Here’s a quick overview of the differences:

CARAT
Carat is a unit of weight used specifically for gemstones and pearls. One carat is equal to 200mg or 100 points. Therefore, a .70 carat stone may also be referred to as being 70 points. This unit of measurement was adopted by the United States in 1913.

KARAT
Karat describes the quality or purity of the gold in and item. Pure gold is 24 karat and is rarely used for jewelry in its pure form because it is so soft and also very costly. Gold is normally alloyed with other metals such as silver and copper and the resulting blend is harder and more durable for jewelry. Reducing the percentage of gold and increasing the amount of other alloys also effects the value of a piece. The lowest karatage that can be sold and marketed as Gold jewelry in the United States is 10 karat.
Here are common karatages and their relative gold purity:
24K = 100% pure
18K = 75% pure
14K = 58.33% pure
10K = 41.66% pure

CARROT
The yummy vegetable most often orange in color was originally grown for its aromatic leaves and seeds. Fortunately, we’ve found some delicious uses for the root part. I thought it would be fun to share this old family recipe given to me by friend Naomi. This carrot pudding has graced the table of many fun holiday dinners we have shared together and I hope you enjoy it too.

Aunt Selma’s Carrot Pudding
Carrots – 2 bags peeled and chopped
Butter – 2 sticks at room temperature
Flour – 4 Tablespoons
Sugar – 4 Tablespoons
Eggs – 4
Vanilla – 1 Teaspoon

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Boil carrots until mushy (25 min?)
Let carrots cool to room temperature
Mash and mix all ingredients together (I like leaving the carrots a little lumpy so there’s some texture)
Pour into oiled pan
Bake at 350 for about an hour until brown on top and enjoy.

Do you have a carrot recipe you would like to share?

A heartfelt thanks to my amazing customers, friends and family for making 2011 the marvelous year that it was.   

Wishing you all health, happiness and only good things in 2012.

XXOO,
Barbara

Image courtesy of  sweetletterpress on etsy

I’m so honored and excited to announce that I have partnered with The New York Botanical Garden to design and produce a private label collection for them. These pieces are made from recycled sterling silver and cast from natural objects found right in their Garden. Profits from sales benefit The Gardens.  New styles will debut seasonally.

View the entire collection in person or select pieces online Get inspired by nature at the NYBG!

www.nybgshop.com

18 Karat Gold Unisex Wedding Bands cast from Central Park Twigs

The brand new Huffpost Weddings launched this week and I’m pleased to say that the Unisex Golden Twig Rings were selected as the Handmade Etsy Object of the week.  Yay!

Read the article here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/02/etsy-weddings_n_990322.html#s382851&title=Golden_Twig_Rings

To purchase on Etsy

Celebrate Green was founded by dynamic Mother-Daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, who educate, entertain and inspire positive change so that together, we can create a real and sustainable difference in the world.

A few months back I bought their new book, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. I have always recycled and found creative uses for things but the thought of digging much deeper seemed daunting. In their book, Lynn and Corey encourage making small changes and I started doing just that. In baby steps, over months, I’ve reassessed many of the buying choices I make and have found better alternatives – painlessly. I encourage you to read their book and try it for yourselves. Once you start it becomes a fun challenge to keep doing better.

Take the first step by signing up for Celebrate Green News

Check out the promotional Video below!

Last summer I wrote an article about the creative process behind my collection, Beauty in Imperfection.  My friend Alma suggested that I submit the story to Stampington Publications and it was just published it in their lovely Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine.

Beauty in Imperfection
Belle Armoire Jewelry Spring 2010
By Barbara Polinsky

It’s not perfect, and that’s the point. File marks, visible seams and solder – things that other jewelers might consider bewildering – are the trademark of my collection.

Inspired by the imperfection that abounds in nature, people, and in life, these rings, bracelets, pendants and earrings are a tribute to acceptance. The forms are clean and simple. As in life, It’s the blemishes that add the depth and character.

Beauty in Imperfection was born in a moment of frustration. I was working in the studio, trying unsuccessfully to fabricate a new design. That day, nothing was going right and I kept making careless mistakes. In total exasperation, I squished the entire piece I was working on through a rolling mill! When it emerged through the other end of the mill, I was astonished at the graceful irregular form. I sat back and smiled. Through this experience, I began to think about how much time and energy we spend in pursuit of perfection. This accidental discovery has been golden (pun intended). The ordinary, ho-hum bracelet that I was trying so diligently to make has been reshaped and transformed into something so much more genuine. Viewed only technically, my bracelet is a disaster – an ornamental fender bender, almost inconceivable through the eyes of an experienced metalsmith. Examining this same bracelet with introspection and sentiment, it is so much more valuable than the sum of its parts. What do you think? As a final flourish and visual metaphor, a small white faceted diamond is handset into each piece of jewelry. It serves as a reminder that precious gifts in our lives are not always in plain sight and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

The more I think about this concept and share it with others, the more I see how freeing and powerful it is. Our personal experiences and definition of perfection may vary but I believe that our desire for acceptance is universal.

I’m so touched and honored by the stories people are sharing with me. A friend of mine gave her teenage daughter a small pendant to applaud her uniqueness and protect her from the body image messages in the media. Some are choosing to wear these rings as wedding bands – Representing each person’s individuality and their commitment to each other: two pieces coming together as one – but not seamlessly. When I feel uncertain about something I find comfort in slipping on a bracelet or ring. It’s my subtle way of acknowledging that things don’t always unfold as I anticipated and it is my cue to be open to new possibilities. As a designer, it is so exciting to watch this product evolve and know that it is affirming to people at the same time.

I invite you to make a Beauty in Imperfection™ bangle. Don’t worry if you make a mistake – it is allowed, even encouraged. This project can be both enjoyable and meditative. The following steps are not precise and are open to your experimentation and interpretation. No two bracelets will look alike and each will get better with time and wear. Just like us!

Materials:

Sterling Silver Wire – 12 gauge for a lightweight bangle

Medium Solder

Diamond (1) faceted, small -approximately 1 to 2pts in size

Tools:

String

Ruler

Wire Cutters

Bracelet Mandrel

Pickle Solution

Pliers

Various Hammers

Soldering Set-Up

Torch

Charcoal Block or Fire Brick

Cross Locking Tweezers with Wooden Grips

Scissors for cutting solder

Flux

Fine Tweezers

Jeweler’s Files

Tumbler with Steel Shot or Polishing wheels and compound

Magnifiers

Flex Shaft

Drill Bit – fine

Tapered Bur

Bezel Pusher – fine

Burnisher-fine and slightly blunted

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare

• Cut wire to desired length using wire cutters. To determine length, wrap a string around your hand at your knuckles, excluding your thumb then add ¼ inch. (71/4 +1/4 = 71/2 inches)
• Form the wire into a circle making sure the ends are touching. You may want to use pliers or a bracelet mandrel

Clean

• Pickle your piece to clean for soldering

Solder

• Set the formed bracelet on soldering surface
• Flux and dry area to be soldered
• Cut a piece of solder and place it under the joint
• Heat the wire until the solder flows joining the two ends
• Quench in water
• Examine the connection making sure it is secure

More Cleaning

• Remove any sharp edges with your Jewelers file
• Pickle

Forming

• This is the fun part! Now, you get to shape and stretch your bracelet. There are so many different ways to accomplish this. You can hammer on a mandrel or steel block; note the material and shape of your hammerhead and the marks left on your piece. Experiment with different hammers. Interesting effects can also be made working on forming stakes or by embossing. Try gently pressing a section in a rolling mill. Explore, engage and enjoy!

Note: If you feel your silver becoming work hardened, stop, anneal, pickle and continue forming until it is a size and shape you are happy with. If the seam opens or if it has been             stretched it too much, no worries, remove a small section, solder and pickle again.

Polish

• Tumble for 30 minutes or hand polish using a light touch, as not to remove your hand wrought patina.
• Decide where you would like to set your stone. Make sure the area is wide and deep enough to support the stone.
• Drill a hole through the bracelet. The hole should be half the diameter of the stone. You will probably want to wear magnifiers for these last few steps.
• Enlarge the hole with a tapered bur. The widest part of the stone needs to sit just below the surface.
• File a small amount of the metal around the hole leaving a tiny metal lip.
• Insert stone making sure it is sitting below the lip you created. Using a slightly blunted steel burnisher, gently push down on the metal lip to secure the stone.

Tip -When ever possible, I use reclaimed Silver and Gold. This bangle is a perfect opportunity to recycle silver bits and pieces that are waiting for a new lease on life.

After a little research, I

- Joined 1% for the planet where I have committed (based on tax returns) to donate 1% of my sales to my choice of their affiliated and approved vendors.

-Sourced packaging made of renewable resources which I will be switching to for silver jewelry. The new Celebrate Reclaimed Silver collection will be packaged in renewable sinamay. More info to follow soon.

-Researched and purchased “green” chemical alternatives for the studio.

Not bad for one week! But stay tuned for more….

Click here to download the PDF

I feel great about 2010 -there are some fun and exciting things brewing. Look for designs with recycled diamonds, inspiration from Walden Pond and maybe even some bar accessories….. Excuse me while I go buckle up. I have a feeling it’s going be a wild ride!

Best wishes for much happiness and only good things in this new year.

B.