Jewelry Designer Extraordinaire - Liz Simmers

Liz has been creative all her life. Out of high school she took painting classes, which eventually led her to attend Virginia Commonwealth University and go to art school, she graduated with a BFA. After graduation she found that the ‘Acme Artists Company’ wasn’t hiring so in time she decided to make her own business and Alabaster Arts was born. Using all the knowledge she learned from painting, metal smithing, furniture building, ceramics, sculpture and glass blowing, she designs unique handcrafted jewelry out of her Richmond, Virginia home.

Alabaster Arts Jewelry

Most of our designs are one of a kind, it is difficult to reproduce a piece when you may never find the same beads and materials again. We use mostly sterling silver wire, findings and clasps we do use some non-precious metals in our designs. Our mission in designing our jewelry is to make a well crafted product that will stand the test of time.

To the best of our knowledge we represent the semi-precious gemstones for what they are. We will never intentionally misrepresent a stone or glass beads, for example a Murano Style bead is a bead probably made in China but looks a lot like one made in Murano, Italy but costs less. On most beads you will find natural inclusions in the stones and possibly tool marks, this makes each piece unique and should be recognized as part of the design.

Care and Cleaning

Your new jewelry will give you many years of enjoyment if you care for it as you would any other fine piece of jewelry. Be aware that most semi-precious beads have a coating on them to protect or to enhance their beauty, coatings can be resins, laquer or waxes.

Always remove your jewelry before doing heavy house or yard (or art!) work. Do not swim, shower, sunbathe, or exercise in your jewelry. Sleeping in your jewelry is not recommended.

Apply makeup, perfume or hair spray before you put on your jewelry.

Make sure to wipe your jewelry with a soft cloth after wear to remove any chemicals, oils or perspiration.

Store your jewelry in a clean, dry place out of direct sun light. Store jewelry flat so that the string doesn't stretch and the wires don't get tangled, and separate with a soft cloth so pieces don't get scratched. A jewelry roll, or individual cloth or plastic bags is a good way to keep your jewelry clean and safe.

Pearls benefit by wearing them - the oils in your skin will make them glow. Dull pearls beg to be worn. Always wipe with a soft cloth before putting them away. Pearls should be stored in a cotton-filled box or soft cloth bag.

Sterling Silver will keep it's shine longer if stored in sealed plastic bags. (Never store pearls in plastic bags!) Bring the shine back to your silver with a soft silver cleaning cloth. Never use harsh abrasive cleaners or silver polish as it may damage the other beads.

To clean gemstones or lampwork glass beads, lightly cleanse your jewelry with warm water and a little dish soap, rinse well and gently pat dry.

Birthstones

Month ----------Modern Birthstones-----Traditional Birthstones
January --------Garnet ---------------------Garnet
February------- Amethyst------------------Amethyst
March -----------Aquamarine --------------Bloodstone
April -------------Diamond------------------ Diamond
May --------------Emerald------------------- Emerald
June------------ Pearl -----------------------Moonstone
July-------------- Ruby -----------------------Ruby
August---------- Peridot --------------------Sardonyx
September---- Sapphire ------------------Sapphire
October--------- Opal- ----------------------Tourmaline
November----- Yellow Topaz------------ Citrine
December----- Turquoise,--------------- Blue Zircon, Lapis