Jewelry…own it, love it, wear it!
Just over three months ago, Warren Cheng and Artem K launched a new product-based design company called WXA100. I must say, they have a very unique business model. They are delving deep into one project at a time, and they will release exactly 100 of these products for each run. For their first project, Dimens1on, they designed a very sculptural necklace, which comes with either a horizontal or vertical pendant.
Tura Sugden’s designs have been on my mind since I first saw her collection last fall at the WJA Designers by the Bay event. Since she’s a local designer here in San Francisco, I decided to invite myself to her studio in Noe Valley for a visit. She’s so kind, and she was more than happy to show me around.
There’s nothing like seeing an artist’s bench and trays of gems just waiting to be tried on!
“I studied fine art and graduated with a BFA in sculpture. During school I was always very fabrication-focused; I loved the process of making an object. I was most comfortable working on a small scale and my work had a very natural progression towards jewelry. I started a traditional jewelry apprenticeship in my last year of college, and I continued working for jewelers for seven years. I developed my line while apprenticing and just last year I went full time with it.”
I am SO not surprised how this new line has been steadily growing in popularity. (This girl is going places!) I find it truly unique, and I love the cage-like settings around diamond slices.
“This type of torch changed my life! It feels so intuitive and natural to me. It incorporates the power of breath to supply oxygen and a gas (I use propane), which is controlled by a hand-adjusted valve. You’re using your breath and your hands together to control heat, which makes it easier to solder pieces that might otherwise become easily overheated. It’s a deeply traditional way of soldering that is no longer widely used – many jewelers I talk to have never heard of it!”
I wanted to know what her current favorite piece is:
“A few weeks ago I produced a new cuff that is my ultimate favorite every day piece. The Needle Eye Cuff incorporates a design motif I’ve been using in my work and is the most luxe weight. It’s a really streamlined piece and I’m proud of the engineering of it— it features an invisible clasp and a fantastic fit, and I love how it stacks with other bracelets and bangles. I’m about to produce it in multiple sizes!”
I must admit, I love it too!
Favorite SF restaurant
La Ciccia or Locanda, I can’t pick!
Favorite SF store
ZGO – I’m a scent junkie
Favorite thing to do when you’re not working
Cooking is my favorite way to unwind after work. Second favorite is eating!
Clothing item you can’t live without
A cashmere sweater!! I have one on me at all times.
Dream travel destination
I can’t wait to get to Bali…
I have to say, I truly enjoyed getting an inside look at Tura’s work and life. Thanks so much for having me! If you’re interested in seeing her line, click here for a list of stockists.
Some days my schedule works out effortlessly, and Monday was one of those days. Even though I went to SOMA to pack a client for a month of travel in the morning, met a colleague for lunch in the Marina in SF, and had another client in Marin later in the day, I still found myself with a whole free hour! And not only was this a lovely gift in itself, but my break just happened to be right near Blanc, a store which had been on my “must visit” list for quite some time– in fact ever I learned they carry Thalia Jewelry. (You may remember I wrote about seeing her line at the WJA Designers by the Bay event last fall.)
Thalia Jewelry was beautifully displayed in a big case when you walk in the store. I can never get enough of her bracelets with pave diamond clasps! And I love how the rings and cross were artfully sitting on an old book. That completely fits the old world luxe aesthetic of the line.
I thoroughly enjoyed whiling away my break trying on jewelry, and I know I’ll be back!
Thanks for the great response to my “Observations on Portland” article — so fun! And as I promised, here’s the follow-up post with the jewelry lo-down from the ‘hood. As I mentioned, one of the reasons I went there was to visit Twist. (This store is up in the 23rd Ave. area.) I’ve ordered from them online before, and I was so psyched to see the store in person. Not only was it much bigger than I had envisioned, but they carry items for the home as well. Who knew? The first case that magnetized me was filled with work by Judy Geib. This opal bracelet left me speechless. (There are so many times I wish I had a bottomless wallet…)
These necklaces by Fox Tail Jewelry are very industrial boho, and they fit in perfectly with the Portland aesthetic.
No, this isn’t a jewelry post…but it’s leading UP to one (here it is), so stay with me. On Saturday I turned 46. I’ve been having such an itch to travel, that I hopped on a plane and landed in Portland by happy hour to celebrate the big day. Why Portland? Well, I hadn’t really been there for probably 25 years, it’s relatively close, the weather forecast was good, they have tax-free shopping, and there’s a jewelry store there that I’ve been dying to go to for years. Need I say more??
During my two full days of exploring, I must say that I developed quite a few opinions of this fair city. Some may offend you (my apologies), but that’s certainly not my intention. So here goes.
1. People in Portland are frickin’ NICE! And I’m not just talking about the common courtesies. Here’s a couple prime examples. On my birthday evening, I took myself to the Portland City Grill, with amazing views of the city, given that it’s 30 stories up. Clearly it’s the “place” for celebrations in town, as virtually every surrounding table was having a birthday. Not only was the table of 8 next to me uber-friendly (celebrating Grandma Dorothy’s 70th birthday), but they actually PAID for my $60 dollar meal. Really?! Really…
Oh, and then the next day, I stumbled across Papa Haydn on 23rd Ave. The description of the croque madame with turkey pretty much had me drooling. They had a long wait for a table, even for one. Instead of making me wait, they said, “Well we also own the restaurant next door, Jo Bar. Though they have a different menu and kitchen, why don’t we take you over there, and we’ll get you the meal you want. Un-BE-lieveable. I must admit, it was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had. Not a speck was left on my plate when I left.
2. To look like a local, wear a puffer jacket. This appears to be the “it” item in Portland. Be it Patagonia, Columbia, or Athleta, it’s all about the puffer jacket. And yes, these were worn in the nicest of restaurants as well as on people out running. Guess that makes getting dressed each day pretty darn easy.
3. This leads me to the next point…I would not have a job in Portland. I think people are very secure in their casual, personal styles, and why would they pay me to shop for them? Not an insult, just an observation. In addition, there really wasn’t a large diversity in shopping resources.
4. Traffic? What traffic?! Traffic is, for all intents and purposes, nowhere to be found downtown. I’ve heard that the I-5 gets pretty backed up heading up to Vancouver after 3pm, but the streets downtown were practically empty at all hours. Here’s shots of both the freeway through town and one of the main streets downtown during commute time. Hello…cars…???
5. Portland has public transportation wired! Be it the bus or the Max train, you can pretty much get anywhere you want. Perhaps that explains the lack of traffic? Very clearly mounted transportation maps and labeled stops seem to make having a car an extra, not a necessity. (SF…take note!) At first I panicked that Uber didn’t operate there, but I seemed to survive just fine. Imagine that? (Sidebar: many of the cars clearly had snow tires on, as the Max doesn’t take you to snowboard on Mt. Hood.)
7. Clearly food carts are a “thing.” Though I was too skeptical to try any of said street fare, there were numerous outposts of food carts, and they were super popular! Granted, in off hours I saw more than one drug deal taking place (eyes averted, of course), but during meal hours, they were doing gangbusters!
8. Cars stop to let you cross the street! This as so opposite of San Francisco, where I swear, many drivers think they’ll get “points” if they bump you.
9. Did I mention it’s beyond clean? I could have counted the number of trash items I saw on the street on one hand. Yet I never saw anyone out there cleaning. Why is that?! Is there a magical street cleaning fairy? I don’t get it.
10. Oh, and they’re VERY serious about their recycling. I had to take a minute to actually determine which slot to deposit my bottle! Good luck to the non-English speakers.
12. There’s a lot of character in their architecture. As I strolled through residential neighborhoods, I admired how most of the homes had big front porches. Even apartment buildings had such cool architectural details, that I couldn’t help but stop and take note.
13. Oh, and the views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens are downright gorgeous. Here’s the view of Mt. Hood from my hotel room. Not bad. If I’m not going to be near a beach, then mountains are my next favorite thing.
I know, I know…you want jewelry. Don’t worry. Next post up will be what I found on my journey! Promise. xo
My brother moved to El Dorado Hills about three years ago. I had no clue where this town was when he broke the news, but if you’re driving there from the Bay Area, you take the 50 past Sacramento, towards South Lake Tahoe, and there you’ll find it. Most of my visits are consumed with family activities, from my nephew’s little league games to my niece’s soccer matches. Aside from runs to Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond, I haven’t done an iota of “real” shopping on any visit. So HOW excited was I to finally see a fabulous store, and a jewelry store at that, this past weekend! The Talisman Collection is located right in downtown El Dorado Hills, and it’s a huge space filled with amazing items, from jewelry to bags to great gifts for the guy in your life.
When I walked into the store, I must say that I was in a bit of disarray, after spending the past few days moving my brother and his kids into their new home. But that clearly didn’t matter, and within minutes, the fab owner, Andrea Riso, and I were talking jewelry designers, stones, and trends. An hour passed in a flash, and I know I could have spent the entire afternoon there. She is beyond knowledgeable, and I learned so much from her. Do you know what this stone is?
P.S Andrea–we need to meet for a drink at Couture this year!
I was perusing online for jewelry boxes for a client, and I was quite impressed with the offerings at West Elm. I’ve always liked this Brooklyn-based company for both their reasonable prices and their focus on sustainability. I wanted to share some of the items that I thought had some real style, as well as being user-friendly.
How can it be that we’re only days away from the Academy Awards?! The gowns, the jewels….oh my! Just before the Golden Globes, I wrote about how your evening bag definitely counts as part of the bling for your attire. (Click here if you missed that article.) I’ve waited until the Oscar’s are upon us to comment about the other, yet equally important, non-jewelry item that definitely contributes to your bejeweled look. Yes, I’m talking about your shoes. (Totally get it if you just got a little shiver of delight.)
Neutrals are often the best choice to enhance a look and elongate the leg, and if you’re just starting to build your evening shoe wardrobe, then I would suggest a neutral metallic and a dark neutral (black, navy, or charcoal, depending on your wardrobe). These will surely mix and match with your festive frocks. And don’t forget to think about cost-per-wear. If you’re a total socialite, out and about a few times per month, then it’s worth it to invest in a quality pair of shoes, even though they may seem expensive at the time. You’ll end up spending less than if you bought multiple pairs of less expensive options.
Here are 13 sparklers at a range of price points (some cost more than my rent, while others are equivalent to a dinner out), to tickle your foot fancy. And if you want more info about any of these, just click the link in blue.
Jimmy Choo black embellished suede
“Fortune favors the bold,” Shannon Koszyk told me when I met her at the JCK show, and her jewelry is certainly testament to this mantra! You may remember me writing about her WWI Victory Medal bracelet back in June of 2013. (Click here if you missed that story.)
I first became entranced with the Paraiba tourmaline a couple years ago — its radiant, almost neon, hues of blue, green, and even violet are simply spectacular. But what is this stone, and how is it different that regular tourmalines, which are quite common in the jewelry world?
First of all, I needed to learn how to say it correctly, and let me tell you, I was way off! I thought it was “pa-RAI-ba”, but it’s in fact pronounced “par-a-EE-ba.” (Here’s a link to hear it spoken.) Next, I wanted to know how it gets its extreme color, and it turns out that it’s due to the presence of copper in the gem, which no other tourmalines have.
And where is it from? Well not surprisingly, it’s from the state of Paraiba, although I didn’t know that was in Brazil. It’s a relatively new discovery, found in the 1980’s by Heitor Dimas Barbosa. He dug in an old mine in Paraiba Hill for many, many years, absolutely convinced that there was something special to be found there. He was right, and thanks to his dedication and fortitude we now have this rare stone. And when I say rare, I mean really rare! In fact, it’s one of the most expensive gemstones in the world. The larger the stone, the higher the price, as Paraibas are rarely bigger than one carat. Similar stones have now been found in Africa, though their color is said to be a bit lighter.
Here’s some lovely examples of this electric stone:
Ring from Turgeon Raine (9.04 carats!)
Tamsen Z ring with a very unique cut!
