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7x7 San Francisco Magazine - March 2007 Edition
2007-03-04 02:23:00
7x7 San Francisco Magazine 7x7sf.com is currently featuring my Pearl of the Sea Ring in the Marc h 2007 Edition .Catwalk to the Moon - From Head to Toe, Spring's Hottest Styles Have a Flashy Coat of Gold or Silver by Chloe Harris highlights the hottest new Spring 2007 styles and trends....big oversized rings! The "Pearl of the Sea Ring", along with many other sea creatures can be found in my Sea Cliff Collection The article begins on page 126 and highlights accessories and fine metallic fabrics that combine contemporary elegance and futuristic flair from designers Viktor & Rolf, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chado Ralph Rucci, Stella McCartney, and Pollini.

City Magazine - March 2007 Edition - Features Jewelry from John S. Brana
2007-02-28 01:07:00
CITY Magazine - The Destination for Style www.city-magazine.com - March 2007 Edition is currently featuring two of my Wire Sculpted bracelets from the Pacific Heights Collection in No Strings Attached - Photography by Staudinger + Franke and Marionettes by Christine & Werner Hierzer.CITY Magazine experiments with the latest designer accessories in a collaboration with celebrated marionette players Christine and Werner Hierzer that can only be dubbed as "timeless." The duo has perfected this centuries-old art form at their Marionettentheater, which is housed in the exquisite baroque Schloss Schonbrunn castle. Shot in Vienna, other featured jewelry and accessories include designs from Ralph Lauren, Chopard, Sergio Rossi, Marc Jacobs, April in Paris, Bosca, Hermes, Miu Miu, and Nicole Miller.The Carnelian Cabochon and Dendritic Quartz Bracelets can be found in my Pacific Heights Collection.
More About: Jewelry , Features , John , City

SoMa Collection Expands to Include Hammered Copper Jewelry
2007-02-15 04:00:00
Sleek and contemporary with a surprising bohemian undercurrent, the SoMa Collection features matching sets of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in hand-forged fine silver, 14K gold filled, 14K gold, ...and now copper! I love copper's color and malleability, so I decided to incorporate it into several of my collections.The pictured necklace and bracelet are handcrafted in pure copper and linked with fine silver jump rings. This versatile line is as appropriate at swank nightspots as it is at trendy coffee shops.Stay tuned for more handcrafted necklaces, earrings, and bracelets in multiple textures and metals set with semi-precious gemstone beads over the next few months
More About: Jewelry , Copper , Hammered , Hammer , Soma

Amazonite - A New Addition to the Monterey Collection
2007-02-08 20:31:00
Amazonite (sometimes called "Amazon stone") is a green variety of microcline feldspar. The name is taken from that of the Amazon River, from which certain green stones were formerly obtained, but it is doubtful whether green feldspar occurs in the Amazon area.Amazonite is a mineral of limited occurrence. Formerly it was obtained almost exclusively from the area of Miyask in the Ilmen mountains, 50 miles southwest of Chehabinsk, Russia, where it occurs in granitic rocks. More recently, high-quality crystals have been obtained from Pike's Peak, Colorado, where it is found associated with smoky quartz, orthoclase, and albite in a coarse granite or pegmatite. Some other localities in the United States yield Amazonite, and it is also found in pegmatite in Madagascar.Because of its bright green color when polished, Amazonite is sometimes cut and used as a gemstone. For many years, the source of Amazonite's color was a mystery. Naturally, many people assumed the color was due to copper b...
More About: Monterey , Coll , Mont

Amethyst - A New Addition to the Monterey Collection
2007-02-05 14:00:00
Amethyst is said to balance out highs and lows, promoting emotional centering. It dispels anger, rage, fear, and anxiety. Alleviating sadness and grief, it supports coming to terms with loss. The Greek word "amethystos" basically can be translated as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it. Supposedly, when a drunken Dionysus was pursuing a maiden called Amethystos, who refused his affections, she prayed to the gods to remain chaste. The goddess Artemis granted the prayer, transforming her into a white stone; humbled by Amethystos' desire to remain chaste, Dionysus poured wine over the stone she had become as an offering, dying the crystals purple.Traditionally included in the cardinal, or most valuable, gemstones (along with diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald), Amethyst has lost much of its value due to the discovery of extensive deposits in locations such as Brazil.These earrings ar...
More About: Amethyst , Monterey , Coll , Mont

Amethyst - February's Birthstone
2007-02-01 19:04:00
Featuring faceted Amethyst , Purple Freshwater Pearls, Cranberry Freshwater Pearls, Rose Quartz, and accented by Vermeil beads, I recently added this necklace to the Barbary Coast Collection. Amethyst was used as a gemstone by the ancient Egyptians and was largely employed in antiquity for intaglios (cameos). Beads of Amethyst are found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England. It is a widely distributed mineral, but fine, clear specimens that are suitable for cutting as ornamental stones are confined to comparatively few localities. Such crystals occur either in the cavities of mineral-veins and in granitic rocks, or as a lining in agate geodes. A huge geode, or "Amethyst-grotto", from near Santa Cruz in southern Brazil was exhibited at the Düsseldorf Exhibition of 1902. Many of the hollow agates of Brazil and Uruguay contain a crop of Amethyst crystals in the interior. Much fine Amethyst comes from Russia, especially from near Mursinka in the Ekaterinburg district, where it occurs in drus...
More About: Tone , February

Fine Silver Seahorse Pin Added to the Sea Cliff Collection
2007-01-28 20:47:00
Made of pure silver, this Seahorse is set with a 3*4 mm faceted Pear shaped Sapphire and measures 2 1/2 in length. Blue sapphires come in a wide range of shades of blue. Titanium and iron inclusions within the Aluminum oxide result in various shades of blue. Some stones are not well saturated and show tones of gray. About 90% of all sapphires are heated to a temperature of up to 1800°C but usually a little less in ovens for several hours. Stones are also heated in nitrogen deficient atmosphere ovens for a week.Fancy sapphires are any sapphire other than blue or red. Purple sapphires are lower in price than blue ones. These stones contain the trace element vanadium and come in a wide variety of shades. Yellow and green sapphires have traces of iron which gives them their color. Pink sapphires are have trace element of chromium and the deeper the color pink the higher the value as long as the color is going toward red of rubies. Color shift sapphires are blue in outdoor light and pur...
More About: Silver , Cliff , Fine , Horse , Coll

Spring Colors for the Barbary Coast Collection
2007-01-28 19:36:00
These are a few of the color combinations I am currently working on for my Spring 2007 additions to the Barbar y Coast Coll ection. The first necklace features Peridot nuggets, Champagne Quartz, Yellow and Lavender Jade, various colored Freshwater Pearls, Amber, and Ametrine nuggets accented with Vermeil beads. Ametrine, also known as trystine or by its trade name as bolivianite, is a naturally occurring variety of quartz. It is a mixture of Amethyst and Citrine with zones of purple and yellow or orange. Almost all commercially available Ametrine is mined in Bolivia, although there are deposits being exploited in Brazil and India. The color of the zones visible within Ametrine are due to differing oxidation states of iron within the crystal. The different oxidation states occur due to there being a temperature gradient across the crystal during its formation.The second necklace features rare hand-carved Onyx, Freshwater Pearls, Lava, Stick Pearls, Faceted CZ Tear Drop beads, and is a...
More About: Colors

Jewelers? Circular Keystone features jewelry designer John S Brana's ?Pearl
2007-01-17 04:02:00
JCK - Jewelers? Circular Keys tone - www.jckonline.com - is currently featuring my ?Pearl of the Sea Ring? in the "What?s New in Jewelry " December 2006 issue. The monthly section of ?What?s New in Jewelry? features new designs and upcoming jewelry designers in the Fine Jewelry industry. John S. Brana's "Pearl of the Sea Ring" from the Sea Cliff Collection is featured on page 88. The Sea Cliff Collection features unique pieces that are bold in scale and accented with dramatic sea creatures, unusually shaped beads, and precious and semi-precious gemstones. Because each piece in this line of marine-themed necklaces, rings, and brooches is fashioned from hand-selected elements, no two are alike. The result is striking jewelry that truly makes a splash. Click here to see more of the Sea Cliff Collection.
More About: Features , Designer

The Bead Shop Features John S. Brana - Distinctive Jewelry
2006-12-26 20:21:00
In celebration of its 25th anniversary and introduction of 2007 spring class curriculum ?Awaken Your Creativity,? The Bead Shop (www.beadshop.com) of Palo Alto, CA features former student John S Brana. Owner Janice Parsons remarks ?Over the past twenty-five years, I have seen students become recognized jewelry designers, bead store owners, and successful importers. I remember when John Brana first walked through the doors of The Bead Shop. John came in to take a class and from then on, he will tell you, he just wasn?t the same. What happened to John happens every day at The Bead Shop; I call it the ?Creative Light Bulb Moment?. It?s the instant when a new beader realizes s/he can actually make something? s/he can actually make jewelry! And, when you have that epiphany, you feel fantastic!? Bold in scale, unique, and distinctive, John S. Brana?s pieces are perfect for those who enjoy interesting jewelry design and are seeking to make an unusual statement. Working in sterling silv...
More About: Jewelry , Features , Feat

JQ International Jewelry Quorum features John S. Brana?s Hidden Pearl Ring
2006-12-18 22:05:00
JQ ? The International Jewelry Quorum - is currently featuring my Hidden Pearl Ring in?Pearls ? The Quintessential Accessory,? an article by Deborah A. Yonick, in its November/December 2006 issue. The article focuses on how pearls have diverged in two distinct directions - fashion and luxury. ?The fashion direction plays with the versatile and chameleon qualities of pearls, with designers exploring fancy shapes and colors to the max, and mixing pearls with a variety of other materials? while ?the luxury direction focuses on the glamour and voluptuousness of pearls, with big pearls or pearl clusters set in precious metals richly embedded in diamond and gem pave.? John S. Brana?s ?Hidden Pearl Ring? from the Sea Cliff Collection is featured on page 32 of the magazine. The Sea Cliff Collection features custom handcrafted unique pieces that are bold in scale and accented with dramatic sea creatures, unusually shaped beads, and precious and semi-precious gemstones. Because each pi...
More About: Features

Starfish Ring Added to the Sea Cliff Collection
2006-11-20 20:03:00
Found over 20 years ago off the west coast of Florida on the beach at Sanibel Island, I ran across this little starfish the other day and decided to turn it into a ring. Handcrafted in Fine Silver using PMC(Precious Metal Clay), the ring is set with a 4mm faceted Peridot and finished with a patina to enhance detail.Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August. According to folklore, Peridot brings its wearer success, peace, and good luck. Peridot has been found in Egyptian jewelry dating as far back as the early second millennium BC and was mined from the volcanic island of Zebirget, or St. Johns Island, in the Red Sea. Native Hawaiians referred to Peridot crystals as the tears of Pele, their goddess of fire.This ring, along with other sea creatures can be found under my Sea Cliff Coll ection. Keep watching for more critters over the next few weeks.
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The Tonga Collection
2006-08-04 04:25:00
Intricate artistry is the foundation of the Tong a Coll ection. Inspired by ancient tribal artisanship, the pieces stir a sense of the wild and exotic. This collection is available in matching sets of fine silver or 22K yellow gold rings, necklaces, and cufflinks for him. Stay tuned for the launch of John S. Brana due out in mid-August.

Marlowe & Company Jewellers
2006-08-01 21:15:00
Planning a weekend trip to the Wine Country? Stop by Marlowe & Company Jewellers in St. Helena, California to view over 20 unique contemporary North American jewelry designers. In addition to my Sonoma, Monterey, and SoMa collections, you will be able to view four unique jewelry collections for men coming in mid-August. Marlowe is located at 1204 Main Street, St. Helena, CA. 707-963-9656
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The Sonoma Collection
2006-08-01 20:44:00
The Sono ma Coll ection is the epitome of relaxed sophistication. Featuring sterling silver or 14K gold filled chainmail and semi-precious gemstones and pearls, the collection is perfect for a visit to a cosmopolitan cultural center or a stroll in a quaint wine-country town. No matter where your perfect getaway is, when wearing a piece from this collection you?ll be dazzling. Matching sets are available in bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.Stay tuned for the launch of John S. Brana due out in mid-August.

The Monterey Collection
2006-07-31 18:35:00
The Mont erey Coll ection stirs up the magic of the sea. Various-shaped hammered rings made of fine silver, 14K gold, or 14K gold filled create the pieces? organic elegance. Italian mesh metal ribbon adds an earthy softness. Semi-precious gemstones and Swarovski Crystals give the pieces their final rich vibrancy. Matching sets of bracelets, earrings, and necklaces are available in over 25 different color combinations.Stay tuned for the launch of John S. Brana due out in mid-August.

The Pacific Heights Collection
2006-07-29 18:30:00
The Pacific Heights Coll ection is characterized by idyllic elegance. Ornate, bold pieces create a legacy of luxury ? certain to be perennial favorites. Flowing, cascading swirls of 14K gold, 14K gold filled, and sterling silver wire create a chic, uptown tempo. Gemstones of citrine, gold quartz, smoky quartz, amethyst, blue topaz, and garnets add the final luxurious, breathtaking touch. Matching sets are available in earrings, pins, pendants, and rings.Stay tuned for the launch of John S. Brana due out in mid-August.

Residents Apparel Gallery (RAG)
2006-07-05 02:41:00
Starting July 6th, you can find a wide selection of my Hammered Fine Silver and 14K Gold Filled earrings, along with several Wire Sculpted pendants and rings at Resident s Appa rel Gallery Residents Apparel Gallery showcases over 50 Bay Area Designers and is located in Hayes Valley at 541 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
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Porcelynne Boutique and Gallery
2006-06-24 07:26:00
For those of you that live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can now find several of my wire sculpted earrings, pendants, and rings at Porcelynne Boutique and Gallery Porcelynne is located at 487 14th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

Sonoma
2006-06-21 06:43:00
Succulent, luscious, earthy, juicy. Inspired by the beautiful hills of the Sono ma Valley, my new collection of Chainmail jewelry includes matching earrings, bracelets, and necklaces handcrafted in 16 gauge Sterling Silver and set with various Semi-Precious Gemstones. This necklace features various sizes of Amethyst and fastens by a handmade Fine Silver toggle clasp. Other sets in the Sonoma Collection on John S. Brana will include Garnets, Jade, Olive Serpentine, Amber, Gold Quartz, and Chrysoprase.

Chrysoprase ? The Stone of Summer
2006-06-19 07:10:00
Chrysoprase (also chrysophrase) is a gemstone variety of chalcedony (fibrous form of quartz) that contains small quantities of nickel. Its color is normally apple-green, but varies to deep green. It is cryptocrystalline, which means that it is composed of crystals so fine that they cannot be seen as distinct particles under normal magnification. This sets it apart from rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, and the other varieties of crystalline quartz which are basically transparent and formed from easily recognized six-sided crystals. Other members of the cryptocrystalline quartz family include agate, carnelian, and onyx. Unlike many non-transparent members of the quartz family, it is the color of chrysoprase, rather than any pattern of markings, that makes it desirable. The word chrysoprase comes from the Greek chrysos meaning 'gold' and prason, meaning 'leek'.Due to its comparative scarcity and pleasing green color, chrysoprase is one of the most prized varieties of quartz. Higher...
More About: Summer , Stone , Tone

What is RSS?
2006-06-12 23:06:00
RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds are an easy and efficient way to receive notification when new information is available in a specific area of interest. How Can I Benefit From RSS? RSS feeds save time, allowing you to receive notification only when new content is available from my BLOG. You can choose the information you wish to subscribe to and can unsubscribe from any feed at any point. How Do I Subscribe to RSS Feeds? First you will need an RSS feed reader (also called a news aggregator) there are a number of RSS readers available. A short list is available at RSS Software RSS readers are simply programs that display the contents of an RSS feed in an easy to read format. Once you have an RSS reader, you simply paste my link John S Brana - ATOM.xml or John S Brana - RSS.xml into your RSS reader. Some readers will auto detect the presence of an RSS feed on a website and you can optionally choose to subscribe. Internet Explorer 7 has an RSS feed button and...

Moonstone ? June?s Modern Birthstone
2006-06-05 22:10:00
Many legends and myths surround Moonstone . In Ancient times, Moonstone was believed to act as a spiritual link to lunar to the Greek goddesses Selene (Selenology is the study of the geology of the Moon) and Phoebe and their Roman equivalents of Luna and Diana. Moonstone has traditionally been used to enhance psychic abilities and to develop clairvoyance. It was said to arouse passion, bring its wearer good fortune, protect travelers, and calm the emotions. Moonstone is the opalescent variety of Orthoclase, a common constituent of most granites and other felsic igneous rocks and is often found in huge crystals and masses in pegmatite veins. If not pearly and opalescent, orthoclase is used in the manufacture of porcelain and as an ingredient in scouring powder. It can be commonly found in Sri Lanka, Burma, India, Australia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Brazil, the United States, and the European Alps and comes in a variety of colors including pink, yellow, green, brown, white, cream, an...
More About: June , Modern , Tone

International Gem & Jewelry Show Inc.
2006-05-29 05:03:00
I will be attending International Gem & Jewelry Show on June 9-11 at the San Mateo County Expo Center Expo Hall to attend workshops and gather information on upcoming 2006 Summer and Fall jewelry and fashion trends.Stay tuned for an update!For more info, visit the International Gem & Jewelry Show website.

10th Annual Designers by the Bay & Fine Jewelry Showcase
2006-05-20 20:04:00
On May 24th, 2006, I will be attending the 10th Annual Designers by the Bay & Fine Jewelry Showcase . The event will be hosted at Shreve & Co. in San Francisco's historic Union Square district and will showcase jewelry collections from local designers as well as fine jewelry manufacturers of Northern California. For more information, visit the Designers by the Bay website.

John S Brana - Designer of the Month at Bling
2006-05-06 16:31:00
For those of you that live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am currently being featured as Designer of the Mont h at Bling in San Francisco. My four collections of Wire Sculpted, Chain Maille, Fused Fine Silver, and Beaded Gemstone jewelry are all on display and available for purchase just in time for Mothers Day. Bling is located at 2324 Market Street between Noe and Castro streets.This ad appeared in the May 7th, 2006 Style Section D of the San Francisco Chronicle page D4.
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JohnSBrana.com - Distinctive Designer Jewelry
2006-04-05 18:18:00
Stay tuned for the launch of John S. Brana due out in early August 2006. You will be able to preview my online gallery of premium custom handcrafted jewelry, wire sculpted jewelry, and fused silver and gold jewelry for both men and women, and locate a retail store near you where you will be able to view and purchase my jewelry. I will be in stores throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in late 2006, and nationally in 2007.I personally handcraft all my collections in Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, 14K Gold-Filled wire, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K Yellow and White Gold wire, Pure Silver and 22k Gold Precious Metal Clay (PMC), combined with Bali and Thai Sterling Silver and Gold Vermeil beads, Swarovski crystals, hand carved semi-precious Gemstone beads, Freshwater Pearls, and a variety of natural faceted Gemstones.My goal is to provide you with a standard of sophistication, confidence, and beauty that expresses your uniqueness when wearing one of my creations. From traditional classics to refine...
More About: Jewelry , Designer , Johns

13th Annual Rooftop Auction and Children's Art Show
2006-03-23 07:13:00
For those of you that live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are interested in supporting a great fundraiser for children's art programs, the 13th Annual Rooftop Auction will be held on March 25th between 5-11pm at "The Hall of Flowers" at the SF County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. I have donated one of my Italian Mesh Ribbon Fused Necklaces (Item #334) to the auction. For more information, you can check out Rooftop Auction for more details.
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Wire Ring Settings
2006-03-07 01:23:00
When creating a ring using faceted gemstones, I use mainly two basic settings - The Cabochon setting for shallow elongated cut stones like this Marquis Citrine and the Prong setting for larger and more deeply cut stones like this Oval Peridot. Both of these rings were crafted using 14k gold filled half hard wire.
More About: Ring , Wire , Settings

Amber Fanatasy
2006-03-06 21:53:00
At the request of one of my best customers who loves Amber , I thought over the weekend I would design an addition to my Charmed Collection with this necklace that features 2 inch Amber chips along with very unique handcarved Onyx, Carnelian, and Gold Vermeil beads. The necklace is 20 inches long and sure makes a bold statement. Please keep those suggestions coming.