Beyond The Lens-Jewelry Photography!

Jewelry is one of the most complicated products to capture properly on film. Whether it’s on a model for a shoot or in a lightbox for product photos, there are many factors to take into consideration. One of the talented photographers we work with is Bryan Andrew Fay. He photographs the JB jewels that you see on our website and social media outlets. Here are some of his tips and tricks he has learned in his experience shooting jewelry. Pardon the technical terms, hopefully this is helpful to any photographers looking into jewelry photography.

1. Shooting anything with shine, especially silver and Gold is one of the hardest things to photograph. Why? Because what they see..they reflect. You never want to over expose an area where there is a highlight on anything silver because it will go completely white…allowing detail in the highlights is KEY to having a great shot. One of the best ways to photograph silver is to shoot gold and take the saturation levels all the way down and add a bit of brightnight and up the contrast to give a nice edge to it. In doing this, you will need to make sure you use a saturation layer mask because you will need to bring color back into the stone by erasing part of the mask.
2. Having small black objects to place near anything with texture will add shadows instead of light on a specific area on the jewelry…its actually not a “shadow” its just that silver reflects the color it sees so it is reflecting darker shades which gives character to the jewelry.

3. All photos we shoot are on solid white. However shooting in a white box with bright lighst still wont give you a solid white background. You will need to set a “white point” by using the curves layer mask and dodge out any extra shadows you want to eliminate.

4. Having light come through the stone from underneath or behind can be a good and a bad thing…Light color stones lose color and dark color stones grab your attention with light from underneath or behind.

Jewelry Tips and Trends Your Mother Taught You

Many of us can remember playing in our mother’s jewelry box as girls. We learned how to match her earrings with her pearls, the value of good costume jewelry, and knowing which pieces were completely off limits to us. In keeping with our Mother’s Day theme, the JB gals share what they learned from their moms.

Kendall- “My mom taught me everything I know about style and fashion. There are photos of me at 3 yrs old when my mom taught me how to dress myself. I looked absolutely chic minus that part where she neglected to teach moderation. I used to wear about three dresses at a time, piles of necklaces, scarves, a hat and rings stacked up passed my knuckles. Ahead of the layering trend, I like to think. So JB was a natural style choice to join forces with due to her celebration of layering and excess.  Without my mom’s leadership, my jewelry choices wouldn’t be nearly as feminine and glamorous. I still don’t believe in the saying ‘to avoid over accessorizing, take one piece of jewelry off before leaving the house’. My mom and I believe in wearing it all and all at once!”

Jenny- “I grew a love for cameos because of my mother. She has a beautiful collection of vintage cameos. She loves collecting raw materials and is that person who buys the thrift store grab bags for $1 with everything but the kitchen sink in them. She is also probably one of the few people who can take those random pieces and make something beautiful out of them. She also taught me that anything can be jewelry, even handmade, crochet doilies…For the most part, I learned that jewelry is a free-for-all. It doesn’t have to be a valuable material to be a valued possession.”

Ashley- “Because of my mom, I learned to never wear themed jewelry!! My mother always wore Christmas tree earrings, light bulb earrings, present earrings and even wreath earrings all during the holidays. Not to mention the light-up Christmas lights necklace.  It was so embarrassing! That’s really the only jewelry I can remember my mom wearing lol!”

Tana- “I learned from her that there is beauty in simplicity. She doesn’t wear much jewelry, but always looks put together.”

Judith- “My mom always had great jewelry and many pieces with a modern edge that I remember best.  She taught me how to play “ring”, a game where you try on all your rings in different combinations.  I also learned not to be embarrassed to ask anyone if I could try on their ring.  I don’t know why women ignore other women’s awesome jewelry.  They are definitely sneaking a peak!!!  If someone is wearing something great, I want to see it and try it on, don’t you?!!!  No one wears great jewelry in public to be ignored.  We should all start appreciating other people’s jewels and not be shy about it!!!  Happen to see a 4 carat diamond ring?  Ask them to remove it immediately so you can check it out!  My mom only wore a few key pieces and definitely subscribed to the less-is-more approach.  She also taught me that as long as you didn’t over do it, you could convincingly mix in costume jewelry with the real stuff.  I played endlessly in her jewelry box and wore her stuff around the house all the time.  Mother’s, let your girls play!  They might end up designing some jewelry for you later!

JB Loves The Earth!

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22nd, and some of us will be celebrating at the park, at the lake, or in our own back yards. We celebrate Earth Day everyday at JB because we try to make eco-conscious choices in how we make our jewelry, what materials we use and the companies we do business with. Many small business owners can look at their day-to-day necessities and make similar choices that fit the needs of their company.

For instance, we return all of our scrap metal to the company that we buy our wire materials from and they melt it down and make new items with it! That same company, who we work with the most, is also run on solar power energy. That’s definitely a major perk we take into consideration when choosing the companies and factories we do business with.

Also, the fact that we use 14K gold-filled as opposed to 14K pure gold is an earth-friendly choice. There is only so much gold we can mine from the earth. The price of gold is going up because it’s becoming more scarce and it can never replenish itself. Using substitutes like our 14K gold-fill, which is bonded with another metal, makes it not only lighter in weight and more cost effective, but conserves on the amount of gold being used in jewelry.  The 14K gold is what is on the outside and it’s filled with brass, which is the best substitute. That way you are not sacrificing on the quality that is visible and comes in contact with your skin.

Our packaging is also made from recycled materials. There are so many companies nowadays who offer great, recycled bags/boxes/tissue etc., that no matter the product you are packaging, its easier to make the choice to go recycled.

Another small, but helpful, way we go green is that instead of buying plastic water bottles for employees to drink, we all agree to bring canteens to work and refill them throughout the day from a filtered, water source.

When you start with making one eco-conscious decision, that one choice tends to snowball you into finding more and more ways to go green.

Now go hug a tree and have a Happy Earth Day!

JB Pinterest

We love Pinterest as we’re sure you do as well. It’s a great source for inspiration and ideas from fashion and home style to cocktail recipes for your next dinner party! We recently did a Pinterst contest asking our fans to create a board displaying what “Spring Chic” means to them. We received some pretty fantastic boards! It’s amazing to see what inspires different people.

Pinterest is also a great place to expand on your style or to seek a different look. Accessories and jewelry is a natural part of any look. Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/judith_bright/ to stay up to date on all of our current designs and how we style them. We are always doing seasonal photoshoots as well so you can see our pieces styled with the current trends. Happy Pinning!

Jewelry Hands- Not The Glamorous Kind…

Quick, someone call Mike Rowe! I might have one “Dirty Job” he overlooked! When you think about handcrafted jewelry, you think about beautiful, bright-colored gemstones and shiny metals, right? What you don’t see is the often times dirty process it takes to get each piece looking perfect. Here are some of the common ailments of a jewelry maker that some of you at home, making your own jewelry, may be experiencing. Hopefully our tips on combatting these problems work for you as well.

Your nails are in bad shape and you can’t keep their length- But you can still keep them looking manicured by filing them short with a clear polish. Or get a gel polish, which dries hard and thick and will last a lot longer for you.

Hands cramp- Stretch your hands regularly before you start working. It warms up the muscles in your hand, preventing them from tensing from too much lactic acid build up. Extend one arm out in front of you and use your opposite hand to grasp the fingers and gently pull them towards you. Reverse hand, palms facing the ground, and gently pull fingers toward you.

Dirt-we use dawn dish soap and warm water to clean our jewelry and use it to wash our hands while we’re at it. It really does cut throught the dirt, germs and grease.

Calluses- You can’t avoid them when you make jewelry as often as we do. If you are making jewelry as often as us, our tip is to put a bit of glue on the spot of the callus that hurts where the wire rubs against it and it will act as a liquid bandaid and toughen up the callus. Then you won’t skip a beat and can get back to work!

Cutting yourself with wire- it’s gonna happen.  Just keep bandaids near with disinfectant- waterproof helps.

Accidentally drilling your nail bed while drilling stones- again, keep bandaids handy.

Glue everywhere- There is no cure, but there is a solution. Jenny makes it a fun activity for her husband and herself at night to sit on the couch and pick off all the glue while watching, The Mentalist.

Mother’s Day Photo Contest!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we are doing a contest in celebration of moms everywhere! Starting today, April 13th until May 9th, post a picture of you and your mom on our Facebook wall and tell us your favorite thing about her, where/when the photo was taken, the greatest thing you learned from her, etc. Be creative! We will choose one of the entries to hang up in our store throughout the holiday and gift your mother with a beautiful pair of Textured Tear Earrings (which can also be made into clip ons) and a MiniRocks 3 Stone Organic Clasp Bracelet. She can choose 14K Gold-Fill or Sterling Silver and any gemstone. Shown below in 14K GF and Turquoise for the Textured TearDrop Earrings.

Your picture can be from your childhood or yesterday and can feature you and/or your siblings with your mother or just your mother or whomever you call Mom. They can be sweet. They can be silly. Show us how you love your Mom and let’s celebrate together! The JB Gals will start the ball rolling to give you some ideas… Added bonus if you can also post a photo of your mom wearing JB! (as shown below, Kendall’s mom is wearing the Pyrite and 14K GF Angelina Earrings on her wedding day)

We will get the ball rolling by sharing some pictures of the JB gals and their moms to give you some ideas. Can’t wait to see your pics on our Facebook wall at Facebook.com/JudithBrightJewelry!

Kendall-My favorite thing about my Mom is her innate ability to make you feel welcome, loved and special, whatever the occasion. If you walk into her house, you’re not leaving without a full stomach and a little something sweet for the road. She is an amazing cook and very artistic, which are the first two things you would notice if you ever did walk into her home. She is also a perfectionist, which means she is editing everything I’m saying in her mind as she reads this.

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Atlanta Style

We are proud to announce that we are expanding Judith Bright to new locations and opening a store in Atlanta, May 2012! With our flagship store in Nashville, we are thrilled to call Atlanta our second home. We will be opening our doors in the Historic Virginia Highlands neighborhood, across the street from the famous, Murphy’s restaurant. We can’t wait to meet our new neighbors and share our designs with the stylish and chic, Atlanta community. Here is a fun, inspiration board with a few pieces we think you would enjoy. We can’t wait to show you the rest in May!

Where Does Your Jewelry Sleep?

We all have different routines at night to get ready for bed. Where we put all of our jewelry is as much a part of our routine as brushing teeth. Some of us are more organized with jewelry holders, boxes or hangers and some of us create a beautiful pile of sparkling jewels on our nightstand or bathroom sink.

Sometimes by seeing what others do, we get inspired to try something different. So we are sharing with you where our jewelry sleeps at night. We are also searching for amazing ideas and craft projects for displaying  jewelry that we will soon share with you.

The ever crafty Jenny (above photo and below) stores her baubles in well organized, vintage boxes. Her necklaces hanging on the wall are from an old pot and pan holder with several hooks to keep the chains from tangling. The jewelry box made of seashells is from her personal collection of vintage jewelry boxes she has collected since childhood. You might be asking yourself what that dream-like fabric border is, we did! That was the arbor she handmade for her wedding to serve as the altar, made from yards and yards of fabric and ribbon! Told you she was crafty!

The last thing Ashley does before she goes to bed is take off her jewelry. That’s also the first place she goes in the morning to get ready. She is a woman on the go and needs her jewels in a flash! Her jewelry sleeps on the counter of her bathroom, laid out and ready to take on the day, along with her perfume and Chanel makeup. Not bad company to sleep with if you ask us!

Kendall wishes she were more organized, but it’s just not in the cards for her. Instead she chooses to make a beautiful mess of jewels, tiaras and photos on her dresser. The most organized she can get is the vintage, coat hanger she hung on the wall for necklaces or her Pottery Barn jewelry case where there is still no particular order for anything.

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JB Dudes!

What would we do without the guys in our life? Probably eat healthier, shop more and watch Keeping Up With The Kardasians without scoffs, eye rolls, and commentary from the peanut gallery. However, they do seem to always come through for us in the clutch while looking adorable and making you completley forget about their dirty dishes, bad bathroom ettiquette and smelly everything. We only kid!

We have introduced you to our JB Gals in the past, and many of you know us from coming in the studio. Fortunately for us, our JB Gals happen to come with pretty awesome dudes. We have been blessed to be a part of a great community that has supported us since the day we opened our flagship store. Naturally, the men in our lives have been a part of that journey and help in their own, unique ways.

The Bright boys, William, Henry and James always keep us up date on the latest YouTube craze or bring us candy from Fuzziwigs to satisfy our sweettooth. They even make impromptu cameos in our photoshoots, as you can see in the photo above. Will Bright not only helped design our store, but helps out when we have in-store events, parties and trunk shows, a bit of everything pretty much.

Jenny’s husband, Mike, has lent his Mr. Fix-it skills to turn our break room into a functional working space with custom built shelves and desks. He also helped paint the studio, has installed signage and hung displays.

Kendall’s husband, Billy, stepped in as our model for our Valentine’s Day ad campaign this year, which you may have seen on our Facebook, E-blasts and throughout The Tennessean and Tennessean.com. He also brings Kendall more Starbucks Soy Chai Lattes to work than she is willing to admit.

Ashley’s husband, Zane, is famous for inspiring our JB Wishlist. If you have ever come into our studio, or seen the photos on Facebook, you would have been warned of what could happen when a man shops without direction. Guys, just because your wife likes to eat cupcakes, doesn’t mean she wants one designed on her purse. We still love you and Zane actually has helped out in the past with taking care of the Bright boys and getting them to their many sports events so Judith can go off and be Wonder Woman for the day.

These are just a few of the many ways our guys are so wonderful to us and help out so we can conquer the day at the studio. So thanks fellas. And now that we have said these things, we can expect to come home to a spotless house and dinner correct?…

April Birthstone- White Topaz

Happy Birthday to all you April-born babes! Whether you are an Aries Ram or a Taurus Bull you still share the same, fabulous birthstones of Diamonds and White Topaz! White Topaz comes in every Jb stone size and shape, meaning you can choose from anything within our collection for a birthday gift to yourself or from a loved one. Each of our all-natural, semi-precious gemstones have metaphysical properties associated with them. White Topaz is said to be linked to Good Fortune. Who doesn’t need more of that?

Since clear is the most basic neutral you can get, White Topaz looks great with either 14K Gold-Fill or Sterling Silver, as shown in the Petite Rocks 11 Stone Cuffs above, and nearly everything in your wardrobe! Check out the pic below to see the gem in its raw form…Grogeous! Come by the studio and see all of our pieces incorporating White Topaz or come find a birthday gift for your special April-born friend.

Welcome!

You've reached the blog for jewelry designer Judith Bright. We have a lot of fun making jewelry and we have a lot to say, so we thought we'd share. The main purpose of the blog is to tell you about our designs, to be a resource for aspiring jewelry designers and to share our favorite web links with you- both professional resources & personal interests. There will be two people blogging here. Judith Bright and right hand gal Ashley Clapp who will contribute a "Did You Know" section. Every day Ashley comes in, she shares an important conspiracy theory observation or cheap shopping tip and it's time you were in on the valuable news. Ashley is an aficionado when it comes to music. And please don't order any jewelry while Bonaroo is going on! We hope you enjoy our little blog!

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