There's More to Costume Jewelry

As a rule costume jewelry, strictly speaking, was meant to be a cost-effective alternative to the real thing. Losing or damaging pieces made with real gems and precious metals over synthetic byproducts is almost never preferable. But what if the costume jewelry you possessed was a one-of-a-kind creation; exclusively designed to fit your tastes, and by a master artisan no less? Wouldn’t you feel just as miserable? 

The genesis of costume jewelry is a subject that can be debated at great length. However, one thing is for certain; technology, techniques, and the materials available have advanced in such ways that, it can also be argued that capturing the essence of beauty is where the true value of a costume jewelry piece lies.  

With the coming of progress, there also come certain cautions. The earth, man, or nature, in one way or another, may provide the clay from which we shape our statues and sculptures. But it is the artisans' hand that guides its form, shape, and most importantly: message. The same goes for costume jewelry. 

When it comes to choosing the correct costume jewelry piece to compliment your ensemble or to add to your collection, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. Firstly, inspect the quality of your chosen trinket. Items of exceptional quality tend to stand out almost immediately. However, some products with inferior are slightly more difficult to discern.  Does the piece seem to have certain rough edges like it was churned out of a factory line? Or was it constructed masterfully, with an artisan’s eye, and a craftsman’s touch?  

  As a form of art, a costume jewelry piece should not be judged on the merits of the materials used to make it. But it should be judged based on its beauty, artistic design, and most importantly of all: it should make you feel happy. 

Traveling with Your Fashion Accessories

Though costume jewelries are not in the same league as “real” jewelry when it comes to price and monetary value, this fact should not give you an excuse to handle it as though it were indeed disposable.  With proper care and handling; superbly made trinkets, with their timeless designs and quality, can even be handed down to the next generation.

Here are some tips to help you preserve your baubles; especially when it comes to storage, handling, and transport.

1) Use bubble wrap as opposed to a zip-top plastic bag:  The main purpose of the bubble wrap is to absorb shock and contact for delicate cargo. Costume jewelry of any form, no matter how brilliantly constructed, does not fare well when it comes under duress. Plastic bags maybe durable, but they won’t be as good as bubble wrap when preventing damage such as scratches.

2) Do not stow costume jewelry as though it were a piece of luggage, when it comes to traveling. If possible, avoid putting weight or pressure on them. For example, when traveling by plane, it would be best if you put them in with your hand luggage instead of bunging them in the plane’s cargo hold. 

 

3) You can always purchase travel kits which are specifically made for accessories, in a similar fashion as to laptop bags. Find those with padded cushions to secure your trinkets. These precautions will prevent your items from being greatly affected by external conditions such as temperature, humidity, and almost inevitable physical contact.

 

All these precautions greatly increase the longevity of your beloved accessories.

Body Harness Reworked

Accessories have always had a place in my wardrobe. I have a penchant for scouring trinkets that are not produced in bulk. Following fads were never my thing, since I prefer wearing pieces that mirror my style and personality. I prefer pieces that I will treasure and wear with pride, even if they are simple costume jewelries, and not the real thing. Drawing from this desire, I decided to make Palamuti a podium for where women have the choice to dictate the style and design specific to their tastes.

Nothing makes me more excited when clients ask me to execute an idea. I am lucky that they also trust us to improve on the design if it need be, and of course, incorporate our signature techniques in making the actual piece.

Our latest project is a body harness.  Body harness, better known as armor jewelry, is nothing new. But knowing this made making one more challenging. A popular design for a body harness is to be fashioned together using chains, while the emerging trend sees some made of leather.

We were sent two pegs to help us visualize AJ's preferences. I elected to incorporate embellishment into the design as its main accent and  used rosary chain for the body frame. The output is this simple body harness in which AJ can pair easily with her outfits whether for work or play. - PJV

Preparing for the Big Day

The engagement marks the beginning of months long of preparation for your big day.Initially, you are jumping for joy feeling elated and on top of the world. But mind you, there's a long list of things that need to be done prior to your wedding. Without a doubt after the excitement subsides you'll be asking yourselves, "Where do we start?".

Here are some simple tips to get you onset.

1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT 
Sit down and discuss among yourselves what you want for your wedding. Keep in mind that your wedding is about the two of you being united as husband and wife. To start the ball rolling, brainstorm and list everything down. If your husband-to-be finds it difficult to enumerate his own expectations for your wedding, here's a practical tip from Bridal Book PH: list down what you don't want; the elimination process should filter your ideas down to the most ideal and feasible option.

2.  SET YOUR BUDGET 
It may be your big day, but that doesn't give you an excuse to splurge away your savings. Be practical.  Determine the amount that you can afford, and set a realistic budget and be sure to set aside a contingency fund. After all, you don't want to go bankrupt after the wedding day do you?

Here's another tip in ascertaining your budget:  
"Assign certain parts of the budget to specific wedding categories (ceremony, reception, bride & groom's wardrobe, rings, etc.). Agree on which part of the wedding is more important to both of you. This will greatly help to determine what part of the budget to allot where. For example, if you believe that the marriage ceremony is more important than the celebration (the Philippines ascribes greater importance on the church wedding rites than the after-party), allot a bigger amount of the budget for the church expenses (decors, music, rings) and opt for a simpler reception." Read more: How to Plan a Dream Wedding on a Budget in the Philippines | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6362250_plan-dream-wedding-budget-philippines.html#ixzz1uZDri2GP
 
You can also read more creative ways on how you can save from Practical Wedding Guides.

3. MAKE A CHECKLIST
The long list of what do do prior to your wedding can be alarming and at times certain items might get overlooked as the big day approaches. Avoid unnecessary stress and the risk of  forgetting something important by making a checklist and setting a time table for each task and item. This will serve as your guide in eliminating  last minute miscues and major disasters on your big day. If you are hiring a wedding planner, it is recommended that you have your own "wedding countdown sheet" to monitor the progress of your wedding plans.

4. CHOOSE YOUR THEME 
 A theme will set the tone and mood of your wedding. Knowing your theme can help you narrow down the correct choices, especially when it comes to choosing suppliers. Another tip from Bridal Book PH, create a mood board in which you can show your suppliers, to better convene exactly what you are expecting from them.

5. CANVASS FOR SUPPLIERS 
Take your time in looking for suppliers. Attend bridal fairs if possible, as these events are a hotbed for wedding suppliers. Suppliers present at these events range from; photographers, venue, make-up, etc. Do not just compare prices, compare the quality as well. Dedicate an ample amount of time to choose the correct supplier that can cater to your needs. Do your research, but don't forget to have fun in the process!










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Passing It On

Recently, some people have been asking us if we conduct workshops on accessory making. Truth is we don't then we realized why not for a change.  As such, we are now offering one-on-one classes. We can teach you basic bead linking, wiring, and embellishment. We believe in hands on training so expect to get your hands dirty.

Why one-on-one? The things you will learn from our workshop will be based on what you want to know. This means that we will be customizing the hands on training based on your preferences. For example, if you already know how to do the basic bead linking and would want to focus on wiring, we can do so. At the end of the workshop, we hope to have shared our love affair with accessory making. 

Learn by doing. For more information, you may email our designer PJ Valenciano at pjvalenciano@palamutishop.com.