People get older, women have children and accidents occur that sometimes permanently changes sizes and/or appearances. For some people, nature cruelly creeps into genetics on the day of conception – it’s an unstoppable force. You can love it, hate it or EMBRACE it!
Studies show attractive people tend to fare better in the corporate world because good looks appear to go hand-in-hand with self confidence which matters A LOT in the workplace. People are walking advertisements of themselves which is portrayed by the way they dress and present themselves.
When people aren’t confident about themselves, they tend to go into ‘hiding’, which instead, creates the opposite effect. Those who want to hide excess weight might wear baggy clothes making them appear even bigger than before. Men who miss long, lost strands of hair on top of their head may hide behind hats or a comb-over, which has yet to make the Top 10 Fashion list. Women who are self conscious of teenage acne scars might hide behind excessive makeup creating a clown-like resemblance. These are all ways that many people try to cover their flaws when, as you might have noticed, more attention is being drawn to them.
Appearing ‘corporately attractive’ (meaning tall, well dressed and good-looking) may sound discriminating and be a controversial subject to broach but you can’t change certain stereotypes. You can, however, create attractive illusions by learning how to subtly hide flaws by creating an overall balance.
While wearing the right type of jewellery won’t magically lose those extra pounds or gain those couple of inches, it WILL trick the human eye at first glance, helping you add a couple of beauty points overall.
Try applying these Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts to your business attire and see if you don’t feel more confident, look better and receive tons of compliments!
Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts:
Do’s
Do think vertically- Perhaps the most famous rule of any fashion guru is to never wear stripes horizontally because it adds pounds. This applies to all aspects of apparel and isn’t limited only to stripes. Wearing jewellery that drapes downward rather than hugging your body can have a slimming effect. Make jewellery and accessories work for you, not against you!
Do use symmetry – The highest emphasis on what deems a person as good-looking is held within the facial features. Symmetry is more important in the face, rather than the body as a whole, because it gives the appearance of good and psychological health. Wearing single stud earrings or single pearl earrings adds to the overall effect of symmetry, oftentimes drawing attention out at evenly, rather than pinpointing specific areas of the face.
Do wear big jewellery if overweight – Chunky jewellery, big stone pendants or collarettes help balance weight without weighing the body down. While wide bracelets make wrists appear thinner, there is one exception to this is for people who carry extra weight on a small body frames. Because wrists are the dead giveaway of frame size, they’re the one area of the body that won’t pack on the pounds, in which case, nix the bracelets and stick to only earrings, necklaces and rings.
Do wear long jewellery to add height – When lengthening height, the last thing you want to do is bog it down with excessive amounts of jewellery and accessories. Keep jewellery long but keep it simple. Choosing long chain and opera necklaces with matching dangle or drop earrings will perfect your illusion of supermodel height!
Don’ts
Don’t wear loud jewellery – In an office, especially a small office, wearing loud, jingly jewellery is just as annoying as someone wearing excessive perfume to the point of knocking people unconscious. While it may be trendy, it’s certainly unprofessional and distracting, drawing ALL of the positive attention away from the amazing look you worked so hard to achieve.
Don’t over-accessorize – Sure, most people have many favourite pieces of jewellery or a lot of jewellery containing their favourite gemstones that they feel they must wear all at once but that doesn’t mean you should.. For those who insist on wearing a lot of jewellery, remember that in the office, it’s very distracting and even worse, others might actually perceive you as superficial. Choose either one matching jewellery set or keep it toned down to one pair of earrings, one bracelet, one necklace and one ring on each hand.
Don’t ‘over-match’ your jewellery – Jewellery should hold its own while emphasizing physical features and attire. If you’re wearing an all black business suit, why not create your own fashion trends by adding colourful gemstones that pop?
Don’t limit jewellery to just women – Men can also wear jewellery and accessorize in ways that show masculinity! Choosing the right wristwatch or ring can show power and stamina, as long as it’s not too flashy and matches body proportions.
While these tricks are great for boosting your confidence and enhancing your attractiveness, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to continue taking the utmost care of your body. Get enough sleep to get rid of your dark circles, stop drinking large amounts of caffeine and if you’re a smoker, stop smoking to rejuvenate your skin, get on a healthy diet to remove pesky zits and exercise to stay healthy.
When you feel great, you look great! Everyone CAN look attractive in their own way; it’s just a matter of emphasizing the nice parts and hiding the flaws so that you can put yourself on display in the corporate spotlight!
Another fun filled week at Eskae Private Jeweller. I learnt many jewellery making techniques this week, including; the process of rhodium plating and putting a matte or satin finish on jewellery.
I also practiced some other techniques I had learnt over the past month including; polishing, annealing, drawing wire, rolling out metal and filing.
I would have to say that learning how to rhodium plate a piece of jewellery would have to be one of the most important techniques I learnt this week. Rhodium plating if you don’t know, is a technique jewellers use to plate metal to make it look whiter and brighter, for example it is used most commonly on white gold, and even silver, because the natural state of these metals is quite grey as opposed to white and bright like platinum is. The rhodium plating helps to enhance the stones, especially diamonds and the design of the ring.
The other important process I learnt this week was applying a matte/satin finish onto the cufflinks I designed and made in the previous weeks. After finishing the cufflinks off by giving them a good shiney polish, I decided that to add interest to the cufflinks I would only apply the matte/satin finish to certain sections of the design. To do this you need to block out the other parts of the design so the finish is not applied to them. A neat trick to do this is to tape over the front of the cufflinks with masking tape. Then using a scalpel, I cut through some of the masking tape in the sections I wanted to apply the matte finish to. Then I used the hand polisher with a course scotchbrite type brush to apply the finish. I was quite nervous about this process as I needed to make sure I held the polisher perfectly straight up against the cufflinks, so that the satin lines which make up the finish are all vertically straight on all parts of the un-masked sections of the cufflinks.
Cuff links
As you can see in the photo of my cufflinks, the finish has turned out very nicely. The finish adds masculinity, definition and interest to the cufflinks, as well as creating some contrast for the eye to follow in and around the design of the cuff link.
Another proud achievement, made on my jewellery making journey.
Can you believe it has been exactly one month since I began my journey of becoming a jeweller with Eskae Private Jeweller. I know I can’t! And what a fantastic 1st month it has been.
The most exciting activity I did this week was finishing the silver gents wedding ring I made and told you about in week one. All I needed to do was polish the ring and it would be finished. I would have to say that polishing is not as easy as it looks, Sam definitely threw me in the deep end by letting me create a not so simple wedding band. A plain wedding band would have been a lot easier to polish, as you would essentially need to polish the one area on the outside, but because the design I created had three edges to polish it was quite tricky. I enjoyed the challenge and it was fun to be able to learn polishing.
This was the most important lesson I learnt this week; the angle on which you must hold the ring, to enable you to only polish one particular part of the ring at the one time, and to not curve or smooth the lines I had created by putting a chamfered edge on each side of the ring. What this does is helps me keep the sharp or definite edges in the design of the ring, giving the finished ring more definition.
A chamfered edge is a design feature or technique where we put a 45 degree angle on the outside edge of the ring or any other piece of jewellery. In this piece I put the chamfered edge on to not only give interest and definition to the ring but to learn this essential technique of polishing different areas on a piece of jewellery while keeping the definite edge or line between the surfaces.
Wedding Ring with a Chamfered Edge
The goal here with learning to polish a chamfered piece of jewellery, is to keep the straight edges on the side and to keep the top flat.
I began using a hand polisher and then later used the big mops on the polishing machine. Each process is important to do correctly as it builds up to the next step which will give you the final look and finish.
My lines created with the chamfered edge are still nice and clean after polishing, so as you can imagine, I am very proud of myself as this technique I have been told is not so easy to do when you are an apprentice.
I am very happy that I was able to learn this technique so early on in my jewellery making journey, as I will now be able to apply this technique this week to the cufflinks which I have now finished making and are ready to be polished.
Until I speak to you next week, a very excited apprentice, who has just finished her very first ring, is signing off,
This couldn’t be truer than when going on a job interview. Attending an interview is the most important time to make the best first impression possible making it one time that books are definitely judged by their covers – contrary to popular adage of not doing so.
Did you know that when someone looks at you, an opinion is formed in the first 3 seconds and the lasting impression is formed within 8-30 seconds?[i] It’s true!
Here are the exact statistics of what your first impression makes:
55% of the first impression is made by how you dress, act and walk as soon as you enter the room
38% accounts for the quality of voice grammar
ONLY 7% of the first impression is made from what you actually say[ii]
Knowing that looks count as the major factor entering a job interview, how can you make the best, first impression to ensure you get the job position you desire?
That’s what I’m here to help you with. We’re going to take a look at what you can do to not only make you look your best but also make sure that position doesn’t go to anyone else but YOU!
Look The Part
Dress Attire
Dressing well to help make a good impression doesn’t mean taking a stroll down the catwalk – it means knowing how to appear as polished, presentable and as brilliant as your favourite piece of jewellery so that you can represent yourself in the highest regards as possible.
When getting dressed, think conservative: You’re not going on a date, you’re not going to a party but you are going to an interview, therefore, take the conservative path. According to a survey conducted by Management Recruiters International, more than 34.2% of executives believe that casual dress has gone too casual which in turn, shows employers a sign of disrespect.[iii]
For men and women, wearing solid, neutral-coloured conservative business suits work wonders for presenting your professional look. If you have too much going on with your clothes, such as patterns or textures, it can draw attention away from your face and distract from your overall professional appearance.
To head you in the right direction, here are some helpful tips:
Iron ALL parts of your clothing – It’s important to make sure clothes are ironed properly. Wrinkles can look like you don’t take the time to care for yourself which could end up portraying the wrong message of how you would care for your future position.
Assess your jewellery and accessories – Wedding rings and everyday-worn jewellery can especially take a lot of wear and tear. Keeping them sparkly clean shows pride in how you care for important and valuable items just as you would with company assets.
Check your clothing – Check for any holes, tears, stains or runaway wrinkles. Even the smallest stain can make you look sloppy and unkempt.
Polish your shoes – Scuff marks on shoes can completely ruin the most perfect of suits. If you’re dressed impeccably but your shoes are dirtied or scuffed, it sticks out like a sore thumb and as a result, spoils the rest of your ensemble.
No hidden surprises – This generally applies to women: If in doubt, cover it. Shirts shouldn’t fall any lower than the collarbone and if wearing a skirt, it should at the very least, cover your thighs when sitting down.
The key is to not draw attention to your attire – if you’re remembered for your outfit, most likely it was a bad choice to have made for the interview.
Grooming
Grooming doesn’t only account for showering (although it should go without saying), it also includes taking the measures to care for your hair, nails, use of cologne/perfume and proper shaving to name a few.
Harris Interactive recently conducted a survey for Gillette which reports that 90% of HR professionals believe that being well groomed makes a stronger impression than a firm handshake does. Out of the 500 HR professionals they surveyed, 84% of them stated that neat, clean employees climb the corporate ladder much faster than employees who aren’t well groomed.[iv] The reason behind this is the fact that people who take the time to care for themselves often feel better about themselves, therefore, are able to portray confidence on a higher level.
Obviously, you don’t want to look like this when going for an interview:
Or this:
But perhaps, more like this:
And this:
Let’s see what measures men and women should take to properly groom for an interview:
Men:
Hair – Regardless of current style trends, hair should be neatly trimmed. Short and traditional is the best way to go. If it’s hard for you to accept this type of haircut, remember that hair does grow back and if you can part with your locks for a couple of weeks, by all means, do. If using a hair product, try to use a minimal amount so that it doesn’t appear greasy.
Shaving –Having a clean, shaven face looks classy on any man. The 5 o’clock shadow is all the rage for some people but never during an interview. Please note that shaving doesn’t just apply to only the beard and moustache areas. For those blessed with an abundance of hair, make sure to trim ear and nose hair. Believe it or not, it can be rather distracting toward an interview.
Cologne and aftershave – Smelling good is great but usually interviews are done in closed rooms making too much cologne and/or aftershave become overwhelming. Deodorant will do just fine, however, if you must wear an extra scent, choose either cologne or aftershave and do so sparingly.
Nails – Manicures are not just for women. It doesn’t necessarily mean book an appointment in a salon; it means learn how to groom your nails properly. Scrape all dirt from underneath your fingernails, push back your cuticles and file the ends of your nails if they’re ragged.
Women:
Hair – For women with long hair, the best look is to tie it back out of your face in a simple bun or ponytail. Hiding your face during an interview can come across as shyness and having low self-esteem. For those with short hair, you can clip your hair back with pins or a headband as long as it doesn’t draw attention to your hair. Try to keep hair products looking natural and not overdone.
Perfume/body spray – As with men, keep it to a minimum. One spray will do just fine in an enclosed room. You want to smell fresh while not sending an interviewer’s smell sensory into overdrive so stick to fruity or light musk scents.
Eyebrows – On a female, eyebrows that aren’t maintained can overpower the face. If you’re a woman who isn’t a fan of tweezing or waxing stray eyebrow hairs, remember that it’s only one day of having to do it and it can make all the difference in your overall appearance.
Makeup – Although you’re dressing to impress, keep your makeup light. You want to bring out your features, not cover them up with bright or dark colours.
Nails – Book that nail appointment! Having buffed, clean nails is the perfect look for your interview. If you choose to wear nail polish, keep it in tow with your makeup – neutral, light colours.
A little word of advice: If you’re a coffee drinker, be sure to carry mints with you and pop one in right before stepping into your interview. Bad breath can make conversation very awkward!
Accessories And Jewellery
Accessories can make or break an outfit. As with your dress attire and grooming etiquette, accessories should be worn in the same fashion - to match your overall appearance and not to divert attention away from it.
Accessories For Men:
To wear accessories properly, you must match all of your metals. This means if you have a belt with a gold buckle, then your wristwatch and cufflinks must also be gold. As with matching your metals, the same principle applies with matching your belt colour to your shoe colour. For example, if you’re wearing a black belt, then you should wear black shoes – brown belt and brown shoes.
As for rings, men should wear only one ring during an interview. The exception is if you’re wearing a wedding ring, then you can add one additional ring which should be worn on your right pinky finger.
A very stylish accessory that many men opt for is a tie clip (also called tie bars) which is a great look that implies sophistication. If haven’t worn a tie clip before, an interview is a great reason to get one!
In order to get the best look out of your tie clip, be sure that your tie is adjusted exactly the way it should be before placing the clip since you won’t be able to readjust it once you’ve attached it. While the latest style is to tilt the tie clip at a 45-degree downward angle higher up, the professional way of wearing it is to place it between the 4th and 5th button of your dress shirt horizontally.
The last accessory to top off your look is to bring along a crisp briefcase or business folder complete with your resume inside.
Accessories For Women:
When going on a job interview, wear your jewellery with class. Avoid flashy, jingly and oversized jewellery and aim for accessories that enhance the business look. Women can get away with wearing more accessories than men as long as it’s done the right way.
If you decide to wear a chunky necklace, then tone down your earrings by wearing studs. If you prefer dangly earrings, then nix the necklace and opt for single coloured chandelier earrings or teardrop earrings. For those that keep more than one piercing in each ear, take the extra earrings out and keep to wearing one pair of earrings.
Like men, women who love rings should also keep the number of rings down to 2 – one ring on each hand. Surely you have beautiful fingers but remember that you want to accentuate your business look, not overshadow it.
The same rule applies to bracelets – less is more. An interview is not the time to wear big, plastic bangles. Instead, wearing a delicate gold or platinum chain will keep the look traditional and yet elegant.
Act The Part
Now that you know how to look the part, it’s time to know how to act the part. Self-confidence is everything in an interview. Sometimes it can be hard to show it when nerves get in the way but by presenting your self confidently, no one will ever be able to tell the difference!
When you step into the interview room, pretend that you’ve already got the job. Instead of feeling like you’re in an interrogation room, you’ll feel more a part of the company team which will allow you to converse more freely. Remember, you’re obviously qualified for the position you’ve applied for, otherwise, they wouldn’t have called you in for a meeting!
You’ve made it in the door, what comes next? The famous handshake does.
You may not know the weight a handshake carries but it takes you quite far IF you know the proper way to confidently shake a future employer’s hand. Keeping eye contact while firmly shaking hands shows them you’re all courteous but at the same time, all business. Allow the interviewer however many shakes he or she wants while getting your own personal impression of what kind of manager you might be working for!
During the interview, certain questions might come up that you may know about ahead of time. If you aren’t quite sure how to answer, rehearse the question with a friend or family member to practise answering appropriately and confidently. Fred Pryor Organisation states that good preparation and rehearsal will reduce your nerves by 75% increasing the likelihood of avoiding errors to 95%.[v]
Since we know that employers judge more on voice tone and grammar rather than the words falling out of your mouth, keeping your voice steady and calm will give some flexibility when answering their questions. Maintain eye contact without staring and always remember to smile!
Be The Part
Applying the proper aesthetics to your entire business look will show confidence and put your book-judging cover on the top best-seller’s list!
Here’s a little secret I bet you didn’t know: Employers tend to hire a person based more on their personality rather than their technical skill. Now companies are beginning to jump on board to include personality testing within the workplace. Although there aren’t any hard statics yet, testing experts report that 40% of employers are now including it within employers’ initial evaluations.[vi]
By using all of these tips and topping it off with a great personality, who knows how far it will get you? You might just boost yourself all the way to the top of the entrepreneurial chain!
The cufflink is an interesting adornment rooted in tradition. Before cufflinks were ever conceived, buttons were used by tailors as decoration for clothing as a gentleman’s attire was typically held together by pins, laces and straps. The cufflink was not even a possibility until the worked buttonhole was developed during the Renaissance. This advancement drove the button to the mainstream as a means to fasten clothing.
The post-Renaissance era in the 1600s saw the birth of the cufflink, displayed as two ornate buttons, attached in the middle with a link of chain. Thus, the upper classes of Europe, Great Britain especially, had a unique way to customize a man’s clothing.
To meet a growing demand, jewellers created “sleeve buttons” with designs etched or stamped into silver or gold. Such buttons were often encrusted with previous stones and the mark of a gentleman was affixed in the wearing of the cufflink.
The London Gazette in 1684 featured one of the earliest descriptions of a cufflink, which included a pair of what was referred to as cuff buttons set with diamonds. In 1686, the same publication referred to cuff buttons made of golden enamel. Further evidence of cufflinks in the 17th century was found in Suffolk, England. A decorated gold single chain cufflink has been found that originated in that era.
While the history varies somewhat depending upon the source, the use of cufflinks on a consistent basis was not seen until the mid-nineteenth century. It was at this time that the ever-present ruffles on the shirt were replaced with minimal sleeves that allowed more functionality in the wear. In particular, the French Cuff arrived – also known as the Double Cuff, Poignet Mousquetaire and the Musketeer’s Cuff – creating the perfect platform for the introduction of the cufflink as a standard part of attire for first class gentlemen.
This piece of adornment was not meant only for the upper class, however. By the 1860s, the cufflink found a place in the mainstream. Credit can be given to jewellers such as Child & Child in London and Krementz & Co in New York as they both were responsible for introducing cufflinks within a price range and style that fit the budget and taste of the general public.
While the cufflink enjoyed widespread acceptance as a must-have adornment on the gentleman’s shirt, the industry suffered a setback in the late twentieth century when shirt manufacturers began to mass produce dress and tuxedo shirts with buttons on the cuff. Companies such as Tiffany and Cartier found this merely a distraction and instead created cufflinks that continue to appeal to the masses.
As personalization is one of the biggest trends at play today, cufflinks are the perfect way for you to personalize your attire. Whether you hope to demonstrate a tradition, match a suit or simply make a statement, cufflinks offer a world of possibilities that perfectly top any style today.
what is the tradition for your wedding day? most people are not aware that there are a couple of small things that you can do that will make your day that extra bit more memorable. they are only small but can make a big difference to the way you and your partner remember your special day.
for instance, did you know that it is tradition for the groom to have a gift for his bride? and that she should also have one for him?
in the most traditional scenario, the groom will present his bride to be with a pair of earrings that match or at the very least tie in with her engagement ring. for example, if you have a princess cut diamond set with 4 claws as your engagement ring, then you would have a pair of princess cut 4 claw earrings made to match the overall design of the ring.
you don’t need to be stuck with traditions though, at ESKAE we have just made a wedding day present for a client who got married yesterday, he was not taken by the idea of the traditional earrings, and after meeting his now wife a few times, he made the right decision by going for a right hand ring. this ring matched the style of the wedding bands and had a combination of small pink diamonds, white diamonds and coloured gemstones set around the ring.
there are plenty of options that we can look at when t comes time for you to tie the knot and really make your day that extra little bit more special
in terms of what the bride traditionally gets for her man, is a pair of cuff links that either have his family crest engraved into the face or his initials engraved into the face. there is another option here, which i believe is probably the best one that is to design the cuff link to actually tie in with the design of her engagement and wedding rings.
i have made a couple of great pairs of cuff links in this fashion, where she has a round brilliant cut diamond as her engagement ring and she has followed this through with round diamonds in her wedding band, so what we did for him is we used the round diamond theme and combined it with a round piece of black onyx and keeping in theme with her rings we used white gold as the metal.
this colour combination provides not only a striking contrast but also keeps the look of the piece masculine and very smart. this way he can wear them at work or he can wear them when out and about on the town with out feeling like he has a girlie pair of cuffs on.
these are only a few ideas, and we can literally do anything that you might like to gift your better half! if this is something you are interested in looking at for your day get in touch with me here at Sam@EskaeJeweller.com and we can run through the options available to you.
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