In 2005, Shop.com officially coined the term Cyber Monday. Known as the Monday after Black Friday, Cyber Monday has become a much-anticipated event. Online retailers like Beaded Royalty understand that shoppers are shopping until they drop on Black Friday – out in the stores – that is. When they get home, they are pooped and need the weekend to recouperate. By Monday, people are going back to work after perhaps taking a few days off for Thanksgiving.  Now they realize it is less than a month to Christmas and they still have lots of shopping to do!

Retailers take advantage of this and are offering more deals this year than ever before.  Some are as good or better than those found on Black Friday in the stores and for Cyber Monday, you shop from the comfort and safety of your own home.  Did you hear about the shopper who maced someone to get a gift in Walmart??

For those of you who need a gift for a special person in your life who has everything, shop Beaded Royalty for Cyber Monday deals on custom sterling silver jewelry.  They are offering 10% off all orders through Nov 30.  Use coupon code WJY111031162329 in your shopping cart.

“First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. Now, there’s the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday, the day people support small businesses. Pledge to Shop SmallSM on Nov 26th. If millions of Americans shop small, it will be huge.”

I didn’t know about this last year. This year, I am telling the world! American Express is giving a $25 credit to every card member who spends at least $25 at a small business on Saturday, November 26, 2011.

So what do you have to do to get this credit? It is so simple! Register your card and go shopping. As my 7 year old would say, “easy peasy, lemon squeezy!”

Go to the American Express Small Business Saturday Facebook Page for more details.

Please consider going shopping over at Beaded Royalty to get your $25 statement credit. : )

There is a new option for getting custom sterling silver jewelry in Canada.  Beaded Royalty, a Texas-based company in the United States, is shipping to Canada.  US postal regulations require jewelry to either be sent Registered First Class or Insured Priority Mail International.  Priority Mail International has proven to be much faster (5-7 business days) and provides the same measure of security as Registered First Class.  Beaded Royalty recently switched to Priority Mail for all international shipments so you get your jewelry faster.

Beaded Royalty offers Swarovski awareness bracelets, personalized family jewelry, personalized child jewelry, unique scripture jewelry and matching beaded earrings.  A recently updated website provides clear navigation and answers every question you might have regarding your purchase.  Their quality is unmatched and their 100% satisfaction guarantee ensures you will be happy with your purchase.

Visit www.BeadedRoyalty.com today for all your custom sterling silver jewelry needs in Canada.

The new Kidney Cancer Bracelet is just a variation on our simple, sparkling cancer awareness designs. Priced at $49 for every budget!

I have had a number of requests for a Lung Cancer Bracelet, but never added a page for them until now. One of my customers wanted to see what pearls would look like with clear crystals since lung cancer can be represented by either option. She also wanted a unique twist with the charm in the center of the bracelet. Here is the result…just stunning! Priced at just $49 like all of our Swarovski crystal awareness bracelets.

This is the story of my business – I get enough requests for a bracelet design and I add it to the lineup. The Boy Name Bracelet was recently added and is priced at $50.

On the one hand, I am glad to see the increase in silver prices.  My husband manages our finances and he had the foresight to purchase large quantities of silver and gold in our retirement accounts almost 3 years ago when it was trading around $15/oz.  On the other hand, the increase in silver prices has had a significant impact on my business at Beaded Royalty where I sell sterling silver beaded jewelry.  When I started my business in 2006, silver was $8/oz. It closed at $40/oz on Friday.  Ouch.  Here is an 11 year chart of silver prices:

Of course I (and my competitors) have increased prices to compensate for the increase in silver prices.  However, it goes without saying that people are purchasing less sterling silver jewelry as the price continues to rise.  I am sure there are jewelry designers who have opted to use silver-plated beads in place of solid sterling silver to save money.  I have decided against that avenue.

My business has always centered around custom sterling silver jewelry fit for a queen.  How could I change that now??  No, my solution is a bit different.  When I started my business, I offered all single strand bracelets at the same price for simplicity. I have now opted to lower the price on my pieces that contain primarily Swarovski crystals, increase prices on the pieces that contain exclusively sterling silver beads and maintain the prices for pieces that are a good mix of sterling silver beads and Swarovski crystals.  Have you found o ther ways to save money in this rising silver market?  I would love to hear about it!

925 sterling silver beads

sterling silver clasps

925 sterling silver charms

sterling silver alphabet blocks

Swarovski crystal beads

jewelry beading supplies

Beaded Royalty’s beads are top quality.  Their Swarovski beads are genuine and their sterling silver is 925.  Contact them today.

Beaded Royalty LLC
www.BeadedRoyalty.com/beads.htm
1-888-876-0784
info@beadedroyalty.com

First of all, you have to have the desire to make jewelry. If you are reading this post, you have at least a small interest. : ) Then, you have to have the right tools. Jewelry making tools can be expensive, especially if you are going to make just 1 bracelet. At a minimum, you need jewelry crimping pliers and wire cutters. Jewelry beading wire comes in 10 ft, 30 ft or 100 ft spools and if you are only making 1 or 2 bracelets, it is a waste of money to buy what you don’t need. Finally, in most cases, you have to buy more beads than necessary because bead stores sell them in packages. Beaded Royalty has addressed some of these issues by offering bracelet kits. These kits include the wire, bead crimps, and beads needed to make the pictured bracelet.

Here are the steps to stringing a beaded bracelet:

1. Place the beads you want to use on a beading board or beading mat to keep them from rolling off the table.
2. Lay the key beads (letter beads, crystals, Bali beads) in the order you would like them to appear. Use spacers and shiny silver beads to fill in the extra spaces. The rule of thumb for the beaded portion of the bracelet (not including the crimps) is 1″ shorter than you would like the final bracelet. Here is a guide for determining final bracelet length.
3. Cut the wire.  The rule of thumb for wire length is 2″ longer than the finished bracelet.  It gives you a bit of extra at the ends so the beads don’t fall off while you are crimping the first end.
4. String the beads on the beading wire and measure the length using a 12″ ruler.  Get as close as possible to 1″ shorter than the final length.
5. Add 1 crimp bead on each end. Follow the instructions for crimping a bracelet.
6. It is a trial and error process – with time, you will be able to do it on sight. Be patient with yourself!

1. Cover the bottom of a 9X13″ glass pan with foil.
2. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp baking soda and 4 Tbsp sea salt over the bottom of the pan.
3. Lay the jewelry on the foil.
4. Boil about 2 cups water and gently pour over the jewelry.
5. Pour about 1/2 cup vinegar over the jewelry in water which causes some bubbling.
6. Allow the jewelry to sit for a minute, remove, and brush with a soft tooth brush.
7. Dry carefully with a soft cloth or paper towel.

You will be amazed at how shiny the plain silver becomes.  The antique finish will remain and your jewelry will be like new.

Disclaimer:
You must follow these instructions carefully.  If your jewelry is not 925 sterling silver, this treatment could negatively alter your jewelry.  Proceed at your own risk.

1. Polish your jewelry using a Sunshine Polishing Cloth. The cloth has an abrasive cleaning powder that will get on your hands, but just wash them and it will disappear.
2. Use a soft tooth brush, OxiClean dishwashing liquid and hot water to give your jewelry a good scrub.
3. Wrap your jewelry in a paper towel and snap your wrist to shake the water out from between the beads.
4. Unwrap your jewelry and dry it off the rest of the way. It should be shiny like new.

It is worth noting that harsh chemicals (especially cleaning agents and chlorine) can damage your sterling silver jewelry permanently. If your jewelry has anything more than a faint light brown film on it, it may not be restorable.

If you are unsure how to complete this cleaning and/or you just want it done by a professional, please feel free to send it to me at Beaded Royalty and I will take care of it for you. The cost starts at just $5. For an heirloom piece of jewelry with sentimental value, this type of service is priceless.