j. a. sharp Custom Jeweler

Beautiful new pieces by Natalie Frigo

2011-03-15T16:18:00.000-04:00

Black spinels peek out from organic silver shapes

Cognac diamond eyes!

We never know what new (to us) artists we will find for our store when we go to the Philadelphia Buyers' Market. We picked up several this year. Natalie Frigo is a New York City jeweler whose limited edition pieces look both ancient and modern.

New Maruca bags have arrived!

2011-02-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

Kristan puts out the new Maruca bags we just got in. The jacquard fabrics are wonderful, with a beautiful sheen that has to be seen in person. These bags are handmade in Boulder, CO. Maruca designs new fabrics every six months and has them woven in New York - truly an American-made product.

Local silversmith shines on First Friday

2010-10-30T15:58:00.000-04:00

Kristan wears her pod collection

Local silversmith Kristan T. Winand debuts her collections in our store at a First Friday reception 5-9 p.m November 5. Her pieces sometimes incorporate movable parts (all the beads move in the cuff pictured here). Kristan can also be found working for us Tuesdays!

See more of Kristan's work on facebook and her website.

bead it up cuff

Maruca on sale!

2010-09-09T14:30:00.000-04:00

We've decided to join the rest of retail humanity and have a sale. We have to make room for the new fall line of Maruca bags (handmade in Boulder, Co), so all of the Maruca bags we now have in stock are 25% off. If you haven't tried these bags - well, they're wonderful! Even Jude bought one, so you know they have to be extra special - sturdy jacquard fabric designed by Maruca and woven in New York.

Stamp out loud

2010-07-23T15:26:00.000-04:00

Jude's having fun with a new set of alphabet stamps. For $95, you can have a sterling silver ring with words of your choice stamped on it. The center ring above, for instance, is stamped with PEACE LOVE UNDERSTANDING. We call it the What's So Funny ring (thank you, Elvis - no, not that one, the more recent one). She'll also stamp on titanium for $165 (the right ring above).

A local business we love

2010-06-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

Lancaster Surgical Supply doesn't look like much, with its windows crowded with walkers, canes, and other medical equipment. Treasures await inside, however. When you enter, you'll hear, "May I help you?", and you'd better take him up on it.

You'll need help locating, for instance, the world's best band-aids (Coverlets - we swear by them, and nasty things do happen to jewelers' fingers). Or tidy little packets of alcohol-saturated pads, ideal for wiping down earrings before clients try them on.

The other day, Jude wanted to make sure the exhausted pickle* was neutralized before she sent it down the drain. Off I went to LSS, on the off chance he'd have litmus paper. He did - two kinds, one for alkaline substances and one for acidic substances. I told him (I'd like to give the owner a name, but I don't know it - he did tell me he's a pharmacist) how we marveled at his inventory. He gets calls daily, he said, from pharmacies looking for items they'd never heard of. Chances are, he knows what it is and Lancaster Surgical Supply has it.

Lancaster Surgical Supply, 214 N. Duke, Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 397-2763

*a dilute acidic solution use to remove oxide (formed when heating/soldering metal)

The village smithy takes to the street

2010-06-06T12:26:00.000-04:00

It's a windy, not-raining day for the block party, and here Jude is, plying her trade 'twixt shop and soft pretzel truck.

The next best thing to the beach...

2010-06-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

Mona Steinhauer brings the beach to us with her photography exhibit Beach Glass and More. We will host an opening reception 6 - 9 p.m . Friday June 4. Her photos will be on display through June.

Under the spreading chestnut tree...

2010-06-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

Jeremy Hess Photographers/JH

Jude, our village smith (gold and silver) will be forging bracelets on her anvil in front of our shop for the 300 Block Festival here on the 300 block of North Queen St. 11-5 p.m Sunday June 6. She's a lot of fun to watch!

Executive assistant wanna-be

2010-05-06T10:59:00.000-04:00

Roxie has taken to climbing up on the chair by herself. We're waiting for her to tell us about her career goals.

Why is this still here (vol. 3)?

2010-04-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

Jude does very interesting things with a piece of silver wire. In this case, she formed it into a cuff, cut out recessed areas and inlaid 18k yellow gold. The polished gold shines out from the matte finish on the silver. A flush-set diamond completes the piece. It's elegant, but looks great with jeans, too.

Why are these still here (vol. 2)?

2010-04-07T11:24:00.000-04:00

These 18k gold rings by Suzy Landa just make us happy. They can be worn singly or stacked with other rings. The center semi-precious stone (the blue stone is blue zircon, the red rubellite, and the green peridot) is surrounded by small diamonds.

Gail Vollrath featured artist for April First Friday

2010-03-31T14:09:00.000-04:00

We're hosting an opening reception 6-9 p.m. Friday April 2 for Gail Vollrath, a Washington, D.C. based artist. Her abstract paintings and mixed media work represent the day, current affairs, conversations and events. Vollgrath uses media such as china marker, oil bar and oil-based paint pens along with oil paint on canvas, paper and board, to create complex, two-dimensional surfaces. To see more of her work and background, go to www.gvollrath.com.

Andrea models Maruca's green bags

2010-03-17T11:21:00.000-04:00

Andrea made us laugh when she decked herself out in green Maruca bags in honor of St. Patrick's Day. These fun and practical bags are made in Boulder, CO. The fabric is designed by Maruca and woven in New York

Why is this still here (vol. 1)?

2010-03-02T15:35:00.000-05:00

When you're taking jewelry out of the safe every morning and putting it back every night, you get to know each piece intimately. With some pieces, you wonder, "What was I thinking when I ordered this?" Other pieces just grow on you - you admire the finish, the weight, and the design. Sometimes the latter sell quickly, but sometimes they don't - hence the title of this post.

One such piece is a sterling silver necklace made by Cynthia Lammers. The donut-like discs with their matte finish are pleasingly chubby and the overall proportions are just right.

March First Friday features Susanne Mundok

2010-02-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

After seeing Susanne Mundok's acrylic-on-canvas interpretations of old family photos, Jude and I wanted to host a show of her work. We hope you can join us for an opening reception with Susanne 6 - 9 p.m. Friday March 5. Her paintings will be on exhibit through March 31.

Good-bye, dear Buddy

2010-01-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

We said good-bye to our dear friend Buddy, our Brittany, December 21. Buddy was 14 years old. Jude got him when he was a little puppy. "He was the best dog I ever had," she says. We miss him very much.

How wrong can I be?

2009-12-14T17:28:00.000-05:00

I keep thinking about an incident that happened during December's First Friday. Our store was full of people looking at jewelry, visiting, drinking wine and eating. I noticed a young man, very casually dressed, who came in by himself. He's here for free wine and looks underage, I thought, so I kept my eye on him. He walked past the jewelry displays, past the food and drink, and back to the cash wrap. I watched as he pulled out his wallet and stuffed bills into the can for donations to the local food bank. Then he left. He wasn't here to get something for nothing, he was here to give something for nothing. Snap judgments can be so wrong!

Vintage Holiday Sculptures

2009-11-27T19:04:00.000-05:00

I confess that I'm a little overwhelmed with the task of decorating the store and the display windows for the holidays. Deb Sielski to the rescue! She makes fantastic sculptures from vintage holiday ornaments and reproductions of vintage tinsel. She will be our December First Friday artist.

Her creations are whimsical and imaginative. Our store is full of them (and yes, they're for sale). You can meet Deb at our reception 5:30 - 9 p.m. December 4.

Is this ring for a woman or a man?

2009-11-20T18:59:00.000-05:00

Jewelry used to be segregated along gender lines, and more traditional jewelry stores still do it that way. We find that that doesn't work so well for us. Cuff links, for instance, look great on women and men. An 8" bracelet (listed in the men's section of our vendor catalog), works well on a woman with a larger wrist. A man with delicate hands might look best with a smaller ring. And large rings look GREAT on many hands, small or big. Personality and individual taste are the best determinants for what works.

electric energy choices

2009-11-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we received a call from an electric generation supplier soliciting our business. He told us how much we could save on our bill if we went with his company. I asked him about renewable energy sources and he told me, basically, that the country wasn't there yet and it wasn't worth looking into. He also wanted our PPL account number; when pressed, he admitted that he was going to switch us over. I ended the call right then and there! Jude and I had been talking about where our electric energy comes from, so this lit a fire under me to research the alternatives. After all, if we subscribe to triple bottom line in our business (people, profit and planet), we should walk the talk.

This morning we signed up with a company that supplies electricity from wind and water. It adds a little to our home and business electric bills, but it's important to us.

My Morning Ride: Jude's photos for First Friday

2009-11-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Usually when we feature Jude's work for a First Friday, it means a show of her new jewelry pieces. This month, however, we'll see a different artistic side of her. She's been photographing various scenes from her morning bike rides throughout the city and county (and beyond). We're hosting an exhibit of photos culled from her collection.

We hope you can come between 5 and 9 p.m. Friday November 6 for the opening reception.