BAMBOO Jewelry: A Green Company

 Written by Christy Santo & Melissa Stewart
Cliptomania.com

Bamboo Jewelry started by Christine Gonsalves and Steve King opened its doors for business in 2005.  A major driving force behind their company goals is their effort to have the lowest carbon footprint possible  Along with their ten to twenty employees, they are not just focused on creating quality necklaces, pins and earrings, but are also on being an environmentally friendly company as possible.  Endangered wildlife and global warming are two things very important to Christine and Steve.

Two years after forming Bamboo Jewelry, the company decided if they couldn't cut their carbon footprint to zero, they would offset it by buying carbon credits making Bamboo Jewelry the world's first carbon neutral jewelry company.  They have incorporated compact fluorescent bulbs and eliminated  air-conditioning, instead turning to fans to keep everyone cool and comfortable.  It doesn't stop there.  The self-sustaining and fast growing Bamboo wood is the basis for their jewelry boxes. They also incorporated paper tape and use non-toxic, bio-degradable plastic for shrink wrapping. Even the paper printed cards within the box uses recycled paper, from a duplex printer.  They can print 100,000 pages generating only five pounds of waste verses 157 pounds of typical waste from a regular laser printer.  Future eco-friendly goals include purchasing a new company car - a hybrid Aptera that will get 300 mpg - and remodeling their facility so it runs on solar-power.

Celebrating Nature

Each piece of jewelry's design celebrates a small part of nature, art and science.  Almost all the silver used as the base of their jewelry  repurposed or recycled, and they are striving for 100% recycled.  Using finely braided wire to create each cloisonne color cell, they can do multicolored blending which results in their three-dimensional contours and realistic shading, hallmarks of their splendid craftsmanship.   After the original artwork is complete, the sample pieces are carefully packed and mailed to China so artisans there can reproduce them.

Who's Who At Bamboo

Steve King is a fifth generation Californian with degrees from Yale in Art and Environmental Studies.  When he is not designing jewelry, he enjoys his work as a scuba instructor or organizing whale watching expeditions to Baja, Mexico.  Steve has also helped create a life-size whale sculpture, and notably, produced an hour long, prime time documentary aired on ABC on blue whales which won an Emmy for its cinematography.

Chrstine Gonsalves comes from a family of entrepreneurs.  She is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a MA in sculpture.  Before she began Bamboo Jewelry nine years ago with Steve, she began a company called Whales and Friends that is a popular Alameda, California gift ship that has been around for 20 years. Her interests include cats, orchids, art and nature. Christine splits her time between Bamboo and Whales and Friends, and is even known for bringing her beloved Tonkinese cats, Carson and Sagan, with her.

Cliptomania.com has sold earrings by Bamboo Jewelry since 2006.  Featured in our  Specialty and Animals  The overall quality and attention to detail of these earrings is amazing, and we are sure our nature loving customers will appreciate these fine, heirloom quality, clip on earrings.

Sources:
bamboojewelry.com
cliptomania.com

Holiday Shipping Schedule 2018

We at Cliptomania want to make your holiday shopping experience positive and easy. Therefore, we are posting this Shipping Schedule to provide information concerning shipping dates to specific locations around the globe.

Orders placed with us before 2pm (EST) daily during this holiday season will be shipped the same day.

	First Class Mail	Priority Mail	Express Mail
Contiguous US*	Dec. 19th	Dec.20th	Dec. 22nd
Alaska	Dec. 20th	Dec. 20th	Dec. 21st
Hawaii	Dec. 15th	Dec. 15th	Dec. 20th
Canada	Dec. 7th	Dec. 8th	Dec. 15th
Military	APO – FPO – DPO’s
	First Class Mail	Priority Mail	Express Mail
Zip 090-092	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th
Zip 093	Dec. 4th	Dec. 4th	n/a*
Zip 094-098	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th
Zip 340	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th
Zip 962-966	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th	Dec. 11th
*Express Mail is available to selected Military/diplomatic offices.
Check with local Post Office to determine if the service is available.

Press Release November 13, 2013

Cliptomania.com Participates in October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Date of Release:  November 13, 2013

As an annual international health campaign that was organized by major breast cancer charities and drug companies, and originating over 25 years ago, October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM).  In a concentrated effort, the campaign seeks to increase awareness of the disease, raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, treatment and cure, while promoting mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight.

Cliptomania believes that there are many facets in the battle to fight cancer. They decided to take up the challenge by raising awareness on their website, offering a special pink crystal ribbon clip-on earring with 10% of its sales to be double matched by the owners and given to a non-profit organization within the community serving the needs of cancer patients. They chose Jill’s House.  This organization’s mission is to provide affordable, temporary housing in a home-like environment for caregivers and patients receiving proton radiation to fight cancer.  Jill's House was named in honor of Jill Behrman, an Indiana University student who was abducted while riding her bicycle on the morning of May 31, 2000. It was also built in honor of Steven Howard, who lost his battle with cancer at age 19.

As a first time participant in October’s breast cancer awareness campaign, Cliptomania employees were privileged to speak or read comments by customers, who were purchasing the ribbon earrings, who also shared their stories of survival and how much this meant to them. On November 5, 2013, Cliptomania was excited to present Jill’s House with a check in the amount of $120. 

Cliptomania.com has been in business since 1999 as an internet only store dedicated to selling clip on earrings.   Cliptomania has decided to continue this yearly website campaign and donate to a local organization taking a stand in the fight against cancer.

Cliptomania.com, LLC

Candy Santo, CEO/Owner

P.O. Box 246

Ellettsville, IN 47429

Cliptomania@Cliptomania.com

www.cliptomania.com

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Originating over 25 years ago, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also referred to in America as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer. The aim of the NBCAM from the start has been to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.


In 1991, the Susan G. Koman Foundation handed out pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors. However, it was not established as its symbol until 1993 when Evelyn Lauder, Senior Vice President of the Estee Lauder Companies founded The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Inspiration for the NBCAM foundation came from AstraZeneca Inc in 1989 when they began a breast cancer screening program withing their company.

Cancer in any form is a concern.
Our thoughts go out to those who rise to the battle every day,
and to family members and caretakers who stand beside them.

Cliptomania.com is offering beautiful pink crystal Ribbon non-pierced earrings as part of this awareness. Ten percent (10%) of the total sales matched twice - by Candy & Jim Santo and by their daughter, Christy Santo, Owners of Cliptomania - and given to Jill's House, a local, non-profit agency. Jill's House is dedicated to those undergoing cancer treatment, their family or caregiver(s) with low cost living accommodations while receiving treatment from a local facility. We believe there are many facets in the battle to fight cancer. We hope you will help us in this endeavor and show your support!


Thank you,
Owners & Staff

Left to Right: Melissa, Matt, Jim (owner), Mel, Candy (owner) and center, Christy (owner).

_________________________________________

Disclaimer: Cliptomania.com is not affiliated with any breast cancer foundation or organization. Cliptomania.com is not an agency, a subsidiary, or an arm of any national or international breast cancer organization. Cliptomania.com is a privately run, LLC company selling only clip-on earrings. This offer and associated product is the sole property and offer of Cliptomania.com. No member of Cliptomania.com is qualified to dispense medical advice. Cliptomania.com is not responsible for any claims made or claims implied.

Halloween & Fall Theme Earrings On Sale!

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening) is also known as All Hallows Eve.  Observed in many countries on October 31, it is the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (All Saint's Day, November 1st.).

Typical activities include trick-or-treating, costume parties, carving pumpkins, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stores and watching horror films.

Ceramic Pumpkins

Said to be influenced by western European harvest festivals and (Celtic Samhain) festivals of the dead, some scholars state it's solely based in Christian roots. All Hallows, Hallowmas or Hallowtide (All Saint's Day) is November 1, while All Soul's Day is November 2, a time for honoring saints and praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach heaven.  Introduced in the year 609, it was originally celebrated on May 13.  In the year 835, it was switched to November 1 (the same date as Samhain) at the request of Pope Gregory IV.  At the end of the 12th century, they had become holy days of obligation across Europe.  "Souling" (modern trick-or-treating it is said) was the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes with all christened souls. Groups of poor people, mostly children, would go door to door on All Saints/All Souls collecting soul cakes originally as a means of praying for souls in purgatory.

IT'S NOT SCARY......

Nothing to be frightened about here. You can enjoy Halloween in style with an array of non-pierced Halloween & Autumn theme earrings currently on sale. 

Kids clip on KC1.5

Cliptomania.com.
Your source for quality clip on earrings a an attractive price!
Come shop with us....no tricks...only treats!

Fall 2013

Everyone has a season they prefer over another. Mine is the warm days, cool nights, bonfires, festivals, holidays and harvests of Fall.

Product: HW4

Fall comes from the old French word "autompne" and was later standardized to the original Latin word "autumnus."  There are a few examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but it became more common by the 16th century.  Before then, "harvest" was the term used to refer to this season.  However, it lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, while "autumn" and "fall" became the reference to the season.

Product: RB302 (smaller RB303)

The word "fall" used to name the season can be traced to old Germanic languages with the exact origin unclear. The term came to designate the season in 16th century England. Yet during the 17th century when English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, the new settler took the English language with them. The term then becoming obsolete in Britain, and became a more common term in North America.

Association with the transition from warm to cold weather, and its related status as the season of the primary harvest, has dominated its theme with popular images. Holidays during the fall include Halloween in October, and Thanksgiving in November.  Cornucopias, pumpkins, colorful leaves, scarecrows, turkeys, ghosts and many other images have come to be associated with Fall and the holidays.

Product: HW10

Product: RB274

Cliptomania.com has non-pierced Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving themed earrings that you will love to wear! Pair them with the Fall/Winter 2013-2014 colors found on our Style Guide webpage and you will be in the season, in style.

Can't find a particular designer, style or color?  Use our Advanced Search feature to located all earrings associated with your desired filter. With over 500 clip on earrings in stock, we know you will find something perfect for you. Orders before 3pm Eastern Daylight Time will be shipped same day. Three shipping options for your convenience and a simple return or exchange policy if you are not thoroughly satisfied.

Product: RB380

Gemstone Highlights: Unakite

What is it?


The owner of Cliptomania taught me how to remember the gemstone Unakite.  She calls it "Spinach on a Brick" which denotes its colors perfectly.  Named after where it was found, the Unaka mountains of North Carolina in the United States, Unakite is an altered granite with pink orthoclase feldspar, green epidote and colorless quartz.  Also called "epidosis," meaning growing together, Unakite is known as "epodotized granite" The feldspar colors can range from pale peach to salmon to deep coral and the epidote colors can range from spring green to olive to almost emerald-green.  The mix creates a marble effect, primarily green with striations of other colors like white and pink.  Unakite is normally cut into beads or cabochon forms.  On the Mohs scale of hardness, Unakite ranges from 6 to 7 which makes it hard enough for jewelry like necklaces, pendants and earrings.  However, its important to note that using it in rings or bracelets is not recommended because it  scratches, cracks or breaks easily.

Ancient Uses.

Unakite is considered relatively new.  The only 'ancient' uses I found reference its use in carving of ornamental items and paperweights, while the other uses were in the metaphysical and mystic areas on health and well-being.

Where does it come from?

Unakite is generally found in masses in the form of pebbles or cobbles and does not crystallize.  The United States has notable mines in South Africa, Sierra Leone, Brazil and China.

How to care for your jewelry.

Unakite is not overly porous  and avoiding contact with harsh chemicals is important.  It should also not be placed in ultrasonic cleaning equipment as they have been known to damage the gemstone.

Use of a mild soap and water with a soft bristle brush (toothbrush) is an easy way to clean unakite.  Rinse piece and pat dry with soft, lint-free cloth.  You can also clean them with a damp cloth.  If you are unsure about cleaning any of your jewelry, always consult a professional jeweler for instructions.

Product: gem154

The Mystical and Folklore.

As I mentioned above, the gemstone Unakite gets made into ornaments and jewelry, and there is a lot written about the metaphysical properties of the gemstone.  Known as a protective stone with an ability to create an atmosphere of serenity and optimism, self-assertiveness, power, and the ability to assume control.  It is also believed to help one focus on the present and deal with blockages and negativity caused by the past.  It may enhance the working of the nervous and circulatory systems.  Women have used it to treat reproductive problems and stimulate a healthy pregnancy and easier childbirth.  Considered a stone that brings one love for humanity,promoting connection and oneness.  This reunion and unconditional love corresponds to helping the holder with abandonment and separation issues.  In cases where people suffer from weight loss, there is a belief in certain cultures that unakite  can help people weight gain and aid in growth of hair and skin tissue.  In astrology, unakite enhances balance for those who are a Taurus.

At Cliptomania we pride ourselves in offering quality earrings in a variety of styles, sizes and colors.  With an easy ordering process, three shipping options and fuss free exchange and return policies, we strive to make the shopping experience a success.  Not to mention, we have informational pages like the Style Guide, Birthstone, Anniversary and Earring Care that will keep you up-to-date with trends, gifts and caring for and adjusting clip on earrings.  Our Advanced Search option lets you find earrings throughout the website according to your keyword or filter.



Sources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unakite
www.crystal-cure.com/unakite.html
www.shimmerlings.com/gemstones/unakite.htm