MAKE AN OFFER ON SHERMAN JEWELLERY DURING MARCH MADNESS SALE!

I got my blogs mixed up a few days back ... that's the trouble with us vintagers! I yapped on an on in MY OTHER BLOG about Shermans on auction this past week and encouraged readers to watch the auction for this gorgeous Sherman set above which was remarkably like the Juliana set by D&E that I have listed in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

Well I watched that auction tonight. With 12 seconds to go, the high bid was still less than $100 US. Then in came the snipes I guess and bam! This one went for $425US. I nearly choked. Holy smoke! And you know what, only the earrings are signed. But as the seller pointed out and as is pointed out in the latest book on Sherman, "The Masterpiece Collection", this isn't uncommon especially with Sherman's bead sets like this one.

So now I look again at all the lovely Shermans I have currently for sale in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE and ask myself why I'm selling them so cheaply. What am I missing here LOL!

I've heard of MARCH MADNESS and right now, I'm suffering from it. You see, we're running a MARCH MADNESS SALE in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE right now, through to the end of March and this is your chance to pick up some really nice Shermans (necklaces, bracelets, brooches and sets) at a great price. I feel my Shermans are most reasonably priced even when they're not on sale, and now I'm giving my customers a chance to save even more!

Take that gorgeous colorado topaz necklace shown above. This is such a gorgeous design and the necklace is in lovely condition with bright, beautifully colored swarovski crystals. I'm asking $295US for this one but during our MARCH MADNESS SALE, you are welcome to make me an offer. I might say no but then, I might say yes! You'll never know if you don't ask.


Or how about this incredible fushia necklace shown on the left? It's utterly sensational with fabulous glitter and a swirl of crystals going from one end to the other. It's $295 too but again, you can make an offer.


And then there's the deliciously lovely faux alexandrite brooch and earrings set shown in the photo below. It changes from mauve to blue/green depending on the light and it's in outstanding condition. We've put up two photos here so you can see that color change. This is like having 2 different Sherman sets and people are always fascinated by the way faux alexandrite changes color, not to mention that faux alexandrite jewelry by Sherman isn't the easiest thing to find. I've got this set listed at a very reasonable $250! I watched a faux alexandrite set like this go on ebay 2 weeks ago for over $375! And now, with March Madness, I'm saying you can make an offer? I must be mad!

Process pics. Midnight Flowers

Once a friend of mine who is hooked on making dichroic glass gave me a few cabochon-like articles. The idea of my future creation came to me immediately when I took those beautiful pieces of glass sparkling with different colors. Far more precious than a handful of loose diamonds, I decided that it should have been something night, mysterious and enigmatic...


I added to dichroic glass cabochons seed beads, bugle beads, accent beads, Swarovski crystals, Czech crystals, faceted black onyx rounds, and almost black dyed freshwater pearls.


The most painful work was to bead around cabochons because their shape differed from the shape of regular cabochons with sharp edges. I applied on the necklace my lovely Russian leaves and three-dimensional flowers of different colors with crystals and pearls in the middle. I filled the space between flowers with coral-like branches, and the necklace seemed to be finished. My friends told me, "Great work!", but I felt not satisfied, and put my creature aside for a while.


Only in about a month I realized what else needed to be done! I added the third layers to the middle bottom flowers and covered a little bit cabochons with the coral branches, it was the last touch!


Midnight Flowers was submitted to the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads 2008 Beading Contest held by FMG (Seed Beads Category) and won Judge's Favorite Award. Here is the full slide show of creating my necklace:

Midnight Flowers

NEWLY LISTED SHERMANS ON EBAY THIS WEEK of MARCH 8, 2009

I don't make a habit of promoting Shermans for sale by other vendors ( I want to sell my own stock LOL) but then, today is International Women's Day and I do like helping other women, especially when they are my colleagues at Ruby Lane. So today I'm happy to tell you about this incredible Sherman demi for sale by Pam. Actually, she has it on auction at Ebay this week but is offering it at a BUY IT NOW price of $995 or BEST OFFER. This one will be interesting indeed!

Now if you're a Sherman collector, I'd suggest you'd want to add this one to your collection. It's incredible. Just look at that design! It's a stunning combination of siam red and clear slender navettes that cascade down to that knockout central siam red stone. What an outstanding piece. If you can afford it, go for it! This is definitely one for the collectors and if you wear your Sherman, then expect every eye in the room to be on you when you arrive wearing this one!

While I was away, the gorgeous Sherman parure shown below was on auction. I was very surprised to see that it didn't sell. It again has one of the most wanted colors: deep purple, used in combination with lilac and amethyst shades. Furthermore, this one is a 3-piece set: brooch, earrings and necklace, and in my opinion, it's very lovely. The vendor had an opening bid of only $329 for this set, with a BUY IT NOW of $379. Maybe his photos didn't do it justice or maybe it was just a bad week for auctions. But if any of you readers like this one, email me via my SHOP AT RUBY LANE and I'll put you in touch with the seller.


It's always interesting to watch Shermans being auctioned on ebay. Some go. Some don't. One simple single strand glass bead set didn't sell this morning and the opening bid was only $49.95. Why some fly and others don't is a mystery but I'm sure it all has to do with different and/or unusual designs and colors. That said, I'll be interested in seeing how the one shown below goes in a couple of days time: it's clear stones and they are not the most sought after pieces. But, look at the design: now that's really different isn't it!

Will you go for it? (Click on the photo to go to auction page). I swore off the clear rhinestone Shermans last year when it took me months and months to sell a fabulous Art Deco set that I had in my Ruby Lane shop and also tried to auction on ebay. It didn't fly on ebay at all and I couldn't understand it. It was unique and had cost me a bundle. I ended up selling it at cost on Ruby Lane and that hurt. But maybe that was last year and my timing was unfortunate. I've seen several clear stone pieces do very well on ebay this year. I tell you, timing really is everything. Well I'll be watching this one. Maybe I'll even bid on it. With my luck, if I win it, when I go to sell it no-one will want the clear ones again! Must be nice to just be a collector and not a seller. You don't worry about things like that LOL!

Say, while I'm busy pushing other seller's sites, if you're new to my blog, why don't you stop by my SHOP AT RUBY LANE and check out some of my Shermans currently on sale there. You don't have to win an auction to buy one of those and they're reasonably priced too. Or you can make me an offer. You never know what I'll say. Hope all you ladies had a lovely International Woman's Day. Bet some of you didn't even know what today was, right?

Beading mania by Patrizia Tager

Interview with jewelry artist Patrizia Tager

Our guest today is incredibly talented bead artist from Israel Patrizia Tager (Triz), she was very kind and agreed to answer our questions. We believe that you'll be glad to know Patrizia and read her short story on her passion, the name of which is beading! Thank you, Patrizia!

1. Triz, where are you from and where do you live now?

I was born in Milan, Italy where I lived till I was twelve. My mother is French and my father is British, and when I was 12 my family moved "back" to England. After graduating from college at the age of 22, I decided to move to warmer climates, as I cannot stand cold and rainy weather, so I moved to Israel, where the sun shines eleven months of the year. I'm still in Israel today.

2. What is your education and occupation?

I graduated with a B.A. Hons in Fashion Design from the American College in London (renamed The American Intercontinental University, London). I studied photography for two years in Israel and then in my perpetual quest to find myself, I went on to study Social Policy and Criminal Justice. I currently work as a desktop publisher for a medico-legal publishing house as well as working on my own beadwork and teaching intermediate/advance bead embroidery workshops.


3. When did you start crafting and what was your first craft?

This is so difficult to answer! I've always, as far as I can remember, been doing one form of craft or another. This is mainly due to the wonderful nanny, Paola, that looked after my sisters and I when we were little. She was with us for many years and was incredibly talented and resourceful. We used to make hand puppets and create the most beautifully decorated puppet theatres all made out of cardboard boxes. She also taught me to knit and to crochet and, in fact, introduced me to my early experience with beadwork by showing me how to make a loom out of a shoe box and taught me to make loom-woven beaded bracelets. Coming from a completely artistically-challenged family, she was my artistic angel sent from above. She ncouraged, praised and inspired me.


4. How did you come to beading? What inspired you?

As I mentioned above, I was introduced to beading by our nanny Paola, however those days were long forgotten once I moved to London and it wasn't until about 3.5 years ago that I was reintroduced to this wonderful world of beads. When my son turned one and started attending day-care a couple of times per week, I found myself desperate to get out of the house for a few hours and do something creative. The local shopping center had a beading shop and I went in to enquire about taking some classes. I took four basic beading classes, where I learnt to make a beaded ball and a couple of other beginner's projects. I became completely and utterly hooked with this medium. It was as though I found myself, finally! The four classes weren't enough, I desperately wanted more, so I went out and bought every magazine and book I could find on beadweaving and for a year I spent all of my free time trying out different techniques. It became my true passion verging on obsession.


5. How did you learn making your beadart works?

During my "learning" year I researched the subject extensively, especially on the Internet and became familiar with some wonderful bead artists. I discovered a whole world that I did not know existed and became aware of the endless possibilities of creating with these tiny little beads. I applied my earlier knowledge of design to this new medium which led to the creation of my own original pieces.

6. How is main work associated with beading? Does it help you to bead?

Sadly my "real" job has no associations whatsoever with beading and in fact it is an encumbrance to my creative flow and designs, but it's a job and it pays the bills.


7. What are your favorite techniques and media? Why?

Frankly, I love all the techniques I have learnt so far. Some I may find easier to execute than others, but if I had to choose a favorite it has to be bead embroidery. I love the freedom it allows. Whenever I'm bead-embroidering I feel as though I'm painting with beads. I see the beads as my paint and the various sizes and finishes of the beads as my brushstrokes. I find this technique incredibly liberating.

8. Are there any bead artists you try to follow?

There are so many bead artists that I'm truly in awe of, my favorite by far is Sherry Serafini. I think her work is not just stunningly beautiful but also genius. Her attention to detail and her workmanship are superb !!! David K. Chatt's beaded sculpture and jewelry are out of this world! The Lone Beader's amazing beaded artworks always leave me inspired and amazed at her creativity, originality and execution of her gorgeous art!


9. Where do you find images for your beadwork?

Absolutely everywhere; I look at everything: nature, architecture, antiquities, fashion, fabrics, art, colors, and other bead artists. By far my greatest inspiration comes from my own memories and life experiences - e.g.: my latest finished pieces, Frozen Waters Cuff and Frozen Waters Earrings were inspired by my childhood memories of holidays in the Swiss mountains - the colors, the brightness, the reflections, how the incredibly clear blue skies reflected off the snow and the frozen lakes. Obviously the memories are idyllic rather than factual, as I haven't been to Switzerland in over 20 years nor have I seen snow in over 10, but from those memories I get snippets of inspirations which I then translate into my work.

10. What do you think is your greatest achievements in beading?

My greatest achievement is winning the last two EtsyBeadWeavers' challenges for my works Let My People Go and
Black Panther!!! I'm so grateful that people like my work enough to vote for it! I'm also proud of how far I've come using this medium in such a short space of time!


11. What do you plan to improve in the future?

There is so much I still want to learn, for example, I have never tried the Russian stitches and I love how they look, I just haven't got round to trying them out yet! I learn something new every time I create a new piece - new challenges arise with each new design, I always strive to make my next piece better than my previous one. I see my beadwork as a learning journey, much the same as life!

Thank you, Patrizia! We wish you best of luck and a great success!

Beaded jewelry by Patrizia Tager

About artist:

SOME FABULOUS SHERMAN SETS HAVE SURFACED LATELY ON EBAY ... BUT OH THE PRICES!

I haven't been neglecting my blog folks but I have been away for a much needed vacation. But I still put watches on Sherman auctions going on eBay and returned to find some amazing pieces had sold ... and at incredible prices. Boy, ebay used to be the best place to get Shermans for less, but not any more! Must admit, I find it strange that folks will enter the auction process and in many cases, end up paying more than they might have had they just bought directly from a Sherman vendor. But hey, it's their money they're spending. And now looking at what these pieces fetched on eBay, well put it this way: it's hard to believe we're nearly in a depression: someone has money!!

Take that gorgeous faux alexandrite set shown in the first picture. Actually I'm suprised it only went for $410 US. It's rare to find a 3-piece set like this, with necklace, bracelet and earrings. You can read more about that one by clicking on the photo ie. at least for as long as ebay will have it listed. Had I been around, I might have bid on this one, but then again, it's too similar to the gorgeous KRAMER parure I have listed in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE and shown below:

And if I'm 100% honest, I prefer my Kramer. Besides it's a 4 piece set & a book piece. And the color changes from lavender purple to blue/green in this set are fantastic. Click the photo to see more of this one. But I digress...

The very beautiful Sherman set shown on the left sold for a whopping $690 USD! Of course there are a couple of reasons for that: its design is riveting and unique and its colors are again, one of the most popular ones: fuschia and pink. Now what would I have sold that for in my shop? Probably quite a bit less but again, being at auction, though there were only 3 bidders, they kept bumping each other up.

I think the same bidders were out to get each other on this other lovely fuschia set shown below:

This one went for $511 USD.
Note the
similarities: high demand color and unusual design. There's no doubt about it: these are Shermans for collectors ... and those who can afford them! Wish I were amongst them LOL!

Now this last one (shown below) blew me away .. not only because of the price it got but I have to admit, it's a real WOW! I'm crazy for the color... amethyst, lavender ... and those glass crystal beads are magnificent. So is what it cost the winning bidder: $811 USD!! Holy Smoke! But it's a smoking hot Sherman if ever there was one. There were 5 bidders on this one.

By the way, it might interest you to know that one person won all of these pieces! Do the maths and see what she spent on Sherman in one week. This buyer has bought from me in the past but she's never spent like she did here. Has she suddenly won the lottery? One thing's certain: she sure has amassed a fantastic and valuable collection of Sherman jewelry!

IT MAY BE "ARTISTIC" BUT IS IT REALLY A SHERMAN?

The heading on a recently ended eBay auction for the lovely set shown above read as follows:

DAZZLING HUGE GREEN SHERMAN ARTISTIC NECKLACE EARRINGS

With the word "Sherman" in the title, of course I took a look as I'm sure so did many others. The seller used words like "breathtaking", "fabulous", "unique" to describe the set, and certainly, it's very lovely. But it had only one bid and sold for $65. Why?

My guess is that those who know, buy, collect and sell Sherman doubted it was a Sherman, despite that headline. Even more, they doubted what the seller said about this piece:

I HAVE HEARD A RUMOUR THAT THE "ARTISTIC" COMPANY WAS ANOTHER COMPANY THAT GUSTAV SHERMAN STARTED

THE QUALITY OF THIS SET IS JUST AS GOOD AS SHERMAN

Well maybe the quality is as good as Sherman, but I, for one, have never heard that rumour. Have any of my readers? I've gone through all the vintage jewelry books on my shelf, including Valerie Hammond's "All that Glitters" and the latest "Sherman Jewellery: the Masterpiece Collection" by Sandra Caldwell and Evelyn Yallen and can find no reference to a company called "Artistic" or even an allusion to Sherman having started another company under that name. Can anyone shed any light on this? I wonder who started such a rumor?

My point is this: from the viewpoint of someone who's new to Sherman, how easy is it for them to fall victim to this kind of advertising? If it's not a Sherman, and I don't think it is, what of the buyer who's congratulating herself on snagging a gorgeous "Sherman" for such a low price? She then happily wears it believing it's a valuable Sherman and then one day decides to sell it herself and tells everyone interested it's a Sherman, unless someone clues her in first.

This kind of thing happens all the time, especially on eBay. The most abused is the Juliana line by DeLizza & Elster. Because no Julianas were signed, sellers are taking many lovely unsigned pieces, advertising and selling them as "Juliana". Again, it all comes back to the buyer needing to educate him or herself about vintage designer jewelry: learning what to look for, what makes one piece a Sherman, another a Juliana, another a Haskell, and another an "Artistic".

Most likely, there is a company called "Artistic" somewhere out there but where and when did they produce and where can one find more pieces by them? If any of you know, please leave a comment on this blog. In the meantime, if you're buying Sherman, even if it's artistic and likened to Sherman, don't assume it is a Sherman. Buy it because you like it. Buy it as a example of lovely vintage jewelry. But while it may be artistic, is it a Sherman?

You know where you can be sure you're getting authentic Sherman Jewellery? From SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It's artistic all right but more importantly, it really is SHERMAN!

WHEN BUYING SHERMAN JEWELRY, BE AWARE & BEWARE

Today's post has been prompted by a story one of my colleagues has just shared with me. She's pretty upset and rightfully so.

She won an auction for a Sherman demi on eBay for which she paid $180 USD. The demi was a pretty fuschia colored brooch and earring set. Now, I don't know about you, but for $180 US, I'd be expecting a set in top condition.

Well the set arrived, and to her horror, there was a large, noticeable chip in one of the earrings. Now we're not talking about a "flea-bite" i.e. a chip so small you need a magnifying glass or a loupe to see it. No, this one was big, visible to the naked eye.

Furthermore, the wear to the backs of the earrings was considerable, down to bare metal with verdigris yet. What makes this so bad is not just the fact that she had paid so much for this set but that the seller had described it as in 'MINT' condition! Okay, let's consider what "mint condition" means. To me, it means no signs of wear, as if it's been boxed and unworn since the day it was purchased. Now let's get real here: how often do you come across "mint" vintage jewelry? It's very hard to find. After all, most of these lovely pieces are pre-loved and most likely, often worn. So they simply cannot be "mint".

In my humble opinion, as a seller, the onus is on us to be as honest as we can be. Yes, things can slip by us, but if we're selling Sherman or any other vintage rhinestone jewelry, we need to be looking at the stones through strong loops, testing the stones to see if they are sitting securely in the prongs, looking at each stone for any sign of clouding, milkiness, dulling. All of these detract from the value of the piece and we owe it to our buyers to be honest about the condition of the jewelry we sell.

I have several loyal customers, one of which buys a lot of my Shermans. She recently purchased the wide bracelet shown below:

Now when I received this bracelet from a seller, and I paid a lot for it, I was terribly disappointed in its condition: she had gone on and on about how beautiful it was, how un-marked, how the stones glittered and how little she had worn it. I couldn't wait to see it. As soon as it arrived, I got out my loupe and saw far more wear to the aurora borealis than should have been there if she'd only worn it a few times as she stated. Some of the prongs were loose. We tightened them. It did indeed glitter beautifully despite that and thankfully, there were no cloudy stones. But in my heart I knew I couldn't ask what I would have for a bracelet like this.

So in my description I fully disclosed the details of its condition and hoped someone would want it regardless. I set the price at a very reasonable dollar taking its condition into account. My loyal buyer bought it almost as soon as I listed it. Her reason? She told me one reason she buys so much from me is that she knows my descriptions are honest. I don't say something's "mint" when it's only good. She trusted my assessment on this one completely.

When she finally got it, she wrote to say how ecstatic she was with her purchase and yes, she could see what I'd found fault with, but to her it was still worth what she paid and more. Now that's what a seller wants to hear and what a customer deserves: our honesty and full disclosure of any issues we're aware of so the customer can make an informed decision before buying.

So the message in all this for buyers is this: be aware and beware. Ask questions, especially if you're new to buying Sherman and if you are buying on eBay. There are a lot of honest sellers on eBay and we all know there are the others. So read descriptions carefully. Check the return and refund policies. And don't think that eBay is the only place to get a bargain on Sherman jewelry. Quite honestly, some of the Shermans available from our SHOP AT RUBY LANE and at our Sherman only site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE (Canadian dollars) are better than you can get on eBay. So shop around! There are lots of good honest sellers out there and when you find one, stick with them. Bookmark their site or their shop. Subscribe to their mailing list so you can be on top of new additions or sales. You can subscribe to our mailing list at Ruby Lane via THIS LINK. (You need to be registered to subscribe).

As for my colleague who prompted this blog, she did manage to get a refund after many heated emails and lots of frustration. The seller accused her of chipping the earring! My colleague asked if she was also responsible for the dirt and wear to the earrings in the short time she'd had them? She had to provide photos to prove her point and get her refund. None of that would have been necessary if the seller had been knowledgeable, caring and above all, honest.

Do you have a horror story to share about something you've purchased? Why not tell us about it in a comment on this post?