With Valentine's Day less than two weeks away, the UF Arts & Crafts Center is hoping to cash in on the holiday by selling unique jewelry pieces.
The sale is being held today from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the Reitz Union Colonnade.
The handcrafted jewelry, purchased from art sales and jewelry makers around the world, range in price from $2 to about $100, said Samantha Salay, assistant director of the center.
All the jewelry is made with sterling silver and semi-precious stones, according to a news release.
"Some (jewelry) we have purchased from gem shows, some from people who traveled around the world and brought things back," said Jill Keezer, associate director of student activities. "And some of it we had made specifically for the University of Florida."
Keezer said the sale is scheduled to take place on the Reitz Union Colonnade, but bad weather may move the sale indoors to the Arts & Crafts Center, located on the basement floor of the Reitz Union.
While jewelry can be purchased year-round at the Art Underground Gift Shop, all pieces at today's sale will be 25 percent off, she said.
The retail sale, one of about seven held throughout the year, generates revenues for the center, Salay said.
"(Valentine's Day) is a great icebreaker for sales," Salay said, "because we know what everyone's there for."
Usually, more women purchase jewelry at the sales, she said, but at the Valentine's Day sale men make up about half the shoppers.
The sale is a good option for some people because it offers more than the typical jewelry that can be found at the mall, Salay said. She already purchased her favorite piece from the acquired collection, a pair of green earrings that she calls her "space rocks."
The earrings are made from moldavite, a substance formed by meteorite impact, she said.
Though few of these pieces are left, the space rock earrings exemplify the unusual pieces that can be found at the handcrafted jewelry sale.
"(The sale) is truly unique," Salay said. "We have a lot of things you couldn't find in other places."
