Heart Jewelry Choices, Heart Jewellery Allure

Sterling Silver Bracelet W/8 Mm Ball-

Bracelet Sterling Silver Bracelet W/8 Mm Ball

Sterling Silver Cuff, 2.5mm Charm Holder Cuff w/8mm Ball End, Box/Ribbon

Sterling Silver Twisted Bangle Bracelet with Gold Ball

Sterling Silver Designer-Inspired Polished Cuff Bangle

Sterling Silver Cape Cod Inspired Ring Size 6 (Sizes 5 6 7 8 9 10 Available)

Sterling Silver Hook and Eye Bangle Bracelet

Somebody asked me recently if I knew what a Cape Cod bracelet was. Although I have written about heart bracelets and charm bracelets and I know what tennis bracelets and Italian charm bracelets are, this was something I had not heard of before. My answer was that I assumed it was a bracelet from Cape Cod in Massachusetts and probably had some sort of sea related charm on it.

While my answer was partly right, in that this bracelet originates in Cape Cod, I was completely wrong in my assumption that it maybe has a nautical theme. To satisfy my curiosity I decided to do some research and find out exactly what a Cape Cod bracelet looks like.

The first results I came across were for online retailers and of course these sites had a photograph of their bracelets. What I found is that the Cape Cod bracelet is basic, simple, understated and very appealing. It is a plain sterling silver or gold wire secured by a “screwball” fastening. Along with the image of the original bracelets there were others showing similar style bracelets with different kinds of clasps which did seem to have a “sea” theme, such as sea shells and lobster claws.

I decided to look further into the origins of the bracelet and to see if there were other fasteners to choose from. What I found out was that a genuine Cape Cod bracelet is only available from one source and that is from the store of the original designer and maker, John Carey, in Cape Cod. John Carey and his wife Eve opened a shop to sell their artwork that consisted of pottery, sculpture, stained glass and jewelry. About thirty years ago one of his customers was looking for a bracelet for her daughter that wouldn’t slip off her wrist and that is when John came up with his simple yet unique design. The bracelets are hand made and carefully measured to fit the wearer’s wrist so it is not just a case of one size fits all. They are guaranteed not to fall off or twist round the wrist and the Screwball fastening always remains on the top of the wrist.

Although the basic design has just one “screwball” you can get them with two or even three “screwballs”. There is also a choice of silver with a silver ball, silver with a gold ball, gold with a gold ball or gold with a silver ball. To complete the look you can also get matching earrings, ring and necklace.

Originally it was Cape Cod residents who were the main customers for these bracelets although visitors to Cape Cod also bought them. They really took off in popularity when Amy Jo Johnson, a graduate from Dennis High School where the Carey’s shop is located, was seen wearing one in the TV series “Felicity”. When demand grew for the bracelet John Carey could no longer make all the bracelets himself and so enlisted the help of other family members.

Even though their products are more sought after than ever the family do not sell online or do mail order and it is strictly a store only business. However, a branch of the family moved to the Pacific Northwest and was given permission to open a branch there and they have an online side to the business. Although no other jewelry maker or outlet is authorized to manufacture or sell the genuine Carey Cape Cod screwball bracelets, there are other jewelry and craft stores in the Cape Cod area that offer replica pieces for sale.

The genuine bracelets now have a tag on them to prove their authenticity. For something similar and very stylish, click on the images at the side of this post to see products that make great gifts and are beautiful to wear. This simple yet elegant bracelet is suitable for, and loved by women of all ages from young girls to Grandmothers and makes the wearer feel special because it was made just for her.

So if you are looking for something unique and different from the usual diamond bracelets or charm bracelets maybe this is something to consider.

When talking to one of my friends about jewelry she remarked that she felt “bare” if she didn’t have at least one bracelet on her arm. I feel that way if I don’t have my rings on. In fact the only time I ever take them off is when I go to have my nails done or if I am using bleach when doing my household chores. As yet I do not have rings on all my fingers and, as I wrote in an earlier post, one ring I would love to receive is a silver heart ring to add to my other heart jewelry pieces.

I have been looking online at the different styles of heart rings and there are so many to choose from to suit everybody from babies to Grandmas. Here are just a few of the choices I have been looking at.

One of the first styles I looked at was the ever popular heart shaped signet rings. These make ideal gifts for babies or young children and you can have them engraved with a name or initials. I used to have a silver heart ring like this when I was younger and I used to wear it on my little finger but as I already wear a different pinky ring now I decided to look at other designs.

Because I already have an open heart charm necklace it seemed natural to look at the rings in the same collection. As I prefer understated simple jewelry designs I found some of the designs of rings in the Jayne Seymour collection a bit too elaborate for my tastes but they are rather beautiful.

There are other open heart designs for rings. Some are very simple with a single small heart on them or with two hearts intertwined. If you like this design and also love gemstones then there are more elaborate designs with diamond and other precious stones outlining the heart shape. If your style in jewelry is understated another design to consider is a simple band made up of tiny cute hearts or one of the many other band designs.

If on the other hand you’re a more extrovert person whose jewelry style is more flamboyant then you might want to consider a larger heart shape on your ring. One that I looked at had a pink cubic zirconia heart lock and key and yet another one had a large pink heart shaped topaz with a bow on the top of it made of diamond. Or there is any number of Pave diamond or cubic zirconia rings to choose from. I’m not sure I could carry these off as you need long fingers to be able to show these off to their best advantage.

Next I looked at the Claddagh rings. I particularly like this traditional Irish ring as it symbolizes love, loyalty and friendship. Although originally designed as wedding bands for both men and women they have become a popular item of jewelry not just for lovers to give to each other but also as a gift to give to a best friend as a token of enduring friendship. There are so many different settings to choose from depending on who it is for. There are simple silver ones or ones made in yellow gold or silver with a birthstone in the heart and beautiful diamond engagement rings or wedding bands.

Finally I decided to look at toe rings just for a change. This is something I have never worn but a good friend of mine wears toe rings when she is wearing her flip flops. There are lots of different designs to choose from and yes there are silver heart toe rings but I don’t think I will choose to get one of these.

I haven’t finally decided which style of heart ring I would like to have but one of the criteria is that I am able to wear it everyday so that would seem to rule out the Pave rings or the ones with huge stones in them. In the meantime I’ll keep looking.

Pretty Victoria’s Secret Red Rhinestone Heart Brooch

Large Sterling Silver Open Marcasite Heart Brooch Pin

With All My Heart Brooch

Double Heart Brooch with Red and Clear Crystals

What could be nicer than receiving a piece of handmade jewelry, particularly if it made especially for you, like a heart brooch? From little girls to grandmas, most women love jewellery whether it is given to them as a present or bought to accessorize a special outfit.  And heart jewellery seems to have a special attraction for both girls and ladies.

Below are two examples of how to make a heart brooch which are simple enough for even children to make.

A. Fabric Heart Brooch

First of all, what you need (all these items can be bought from a craft store):

1. Piece of fabric large enough to cut two heart shapes – felt is ideal but you can use any fabric
2. Permanent fabric glue such as Crafter’s Pick Fabric Glue
3. Permanent gem fixing glue
4. Pack of pin backs (you can use the rest to make other brooches)
5. Fiberfill for stuffing
6. Sequins, gems or glitter to decorate

Next, what to do:

1. Cut out 2 heart shapes of equal size from the felt or fabric
2. Follow the instructions on the fabric glue and glue the edges of the two heart shapes together leaving a small opening to allow you to stuff the heart
3. Leave the glue to dry before stuffing
4. Stuff the heart to the thickness you want – don’t overstuff – and then glue the opening together and allow to dry
5. Glue the pin back onto the middle of the heart using the gem fixing glue and allow to dry
6. Decorate the heart with gems, sequins or glitter glue

You can buy sheets of sticky back felt from craft stores which you could use for this project and would be ideal for younger children to use as it wouldn’t need padding.

B. Dough Heart Brooch

Another great way to make a heart brooch is to make it out of clay or dough.  You can either buy some modeling clay from a craft shop – make sure that it is the sort that will either “air dry” or can be dried in the oven – or make some dough using the recipe below.

First, what you need:

1. 1 cup flour
2. 1/4 cup salt
3. 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
4. 1 cup warm water
5. 1 teaspoon oil
6. food coloring
7. 1 package of pin backs (available at any craft store)
8. Sequins, gems or glitter to decorate, or watercolor or tempera paint and small paintbrushes

And what to do:

1. Put the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and oil into a pan and add the water a little at a time to make sure there are no lumps.  Add the food coloring a few drops at a time to achieve the color you want
2. Stir over a medium heat until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the side of the pan
3. Remove from the pan and knead until it is smooth
4. When the mixture is cool store it in an airtight container or a sealable plastic sandwich bag – the dough will keep for a at least a week
5. To make the brooch make a heart shape out of the dough then set aside to air dry.  This should take about 2 hours ideally leave it overnight to dry fully before decorating
6. Press the pin back into the heart before the dough is fully dry
7. When the heart is fully dry decorate with either sequins, gems or glitter or with paint

Because there will be dough left over you will have enough to make a heart brooch for Mom, Grandma and even for yourself.  Or you can use your imagination and make a flower, a butterfly or any other design brooch to give as a present.

So have fun making this heart jewelry – either a fabric heart brooch or dough brooch – and I’m sure whoever receives this as a present will know it was made with love.

When it comes to choosing a gift for a new baby girl, most people don’t immediately think about jewelry (for example, heart bracelets or charms) but instead they focus on other things such as clothes, blankets, bibs and any number of other practical items.  But babies are made to love and to show the love you feel for this new little person – so what better gift than jewelry, especially heart jewelry?

I particularly like the heart bracelets and heart charms that are available in stores and on-line that can be personalized especially for baby.

Stores such as Things Remembered have some beautiful heart bracelets that you can have engraved with the child’s name or initials.  One I really like is the Birthstone Angel bracelet.  Not only can you have the heart engraved with the baby’s name and birthday but you can buy a matching necklace to go with it.

Another unique gift idea would be a starter charm bracelet that can be added to over time to commemorate milestones in baby’s life.  This truly would be a lasting gift that could become a memories bracelet to pass on to the next generation.

A number of babies have their ears pierced so why not choose from the selection of gold or silver earrings that are available?  Loveivy has a selection of children’ jewellery and you can find some cute birthstone heart earrings.

There are any number of different heart charms to choose from that can be engraved with a special message.  A heart locket engraved with either a name or special date makes a lovely gift.  If a photo of mom and dad is put inside as the little girl gets older she will always have a keepsake of how her parents looked when she was born.

Although it is mostly little girls who wear jewellery there are some pieces that you can buy for a baby boy.  If dad or mom is a soccer fan how about getting a soccer pendant or if they are baseball fans there is the engraved baseball pendant?  Or equally popular for little boys would be a St Christopher pendant.

There are lots of other personalized gifts to choose from that are suitable for both baby girls and baby boys, for instance a personalized piggy bank or “My First Year” album or even a personalized brush and comb set.

Whether you are choosing from a range of heart bracelets, heart earrings, heart charms or sports charms or other assorted items, choosing a personalized gift for that special bundle of joy will show how much you care.