Jewelry

Martin Willen, a retired jewelry salesman who made news during World War II when he sang Jewish liturgical music in a captured castle owned by the Nazi propaganda chief, died of heart disease April 22 at Seasons Hospice at Northwest Hospital. He was 96 and lived in Pikesville. Born in Baltimore and raised on Washington and Eden streets, he was the eldest child of Russian immigrants. He attended City College and won a scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory. A tenor, he studied with teacher Frank Bibb.

Three Baltimore men have been arrested by Howard County police after the midday robbery of a Columbia Mall jewelry store on March 30. The men — Deontaye Derrick Harvey, 20, of the 1100 block of Parrish St.; Gary Donnell Braxton Jr., 25, of the 700 block of Lexington St. and Aaron Pratt, 19, of the 2000 block of Wylie Ave. — were charged with armed robbery, robbery, first- and second-degree assault, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, reckless...

Hermes Festival of Crafts What: Want to see how the iconic Birkin or Kelly bag gets made? A weeklong exhibit and celebration of craftsmanship from the renowned French design house Hermes is the place to get a peek behind the scenes. The festival features demonstrations by the craftsmen and artisans who are the skill behind Hermes, which opened in Paris in 1837 as a maker of harnesses and saddles and today creates luxurious handbags, scarves, jewelry and other objects.

Nicholas Driver spotted his stolen digital camera for sale on Craigslist. Baltimore police Detective Derrick Layton pretended to be an interested buyer and set up a sting at a Canton Starbucks. But it wasn't until he took the cuffed suspect to his apartment a few blocks away on Fait Avenue and closely examined the décor that the detective spotted subtle clues that led him to a case far bigger than a single Canon camera. Inside, Layton wrote in court documents, he saw Driver's stolen X-Box hooked up to the television set. On a shelf, the officer said, he saw the victim's stolen bottles of gin and vodka, lined up in an "orderly fashion," as if they had been there for months.

A 34-year-old Columbia man who has been charged in nine separate burglaries throughout Howard County was found guilty Monday by a Howard County Circuit Court judge for stealing jewelry valued at more than $10,000 from an Ellicott City residence last May. Charles Kurtinitis, of the 8600 block of Skyrock Court, will be sentenced by Judge Diane O. Leasure in April and faces up to 20 years in jail for first-degree burglary. Kurtinitis was also charged with second- and fourth-degree burglary, as well as theft.

Whether it's models dripping with sparkling gems or hundreds of people scrambling through the Walters Art Museum in search of free jewelry — this weekend, Baltimore will be an epicenter of bling. Can You See What I See: Jewelry Fair at the Walters , will feature 20 jewelers and artisans from across the country. It's an opportunity to learn more about the story behind the design of the pieces and also get a better feel for the museum, according to Rachel Seba, co-chair of the event.

The Walters won't be the only jewelry show in town this weekend. With more than 150 booths, the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Baltimore Convention Center will offer a wider range of pieces to choose from, including exotic gems, pearls, fine jewelry, beads and estate collections. "Whether it's a gemstone necklace to match your new sweater dress, or a three-carat diamond ring to wow everyone at your next holiday party, there is something for everyone," said Monique Anderson, director of marketing for the event.

Don't throw away the blackening silver tea service that you inherited just yet. A new microscopic coating being developed by the University of Maryland and the Walters Art Museum might get you sparkling sterling — without hours of elbow grease. The university's A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Walters have received a three-year grant to develop a technique to slow the tarnishing of silver objects to a nearly undetectable rate. The $500,000 project, which would involve refining a process called "atomic layer deposition," is being designed primarily to benefit museums such as the Walters, which have extensive collections of ancient silver statues, jewelry and drinking vessels.

Services for Tim Potee, the Hampden vintage clothing store owner who supplied items for several of filmmaker John Waters' movies, will be held at noon Monday at the Burgee-Henss-Seitz Funeral Home, 3631 Falls Road. Mr. Potee was found dead Monday of pneumonia at his Hampden apartment above his Dreamland Vintage Clothing store. He was 52. Mr. Waters said that the clothier "will be missed by the film community. He will be missed by the fashion community. He will be missed by the Hampden community.