Just down the road from our store is the Basilica of St. Lawrence, located at 97 Haywood Street. The church has a rich history and a beautiful collection of vividly-colored stained glass windows, all of which were handmade in Munich, Germany.

Rafael Guastavino (1842-1908) was an architect and builder of Spanish origin who left Barcelona and came to Asheville to work on the Biltmore House in the mid-1890s. He decided to stay and built a home near Black Mountain. In 1905 Guastavino began work on St. Lawrence Catholic Church in the style of Spanish Renaissance. The work was completed in 1909.
There are no beams of wood or steel in the entire structure. The dome in the Basilica of St. Lawrence is said to be the largest unsupported dome in North America.

His method of building used layers of thin tile bedded in layers of mortar to create curved horizontal surfaces. Floors, roofs, ceilings and stairs can all be formed with this system, usually in the shape of vaults or domes. Possibly Middle Eastern in origin, this way of building creates a strong, fireproof and attractive surface. Every horizontal surface in the building is made of this combination of tile and mortar. The building also houses the crypt of Rafael Guastavino.

Guastavino’s work may be found in over a thousand buildings, mainly in the northeast, including Grant’s Tomb, the Great Hall at Ellis Island, Grand Central Station, Carnegie Hall and the Chapel at West Point all in New York. His other work in North Carolina includes the Duke Chapel in Durham, the Jefferson Standard Building in Greensboro, the Motley Memorial in Chapel Hill and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wilmington. Tours of the Basilica are available on Sunday afternoons and by appointment.

Two Awards Confirm That Jewels That Dance Is A Favorite – Both Nationally and in WNC!

 

Asheville has known for years that Jewels That Dance is a winner.  This summer that has been officially confirmed – both nationally and locally.

Jewels That Dance was named a top ten jewelry-designer retailer this summer  at JCK Las Vegas, the jewelry industry’s premier event.   The Asheville-based jewelry store shared honors with jewelry designers from Chicago, New York City, Houston, Indianapolis and Washington D.C.

“We were thrilled to be named one of the top jewelry-designer businesses,” said co-owner Carol Schniedewind.  “And it was especially gratifying because we were – by far – the smallest city listed on the list.”
    The annual JCK Las Vegas event is open to all jewelry professionals in  North                    America.  Each year, the industry gathers the latest awe-inspiring           designers              working in jewelry today . . . and to honor top members of the            profession.

 

As if a big national award was not enough, Jewels That Dance has been          named       Best Jewelry Store in WNC by the Mt. Xpress Readers poll — for the thirteenth                    year!

“While we were pleased to win the JCK national award this summer,” said Carol Schniedewind, “it is even more gratifying to be honored locally.”

More than 8,000 Mt. Xpress readers cast ballots in this year’s 20^th annual Best of WNC competition.

 

Rubies are one of the hardest gemstones, which makes them durable enough for everyday wear; only diamonds are harder.

With their rich red color, rubies are said to represent the passion of love.  They are said to guarantee health, wisdom and wealth.

Besides being July’s birthstone, the ruby is a traditional gift for 15th and 40th anniversaries.

Did you know:  to be called a ruby, a stone must be deep red, colored by the amount of corundum (aluminum oxide) in the stone.  If a stone is a variation of red – too light, for example — it is classified sapphire, which is also colored by the mineral corundum.

Can you believe:   Wealthy people in the Middle Ages used rubies to restrain their lust and remain youthful.  In some cases, they were worn, in others they were ground up and added to tonics and lotions (we assume it all depended on how much lust needed to be restrained!).

History’s most famous ruby:   The 196.1 carat Hixon Ruby Crystal is considered the world’s ‘most perfect’ ruby.  However, we’re going to cast our vote for the famous Ruby Slippers, clicked three times by Dorothy Gale!

 

 

 

With its bare-branch ‘sticks,’ coiling diamond snakes and playful jeweled tree frogs, Paula Dawkins’ breathtaking new line “WILD!” is aptly named.

Along with breathtaking representations of nature, the new line incorporates an array of new techniques.   “We are always pushing ourselves to try new methods, new technologies, to do something we haven’t tried before,” Paula says.   “Learning new ways of creating jewelry can be scary and it can be frustrating, especially when deadlines are tight, but when the line is completed, it is always rewarding.”

Take her ‘Black Forest’ piece, depicting a thicket of leafless, dark trees.  “For these pieces, I used a new plating method where electro-magnetic charges give 14-karat  gold a matted, black rhodium finish,”  Paula explains.  It’s a process that’s relatively new to the industry, she explains, “and I wanted to master it.”

Likewise the intricate coiled-snake diamond rings:  “That work pushed an edge we’ve never tried before,” Paula said.

Learning new techniques and pushing the envelope is what keeps Paula’s work vibrant and always distinctive.  “As artists and as craftspeople, we are constantly pushing, stretching and learning, she explains.  “We always strive to stretch our artistic vision and showcase our skills,” she said. 

The inspiration for WILD! came, in part, from Julia Peterson, a longtime customer at Jewels That Dance.   She and Paula had successfully collaborated on custom pieces, “so I suggested we work together to create a line,” Paula said.  “Of course, we ended up with more ideas than we could use.  Images of sticks and trees morphed to snakes, then frogs . . . we just never got to the birds or the flowers!”

This spring line has been out for a month and is one of two annual lines Dawkins presents each year.  Each line takes from four to six months.  “We are already working hard on the Fall collection,” she said.

Whatever that collection is, you can be sure it will be idiosyncratic, distinctive from her other works and incorporate new techniques, beautiful stones and stunning craftsmanship.  It is, after all, created by Paula Dawkins!

 

THIS VALENTINE’S DAY, GOLD, NOT GOATS

 Ah, Valentine’s Day.  The traditional day of love . . . romance . . .

Shakespeare and Chaucer romanticized the event with sonnets.  Elaborate gifts were exchanged in the late Middle Ages.  Victorians pledged their love on specially created paper cards.

It’s enough to make you long for the romantic Valentine’s Day traditions of centuries past.  Or is it?

Some historians site the ancient Roman feast Lupercalia, celebrated from February 13 to the 15^th, as an origin of Valentine’s Day.    Men sacrificed a goat and a dog; women lined up to let the men “whip” them with the animal hides as a fertility rite.  Men then drew names of women from a jar and they were ‘matched’ for the duration of the festival.

Goat pelts may be nice.  But, frankly, this Valentine’s Day, we’d advise jewelry as an expression your affections!

At Jewels That Dance, you’ll find a wide selection of earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces in a variety of prices – perfect for your Valentine.   Stop in today and let our staff assist you in picking out the perfect gift.

 

No one doubts that, when it comes to holidays and gift-giving, men and women have very different expectations.   Valentine’s Day is the perfect example

.A recent survey indicates that two-thirds of men said their idea of a perfect gift is sex.  And women? Seventy percent said they would prefer a “nice gift.”

We agree with the women!  So whether it’s a custom-designed piece from our award-winning jewelers or something simple, such as a bangle or a charm, we can help you with that perfect gift for your Valentine.  And, who knows?  You may get something nice as well!