On November 26, 1913 the Alpha Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma was founded at Hunter College in New York. Its 10 founding members; Lillian Gordon Alpern, Josephine Ellison Breakstone, Fay Chertkoff, Estelle Melnick Cole, Jeanette Lipka Furst, Ethel Gordon Kraus, Shirley Cohen Laufer, Claire Wunder McArdle, Rose Sher Seidman, and Gwen Zaliels Snyder had a very clear vision about the type of sorority they wanted to establish. They wanted to establish a nonsectarian sorority and welcomed women of all faiths and backgrounds. In fact, Phi Sigma Sigma was the first collegiate sorority of this kind. The founding members were definitely pioneers of their time.

 

According to the official Phi Sigma Sigma website, their core values are:

 

Lifelong Learning
As new members, as collegiate members and as alumnae, learning is a priority and we encourage our sisters to make the most of educational opportunities at our colleges and in our communities. Through education and challenging ourselves to reach new goals, we become women of influence and substance.

Inclusiveness
An inclusive sisterhood prepares its members for a world filled with diversity. By embracing our differences, we become a stronger organization that benefits not only our members, but those around us. We seek out and include women of various races, cultures, levels of ability, socioeconomic origin, backgrounds and perspectives.

Leadership through Service
Phi Sigma Sigma believes that a woman who serves is also a woman who leads. By serving others, our members become more valuable citizens, students, parents, workers and community leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As stated in the Phi Sigma Sigma core values, philanthropy is exceptionally important to teaching leadership. The official philanthropy is the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. This foundation provides scholarship and educational grants among other assistance for the members and alumnae. The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation also contributes to the National Kidney Foundation. It's members also work hard to raise funds and donate their time to local organizations as well.

Vintage Bronze Mother's Pendant  Necklace
Every Day Low Price ~ ONLY $22.00

 

 

If you've been following us for awhile, you know that at Charming Chick we LOVE to add new items -- and we do so often. This spring we have added some fantastic products to our collection 3 vibrantly colored iPhone Cases, a stunning Hot Pink Bridal Garter perfect for your spring or summer wedding, and (an item that has become very popular since its first debut) our Personalized Heart Wedding Unity Sand Vase Set. Today on the blog we are going to be featuring some more fun and fashionable items that have arrived just in time for spring.

 

 

 

Personalized Mother's Glass Pendant
Every Day Low Price ~ ONLY $22.00 

 

 

Our Personalized Mother's Glass Pendant Necklace is a modern twist on a classic favorite of Mother's of all ages. Personalize this gift for Mom with child's name and birthdate, or two childrens' names. This silver-tone domed glass pendant is available alone or with the shown silver-tone necklace chain (available in several lengths). Pendant measures 1 inch in diameter. Optional necklace chain is 1.2mm in diameter. Makes a great gift for a new Mom celebrating a recent arrival! And don't forget Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers. As an alternative, this necklace could be personalized for any occasion, such as a graduation date or anniversary date. All letter will be lowercase. The font cannot be changed.

 

Colorful Acrylic Monogram Necklace
Every Day Low Price ~ ONLY $59.00

 

Super fun and very stylish -- this is a new twist on our best-selling monogram necklaces! Add a punch of color and your own unique style to your outfit with our Colorful Acrylic Monogram Necklaces. The acrylic monogram pendant is available in three sizes: Small (Measures 1.13 inches by 0.9 inches), Medium (Mesures 1.25 inches by 1 inch), or Large (1.75 inches by 1.5 inches). You can choose from a sterling silver or 14k goldfilled necklace chain in three lengths. In addition, you may also choose from 5 fun acrylic colors! Monogram will be in the interlocking font (as shown) and your last name initial traditionally appears in the middle of the monogram.

 

 

 

 

Pearl of Wisdom Personalized Multi-Charm Pendant
Every Day Low Price ~  ONLY $69.00

 

This stunning Pearl of Wisdom Personalized Multi-Charm Necklace is a great silver and gold color combination to match a variety of outfits. The trendy multi-charm style combined with a classic pearl is the perfect blend of new and old. Larger gold-tone pendant is engraved with a three letter monogram. Smaller sterling silver pendant is engraved with a name. You choose a font for both the monogram and the name, and we recommend doing something contrasting and unique (like shown in the photo). Antiqued silver-tone necklace chain is 18 inches long. Another great alternative would be to engrave a graduation year (instead of name) to make this a Pearl of Wisdom graduation gift!

 

 

Sterling Silver Typewriter Initial Letter Necklace
Every Day Low Price ~ ONLY $119.00 

 

One of today's hottest jewelry trends -- Sterling Silver Typewriter Initial Letter Necklace. It is not only fashionable but the superb quality is sure to last. Crafted of .925 genuine sterling silver. Necklace available in 3 lengths. All letters are available and will be lowercase.

 

 

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Hopefully you were one of the lucky people to receive a fine quality piece of Charming Chick sterling silver jewelry over the holiday. If you were - or you already own, love and enjoy this gorgeous metal - we have some tips on how to keep it looking it's best. There are just a few things you need to know about silver before we talk about how to care for it.

 

 

 

Sterling Silver consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of another metal, which is usually copper or some other alloy. You can tell if a piece of jewelry is Sterling silver because it is commonly stamped with -- 925 or sterling. Silver is much more abundant than gold and platinum, so the price of the piece is largely determined by the craftsmanship and labor involved in its creation.

 

As some of you may know, over time sterling silver reacts with the sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the air and the metal can become tarnished. Tarnish (which appears as black patches) occurs when the compound silver sulfide if formed. It is important to note that silver can react poorly when it comes in contact with other things like; rubber gloves, cleaning products, chlorinated water, perfumes, hairsprays, etc.

 

How to Reduce Tarnishing:

To reduce tarnishing, we recommend keeping your sterling silver jewelry in an air-tight protective bag made of tarnish proof cloth or a plastic zip lock bag made of Mylar or polyethylene. Charming Chick stores and ships our jewelry in small zip-lock style bags for this reason. You can continue to store your jewelry in this bag if you wish, or purchase another larger bag for storing your sterling silver collection. If you properly store your sterling silver charms, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, rings, brooches, etc., they will require minimal cleaning to keep that beautiful shine. We also recommend storing it away from other articles that might rub against it and causes scratches. Sometimes wood finishes can contain chemicals that are not good for sterling silver, so avoid storing on wood surfaces.

 

 

 

 

If you are still looking for exceptional Christmas gifts for the lady in your life, then this blog post is for you! We will be featuring some absolutely stunning earrings and rings that we have available here at Charming Chick. We have so many wonderful jewelry pieces that would make fantastic Christmas gifts, so you should also take some time and peruse our entire jewelry collection. If you do, you are sure to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

 

The classic elegance of our Oval Sterling Silver Sapphire Earrings  (pictured above) will have the lady in your life singing your praises and these gorgeous earrings would be a fantastic compliment to any outfit. The deep blue stone fits in as perfectly with a pair of jeans, as it does with an evening gown.  Each earring measures about one inch long.  They are crafted of genuine .925 sterling silver and feature faceted oval sapphire stones.

 

 

 

If you want to give someone a taste of Paris, these beautiful CZ Sterling Silver Fleur De Lis Hoop Earrings should do the trick. They are versatile enough to dress up any outfit and are crafted of genuine sterling silver with a rhodium plating for maximum shine. Each hoop features genuine clear CZ stones that sparkle and dance when the light hits them.

 

 

 

Our Sterling Silver CZ Love Knot Ring makes the ideal Christmas gift for the one you love.  This gorgeous ring is crafted of genuine sterling silver and featuring brilliant clear CZ stones. The love knot design will let her know you'll love her for a lifetime. This finely crafted ring is made of genuine sterling silver and is rhodium plated to give the metal extra shine.  The CZ center stone measures 5mm.

 

If you still haven't see any Christmas gifts that have inspired you, this elegant Sapphire Ring should help. This dazzling ring  is crafted of genuine .925 sterling silver features a round faceted sapphire stone surrounded by small clear CZ stones. Sapphire is the birthstone for September but anyone should wear and enjoy this versatile and precious gemstone.

 

The last piece we are featuring today is our Swarovski Crystal Stackable Silver Rings. These rings are similar to popular designer rings but at an affordable price. They are all sterling silver plated and feature genuine Swarovski Crystal stones. The set includes three rings which can be stacked or worn separately.

 

We want you to receive your Christmas gifts on time, which is why we have a Christmas Delivery Guarantee. Check it out and if you meet the shipping deadlines you have listed and we will guarantee that you will have your order in time for the holiday.

Happy 2011 from Charming Chick! The beginning of the New Year, is a perfect time to get organized. As you start getting all of your things cleaned up and in order -- it is very important that you do not forget about orgnanizing your jewelry as well.

Perhaps you were lucky enough to acquire some new treasures over the holiday – if so you probably need to rearrange things a bit to make room for them.

Also, properly storing your jewelry will not only keep it safe and easy to locate; it will also extend the life of your dazzling beauties.

One of first things you'll want to do is to get a jewelry box, so you rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc., don't touch each other or get tangled up. Metal can scratch metal, certain stones can scratch each other and chains can become tangled, kinked or broken.

Here are some tips on keeping your valuables in great condition.

Necklaces should be stored flat or hanging up. This will prevent them from becoming tangled and knotted; which can then weaken the links and cause your chain or necklace to break. Not only will you be left with a broken chain -- but it is also very possible that the bauble you had hanging from it, could become lost or damaged.

Rings should be stored in a box that is lined with a soft material. They should not touch each other if possible -- and any ring that has a stone should be inserted into the ring holder, stone side up.

Earrings can be hooked together so that pairs do not become separated. You can lay them in a lined box and ensure they aren’t touching --  or you can get earring holders; which you can fasten your earrings into.

Sterling Silver when storing sterling silver you’ll want to make sure that it doesn’t become overly tarnished. To do this you can purchase silver protection strips; which can be placed in your jewelry box to prevent to prevent tarnishing. They do this by safely absorbing the sulfur in the air.

Another way to easily maintain your silver is to take it out once a month and polish it with a silver polishing cloth. It’s easy, it keeps your jewelry looking stunning, and it will help prevent permanent damage.

Traveling with your fine accessories also takes some planning and care. There are many soft travel case or jewelry-rolls which are nice for storing your items and keeping it safe from damage. Before you plan your next trip, you should definitely get one of these.

One other thing you must keep in mind when organizing and storing your jewelry -- is to make sure it isn’t ever placed in direct sunlight or anywhere it might be subjected to extreme temperature changes.

And finally, make sure to place your jewelry box in a safe and secure location.