Gem Resources , International is a valued supplier for Harold Jewelry. We recommend them to you, because whether you are just starting out in your jewelry design education or, you’re a seasoned artisan, you’ll find a stone that’s perfect for your design idea.  The Minnesota-based company offers a wide selection of faceted natural and lab-created gems that come in styles such as rose-cut, checkerboard and bullet. Rough-cut gems are an option in stones like citrine, aquamarine, white topaz, a few kinds of garnet and peridot to name some examples. Plus, they have natural and lab-created stone cabochons (also called ‘cabs’), which are known to be easier to set than faceted or rough gems. They also have a choice of drilled stones or drops. Some of these drilled stones come in novel shapes – like boots! Are you in search of details about certain jewelry making processes for your latest design? Gem Resources International’s website has a nice section of ‘How-to Guides...

Tips on Taking Good Jewelry Product Shots from a Professional Photographer – Part 1.   By: Amy Juneau Phoenix Photographer, Sage, of Desert Sage Photography, met with me recently to share some basic tips on how to shoot good jewelry product shots. She has 6 years of experience as a jewelry product photographer and 10 years of experience photographing weddings.   She’s been a real gem (pun intended) in creating quality photos for Harold Jewelry.   Check out her advice in answer to my questions below: AJ: What do you recommend for removing/avoiding dust and debris in close up shots? S:    It depends on what background you wish to photograph the jewelry on. A white background looks professional, but it can be tricky, as it shows lint and random debris easily. Keep a lint roller and or tape handy (Sage always asks her jewelry artist clients what is their preference for a background before a shoot). If you have a photo editing software, like Photoshop, and are...