Amazon Launches Handmade on Amazon

Dinosaur bone jewelry by Hileman Silver Jewelry

Dinosaur bone wedding ring set now available at Handmade at Amazon.

Today Amazon officially launched Handmade at Amazon.  Amazon’s new venture will feature handmade items from around the globe and we are pleased to announce that our Hileman Silver Jewelry line was accepted to be a part of this new marketplace.  Amazon is only accepting artists and companies that offer handmade goods – no mass production items!   At launch Amazon plans to offer over 80,000 items from artisans in all 50 states and 60 countries.  The new marketplace will also offer more information about the artists and how they produce their goods as well as images of their studios.

We are in the process of building out our new Handmade at Amazon shop but we invite you to stop by and check out our new home on Amazon.  We believe our handmade dinosaur bone rings, turquoise engagement rings and Australian opal jewelry will be a big hit with customers looking for unique handmade jewelry.

Visit Hileman Silver Jewelry on Handmade at Amazon!

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You Don’t Have to Compromise on Your Wedding Ring Choices

Dinosaur bone wedding ring set with black diamonds.

Dinosaur bone wedding ring set with black diamond accents.

After years of working with customers to create their dream wedding rings, we have found that many couples are compromising on the most important piece of jewelry they will ever wear.  Not necessarily compromising because of cost, but because of the differing personal tastes of the couples.  Many couples come to us and are interested in matching wedding bands but struggle to agree on the style, shape, width and stone choices.  Usually one of the individuals is more conservative and the idea of purchasing a wedding ring as nontraditional as an inlay ring is already stretching the limits of their comfort zone.  While the other partner may be more outgoing and looking for a wedding ring that is big and bold and not at all what the other person would choose.

Why compromise and end up with a wedding ring set that is really not exactly what either one of you want?  We suggest that each person select the ring style that they will love and will be excited to wear for the rest of their lives together.  We can then work with the couple to choose elements that will tie the rings together.  The rings can be different widths or styles and still share the same central gemstones such as white sapphires or the same inlay such as turquoise or dinosaur bone that will unify the set.  Many couples are choosing wedding bands in different widths because maybe one likes a wider look and the other a narrow ring width.  They may choose to have us inlay the rings in totally different colors of the same type of stone.  Many men like our darker gray dinosaur bone and choose it for the inlay in their ring while some women feel our dinosaur bone with pink hues is more their style.  Although the inlay stones are totally different colors, both of the rings are inlaid in dinosaur bone and make a great looking wedding ring set.

Sugilite and amethyst wedding ring set.

Lavender and dark purple sugilite and amethyst wedding ring set.

The point is, don’t feel like you are limited in your wedding ring choices because of what is popular or traditional.  These are your wedding rings that you will wear for a long time and they should not compromise your personality or individuality.  Browse our Hileman wedding rings and wedding ring sets and let us work with you to create wedding rings that are uniquely you.

Contact us:

http://www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com

info@HilemanSilverJewelry.com

Cobalt Chrome Wedding Rings

Cobalt chrome is one of  newest alternative metals to hit the jewelry market.  Cobalt chrome is the perfect combination of color, strength and weight for a wedding ring.  It’s color is very white and is  comparable to that of platinum at a much more affordable price.  Cobalt chrome is very strong but at the same time malleable enough to be practical for most jewelry styles.  It won’t shatter or crack like some of the other alternative metal choices.  Cobalt chrome is 4 times harder than platinum, 5 times harder than gold and 7 times harder than silver.   It has a nice weight, similar to that of white gold.  Cobalt chrome rings are not featherweight like titanium and not super heavy like tungsten rings.  The other advantages of cobalt chrome rings over titanium and tungsten rings are its pleasing white color and the ability to size the ring slightly if needed.

We are excited to offer cobalt chrome as an upgraded metal choice for our wedding rings.  It’s durability makes it a great choice for our wedding rings and sets.  Because of the extreme hardness of this new metal, we will have to charge more for cobalt chrome rings than our sterling silver rings  to cover the additional metal working time and extra wear and tear on our tools and equipment.

Tan dinosaur bone ring in cobalt chrome.

Tan dinosaur bone ring in cobalt chrome.

Here is one of our first rings made in cobalt chrome.  The ring is inlaid with tan dinosaur bone with no dividers between the sections of dinosaur bone, giving it the appearance of one continuous piece of dinosaur bone across the top of the ring.  As you can see, the cobalt chrome has a nice bright white color similar to platinum or rhodium plated white gold.  To see more photos of this dinosaur bone ring in cobalt chrome visit our Etsy shop at Etsy.com/shop/thehilemancollection.  Most of our ring designs will be available in this great new metal choice.  Please contact us for details or questions.

 

www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com

info@HilemanSilverJewelry.com

 

 

Do We Really Use Dinosaur Bones?

Dinosaur Bone JewelryMost of us know a little about the history and extinction of dinosaurs, but not as many people know that dinosaur fossils are still found all over the world. The survival of dinosaur bones lets us know that in order to have survived the 65,000,000 to 230,000,000 year span of time, they would have to be petrified.

Oxygen is what causes decay of animal bones once the animal is deceased. For these dinosaur bones to have been petrified, instead of becoming dust in the wind, scientists conclude they must have been covered after the dinosaur’s death by volcanic ash, lava, or mud and clay produced by floods and landslides on the planet. Once the bones were covered and had no access to oxygen, they were able to fossilize into what we see today.

What is Agatized Bone?

Agatized bone is fossilized dinosaur bone, found in rare forms. When the calcite in dinosaur bones is naturally replaced with silica-type compounds, which you would recognize as jasper, opal, or agate stone, it is considered “agatized bone”. This natural process can occur in circumstances when strata layers in a mountain become flooded with silica-rich ground water. The intrusion of the groundwater eventually causes the calcite in the bones to be replaced with this silica-rich substance.

Color

Hematite, usually formed through iron oxidation, is one of the properties that give the dinosaur bones its various hues.

Red dinosaur bone ring in stainless steel by Hileman Silver Jewelry.

Red dinosaur bone ring in stainless steel by Hileman Silver Jewelry.

Depending on the amount of hematite that enters the bone, the colors can be subtle or extremely intense. Red, pink, orange, rust, and yellow are a few of the most common colors caused by hematite intrusion. Pure silica creates a brilliant white bone color, while organic carbon or pyrite, which is most abundant, will produce black bones.

Beautiful purples and blues are produced by manganese dioxide. Water can leach manganese from igneous rock forms. As this water is re-deposited, it turns into manganese dioxide, also responsible for coatings and the coloring of many rocks and crystals.

Because of all the varied natural processes, agatized dinosaur bones contain all the metaphysical properties of the original fossils, but also contain unique properties of their own.

Attributes

Besides produced by nature in beautiful colors and textures, dinosaur bones are said to have properties of vibrancy and well-being. They are touted to help increase mental and physical energy by the wearer. Dinosaur bone has been used throughout the years to calm irrational fears and to lessen anxiety.

Much of what is naturally produced by the Earth is useful to us in many ways. What we do know is that the processes that gives us the gift of agatized dinosaur bone have created a unique, durable, and beautiful substance from which we can create wearable art.

See our dinosaur bone jewelry at HilemanSilverJewelry.com or DinosaurBoneRings.jewelry.

Hileman Silver Jewelry

http://www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com

Alternative Wedding Ring Options For That Unique Couple

There are magazines, webzines, and blogs all about the “Alternative” wedding style, which simply means less cookie-cutter Dinosaur Bone Jewelryceremonies and more weddings that match the personality of the couple. The “natural” bride, the “pagan” bride, and “same-sex” couples are just a few of the kinds of couples becoming more the norm than ever before in history.

Engagement and wedding bands have always been one of the most traditional and classic parts of the ceremony. “Something old, something new…” has often referred to a passed down engagement ring or set of wedding bands from the bride’s grandparents. The couple may have chosen to accept the gift of one or the other to save money, and because it means a lot to the giver, but may feel a bit left out of their own special day.

Today, more couples are realizing that the wedding day, belongs to them. It’s nice to try and make concessions for parents and close relatives, but ultimately, it is the couple who should be ecstatic about their own unique wedding. Choosing unique engagement rings and wedding bands are a way to express yourselves and your individuality without making a huge scene. If you are not the types to go completely outside the box you can plan a traditional wedding and walk down the aisle with a unique wedding band option like a dinosaur bone ring.

For many alternative couples who may also practice alternative forms of spirituality, they may find it to be a true sentiment of their love for nature and the Earth: to wear something that was once a part of nature. Many couples today, whether they consider themselves alternative or not, are seeking other ring options besides diamonds. Colored gemstones, unique inlay materials and non-traditional metals like stainless steel or sterling silver can add to the individuality of their wedding rings

Turquoise is also a beautiful option for engagement rings and wedding bands, as it signifies strength, protection, and healing. There are a multitude of gemstones and natural materials that have significant mystical and spiritual meaning. No matter what background, culture, or religion you practice, gemstones are a fantastic choice to make your wedding bands stand out and memorable to everyone who sees them.

Although you may not want to have your wedding in the midst of a circus or haunted house, you can go outside the norm with your ring choices to express your true personality as a couple.

New Pink Dinosaur Bone Ring!

Dinosaur bone ring or wedding ring in sterling silver by Hileman Silver Jewelry.

Pink dinosaur bone ring with white sapphire center stone by Hileman Silver Jewelry.

 

We just completed our first ring with some of the pink dinosaur bone we acquired a few months back.  This dinosaur bone is a little more subtle than the red or the gray in some of our other dinosaur bone ring designs.  The new pink dinosaur bone has more pastel pink with some darker mauve spots all surrounded by brownish gray cell walls.  The softer colors give this woman’s ring a more feminine feel and don’t overpower the center stone.  This ring would make a nice alternative wedding ring or engagement ring for someone looking for a unique alternative to a diamond band.  We can create a  matching 4.5mm dinosaur bone wedding band to complete the matching bridal ring set.  We can also inlay this new pink dinosaur bone into any of our other ring or jewelry designs by special order.  See the video of this ring on YouTube!

Dinosaur bone ring in sterling silver.

Pink dinosaur bone ring with white sapphire in sterling silver.

The pink dinosaur bone in this ring came from the Morrison Formation in Utah and was a living animal during the Jurassic Period around 144 to 208 million years ago. It is actually no longer bone material but is a combination of minerals that replaced the bone over time. Dinosaur bone is found in a rainbow of colors with the webbing color and cell size varying greatly from piece to piece. The varying cell size and colors create some truly unique patterns and virtually one of a kind pieces of jewelry. Fossilized dinosaur bone can be composed of many different minerals including agate, jasper and calcite.  The color of the dinosaur bone is determined by the combination of minerals present when the fossilized bone formed.

You can see this new dinosaur bone ring and others in our Etsy shop or on www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on new items, sales and promotions!

 

John Hileman

Info@HilemanSilverJewelry.com

HilemanSilverJewelry.com

 

New Dinosaur Bone Jewelry in More Colors

Dinosaur bone and white sapphire engagement or wedding ring in sterling silver.

Dinosaur bone and white sapphire engagement or wedding ring in sterling silver.

Hileman Silver Jewelry now has more color options available for our dinosaur bone jewelry designs.  We have always had a variety of red dinosaur bone options, but now we have several choices in grays, a white base bone with reddish spots and some yellow with red accents.  We are busy creating new jewelry with these new dinosaur bone colors.  One of our favorite new ring designs is a wedding or engagement ring with a white sapphire in the center and the new white/gray base color gembone with random reddish-orange spots inlaid down the sides.  It is a little more subdued than the bold red dinosaur bone but has a very interesting pattern and makes for a very unique wedding ring.  You can purchase or read more about this new dinosaur bone ring at our Etsy shop.

Gray dinosaur bone and white sapphire ring in sterling silver.

Gray dinosaur bone and white sapphire ring in sterling silver.

A great example of our new gray dinosaur bone with black matrix is this new man’s ring design.  The top of the ring is inlaid with one piece of fossilized dinosaur bone that is slightly raised above the surrounding silver.  The bone is a combination of several shades of gray with very distinctive black webbing running throughout.  Three sparkling white sapphires are channel set on each side of the dinosaur bone center.  This ring will also be available with black diamonds instead of the white sapphires and other materials may be substituted for the gray dinosaur bone.  Look for this ring to be listed soon at both our Etsy shop and our Hileman Silver Jewelry website.

If you are interested in learning more about dinosaur bone and dinosaur bone jewelry, please read our blog page about dinosaur bone.  For detailed information about dinosaur bone, how is it is formed and its metaphysical properties, read this information from BoneMasters.com.

We offer a great collection of dinosaur bone jewelry in a variety of colors and patterns inlaid in sterling silver.  To browse our large selection of dinosaur bone jewelry including rings, wedding ring sets, pendants and earrings please visit our Hileman Silver Jewelry website.  If you would like to see more photos of our dinosaur bone jewelry, please go to our Flickr page and view our “Dinosaur Bone Jewelry Collection“.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updated information about sales, new jewelry designs and special offers.

John and Mark

http://www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com

ArtFire Member Curated Collections

There are many tools available to promote your craft on the internet.  A great tool that is available to members of ArtFire is the member curated collection.  These collections are composed of items available for sale on ArtFire from the collection creator and other artisans on ArtFire.  Member curated collections are excellent sources of sales and traffic for all members featured in the collection.

Here are some of the ArtFire Collections I have created.  Please click on the items and explore the artisans’ shops. 

Enjoy!  Thank you for supporting handmade artists!

New Dinosaur Bone Ring with Black Diamonds and Black Onyx Accents

Man's sterling silver handmade ring with black diamonds, dinosaur bone inlay and black onyx inlay.

Man’s sterling silver handmade ring with black diamonds, dinosaur bone inlay and black onyx inlay.

We just completed this striking new man’s dinosaur bone ring design featuring black diamonds, dinosaur bone and black onyx set in sterling silver.  This handsome bone ring has 3 round black diamonds weighing .30 carats channel set to one side of the ring, leaving a long section of the ring for inlay.   The black diamonds look great with the inlaid black onyx and dinosaur bone.  The ring is inlaid with 6 pieces of striking red celled dinosaur bone with black matrix. Four sections of black onyx divide up the red dinosaur bone and bring out the black matrix in the gem bone. This handcrafted dinosaur bone inlay ring is 8mm wide and tapers to 4.3mm at the bottom. It is hand signed “MMH” by Mark McBride Hileman and stamped sterling silver. The ring pictured is a size 10 1/4 but is available in other sizes by special order. This design may also be customized by changing the inlay stones or switching the black diamonds to white sapphires, white diamonds or blue sapphires. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for special orders on this ring. Gem dinosaur bone like this is becoming more difficult to find so start your collection today!

For more information, photos and purchasing information please visit http://www.etsy.com/listing/49489605/sterling-silver-black-diamond-ring-with or go to www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com .

Dinosaur Bone Jewelry

If you are anything like me, you probably are not familiar with gem dinosaur bone or dinosaur bone jewelry .  My experience with dinosaur bone began last year when I discovered it on Ebay.  We decided to try inlaying dinosaur bone in our sterling silver jewelry and it was a big hit.  The dinosaur bone we use in our jewelry is usually referred to as “gembone”.  It is actually not bone but is a combination of minerals that replaced the dinosaur bone over time.  Dinosaur bone is found in a rainbow of colors with the webbing color and cell size varying greatly from piece to piece.  The varying cell size and colors create some truly unique patterns and virtually one of a kind pieces of jewelry.  The fossilized dinosaur bone can be composed of many different minerals including agate, jasper and calcite.  The dinosaur bone color is determined by the combination of minerals present when the fossilized bone formed.  Some colors are more rare than others with multicolor cells  in a nice pattern being the most sought after.  High quality dinosaur bone has a hardness of 6-7 on the Moh’s scale and takes a great polish for jewelry.  Top grade gem dinosaur bone is eventually going to become impossible to get because, as you might have guessed, they aren’t making it any more.  Now would be a great time to start your collection of dinosaur bone jewelry.  We have many ring and pendant designs that feature dinosaur bone in several different color combinations.  Visit our website and enter dinosaur bone in the quick search box and check out the jewelry available.  http://www.shop.hilemansilverjewelry.com/main.sc   

I also have posted a collection of photos of some of our pendants, rings and wedding ring sets inlaid with dinosaur bone on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hilemanjewelry/sets/72157624623420277/ .