Beads & Baubles Cafe

In this series of posts I will deal with how to pick jewelry that will flatter your face shape.  Later on we will discuss body shapes and necklines.
 
Let us start with a round face shape.
 
If your face is round you will want to keep away from designs and beads with a round overall shape.  Also keep away from chokers and go with longer length necklaces that will create the illusion of having a longer face. If you really want to wear a choker then try and find one with a hanging or elongated center pendant or stone.  Wear necklaces with angular or irregular shaped beads or different size elongated drops (like teardrop shaped beads or pendants) will also help to add to the illusion of length.  Chose earrings wear square, rectangular, elongated teardrops or elongated ovals.  Any shape or style that will bring the eye downward will accomplish the desired effect.  You also want to keep away from rounded necklines on your tops as well.  V-neck, boat neck or square neck tops will give a pleasing contrast to a round face.
 
You are probably thinking that circles are in style and therefore you want to wear them to be in style.  Remember it is better not to be a fashion plate and look spectacular than to dress as fashion dictates and look awful!
 
To get the fashion look of circles without fighting your facial features wear jewelry with elongated ovals instead of perfectly round shapes.  This type of jewelry will flatter you, while giving the illusion of circles.

Here are some beauty tips for you  

To make your face appear thinner, sweep bronzer over your temples, in the hollow under your cheekbones and under your chin using a fluffy brush.  Highlight your forehead, bridge of your nose, cheekbones and tip of your chin with a lighter powder.
Avoid slicked, up hair dos and opt for the longer hair styles.  Fluffy is also better than flat.  Shag cuts and layered bangs help to elongate the face.
 
Here are some items from our jewelry that make those will a round face look beautiful!
 

The next post in this series will deal with a square face

In small work shops far removed from urban cultures sterling silver artisans produce these pendants, beads and findings one at a time. It is done by hand using Charcoal fires to produce heat with hand-powered air pumps much like many of the blacksmiths down through the ages. A person can gently bring metals up to their melting temperatures, red hot shaping temperatures, and even do soldering.

These artisans blend copper and silver into a material that often has more silver in it than ordinary sterling silver making it easier to shape into the intricate patterns. Sterling silver must have at least 92.5% silver in it. The Bali items are often made with silver that is 95% silver or more. This helps the artisans do their best work. It also meets or exceeds the quality requirements of every nation.

The silver is then drawn and beaten into sheet and wire. Silver is first smelted into a pencil like shape. Then it can be beaten with hand tools into large diameter wire. That wire can be pulled through plates with holes that squeeze the wire smaller as it is pulled through each smaller hole. From time to time the silver might be reheated to soften it for easier work. Silver does harden quite a bit as you work it.

The wire is finally taken to its final size. It is then is cut to length and pushed and pulled into shapes. Other tiny bits naturally melt into tiny spheres, which are later separated by size. Now we have our pattern parts. Previously it was mentioned that the silver was beaten into sheets. Those sheets are cut and shaped into the overall shape of the pendant. Other sheets are cut and used to make the bezels that hold stones in place. Still more silver sheet can be used to form into the bails for the pendants.

Once all this is made the parts can be soldered together by the artists. Now we get to the true artistry, the ability to form these parts in pleasing patterns that gently echo culture and a universally decorative beautiful style. The parts are arranged on the sheet silver. Tiny bits of silver solder are used to firmly attach or weld the parts into place. Each is heated just enough. Then the pendant can be polished. Finally the gemstones that might be called for in the design are set. Final polishing is done and our Bali pendant is ready for export all over the world to jewelry makers who will make jewelry from them to grace your neck, arms or ears.

Bali beads and findings are done in the same manner, just in a smaller scale. When you see these items in your jewelry, be sure to reflect on the skilled hands that have created these little pieces of art. As you wear the jewelry, you can be comforted by the knowledge that the money you spent on this purchase is going to support true artists in the modern age. This is truly the best of global commerce. Just a note, you will sometimes see “Bali Style” instead of just the word “Bali” to describe the pendant or beads used in a piece of jewelry. It doesn’t mean that they are not artisan created, it just means it was not made in Bali. India is one of the other nations that have artisans that make beautiful pendants and beads, but if the item was made in India then it must say “Bali Style” not “Bali”. The Hill Tribes of Thailand also make very beautiful silver beads and pendants. We will tell you their story in future blog posts.

Here are a few of our pieces with these hand made works of art.