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Frequently Asked Questions |
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1. Do you use sterling silver
in your work?
2.
What does Jatayu
mean?
3.
How do I care
for my silver jewelry?
4. Where do you get your beads?
5. Do you use a jig to bend
wire? |
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1. Do you use sterling silver
in your work? 99%
of the silver in my jewelry is made with .925 sterling silver.
Sterling silver is 925/1000 parts silver and 75/1000 parts copper.
Silver plate is copper with a thin coat of silver. I do not use
silver plated wire or components. On rare occasions I will use
a charm or embellishment that has been made from coin silver.
Coin silver is 900/1000 parts silver. You may see products on
the market that are German silver or nickel silver. These are
alloys that look similar to silver but have no silver content.
I do not use any German or nickel silver in my work.
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2. What does Jatayu mean?
Many people are curious about
the unusual name I selected for my business. First of all it
is pronounced “juh-tie-you”. Jatayu is the name of
a courageous and powerful eagle in the East Indian spiritual
epoch, the Ramayana. Jatayu’s devotion to divinity inspired
him to sacrifice his life in order to save the life of Lord Rama’s
consort, Sita, from the snares of a demon. Because of his bravery,
Jatayu was granted the blessing of dying in the arms of Lord
Rama.
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3. How do I care for my
silver jewelry? So
glad you asked. . . Maintaining the beauty of your silver is
very important. I recommend you periodically clean and polish
your silver jewelry with a Sunshine Polishing Cloth. It
is a non-toxic cloth that combines no-scratch micro particles
and chemical cleaners that give a lasting luster to your silver.
Use the cloth whenever the silver starts to appear dull. The
Sunshine Polishing Cloth will last a very long time - well beyond
when the cloth turns dark. I don't recommend using silver cleaning
dips. The solution will remove the antiquing from the silver
which gives depth and interest to your piece. The Sunshine Polishing
Cloth will also clean other jewelry metals such as gold, brass,
and copper. It even cleans mirrors and glass. I know you will
be very pleased with the results. You can purchase a Sunshine
Polishing Cloth in the Jewelry Supplies section.
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4. Where do you get your
beads? Beads that appeal to me most are from
Africa, India, Thailand and Tibet . They are earthy and rich
in detail. Many of the people living in these areas have a passion
for adornment, particularly the Africans and Indians. They often
attach spiritual and healing properties to particular beads.
And one's status, tribal connection, or lineage can be
identified by the beads one wears.
These beads tell interesting stories. For example, Africa
has been the recipient of millions of trade beads
carried in the belly of ships. The beads were used as currency
and were eagerly sought after by the Africans for adornment.
Sadly, the beads were sometimes used to purchase slaves. And
interestingly, some of these beads that were once traded into
Africa are currently very valuable. The Africans now trade them
with the rest of the world.
A more specific response to the question of where I get
beads ---- I attend large (should I say gigantic?) bead shows
such as the annual international bead show in Tucson.
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5. Do you use a jig to bend your
wire? Occasionally I
use a jig when I am making a component that snakes back and forth.
For the most part, however, I use round nose, flat nose and chain
nose pliers to make all the twists and bends you see in my jewelry.
Using these tools produce a wide variety of shapes that avoid
a more commercial, repetitious appearance.
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