2011 12 Days of Christmas
Friday, December 23rd, 2011On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
And . . .
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
And . . .
Jeff Feero always brings with him an amazing collection of jewelry by internationally known Designer Alex Sepkus. The selection will be outstanding. This is a wonderful opportunity to view unique array of designs in pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, bridal rings, bands and men’s jewelry. Alex Sepkus is a unique talent whose work is characterized by such fine detail and craftsmanship. One can only fully appreciate each piece with magnification to reveal the depth and intricacy of each design. What you may not know is that Alex Sepkus will set your own stones in his magnificent designs. Bring your loose gemstones and you can sit down with Jeff and find a design that will work to complement your own gemstones.
Tuesday Evening March 22 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Light Hors D’oeuvres and Refreshments by Make My Lunch
All Day Wednesday March 23 9:30am to 5:30pm
You can preview Alex Sepkus’ designs at www.bcjewelers.com
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
And a . . .

Echo of the Dreamer is a woman run, family owned business in the dynamic heart of New York City. Inspired by her love of exquisite stones, Margaret Thurman created Echo of the Dreamer in 1993 with her daughter, Myoshin. The jewelry is a celebration of nature and individuality, incorporating beautiful, exotic and rare gemstones and minerals complimented by finely detailed sterling handwork. Dramatic, one-of-a-kind treasures that capture your imagination… True wearable art found in Albuquerque at Beauchamp Jewelers.
Some things are just better old – especially when they’re new. Mars and Valentine is a division of Echo of the Dreamer, headed by Myoshin Thurman. Strong and elegant, fun and feminine; each piece of Mars and Valentine tells a story. Iconic, mythological images are combined with industrial metalwork to create a modern heirloom that is timeless and breathtakingly beautiful. The jewelry is handmade with astonishing attention to detail – featuring vintage and antique treasures set amongst natural gems and pearls, all in sterling silver and bronze. The balance of cherished objects, with the strength and humor of modern design is the heart of Mars and Valentine- creating an intriguing new sensibility- jewelry for the modern goddess.
As the newest member of the Beauchamp family, I am pleased to say that I feel right at home. Believe it or not, I wake up everyday excited to go to work. To be quite honest, it is hardly work. Over the past two months, I have had the privilege of meeting many of Beauchamp’s delightful customers. Being able to help people celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, marriage and everyday life has come to be a moving and exciting experience for me. To top it all off, I get to “play” with stunning jewelery, work with fabulous people, and I have managed to learn a lot along the way.

Prior to working here, the only jewelery experience I had was that I knew I loved it, and I thought it was beautiful. Jewelry, however, now posses an entirely new form of beauty for me- it is no longer just a pretty accessory, it is art. The time, effort, creativity, and heart put into jewelry making is truly astounding.
Though it changes all the time with all these wonderful designer lines at Beauchamp, my current personal favorite is Konstantino. Konstantino pieces are an absolutely perfect example of jewelry being art. Konstantino jewelry comes from Athens, Greece and it is handcrafted from sterling silver and 18 karat gold. It is clear that great thought and precision is put into every single piece. Even the parts of the jewelry that are not visible when worn have great detail and magnificence.
Konstantino uses early engraving and impression techniques that can be found in early Greek jewelry. With each and every piece, you can see the echoes of history, experience their timeless craftsmanship and lasting splendor. The combination of the sterling silver and gold make for a faboulous ”old-world” look that is modern, classic, and timeless all wrapped into one.
Konstantino Jewelery is not one of my favorites because it is merely beautiful, it is one of my favorites because when I wear it, I can truly feel the majesty, passion, and artisanship of each piece.
We just returned from our annual jewelery buying trip and as usual we found lots of beautiful pieces for the store. When I attend trade shows I always look for the latest trends. I look for aesthetic trends as well as new materials that are being introduced in the production of jewelery. This year there is a definite movement toward bold, chunky pieces, or as Ron calls them, “Funky Chunky”. The shapes are geometric and bold. Whether this aesthetic is translated into rings, earrings, bracelets, or necklaces they definitely make a statement. The look is fun and exudes confidence. The materials are unconventional.
I saw beautiful pieces of jewelery crafted in wood, leather, agate, and rock crystal. (I had to pick up a few of these rock crystal pieces for my own collection and for the store.) The look is not so much about “precious” materials as it is about the love of decoration. This is not to say that we didn’t see fabulous pieces that had fabulous retail prices. One particular bracelet we saw, was made from chunky slabs of diamond rough… Ooh la la! I HAD to have it until I asked the price, only $500,000.00. Needless to say I very carefully handed it back to the vendor. (If this is in your budget this season let us know and we will be happy to get it in for you.)
There were also lots of long necklaces, 30″ or more. Roberto Coin translated the look in fine spun threads of 18kt gold. David Yurman was showing long rope chains sprinkled with segments of gemstones. Vianna had a fabulous rope chain bezel set with segments of a new material they are calling “Indigo Quartz”. Talk about the perfect thing to throw on with a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt! We, of course, purchased lots of goodies in this style. The new items will be slowly appearing in our showcases over the next few months. This Fall, please come in and feel free to bring an outfit or two and play with the new look and see what you think. You may find that accessorising with a new pair of dramatic earrings or a long necklace set with geometric gems may be the perfect thing this Fall to update your existing wardrobe.
Those of you who prefer the classic style should come in and check out Roberto Coin’s work. Although Roberto is an amazing designer and trend setter his work always has that timeless quality that is so enduring.
The new look is upbeat and exuberant and with the crowds attending and buying at the show we were left with a sense of optimism about the upcoming year. Happy collecting!
April’s birthstone is the most famous of all the gems: Diamond. For more technical information about diamonds you can check out the following posts from our Gemologist:
Diamond Color
Diamond Cut
Carat Weight
Diamond Clarity
The most famous diamond in the world is probably the Hope Diamond which you can read about here:
If you are looking for the perfect birthday gift for an April Birthday you might try some of what you see below. Diamonds can of course be found in earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, watches, and every imaginable form of jewelry. You will also find beautiful diamonds in all of our designer lines including David Yurman, Konstantino, Alex Sepkus, Cherie Dori, and of course Roberto Coin, whose Cento Diamond cut is head and shoulders above the rest with 100 facets which add to it’s brilliance and fire.
Click on any picture to find out more about the item or visit our web page at bcjewelers.com for more beautiful diamond pieces.
Our annual Alex Sepkus trunk show is coming up and we hope to see you there. Our trunk show is a special showing of the entire collection of 18kt Gold and Platinum jewelry by internationally known Designer Alex Sepkus. This is a wonderful opportunity to view a unique array of designs in pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, bridal rings, bands and men’s jewelry. Alex Sepkus is a unique talent whose work is characterized by such fine detail and craftsmanship. One can only fully appreciate each piece with magnification to reveal the depth and intricacy of each design.
Wednesday Evening March 10th 5:30pm till 9pm
Light Hors D’oeuvres and Refreshments
Door Prizes
All day Thursday March 11th 9:30am till 5:30pm
You can preview Alex Sepkus’ stunning collections at www.bcjewelers.com
As you may remember from our last chat , Edwardian Jewelery is jewelery that was produced during the reign of King Edward VII of England. He held the throne from 1901-1915. One often finds disparity in specific dates for the Edwardian era. Some scholars use the exact dates in which he ruled , others include the ten years prior to his coronation . Some insist that the era ends with the onset of WWI in 1914 but yet others state that it ended in 1915. As with any style there always seem to be an overlap . One does not see exact cut off dates.When dating jewelery I find the term”circa ” very useful in that it allows for an approximation of dates.
The Edwardian era is often referred to as the garland style. It is exuberantly feminine.Ribbons, bows, Garlands of roses and leaves drape the most quintessential examples of this design style.

Edwardian Ring in Platinum and Diamonds
Notice the heart shape motiff on the side of this ring . The ring is exquisite in detail and very delicate in appearance.Platinum became the metal of choice during the Edwardian era ,thanks to the advent of the oxyacetylene torch in 1900. Prior to this date jewelers did not have torches that could reach sufficient temperatures to work the metal.Platinum melts at approx.3300 F . Platinum properties being such that the most delicate models could be executed without compromising the stability of the item being produced . The density of platinum allowed for unheard of detail and long wear . The purity of the metals color combined with its’ durability provided the ideal setting medium for the jeweler.

Early 20th Century Platinum Diamond Ring
Notice the beaded border on the ring above. This millgraining is a technique that Edwardian jewelers often used .
One also finds the use of yellow gold in Edwardian jewelery as well.This bangle bracelet exemplifies the delicate and feminine nature of this era

Edwardian Bangle Bracelet with Sapphires
For more lovely examples of jewelery from this era check out our website at www.bcjewelers.com I could go on and on about the beautiful jewelery from this time period look for more on my next blog and happy hunting for your next antique or vintage piece.