Did Somebody Say Ruby?

Wait till you see what we’ve been designing!  (Well, you don't have to wait; just call your friendly neighborhood* Jewelry Doctor at 415/796-3969 to see the collection--and, of course, to tell us what’s on your wishlist.)

In the meantime, here is a favorite from our archives with vital information about a very special stone, which, as many of you know, is this month’s birthstone.  http://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2015/07/just-right-ruby.html

*If you can read this, we're in the neighborhood.

Real Estate, or The Long and Short of It

 “I don’t know if there are enough beads,” said Carolyn.  

She was right. There were a lot missing.

We talked about a couple solutions:  

a) Rebuild the necklace, keeping the design intact but making the bottom section on each side two-strand rather than four-strand; or 

b) Make the right side of Section One the center—in which case, we’d end up with two sections, not three, on each side.

We were also talking about a couple of pearl necklaces—one of which you’ve just seen—and what came out in conversation was that Carolyn didn’t really like wearing long necklaces. She prefers chokers.  

The challenge now became how to keep the spirit of the original necklace at the shorter length. We often use the expression “writ large” to describe something that has been expanded to a larger scale. In this case, the necklace needed to be writ small.

The center of the original necklace featured lapis, coral, and turquoise in a 4-2-2-4 pattern. Turquoise and coral make a winning combination (ever visit the Southwest?) and these stones are also wonderful with lapis, but there wasn’t enough turquoise or enough “real estate”—i.e., space to work with—for that to work in the new choker.

I turned my attention to the other segments. The segment after the center one had a 6-4-6 pattern, and the top of the necklace had a 5-4-5 pattern. Those color “bands,” that color balance, needed to be maintained or the choker would be missing the “feel” of the original. Carolyn also mentioned that she would like all the lapis discs (often called “lentils”) to be used in the necklace, and she wanted to use the silver beads, too, if possible.

I tested a few versions of the color bands and decided that alternating a 2-1-2 and 3-2-3 pattern would best serve our purposes.  

Drumroll, please.

And that’s the long and short of it!  

©2018 Laynie Tzena. 

Cracking the Code

“You can just restring this,” said Carolyn.

I wish.  

Look closely.  This necklace had a past.  The person who fixed it most recently was probably trying her best to get the necklace to the sixteen-inch length Carolyn prefers. Unfortunately, some of the large round (Swarovski) pearls and the smaller (freshwater) ones were missing, and she apparently thought the best solution was to leave a lot of room between the beads.

Result:  Swiss cheese.  Or, to be more precise, a whole lot of gaps in the necklace. (The actual length, once the pearls were brought together, was just over thirteen inches.) Also, the combination of several colors of Swarovski pearls and three colors of freshwater was a bit hard on the eyes.

What to do?

At first, I thought I’d just add more of the larger white freshwater pearls.  But that didn’t work.  And then the magic happened.  As I continued to look at the necklace, I saw what the original jeweler had in mind.  I was able to crack the code.

“What code?”

The rhythm the jewelry was intended to have.  In this case, it was what I call a “Morse Code” design:  dot-dash-dot-dash.  I believe that’s what the original intent was, and once I looked closely at the broken necklace, the solution was obvious.

©2018 Laynie Tzena.

Your Mother Would Like a Little Something

Dear San Francisco Jewelry Doctor:

I just saw a sign. Not the kind they talk about in circles on the floor, the kind you pass on the freeway. This one said Mother’s Day is next Sunday. Next Sunday! Yikes! 

What do I do? My mother always says, “Thank you, Dear,” and then never wears what I give her. Should I just send her flowers, or tell her I’ll take her out to dinner when I visit her in August or September?

Flummoxed in Baltimore

Dear FIB:

First of all, do not panic. There is a wonderful invention called “UPS” (and its cousins, “FedEx” and “USPS”). The Jewelry Doctor cannot recommend dilly-dallying, but she is pleased to tell you that if you step on it, you can have a wonderful gift in time for Mother’s Day. 

Which brings us to our next point: Flowers are out. They wilt, and she may have developed allergies since the last time you saw her. (No, we are not judging. We know you had your reasons.) Jewelry, on the other hand, is a perennial. That’s why those smart people put that sign on the freeway for you to find. As for asking someone to wait for a gift until later—well, how did you like it when they did that with your graduation present?

No, no, no. The answer is jewelry, of course. But how to select the right gift? Well, let’s talk about your mother. (Honey, there’s no way around it.)

Does she favor classic design? Is her style simple and elegant? A solitaire pendant on a chain would be a great choice—or just a pretty chain to go with the pendants she already has. (And ask about the Laynie Tzena collection: beautiful handcrafted pendants, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets in porcelain, Venetian glass, Swarovski crystal, and gemstones.)  

Is her taste more casual? Take a look at our jewelry in wood and contemporary metals. You say she’s a big sports fan? Give her a “sporting” pendant: we’ve got skaters, tennis racquets, footballs, baseballs, basketballs (and maybe a hockey puck, too—we’ll check), in both gold and silver.  

Whatever kind of jewelry your mom adores, we’ve got you covered. Call us at 415/796-3969—oh, and honey, do it now, while there’s still time.

San Francisco Jewelry Doctor. A mother’s best friend (well, aside from you, of course).

©2018 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.

Thanks, Sandy!

Most of our customers are online, but not all, and some prefer to keep a low profile. Here’s a note from a happy customer we'll call “Sandy.”  

My engagement ring sports my grandmother’s European-cut diamond. My husband and I laughed that our wedding, over 25 years ago, was a BYOD (Bring Your Own Diamond) affair.  

Some time ago I noticed that the diamond was loose and that a fault in the diamond had become a chip. I was afraid the stone would fall out. I actually stopped wearing my ring, not knowing who could fix it properly.

I took the ring to Laynie Tzena to see if anything could be done. Her diamond cutter reshaped the stone and redid the prongs. The diamond and the ring came back better than I remembered, and certainly far more beautiful than I had imagined possible. I admire it all the time, as I wear it confidently morning, noon and night.

My daughter, who was away at college, noticed the ring almost the moment she came home for a break. Even my husband commented how sparkly my ring looks, although I am still unsure if he noticed it was off my hand since 2006. 

Glad to help, Sandy—what a beautiful ring!—and here’s wishing you many more healthy, happy years together.

Are You Listening, Robert?, or The Gift of Friendship (On a Friday Afternoon, No Less)

“I hate Valentine’s Day!”

Jerry looks at his phone. “Who is this? It says ‘Robert,’ but that can’t be right. See, I just saw Robert yesterday, and he was going on and on about how much he adored the woman he’s been seeing. Said they were made for each other.”

“I do, I do! We are! That’s the problem,” says Robert.

“You lost me,” says Jerry. “And it’s Friday afternoon. I’m due at a meeting in less than five. That gives you two minutes to get to the point and one minute for me to respond. Go.”

“Okay,” says Robert. “You probably won’t understand—“

“The clock is ticking.“

“—because you seem never to have had a problem picking out a gift.”

If he only knew, Jerry thinks, but he says, “Right. So what’s your point?”

“I’m afraid I’ll blow it! Linda won’t like the gift, and she’ll think I’m not the guy she thought I was.”

“Well, you’re not, Robert,” says Jerry. “You’re on your best behavior. But good news! So is she. Now, in your remaining 20 seconds, I will answer your implied question, which is: ‘How do I pick out the perfect gift?’”

“Exactly!”

“Simple. You get off the phone with me and call Laynie at San Francisco Jewelry Doctor. 415/796-3969. Oh, and I just sent you something to read. You’re welcome.” http://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/2014/04/hard-to-shop-for-not-any-more_27.html

“I will! I promise. Thanks!”

Jerry actually has another half-hour before his meeting starts, but Robert can go on, so we’ll keep that between us. Now: Will Robert read the article? Will he use his newfound knowledge to find wonderful gifts, every time? Stay tuned.

Spring Comes Early, or Then and Now

“Anything we can do about this pin?  It was my grandmother’s,” said Nancy.  

And what a beauty!  Look at those flowers.  And that gorgeous Swarovski crystal—did you notice the color is amethyst, this month’s birthstone?

“Sure thing,” I said.

“Ooh!” said Nancy. “That is really pretty.”

“Especially on you,” I said.

* * *

Any amethyst-lovers on your Valentine’s Day list?  Call us at 415/796-3969.

San Francisco Jewelry Doctor.  We see beautiful things in your future.