Do you think that buying a wedding ring is complicated?  You are not alone.

How can you trust that your opals are real?

Like most things in life you need to be able to trust the business that is selling you your opal jewellery.  Are they only interested in getting a sale from you?  If they are they may be

happy for you to think you are buying real opals.  Jewellery is often displayed in a shop or on the internet as opal.  In many ways they are right, it is opal but opal what?  You may be

buying synthetic opal, yes it is opal and displayed as opal but it is very different from the real thing.  synthetic opal has been manufactured to look like opal and often looks better than

real opal.  All those lovely flashes of colour make a real piece of opal expensive and synthetic opal can mimic those lovely colours flashes at a fraction of the price.  

Recently, I noticed some gold opal bracelets for sale on a search engine alongside opal bracelets that we sell at Lyre Studio.  They were similar in price and were made with cultured

opals.  Cultured opals? What are cultured opals, I thought?  It sounds really good and conjours up images of quality real opals.  A quick search on google however, showed me that

cultured opals are sythentic opals or in other words man made opals.  Real man made opals doesn't sound as good as cultured opals , does it?

Lyre Studio's Opals are Real Opals

We only sell real opals at Lyre Studio.  Our opals have either been sourced ourselves from reputable gemstone dealers or have been made by Opals Australisa, one the top opal companies in the world.

Take a look at some of our opal bracelets, we have some beautiful opal bracelets in silver or gold. Opal Bracelets

Size ?

The correct ring will depend on many factors and you cannot rely on one ring measurement taken at a jewellers on a sunny afternoon whilst you are out shopping.

Your ring size can change depending on the style of ring, the width of the ring and whether you are hot, this is because our fingers swell in the heat.

Metal ?

What kind of metal do you want for your ring?  Your choice may be because of price or you may have a favourite metal.  If you are wearing an engagement ring, then you will want to choose the same metal for your wedding ring.  Silver makes a popular choice now that gold is so expensive.

Silver Ball Stud Earrings

Everyone wants a pair of everyday earrings that they can wear day or night, at work or play.  Silver ball stud earrings are perfect for people who want a simple pair of unfussy earrings that they can wear with any outfit.

Young or old, there is a pair of plain ball stud earrings suitable for you.  We sell gold or silver ball stud earrings at Lyre Studio in a variety of sizes to suit all ages.

Ball Stud Earring Sizes

From the tiny 2mm stud to the bold statement 12mm size, you can find the right size ball stud earring for yourself at Lyre Studio.

We sell the tiny and small size ball studs to people of any age from babies upwards but the large 10mm and 12mm are more suitable for late teenagers and older.

Often work or school are not happy about people wearing earrings but the small plain stud earrings are ideal for these situations, where you need to wear earrings that are neat and unobtusive.

Gift Buying

The 7mm and 8mm are best sellers for people buying a gift for someone.  These sizes are eternally popular and you can't go wrong with one of these sizes,  your gift will be happily received by loved one or friend.

Take a look at our silver ball studs  Silver Ball Stud Earrings

Take a look at our gold ball studs 9ct Yellow Gold 3mm Ball Stud Earrings

Do you need a crystal glass necklace but can't find the length?  

Do you live in Kent and would like to try your crystal glass necklaces on before you buy?

Then come to our shop in Whitstable, Kent, where you can try on crystal glass necklaces in a variety of lengths and colours.

We can make most of our crystal glass necklaces in any length.

If the standard 16 inches or 18 inches is no good for you, then we can help.

Plesae email us with your requirements and we can make the right length crystal glass necklace for you.

Don't live any where near Kent, then order online.  Email us on info@lyrestudio.com or phone 01227 280998 if you have any questions.

Glass Crystal & Glass Pearl Necklaces

Wedding Week at Bluewater

Lyre Studio are exhibiting at Bluewater on the 9th - 12th February 2012 at the brand new exhibition centre called Glow.

This is the first wedding show at Bluewater and so will be very exciting for exhibitors and visitors.  

Please come along and see our wedding jewellery range at Bluewater.

Wedding Week at Bluewater Official Website

Lyre Studio are featuring brand new wedding jewellery designs at Bluewater, as well as their best selling wedding jewellery.

Featured Jewellery Showing At The Wedding Show Bluewater

You can buy silver chain from Lyre Studio in Whitstable, Kent.  Visit our shop or purchase online.

Many jewellers, especially the big mulitple jewellery stores only sell pendants on a standard length chain, such as 16 inches or 18 inches.  But these lengths are often too short for a lot of customers and so the customer is unable to wear the pendant.  This is where we can help you, we stock chains from 14 inches up to 36 inches.  

Silver Chains

Frequently asked chain questions

Do you sell silver chain on its own?

Yes, we do silver chain on its own.  At Lyre Studio, we specialise in selling silver chain in a wide variety of lengths and styles.

Do you sell long chains?

Yes, we have chains up to 36 inches in stock

Will this fine chain break?

Everything can break if enough pressure is applied.  A fine chain will not break unless you give it a good tug.  A fine chain is often more preferable because it doesn't compete with the pendant and can give a light weight pendant the right delicate look.

Does this silver chain get dirty?

Just like our clothes and bodies, silver chain can get dirty.  Silver chain is easily cleaned with a silver cloth or by using a silver cleaner.

Caring for your Lyre Studio Jewellery

Jewellery is intended to be used as a decorative item and without care, unintentional damage can occur to your jewellery. 

GOLDEN DON’TS

• Please always take jewellery off before you go to bed, earrings, bracelets and chains should never be worn in bed.  This is the most common cause of all jewellery breakages

• Always remove your jewellery before engaging in exercise or strenuous activities

• Don’t pull at jewellery if it is snagged.  A common cause of damage is a snag on clothing, hair, or furnishings.  Should an item become snagged or hooked on hair or clothing, try gently releasing the snag or snip the fabric or hair with scissors.  Some jewellery is delicate and may sometimes have some fine and small pieces jutting out, it is important that clothes don’t catch the jewellery.  It is always best to leave jewellery until last when dressing up.

• Never wear your jewellery in the shower, bath, swimming pool, jacuzzi or sea

·         Do not wear your jewellery when cooking or gardening

Exposure to food can damage your jewellery, both fish and onions can tarnish gold and silver.

·         Do not expose jewellery to chemicals contained in the following:-

• Household-cleaning products such as bleach, kitchen and bathroom cleaning creams and foams etc. 

• Personal care products such as hairspray, hairdye, deodorant, perfume, hand creams and especially sun tan lotion.

Exposure to chemicals can affect gems and even precious metals and can stain silver and discolour some gems, chemicals are contained in many everyday items that we all use.  Especially pearls and shells, turquoise, lapis lazuli.

·         Do not expose to direct sunlight and heat

Direct exposure to sun light and heat can change the properties of gems.  Gemstones are made up of chemical elements themselves, these components react to heat and sunlight.  Some of the gems that become paler when exposed to sunlight include amethyst, aquamarine, aventurine, and smokey quartz.  Some gems like citrine or ametrine may even change colour.

Storing your jewellery

• Store your jewellery in a felt or cloth lined container away from direct heat and light

• Store each piece separately to avoid scratching, tangling and kinking. 

• Silver will tarnish more slowly if stored in a plastic self seal bag.

• Silk necklaces should be stored flat, not hanging to avoid stretching and weakening the silk cord.

Keeping your jewellery clean

• Wipe pearls with a soft dry cloth.  Avoid contact with any oily substance

• Over a period of time silver reacts with the air and tarnishes.  You can remove this tarnish with professional silver cleaner, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Gently wipe surfaces with a small chamois or lint-free cotton cloth.  Optical and glass polishing cloths available from opticians and some “housewares” stores.  Lint and abrasive free cloths work well to clean all jewellery components.

• Jewellery “tarnish” cloths should be used only to polish Sterling Silver and Gold chain and findings (i.e. clasps, hooks and links).

• Very important:- do not use a tarnish cloth or chemical jewellery cleaner on oxidized or “antiqued” Sterling silver jewellery as they will remove the oxidized patina.  An optical or other soft, lint-free cloth will clean antiqued silver without damaging the finish.

• Never use toothpaste, household cleansers, alcohol or abrasives to clean your jewellery.  

• We do not recommend the use of ultrasonic cleaners as they can cause fractures in all but the hardest of stones.

Why has my finger gone green?

You have just bought a silver ring and worn it a few times and it has turned your finger green! 

That means it cannot be real silver?  No!  Your ring is real silver but your body has had a natural chemical reaction with the silver.

But you have worn other silver rings before and this has not happened before, so that means it cannot be silver!  No!  Just because it hasn’t happened with other items of silver jewellery doesn’t mean that your ring is not silver.

Reasons why your finger has turned green

• The acidity of your skin can make your fingers go green when wearing a silver ring. 

The acidity of your skin can be affected by the weather especially when it is hot and humid. 

The acidity of your skin can be affected by the food and drink you eat.

• Another reason may be lotions, soap or chemicals that come into contact with your skin on an everyday basis.
  
  

The green is actually caused by oxidation, and all silver will oxidize.  It is a natural chemical reaction and not an indication that the silver is not real or of good quality.

The solution

Give your ring a good wash in warm water with washing up liquid and then dry with a clean cloth.  Then polish your ring with a good quality silver cloth such as Goddards.  If you clean your silver ring several times then after a week the reaction should stop occurring.

Ten Great Reasons To Buy Cufflinks

1. Treat yourself, if you can't treat self then who can you treat?
2. Treat your friend, or loved one.
3. Birthday gift
4. Anniversary gift
5. Wedding gift - groom, ushers, father of the bride or groom, the list is endless.
6. Leaving work gift
7. Doing well in exams gift
8. Going on a cruise
9. Passing your driving test
10. Celebrate a new job

These are all popular reasons why people buy cufflinks from Lyre Studio Jewellers. 

There must be many more good reasons to buy your cufflinks from Lyre Studio, just let us know why you are buying your cufflinks and I will add it to the list.