Somewhere To Go: Musharbash for Silver

My belief is that every jewelry enthusiast should have a jeweler they trust, so if you’re ever in Marj Al-Hammam you should definitely swing by this place, on the corner exactly before Safeway Express you will find one of my favorite jewelry stores to go to. Not only are the owners friendly but their shop has the most gorgeous things you could find… As you all know I am an old jewelry enthusiast – I’ve gone in enough that if there’s something specific I am looking for they quickly know exactly what it is could want… In short I always leave a satisfied customer. I have taken jewelry in for maintenance (re-size up or down various rings) and they are the only place I have found a chain long enough for my likes this is one shop definitely worth a visit!

You can find their Facebook page here -> Musharbash for Silver

Next time you’re looking for great affordable jewelry (don’t forget Silver is sold by the weight!) this is definitely the place to go!

Something to Do Before Ramadan… A Charity Concert? Yes Please!

Ramadan is at the end of this week, and it’s been a while since I’ve given a tip however this has popped up as an event invite on Facebook by a brilliant local band and their idea was a charity concert before Ramadan – now I know that I won’t personally be able to go so I decided I’d do good in my own way and spread the word as best as I can and this being a blog that is trying to talk about all things local this is the best thing ever.

The concert will be this Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in Jabal Lweibdeh at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (<- this will take you to the page and a map). Basically the idea is that the concert has a fee of 1 JD that goes to Charity so not only will you enjoy good music but you will also do good. You like to do good, don’t you?

حنا لبعض
حفلتنا راح تكون بحديقة المتحف الوطني
الويبدة يوم الأربعاء قبل رمضان،

و راح يكون سعر التذاكر 1 دينار، المصاري راح تروح لعيل مستورة محتاجه لمونه برمضان، مين بيجي وبدعم الفكرة ؟

و أكيد كمان بتقدرو تتبرعو بأكتر مصاري إذا حابين، او بتقدرو تتبرعو بأي اشي ثاني كمان ( ملابس صيفيه ما بدكم ايها )

OK so here is the deal,
we are planing on a gig a day before Ramadan (Wednesday basically), the tickets will be for 1 JD only, and the money collected will go to less privileged families in the form of food and supply boxes for Ramadan … who is in?

-This is from the event page and here is the event on Facebook

I won’t be able to make it but I hope you can!

What to Buy: Saru Fashion

Today I got this absolutely gorgeous bag, so now I will – of course – write about it…

Saru is an artistic fashion line that seeks to revive Arab cultural inspirations, with a focus on traditional Palestinian handmade needlework “TATREEZ”.

Supplemented with a new approach, Saru brings the magic and authenticity of Arab culture to youth’s everyday life in an effort to break the monotony of present fashion trends.

Fusing the spirit of the past with the materials and techniques of the present, to make an unconventional statement on modernity…

Saru offers pieces that are made by great women who took this art upon themselves to pass it to a new generation.

Saru, small details make the difference.

-From the Saru Fashion Facebook Page

A while back I somehow managed to stumble across the facebook page, it might be because one of my friends ‘liked’ it… from the very first moment I saw the page I was very impressed.

My take on it: As a Palestinian I grew up with the tradition of ‘Tatreez’ (cross-stitching), my grandma first taught me how to pick up a needle and thread at the young age of 9 or 10… I’ve always loved stitching, but I’ve never really appreciated it as a part of my tradition until I grew older and knew better.

That being said when they recently updated with their ‘Bethlehem Star Bag’ I (as you will all well know) had to have it. How could I pass the opportunity by? I make my own money, I could afford it – so why not?

So I placed an order via Facebook (and they get back to you very quickly) and I was told that it would be done within two weeks… it was actually done after a week… However, it isn’t just grab and go, it is (as everything) by availability, which is what I was told when I first placed the order.

I was contacted by one of the founders through phone (after exchanging numbers) about a week or so after I had placed the order and she was very nice – I did give them a bit of a hard time when it came to pick-up because my schedule and the places I work and live did not help – but they patiently accommodated me… You can either pick it up or have it delivered (which is what I eventually had to do), and now as I sit with the bag beside me I am very content and happy…

Saru doesn’t only do bags, they stitch on scarves, shirts, and sunglasses (yes, I said sunglasses)… So, please give their Facebook page a look, they’re also on blogspot… and this is a very special find… I was really happy I got to contacting them…

Facebook

Blogspot

You’re Looking For: Rings

Rings… rings rings rings… My specialty and my obsession. Anyone that knows me knows that I wear a lot of rings and often I will get asked where to go to buy like them. The thing about that is I find them in places you wouldn’t think you’d find – for example – Oriental Gift Shops. If the sign contains the world ‘Silver’ go in. Go in and look for the silver because that is where you’ll find the treasure.

One of the stores I would suggest you go to is Afghani, it does not matter which branch you go to – you will always always find something worth wearing, and what I love about silver is – if you know what to get you never really have to break the bank.

Afghani, braid ring 8JDs, onyx ring, 6JDs, rectangle ring 7 JDs

Afghani, Pinki and Midi ring 3 and 4 JDs respectively, Labradorite Ring was probably 12 JDs, Turquoise Ring 21 JDs (I think it cost more I can’t properly remember) and Puzzle Ring, about 8 JDs.

Garnet Ring, Afghani Lweibdeh, 17 JDs

Mood Ring was a gift from the same place I said you can find crystals

Carnelian Ring, 18 JDs, Afghani

This is what you can expect if you were to go looking for rings, among other places you could go to are several shops along Rainbow Street, there’s Rimas, a store to the right of Turtle Green, there’s a shop right across Mlabbas where I’ve bought several things from, there’s also a place here in Marg Al-Hammam called Musharbash, if you’re looking for it it’s around the Safeway Express – I’ve been a customer there for some time.

So, my darling Readers, I hope this post gave you some idea on where to find rings if you’re looking, and what kind of prices to expect – remember silver is sold by weight and sometimes you can find things that seem pricey but that’s because they’re probably really heavy… Good luck!

Places to Eat: Turtle Green Tea Bar

Cozy, Good Music, Great Food, and even Better People.

These are the first words I’d tell you if you were to ask me about Turtle Green, when I first started to go I didn’t know the people that worked there too well, they were all friends of my friends and so I would awkwardly linger until my friends would join me once more. However, these past couple of weeks (since I started my new job) I’ve been frequenting them more and more without my friends and I got to know the people that work there.

Mind you, even before I got to know them they were all very friendly.

Why do I suggest you go there?

Well, aside from the fact that I love the people who work there dearly and with all of my heart the food is so genuinely good. If you want a sandwich, some ‘Manakeesh’, soup, or salad they will have it and they use the best and the freshest ingredients so you know what you’re about to eat is not only good for the soul but for the body as well. Should you feel like you would like something sweet – I suggest the chocolate cake. So divine that you will find me planning my whole day with the plan to get my hands on some. It’s not just the cake, mind you – but the cookies too… The sweets will have little tags telling you who it is that made them.

Food aside, the fact it is a Tea Bar means that you can – yes – get tea… (I’ve once made the mistake of asking if there’s… tea, needless to say everyone within the vicinity was amused). There are different kinds of tea for you to chose from, a week or two back I came down with a case of Sinusitis again and I asked for the ‘Wa7sh il Rashi7’ which was ginger, lemon, honey… and something else… but it’s good for ya. If you don’t feel like a cup of tea they have coffee, cold drinks, milk shakes (Vanilla Shake… amaaaazing!), and freshly squeezed juice.

What I love about this place, aside from the cozy atmosphere and the amazing people that are there is that you’ll always find other things to look at with an impressive music display (which you can buy from), there are books, and you’ll find plenty of fliers for various cultural events happening in Amman and in other Municipalities. (Sometimes you can even buy tickets from there).

In short, it’s no surprise it’s such a popular shop, if you’re ever in Amman I suggest you give it a visit. You can get there by going to Rainbow Street and you’ll find it across the street and a bit before the British Council.

You can find their Facebook page [here]

You’re Looking For: Stones of the precious/Semi-precious kind

So you’re looking for Fluorite, maybe Turquoise, perhaps even Bloodstone?

Well, there are several places you can visit here in Amman to find for all your wire-wrapping, gemstone wearing, crystal-therapy needs.

The first of these places would be the House of Fossils and Gems, there are two branches in Amman, one in Baraka Mall in Swefiah, and the other is in Jabal Amman just beyond the 1st circle. On the upside, they have everything, I mean I found Labradorite, Fluorite, Moonstone, and various other stones. They are also a museum of sorts that you can buy from, while it is a brilliant place to visit the downside is that the pieces can be a bit pricey, (Labradorite for 25 JDs, Fluorite for 25 and 15) but it is still a wonder to visit and if you are willing to spend the cash, go ahead.

Theother places you can go is Downtown, if you were standing across from the Masjid by the Sugar Cane juice shop and you turned to your left and kept on walking downwards you could find several places to find gems, my favorite being a store I frequent often with my best friend, you’ll need to keep walking until you get to a store that will have drums and various other things hanging about it, inside you’ll find a whole lot of antiques as well (almost all the stores on that block is worth looking in to) and you should be able to find everything… When in doubt ask for the ‘Qusaybati’ and you should be able to find it.

That turquoise pendant is from Al-Afghani Mecca Mall branch.

Find: Antique Ottoman Rashadi Lira

Since I’m posting finds from Al-Afghani I thought to share this one… This is from Lweibdeh Afghani and I’m assuming it’s an actual antique… But then it could just be aged. This is made out of silver and it was bought for 18 Jordanian Dinars (my uncle had made the purchase for me as a gift…)

So the next time you’re in Lweibdeh and you go to the Afghani keep an eye out for the pendent cabinet because you can find true treasures there…

Find: Puzzle Ring

I found this ring in particular in Lweibdeh branch of Al-Afghani… you can also find them in the Mecca Mall branch, you just need to ask for them.

Made out of .925 sterling silver, this one is a size 9 which I have passed on to a friend to trade down to a size 7… smallest size you’ll find (as of last time I was there) is a size six, I believe they go up to size 10 or 11… they range between 7 to 10 jds (depending on how heavy it is, remember silver is sold by the gram!)

Places to Go: Al-Afghani

Be it in Mecca Mall, Downtown, Lweibdeh, Swefiah, or the Gardens (I do believe there are many more) Al-Afghani is always a brilliant place to go to, you can find everything from wooden souvenirs, rosaries, prayer beads, and antique looking jewelry to contemporary jewelry, cross-stitched goodies, and even the odd percussion instrument. The funny thing about the various branches is that no two are exactly the same, the things you find in Mecca Mall will not always be the same as Lweibdeh, and the one in Downtown is more likely to have actual antiques than contemporary jewelry. I get most of my jewelry from Al-Afghani, if you know how to ask and how to bargain (more often than not) you can get brilliant treasures for a very reasonable price.

These are a couple of finds I’ve made in the various Al-Afghani branches around Amman, the charm necklace I made myself… So if you’re ever looking for an affordable gift, something for yourself, or you’re visiting Jordan and want to take something from the Middle East with you I would suggest you give Al-Afghani a visit.