LOVELY SHERMAN NECKLACES WORTHY OF SERIOUS CONSIDERATION

Ah ... nice for a change to be able to bring some lovely Sherman necklace and necklace sets to your attention. I think I've had enough of Sherman bracelets for a while. Haven't you?

So this week on eBay, and ending pretty soon, is the stunning golden glass crystal beads sautoir by Sherman shown on the right. I just love this style!
I've also noticed that every time I've had one of these sautoirs for sale in my shop at Ruby Lane, whether it's a Sherman or Weiss or some other vintage designer, they go fast. This is such a popular style of necklace.

The Sherman beauty shown here is 30" long and from what I can tell from the photos, appears to have some clear aurora borealis glass beads alternating with golden or light topaz glass beads. Scattered liberally along the necklace are beautiful filigreed findings that add to the luster. This auction ends at 18:00:41 EDT on June 1st. Of course, whoever wins it will need to find some earrings to go with it. Good luck if you decide to bid.

Now on the left is another one on auction at eBay this week. You've got a little more time with this one but not much as it ends at 21:39:08 EDT on June 2.

Again, this one is really worth going for. For one thing, it's a set. You won't have to try to find matching earrings. Secondly, the color is a fabulous mix of teal and aquamarine. Simply gorgeous! And thirdly, this one has a design element you don't see that often in Sherman jewelry: a triple "flower pot" design complete with frosted crystal leaves. The vendor says this set is in "mint condition". Well take that with a grain of salt ie. vintage jewelry is rarely "mint" unless it's been kept in a box and unworn from the date of purchase ... and maybe that's the case here. If so, then all the more reason to snap it up. Harry, you can thank me later for plugging this one for you :))

The last Sherman necklace set I'm going to tell you about in this post is the one shown below:

You'll find this beauty in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE where I just listed it this week. If you prefer to avoid the frustration of losing out at the last moment with an auction, buying outright from those of us who sell Sherman and offer accurate and honest descriptions is always a smart move for the investor, and in my case, I'm always willing to consider reasonable offers.

The set above is special for several reasons: all three pieces are signed "Sherman"... always important to collectors. Secondly, this set is a rare find: the actual patent number is shown on the earring clips. With a bit of research, you might be able to determine the actual year of manufacture. Thirdly, this set is another one of those with highly sought-after colors: rich deep purple swarovski crystals are played against large faux alexandrite stones that change from blue/green to lavender/mauve as the light changes. Take a close look at the photo-merge here:

This is a merge of two shots of the necklace, showing the faux alexandrite stones in their mauve color (top) and in their blue/green color (bottom). Same necklace; same angle; different lighting.

These factors: the colors in the set, the patent number, all pieces signed, and superb condition for a Sherman, make this a wonderful investment piece for the Sherman collector. Please click on the photos to visit the shop, see more pictures and read more about this one. Then contact me!

SHERMAN BRACELETS ARE "ALL THAT" ON EBAY!

Okay...it's getting to that point that the only Shermans worth watching on eBay are the bracelets. So much for Sherman bracelets being rare or hard to get! I don't think I can ever remember seeing so many on auction on eBay as I'm seeing now. What's more, Sherman is one of the few vintage designer costume pieces that is selling, and selling consistently i.e. it's rare to see a Sherman not sell on eBay. Correction: they sell if they're being sold in auction format. That means, of course, that the seller takes that huge leap of faith that the Sherman they're selling will at least reach what they invested or what the piece should be worth. And from my observations, the one thing that seems to do that consistently, are Sherman bracelets.

So if you're in the market for a Sherman bracelet, you might like the two I'm showing in this blog post. Both are very much worth buying. The one shown at the top is that lovely design you don't come across all that often. It's in warm amber and champagne tones and is 2 1/2" wide. Highly desirable. But wait! There's more: this auction isn't just for the bracelet: this is an entire 3-piece parure consisting of bracelet, earrings and necklace. WOW! This is one you should go for. It finishes May 26th and right now there are only 3 bidders but watch that change in the last few minutes. Bidding is already at $501.69. If it were to stop there, the buyer is a real winner as that would be a bargain for this set. I'll be watching for sure. Here's a photo of the full parure:


The other Sherman bracelet worth watching and possibly going for is the one below. It's another of those highly sought after cuff bracelets in those highly sought after colors: pink and fuschia. This one's a real beauty: it's 1 3/4" wide and 7" long and according to the seller, in great condition. But now, this'll really be interesting. You see, the seller in the parure above, started the auction at $9.99 USD and in only one bid, it shot up to $350. Two bids later, it was at its current price. In the case of the gorgeous fuschia cuff bracelet below,



the seller is starting the auction at $599 USD. That's possibly all the seller will get given the resistance ebay buyers seem to have to auctions that start high. (I tested that this past week by listing my gorgeous faux alexandrite brooch set on ebay starting at what I paid for it ie. $149 USD. It didn't sell. But I've seen similar sets go for more dollars when the auction started at a low figure. Yes, I was too afraid of getting less than I paid. Happens to me too often on ebay LOL!)

But speaking of that, I am open to offers on that faux alexandrite set if you're interested. Check it out HERE. As long as your offer covers my cost and shipping to you, it's yours. For that matter, you can do the same on all my Shermans right now while I'm in the mood to get out of this crazy business of selling vintage costume jewelry.

SHERMANS TO WATCH ON EBAY & WHY GOOD DESCRIPTIONS ARE NECESSARY WHEN YOU'RE SELLING!

I took a bit of a beating in the comments left on my previous post but despite what folks said, I stand firm on my belief that when you're selling anything, whether it's Sherman or a car, descriptions need to be accurate, especially if the price tag is high. Buyers want to know what they're buying is a good investment, and jewelry by Sherman is a good investment, especially if the piece is in top condition, has no loose or replaced stones, is signed, is in a high-demand color etc etc.

So it's nice to find a lovely piece like the necklace shown on the right which is currently at auction on ebay and ends in about 8 hours from now. I'll most definitely be watching this one, especially since it has a reserve. At this time, bidding has reached $132.49. Will they crack that reserve?

In my opinion, this a gorgeous necklace, primarily because of its unusual design: you don't see ones like this everywhere. And thankfully, the seller has done a good job telling us what we want to know about it. Here's their description:

"Absolutely stunning SIGNED SHERMAN necklace. Made of the Aurora Borealis rhinestones. Perfect condition. I have shown some pictures using a flash and others without. Measures 17" in total. 10" on one side and 7" on the other (from the middle of the front). All stones are shiney (sp) and accounted for. Each of the 2 halves in the front measure 2" long by 1" thick."

This description, though short, tells the buyer exactly what they need to know and lets the buyer make an informed decision to bid or not.

Those of you in the market for one of those sought-after wide bracelets might like to go for this one on the left. It finishes on the evening of May 19th. This is a good-looking bracelet and according to the description provided by the seller, it's a "Sherman Signed Bracelet 5 rows great condition. All stones are great. Measures 17" by 1". I've purchased Sherman from this seller in the past and I know her descriptions are accurate. Don't be afraid to go for this one. Right now, bidding is at $148.49 USD. Since it's aurora borealis and not one of the "hot" Sherman colours, you might get this one at a reasonable price.

I've found one more Sherman ending on ebay this week that is really something else. It's the one shown on the left. How different is that?! It's not what we usually think of when we think Sherman but I'm going to guess this one will fetch a good dollar because it's so unique. Again, it's signed, always a plus when a buyer is unsure. It's being offered by the same seller who is selling that bracelet just above. So perhaps if you're lucky and win both, she might be able to combine shipping for you. Do ask before you bid. Here's what she's telling us about this one:

"SHERMAN Pearl RARE Necklace Signed Sherman on the back of the clasp. Excellent condition. Measures 22" Long and the center piece is Mother of Pearl polished and exquisite. The clasp exhibits the coil wire finishing to the strand at the clasp. There are cobalt blue beads between all the 8mm faux pearls. Very Princess like and feminine."

I might be tempted to go for this one myself because it's so unique. One way or the other, I'll be watching. It ends on the evening of May 20th. That seller, by the way, has quite a few other Sherman pieces up for grabs, so you might like to check "Sellers Other Items".

Speaking of bracelets, and while I'm busy promoting other sellers' items, I nearly forgot that I've also just listed the lovely wide signed Sherman bracelet shown below at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. The full description along with several views of the bracelet from different angles is available in the RUBY LANE listing.


Since my detractors accuse me of "yapping" too much, I won't say anything about my own piece but just click the photo or the links above so you can read all about it and see more photos.

Cheers and happy buying and bidding!

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS: SHERMAN BRACELET PRICES!

Okay, in my last post I raved on a bit about the incredibly high prices being asked and being paid for Sherman jewelry lately, especially when the jewelry is a bracelet. I also suggested that just maybe sellers are getting a bit greedy and trying to capitalize on this rush to acquire Shermans. I need to make one thing clear in case any of my fellow associates thought I was pointing a finger at them: I wasn't. I know, one in particular, is selling off an estate on consignment. So her prices are what the person she is selling for wants to get. That's just fine by me. And let me just add, that both the seller and owner are doing fantastically with their sales. This owner certainly has a collection to die for.

So now that's out of the way, let me address the rest: the ones I believe are jumping on the band wagon and looking to score bigtime, like the person selling the bracelet shown in the photo above. It's a gorgeous bracelet, and Sherman bracelets being as hard to get as they are, most of us would jump at this one, especially since it's 6-row piece and hence wide, even more desirable.

But, and it's a big BUT, this seller has simply shown a few small photos and in his/her description states nothing more than "I'll let the pictures do the talking". Well, for starters, if the photos were terrific, like the ones in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, where you see 9 photos of a piece from various angles, front and back, and super close-up, the pictures might indeed do the talking. But even then, a seller asking a lot for a piece owes the buyers a bit more than just good photos. They need to really tell the buyer about the piece and disclose any issues that might impact on the purchaser's decision to buy.

So what might have happened here if a buyer hadn't asked a few questions? Someone might just have paid the starting price of $4000!! Yes, you read right: this seller is asking $4000 for this bracelet! So, big deal you say: folks are paying in the thousands now for Sherman bracelets. Yeah, sure they are for those rare as hen's teeth rigid cuff bracelets in popular colors (such as my aforementioned colleague is selling!) But not for the very much more common regular blue Sherman bracelets. Those go for between $200 - $300!

But there's more. When an interested buyer asked this seller for more information i.e. how about some dimensions, e.g. width, length, any missing stones etc. that's when we found out what the pictures didn't tell us: there are 4 small stones missing, 2 on either side. 'Scuse me? You're asking $4000 for a Sherman bracelet with missing stones yet? Did I say something about sellers becoming greedy? How about being dishonest too. Yes, he/she answered the question and thankfully posted the reply, but not disclosing that information to start with is just a tad deceitful don't you agree? Just imagine the disappointment and anger a buyer would feel if they were foolish enough to pay the opening price only to find missing stones! ARRRRGGGHHH! That kind of thing makes me mad and it happens far too often when folks don't make informed purchases and don't query the seller.

In this case, there's one more thing that most of us who do shop on ebay would look at besides the price and the item: the seller's feedback. Guess what? This seller has ZERO feedback! Again, sure, all sellers start with zero feedback if they've never bought or sold on ebay before (though most buy up for a while to establish their good reputations). But when you look at this seller's other listings (there are only 4 of them), three of them have thousand dollar price-tags. Now this seller could be 100% honest and well-intended, but all their descriptions are one-liners with little information and big asking prices. Methinks this seller needs some basic training in how to sell honestly and well before some angry ebay buyer comes down on him/her like a ton of bricks. Of course, odds are he/she won't sell anything either. Buyers are leery of new sellers asking massive dollars.

That's my rant for this week ... except to remind you where you can find Sherman jewelry at affordable prices from an honest seller: SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE at RUBY LANE.

I tried Artbeads.com

I understand that jumping from one media to another, from one style to another, or even from one supplier to another is not in favor of my business, but I cannot sometimes resist if I see something unusual and interesting, and want to try new materials and beading supplies. Recently my attention was attracted by canvas on wood pendant from Artbeads.com. I found a lot of such pendants, but the red-almost-black seemed to me the best one.

Though I've never used such pendants I decided to play with that one, moreover I had in my trunk matching polymer clay beads (I made them a few years ago but had no idea where to use them) and bright red coral beads. Carmen! That's the name of my future necklace that came to me! I was a simple string, that I accented it with the narrow golden ribbon.


In a couple of days I continued my research, and created another version of Carmen: the same polymer clay and coral beads, and seed beads. I decided to let the strings go where they want, and it turned out to be a free-form necklace.


I guess, my first try of pendants from Artbeads.com is successful, it was great to play with colors and materials to focus the pendant! The only thing I don't like is that the silver-color bail doesn't match the pendant color palette, yellowish bail would be better I think.