Mother's Day Jewelry Sale!!!

Anna Bloom Designs is currently running a Mother's Day Sale to honor all of the hardworking mothers who deserve to be adorned. All designs will be 20% off (excluding Saturn Pearl collection) until May 11th. Adorn your mother with natural turquoise, amber, hematite, rose quartz, rainbow moonstone, pearls, silver, or mother of pearl!

One of a Kind Designs offered at GalleriE Chiz, Pittsburgh, PA

A collection of one-of-a-kind designs by designer, Anna Bloom, is currently being featured at GalleriE Chiz on Ellsworth in the Shadyside district of Pittsburgh, PA. Featured designs include artful workings of raw cuts of garnet, aquamarine, turquoise, kyanite, spinel, and other beautiful stones.

Jewelry Geology - Geology Lesson about Turquoise

Turquoise

Turquoise is typically formed as a byproduct from the interaction of percolating solutions and pre-existing minerals. It is typically found in arid regions, filling or encrusting shallow (<20m) cavities and fractures, typically in highly altered volcanic rocks.

Turquoise is mainly found in Persia, Sinai, United States, Mexico and China. For at least 2,000 years, the region once known as Persia, has remained the most important source of turquoise, for it is here that fine material is most consistently recovered. Turquoise is also found in Sinai. Since at least the First Dynasty (3000 BCE), and possibly before then, turquoise was used by the Egyptians. The color of Sinai material is typically greener than Iranian material. China has been a minor source of turquoise for 3,000 years or more. Other significant source areas include: Afghanistan; Australia, northern Chile, Cornwall, Saxony, Silesia, and Turkestan. The Southwest United States is a significant source of turquoise; Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada are (or were) especially rich. The deposits of California and New Mexico were historically mined by Native Americans using stone tools, some local and some from as far away as central Mexico. While turquoise of fine color and durability is sometimes found in the United States, most American turquoise is of a low grade (called "chalk turquoise") and is too friable for use in jewelry.

For more information about the geology of stones that are commonly used in semi-precious jewelry see out Geology page in www.annabloomdesigns.com.

Some of the above material description are cited directly from or based on information taken from www.wikipedia.org.

Jewelry Designer, Anna Bloom, Will Offer a Trunk Show at "Bling It On!" (Pittsburgh) December 22nd

On Saturday, December 22nd, Jewelry Designer, Anna Bloom will offer a trunk show at "Bling It On!" boutique. "Bling It On!" is located 5880 Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside (Pittsburgh, PA).

Anna will be showing her current line of limited edition jewelry, which was inspired during her time living in Milan, Italy. The trunk show will run from 11am to 5pm.

Give Her a Unique Gift for Christmas or Hanukkah!

Give her something that she doesn't already have....stamped, limited edition jewelry by geologist/designer, Anna Bloom (www.annabloomdesigns.com). Limited editions of only 50 to 60 pieces are hand-made from each jewelry designs. These artistic jewelry pieces are protected by a registered copyright, so they will not be mass-produced and will maintain their unique presence. Almost all limited edition pieces are stamped with the edition number on the back of the pendant or clasp as “Lim Ed #/50”.

This special touch of giving something that will not be mass-produced results in gift-giving that is more personal and not to be forgotten. These designs are received as having an exceptional artistic quality.

Or, if you would like to learn about the geology (and/or mythology) of silver and the stones that are used in these jewelry pieces, please click here.

10 Tips on How to Pick Out Jewelry for Her

Giving a woman jewelry is likely to constantly remind them how much you appreciate them. This makes jewelry a very enticing gift, however, most men would agree that selecting jewelry for a woman can be challenging. Successfully choosing jewelry that she will appreciate and wear will convey that you know her and her style. This is a priceless gift in itself and is very impressive to a woman. Even if you don’t know a lot about women’s styles or jewelry, following these 10 tips can help prepare you to select something that your special woman will love!

1. What type and/or color of stones are in her jewelry collection (snoop!), particularly the pieces that she wears? These are likely the stones that she prefers.
2. Does she predominantly wear gold or silver? If she predominantly wears silver, it may be likely that she doesn’t like to wear gold.
3. Does she wear larger or smaller/understated pieces? Maybe she wears simple pieces around the house and to work, and more pronounced pieces to go out to parties, dinners, etc..
4. Notice the size of her neck and wrists. If she is average sized, most jewelry should fit her. For necklaces, lengths of 16” to 18” are likely to fit. If she likes to wear low hanging necklaces, 20” or longer may be appropriate. If her wrists are particularly petite or large, you may want to contact the designer or jeweler to see if the size can be specially modified.
5. Observe the style of her clothing, including what she is wearing to work and also for going out. It is likely that she will want her jewelry to coordinate with her clothing.
6. Observe which colors that she likes to wear and which colors are flattering for her. Once again, she will likely want to coordinate.
7. Ask her friends what she might like. Be sure to ask a friend that is not going to tell her.
8. If you are looking to purchase jewelry with a more unique presence, you might consider one-of-a-kind or limited edition designer pieces.
9. If you buy her something unique, it may be nice to buy it in a set of necklace and earrings, or necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. For example, if you buy her just the necklace or earrings, it may be challenging for her to find the counterpart to match. Or you can give her another piece of the set for a different holiday.
10. It is okay to take risks! After all, it is possible that she does not make the effort to buy herself special pieces and would greatly appreciate them. Sometimes it takes another person to have the perception to know what would look good on somebody else, especially if you find a unique piece of jewelry. And, if she is particularly busy, she may not have the time or energy to update her jewelry collection and search out the pieces that she may find to be special. She will likely cherish your efforts more that you will know!

Now that you are ready to select some jewelry for either your wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, daughter, or friend, you will need to decide on where to make this purchase. If you have limited free time, shopping on the internet can be a convenient option that will provide you with the greatest variety of jewelry pieces. If you know her favorite boutique, stop by and see if there is anything that she might like. Or, peruse the many other options, such as department stores, malls, art galleries, etc.. Be sure to inquire about the type of metal that is used. You will want to ask if this metal (silver, gold, platinum, etc.) is solid or plated. Also, it is good to ask if the stones are natural or man-made. Surprisingly, there are many man-made or died versions of stones out there. Also, you may want to know if the jewelry is hand-made. Hand-made jewelry tends to have a more authentic look to it. If you are buying directly from a designer on the internet, you can usually find this information within their website.

Jewelry is a wonderful gift that is timeless and can fit into any woman’s busy schedule. It can be a mark of sophistication, status, and even a statement that they are adorned by somebody who loves them. It is often intimidating for men to pick-out jewelry for women, but the effort is well worth how much she will appreciate her new jewelry.

This article was written by jewelry designer, Anna Bloom, owner of Anna Bloom – Limited Edition Designs (www.annabloomdesigns.com). She can be contacted at: designer@annabloomdesigns.com.

On Saturday, December 22nd, Jewelry Designer, Anna Bloom will offer a jewelry show at "Bling It On!" boutique. "Bling It On!" is located 5880 Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside (Pittsburgh, PA). Anna will be showing her current line of limited edition jewelry, which was inspired during her time living in Milan, Italy. The trunk show will run from 11am to 5pm. Come visit us, and we will be happy to help you pick out a very special gift for the woman in your life.


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Anna Bloom Jewelry Designs Featured at Lahara Gallery

Anna Bloom - Limited Edition Designs are currently being featured at Lahara Gallery, located in the Washington, DC vicinity. The recently released "For the Love of Turquoise" necklace is currently being offered at the Lahara Gallery. This piece is also offered through the designer's website.