November 22, 2016

Black Friday - Jewellery Discount Code

Use this Code: BlackFriday2016

October 04, 2016

Do you know which day of the week you were born on?

Do you know the day you were born?

You probably know that there are assigned birthstones for the month you were born, but did you know there are also specific gemstones for the day of the week when you were born? If you are not happy with your monthly birthstone how about one for your birth day? Use the calculator below to find out your day of birth.

Sunday: Topaz or Diamond

Monday: Pearl or Crystal

Tuesday: Ruby or Emerald

Wednesday: Amethyst or Lodestone

Thursday: Sapphire or Carnelian

Friday: Emerald or Cat’s Eye

Saturday: Turquoise or Diamond

Check which day your birthday fall on here:

http://www.calculatorcat.com/date/day-of-week.html

September 14, 2016

What Colour Jewellery Suits Me?

What Colour Stones Will Match What I’m Wearing?

Firstly it’s important to say that not everyone wants to match their jewellery to their outfit. Some people have a favourite pieces that they wear all day, everyday, but if you have a special outfit and you are looking for jewellery to set it off I hope this helps.

Some people like to mix it up a bit and wear clashing colours like blue with red or orange with pink this can look great when you get it right.

Cameron Diaz Looks Stunning in Cerise & Turquoise

 

Cameron Diaz wears turquoise necklace

Turquoise gemstone necklace

If however you are looking to match jewellery to an outfit here are some points to think about. Gemstones change in different lights, a Carnelian may appear quite rusty red by day but brown red by night. Translucent stones like Labradorite and Moonstone may only come into their own at night, when their natural iridescence shines through.

 Our Translucent Moonstone Cuff Links and Iridescent Labradorite Earrings

  Labradorite Drop Earrings

If you are going to be photographed then the camera light can affect the gemstone colour too. A gemstone that matched perfectly in daylight may be different in artificial light. My advice would be to think carefully about trying to find a stone that matches exactly and go for one that is close match or a contrast to what you are wearing.

Our Smoky Quartz earrings that Ting is wearing with her red dress look great as they contrast beautifully.

 Ting wearing Franki Baker Smoky Quartz Earrings Smoky Quartz Earrings

http://www.thetingthing.com/2016/09/dazzling-drops-earrings-franki-baker/

Helen Mirren looking Beautiful Wearing Two Shades of Green

Helen Mirran wearings earrings Green Chalcedony Arts & Crafts Earrings

 

Aqua Chalcedony comes in a wonderful variety of baby blue to green and can look stunning when there is only just a slight match to the colour your outfit. Pastel coloured gems like pink Opal, Lace Agate or again Chalcedony make great versatile pieces to go with different coloured outfits.

Blue Lace Agate Drop Earrings

 

Pearls come in so many colours, many are dyed but natural pearls have a colour rating which can be matched very well if you want to match your earrings & pendant for example. Pearls look great with most outfits and are timeless because of it.

Angelina Jolie Chooses White Pearls To Contrast With Black Always A Winner

Angelina Jolie wearing pearl earrings
 
Pearl Jewellery

 

Another great eye catching trick is to wear a patterned outfit and pick out one colour and match your jewellery to that colour. Multi coloured jewellery is a versatile way of always having something that matches many outfits you pull out of your wardrobe.

Julie Walters Looks Vibrant With Multi Coloured Necklace

 Julie Walters wearing necklace Multi-coloured gemstone necklace Multi-coloured gemstone earrings
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What's your style? Send us a photo we'd love to see.

Franki

 

 

August 11, 2016

Exciting New Gemstone - Chrysoprase by Cartier

Exciting new gemstones come onto the market every now and then and they do create a buzz. Maybe you will remember Tanzanite, a stunning blue coloured gemstone? Tanzanite is only found in one part of the world near Mount Kilimanjaro so it is pretty rare and expensive. There is now a new look gemstone on the block, Chrysoprase - a beautiful luminous milky green. Although Chrysoprase has been around forever, the jewellers Cartier have launched their new collection using this gemstone in an exciting designs inspired by the prickly cactus and giving it a whole new lease of life. Who would have thought that a cactus could be the inspiration for this beauty……

 

 

 The new Cactus de Cartier Collection has a chrysoprase cuff

 

This minty green or vivid apple-green gemstone is a variety of chalcedony that gets its unique colouring from nickel. Chrysoprase can be found all over the world including in the Americas, Africa and Asia.

 

We have our own ethnic version of the bracelet costing just a fraction of the price of the Cartier one. Ours has been handmade in India by women using real gemstone, shells and glass beads and is quite stunning and very unusual.

 

Here is our green beauty inspired by the sea…..

 

January 28, 2016

Beautiful Amethyst - The Birthstone for February

 

"The February born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they, the amethyst will wear."

 

Colours

The traditional colours of Amethysts vary from pale lilac to violet to red-violet through to a deep rich purple. The colour has strong meaning going back many centuries. The purple colour was associated with loyalty and it became symbolic with wealth and power.

Meanings

Amethyst is one of the most popular gemstones and was once considered more precious than diamonds. It has long been used in jewellery. The word Amethyst is derived from the Greek ‘amethustos’ which means "not drunken" and the gemstone was used to ward off intoxication and bring clear-headedness and quick-wittedness to the wearer, a symbol of peace, protection and tranquility.

 

What is Amethyst

A variety of crystallized quartz. The Amethyst is found all over the world but the best examples come from Brazil, Uruguay and Zambia. Most of our Amethysts come from Africa.

January 11, 2016

Gemstones and their Special Powers

Gemstones & their Special Powers

It has long been thought that natural gemstones have healing powers and each stone has a beneficial affect on a specific part of the wearer's body. Examples include Garnet, which is associated with the heart and blood circulation, whilst Lapis Lazuli is thought to help insomniacs and Amethyst helps sufferers of arthritis.

Gemstones are also believed to bring other powers to their wearers. Wearing Garnets promotes love, whilst pearls are a symbol of purity and bring clear thinking.

Here is a brief list of the attributes associated with some of the gemstones in our collections.

Amethyst – Help alleviate insomnia, arthritis, pain and circulatory issues. Amethyst is considered the gemstone of meditation, peace, balance, courage and inner strength.

Aquamarine – Is associated with the liver, throat, stomach, jaw, teeth, eyes, and ears. Aquamarine is also known for releasing fear, calming nerves and bringing mental clarity.

Citrine – Thought to be the gemstone improve hearing. Citrine also promotes success, abundance and clear thinking.

Garnet – Is associated with the blood, heart, and lungs and is known to promote romantic love, passion, sensuality and intimacy.

Lapis Lazuli- Thought to aid in the alleviation of insomnia and depression, Lapis is also known for creating openness, truthfulness, and creativity.

Onyx - Associated with the root chakra, Onyx brings spiritual inspiration, and control over emotions.

Pearl - Known for its calming properties, the Pearl is said to aid purity, charity, integrity, truth and loyalty in its wearer. Often worn by brides.

Peridot – Helps in healing stress in relationships, lessening anger and jealousy, and slowing aging. Peridot promotes abundance and prosperity.

Sapphire - The gemstone of creative expression, inner peace and meditation. The Sapphire also aids in personal expression and the alleviation of pain.

Topaz - One of the most powerful gemstones, Topaz facilitates the balance of emotions and provides protection from greed.

Turquoise - A gemstone steeped in folklore and tradition, Turquoise is a healing and balancing stone.

Good health!

Franki

 

November 24, 2015

The Most Beautiful Women and their Jewellery

When I think of some of the most beautiful women in the world and their jewellery I think of women like Elizabeth Taylor & Coco Chanel. These women are remembered not only for their style and beauty but also for their passion for jewellery.

 Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor wearing long chandelier earrings

“I’ve never thought of my jewellery as trophies. I’m here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty.”

Elizabeth Taylor wore some of the most beautiful jewels ever seen on a woman who wasn’t a queen or part of a country's ruling elite. She loved jewellery and was rarely seen without any. Most of her jewellery was gifted to her by one of her husbands or by one of her many admirers. She owned items that are now famous in their own right. At a recent auction examples from her collection were snapped up by collectors, museums and celebrities only highlighting the lasting value of a beautiful piece of timeless jewellery.

Julianne Moore wearing a magnificent necklace that once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor. This Bulgari emerald necklace is now worth over $12 million.

Coco Chanel has been credited, not only for her fashion creations and style, but also for bringing costume jewellery to the mass market. Coco Chanel was rarely seen without wearing an item of jewellery. Her jewellery ‘lifted’ outfits and gave women a chance to make the same outfit look very different when worn with a statement pieces of jewellery. She had a passion for pearls and loved the contrast of the white or cream pearls against the black of her clothes…her favorite colour. Chunky jewellery, red lipsticks, touches of sparkle, bejewelled accessories and a splash of her now iconic perfume were her lasting legacy.

Coco Chanel with her classic strands of pearls, earrings and cuffs

Many beautiful women today have adopted their own style of jewellery. Adele favours the classic, cluster style of earrings which sits neatly on the ear. Jennifer Aniston is often seem wearing her favorite, simple leaf pendant.

 Adele's large gemstone cluster earrings

Franki Baker gemstone cluster earrings
  

Jennifer Aniston wearing a leaf pendant Franki Baker Leaf Pendants

 

 

 

 

Angelina Jolie wearing large statement pearl earrings Franki Baker Pearl Earrings

  

Uma Thurman with long chandelier gemstone earrings Franki Baker Laradorite chandelier earrings

 

Whatever your budget or your style, great jewellery will add colour and interest to your wardrobe. Well made jewellery will last a lifetime and can be passed on to others to be enjoyed all over again.

Franki

 

November 02, 2015

New Arrivals

We are starting to receive our new arrivals for Christmas. We are especially excited about our new Sterling Silver Gemstone cufflinks. We have taken great pains to get them right as these really are beautiful cufflinks. Our makers make for the very top quality world brands and again our lower overheads mean that we can pass the savings on to our customers. Once we have finished the assay hallmarking process in Edinburgh we will be putting them up on the web site for Christmas.

Once again thanks to everyone and please remember we are always grateful for any feedback.

Franki

November 01, 2015

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who has looked at our new website and thanks too for all the feedback. Your suggestions are much appreciated and I hope you can see we have incorporated them where we could.

The 10% discount voucher code for new signers is valid for a few more weeks as is the free shipping on all UK bound orders.

As many of you know we also sell on other platforms but our prices on our own web site are lower. If you compare our prices on other platforms you will see. The delivery method is the same wherever you place your order.

Franki

October 01, 2015

First Post!

We are excited to at last be launching our new look webstore with lots more fabulous jewellery to choose from!

We have found some really great new gemstones as well as brilliant quality stalwarts which I have commissioned to be made into beautiful well-made jewellery that I am sure you will love!  We have been selling through Amazon and at a few retail outlets (Gleneagles was amazing) but now want to focus more on selling through our own website.

We hope you enjoy browsing the new website and hope you will sign up for occasional email newsletters.

Thank you for visiting!

Franki