YOU KNOW IT'S GLITTER SEASON WHEN YOU SEE ALL THOSE SHERMANS LISTED ON EBAY!

Haven't had much to write about lately ... or rather, too busy with other things. But today I thought I'd slip over to Ebay to see what's going on there and wow...what a change from a month or two back. The Sherman listings have doubled! And there's only one explanation: Glitter season is here. This is the time of year that all the costume jewelry sellers, including myself, come out to tempt us with their sparkling rhinestone and crystal necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc. And of course, that makes sense. Unless you move in circles where attending galas and fancy dress events happen all the time, most of us, at least here in Canada, don't doll up in all that glitzy stuff just to go grocery shopping!

So what have I seen that's worth your time if you're shopping for Sherman? Well THIS SIAM RED SET was one to go for but that auction's over. The vendor started it at $199 and got one bid. I guess someone hoped that was the reserve. No-one else even bothered, probably because being a Siam Red Sherman, we know the vendor would want more than than opening bid. Well it'll be interesting to see if he/she lists it again. My guess is it'll be a "Buy it Now" much like we sell our jewels and Shermans in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE ... and I have some beauties listed there right now for those who don't want to be forced to bid higher than they really want to. But more about my latest later.

Pity I can't post photos of the eBay pieces anymore. Once those auctions are over, the links disappear in a week or two so you won't even know what I was talking about. Oh well...

So here's another really pretty set from a guy who sells lots of Shermans on ebay. I keep wondering where he finds so many lovely pieces. This one is a NECKLACE AND EARRING SET in red clear crystals with siam red navette accents ... a super pretty set. The earrings are gorgeous long danglers, 2" long in fact. Unfortunately only the earrings are signed. But I'd have to agree with the vendor that the necklace and earrings are a set. However, since the necklace isn't signed, this might not go as high as it would otherwise. Could be a good buy for you if you don't mind an "unsigned" Sherman. Auction ends at 2:43 on November 16th. Bidding is at $169 right now.

Now the same vendor has a 3-PIECE PARURE listed that is unlike any I've seen by Sherman and it's absolutely gorgeous. You've just got to look at this set. It comes with necklace, bracelet and dangling earrings in a shade that looks like teal and the stones are primarily baguettes. It's just so different. Bidding is already at $188 with 4 days still to go. No surprise there. This one is a keeper. Both necklace and bracelet are signed. Earrings aren't.

Okay, that's enough telling you about other people's Shermans. Now I'd like to suggest you take a look at the one I just listed today in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It too is very different and a real head turner:

When I attended the Christies Antique Show back in September, I came across a Sherman similar to this one and couldn't believe it was a Sherman. I'd never seen a Sherman like this. That pendant hanging from the set above, and in the one I saw at the show, was such a heavy cluster of Swarovski crystals and the glitter was fantastic. But it was the design that caught my attention. So very different. I didn't buy the one at the show as I had only so much cash on me and had my eye on a ring I'd seen in another booth. I later wondered if I should have purchased the Sherman instead of the ring! So, when I chanced on the one above elsewhere at a later date, I jumped on it. I thought it was the same one but it wasn't. However this one was just as exquisite. I thought it ironic that I should find two so similar Shermans in a short period of time after never seeing one like it before LOL! Anyway, if you haven't seen one like this, please just CLICK HERE NOW and go take a look at this fabulous Sherman set available from my Ruby Lane shop and you don't have to try to win it either!

I currently have a really nice assortment of Shermans in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE that are just perfect for the glitter season and they are all reasonably priced. Apart from my FAUX ALEXANDRITE set mentioned in my previous post and which comes in an original Sherman box, my current favourite is this glorious necklace below:

What a work of art this one is! I swore off clear crystal Shermans a while back but hey, how can you pass up a spectacular necklace like this one? I had a customer over last night to look at some fine jewelry and after she'd tried on this and that ring, I showed her some of my Shermans. When she saw this one, she gasped! She wasn't familiar with Sherman and had never really tried on vintage costume jewelry. But she just had to put this one around her neck and look at it in the mirror. It was so funny watching her reaction, let alone her fiance who, typical male, said he just considered this kind of thing "junk jewelry". Yeah right! He nearly keeled over when my customer turned to him sweetly and said "Wouldn't this go great with my wedding dress!" How right she is! This Sherman would go well with a wedding dress, or any evening dress where classic designer jewelry by Sherman is the finishing touch. You can read all about it and see more photos of this necklace in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

KNOCKOUT SHERMAN SET FEATURES ALEXANDRITE-TYPE STONES

Today I want to introduce you to what is probably my favourite Sherman set. Not only is it an exquisite design, but it features the scarce Alexandrite-type stones that are sought after almost as much as the Siam red and fuschia Shermans.

What's so special about Alexandrite-type stones? Well they have the same color-changing property of true alexandrite, a precious gem. True alexandrite can change from ash gray to green to pale blue to purple in minutes, depending on what kind of light it's exposed to. It's utterly fascinating to watch the color changing and it does it quite quickly. You can purchase genuine alexandrite stones HERE ... just a perfect size to set in a ring.

I look for jewelry with genuine alexandrite or costume jewelry like this Sherman set constantly. They are not easy to find and when I do get a piece, I never have them for long. I recently listed this ring with genuine alexandrite in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It was sold in 24 hours! I managed to acquire a gorgeous WEISS necklace and earrings that used the Alexandrite-type stones and it sold in under a month ... just last week as a matter of fact. You can see that one HERE. (Both those sold items will display for only one month from now)

And so now, we have this gorgeous Sherman set of necklace and earrings. That first photo shows you an all Lavender or mauve colored set. But now look at this other photo of the necklace:


Yes, it's one and the same necklace but as you can see, now part of the necklace is pale blue. If you click on that photo, you can see many more photos of this set showing the earrings in both blue and mauve, and also showing the backings on the jewelry. It's in mint condition. Further information on this set is provided at both SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Slip over and take a look at all those photos. This one is rare, beautiful and highly collectible!

THE MOST POPULAR SHERMAN COLORS

Right now on Ebay, the set shown in the photo is on auction. I'm watching it, not because I want to try and win it but just out of curiosity. You see, this set will probably go for huge dollars for two reasons:

1) It's a 3-piece set

2) Its color: FUSCHIA

I don't usually draw attention to jewelry being sold by others since I have plenty of my own to sell, but if you're interested in investing in Sherman jewelry, an auction like this one is a good one to either bid on or at least watch.

Shermans in fuschia or red shades command the highest dollar. With reds, the dollar will be even higher if it's what is known as "SIAM RED". Be it earrings, a brooch, a bracelet, whatever, if it's SIAM RED, collectors want it and they'll pay for it. It's much the same with Sherman jewellery in fuschia. These colors are also hard to get simply because those who own them hold onto them. About a month back, I actually saw a set of Sherman jewelry, bracelet & necklace, go for over $7,000 on Ebay ... and they weren't even a perfect match. The match wasn't perfect but the colors were!

So are there any other colors of Sherman that are popular? Well all Sherman jewelry is highly collectible, but preferences for both those who wear Sherman and those who collect it are the deeper colors: Purple is rare and sought after. Deeper shades tend to be more popular than lighter colors. Blues are very common, easier to obtain. Also highly desirable and hard to get are the "Alexandrite" type stones that change color in different lighting situations. I have 2 such pieces available from my website at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. They are absolutely gorgeous. My favourite is the one pictured in this post. Click on the photo to see other photos that show the color changes. It's magnificent!

While you're on my site, don't miss the exquisite Fuschia set that I'm also selling. It's a 3-piece set consisting of dangling earrings, necklace and brooch. It also has something else that Sherman collectors are always looking for: the backing is "japanned". That means that the backing has a black finish, meant to give even richer color to the jewelry. It's definitely a set that anyone who wants valuable Sherman and is willing to pay for it should be adding to the collection. Here's what I'm talking about: