. Clips.
Handmade contemporary jewelry can be the perfect gift to yourself or to someone special, with the unique design suggesting that she is one-of-a-kind.
Art jewelry consists of necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, pins and pendants with both elaborate and simple elegant designs.
You can look your stylish best and definitely stand out from the crowd if you wear jewelry that is contemporary. If you are going out on a date and you want to appear unique without having to say much, modern jewelry will definitely speak a lot more about your personality than what you can convey while talking.
Handmade earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets can all be found at Gallery Five.
Sterling silver wire wrap onyx and black tourmaline in quartz by Marty Schaerer
To gift a piece of jewelry, sterling silver jewelry is one of the best choices and all about preference and personality of the wearer. It adds a grand finale to a confident personality at an intimate evening. Sterling silver, at times, looks more appealing than platinum or even gold.
All of Marty Shaerer’s jewelry creations are handcrafted in her studio. Click on pendant on right to see more of the collection at Gallery Five.
A Louise Blumberg hand painted silk jacket
Louise Blumberg is known for her bold, hand-painted silk jackets, blazers, vests, scarves, and ties. Her vivid patterns range from graphic, ethnic designs to flowing, organic compositions. Each lightweight garment incorporates an exquisite selection of colors for maximum versatility as well as artistic drama.
featuring Louise Blumberg at Gallery Five
Barbara Silverstein hoop earrings, stainless with a drop mother-of-pearl
Browse Art Jewelry at Gallery Five and here is an interesting article for your enjoyment by Kathleen Luvit.
Jewelry – Earrings, The Most Important Piece of Jewelry-2009 Emmy Awards
Why are earrings the most important piece of jewelry? By important I mean the piece that will do the most for your appearance. As with all jewelry it should blend with your overall fabulous look. You don’t want people to first comment on your great jewelry and then you. Your overall look is what needs to be attractive, then after the comments of how fabulous you look, they can notice your cool jewelry.
Earrings are what frames your face, if the colour and style are right they will be like two spotlights adding a glow to your face, making it brighter and more alive. On the whole an earring with a decoration on the front of the post covering the pierced hole gets the reflected light starting from the right point. Earrings with a shepherd hook usually start from a lower aspect and if they are a heavy earring it also shows up the drag on the lobe, these are more suited for casual wear. Some, especially older women probably will look a lot younger if they do not wear this type at all. There is nothing attractive about a saggy earlobe.
Looking at the Oscars 2007, on the Red Carpet almost all of the earrings worn were decorated from the front of the post, very few wore shepherd hook earrings. Most earrings at the Oscars were quite elaborate but not overly so. Some like Nicole Kidman only wore tiny studs.
Little has changed in the last two years. Here are some examples from the 2009 Emmy Awards – who from some groups were voted the top ten best dressed.
Olivia Wilde – 1.5 inch drop earring with a gem at the piercing.
Rose Byrne – Flower shaped button style.
Kate Walsh – A small wide hoop.
Kristin Chenoweth – Stud earrings.
Mila Kunis – Stud over piercing with a large drop chandelier.
Heidi Klum – Large button over piercing and a very long shoulder duster.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Stud over piercing with a short chandelier drop.
Christina Applegate – Stud earrings.
Tina Fey – Stud over piercing with a 1 inch drop and round gem at the bottom.
January Jones – Small stud with a 1 inch drop and a larger round gem at the end.
From the examples above, none of these well dressed women had exposed pierced holes. One may conclude from this that especially for formal wear, don’t expose the holes in the lobes.
The history of earrings seems to date back to the earliest of times. The examples found in the ancient countries were nearly all a variation of the hoop earring, a style that is still popular today. In Cyprus, from the middle of the 2nd Millennium BC the popular earrings were painted terracotta in the form of stylised nude females. Earlobes were pierced 2 or 3 times and large terracotta hoops suspended from them.
In Ancient Egypt jewels were an important part of the costume, worn by men, women and children. Jewelry was also used to adorn statues. The earrings were in various hoop styles. Earlobe piercing was evident and earlobes were often extremely elongated and deformed by the use of very heavy ear ornaments from early childhood.
From the late 4th Century BC earrings were becoming more elaborate in design. The earrings often had suspended pendants and chains. Filigree, granulation, leaf, rosettes and doves were all used to decorate the boat or lower half of the hoop.
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance it was a lean time for earrings due to the fashion of high collars and a headdress that often covered the ears. It took centuries up to about the 1530s for the earring to emerge again as hair and headdress styles changed. The new earrings were in the form of plain gold hoops with a pearl drop. It was not until the 17th century that the earrings started to make a real comeback, again they often contained pearls.
By the middle of the 17th century earrings were an essential item and they became more complex and interesting. They used ruby, pearls, emeralds and enamel in floral motifs.
18th and 19th centuries saw some beautiful and elaborate designs, often using semi-precious stones. Also diamonds and pearls and very intricate goldsmith techniques.
Early in the 20th century around 1910 to 1930 Art Deco style was popular. Around this time ear piercing began to be thought of as barbaric, and clamping earrings to the lobe with a screw fitting became popular.
1947 saw the feminine new look by Dior. This set the scene for earring design to come to the fore in a creative new way.
1970s saw earring design become larger and more varied. The ever popular hoops were back in demand, many of these hoops were decorated with precious stones.
Then in the late 1970s ear piercing started to become popular again. This trend has continued up until today when almost every woman, a large number of men and children have their earlobes pierced.
Try all styles and see which does the best for you. Enjoy your earrings and look fabulous.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_Luvit