FILIGREE - fine twisted Silver wire Delicate, Intricate, Fanciful Ornamentation work

Video of hand Crafted FILIGREE at Beloved Treasures Australia - MADE IN MALTA

http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au/products.asp?cat=98

BeLoved Treasures presents October 2013 Eclectic Jewellery Collection. www.belovedtreasures.com.au

www.belovedtreasures.com.au/products.asp?cat=104

FACE to FACE plus ONLINE Selling   ...   

http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au/online_selling_vs_face_to_face.asp

I owned and operated a successful direct selling Jewellery Business in Melbourne for 13 years in the 1980’s and 1990’s (Jewellery Design & Import). I did not have a mobile phone, or a computer, the internet was only a concept, I had NOTHING in those days except a Vision, me and the jewels! I also had a pager on my hip and my customers rang a paging service who then paged me (beep, beep, beep) and I had to find the nearest phone box to call the customer. True!After a 15 year break, I re-launched the business on the Gold Coast as so many customers from my previous business in Melbourne came looking for me (mostly on Facebook) to buy more jewellery – 15 years later, that is wonderful and that sure is saying some-thing about my service.

FACE TO FACE

So, what can I say after launching a professional website and selling online for the past 9 months?
The vast majority of my Sales still do happen face to face. There are numerous local advertising sites where I present my jewellery to the public, they come to my showroom, see the jewellery, pick it up, hold it, admire it, touch it, adorn themselves with it, and purchase a stunning piece for themselves or for that Special some-one else they know will Love that piece. 




What I have learnt? 
The Customer Service I can provide being with some-one face to face is Priceless …
My Love & Passion for what I do, the beautiful creations I personally ‘dream’ and design, the genuine excitement I feel when presenting the Jewels to them and the knowledge and expertise I freely share with them about their Precious Metal, Gemstone & Swarovski Crystal jewellery purchases is so rewarding.They leave knowing, with all my Heart that I am Grateful for their patronage.
There are also the home based business sellers, market sellers, jewellery makers, party plan operators that come here to the Showroom to buy Jewellers Supplies and they leave here feeling supported, learning some-thing new, acquiring some-thing beautiful & unique and most importantly, they leave here happy and uplifted by the interaction.

                                          FRIENDLY CASUAL ENVIRONMENT

An online website has its positives too. It provides me with credibility and expresses my enthusiasm for the eclectic business Beloved Treasures. I am able to reach people internationally and nationally, in the comfort of their homes customers can shop online and make their purchase using a Credit Card or PayPal which offers buyer protection, and Direct Deposit is also an option. 

I attempt to recreate across cyberspace, the same Customer Service I provide to those in my presence, by having a well organised website so it is easy for customers to navigate around, quality photographs, detailed descriptions of the items including size weight material etc, educational & interesting informative articles and I am only a phone call away & very happy to spend the time with them to answer any of their questions. 
I post within 24 hours of receiving cleared funds, and always follow up to make sure they have received their jewels and I openly welcome their feedback. 
We must ‘go back to the people’. 

We must put ourselves in their shoes and feel what they feel.
For me they are not nameless faces behind keyboards some-where else on this planet, they are souls who deserve to have the best experience when dealing with Beloved Treasures. It is my desire for customers to enjoy the shopping experience, to leave the keyboard happy with their purchase, to be excited and looking forward to the parcel arriving, to feel elation when they see the beautiful unique innovative Real creation for the first time and for them to feel like a million bucks when they adorn themselves with the jewels. Reading the customer feedback on Beloved Treasures website speaks for itself.
It’s all about the people, it’s all about a win win positive experience for all, it’s all about old fashioned Customer Service in a casual friendly environment; and it’s as simple as that!

STALKHER - Promo - JOHN JARRATT vs KAARIN FAIRFAX

GENESIS 
“Let there BE Light”
Rainbow Prism Collection
Swarovski Crystal, Cosmic Rings and Genuine GEMSTONES

http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au/products.asp?cat=104

RAINBOW PRISM  

White light beams through a triangular Prism and disperses into the colours of the Rainbow …

      

I have always felt that Life comes from the Light.
It isn’t possible to explain in words, this mysterious invisible intelligence that I feel and intuitively know exists.
Language is limiting because it fails to relay the full essence of experience, so the best way for me to express this awareness and understanding of the nature of Light was to design this collection.
Can you imagine a Life without Colour?
Bathe in the Light, embrace Life, open your Heart & Mind in awe, view the World with a sense of Wonder, and remember who you are ♪♫
VIDEO: http://animoto.com/play/gXOmbs84lM0po4oOdDv5Bg#

"Over the Rainbow II" Hand Made Necklace - Vermeil, Swarovski Crystals & Cosmic Rings (BELOVED TREASURES DESIGN)

"Over the Rainbow I" Hand Made Necklace & Earrings SET - 14ct Gold filled, Swarovski Crystals & Gemstones (BELOVED TREASURES DESIGN)            

Ruby (red), orange Topaz (orange), yellow Topaz (yellow), Emerald (green), Aquamarine (blue), Sapphire (indigo) and Amethyst (violet)

"Over the Rainbow I" Hand Made Necklace & Earrings SET - Sterling Silver, Swarovski Crystals & Gemstones (BELOVED TREASURES DESIGN)

The colour combinations of the Swarovski Crystals are kept on record at Beloved Treasures, as these are Collectors Pieces, their authenticity can be verified by Auction Houses. Only 1 will ever be made in these colour combinations.

                   http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au/products.asp?cat=104

  

  

How to use SOCIAL MEDIA to BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

When I decided to create my jewellery business and launch in Dec 2012, my Northern NSW web designer (Chain Me Up & Charm Me) expressed to me that it would take at least 2 years to develop a high Google rating .. it makes sense that hundreds of business's can't all fit on page 1 .. so I had to learn 'real quick' how to use other social media sites to get my business off the ground. I have discovered in the 6 months I have been operating, is that 'the personal touch' is the way to go...  http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au

I have created Boards on my Pinterest profile (visual social media) reflecting the things that I am interested in - shoes, glass art, inspirations, Gold, Birds, Butterflies etc ... and I have all my jewellery boards there too, which actually has generated some sales.. but apart from the few sales, hundreds of people have discovered Beloved Treasures website and they are now familiar with my business, which I expect will be a big International Company one day - yes, I dream big!
In such a short time I already have 1,201 International followers (today 24/6/13) and I did not know a soul when I joined..... I find that people want a bit of insight into you, which is expressed from the Boards you create and what you 'Pin'... UPDATE 19/8/13: Followers = 2,531.
If you have a look at my Pinterest profile and peruse my Boards, you will discover a lot about what interests me and even get a feel for me as a person. It's a good feeling for the potential customer to know who you are and actually quite exciting for me because I spend at least 8 hours a day behind the keyboard (my shop-front) and these social media sites frequented by the people I meet has become my social life, warm by the heater!. http://pinterest.com/CatherineSaliba/boards/ 

Facebook: some form of engagement is important. I sit here at my keyboard working away on photography, marketing etc ..and if some-one comments or likes one of my jewellery posts on Facebook (notification bell sounds) I always engage and say something about the piece or about their comment etc ... it's like I am sitting here at my shop front waiting for a customer to walk in to my store .. lol
Unfortunately very few friends 'share" or 'like' Beloved Treasures posts so I was stuck on around 70 Likes for months, so for the past month I have paid for Facebook advertising (has cost me around $100) and those Ads have attracted over 1,100 new likes. I targeted certain markets to attract buyers - so far I am building trust with most of these people, which is why I always engage when some-one comments, so they know I am a real person here who passionately and absolutely loves her business.
LinkedIn: I only started joining the groups a few weeks ago, and just watched how everyone was engaging.. and this is my first big write up  ... so hope some of what I have written here helps.
For me, I prefer to Connect with people I know or trust, rather than accept invitations from everyone and anyone. Quality of connections is more important to me than Quantity .. for a number of reasons which is another blog in itself. If the perception of you is established by the Company you keep .. well your LinkedIn will speak for itself.

To give you some idea of what I am expressing with regards to my social media personal exposure:

Visit Beloved Treasures website: http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au ... 

and Beloved Treasures Pinterest Profile: http://pinterest.com/CatherineSaliba/boards/ ... 

and Beloved Treasures Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Beloved.Treasures.Australia ... 

and Beloved Treasures LinkedIn Professional Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/catherine-saliba/4b/335/57a

As for Twitter, Tumblr ETC - I have not actively engaged in building exposure as yet, that is on the To Do list ..

I also do try to get out of the office once a week to present my jewels to people face to face; I meet the customers on Facebook pages in specific areas of the community such as Online Garage Sales, Online Party Plan advertising (there are dozens of Online Facebook Groups) ... and either the buyer comes here to pick up the jewellery or I personally deliver it to them if I know I will be in their area that week ... then I let word of mouth do it's natural thing !!

In this competitive industry with soooo much competition on the internet, it's important to expose yourself over a variety of different sites, present yourself and enjoy yourself.
So, after all that, at the end of the day ... I believe in myself, I love what I do and I will not give up!! 

Hopefully in 2 years I am on page 1 of Google (most of the time) ... and that will only be a possibility if I take the time and make sure I always have the correct keywords in the description of the jewellery on Beloved Treasures website (helps with Google Ratings) http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au

LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE!

Catherine Saliba
(Beloved Treasures Australia)

Pearls - From one of the humblest of life forms, the mollusc, the Pearl is created - a gem of unsurpassed beauty and elegance.

PEARLS

From one of the humblest of life forms, the mollusc, the Pearl is created - a gem of unsurpassed beauty and elegance.

Pearls come in a bewildering variety of shapes, colours and sizes.

http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au/products.asp?cat=110

Round Pearls traditionally command the highest prices but it's worth remembering that wild Natural Pearls are rarely round.

Aquamarine & Pearl Necklace - Sterling Silver (925)

Freshwater Pearls possess a whimsical charm entirely different to the perfectly shaped Pearls.   

14ct Gold filled Hand Made Earrings - Freshwater Pearl, Aquamarine, Amethyst, Peridot, Clear Quartz, Citrine, Topaz

14ct Gold filled Hand Made Earrings - Mozambique Garnet, Freshwater Pearl

Golden Citrine, Freshwater Pearl & Swarovski Crystal Necklace & Earrings Set - Sterling Silver (925)

Baroque Pearls have an irregular shape that can range from minor aberrations to distinctly ovoid (egg-shaped, 3 dimensional version of an oval shape), curved, pinched, or lumpy shapes. They were highly prized by Renaissance jewellers, who saw them not as misshapen products of sea molluscs but rather as unique and exquisite natural forms.

Baroque Pearl Necklace - 18ct Gold Plated components

Pearls are found inside a living creature, an oyster and are the result of a biological process, the oyster's way of protecting itself from foreign substances.

Oysters are not the only type of mollusc that can produce Pearls. 

Clams and mussels can also produce Pearls, but that is a much rarer occurrence. 

Most Pearls are produced by oysters in both freshwater and saltwater environments.

Most pearls can be found all over the world, but black pearls are indigenous to the South Pacific. 

An oyster forms Pearls by secreting a mineral substance called nacre (aragonite and calcite) and uses it to quarantine an irritant (most often a parasite).

The formation of a Natural Pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle and the shell, which irritate­s the mantle (kind of like the oyster getting a splinter). 

The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. 

The man­tle covers the irritant with layers of the same nacre substance that is used to create the shell. This eventually forms a Pearl.

Freshwater Pearls are cultured by inserting a small piece of mantle tissue into an incision made in the mantle of a host mussel. A bead is not needed and is rarely used except in beaded cultured freshwater pearl production (CBSB fireball pearls).

Cultured Pearls are created by the same process as natural Pearls, but are given a slight nudge by pearl harvesters. To create a cultured Pearl, the harvester opens the oyster shell and cuts a small slit in the mantle tissue. Small irritants (bead) are then inserted under the mantle. In Freshwater Cultured Pearls, cutting the mantle is enough to induce the nacre secretion that produces a Pearl - an irritant doesn't have to be inserted.While Cultured and Natural Pearls are considered to be of equal quality, Cultured Pearls are generally less expensive because they aren't as rare.

Pearl Hunting in United Arab Emirates.

Before the beginning of the 20th century, the only means of obtaining pearls was by manually gathering very large numbers of pearl oysters (or pearl mussels) from the ocean floor (or lake, or river bottom). The bivalves were then brought to the surface, opened, and the tissues searched. More than a ton were searched in order to find at least 3-4 quality pearls.
In order to find enough pearl oysters, free-divers were often forced to descend to depths of over 100 feet on a single breath, exposing them to the dangers of hostile creatures, waves, and drowning, often as a result of shallow water blackout on resurfacing. Because of the difficulty of diving and the unpredictable nature of natural pearl growth in pearl oysters, pearls of the time were extremely rare and of varying quality.

Pearl diver in Japan.

Today, Pearl diving has largely been supplanted by Cultured Pearl farms, which use a process widely popularized and promoted by Japanese entrepreneur Kokichi Mikimoto (Mikimoto Pearls).

Living the Tree Change - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

Living the Tree Change - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

One doesn't own history, heritage or antiques, we are carers as they are passed on for generations to enjoy.

Should this be a dream or vision that you see for yourself, the opportunity is rife to explore.  Beaufort House , your dream hotel awaits!

The Answer - The Altar - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

The Answer - The Altar - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

The Altar Wine Bar at Beaufort House, Adelong, New South Wales AUSTRALIA (foot of the Snowy Mountains).. I have enjoyed and savoured some exclusive bottles of fine red at the Altar, I would go back there on my knees for more in a heartbeat ..

Seek and Ye Shall Find - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

Seek and Ye Shall Find - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

The Journey towards the creation of "Beaufort House" - a best kept secret destination in Adelong, New South Wales AUSTRALIA (foot of the Snowy Mountains)... I have stayed there and can vouch for every single word of this blog :)

A Magical Piece of the Puzzle - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

A Magical Piece of the Puzzle - Beaufort House | Beaufort House

This is a blog worth reading, the amazing Cynthia working with the Creative process and Trust in her Heart ... finding all the puzzle pieces to neatly fit together for the big picture. This may seem like a daunting task. Where does one start? How does it come together?

GOLD - Precious Metal

ARTICLE ON GOLD
by Catherine Saliba
BELOVED TREASURES AUSTRALIA.
 I enjoyed my Chemistry classes in High School immensely.

Gold is one of the heaviest substances on earth and when pure, it has a specific gravity of 19.3.

The international weight measurement of Gold is - One troy ounce which equals 31.1 grams.

Its Atomic Number is 79; chemical element on the Periodic Table is the Symbol Au (aurum in Latin, meaning glow of sunrise). 
                               
Pure gold is a beautiful rich yellow metal worshipped and highly prized by many societies throughout human history.
Gold is the most malleable metals and can be easily moulded & shaped because pure Gold easily bends and is also one of the most non reactive metals on Earth.

Gold jewellery is always mixed with other metals to increase its resistance and strength. The ‘alloy’ (mixture of 2 or more metals) is identifiable by its carat which is determined by the percentage of Gold in the alloy.
The scale is 1 to 24 (24 carat is Pure Gold) and the most common carat weight in Australia is 9ct Gold (375 – 37.5% gold content), 14ct Gold (hallmarked 585 = 58.5% gold content), 18ct Gold (hallmarked 750 = 75% gold content), 22ct Gold (hallmarked 916 = 91.6% gold content), 24ct Gold (hallmarked 999 = 99.9% gold content).
Pure 24ct Gold is never used in jewellery because it is easily bent out of shape and does not have much resistance to pressure. Gold does not tarnish, is a high conductor of electricity, has a high resistance to corrosion & chemical reactions, and is unaffected by most chemicals, however it can discolour by exposure to bleach, chlorine & certain detergents.

http://www.belovedtreasures.com.au/products.asp?cat=59

YELLOW GOLD - GOLD that retains its original golden yellow colour even though it is mixed (alloyed) with other metals to strengthen its resistance & toughness.

ROSE GOLD - GOLD with a pink / reddish tone, the colour is created by the mix (alloyed) of the Gold with copper.

WHITE GOLD - GOLD that is pale and almost silver-coloured, the colour is created by the mix (alloyed) of the Gold with nickel, zinc, and sometimes palladium.       
               

Gold masks, amulets, figurines & ornaments were used by many Ancient Civilisations and GOLD has made a monetary standard in the World economy possible. 
The concept of money opened up the World's economies to expand and prosper. During the Classic period of Greek and Roman rule in the western world, gold and silver both flowed to India for spices and to China for silk. At the height of the Empire (A.D. 98-160), Roman gold and silver coins reigned from Britain to North Africa and Egypt.

Money had been invented. Its name was GOLD.

Interesting Info:

• Most of the Earth's Gold lies at its core - it sunk there in the Earth's infancy due to the high density of the metal. Virtually all of the gold that mankind has discovered is considered to have been deposited later by meteorites which contained the element, with the asteroid that formed the Vredefort Crater in South Africa estimated to have been one of the largest ever to strike Earth (at least since the Hadean eon some four billion years ago) and thought to have been approximately 300km across in diameter; this crater has been implicated in the formation of the largest gold mining region on earth – Witwatersrand Basin It holds the world's largest known Gold reserves and has produced over 1.5 billion ounces (over 40,000 metric tons).
• Astronaut visors contain 24 carat pure gold; the Gold is transparent enough for astronauts to see through and protect them from the harmful solar rays because gold prevents overheating by reflecting away infra-red radiation.
• Gold is so rare that only approximately 152,000 metric tons has been mined in all recorded history. To put it in perspective, you can fit all of the world's known gold into less than 100 tractor trailers.The majority of gold (between 70% - 80%) is privately owned in the form of jewellery and 10% to 20% of gold is stored in banks. The remaining gold is used in other industries, such as dentistry and technology.

Gold in various forms.