Desperately Seeking Sincerely Southwest(R)

Here at Relios, we make southwestern jewelry because we love the unique culture and flavor of the American Southwest. The beautiful desert surroundings and the mixture of Native and Spanish cultures inspire us to make jewelry that reflects what we see. But what we love most is sharing all that style with you! Facebook, Myspace, our website, this blog -- we have a lot of ways to bring our passion for southwestern jewelry to you.

One big way we share with you is through QVC. By now, you know that Relios and our lead designer and Vice President, Carolyn Pollack, are regularly featured on the Q. They've been a big part of our success and have given us the chance to get to know our fans of southwestern jewelry.

We wanted to take this chance to help you get more familiar with with our shows and jewelry on QVC. As popular as Carolyn is on the Q, did you know that Relios is involved in three different shows on the Q?

Sincerely Southwest by Carolyn Pollack
The first show is a designer show focused on Carolyn and our Sincerely Southwest jewelry. It's an intimate shopping affair where Carolyn can focus on talking to both seasoned Sincerely Southwest collectors and newcomers about the jewelry.

The Sincerely Southwest jewelry collections feature expressive silhouettes and distinctive gem stone color combinations that embody Carolyn’s own lifestyle and fashion sense.A fresh, eclectic collection of statement pieces celebrating the natural beauty and spirit of the American woman.

Sangria Citrus Berry Inlay Pendant on Bead Necklace		Illusion Silver Hoops and Black Gemstone Earrings

Southwestern Jewelry
The second show that we are a part of at QVC is the Southwestern Jewelry show, where jewelry makers share the stage under the common theme of southwestern jewelry. As a part of this show, Relios showcases our jewelry along with several other companies. When you see Carolyn on-air, you know that they are showing a piece of our jewelry.

Our pieces, which are made in Albuquerque, NM, feature opaque gemstones reflective of the colors of the Southwestern landscape. The stones combined with textural sterling silver in designs that are symbolic of the unique cultural history -- the blending of Spanish, Native American, and Western influences -- of New Mexico and the American Southwest, take traditional southwestern style to a new level.

Turquoise Beads and Silver Pottery Bead Coil Bracelet		Denim Lapis Filigree Pendant on 18 inch Chain

Is it made by Relios?Here are some helpful tips to help you identify whether or not your jewelry was made by Relios.

Relios' Sterling Silver Stamp	This stamp signifies that the item is .925 sterling silver. It's most commonly found on rings or pendants.
Relios' CP Signature "CP" Tag	Look for the CP Signature Tag on necklaces and bracelets. This tag denotes that the jewelry piece you have is a genuine Sincerely Southwest item by Carolyn Pollack.
Relios' Sterling Silver/Copyright Tag	This third tag also denotes that the item is made with .925 sterling silver and was manufactured by Relios.
Roderick Tenorio's Stamp	Look for this marking stamping into the metal on those items Relios manufactures for Roderick Tenorio.

If you need to call our customer support, it's helpful to have your J-number from QVC. We can look up items by their J-number and verify for you that they are genuine Relios products. Once we have determined that you have a piece of our jewelry, we can set you on the right course to getting your questions answered.

We hope this helps you when you're picking out pieces of southwestern jewelry to add to your collection. Visit the Relios Jewelry website, our profile on Facebook, or our profile on Myspace and get in on the fun in sharing your passion for southwestern jewelry.

Enchanting Enhancers

Bracelets, necklaces, earrings! Oh yeah!

Everyone knows what these pieces of jewelry are and what they're all about. Sure there are lots of variations --cuff bracelets and stretch bracelets; beaded necklaces and liquid silver; post earrings, clip-on earrings, and the hybrid omega clip earrings -- but one of our popular types of jewelry is all about versatility. If you follow Relios on QVC, you probably know what we're talking about. Necklace enhancers!

What's an enhancer?
Enhancers are one of those pieces of jewelry where style meets flexibility. In much the same way you can transform an ensemble with jewelry, like sprucing up a casual outfit and highlighting an evening gown with splashes of color, you can change the tone and personality of your jewelry collection with an enhancer.

For the uninitiated, an enhancer is a pendant with a hinged bail. The bail makes it possible to move the pendant from necklace to necklace giving both the necklace and the enhancer different feels fashion-wise.

These adaptable pieces of jewelry can really change the look of a jewelry ensemble as they're paired with different necklaces. An enhancer on a sterling silver chain adds a splash of color to an otherwise subtle necklace. That same enhancer on a beaded necklace will be flush with color and gemstone presence, making for a more boisterous look. That's why necklace enhancers make great gifts! It's like giving several different jewelry styles all in one piece!

An Enhancer Love Story
Over the holidays you might be like most people, shuttling from one party to the next, getting enough eggnog to last you until the next holiday season, and showing off your most recent southwestern jewelry purchases from Relios.

This last holiday season, Bill, Carolyn and Susan were mingling at a holiday party hosted by the local branch of a large national corporation. Susan was wearing one of our necklace enhancers and had engaged in a conversation with one of the host company's senior managers. She commented to Susan that she loved the enhancer that Susan was wearing. Susan popped the enhancer off her necklace and put it on the strand that the senior manager was wearing. Viola! Instant new look! The senior manager loved it, and she wore the enhancer for the rest of the evening catching compliments from other party guests.

That's how easy, effortless and fun a necklace enhancer can be!

A Bail Full of Trouble
Alexander Pope once said, "To err is human; to forgive, divine." We admit that we are human, here at Relios. Sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes the small imperfections that come from the human handling of a piece of jewelry adds up but not in our favor. Sometimes bails would break or they wouldn't close properly.

Chris Ruiz, our Jewelry Technical & Production Director, and the department leads in the production department went back to the drawing board. Looking at past and present designs for the hinged bails, looking for how the design could be improved. Here's what they did:

• The curvature of the top of the bail was made longer, so the weight of the enhancer wouldn't pull down on the hinge
• They made the clasping ends of the bail wider so there would be a larger surface area holding the bail closed
• The lip on the enhancer where the bail is snapped closed was made higher, so it would hold the bail in place better
• They changed the wire inside the hinge and laser welded it to fit more snugly, so it wouldn't come lose as easily
• The "hook," a small piece of silver you hook your fingernail into to open the bail, was made wider to make it more comfortable to open the bail
• They reworked the dimensions where the two pieces of the hinged bail come together to make a better fitting hinge
• The bail was heat-treated to add durability

That's a lot of changes to make on a small, but important part of an enhancer! But we want you to enjoy your sterling silver jewelry for a long time, and that sometimes means making changes to our designs so they last for as long as you have them. We think the efforts of Chris and the team in Production are going to go a long way towards making our necklace enhancers even better!

Visit the Relios Jewelry website today and check out the great selection of necklace enhancers we have today! And keep your eyes peeled for eight (8) new collections!

February Fabulous, Amazing Amethyst

It's February and this month is host to both Valentine's Day (find valentine's day gift ideas here) and one of the most beautiful birthstones, Amethyst! Carolyn (whose birthday is February 9th) wants you to know that Relios has a modern take on February birthstone jewelry that's bold and beautiful that you are sure to love! It's all about style. No more plain old birthstone jewelry, it's time for fashion-forward, bold looks. It's time to make birthstone jewelry fun again!

Purple Amethyst 7 inch Bracelet

What is Amethyst, really?
Amethyst is purple quartz and has long been a part of historical lore. The color comes from a complex mixture of iron and aluminum. The rich purple-hued stone has been used decoratively since Ancient Egypt and Greece and we continue to use it in jewelry today. The ancient Greeks believed that Amethyst was a mystical stone with power to protect you from drunkenness. So goblets were often fashioned from Amethyst, with hopes that any wine it held would be stripped of its intoxicating power -- which would be useful around New Year's Eve if this was actually true!

Curious Quartz
Many other gemstones happen be to variants of colored quartz, like carnelian, aventurine, tiger's eye, onyx, and agate. But citrine and amethyst have a special relationship. While citrine can be found in nature in its yellow color, some of it is made by heating amethyst stones. When the amethyst is heated, the color changes from purple to yellow.

Where does it come from?
Besides Relios's amazing selection of amethyst jewelry? Well, deposits of this purple quartz can be found all over the world. While the bulk of the world's supply of Amethyst originates in Zambia and the world's finest stones come from Russia, Amethyst is also found in Brazil, South Korea, Canada, India and here in the United States (Texas, Pennsylvania, and Maine, to name a few places).

18 to 21 inch 2 Strand Beaded Passionate Purple Necklace

With Relios's new take on birthstones, you can make a fashion statement out of your February birthstone jewelry. Combined with complementary colored stones and precious metals, this birthstone jewelry has a sharp fashion-oriented look that will make you feel fabulous. Head over to the Relios Jewelry website to find the perfect gift for your February birthday girl!

Relios on KRQE 13!

Check out this story by KRQE's Deanna Sauceda on Relios! Deanna talks to Carolyn about Relios and the economy.