Second Annual Centurion Emerging Designer Awards

CENTURION 2010 EMERGING DESIGNER AWARDS

Fine Jewelry Designers, this is your chance to get your jewelry line
in front of the most desired retail stores in the U.S. Market!

Winners of the second annual Centurion Emerging Designer Awards will be given a shared exhibit space to introduce themselves to their ideal retail audience at Centurion Tucson 2010, the premiere high-end jewelry buying show.

This competition is open to all designers, regardless of experience, formal training or background in jewelry design, as long as:

 You have never exhibited as a solo artist
 You have the ability to exhibit at a trade fair
 You have the ability to supply high-end retailers should they want to purchase your line

Centurion 2009 will be held in Tucson, Arizona from January 30 (set-up and social day) – February 2, 2010. Winners will have the opportunity to exhibit their line for the duration of the show, as well as participate in the show events and experiences.

Entry Deadline: August 21 , 2009

For full rules, and to participate, visit the PDF link below, complete the form and email it along with up to 3 high-resolution images of your jewelry (you may need to break this into several emails if images are more than 1 meg each) to hh@centurionjewelry.com.

RULES AND ENTRY FORM LINK or copy and paste http://www.centurionjewelry.com/Centurion10EmergingDesignerEntryForm.pdf into your browser address window to access the entry form.

Centurion, 1745 Merrick Ave., Ste. 5, Merrick, NY 11566 USA, 516-377-5909, F. 516-377-5871, Email. info@centurionjewelry.com

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Winners are chosen based on a design balance of creativity, originality, production quality, craftsmanship, and the ability to sell in high-end stores. For a story on the artists that won the 2009 Award see this link to JCK Online.

JUDGES SET FOR AGTA SPECTRUM AWARDS

July 8, 2009 – Dallas, TX: The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) announced the judges for the 2010 AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition. They are:

Design consultant/writer Marlene Richey

Gem artist John Hatleburg

Jewelry designer Mish Tworkowski of Mish New York

Jewelry editor Nicole Keating of Women’s Wear Daily and W magazine

Antique jewelry expert Ben Macklowe of The Macklowe Gallery

Jewelry designer Cecelia Bauer.

"We really wanted to bring a broad range of perspectives to the judging process," stated Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA CEO. "This panel of judges brings a wealth of knowledge and keen sense of jewelry design."

The AGTA Spectrum Awards™ is the premiere colored gemstone and pearl jewelry design competition in the world. The competition is in its 26th year of existence and sets the bar for jewelry designers and lapidaries. The winning designs are featured in consumer and trade press. Furthermore, all entries get tremendous exposure through the competition’s Editor’s Day in New York City, where many pieces are requested for subsequent photo shoots.

The competition judges jewelry designs in five categories: Evening, Business/Day Wear, Classical, Bridal and Men’s Wear. Once again this year, Platinum Guild International (PGI) will select a design from each category to receive Platinum Honors, with the winners receiving an incredible value-added promotional package. The Cutting Edge division judges excellence in gemstone faceting, carving and objects of art.

For more information and entry forms for the 2010 AGTA Spectrum Awards™, please visit www.agta.org/awards or call 1-800-972-1162. The deadline for entries is September 25, 2009.

Call for Art: SEE-Scapes

Call for Art: SEE-Scapes

Whereas I was blind, now I see. ~ John ix. 25.
Exhibition Dates: August 7-30, 2009

A common phrase used by most people is “I see” when they really mean, “I understand”. What do we really see, as artists’; with our eyes, hearts, minds? Through a lens, with a brush, with our hands. Don’t just take a look… See…

The following are only examples. Devise your own meaning…

To have the power to perceive with or as if with the eye

To have a mental image of, visualize– To understand, comprehend– to look at or recognize with the eyes

To believe possible, imagine

To take note of, recognize

To share the companionship of often or regularly

Cards: to match (a bet) or match the bet of (a bettor) by staking an equal sum

The official seat, center of authority, jurisdiction, or office of a bishop–to understand.

see after–see off–see out–see through–see to–see red–see you later


Eligibility: Open to all artists over 18 years of age. Open to all media, including: 2-D, 3-D, sculptural works, photography, mixed media, crafts and experimental works. All work must be original and have been completed within the last five years. All entries will be juried from digital images (300dpi) on CD’s or 8x10 photographs. Entries must be submitted via mail. Drop-offs will also be accepted. Email entries will not be accepted. Provide one image for each piece submitted. Two images will be accepted for three-dimensional works. Please code each image with the title of the work, and write your name on the CD.

The deadline for submissions is July 31.

Entry fee: $6 per submission/$15 for 3. Artists may submit up to 3 works.

For a prospectus and entry form, please email: ex.art42@gmail.com

Allochromatic and Idiochromatic minerals

If you know me you know that I am attracted to "new" words...

Today's Daily Jewel is inspired by the latest auction offering from Keith at Trinity Minerals mineral-auctions.com

This time around the theme is minerals colored by nickel, lead or chromium. Check them out at:

http://auction2.mineral-auctions.com

This theme was suggested by Miranda (of Dakota Matrix) and include allochromatic and idiochromatic minerals.

Idiochromatic refers to minerals whose color is set by their composition. A good example of an idiochromatic mineral is linarite which is always an intense blue color.

Allochromatic refers to minerals whose color varies based on the presence of impurities. Green grossulars are a good example as the presence of chromium in ppm levels causes the normally colorless grossular garnet to be tinted green... another maybe more familiar example is ruby which is the chromium rich variety of corundum.

Check out the auction for more on these terms...but get there soon. The Crocoite specimen pictured from the area of Dundas, Tasmania in Australia has already sold out!

Photo Info: Crocoite offered by Bill Logan - It is "an aesthetic grouping of stout parallel prismatic crystals with excellent luster and a bright orange-red color. Crocoite is one of the very few Chromate minerals considered collectable due to its vivid color. This is due to Chromium, a versatile chromaphor, which also imparts color to Ruby and Emerald. The lead content adds density and luster. This is an older specimen featuring stout blunt crystals, less fragile than more recent specimens. The featured aerial terminarion is undamaged but imperfect with accumulation of the yellow granular mineral so often seen in association with Dundas material. The accessory crystals do show some conchoidal fractures, but overall it displays beautifully."

Saturday - Blog Reads

A gathering of blogs by artisans, jewelers and hobbyist!

Beading, Wire and Metal Bloggers
...discover - inspire - learn!

Snap out of it Jean! There's beading to be done...

The Beaded Lily's Sketchbook

Bergin's Jewelry

Haifa Shawwa's Jewelry

Shaktipaj Designs - No Detail Too Small

Steam Powered Rings

Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Cosmo's Moon Jewelry

...and for a great range of inspired designs and beautiful gems...

Magpie Gemstone's Client Gallery

STOLEN!!!! Rare Gems & Minerals!

URGENT NEWS!!!!

Rare Earth Mining Company

Bill Heher of Rare Earth Mining recently posted the following:

    A portion of Rare Earth Mining Co.'s unusual and highly recognizable inventory was stolen in a smash and grab theft in Pennsylvania. The thieves gained access to the vehicle by smashing the right rear glass panel window. Suspects have been arrested in the case trying to cash checks made out to the company. The stones have     yet to be recovered. "This inventory is highly identifiable", said Bill Heher, owner of the company."       Jewelers, designers, and collectors will recognize the items if offered for sale." A significant reward for recovery of all or part of the merchandise is available to persons supplying the correct information. Contact Officer Durilla with the Pennsylvania State Police at 610-395-1438. A portion of the inventory follows. 
Azurite Malachite matched pairs 
Single large Azurite /Malachite (Large green eyes in blue field freeform)
Insects in Amber Collection 
Star Rose Quartz Cabochons (deep pink fine stars) 
Pyrite in Quartz oval (water clear quartz w/ pyrite cube) 
12ct Cuprian Tourmaline Trillion 
29ct Imperial Topaz pear shape 
Drusy Chrysocolla cabs 
Gem Chrysocolla Cabs 
Assorted orange fire opal faceted stones 
10.12ct Intense yellow Sapphire cushion 
Magnetite jade slabs plated with gold 
Super gem Rhodocrosite cabs 
Matched amethyst stalactites 
A large Green petrified wood branch specimen (forearm size)    
 More info:

    Bill at Rare Earth 203-545-1351

    Rare Earth Mining Company

American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) Modifies Its Disclosure Wording On Heated Rubies...

AGL is modifying its disclosure terminology used for heated rubies, by exchanging the term “Inorganic (fluxtype)” with “Heating residues”. As well as including the statement “Heating residues are deposited along healed fractures during the heating process.” as an additional description under their comments section of all grading reports.

A contentious topic for more than a decade is the manner or description in which the healing of fissures during the heating process of rubies are handled.. As part of the heating process for rubies, it is common practice to coat the stones in a variety of fluxing agents. As the temperature increases, these fluxing agents melt, partially dissolve the ruby’s surface and facilitate in the healing of fissures, effectively sealing and reducing the appearance of the fissures and improving the general durability of the stone. AGL has traditionally used the following terminology to describe this enhancement: “Clarity: Inorganic (fluxtype)”, with additional terminology that addressed the relative quantity of material that remained (e.g. faint, moderate, etc.).

In actuality, the use of fluxing agents during the heating process results in a combination of features or materials being deposited and remaining along the newly healed fissures. The previously open fissures are replaced by planes consisting of regrown ruby (synthetic), solidified vitreous melt (glass) and voids (empty bubbles). The relative amount of these three parts depends on many factors. To better try and communicate the multiple and complex nature of these remaining biproducts, many labs around the world starting using the term “heating residues” with terms describing the relative quantity (such as: minor residues in fissures).

Prior to heating rubies are coated with fluxing agents.

As temperatures rise during the heating process these fluxing agents melt and enter surface reaching fissures.

As the ruby cools at the end of the heating process, tiny amounts of ruby (corundum) is regrown healing and bonding the fissures. Also remaining confined to the newly healed fissures are solid vitreous melts and tiny voids.

Roughly over the past 10 years, multiple labs have been using the term “heating residues” to describe this combination of regrown ruby, glass and empty bubbles along the healed fissures. As a result, the industry and users of these reports have come to understand the intended meaning of this term and the relative quantification that accompanies it. Meanwhile, the AGL’s use of the term “Clarity enhancement: Inorganic (fluxtype)” has not provided any greater clarity of this issue or understanding to wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

As a result, effective immediately AGL is modifying its disclosure terminology used for heated rubies, by exchanging the term “Inorganic (fluxtype)” with “Heating residues”. As well as including an additional description under the comments section of all Prestige and FastTrack reports, stating: “Heating residues are deposited along healed fractures during the heating process.”

AGL is committed to providing high quality reporting.

Christopher P. Smith, President American Gemological Laboratories LLC

Christopher P. Smith

American Gemological Laboratories

Tel. (212) 704-0727

E-mal: agl@aglgemlab.com

My thanks to Howard Pomerantz for forwarding this info to the Daily Jewel!