New Lab Created Opal Rings

After years of working with top grade Australian opal in our jewelry, we have decided to expand our options to include lab created opal rings and jewelry.  In recent years top quality natural Australian opal has become harder to obtain and the price has steadily increased to reflect its rarity.  We realize that not everyone has the budget for Australian opal jewelry in 14 karat gold so we have decided to offer laboratory created opal as an affordable alternative in our silver and stainless steel rings and wedding ring sets.  The lab created opal we are using in our lab opal rings is available in a variety of colors and rivals the fire and vibrant colors of natural opal.  Laboratory grown opal has essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as natural opal with the exception of water content.  Natural opal is composed of 5 to 15% water and man-made or synthetic opal contains no water.  Instead the water is replaced with resin which increases the lab created opal’s strength and durability.

We hope that you will be as pleased with the look of this laboratory created opal as we are.  We will be adding more rings with the new lab created opal color choices as soon as possible.  Until then, here are a couple of examples of lab opal colors or you can visit our Flickr photo page for more photos.  Keep in mind that any of our ring designs can be inlaid with the new lab created opal in the color of your choice.

His and hers lab created opal wedding ring set.

Please visit our websites at www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com or LabOpalJewelry.com for more information or email us with questions at info@HilemanSilverJewelry.com.

Thank you!

John Hileman

www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com  and www.TheHilemanCollection.com

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Have it your way! Semi-custom jewelry by Hileman Silver Jewelry

You have scoured the internet and local jewelry stores looking for that perfect piece of jewelry but just can’t quite seem to find it.  Working with a jeweler to create a “custom” piece of jewelry might seem like too daunting of a task.  The extra time involved and costs incurred to create a custom piece may also be prohibitive if you are short on time or on a limited budget.  What if you could get involved in the design process of your jewelry by  selecting the color of the inlay stones used, as well as the arrangement of the stones, to create a semi-custom piece of jewelry just for you at no additional charge?   Hileman Silver Jewelry will work with you to do just that.  We will guide you through the design process and advise you on which stones are appropriate for your chosen casting style and if any of the stones selected are an upgrade.

All of our sterling silver jewelry is easily customized to our customer’s inlay color choices or arrangement.  Every style ring, pendant, bracelet or earring casting is a blank canvas with almost unlimited choices of colored stones to inlay in the combination of your choice.  If the jewelry piece has a faceted gemstone to accent the inlay and you want to change the color scheme, a different color stone of equal value may be substituted for the original.  Additional charges are only charged if the accent stone or the inlay material is an upgrade to a more expensive stone.

You might notice our style numbers on some of our jewelry descriptions.  The style numbers only designate the casting/mounting used and not the inlay material used or its arrangement.  Here are some examples of our gent’s ring style “M200” and the different inlay color combinations we have done recently.  As you can see the look and feel of the ring changes dramatically with the inlay color and pattern variations.

Here is the M200 ring casting inlaid with black onyx and Australian opal.  This is one of our most popular color combinations for our men’s rings.

Sterling silver ring inlaid with black onyx and Australian opal

Another option available is inlaying the entire ring with all the same material such as all dinosaur bone, lapis or spider web turquoise like these three rings.

Sterling silver man’s band with blue lapis inlay.

Sterling silver ring inlaid with gem dinosaur bone.

Sterling silver man’s ring inlaid with spiderweb turquoise

A combination of inlay materials is also an option.  Here are a couple of multi-color examples.

Man’s sterling silver ring inlaid with sugilite, gem silica and spiderweb turquoise

As you can see there are many different colors of stones to choose from and many multicolored combinations.  Let us know your color preferences and we can suggest stones that work well together.  Most semi-custom orders can be completed in 2 to 4 weeks.  In most cases it is easier to discuss and complete these orders by phone to clear up any possible questions or concerns before beginning work on the order or taking payment.  Please visit our website for more information about Hileman Silver Jewelry and see photos of our jewelry.  www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com

New Australian opal inlay pendant design by Hileman sure to be a collector favorite

Attention all opalholics! Mark Hileman has just completed an outrageous new Australian opal pendant available for immediate purchase on Etsy.com. If you love Australian opal jewelry, then this new opal inlay pendant will not disappoint. This stunning handmade 14 karat gold pendant features a blue topaz and incredible Australian opal inlay. A huge 7.3 carat blue topaz appears to be floating in the center of this eye catching pendant. The topaz harmonizes nicely with the 16 pieces of inlaid Australian opal. Each inlay section of the body of the pendant contains two pieces of inlaid blue green opal with one red piece of opal inlay in the middle. The hinged bale is also inlaid with four pieces of outstanding blue green and red firing Australian opal. The remarkable opal will mesmerize you as it flashes different colors of blues, greens, and reds. The .30 carats of G color VS clarity brilliant round diamonds provide additional sparkle to this statement piece. The pendant is stamped 14k gold on the back and is hand signed “MMH” by Mark McBride Hileman for authenticity and collector value.   Purchase the pendant at http://www.etsy.com/listing/48127165/gold-and-topaz-pendant-with-diamonds-and or get more information about The Hileman Collection and Australian opal at www.TheHilemanCollection.com .

Are those real or fake?

Diamond and Australian opal band

Are those real or fake?  We are talking opals here.  Recently I was walking through a craft fair and stopped at a booth with a rather large display of silver jewelry.  I noticed that the inventory was divided into four or five color groups of “opals”.  I knew at first glance that it was not real opal, but thought I would ask the woman behind the counter what the beautiful stone was.  She responded that it was opal.  Not lab created opal or simulated opal- just opal.  I picked up a pendant and looked it over and noticed the mediocre craftmanship and totally uniform pattern of the “opal” as well as the $30 price tag.  Anyone who knows anything about opal knows that you can’t make a large pendant with genuine opal inlay for $30.  There was a good 3 or 4 hours of work in the piece as well, which I am assuming had to be made in China for that price.  What bothers me most is that this woman was selling this garbage between a great display of handmade raku jewelry and another man selling his nice fused glass pieces.  Not only was she misrepresenting the fake opal as real, but she was also projecting the image that she was a craftsperson or artist.  Please don’t support people selling this misrepresented junk jewelry as their craft.  There are a lot of talented people out there trying to make a living selling their art, their passion and their dream that deserve your support.   Buy handmade!

-John Hileman

Here comes the bride (and the groom)!

Sterling silver and white sapphire his and hers handmade wedding ring set inlaid with Australian opal

Hileman Silver Jewelry’s focus lately has been on creating an alternative to mass produced, cookie cutter wedding ring sets. We have created several his and hers wedding sets in sterling silver featuring white sapphires, black diamonds and blue sapphires for the center stones. We have accented them with inlaid black onyx, Australian opal and bright blue lapis.   So far, the new handmade wedding sets have received rave reviews, so we are working to expand our color palette and introducing a few more style choices. Look for several new wedding band sets to hit our shop page in the next week or two. Buy handmade!
Mark

Check out the new wedding set at  http://www.shop.hilemansilverjewelry.com/Wedding-Rings_c7.htm

Welcome to Hileman Jewelry’s blog!

Amethyst sterling silver ring inlaid with sugilite and Australian opal.

Hello and welcome to Hileman Jewelry’s blog!  We are a small family business consisting of Mark, John and Matt Hileman.  We all have our parts we play in the production of our jewelry designs and company operations.  We produce two lines of jewelry.  Our gold line consists of rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and necklaces inlaid with the finest Australian opal.  The opal line is available in upscale galleries and jewelry stores across the country.  The silver line is sold via our direct sales site http://www.HilemanSilverJewelry.com  It features sterling silver inlaid with turquoise, sugilite, Australian opal, dinosaur bone and other colorful stones.

Our blog will hopefully be informative to those interested in specific designs we are working on and educational to consumers looking for more information about the jewelry design and manufacturing process.  This is our first attempt at blogging so please forgive us as we attempt to get things rolling.