Cindy Edelstein Memorial Charity Auction

Cindy Edelstein was a powerful woman in the world of jewelry. I met her a few times over the years, and I was so impressed with her devotion to both jewelry designers and the industry as a whole. When she tragically passed last year, it left a deep hole in the heart of the jewelry world. The Contemporary Jewelry Design Group (CJDG), in association with Couture, is honoring her legacy with an online jewelry auction, and bidding will be opening tomorrow, May 15, 2017.

CJDC-ad-final-MS
There are over 30 unique pieces on the auction block, each generously donated by CJDG members. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Jewelers for Children and the Women’s Jewelry Association Scholarship Fund. Here’s a little more about these recipients:

“Jewelers for Children is a non-profit founded in 1999 by the U.S. jewelry industry with the mission of helping children in need. Since its inception, JFC has donated more than $51 million to programs serving children whose lives have been affected by illness, abuse, or neglect.

The Women’s Jewelry Association established the “Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship” in 2016 to honor Cindy’s unwavering commitment to the WJA and the careers of women. This scholarship, in the amount of $5,000, is awarded annually.”

Bidding runs May 15- June 3 at 4pm. The winners will be announced at the Couture cocktail party following the close of the show at 6:00 pm on June 3, 2017. And don’t worry — you don’t have to be present to win. This auction is open to the public, and the jewelry will be sent to the winning bidders.

Just to tempt you, here are a few of the gorgeous pieces that could be yours….

Skye pendant from Julez Bryant

julez bryant skye pendant
Knife Edge hoop earrings from Suzy Landa

suzy landa signature knife edge hoop earrings
Pamela Froman yellow and pink gold Scrolls bar necklace with diamonds

pamela froman pink and yellow gold scrolls bar necklace with diamonds
Inverted diamond and oxidized silver earrings from TAP by Todd Pownell

tap by todd pownell diamond earrings
Dana Bronfman’s Trina ring in yellow gold with diamonds

dana bronfman trina ring in yellow gold with diamonds
Antique Greek coin necklace from Jane Bohan

jane bohan antique greek coin necklace
Raw diamond disc earrings from Todd Reed

todd reed raw diamond disc earrings
So have I got your attention now? I thought so. Head on over to the auction site and bid for both beauty and a great cause.

(Original photo of Cindy by Dario Calmese/ Artwork by Mike Pfeffer)

#JewelryUniform

The title of this blog post may confuse you — especially if you aren’t on Instagram; so let me explain. The talented Tura Sugden has created the hashtag #jewelryuniform to challenge other Instagrammers to show a pic of the jewelry they wear each day…in other words, your “jewelry uniform.” I’ve been loving getting a peek into the jewelry boxes of so many jewelry-addicts I admire. And then, I was challenged by both Dana Bronfman and Becky from Diamonds in the Library to show mine. Ack! My immediate reaction was, “How can I possibly do this? I wear different things almost every day!” But the more I contemplated the jewelry in my life, I decided it was possible to narrow it down to the key pieces which have been making me smile this summer. Just like Becky, my fellow writer, I cannot limit this to just one photo, so here I am writing an entire article about it. 😉

First off, I tend to have more silver-oriented days, and others that veer more towards yellow and rose gold. I never have on only one tone of metal from head to fingertips, but there’s definitely an emphasis each day. So let’s start with the “gold” days.

#jewelryuniform gold
For me, this ensemble starts with the shorter necklace, comprised of an enhydro quartz pendant by Monica Marcella on a hand-fabricated chain by Tura Sugden. I pair this with a super long chain of oxidized silver with little gold beads. I have no clue where I purchased this — I’ve had it for a zillion years.

Ears are adorned in my most favorite rose gold and moonstone studs by Nak Armstrong. (Nak helped me pick them out when I visited him at a trunk show he was having at Barney’s in SF; it’s like they were made for my tiny earlobes.)

The wrist is pretty simple with a dark silver chainlink bracelet with a rose gold and moonstone clasp by Alberian & Aulde from Gallery of Jewels.

Then, there are many rings to create a combination from…

rings
I do not wear them all at once, nor all on one hand. My mood and the state of how puffy my fingers are (am I the only one whose fingers are puffy in the morning?!) help me decide what to wear. Top to bottom, left to right, here’s the designer info:

  • Third Eye ring with a faceted black diamond from Fiat Lux
  • Polly Wales diamond eternity band (definitely the piece I wear every single day, no matter what)
  • Vintage gold, silver and sapphire ring bought over 20 years ago
  • Erica Molinari gold and enamel ring
  • Alberian & Aulde “Jupiter” ring with labradorite
  • Megan Thorne wide gold band with diamonds
  • Victorian diamond ring from Metier
  • Rose gold and labradorite navette ring from Arik Kastan

Now, let’s turn to the days where my outfit calls for more of a silver vibe.

#jewelryuniform silver
Again, I start with the necklace, in this case the “egg” pendant from Sophie Buhai. When I ordered it, I requested two chains of different lengths. This has given it more milage, since different lengths give me more options with regard to what looks best with the neckline of what I’m wearing.

My white gold and diamond earrings by Sethi Couture are a definite go-to. And on my wrist, I stack three bracelets: a silver chain link with gold lock from Marla Aaron, a silver Hermes Collier de Chien bangle, and an oxidized silver bangle with square labradorites from Nak Armstrong.

For rings, I typically choose among these 4, which include three by Rosa Maria (from Betty Lin) and a Spinelli Kilcollin multi-metal ring with topaz.

silver rings
No matter if it’s a silver or gold day, I always wear gold studs in my 2nd piercing. It’s the only metal that doesn’t seem to infect my ear at this point. So, I opt for either my Gabriella Kiss “slug” from Quadrum Gallery or a tiny disc with white sapphires from Polly Wales.

gabriella kiss and polly wales gold studs
So there we go…my #jewelryuniform. What about you? Do you have one? Definitely post a photo on Instagram, use this hashtag and tag @amyroseveare so I can see what baubles make you happy every day. Join in on the fun! Thanks to Tura for creating this, and to Dana and Becky for the tag! xo