What is Rhodium? Never heard of it!

Turns out this oddly named metal is a rare and expensive member of the Platinum family. Rhodium plating is common with wedding bands and other jewelry because Rhodium is particularly brilliant and durable.

Pictured above: Fire bracelet, Moda bracelet

Why is Sterling Silver jewelry so popular?

Silver alone is too soft of a metal for jewelry. This is why sterling silver is the dominant form of silver jewelry. It's an alloy of silver and a small percentage of a base metal to create strength.

Oxidized? That just means that the silver has been darkened to achieve a blackened appearance.

Pictured above: Sterling Silver Scalloped Ring - Oxidized, Sterling Silver Scalloped Ring

What in the world is Vermeil?

Pronounced vehr-MAY, gold vermeil is a form of gold plating that uses only precious metals. Here's an example of Gold Vermeil earrings using 24k gold and sterling silver. The gold and sterling silver are fused such that it prevents flaking and chipping of the gold.

White Gold and Rose Gold

An alloy composed of yellow gold and a white metal to add strength and durability. Contrary to popular belief, the white color you see is a result of Rhodium plating. Rose gold is an alloy composed of yellow gold and copper. Copper gives it that pink and rose coloring.

Pictured above: 14k Rose Gold Ring, 14k White Gold Ring

Are we missing any metals used in contemporary jewelry today? Let us know in the comments!

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Photos from happy customers

We've received a few photos from our customers wearing their pieces and we just had to share them with you. We think they've done a great job styling these pieces. What do you think?

These customers show us three different ways to wear unique jewelry:

1) Blogger Lucy, from Daily Disguise, wears two April Reno jewelry pieces and makes it work with a simply colored ensemble of black and red. The red lipstick also makes a great final touch.
2) Lindy shows us an image of the Fire bracelet she purchased. This piece is perfect to transition from a busy work day to a fancy dinner night.
3) We absolutely love how Margaret has layered her Stephanie Hoffmann beaded necklace with another tribal inspired necklace. Since Stephanie's necklaces are adjustable, the pairing worked out beautifully.

Well done, ladies! Send your photos wearing Unique Indie jewelry to hello@uniqueindie.com or tag us on Instagram or Twitter with #uniqueindie!

Which styling is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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Ornate Cuff Bracelets by April Reno

April Reno's bauble jewelry pieces are Unique Indie customer favorites.

Each bauble can make a statement on its own and is so much fun to dress up. These statement pieces are great for casual wear when paired with a simple outfit, but are also perfect to dress up for a hot date.

When you pick up an April Reno bracelet or necklace, you'll immediately notice the quality of the piece. The large stones in the Aurora bracelet above are custom cut for this design. This particular bracelet also has small Swarovski crystals to give it additional shine. We love that you can see inspiration from 1920s Art Deco and French Architecture come through in each of these jewelry pieces.

Our customers love April Reno Jewelry! Here are some of the styles we're loving right now:

Note that there are only a few left of these pieces. We've already sold out of a few styles and once they're sold out they're gone for good!

Which piece is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

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Unique Gifts: Graduation Gift Ideas For Every Grad

A big congratulations to the Class of 2013!

As we’re doing our own search for grad gifts, we decided to compile a gift guide. Each of the pieces below are handcrafted with love by Unique Indie designers. Since each piece is created with the finest materials, your gift will be sure to last a lifetime.

Here are a few unique gift ideas to congratulate the graduates in your life:


We love Lauren Engel’s sea star necklace and the Iacua sea creature pendant. Both pieces are intricate and detailed, yet look even more elegant when worn. The hand-threaded sea star necklace adds the perfect pop of magenta. Kendra Renee’s sterling silver Axle earrings are created so that the discs can rotate around the central axle. The hammered texture of these earrings make these a show-stopper for any outfit.



Meet Storm the Reindeer kitty! This precious pendant was created from a vintage german toy and is perfect for the whimsical girl. Fine art lovers will appreciate Kelly Nedderman’s Drop Lens earrings. Kelly uses textiles she creates herself and vintage lenses to create these elegant earrings. The color lover will surely love Raissa Bump’s vintage beaded dangle earrings. The hand-twisted silver wire and czech glass beads result in earrings that are both playful and versatile.



For our Business graduate, we leaned towards pieces that are convertible from work to play. Iacua’s white gold twig ring is an amazing piece that any girl would treasure for a lifetime. Paulina Carcach’s handcrafted leather handbag is perfect for bringing to work and going out to Happy Hour. Finally, you can never go wrong with pearls. These handcrafted silver and pearl earrings from Kendra Renee are a definite treasure and go perfectly with any ensemble day or night!

What will you be gifting this graduation? Let us know in the comments!
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