Emanuela Duca’s New Collection

While Italian-born, New York resident Emanuela Duca is probably most well-known for her textured jewlery, I have to say I was quite enthralled with her sleek new collection, Thoughts Frequency, when I met her at the NY Now show.

emanuela duca rings
As you can see from this handful of rings I just had to try on, they are so highly polished that it was impossible to photograph them without getting a reflection of my cell phone in the image! In fact, they practically function as wearable mirrors, and they are intended to reflect the thoughts of those around us. Emanuela talked about how all thoughts are energy, and the thoughts of others certainly influence us. Hence, the name of the collection, Thoughts Frequency.

Made in sterling silver and 18K gold, I find this line ultra-contemporary and very wearable. Here’s two of the 18K rings; you’ll see a yellow sapphire shining in each one.

emanuela duca 18K rings
Emanuela, as lovely on the inside as on the outside, modeled this sterling cuff from the collection for me.

emanuela duca cuff
She was wearing this delicate 18K choker, which would be a perfect luxe, everyday look. I could envision it easily layered with other necklaces as well.

emanuela duca choker
The clean surfaces of each piece feel like a calm in this crazy world we live in. They inspire me to take a deep breath… Wonderful to meet you, Emanuela! If you’d like to see more of her work, here’s a list of retailers around the country.

 

Emanuela and Amy
Emanuela and Amy

 

Melissa Schmidt: Pyrex Jewelry

Yes, you read that correctly…jewelry made out of Pyrex! Mom and I were strolling through the Sausalito Art Festival over Labor Day Weekend (worth the visit if you’ve never attended — very well curated), and we came across a booth with the sign, “Keep Calm, It’s Pyrex!” Ok, that got our attention. So did this necklace:

melissa schmidt glass necklace

melissa schmidt necklace

Pretty interesting, right? Not only are the glass baubles really intriguing, but so is the chain, with it’s unique links. I was worried about having glass pendants that hang so low as they could possibly get knocked on a table or something when sitting down, but Melissa told us that she has a life-long guarantee on her work. So if something happens to break, she’ll replace it. Now that’s something!

Melissa Schmidt is a St. Louis based jeweler. She is self-taught with her glass blowing and takes inspiration from antique glass buttons. I checked out her Etsy shop and thought I’d share some more images of her work.

melissa schmidt bird watching necklace

melissa schmidt red multi necklace

melissa schmidt jewelry

melissa schmidt necklace close-up

I’m glad mom got the long necklace in the first photo. Can’t wait to see how she styles it!

Long Turquoise Necklace: Jewelry Judge

Yesterday I was psyched to stop by The Podolls in Burlingame to see the latest and greatest fall arrivals. As I was chatting with Josh, half of the husband/wife team behind this local, sustainably-made brand, I got distracted… A woman walked in and I was instantly drawn to her look.

long turquoise necklace
Though her outfit was cute, I wouldn’t have necessarily done a double-take without the necklace. Not only did it add a major pop of color, but it created this cool vertical line which led right up to her smiling face. It complemented the long lines of her jacket and the overall impression was casual, not over-done, and just right.

And do you want to hear where it was from? It was found online at Anthropologie! This goes to show that you don’t always have to spend a fortune on jewelry to really take your outfit to a whole new level. (And of course I came home and had to check out the whole jewelry section on the Anthropologie website — I did find the necklace, and it’s only $88.)

gemline lariat necklace by lena bernard
Another key lesson from his look — it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort take an outfit from nice to pretty awesome. In this case, simply adding a necklace. That can’t slow you down getting out the door too much, can it?!

(P.S. I just realized that this is the 500th article I’ve written for my blog. Time to celebrate!)

Signet Rings for Fall 2016

My fascination with signet rings was piqued about a month ago when Butterlane Antiques posted this photo on Instagram.

signet ring from butterlane antiques
For some reason, it seems so apropos to wear a signet ring as the leaves change colors and people head back to school. Perhaps it reminds me of my mom’s old class ring? Whatever is making the neurons connect in my crazy jewelry-obsessed brain, the fact remains that adding a signet ring to your jewelry box might be a fabulous idea right about now. (How is it that I don’t own one?!)

Signet rings are certainly nothing new, in fact they date back to 3500 BC! Though they historically have been used as a person’s “official mark,” they are now simply a personal expression of style. I’ve been keeping my eye out for stylish signets, both modern and vintage, and I have a few to share with you. In no particular order…

Bull Insignia Signet Ring from Esqueleto

bull insignia signet ring from esqueleto
Sarah Chloe Square Signet Ring (also comes in silver)

sarah chloe square signet ring
Alexis Kletjian Lucky Star Signet Ring (comes in rose gold, yellow gold and platinum)

alexis kletjian lucky star signet ring
Workhorse Jewelry Kendall Signet Ring

workhorse jewelry kendall signet ring
Knight in Shining Armor Signet Ring from Erica Weiner

knight in shining armor signet ring from erica weiner
Samantha Knight Signet Ring

signet ring from samantha knight jewelry
Jacquie Aiche Burst Diamond Signet Ring

jacquie aiche burst diamond and 14K yellow gold signet ring
Victorian Three Feather Signet Ring from Reliquary

victorian three feather signet ring from reliquary
Devon Woodhill Lotus Signet Ring

devon woodhill 18k polished rose gold an diamond lotus signet ring
As you can see from this handful of examples, there’s a wide range in styles of signet rings — from bold to more dainty, from sleek to more ornate. Perhaps there’s one that suits your personal style? Do tell.

Ruth Tomlinson: Designer

It never ceases to amaze me that after 5+ years of jewelry blogging and into my 18th year of personal styling (where I pretty much am in the stores constantly), I can STILL come across such unique jewelry designs…those that stop me in my tracks and speak to me. This is exactly what happened as I walked down the first row of the NY Now Handmade show in New York City. I have a new jewelry crush on Ruth Tomlinson. Once I started chatting with Ruth, I was even more hooked. She is soft-spoken, yet passionate about her work. She is incredibly talented with detail, and when you see the intricacies of her pieces, you are truly drawn into a miniature world of gold and gems.

ruth tomlinson rings
Ruth led me on a tour of her four collections. The first up was Lustre, which features lots of diamonds. You can see both raw diamonds, just as they come out of the ground, right next to faceted stones in this collection. She told me how she really appreciates the inner glow of the stones and how they add a bit of mystery to the piece. I completely agree! This particular ring includes grey, champagne and white diamonds in 14K gold. She selects what carat of gold to use based on what will best complement the colors of the stones.

ruth tomlinson diamond cluster ring with faceted pear
Ruth graduated with an MA from the Royal College of Art, and still resides in London, where her line is all made in studio. (Note to self: visit studio on next trip to London!) Though she does sketch designs, she is also very led by the process itself, seeing where the materials take her. She is constantly drawn into a miniature world. Boy, do I like this world!

Midas is the next collection I explored. Inspired by her travels in India, it’s full of color and reminiscent of treasures from long ago.

ruth tomlinson rings from the midas collection
The stacking bands in this group are quite swoon-worthy as well. Perhaps I need one?!

ruth tomlinson stacking bands
Next up was the Hoard collection, based on found treasures such as Victorian and Georgian diamonds. I could see many of these rings as alternative bridal options, couldn’t you?

ruth tomlinson diamond rings
How about stacking a bunch together? Fine by me! These four rings include all old hand-cut diamonds.

ruth tomlinson diamond rings
Ruth was wearing a couple bracelets from the Hoard collection as well — SO lovely!

ruth tomlinson bracelets
Last, but certainly not least, is the Encrustations collection, inspired by the sea. Aqueous colors, pearls and shades of aqua, coral, tourmaline and more all in textured gold. Delicious!

ruth tomlinson rings
Looking through this collection on her website, I’m quite enamored with this tourmaline and diamond ring. The subtlety and combination of hues is fabulous.

ruth tomlinson tourmaline and diamond ring
If you are as entranced by this line as I am, then take a couple minutes to watch this video which takes a closer look at her inspiration and process.

Inspirations from Ruth Tomlinson on Vimeo.

Such an absolute pleasure to meet you, Ruth! I appreciate all your time and creativity.

ruth tomlinson and amy roseveare