What is Todays Hottest Jewellery???

Undoubtedly the hottest products in jewellery today are charm beads. The success of this product over the past four years has been simply staggering. Such has been the impact of charm beads that no serious jewellery retailer can be without them. And yet the whole phenomena still seems to have by-passed a large number of people. How can this be?? Lack of information? Too much information?

The concept really is very straightforward. Here is my no-nonsense guide to charm beads & to starting your own charm bead collection.

So, what is a charm bead bracelet? Quite simply, a charm bead bracelet is a unique jewellery system allowing wearers to change and customise their bracelet. These modular bracelets consist of a thick chain onto which different charm beads can be put. These charm beads are made from gold, silver or Murano glass, and are interchangeable, allowing the wearer to create their own look and tell their own story. The charm beads can also be worn on necklaces.

Founded in Denmark in 1976, Trollbeads developed the original charm bead bracelet jewellery concept. Charm bead fans had to wait until 1999 for the launch of Pandora’s ever popular charm bead bracelet on the Danish market. Since 2000 numerous charm bead brands have emerged, each one offering their own particular slant on the charm bead bracelet. At the forefront of the newer brands are Tedora, Truth, Chamilia & Lovelinks.

Possibly the greatest area of confusion that arises when selecting a charm bead bracelet is the subject of compatibility. Will other beads fit onto the bracelet you are about to buy?? Of all the 'major' charm bead systems on the market today, the vast majority are universal and will accommodate beads from other brands. The two exceptions to this are Lovelinks and Truth. Both Lovelinks & Truth charm bead bracelets will only hold their own collection of beads. That said, Truth do have over 450 charm beads in their range so you will not be short of designs to choose from.


On a personal note, I adore the quality and Italian styling of Tedora charm beads. Beautifully crafted from sterling silver, these charm beads simply ooze class. From simple, understated beads to elaborate filigree caged glass, Tedora charm bead bracelets are definately a statement of style.

So there it is. A whistle stop "everything you need to know" tour of charm beads. Now all you need to do is get started and begin your charm bead bracelet adventure today.

So, How Do I Clean & Care for my Silver Jewellery??

Over the past twenty years, one of the most frequently discussed subjects with my customers is how to care and clean silver jewellery. As a natural material, silver reacts with its environment, especially the chemicals in the air and, over time, silver does become tarnished. This doesn’t mean that your fabulous new piece of jewellery is defective, far from it; it just proves that your beautiful accessory is good quality silver.

Many people also encounter tarnishing or discolouring to silver jewellery caused by oils & acids from the skin or perfume and hairspray. It’s very simple to get your silver jewellery back to its former glory and, like most things, the earlier you catch the tarnish the easier it is to get rid of it. My advice falls simply into these few steps.

1. You can clean your mildly tarnished silver at home with Sterling Silver dips - but be warned, you do need to be careful! Jewellery dips, while very effective at removing tarnish, are equally as effective at removing the colour and polish off some gemstones. It’s a good habit to try not to dip any jewellery with stones, but the gemstones that are particularly affected are pearls, sodalite, malachite, lapis lazuli, white opals, turquoise or any soft or porous stones. Remember not to leave your jewellery in the dip too long and don’t rinse it off with cold water otherwise you could find your jewellery gets a white residue which can be as hard to remove as the tarnish. To make sure your jewellery stays perfect, always read the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. To clean untarnished silver (and keep it that way), use a phosphate-free detergent or non-abrasive cloth made for cleaning jewellery - these cloths should come with a built in jewellery cleaner.

3. Try to keep your silver jewellery away from chemicals, in particular strong detergents. I would always strongly suggest removing your silver jewellery before swimming or bathing. Chlorine in swimming pools, salt in the sea & soaps at bathtime don’t react favourably with your silver jewellery.

4. I would also recommend that your silver jewellery is stored in a self seal bag. This isolates the piece from air conditions that may contain sulphides. Also try and store it a dry and cool environment. The hotter the environment the greater the chance of more sulphides which cause more tarnish.

Following these simple guidelines will ensure your silver remains beautiful and sparkling. Above all, make sure to wear and enjoy your jewellery. That’s what it was designed for after all.

Ice Jewellery- How did it all start?

Ok, let’s start right at the beginning. Ice Jewellery was founded in September 2003 by me, Tony Mutch, & my wife Clare. We had both been in the ‘trade’ for many years (too many some would say) working for one of the big UK multiples but had grown weary of the ‘same old product’, ‘same old routine’ treadmill.

So, within the space of a month we had waved goodbye to our comfy, regular monthly salary and plunged head first into the world of the start-up business as Ice Jewellery was born. Our ethos in business always has been & always will be the desire to provide our customers with a product that we have great pride in and service that is truly exceptional.

From humble beginnings selling silver jewellery from a shopping centre mall cart, Ice Jewellery has flourished and is now celebrating seven years of successful trading. Currently based in beautiful Devon, our product range has certainly come a long way from those early days.

Stylish silver jewellery from a variety of destinations forms the bedrock of our jewellery range. We hand pick all the pieces to ensure they ‘fit’ our customers’ requirements & tastes. We have a careful blend of our own selections and leading brand names such as ‘So Jewellery’ & ‘Hot Diamonds’.
No contemporary jeweller today would be without a show of silver charm beads and Ice Jewellery is no exception. Our Truth & Tedora ranges provide us with the perfect mix of modern and classic charm beads.

Never ones to be shy of taking on more challenges, we decided in 2006 to take the ‘Ice Jewellery’ experience direct into the homes of our customers by launching our party plan business. Initially Clare carried out the parties herself but we soon realised the potential of party plan as she was inundated with bookings and had to turn customers away. In 2008 (after the birth in 2006 and 2007 of our sons Joshua & Jolyon) we started to recruit consultants in our local area. Since then we have had 2 fabulous years of planning and producing our party plan model ready to launch this year (2010) recruit consultants across the UK.

Our move into online trading began in January 2009 with the launch of IceJewellery.com. This proved to be a huge challenge but one we relished. It proved to be a very exciting time and mirrored the feelings we had when originally starting the business. Getting the products online & marketing the website proved to be very challenging but greatly rewarding. With over 1100 products online, we now find it a totally invaluable part of Ice Jewellery and can’t imagine running a successful business without it.

And so to now. What’s happening in the business today? In-store and online we continue to develop, blossom, improve and remain true to our original ethos. We are now one of the fastest growing jewellery party plan businesses in the UK with our team of party consultants expanding on a weekly basis. Our aim is to become the UK's biggest Jewellery party plan company and then to expand overseas. Follow our journey through our blog or join our team to be part of it. Ice Jewellery is definitely on the map!