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Hi everyone!
While I was writing this post, I listed this set.

It sold before I could even publish this post.
So lets talk about what amazing pieces these are. Garnet is my birthstone, and I really like this set but alas I have to make a living.

Oh by the way GIA has a some great resources for kids great for scouts or churchhttp://gemkids.gia.edu/gem/birthstones



We have a Garnet and vermeil demi set that has beautiful dark red garnets ~ all pave set. This is stunning workmanship, they are domed and hexagonal.
This set is from the Czech republic. I was looking up information and learned the Chez has a rabbit head makers mark for silver. It always amazes me at all the different stuff I can learn from one piece of jewelry.
.Czech hallmark information

 

 

 

This sale had a lot of gold charms, charms always tell such a story. She had one from Hawaii she was a nurse and got her degree there. A really cool Cabin house with two little people under the covers when you open it up a harp, snowman, "mad money" and a old crank phone one.

Check the ebay store often to see our new finds!
http://stores.ebay.com/vintagekarmajewels

Love that made a diamond shine.

Love that made a diamond shine.

My previous post about my engagement ring got me to thinking about my mother's love story.

Rodger & Marilyn (Mari) met at Smyrna High School in 1962 (which is now the current Smyrna Middle school, as the original building still stands).

 

Prom 1962

My mother transferred as a Junior from a boarding school in France. Both of my grandfathers were in the Air force and stationed at Stewart Air force base. If you are ever in Smyrna in June you won't want to miss the annual Air show, it is still held at the old base. The Blue Angels are quite a sight to see.

Anyways, Dad asked Mom out on a date and she initially turned him down, but then she went to a movie with him just to make another guy jealous, and they were together from then on. Rodger proposed on Christmas eve~ 1962. His mom & dad helped him out with the cost. Way back then you could get a 1/3 of a carat VSI Round brilliant diamond solitaire ring set in 14K yellow gold from Sears for 139.00. 

I think at the time he had a job at J.C. Penny's and according to his records he made 1.00 per hour!

It needs to be re - tipped, and the shank is worn very thin, I still have not decided what will be done with it, so this waits until a decision is made.

My mother's parents had sent Mari to Coe college, in Iowa, ( I think secretly to get Rodger outta her head) they thought she was too young, and my dad a bit of a rebel :) In the end they came around and threw her a beautiful wedding at the Protestant chapel at Stewart Air Force Base.

My mom & dad with my aunt Denise (The flower girl kissing the bride)

 Before the wedding after graduating high school, Rodger traveled out to California, to attend college, and get their home ready. Their first home was a small furnished (mom called it a cottage) located on South Milton, Whittier CA.

California mid 1960's

They were married on August 25th 1963.

They lived in California for 16 years, had my brother and me and then they got interested in stained glass.

They moved back to TN in 1979 when I was 2, and ran a very successful stained glass business in Mt. Juliet, TN for the rest of their lives. Mom passed away in Jan of 2006, and Dad lasted another 4 years almost to the date.

They had 43 wonderful years together, of course there were ups and downs, but oh how that diamond still shines.

Don't Love Make A Diamond Shine?

Don't Love Make A Diamond Shine?

There is a Tracy Byrd song that claims this but I'm not sure.

I do know that a diamond's shine is directly related to the cut, crown depth, angle, height, and many other critical things that go into shaping a cutting a diamond.

This is my diamond engagement ring. My husband and I picked it out in 1998 in a pawn shop before I knew much about diamonds, all I knew was that I wanted the biggest shiniest one we could afford. I now know that we got a good deal.

Years later when I obtained my graduate diamond certification from GIA, I graded it and found what I can only chalk up to fate is that it has some tiny feather type inclusions in the shape of a "W"

My solitaire has a carat weight of .53 ct, It has a clarity of SI 2, not huge or fancy but I do love it, and also the guard that is set with beautiful baguette diamonds and small round accents.

I also know that dirt and oil which diamonds attract can dull the shine and this has nothing to do with love.

The best way to clean one is with a toothbrush Windex or ammonia and scrub scrub scrub.

Please not that if you have an old or antique ring, or a loose stone it is always best to leave this to a professional, (ME!) If you have a big one I would be happy to clean it for you as well as inspecting the setting for any loose stones damage ect.

A diamond that goes flying across the room or worse down the drain can be almost impossible to find.

When I travel to Franklin to help my friend Susan Schwartz on costume and antique appraisals, in our down time I get to clean the diamonds. The big ol' honkin diamonds that people get appraisals on, this is well worth my trip, I understand why retail jewelry stores always want to clean your rings, they want to drool over them.

Sadly in reality not many people will ever own a diamond over a carat. "According to industry surveys, fewer than one percent of women will ever own a diamond of one carat or more" ~Diamond Essentials GIA

So is it Love that makes it shine? well I guess that would be up to the wearer of the diamond, and how much it needs cleaning

"Don't Love Make A Diamond Shine"

Tommy and Janey barely eighteen
Holding hands at the jewelry store
Eyes open wide staring inside
At the ring that they wanted for her
Mister bring it closer mister can we hold it
I think it's gonna fit just fine
As he slipped it on her hand Janey kissed her man
Don't love make a diamond shine.
Don't love make a diamond shine
It don't matter if it costs a dime
Dang thing looks like a million bucks
Sittin' on the hand of a girl in love.
A perfect fifteen carat is duller than dirt
If the heart don't wear it
With three little words it'll knock you blind
Don't love make a diamond shine.
There's a rich lady with a new Mercedes
Livin' up in a high rise
She's got a big ol' rock on her left hand
That looks cheaper than a Cracker Jack prize.
'Cause her man don't know that it ain't the dough
No all he needs to spend is time
And that big marquis'd be a laser beam
Don't love make a diamond shine.
Don't love make a diamond shine
It don't matter if it costs a dime
Dang thing looks like a million bucks
Sittin' on the hand of a girl in love.
A perfect fifteen carat is duller than dirt
If the heart don't wear it
With three little words it'll knock you blind
Don't love make a diamond shine.
Don't love make a diamond shine
It don't matter if it costs a dime
Dang thing looks like a million bucks
Sittin' on the hand of a girl in love.
A perfect fifteen carat is duller than dirt
If the heart don't wear it
With three little words it'll knock you blind
Don't love make a diamond shine.
Don't love make a diamond shine...

For My Amazing girl

“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”—Francis of Assisi

Oh taking a break from Jewelry blogging today. To me nothing is more shiny than Jewelry than maybe perhaps a newborn baby goat.

My thirteen year old daughter has a small goat herd on our farm, she started it in November 2011 with a billy goat (Billy Bob) she had asked for and got for her birthday. 

Over that summer she and her sister worked for our great neighbors dog sitting their fur babies while she was working some long hours. Montana saved every penny she earned and bought a couple nanny goats My girl paid for the wormer, feed, medication, ect. all from her hard earned money. She got some more dough for Christmas from her MiMa Instead of buying the newest electronic gadget or makeup, clothes, and stuff the typical teenager would buy she added more goats to her herd. 

She has put them up at night, caught them when they escaped, learned how to trim their hooves all by her self with the help of my best friend who taught her, she caught on very quick.

In November 2012 she had her first baby goat that she named winter, and shortly after came Eve (born on December 23rd) 

 

Again Montana surpassed all my expectations of a 13 year old, she put the momma's and babies up in the barn every night until they were big enough to stay in the pasture with the herd. We do have a bad coyote problem here.

Well a couple days ago another one of her Nanny goats had baby twins, just the most precious thing in the world. 

It was unseasonable cold here in Tennessee, we had a light snow and they were born at night, we immediate put them in the barn, but by the next day one of the baby's temp had dropped to 90.1. A normal goat temp should be 101-103. We submersed him in a warm water bath followed by hot towels and a blow dryer. We managed after 3 hours to get his temp up to 98.1. I was amazed to see my delicate daughter taking a goat temp by the rectal method. She is such the trooper. The baby boy she named Stripe died despite our best efforts. Mamma and baby girl 2 were still in the barn and seemed to be doing ok, later that night the second baby was not looking good. Me being the crazy lady I am, I let the Nanny and baby in the house, 

daughter checked the temp rectally again (My super trooper) and it was 100.3 mama seemed to be taking good care of the baby girl, but I stayed up until 1:30AM checking and finally went to sleep, Then about 6AM I awoke to a heartbreaking baaahhing sound from the bathroom. the poor baby goat darlin girl had passed. I guess sometimes it's just not meant to be. I  am so proud of my daughter, she continues to amaze me every day, and I feel so blessed to have this life.

Stained Glass Sparkle

I am really missing my dad today. It’s been a couple years since he died of cancer. My mom was waiting for him, as she has been gone for almost 6 years. By now you would think it is easier, well it’s not, it hurts just as much as if no time had passed at all. My parents were both stained glass artists. They ran a small business in Mt. Juliet for over 30 years.

 They did everything from homes to churches, I would like to create a work of remembrance for them so part of my blog will be devoted to that, I will be featuring a piece each week that they did. So get ready for some amazing stained glass artistry, and of course more sparkle!

My dad Rodger Dugan doing design work with his granddaughters

 

 Installation of the one of the final church windows he completed in his career

Help from one of his dear friends Stuart

Locket Love

I have always had a love affair with Lockets, it probably started with the heart shaped gold locket in the movie Annie. I loved that movie when I was a little girl, I had an Annie doll and she came with a small locket and a matching one for me to wear! I do not recall what became of her but I found a picture of what she looked like

I bought a silver locket several years ago that I wear that has a picture of my mother
It dates to the 1930’s. I would like to get it engraved, but I can’t decide if I want my mom’s initials or mine. It wasn’t hers but I makes me think of her.

Another locket I have carries my mom, grandma, and dad, all of which I miss dearly. This locket is of the Victorian era and is done in 12K yellow gold and set with 3 seed pearls.

I have been favoring it lately, and recently I started watching the new television show 666 park avenue. I started watching it because I love the actor Terry O’ Quinn he plays the character Gavin Doran, and he played John Locke on Lost. I am usually behind the times on TV, I didn’t discover the show Lost until this summer on Netflix,

I stayed up all night watching the 1st season of Lost. Anyways I was sitting there watching 666 park Avenue and guess what the character Jane was wearing?

At first I thought “my locket!!” I watched a few more episodes, and it is VERY similar the seed pearls on hers are vertical on mine they are horizontal. I hope they show a better image soon.

Hair work jewelry was very popular during Victorian times and it was featured often in mourning jewelry. Many lockets featured a compartment for a lock of hair, sometimes cameo jewelry has a swivel mounting and on the back of the cameo there is a glass cover over a piece of hair work. Some of the pieces are very intricate and works of art.