Making Shinny Rocks while the sun shines

Connecting Dots on the Internet 06/20/2014  0 Comments  It’s all about connections, or at least I have found that to be true on the internet marketplace. So, let’s connect some dots. To date I have an account on Etsy and Pinterest….check. Likewise I am connected to Facebook and Twitter…check. Next I managed to get my website submitted to Google, Bing and Yahoo…check. And let’s not forget where I started…eBay…check. Is all of this really necessary? In my humble opinion, a big fat YES. Anyone who thinks that all you have to do in today’s economic environment is open a store and wait for the customers to come running, is sorely mistaken. I remember hearing as a child that opportunity does not come knocking at your door. That is a basic truth no matter what widgets or better mousetraps you have designed and produced. If you want something to happen in this world you must make it happen. A wise person once told me that in good times you should advertise, in bad times you MUST advertise. I rest my case. One must make available use of all media to promote your product or service. You need to develop connections and promote yourself and your product. There is no better way that through internet marketing. Do I know all there is to know about internet marketing? Definitely not. Am I willing to continue to learn and grow.? You bet your bippy. Learning is growth and I will always remember who is king in my world, Customers. Indeed. At Silk and Sterling I endeavor to take care of each and every one of my client customers regardless of the size of their purchase. Please give us a try and watch us dazzle you with old time customer service. Add Comment "Lapidary" Avoid this at all costs ($$) !!! 06/18/2014 0 Comments  I have always been a bit of a rock hound. When I was a kid my father polished rocks, which I thought was pretty cool. So I decided to try to duplicate some of what he had done. Where does everyone go for information these days….the internet? I very quickly became disillusioned. Look up anything “Lapidary” online and the dollar sighs jump off the page and slap you in the face. I learned about the basic equipment and tools necessary to cut, shape, drill and polish rocks were way, way off my budget. Trim saws (several hundreds of $) Flat lap grinders..($), diamond drill bits and grinding wheels…($). Rotary and vibratory tumblers…($). Let’s not forget cabochon grinding machines. (think thousands of dollars for these) Then you will need to dig up or buy the rocks and purchase tumbling grits and polish. Wow! I was just looking for a hobby not an online course in brain surgery. Then it dawned on me. I was looking in all the wrong places for all the wrong things. Erase “Lapidary” from your mind set. Think generic vs. brand name, usage rather than Label. Now, search for tile saws instead of Lapidary trip saws. You can buy a tile saw with a diamond blade at Harbor Freight Tools for around $50 - $60. Folks, it does the same job as a trim saw at a great deal less cost than the previously mentioned lapidary trim saw. The same can be said for buying a bench grinder and adding a diamond grinding wheel. As to drilling and shaping, think eBay for diamond bits and wheels for use on a standard hand drill and bench grinder. I think you can see where I am going here. If you can afford the deluxe models and have money to burn, by all means shop away. I couldn’t do that and a think most folks can’t either. Do your research, browse the internet and scoop up the deals that are out there every day. I have accumulated a fully functional “lapidary” shop at a cost below 10% of one of the higher priced tools alone. But, hey, that’s just me. Feel free to do your own thing. Just found an interesting link for ring sizing for those of you who may be interested:  © Developed by: http://www.JewelryKind.com Add Comment  Small Medium or Large? You be the Judge 06/17/2014  0 Comments  There is no doubt, in my mind at least, that we are a brand new and likely, to date, an insignificant company. We can say we are a small company. Actually I think that might not be accurate. Maybe we are a mini company or a micro company, maybe you could say we might even be a micro-mini company. Bit E gads who can really quantify that..right? Actually, though, does size really matter? Hmm maybe I need to rephrase here. I think the size or stature of a company is really subjective. The heart and soul of a company is invariably reflected in the quality of the products and not in the size of the building or the number of employees. Small though we are, we put a lot of heart into each and every one of our handmade artisan jewelry creations. Each piece reflects our spirit and creativity, as if we were making it for a cherished relative. I hope our products impress you and that you will consider purchasing one that your like. Likewise, please contact us if you have something special in mind and we will do our best to create a custom piece for you without charging a custom price. In addition please check out our latest eBay listings by clicking HERE As always we appreciate your business and the for the time you chose to spend with us today Add Comment  Cool Things About Agates  06/16/2014  0 Comments  I have been gathering information online about one of the many types of stones I work with. I thought I would share with you what I have learned about the Agate, which is one of my favorites The mineral class of the agate is Quartz (Chalcedony) & Quartz (Chalcedony). A generally accepted requirement in the definition of Agate is that it has to be banded. This qualification distinguishes it from other forms of Chalcedony which are not banded. The agate is a banded form of finely-grained, microcrystalline Quartz. The lovely color patterns and banding make this translucent gemstone very unique. Agates can have many distinctive styles and patterns, but each Agate is unique in its own habit, with no two Agates being the same. Some of the colors agates come in are; white, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple, Gray, Black, Banded, Multicolored. Agates have an over-abundance and variety of names. Some variety names are generally used by collectors and dealers, but there are many made up by dealers to describe a locality or other habit.To name a few of the more common ones; Blue Lace Agate, Botswana Agate,Fire Agate, Snakeskin Agate, I think you get the idea. Agate is generally an inexpensive gemstone when used in jewelry. It is cut and polished into cabochons, and used as beads for necklaces and bracelets. It is also carved into cameos which can be worn as pendants. Agate makes an exquisite ornamental stone, and is cut into slabs, animal carvings, ornate book ends, and small statues and figures. Ornaments such as knife handles, pins, snuff boxes and the like are also cut from Agate. The history of Agate production is closely tied to German town of Idar-Oberstein, which has evolved as an important gemstone center. Agates and Jasper were historically found in the Idar-Oberstein region, and cut and polished by local craftsman. With the discovery of the enormous Agate deposits in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in the 1800's, the new material was shipped to Idar-Oberstein for cutting and polishing. The local Agate cutters of Idar-Oberstein were well-suited for this job, having been historically trained in this profession. Idar-Oberstain remains today as an important cutting and polishing center. But enough about the whats and whereas of Agate. You May want to see what I have done with some of the agates I have for sale. Check out our new online store HERE Please visit my Ebay auctions by clicking HERE. Add Comment You have to give something to get something  06/13/2014  0 Comments  Picture Just set up a new program offering buyers a cash back reward for every purchase from my eBay listings. This includes your first and all repeat purchases from me. Each purchase earns a 2% cash back reward that can be accumulated and used for what ever purpose you desire, since it will be sent to your PayPal account. The cash back option is easy to opt in by accepting my offer on an email sent to you after your first purchase, or you can simply ignore it. No harm, no Foul. You need not be concerned that I will flood your email address with specials or sales pitches to buy more, more, more. About once every two weeks you will receive email from me, and you may opt out at any time. Why pass up free money, but that's just me. Add Comment We are NOT Google....Duh ! 06/12/2014 0 Comments  Picture No we are not Google, though I sometimes wish we were. Definitely would do some things differently. Not likely going to happen in this reality. However, it doesn't mean that we don't try as hard at being a top rate company. We work every day at improving our products. We research across the web to update our skills and learn about new methods and techniques to insure that we are at the top of our game We like who we are and like being in control of what we will become. Imagination, perseverance, customer service and just plain determination to be the best at what we do. That being designing and making jewelry using rough rocks and turning them into something that nature didn't even imagine. We have fun doing what we do while making pendants, wire wrapped pendants as well as earrings and necklaces using the best findings we can get our hands on. Including great Sterling Silver, Gold Filled and plated chains, ear wires and bails and silver plated wire. .Give us a try and thanks for visiting us when you have so many other choices on the web to garner you attention Add Comment  Making Polished Rocks while the sun shines  06/11/2014  0 Comments  Picture I have been ramping up the RPM’s of my lapidary saw, tumblers and shaper/grinder to process new and beautiful stones for my eBay listings. In the loop, as they say, is striped, moss and Botswana agates, green and gold adventurine, amethyst and petrified wood. I process shape and polish each and every stone by hand. That done I then pass on my mighty creations to my daughter, whose smaller hands and better eyesight allow her to let loose her creativity. Depending on the stone color and shape she will wire wrap the stones using appropriate color of wire and / or attach bails to complete the pendant. Lately, I have been building my inventor of gold filled and sterling silver chains to combine with each pendant for a great finished product ready to grace the pages of eBay. I work continuously to improve the product quality and reduce my costs so that I can pass these savings on to my eBay clients. Additionally, I always offer free shipping for all my listings. I will NOT pad hidden shipping charges to offer a lower price for any item. This is simply dishonest, and though I know other sellers do this, I will never practice this type of deception. After all I want to keep my customers happy and coming back for the quality and affordable prices I offer. Finally, I consider customer service as job one. I will quickly and fairly deal with any dissatisfaction voiced by my customers. I do stand behind everything I sell.