amy roseveare – Page 2 – Jewelry Fashion Tips

Naomi Blumenthal: Designer

When I got to the JCK jewelry show, I knew that one of the first things I wanted to see was the “Rising Star” area — to see what was new and hot on the jewelry scene. Well map in hand, and a few directions required, I finally found it. One booth in particular just drew me in, and that’s the work by Naomi Blumenthal.

Naomi and her family are based in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. With a degree in sculpture and working as an estate garden designer, her jewelry truly is an extension of her and her passions. It’s clearly nature-inspired, right down to the cellular structures of plants. As she told me, “It’s like growing natural forms from biology, geology, cells under a microscope….plants, flowers, ocean creatures…..there is so much out there to be inspired by and that I want to make.” Her line is light and airy, yet substantial at the same time. Using materials from 18K recycled gold to pearls to porcelain (her sculpting background showing right there), she creates truly beautiful and original jewelry. Each and every piece I tried on felt so comfortable and easy to wear.

The first item that I had to try on is was this ring. The design can be interpreted as cells dividing, or even as some exotic fruit. Personally, I thought it was a fan-tab-ulous statement ring.

This bracelet was just delicious, and the “click” it made when closing on my wrist was certainly a well-thought-out design. She told me that the concept of this bracelet is rooted in the structure of bubbles. I am surely going to be inspecting my soap suds in a whole new light!

Staying with the theme of looking at the minute details of things, this necklace, called the cell pendant, “…is taken from the cross section of a plant stem. (She) made the chain to have repeating elements from the pendant, which is detachable.” Just brilliant! I love the matte finish, and I can imagine wearing it on its own or layered with other necklaces.

Not to ignore her wealth of botanical knowledge, I’m loving these “rue” earrings. I, being the uniformed plant gal, had to ask for clarification. Turns out that the rue plant is known as a medicinal herb. The earrings are jointed, creating a natural movement. They are also very light-weight, so perfect for those with more sensitive ears.

I’m sure you can now see how unique this line is. I’m thrilled that I got to meet her, and I look forward to seeing what this “rising star” is up to next!

Pamela Froman’s To-Die-For Opal Ring

Back in 2011 I wrote about Pamela Froman’s stunning jewelry line. I still dream about that moonstone ring… Well how happy was I to meet the designer in person at the Couture jewelry show!

I was anxious to see what she’s been up to, and she did NOT disappoint! This double-fingered ring features a stunning Australian yowah boulder opal surrounded by white diamonds and paraiba tourmalines, set in 18K gold. Holy cow!!

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, then you have your chance to meet this talented designer this Friday and Saturday! She will be having a trunk show at Earthworks in Los Altos, CA on 6/14 from 12-6 and 6/15 from 10-5:30. Don’t miss this opportunity, and let me know which pieces you’re in love with!!

Anne Sportun: Designer

A few years ago, I bought this ring by Anne Sportun at a local shop, and it quickly became one of my faves! (In fact my friend Karen liked it so much, that she bought one as well!)

Since then, I’ve been trying to meet her…but I always seemed to be out of town or busy when she had a local trunk show. But the stars were in alignment at Couture this year, when I got to spend a good amount of time chatting with her, finding out more about her line, and really getting to know her as a person. Let me tell you, she is just as lovely as her jewelry line!

Anne had her first jewelry order at age 16, when she was making jewelry out of stained glass. (Clearly jewelry designing was in her blood!) She is based in Toronto, Canada, and is fortunate to have her home, her studio and her shop all within a mile radius. How cool is that?! While her original plan was to study archaeology, she decided to sign up for a gold smithing class on a break before university. One thing led to another, and her jewelry business grew.

Anne explained to me that she has three different parts in her line: fashion, bridal, and alternative bridal jewelry. Each piece is hand-crafted in her studio, and many pieces have her signature stardust finish. This ring is her all-time favorite, with diamonds and an organic edge.

Being that aqua is my favorite color, I was instantly drawn to this aquamarine ring. It reminds me of the sea with a strand of sparkling sand.

In that same collection, she has these amazing earrings, which can be worn three ways! The pendant can be worn on either side, and it can be totally removed so that you are just left with the studs.

Voila --chic studs! — Voila –chic studs!

Anne’s tagline is “Precious. Everyday.” and I whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment. When you have a beautiful piece of jewelry that you love, then wear it — don’t leave it for “good” hidden away in your jewelry box. Case in point would be this ring, which I would rock every day if I owned it! The three main stones are sapphire slices, surrounded by white diamonds and set in white gold.

I couldn’t resist trying on a few of her bridal rings, either. They are all made for stacking, which is a great selling point. My favorite was this one — I love how the center stone is round, yet the outer setting is oval. It’s definitely a design I haven’t seen before!

Anne is really an outdoor girl, and she gets much of her inspiration from nature. She gets so much joy from spending time at her lake house with her husband and three children. She told me that she has a “calm, blessed, happy life” and I know that this is true. She just exudes a feeling of peace when you spend time with her. “Life is a series of synchronicity,” she told me, and I think that’s such a cool way to look at life. It was such a pleasure to meet her, and I will now picture her in my mind’s eye in this fantastic room at her lake house, dreaming up her next design.

How to Layer Necklaces: Video

You know that I’m a big fan of layering necklaces, and I have a blast with my clients “playing” in their jewelry boxes, coming up with new combinations. Well sometimes you might just get stuck trying to figure out what would work for you, so I think you’ll really enjoy this video that I came across on Youtube. It’s only about 2 minutes long, so give it a whirl. It might just inspire you to come up with some new layers. Enjoy!

(p.s. If you’re reading this on an RSS feed and it’s just a black box, just click on the video link, bolded in blue, or go directly to jewelryfashiontips.com to view it.)

Las Vegas Jewelry Shows: 2013!

Well yesterday I returned home from one of my favorite places in the world, Las Vegas. When I combine that with two amazing jewelry shows, saying that I was in heaven is putting it mildly! There are two major jewelry shows that occur at the same time each year in Vegas. Couture is held at the Wynn, and JCK is held at Mandalay Bay, at the opposite end of the strip. (love that they have a shuttle between the two shows!)

As editor of this blog, I was just thrilled to attend the shows. My dear friend and colleague, Jennifer Bressie, joined me again this year, and I have to say that we met and interviewed some amazing designers. I will be writing up articles about them in the months to come, so be prepared for a visual vacation.

Here’s Jen and me at the entrance to Couture, ready to explore all the glittering baubles that time would allow!

The shows are more than just jewelry, too. There are social events and parties, which are the perfect opportunity to get to know the designers and other people in the jewelry business better.

Here I am with the amazing Sara from Amali and Rebecca Overmann, a talented San Francisco designer.

I was also so excited to see Efva Attling, one of the designers I met last year who truly made a lasting impression on me.

Beth Bernstein, author of My Charmed Life, has a new coffee table book coming out soon, and I was honored to be at her book launch. Clearly, Todd Reed (designer extraordinaire) is a fan as well. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!!

This year was my first time attending JCK, which I believe had over 3000 exhibitors. (Can you believe it?!) I cannot wait to tell you about some of the cool, talented designers I met there as well.

My last night was topped off by attending the Couture design awards — basically the Academy Awards of jewelry design. Here I am with Mary Esses (who was nominated) and Lisa Evans, awaiting the big announcement.

So buckle your seat belts, and get ready for the glittery ride. You’re going to love what’s to come!

Jewelry Box Basics: Gifts for Grads

Oh…tis is the season for graduations! 8th grade, high school, college…these gals are ready to take the next step in life! And there’s no better way to mark these amazing milestones than with a piece of jewelry. Trying to find the perfect gift for someone can be a challenge, but I think if you consider their personal style then it might make the decision a bit easier.

During my 6-part series, Jewelry Box Basics, I discussed what jewelry each person should have in their jewelry box, based on their personal style: the lady who lunches, bohemian, rock star, minimalist, romantic, and the trendy gal. Now trust me, these personal styles can develop early, so just use your keen eye to determine where your grad might fall into the spectrum. Once you determine this, then you have a clear direction of where to start shopping. Here are some of my recommendations based on each personal style.

The Lady Who Lunches
You can never go wrong with pearls with this personal style. But given that the graduate is younger in age, you don’t want to select a pearl piece fit for her grandmother. I love these earrings by San Francisco designer, Alana Leigh. The baroque pearls and the unique setting are so versatile — from jeans and a t-shirt to a cocktail dress.

The Bohemian
When the bohemian woman is building her jewelry collection, she is undoubtedly going to build up quite the wardrobe of statement rings. Selecting a gorgeous ring with an organic feel would be perfect. Case in point is this druzy ring by Peppina jewelry. It’s simply stunning.

The Rock Star
Even if your grad isn’t part of a rock-n-roll band, her style definitely reflects an artistic quality. This doesn’t necessarily mean she’s covered in tattoos or multiple piercings, but she still has that edge. In which case, this amazing bangle by Alexander McQueen would be spot-on for her.

The Minimalist
Granted, the minimalist won’t necessarily be expecting a piece of jewelry for her graduation. In fact, she might not even know what to do with it at first! So the key here is to give her a piece that incorporates itself so easily into the minimal pieces that she already wears, that it becomes one of her must-wear pieces. Given the popularity of initial jewelry, choosing a simple, clean initial necklace by Jennifer Meyer is the perfect choice. It can easily be layered with other necklaces, or simply be worn on its own.

The Romantic
The woman with the romantic personal style typically has quite a sentimental bent. So giving her something with special meaning, like a birthstone piece of jewelry, would definitely warm her heart. I recently discovered the shopNBC.com site. (Who knew!?) and fell in love with this opal ring. (Happy birthday, October!) And a cool side note, this site offers something called “value pay” on certain items, where you can split your payment into monthly installments.

The Trendy Gal
Only the latest and greatest will do for the fashionista grad. Since you of course want to be on time for her appointments, the perfect gift for her will be a brightly colored watch to keep her on track. This stylish aqua watch by Kate Spade fits the bill perfectly.

I hope that you all enjoy this graduation season, and I send my very best wishes to all you grads out there!

Scrabble Jewelry

So do you have fond memories of playing Scrabble while growing up? I know I do, as do millions of other people around the world. Well Hasbro Inc., the creators of this uber popular game, has teamed up with World Trade Jewelers to create a whole Scrabble jewelry line! Famous for their Hershey Kiss jewelry, this line will be available to the public sometime this fall. (Jewelry collections for My Little Pony and Candy Land are also in the works.)

Of course, the stars always have first access to the hottest items, and the Scrabble necklaces are being spotted all over Hollywood, from Olivia Munn to Brooke Burke. Initial or monogrammed necklaces are all the rage right now, so it’s no surprise that stylists are swooping them up for their celeb clients. Here’s Carly Rae Jepsen sporting a “C.”

The first pieces that will hit the market are the pendants. They come in sterling with white diamonds and 14K yellow gold with black diamonds.

When I spoke with World Trade Jeweler’s CEO, Murray Shabot, last week, he said that this is only the beginning. There will be some pieces made of wood (birchwood and mahogany), cufflinks, and even a bangle where you can add letters to spell out what you want. Cool! The price range will run from $50-$1000, so there’s really something for every budget.

One thing I love about this whole concept is that it really appeals to both kids and adults — it’s nostalgic and current at the same time. I also think it will be a great necklace for layering. Here’s Amanda Crew wearing an “A” with a simple tank.

I would style it layered with a couple longer necklaces to create a fun look. I will get to see this line in person this week, as it debuts at the JCK jewelry show in Las Vegas. Can’t wait!

(Photo credits for Carly and Amanda: Look Los Angeles PR. Photo credits for pendants: Lazar Advertising)

Substantial Layers: Jewelry Judge

I was wandering around the Los Altos Rotary Art fair on Sunday with my mom. We always enjoy this fair, and I think I like the people watching just as much as the art on display. Well this woman had it going on! She is another example of how age doesn’t have anything to do with style.

Her simple, black outfit was the perfect backdrop for her somewhat weighty, yet harmonious layers. She didn’t even have to utter a word, and I already felt like I knew so much about her. I imagine that she would have traveled the world, I’m sure she’s a good story-teller, and I have a strong suspicion that she has an optimistic outlook on life. I could, of course, be wrong, but this is really an example of how your personal image talks without you opening your mouth.

I urge you to really think about your personal style and what your outfit and accessories are saying about you. You never know when I might snap a photo of you!!

Storage: The Luxe Life!

I’ve written a couple posts about jewelry storage the past couple years, but lately I’ve come across a few amazing closets while browsing around on Pinterest. I would love to see these spaces in person!

First up is from the closet of Mary Alice Stephenson, a stylist and TV host.

Take a closer look at the pull-out drawer/trays. It’s simply jewelry heaven!

Next is a very cool idea. Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti, the founder of the uber-cool site Vivre, has transformed a luxurious bureau into a huge jewelry box!

This last luxe example is more of a mystery. I don’t know who’s closet it’s in, but I wish it were in mine!

While I know that these storage systems are a bit beyond reach…a girl can dream, can’t she?! 😉

Swedish Bracelet in the Mix!

So earlier this month, I wrote an article about Swedish Sami bracelets. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks these are the coolest, as I’ve gotten lots of comments and e-mails about them. (Thanks for that — I love hearing from my readers!)

Well one reader even went a step further. She realized that her darling fiancee, Russ, wore one of these every day!

He purchased his at the Hostfest Scandinavian Festival in Minot, North Dakota. (looks like a pretty, darn fun festival!) He combined them with two Mexican silver bracelets, for an uber-cool look. He wears them daily, and I’m sure it adds a lot to his outfits — really expressing his personality via the accessories.

Love it! — This really shows his personal style

Thanks for sending in the photos and demonstrating how these bracelets rock for both women and men!