Thanks for another great year!

Hi all,

We here at Saori C. Jewelry Designs just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and to thank all of you for your continued (and increasing!) support that has made this year our most successful ever. We couldn't do it (obviously) without our wonderful customers!

This year saw some changes for us. We upgraded and expanded our production space, which will allow us to increase the breadth and depth of our jewelry offerings starting in 2015. Now that the economy and the metals market have calmed a bit, we will also be introducing more high-end lines and individual pieces for our customers. Keep an eye open for them!

Unfortunately, with every positive comes a negative. Early in the autumn, our beloved shop mascot and doggy friend Peppa the standard poodle passed away after a long fight with cancer. Everyone feels his loss, and we all agree that the shop is just too quiet without him. Still, we know that he is happily running around in Heaven, playing in the snow like he always loved to.

We miss you, Peppa!

Thanks again to everyone for all your help (and for the wonderful kind emails and cards about Peppa), and we are all looking forward to helping you find your perfect jewelry in the new year!

Yours,

Saori

Oppi Untracht and the Jeweler's Bible

We keep lots of great books in the studio library at Saori C. Fine Jewelry but we refer back to the books of metalsmith Oppi Untracht far more than those of any other author. Oppi was (he passed away in 2008) a New York master metalsmith, who wrote what is probably the best all-around jewelry making and metalsmithing guide ever. That book, Jewelry Concepts and Technology (which will run you close to a C-note, but it worth every penny), is the go-to reference and all-around bible for jewelry designers, craftsmen, and manufacturers the world over. It's chock full of the four t's (tools, tips, tricks, and techniques) and no serious jeweler or jewelry designer should be without it. We refer to it at least weekly, and it's certainly the most dog-eared book in our studio.

Oppi also wrote several other great books about specific metalsmithing techniques (Metal Techniques for Craftsmen, Enameling On Metal), and his magnum opus, an amazing book on the techniques, designs, and history of Indian jewelry and jewelry making, Traditional Jewelry of India, which is out in paperback and well worth acquiring.

So if you're looking for some great additions to your jewelry library, or are just getting started and trying to decide in what references to invest your hard-earned money, give the works of Oppi Untracht a look. He won't steer you wrong.

 

 

 

(Pictures from Amazon.)

Bon Bon Black Pearl Hoop Earrings

As promised, the companion piece to the Reign Black Pearl Necklace: Saori C. Jewelry Designs' Bon Bon Black Pearl Hoop Earrings. This set can also be done with our handmade French wires, but this version, with its heavier, hand-forged sterling silver hoops, is my personal favorite.

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, this version, in stunning black pearls and sterling silver, is the original, but we sell lots of these in white pearls to brides and bridesmaids as well. And for everyday wear, these also come in delicate pink pearls. Like those of the Reign Necklace, the sterling silver caps are hand-forged and hand-hammered - a lot of work goes into the detail and design of these earrings!