Add one more great reason to visit San Juan Island this summer. WaterWorks Gallery is celebrating 30 years of representing outstanding northwest artists and Ruth Offen throws a great party!
San Juan Island has been a regular destination for my family for years. We like to take a long weekend coming from Seattle as the drive is just under two hours to the ferry in Anacortes, the boat ride a leisurely and picturesque 60 minutes. Other transportation options include the Victoria Clipper from Seattle waterfront or a float plane form Lake Union, Sea.
As a destination San Juan is the total package with beautiful beaches, Americas Camp and South Beach is a favorite with plenty of drift wood for building forts. There are many opportunities to see wildlife like Orca Whales from Lime Kiln Point State Park and research station, Porpoise, and Sea Otters. Friday Harbor is the heart of the island. From the ferry landing you can walk to great galleries, shops and eateries. If you choose to walk on the ferry to the island you have bike and scooter rentals close too. What else, fresh oysters at Westcott Bay, awesome Sculpture Park, the gardens at Roche Harbor Resort, and Mona the retired circus camel grazing with her friend the llama.
Oh! Fantastic jewelry at WaterWorks Gallery!
The Verve bangle bracelet in 18k green gold and 18k white gold with sky blue Montana sapphires (6.0 cts. t.w.) is alive with movement. The three-dimensional linked design allows the bracelet to roll smoothly over your wrist. The shapes expand and contract with your gestures, the sapphires shining blue as the summer sky and spin freely with the links.
Thank you for this honor and your votes industry friends!
Caring for your Silver and Gold Jewelry
In the spirit of starting the year fresh I like to give some attention to my jewelry collection. Silver normally shows more color from oxidation/tarnishing than gold but both metals benefit from regular cleaning.
The simple recipe I use is non-toxic and easy to make in your kitchen. This solution is excellent for silver and gold and the harder gems like Quartz, Sapphires and Diamonds. Do not clean jewelry with soft or organic gems like Turquoise, Opals, and Pearls with this solution. More about that later.
Recipe:
You will need a clean aluminum dish like a pie tin or
a glass or ceramic bowl with a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom, enough to cover the surface.
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon mild dish soap
1 Cup hot water, not boiling
A soft tooth brush
Measure your salt, soda and soap and place in bowl. Place the jewelry to be cleaned in the bowl. Add the hot water, hot from the tap is ok. The mix will fizz a little, swirl the water around in the bowl with the jewelry then let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes. Check progress and use the soft tooth brush to loosen extra dark areas and around gem settings. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry. Your jewelry should be clean and bright.
When cleaning jewelry with an “antique” patina use only warm soapy water and a soft cloth if you want to keep the “antique” look.
Pearl jewelry should only be cleaned with a damp soft cloth used to gently wipe the pearl. Do not get your pearl stands wet because they will stretch and leave gaps between pearls and knots.
I met a Jeweler who also sold beautiful Opals in Los Cabos Mexico that told me it was Aztec tradition to revitalize the Opalos gems by placing them in water over night on a full moon. Maybe the stronger tides help? Maybe because the color in Opals comes from their water content? It is true that Opals should be stored away from heat and a little water soak is good for them too.
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