Tuesday's Treasures: With Jewelry, Often You Get What You Pay For

In an article from DailyMail.co.uk more inexpensive jewelry has been found on store shelves containing high levels of lead, mercury and cadmium. These items are marketed at children/teens/young adults and are sold in stores such as H&M, Claire's and Forever21, just to name a few (here's the link to the article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2117157/Claires-Forever-21-H-M-costume-jewellery-contains-high-levels-dangerous-chemicals.html ). While I would never recommend anyone wearing jewelry with these metals, growing children/teens are at particular risk of problems from these metals as they are still growing, their bodies absorbing many more toxins than adults normally would.

In this case, you really do get what you pay for. Cheap jewelry is going to be made with toxic metals, inferior connections, and little or no quality control. The prices of silver, gold, copper and platinum are at near record highs, and many large corporations are willing to sacrifice your health to make profits. The article notes that even items labelled as "Lead Free" still often had lead, and, in some cases, were ENTIRELY made of lead. Disgusting!

Here's just a snippet of what these metals can do, taken from the article on DailyMail:

PROMINENT HARMFUL CHEMICALS AND THEIR EFFECTS 

LEAD

• The impact of even the smallest traces of lead on brain development in children includes irreversible learning and developmental problems leading to to lower IQ scores, delayed learning and shorter attention spans
• The EPA has listed lead as a probable human carcinogen

CADMIUM

• Cadmium is classified as a known human carcinogen, associated with lung and prostate cancer
• Cadmium exposure is associated in animal studies with developmental effects, including possible decreases in birth weight, delayed sensory-motor development, hormonal effects, and altered behavior 
• Exposure to cadmium can result in bone loss and increased blood pressure
• Acute toxicity from ingestion of high levels of cadmium can result in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and death
• Acute toxicity from inhalation of high levels of cadmium can result in symptoms similar to metal fume fever and severe gastroenteritis from high levels of cadmium ingestion 

CHROMIUM

• Laboratory studies indicate that Cr (VI) may cause birth defects, and reproductive problems particularly in males
• Higher levels of exposure have caused asthma attacks and nasal irritation in people

MERCURY

• All forms of mercury can affect the kidneys
• Organic, inorganic, and metallic mercury are toxic to the nervous system, each affecting different regions of the brain
• Young children are more sensitive to mercury and may be exposed to mercury via the mother’s body to the fetus or through breast milk 

ARSENIC

• Inorganic arsenic is a known human carcinogen
• There is strong evidence that it is linked to lung, skin, and bladder cancer
• Inorganic arsenic may also cause skin irritation, skin color changes, blood disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and hormone disruption 
• Preliminary data suggest that inorganic arsenic may interfere with normal fetal development and cause deficits in brain development and intelligence
• Preliminary studies have correlated type 2 diabetes with low-level arsenic consumption, implying that drinking low levels of arsenic may lead to type 2 diabetes

THIS is exactly why I started making my own jewelry, so many years ago: I was getting rashes, my skin was turning green where the cheap jewelry touched me, and I knew, deep down, that something wasn't right with jewelry that could look so pretty, but be so inexpensive, lose their finishes quickly, and break so easily.

Camelia Bracelet, Now Available in My Shop on Etsy

While I use Swarovski crystal pearls and crystals, that do contain some lead (it IS leaded crystal, after all!), I am happy to use other alternatives when asked. I also recommend that children do not wear jewelry unattended, as they tend to put things in their mouths, which can lead to them being exposed to unsafe metals. I also recommend that parents talk to their children and teens about the dangers of chemicals leaching into their bodies from cheap jewelry, especially when put in their mouths. I shudder at the recollections of my childhood and teenage years, when I would put jewelry in my mouth. I wish I'd known then what damage I could have been doing!

For use in my handcrafted jewelry, I only purchase gemstones that are non-irradiated and try to give the exact gemstone name when I list a piece for sale. I only buy from reputable gemstone sellers, and I am happy to tell people where the gemstones came from, when I get that information myself.

When I use metals, I mainly use sterling silver, bare copper, and 14karat gold filled wire (I will be doing an article on what gold-filled is, versus gold plated, stay tuned for that). I occasionally use red brass, but I ALWAYS state what is in my pieces, so that if you have metal sensitivities, you will know which pieces to stay away from. I am always happy to make pieces in another metal to suit your tastes and allergies, all you have to do is ask. I get my materials from honest suppliers who also state what is in the materials I purchase, and I am happy to always answer questions regarding my pieces to the best of my knowledge and ability.

My pieces cost more, yes, but they are made with much higher quality materials than the cheap pieces you can get in almost every store out there. My pieces are high quality, and I take pride in making them as strong and as durable as possible, so that when you invest in one of my pieces, you can buy with confidence, knowing that it will last a lifetime with proper care and use.

What do you think of this article on Daily Mail? Are you surprised that cheap jewelry has toxic ingredients?

Monday's Fashion: A Little Dose of Color!

A great Casual Friday or Weekend Look is easier than you think!

Hello again everyone, I hope you're doing well after our Daylight Savings change yesterday. Today I have a great, easy way to update your Casual Friday or Weekend Look with a few of this spring's fashion trends.

A few weeks ago I showed you a great outfit of patterned browns: http://lowallergykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/fashionable-browns-and-whats-new-this.html but today is all about COLOR!

Bright colors are very in (and SO refreshing after a winter of white, grey and brown!), and really easy to do if you know how. I know brightly colored, pencil-thin jeans are really in style, but I'm going to be honest - I have normal curves, these kinds of jeans don't really look all that great on my curves. If I were a super-skinny size 00, and looked like the models in all the adverts, it might be a different story, but that is life, and I'm working with what I have :)

So, to get us a nice pop of those super-stylish colors everyone is talking about, why not go with a poppy red jacket? It'll brighten up your grey, rainy mornings, that's for sure! Red is a nice warm, happy color, and this great cropped pea coat from Gap.com is fantastic. It is bright, but still stylish and is a great shape for almost any body type. For a casual Friday, put on a nice white button down shirt underneath and you're ready to roll. For weekends, try a white or black t-shirt. Good to go!

For a casual Friday look, it is usually advisable to go with a dark jean, which is infinitely more flattering to our rear regions, so I found a fantastic pair of "Kimmie" 7 For All Mankind Jeans from Bloomingdales.com that are great for those of us with curves. They are a mid-waist, with a dark wash and nicely positioned pockets to flatter our bottoms. A slight flare helps to elongate our legs, which is always nice!

For your feet, why not try a sexy black flat? These "Lula" black patent flats from JCrew.com are a bit of a splurge, but they'll last for years, and keep your feet feeling great. For a little extra oomph, try a black court heel. It'll lengthen your legs and give your bum a little lift, which is always nice too :)

For accessories, stacked bracelets are very in style, so how about this great set of 5 adjustable bracelets? This "Summer Seduction Set of 5 Bracelets" in my shop on Etsy, found here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/93557147/summer-seduction-set-of-5-multicolored is great no matter what your wrist size, and because there are 5 different bracelets, you can wear all of them, or just a few, depending on your mood. This necklace is also great - the "Boudicca Coins Celtic Spiral Necklace" is right on trend with mixes metals and wire work. Find it here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/14703105/boudicca-coins-celtic-spiral-necklace It is a great mid-length so that it can easily be worn over a collared shirt, but isn't too big and  busy so it still looks great for work.

What do you think? Would you wear this? What would you change?

Coming up this week: A new bracelet, Arwen's staying healthy, a great feature on a children's clothing artist and your weekend dose of Squee. Keep checking back for more great posts!

Tuesday's Treasures: Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace

Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace

Today is such a treat, I've been waiting to unveil this little beauty for over 2 weeks! This is the newest necklace for my NeoAmour designer collection. It is inspired by the enigmatic Cleopatra, ruler of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians are very well known for their beautiful ancient jewelry - many pieces are found to have multiple strands, along with talismans and decorative pendants (seems they were quite ahead of the times in more than just architecture). Jewelry is depicted on many of the ancient tombs. It was a symbol of power, wealth and standing, and Cleopatra's jewelry would have been no different.

This necklace started out with this dramatic and unique focal bead, purchased from Louise of Fireseed (http://www.fireseed.etsy.com). She makes the most amazing beads, and I usually have a hard time sticking to a set spending limit (but it is ALWAYS worth going over budget to get her beads!!). I saw this incredible goddess bead over a year ago and fell in love with it, though I didn't quite know what to do with it until chance brought a few bags of stone beads and the pendant bead all in the same place at the same time. 

I started doing inventory in December (I still haven't finished, don't remind me, haha!), and as I pulled out a few bags of beads to count, they spilled into each other. I was about to curse when I took a second look and, well, Eureka! is the word that comes to mind now. A vibrant mix of turquoise, amber, lapis lazuli (Cleopatra used to grind up lapis lazuli to use as her eye makeup!), black Czech glass beads and brass-plated pewter findings all came together to create this 3-strand masterpiece.

I had been reading a brief history of Cleopatra and was thinking how brave she must have been to have accomplished everything she did. I wanted to make a necklace that would show her love of her country, her bravery, yet also show her vulnerable side. These beads spoke to me and said, "Make us into something Cleopatra would have loved..."

Cleopatra's history is long and the accounts vary depending on who does the telling - many were simply trying to discredit her for their own ends, as was (and is) common. Many said that she was an evil seductress. More likely is that she was a powerful, intelligent woman trying to find a powerful, intelligent man to help her stabilize her rule in a very unstable time.

Cleopatra's Blue Goddess Necklace

The goddess has always been a symbol of femininity and fertility, and I thought that this would be a perfect fit in a necklace for a young Cleopatra. By the time she was eighteen, she had witnessed her two sisters assassinations (they had each tried to take the throne from their father), her father's death, the decline of the Egyptian empire into perilous debt to Rome (thanks to her father) and had been forced to marry her own 12 year old brother. When Caesar came to Egypt to try to sort out Egypt's problems, I can see Cleopatra wearing a necklace like this to symbolize her fertility and womanhood. At that time, one of the only ways to stay safe on her throne would be to have outside help, and a strong man like Caesar would have been just the person to help her (he did, and she had his son, Cesarion).

This is a one of a kind necklace. I can never get the exact same goddess bead again, so if you like this necklace, please get it while you can.

This necklace is now available for sale on my Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleStudioJewels?ref=si_shop. Please take a look and get it while you can. I may have enough beads to make a matching necklace or earrings, please contact me if you are interested.

Friday Favorites - Happy Canada Day!

 Left: Made To Order - Circular Design Pysanka by ukraineastereggs Right: Maple Leaf Lace Beanie - Any Kid Size - Made to Order by IraRott

Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians and Canadians at heart! To celebrate, I thought I would do this Friday's Favorites with a few of my favorite items from my fellow Canadian Etsy artists. Please make sure to visit their shops and send them a little Canada Day love :)

 Left: Poppy Painting Entitled Summer Garden by grafittifirl Right: Celtic Heart Earrings Sterling Silver Czech Glass by littlestudiojewels

I love the fact that many of these items are one of a kind, and the others are made to order - you get something unique, beautiful, handmade and Canadian, pretty good...eh?

 Left: Pottery Berry Bowl Set by adornyourself Right: Mid Century Modern Pomegranate Pillow Cover by fromtheworkroom

 I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, happy Canada Day!

HUGE 50% Off Sale in My Etsy Store!

I need to make room for all of the creations I want to make, and to do that, I am selling almost all of my jewelry for 50% off! Why not get your holiday shopping done now, and have some money left over to buy something for yourself? See the sale section here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlestudiojewels
Happy shopping!

Meghann

Time to Celebrate My 2 Year Etsy-versary!

It's been 2 years to the day since I opened my shop on Etsy, LittleStudioJewels - http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleStudioJewels - and to celebrate, everything in my shop will be 20% off before shipping and taxes! I'll refund your discount through PayPal after you've paid.

What a great deal! Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Happy shopping :)