Rebecca Zemans Jewelry Blog

Before & After - Four Generations of Opal

Before & After - Four Generations of Opal

Welcome to October, it's really feeling like autumn now!  Opal is the October birthstone and it is wonderful how birthstone jewelry can connect families through the generations.  We were lucky enough to work with a customer recently on a very special heirloom redesign.  Using a vintage opal cocktail ring gifted from her grandmother, our customer wanted to create a delicate necklace for her mother utilizing her baby daughter's birthstone.  Rebecca removed one of the opals from the original ring and reset the stone in a bezel setting on a recycled gold-filled chain, creating a delicate and asymmetrical necklace inspired by...

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Martha Stewart 2015 American Made Awards Finalist!

Martha Stewart 2015 American Made Awards Finalist!

It is such a tremendous honor to be recognized by someone as awesome as Martha Stewart!  I am over the moon to be named as a finalist in the American Made Awards with over one thousand votes for the Audience Choice Award!  Voting is open and I am so grateful for the support from near and far. This recognition is especially meaningful because I like to think of myself as a local goldsmith with global reach. America is built on small businesses that connect with their customers on a personal level.  Big jewelry stores can be intimidating, and I prefer...

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Alternative Engagement Rings

Alternative Engagement Rings

Today is the first day of Autumn and even though we'll miss the sunny fun of summertime, we are looking forward to the striking palette that is bestowed upon us in the coming months.  Over the years we've worked with couples who have used colored stones in their engagement rings, embracing this colorful time all year long!  Inspired by these couples, we've created this roundup of some of our favorite alternative engagement rings! Colored gemstones are selected for their birthstone attributes, their historic and cultural meanings and their unique beauty.  Any stone can be set in an engagement ring, or...

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Ravenswood Art Walk

I am so excited to participate in another year of the Ravenswood Art Walk!  As both a small business owner and a resident of Ravenswood, this is a great weekend to get to know the community and learn more about all the artists in our neighborhood. Visit my studio in the Lillstreet Art Center this weekend - Saturday and Sunday, September 19th and 20th from noon to 4pm - to see where the magic happens!  You will find my studio space on the third floor of Lillstreet, all the way at the end of the hall and to the left,...

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Before & After - Ex Uno Plures

Before & After - Ex Uno Plures

  In an inverse of the motto of the United States "E Pluribus Unum" meaning "from many - one", our most recent Before & After project is an example of "Ex Uno Plures" meaning "from one - many."   Our customer came to us with her heirloom cultured pearl necklace, a gift she received for her Sweet Sixteen.  Nearly forty years later, she was ready for an updated necklace yet wanted to create something meaningful to pass down to her young nieces as well. The original pearl necklace was tapered meaning that the largest pearl is in the front with...

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