Spring is in Full Bloom at Spectrum!

The gallery has never looked so wonderful! Though the past few weeks have been filled with rain, the sun is shining and the flowers are in FULL BLOOM here at Spectrum Art & Jewelry!

Beautiful, bright, and bold floral paintings cover the walls! Nancy Noel May has brought in the most vibrant sunflower still life and Ann Hair has a large sized tulip covered canvas that illuminates the tangerine colored gallery wall. Kristin Gibson has brought in several floral still lifes created in a loose, impressionistic style.

Come to Spectrum Art & Jewelry, where the sun is shining and the flowers are always in bloom!

Quote Jewelry is a Popular Trend~

Have you noticed the 'quote craze'? Quotes are popular on cocktail napkins, t-shirts, and now on jewelry! Kathy Bransfield, an Ohio based jewelry designer, has developed a line of jewelry that has quotes from Gandhi, Thoreau, and simple words such as 'Dream', 'Love', and 'Peace'. These pieces are extremely popular with teens and young adults. The necklaces are very reasonably priced and made of sterling silver and gold vermeil. We have just received a new shipment of her work. These are one of the most popular items in the gallery!

Wedding Season: Great Gifts!

Yes, its that time of year again! Weddings, engagement parties and shower invitations fill our mailbox. Tired of giving cookware, china, or Lowes gift cards? Stop in to Spectrum where we have a wide variety of beautiful, unique, one-of-a kind gifts at reasonable prices.

Doublecreek serving bowls are elaborately decorated with hearts, fish, flowers, and butterflies. These hand painted serving dishes and vases will make your gift stand out from the crowd!

Becky Hemby, a North Carolina candle maker, has sent us a new shipment of beautiful shell candles and tablescape lights. These make perfect gifts for weddings or as a hostess gift.

Luke Adams hand blows glass hearts, twists, and stars in an array of colorful glass. Perfect to hang in front of a window, these gifts have been extremely popular and go fast! These glass wonders look expensive at a reasonable price!

ViViD wins an Award!

Gallery Owner, Star Sosa and Steve Bon, owner of Bon’s Eye Marketing, a Wilmington-based firm, created ViViD, a magazine publication. which features stories focusing on an art collector's home, spotlight on one of our gallery artists, new arrivals and more! Bon's Eye recently won a BOOM! design award from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Charlotte / Raleigh chapters.

Out of more than 500 entries, Bon’s Eye represented one of 96 winners. As a result, ViViD will be displayed in the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte during a celebratory gala on April 4. The winning piece also will be part of a travelling exhibit this spring, with stops scheduled in Charlotte and Raleigh.

CLICK HERE to Read Our ViViD magazines!

Did You Know: Jewelry Design is our Specialty!

Spectrum Art & Jewelry does more business in custom design jewelry projects than anything else! That's right! We specialize in jewelry design with a master goldsmith, Michael Chapman, on staff with over 40 years of experience. Owner, Star Sosa, brings over 23 years of jewelry design experience to the table and helps customers transform heirloom pieces or stones into one -of -a kind masterpieces! Nancy Noel May, gallery manager, creates beautiful pieces of jewelry make of semi-precious stones. She is an expert pearl-knotter and can create anything you are looking for for your special outfit or occasion. Nicole Wilkinson, webmaster, has a BFA in jewelry/metalsmithing and experience launching/creating a couture jewelry line in NYC. She can make you a quick pair of earrings in about 5 mins.

Come into the store and see what we have to offer and remember, if you don't see it, we can make it!

Did You Know: Try it out for FREE!

Spectrum Art & Jewelry offers an approval system unlike many other local businesses. Pick out the piece you like, borrow it for the evening, and if you like it, we will run your credit card you left on file and it is yours! Its that simple! This will help you to figure out if it would look great in a certain space. Try it out TODAY~

History of Engagement Rings

With all of the recent engagement parties and weddings I have been attending lately, it never really struck me until now. Why does the guy go out and pick out a ring that the girl is suppose to wear for the rest of her life and doesn't consult her first? This is a very odd request if you think about it. Would a guy where the same shoes or shirt a girl picked out for him for the rest of his life? What if he didn't like it? What if she didn't like the ring? She is suppose to wear a ring she doesn't really LOVE for the rest of her life. That's a big request. So I went in search of some answers....

The earliest form of the engagement ring came from the Egyptians with the Romans following suit by "claiming' their woman with a ring. The Arabic culture gave puzzle rings that were so difficult to put together, the men would know if the women took them off while they were away, as the rings would fall apart. Americans gave thimbles during colonial times, where the tops were removed to make rings and the addition of diamonds came around the 14th or 15th century when royalty started adding gemstones to the beautiful bands.

It wasn't til the 1920's and 30's that the DeBeers company started advertising that a man should spend 2 mths salary on a diamond ring. This later caused problems for the company when people started holding onto heirloom pieces and passing rings on instead of purchasing new ones.

Whatever the ring, after reading about engagement rings and learning the 'true' meaning behind the ring, I think if someone is blessed enough to find the right person to spend 'forever' with, they are lucky enough, and a certain style shouldn't matter. Star Sosa, owner of Spectrum Art & Jewelry, is an expert jewelry designer that can make any of your ideas come true! Stop in today to get your one-of-a kind engagement ring created for your special one and only!