How to repair spiral or hanging styles of horn ear gauges that have warped.

This is the fourth installation of blogs on jewelry care specific to organics hosted by Avaia Artistic Jewelry. One common problem that can occur with horn jewelry items is warpage. Horn warps when either the horn was not properly dried prior to carving and then was shipped to the customer before the moisture content stabilized, or is due to exposing horn jewelry to moisture. You should never shower or get horn jewelry wet. Having said that, not all is lost and you may be able to repair the damage depending on the degree of warpage and the fragility of the horn. This technique may not work for all items, but you may meet with success if you are willing to try it.

The first thing you need to do is soak the jewelry back in water for at least 24 hours. The moisture content needs to be increased again so that the jewelry can be reshapened. Once soaked, towel dry the jewelry and place in the middle of a heavy book. Much like pressing flowers, you now need to stack significant weight onto the book. It is suggested that the items stay pressed in the book for 2 to 4 weeks. The longer, the greater the chance of success. Shine and colour can be brought back into the jewelry once it has dried with a light coating of jojoba oil.

And there you have it. Repaired and reshapen ear gauges or other horn jewelry.
Would you rather just buy something new. Visit Avaia Artistic Jewelry and check out our amazing selection of quality jewelry at rock bottom prices.

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One of a kind SATIRE organic spiral ear gauges - only at Avaia Artistic Jewelry

At Avaia Artistic Jewelry we pride ourselves on being able to offer some unique, one of a kind designs to our customers. The Satire style is hand carved out of organic buffalo horn with sterling silver inlay. We specifically commissioned this design for Avaia and we don't expect that you will find it anywhere else. We are currently offering a special on this design - click here. Once they are gone, we will not be getting more in stock. Don't pass up your chance to own one of our unique earring styles. Available in 12g through 1/2"

Body Jewelry and Ear Gauges for your Generation - we have for sale the selection, material, and quality you are looking for at affordable prices

We have the quality, price and style you want!

One of a Kind, Custom, Original Ear Gauges

Not everyone wants the next fad design in jewelry.  Avaia Artistic Jewelry commissions original work, rare and detailed work, as well as custom designs for our customers.

Occasionally we get requests for custom designs.  Although we at Avaia Artistic Jewelry do not carve ourselves, our artisans in Indonesia are happy to help out with custom orders.   These orders typically take some time to complete, but they can be worth the wait!

We had a request for a tiger design in a hanging ear gauge.  Check out what our artisans could do for our customer!

We have also hosted a design contest for the last two years that lets our facebook fans choose the winner.  The winner receives a nice prize package in exchange for the use of his or her design.  Below you will see the design winners over the last three years.

2013 Design Winner

Calla Lilly in Horn

2012 Design Winner

Hanging Cat in Sabo Wood (not oiled in photograph)

Sometimes we, at Avaia Artistic Jewelry ,have a vision for a design that our carvers exquisitely capture.

Whale Song - an original design at Avaia

We can also commission work other than body jewelry.  These cute, little havanese dog pendants were the work of our artisans as a special commissioned project.

 

Keep Current with the happenings at Avaia Artistic Jewelry by liking our Facebook Page.

Visit us at www.avaiaartisticjewelry.com

A Sizing Guide to Stretching your Ears

VISIT WWW.AVAIAARTISTICJEWELRY.COM FOR THE BEST EAR GAUGE SELECTION AND PRICES

So you want to see what those plugs are going to look like in your ears? We've compiled a photo so you can get a better idea of how big you want to go. We are also going to give you some advice based on what your stretching goals are. There is a lot of advice out there and by all means, what we state is not the golden rule. Do your research before you begin the process.

Firstly, don't rush the stretching process. Those that are patient and allow time to heal will find that the stretching process is not painful and that the earlobe retains more elasticity and the likelyhood of damaging your earlobe lessens. A stretch a month is considered by many to be the right pace. Next, ensure you are using a proper stretching taper to complete the process. Don't force your tissues to stretch beyond their limits. Many consider somewhere between 2g and 0g the point of no return. Most people who stay within this limit and decide to wear standard earrings, will do so without problems. However every person is different and stretching is considered a body modification. Don't stretch larger than you are willing to live with when you are older. Minor plastic surgery is an option for those that extreme stretch and then want their "old" ears back.

When stretching, one thing to consider is limits on the types of jewelry that can easily be purchased and worn. Tunnels typically start around 2g and can go up in size for the largest of stretches. Plugs start at 12g, but do not hit a realistic size for many people until a minimum of 6g or 4g. Double flared plugs are 0.5mm - 1.5mm on the flares larger than the wearing area. So if you are a 4g, the wearable area is 5mm, but the flares may easily be 6mm. Hanging styles can nicely be worn in smaller stretches. For bone and horn, there are limits to the sizes in which gauges can be made in hanging styles. Typically for bone, that limit is 0g. The limit for horn may be up to 1/2". Larger hanging styles can be accomodated in wood. Organics are beautiful, but they are not as durable as stainless steel and other metals and require special care and cleaning.

How to repair chips and cracks in organic ear plugs

Occasionally we get questions on how to care for or repair jewelry that has been damaged. Over the years, we have learned a few tricks. It isn't uncommon for stone and glass ear plugs to chip. Sometimes there are natural stone inclusions that are rougher than the polished stone. And we've heard it mentioned that some bone and horn spiral ear gauges have sharp points from the carving.

There is a simple fix that will take care of most of these problems - basic candle or paraffin wax. Just melt a drop of wax on a rough point and smooth it in. You will be happy again! If the wax is planned to be a long term fix, it should be scraped off and replaced periodically if it is on a wearable area.

How to care for organic wood jewelry

This is part of a series of blogs on how to best care for organic jewelry. Wood is a popular material, especially for ear gauges. It can be carved into tunnels, plugs, tapers, and hanging styles.

The best thing to do when you first receive wood gauges is to oil them with jojoba oil. Jojoba is a natural oil that will help to preserve and maintain the rich color of the wood. Oiling prevents cracking and can be frequently applied. If there is any detail carving, oil will enhance the image.

Wood is a fragile material, and even the larger sizes may break or crack if dropped. In addition, wood should not be exposed to water, at least for extensive periods of time. We don't recommend showering or swimming with your wood jewelry.

Our experience has been that wood is not as prone to warping as horn. It is lighter weight than both horn and bone and is comfortable to wear.

Check out wood ear gauges at Avaia Artistic Jewelry by clicking here!