Jewelry Finds at Goodwill Online

Do you make, or have you  considered making fashion jewelry, vintage jewelry, wire wrapping or beaded jewelry projects? 

1. Do you go to JoAnn's, Michael's or Hobby Lobby to purchase all of your supplies?
2. Is your average yearly cost of jewelry supplies over $300? 
3. Have you ever thought about shopping at pawn shops or thrift stores for charms, pendants, or beads?

Thrift stores are great resources for finding jewelry supplies, more than you may realize. Salvation Army, Goodwill and Volunteers of America often sell jewelry for a very reasonable and inexpensive price. Looking for a pair of matching beads, or a fun random bead assortment, or vintage charms and pendants? You can even find loose gemstones, rhinestones and pearls (if you look closely enough). Just take apart pieces of the necklace,or bracelet that you don't want and add to it. Shop Goodwill online for jewelry.

 

Jewelry finds at Goodwill online

Ickynicks Jewelry is an online handmade shop for men and women. Ickynicks designs gold hoop earrings, sterling silver and stainless steel hoop earrings. We provide links to tips and tricks for jewelry making.

DIY Jewelry: Beaded Bracelet Cuff

Beadaholique is a useful website for learning how to create new DIY jewelry. You can watch instructional videos, follow step by step tutorials, learn about new jewelry techniques, or shop for supplies on their website. Watch the video below to learn how to create a cuff using wire and tila beads:

Jewelry Supplies Needed for Project:

1. Glass Beads
2. Tila Square Beads
3. Wire Thread (7 ft used or project)
4. Pliers
5. Scissors

Click here for detailed instructions on the step by step tutorial 

Ickynicks Jewelry is an online handmade shop for men and women. We design gold hoop earrings, sterling silver and stainless steel fashion jewelry.We provide links to tips and tricks for jewelry making.

DIY Jewelry: Love Leather Bracelet

Leather bracelets are fun to make because they’re easy once you learn the basics. Here’s a quick and fun project for beginner jewelry lovers. Learn how to make a leather bracelet with a ‘love’ bead.

You will need the following supplies:  

• Scissors
• Tape
• Jewelry Glue
• Pliers
• Tube Beads with words
• Lobster Clasp
• Multiple strands of small cord (1.5mm-2)
• 10mm end caps (glue on)

Click here for full detailed instructions on the step-by-step tutorial

 

Ickynicks Jewelry is an online handmade shop for men and women. We design gold hoop earrings, sterling silver and stainless steel hoop earrings. We provide links to tips and tricks for jewelry making.

Ancient Roman Jewelry and Earrings

Jewelry and Earrings from Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire. Both men and women wore handmade jewelry pieces including bracelets, earrings, rings, collars and necklaces. Romans wore gemstone pendants and pearls that  wire wrapped around gold. 

Gold Earring with Pearl

2nd-3rd Century AD

Earrings with Agate Pendant

3rd Century AD

Garnet Earrings

1st Century AD

Gold and Variscite Earring, 2nd Century 
 AD

 

 

 

Garnet Earrings,

 1st -3rd Century AD  

Gold Loop Earrings

2nd-3rd Century

 

Gold and Garnet Earrings

 1st -3rd Century AD

Alien Jewelry: Earrings, Pendants, Charms

Jewelry, Aliens, and UFO's. Never thought those words could be connected? Well we found a niche online made up of a small group of jewelry artisans who seem to love designing these beings. These artisans handcraft alien eyes, bodies, and UFO spaceships out of wire or polymer clay. There seems to be a market for it, especially on Etsy.com

Often when we think of 'alien' we picture green 'dudes,' however these artists present their jewelry as gray beings, or gold and brown. Do we really know the true skin color of alien beings? Or is there more than one? If humans have multiple skin colors, what do aliens have? 

Here's a list of Handmade Alien Earrings, Necklaces, Charms, Pendants:

1. Necklace: UFO Silver Pendant

2. Pendant: Alien Face Pendant for Necklace

3. Charms: Alien Body in Sterling Silver

4. Earrings: Blue and Silver UFO

 

6. Earrings: Black and Gold Alien Body Earrings 

5. Pendant and Charm: Silver Alien Head and Black Eyes 

 

 

 Do you know any Alien Artisan Designers? 

Is Jewelry Gendered?

Is Jewelry 'gender specific'? What Type of Men Wear Jewelry? For What Purpose? 

Men and women both wore jewelry in prehistoric times for symbolic reasons. Men, especially rulers and wealthy folk, wore jewelry to emphasize control, money, power, and honor. Handcrafted pieces were constructed differently for each gender and crafted from multiple fabrics, metals, and ornaments (charms, pendants). 

Wearing certain pieces of jewelry reflected an individual's social rank and class status. In this case, warriors and rulers wore head dresses, special garments, and jewelry to emphasize 'male honor.' 

 

Currently, there are many native societies around the world where both men and women wear jewelry to reflect their traditional rituals (puberty, passage into adulthood).  Warriors within the Naga culture of India wear large necklaces to symbolize honor in killing, or 'headhunting'. Necklaces are constructed of animal skulls, fur, brass rings, and feathers. Other native cultures in Indonesia and the Philippines dress themselves with rings and large 'red hornbill' earrings.

In this modern era, is hyper-masculinity causing men to rethink about wearing large hoops, earrings, and bracelets?

Further Reading:

"Jewelry and Gender," Thesis Paper by Rebecca Ross Russell

Craft and Gossip. Host Jewelry Parties?

How about Hosting a Jewelry Party with Friends?

Get a group of girlfriends together and share ideas on jewelry making. Host a party at your house, provide cheese and wine, and everyone can sit around the table with supplies, dangling wire, and an assortment of beads. Handcraft gold hoop earrings, minimalist wire jewelry, necklaces, silver rings, or stainless steel bracelets. Add colorful charms or painted beads to ultra thin wire. Learn to use minimalist wire to create ultra thin jewelry.   

What about show and tell? 

Share your latest projects with each other, demonstrate how to mold polymer clay, paint beads, or bend wire. Try it as a game, go around the room one by one and show off your handmade crafts. The best part is everyone has a turn to show off stylish knitted sweaters, socks, baby blankets, hats, scarves and more. Who doesn't like to brag about their crafting ability or special handmade jewelry?

Think of jewelry parties as knitting clubs where women gather together to knit, talk gossip, and eat. Who doesn't love spilling the beans about their coworkers, in-laws, or husbands? 

Add a potluck to make it more fun. Everyone can bring a dish to pass, dig in and don't forget the cheesecake! If everything goes well, host another party and make it a monthly get together.

Are you a Jewelry Designer?

As a Jewelry Designer, there are so many opportunities to handcraft earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. You can choose several different colors of wire and beads. It's a very artsy craft that caters to so many ideas.  I've been working on creating unique designs for my jewelry for over 7 years.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU:

1. Are you a Jewelry Designer?
2. What do you make?
3. How did you get started?
4. Why is jewelry making appealing for you?

Now I think of jewelry making as a relaxing and calming hobby that helps to take the stress away. When I get home from work after a long day, I enjoyed going into my 'craft area' to sort colors, organize my bead drawers, and bend my wire to make designs.

Now it's your turn to share about yourself!

Jewelry Humor Quotes

Special post for fashion and jewelry lovers. You might enjoy these humor quotes:

Intro - Who Am I?

WHAT IS ICKYNICKS?

Ickynicks is an online jewelry shop that specializes in Ultra Thin Jewelry. 

WHAT DO YOU CREATE?

We handcraft unique hoops, earrings, gauge earrings, ear cuffs, and bracelets. We make jewelry in gold, sterling silver, and stainless steel. 

IS ICKYNICKS JEWELRY MADE IN THE USA?

All of our jewelry items are handcrafted in the United States. We do not design anything that we would not wear ourselves. In fact, we typically make the first design or prototype and test it out on family, friends and co-workers.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND 'ICKYNICKS'?

"The Ickynicks website is named in honor of the many wonderful women who have influenced my life. My Aunt Nancy was my first and only aunt to go to college. She graduated with a Master's Degree in Languages and then taught high school Spanish. While my Aunt Nancy was attending Kent State University, she and her three girlfriends tried to join on-campus girls' clubs and sororities, but were rejected by all of them. Feeling isolated and shunned, these four young women fought back by creating their own club and called themselves, the Ickynicks. The purpose of their club was to travel outside the United States. These four adventurous young women traveled to South America, Europe and Canada during their college years."

               - CEO and Founder, Ickynicks Jewelry