I first met Michelle around 2000. I recall that the first year or so we knew each other, her wardrobe uniform included a fitted black Prada t-shirt, and virtually no jewelry. Seriously, no sparkle! It’s been such a treat to see how Michelle’s style has evolved over the years, and I now consider her one of the most avant-garde dressers I know. Granted, she is in the fashion industry, but Michelle does not let trends dictate what she wears. I’ve seen her dive into both color and gems the past 17+ years and truly discover her own personal style. Lucky me — I got to spend an hour exploring her jewlery box and hearing about her favorite pieces for this latest installment of Into the Jewelry Box.
When Michelle met me at the door, she was in a Saturday casual chic look which included an Avant Toi sweater topped with a knotted chain necklace with a singular Tahitian pearl. She told me, “It’s messy and old…I’ve had it for over 10 years…and I love it.” Now that’s a good return on investment, still wearing it a decade later.
She complemented the easy look with a pair of pave diamond studs. These earrings get a lot of mileage in her wardrobe, as they go everywhere from spin class to traveling the globe.
I was lusting after this other pair of diamond slice studs nestled in her jewelry box — what a fabulous, warm glow! These were purchased on a trip to India.
Another pair of her everyday earrings are these luscious grey drops from Larkspur & Hawk. I can see how they’d just meld with whatever she decided to wear that day.
I hadn’t been to Michelle’s house in years, but it didn’t surprise me to see her jewelry collection was as edited as she keeps her closet. She chooses to buy fewer pieces, but fabulous pieces. I asked her what her most worn items are in the current rotation. First and foremost is the “rolling” bracelet by Sidney Garber.
She first saw this bracelet in Aspen, where one of her friends was wearing it. At first she didn’t “get it,” but then her eye started seeing it paired with The Row and other key designers, and suddenly she had a big “ah ha!” and had to purchase one for herself. It is now her #1 favorite piece of jewelry she owns. She likened the phenomenon to skinny jeans. Remember how when they first hit the scene we cringed while wearing our boot-cut jeans? Then when our eye and mind got used to them, they were suddenly a staple.
Michelle also has two long necklaces which she frequently layers together. One is a golden hand on a long leather cord, and the other is a gold Irene Neuwirth chain with two brightly colored pendants. And all together, they totally work on her!
She found a pair of amethyst Judy Geib earrings that really play back well with the whole jewelry ensemble. They “go” but they’re not totally matchy-matchy, if you know what I mean.
Michelle also has a real affinity for the fashion jewelry from Bottega Veneta. She’s acquired a nice collection of their drop earrings, as well as a very cool bracelet with green accents. These are easy for her to mix and match with her scarf collection.
Speaking of earrings, she has a few pair that are extra-special. When I asked about her strategy for jewlery acquisition, she explained, “I’m clothes-driven. I just LOVE clothes. I buy the outfit first, and then I go about finding the right jewelry.” This is how she ended up with these crazy-cool Nak Armstrong earrings, purchased to complement her mother-of-the-groom outfit for her son’s wedding. I took a photo of them on top of the Gucci skirt she wore. Once again, you can see how she just nailed the blended color palette.
Here’s another standout pair of earrings, this time labradorite by Irene Neuwirth. These are generally reserved for more special occasions.
One of the things I really admire about Michelle’s collection is that it really isn’t full of “basics.” In fact, most pieces have a very distinct personality, just like she does. Have you ever though about having a fly on a necklace? And that it would be one of your go-to pieces? Neither had I, but she bought this Stephen Webster fly necklace and it has become a staple. Who would have thought?
Or what about a multi-strand necklace embellished with crystal evil eyes on pearls? Sounds a bit out there? Well not in this case — in her wardrobe it’s spot on perfect.
I have to say, that getting an inside look into Michelle’s jewelry collection has really got me thinking. Perhaps I should consider adding more color to my jewelry? Does this fit into my personal style? I certainly tend towards buying neutrals. Also, if I see a piece that truly speaks to me, yet it’s more “quirky” than I would normally buy, I’m going to analyze it before automatically dismissing it — would it blend with my wardrobe? Where could I see myself wearing it? All things to ponder.
Thanks to Michelle for allowing me to invade her jewelry box. I love the collection you’ve built, and I’ll be anxious to see what you acquire next!
Sometimes I get so annoyed with myself, when I find out that there has been this amazing studio and gallery under an hour from where I live (since 1993!), and I didn’t visit until now. (Doh!) Thank goodness I finally had the good sense to visit Shibumi Studio & Gallery in Berkeley. What finally got my butt in gear was I saw that they were having a Ruth Tomlinson show. If you’ve been following me, then you know I’m a big fan of hers. In fact, when Ruth posted a particular white gold and diamond ring on her Instagram feed about 4 weeks ago, it was love at first sight. It was with mixed emotions that I got to actually try on said ring at the gallery (even better on my finger!) but then found out it had already sold (drat!). Doesn’t it look quite fetching paired with two of Ruth’s stacking bands? Oh, so “Amy!”
Regardless of the fact that this ring would not be going home with me, I must have spent an hour exploring this space and all the beautiful work it features. The other designer featured for the current show is Heather Palmer, an Oakland-based artist with phenomenal hand-blown glass objects de arte. Here’s a few of her vases accented by driftwood.
Shibumi is owned by April Higashi, an extremely talented jewelry designer. Her collection of rings is out of this world, and I spent some quality time trying them on.
I couldn’t quite take my eyes of the sunset hues of this sapphire ring by April.
If you’re looking for a ring, whether it be for general wear or an engagement ring, then this is a must-stop shop. Take a gander at this case, just brimming with sparkly delight.
There were many artists showing whose work I was familiar with, such as Sam Woehrmann, Tura Sugden, and Polly Wales. But there were also numerous designers that were brand new to me. Can I tell you what a thrill this is? I admired this glass bracelet from Karen Gilbert.
And a rock bracelet by Deborah Boskin that spoke to my nature-loving soul.
Even the gallery itself is beautiful, from the Eric Powell doors as you enter, to the sleek space inside.
And do you see all the drawers in these two banks? Yep..each and every one is filled with jewelry. A veritable treasure trove!
Next time you find yourself in the east bay, I highly encourage you to spend some quality time at Shibumi. And yes, mom, I promise we’ll take a field trip there. You’ll go crazy!!
Wendy Brandes is a force to be reckoned with, in the most positive of ways. I’ve followed her on social media for quite some time, and I’m inspired by both her unique jewelry and her strength of character. When I found out she would be showing at JCK in Las Vegas, I definitely made meeting her a “must do.” I’m so glad I did, as she and her collection were as impressive in person as I had envisioned. I now must share with you some of the most fantastical rings I’ve ever seen before, rife with detail and a story. Without further ado, enjoy this interview with Wendy about her Maneater collection.
I was SO taken with your Maneater rings at the show! Can you tell me a bit about what inspired this collection?
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by biographies of women, especially those of long-ago queens and other powerful female figures. In my first career as a journalist (at the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and People.com) I was, of course, dealing with current events. When I switched to jewelry design in 2006, I realized I had a way to keep telling stories, only now I could tell them about the historical women who had always intrigued me. I started my line with designs inspired by real people, ranging from the queens everyone knows about — Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth I — to women Americans might not be familiar with, including Empress Matilda of England, Queen Min of Korea, and Empress Wu of China.
It was Empress Wu, the 7th-century ruler of China, who led to the Maneater collection. I always liked the fact that during her lifetime, Wu was known as “emperor” — the only female ruler of China to use the male title. Historians have treated her differently from her male peers, the same way they did with other powerful women. You can find supposedly serious history books that refer to Wu (and other women) as a “dragon lady” or “maneater.” (Equally murderous male rulers have no equivalent pejoratives.) I like to take the words used against us and turn them into symbols of power. Besides, who doesn’t love dragons? So I created an 18K yellow gold Empress Wu dragon ring that holds the whole world — represented by a spinning lapis lazuli globe — in its fangs.
That other common insult — “maneater”– still stuck in my mind though. Eventually, I decided that every jewelry design I did didn’t have to represent an actual woman, and that I could create pieces around the theme of female power in general. Thus, the Maneater collection was born.
I believe there are 8 in the series, and I tried on 3 of them at the show: the bull and bullfighter, the pink elephant and Jonah and the whale. Can you give us a little description of each of these?
I originally planned to do a series of eight one-of-a-kind rings — eight being a “power” number if you are into numerology — but then I found a very interesting and large labradorite carving, so now the series is seven rings and a showstopping necklace that uses the carving. The necklace is still in the works.
All of the Maneater rings have a triumphant figure on top of the ring and a small man inside the shank. The Bull and Bullfighter Maneater ring shows a winning bull standing tall over a stadium. If you peek inside the shank, you see the bullfighter standing with his back to us, his cape swirling around him. The rose-gold bull is paved with 350 black diamonds totaling 1.48 carats. I also used 79 white diamonds totaling 0.37 carats. All together, the ring uses 25 grams of 18K rose, yellow, and white gold.
The Pink Elephant and Tipsy Writer Maneater ring won an honorable mention in the Spectrum awards. “White Fang” author and journalist Jack London was the person who came up with the idea that folks who hit the bottle too hard might hallucinate pink elephants. The elephant is covered in 262 pink sapphires totaling 2 carats. She has diamond eyes and a ruby forehead ornament, and she stands on a bar that is set with 174 brown diamonds totaling 2.15 carats. Inside the shank, the writer slumps next to a wine glass, which is adorned with another diamond. I used 23.6 grams of 18K rose, yellow, and white gold in this ring.
For the Jonah and the Whale Maneater ring, a diamond-pave whale with tsavorite eyes surges through a blue-sapphire sea. In the shank, Jonah is curled into the fetal position. I try to do each of the men in the Maneater rings a little differently, and I figured Jonah wasn’t going to be walking around upright in the whale.The yellow and white gold weighs 26.1 grams. I used 86 points of blue sapphires and about half a carat of white diamonds. All of the rings were made with the lost-wax casting process (carved by hand), all of them are one-of-a-kind, and all of them were made in New York City.
I know that you, yourself, are a very powerful woman — from your artistic talent to your convictions. Which of the rings would suit you the best right now? And why?
I don’t like to have to choose a favorite from among my children, but I admit that I always favor the most recently completed design. In the Maneater series, that would be the Dragon and the Knight Maneater ring. (I really do love dragons!) In addition to being the newest Maneater, it’s the most complex Maneater design. In addition to 18K yellow, rose, and white gold, I added platinum to the mix, in the form of a sword clenched in the dragon’s jaws and a skull at her feet. The rose-gold treasure chest opens to reveal the dragon’s hoard of gems, and the wings and the skull also have a little movement to them.
The gold weighs 29.78 grams, and there are 2.8 grams of platinum. There are 400 tsavorites totaling 4.5 carats on the dragon, 52 brown diamonds weighing 52 points on her wings, and white diamonds, rubies, and keshi pearls in the treasure chest. I think it would be rather pretentious to announce to someone in real life, “I am a complex personality!” In fact, I’m positive that most people who know me would say that I’m a very straightforward person. But when it comes to jewelry, the more complicated it is, the more I like it … so analyze that as you wish!
Can you believe this work? Jaw-dropping, to be sure. Wendy has a wide array in her collection, and you can see more at her online shop. I have no doubt that there’s a story behind each and every piece.
Wendy, thank you so much for your time and talent! I truly appreciate you.
I’m pretty voracious when it comes to devouring my Instagram and Pinterest feeds — they’re a constant source of beauty and new ideas. This is exactly how I first came across one of Disa Allsopp’s “spaghetti rings.” So it was with great joy that I had the opportunity to meet her and see her collection at the NY Now show. Here I am trying on three of her spaghetti rings, with bezel-set garnet, peridot and aquamarine. She has perfectly captured that fine line between luxe and organic, don’t you think?
Here’s another spaghetti ring, sprinkled with diamonds.
Disa, a London-based jeweler, set up shop in 1996. She works in 18K gold, sterling silver, and gems, and she hand-fabricates each and every piece right in her studio. She is inspired by the jewelry of ancient civilizations, from Roman to Greek and beyond. I can certainly see this influence in her work. Take these blue sapphire and gold rings, for instance. It’s hard to determine if they’re new or straight out of the Victoria and Albert jewelry collection!
My lovely mom, who was at the show with me, modeled this necklace, where hand melted pieces of silver are strung on silver wires. It really makes a personal style statement. (SO your look, mom!)
Disa showed me one of her newest designs — these three and four stone rings. SO pretty in garnet, tourmaline, peridot and yellow beryl.
Very happy I had the opportunity to see this creative line in person. Disa, it was a pleasure meeting you!
I don’t know about you, but right now I can use a bit of a pick-me-up. Between the weather and the general unease seemingly omni-present in our country, I just want to smile and be happy. Jane Taylor Fine Jewelry is exactly what the doctor ordered! Not only does a smile come to my face when I think of Jane and her daughter, Cleo, the dynamic duo behind the brand, but the color in their jewelry is just fantastic. Trust me — about 500 words from now you will be feeling much more positive.
Got color?!
First, let me introduce you to Jane and Cleo. Jane has been obsessed with jewelry since childhood. Her dad brought her to antique shows while growing up, giving her an introduction into the world of jewelry. Her passion was so great, that she left art school when she was 19 and began her career, working in the diamond district in NYC. When her daughter, Cleo, came along, she began making baby jewelry for her. Jumping ahead to 1994, Jane officially launched her own line. Cleo joined Jane in the business full time after college in 2010. They truly make a great team; Jane focuses on the design and manufacturing, while Cleo is the mistress of PR, marketing and public relations. And did I mention they’re totally fun to boot? (I bet you can clue on that from their smiles in the photo below.)
I just may have visited their booth more than once during the Couture show, and each time I tried on something different. There’s a reason they call their jewlery “totally everyday.” (I apparently took this literally.) First up was this show-stopper of a cuff, with a multitude of different gems set in ruthenium plated sterling. I was definitely having a Wonder Woman moment with this thing on my wrist!
On another visit I was more into the stacking bracelets, which come in all colors of the rainbow. These are from their Cirque Collection.
One reason I made sure to see this line at the show was that I had seen these darling little opal studs on their Instagram feed. And yes, they just might now be living in my own jewelry box…maybe.
Showing the great range in their collection, here are some dazzling earrings that are pretty much a party for your ears!
I was just e-mailing with Cleo, and she shared this image of a new pair of earrings. The peridot cushions (the “greenery” color of the year) are really set off next to the pink sapphires, don’t you think? Very cool color juxtaposition.
I also enjoyed playing with their trays of rings. I stacked up a bunch, then just tried on a single — both equally inviting.
If you’re into bolder looks, then perhaps you’d select one of these two rings? The first is composed of quartz, amethyst and topaz, while the second features citrine, beryl and zircon.
If you’ve been enjoying the bar necklace trend, but want to branch out into a new version, then you’ll enjoy these two necklaces. Which one could you see yourself wearing?
Now I have to ask — are you smiling yet? Did I hear you mutter “wow” or perhaps “that’s gorge!” I thought so. Wishing you a VERY happy day.
As I explored the floor of the JCK show in Las Vegas, there was quite a buzz about Little H jewelry. “Amy, you just MUST stop by her booth! You’ve really never seen anything like it,” exclaimed more than one friend of mine. My curiosity was most certainly piqued, as I couldn’t imagine what could be done with pearls that was so revolutionary.
Ok — everyone was correct — my eyes opened wide in amazement when I saw what Hisano Shepherd was doing with pearls. She has created pearl geodes!! Look at these rings I tried on! They are filled with black and white diamonds.
How did she come up with this idea? Well last year she was at the Tucson Gem Show and was quite taken by all the geodes, such as these amethyst ones.
Having a history in the pearl business, she came up with the idea of cutting a pearl in half, polishing the inside, and then lining them with gems and seed pearls. How cool is that?! Here’s some of the pearls, both whole and cut open, to show you what they look like.
Hisano uses mainly three types of pearls in these collections: Tahitian, South Sea, and Souffle (which I had never heard of before.). Souffle pearls are grown in such a manner that they are hollow inside. She goes to Hong Kong three times a year to source all the pearls and gems. She cuts each pearl herself, and each stone is handset in her Los Angeles studio, with the assistance of her one assistant. Very labor intensive, to be sure.
I couldn’t help but admire the ombre effect she created in this pendant.
Hisano doesn’t want pearls to be thought of as dowdy, and she has really come up with a way to make them relevant for today’s woman. Here are a couple more pieces from her Pearl Geode Collection, including a bracelet and earrings with jackets.
I think her Finestrino Collection (meaning little window in Italian) is so special. You can see how she has created windows into the pearls, and then filled them with gems.
There’s alto the Grotto Collection, where you can see through the whole pearl on the earrings and pendants, and the opening is then gem-encrusted.
I must say, I had such fun trying on all her designs!
And she has not forgotten about the men out there. How about these Tahitian pearl and black diamond cufflinks?
Although I think if my significant other owned these, I’d be “borrowing” them and pairing them with an untucked white tuxedo shirt and frayed-hem jeans. Luxe casual!
If you’d like to see more of Hisano and hear about her process, you’ll enjoy this video.
The first time Syna appeared on my radar was when I saw Monica of iDazzle wearing one of their Mogul drop necklaces. I couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch this glorious moonstone pendant with yellow gold and black diamonds on the cap; with its clean lines and elegance I was just mesmerized. Lucky me, as I got to see the line in person at the Couture show and spend some time with Dharmesh and Namrata Kothari, the husband-wife team behind the brand.
Syna Mogul Drop Necklaces
Syna, which means “together,” is clearly a life’s passion for this creative duo. They took an enormous leap of faith when they began their line and moved to the United Stated about thirteen years ago. Believing that “the possibilities of design, and life, are limitless when people work together,” they have come to create a truly beautiful and meaningful collection.
After drooling over the Mogul drops (Which stone would I want for myself??) I moved on to this outstanding peacock pendant surrounded by blue diamonds and tsavorites. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s so serene, yet powerful, at the same time.
There was also a bevy of bracelets from their Baubles Collection waiting to be tried on. Well OK, I don’t mind if I do!
I enjoyed mixing and matching until I came up with this combination in garnet, diamonds, opal and peach moonstone. Pretty dreamy, right? And so comfortable on the wrist!
Definitely known for their use of color, I was blown away by this pendant of hand-carved and hand-painted bone. Wow!
Incorporating aspects from their rich heritage are extremely important to Dharmesh and Namrata. They aim to take such ideas, and show them in the most simple and refined way. When I saw various horses in the line, they explained to me that horses stand for bravery and royalty in their culture. In fact they told me at weddings the groom comes in on a horse! I tried on a horse head ring and admired a pair of cufflinks in 18k yellow gold with hand-carved blue sapphires with black diamonds.
I could have stayed and chatted with them all afternoon. Their warmth and knowledge was so inviting. And I don’t know about you, but when I find a connection with designers, it makes me love their work even more. Thank you, Dharmesh and Namrata for your time and kindness. I hope to see you soon!
My obsession with east-west set diamond rings began in August, when I tried on this one-of-a-king diamond ring by Lauren Wolf at the NY Now show. Granted, I’ve never really been fond of the marquis cut for myself, but turned on its side — I was hooked!
This really got me to thinking about how turning a stone on its side, be it oval, emerald, pear, or whatever, really gives the stone a whole new look! Plus, there are quite a few advantages I can see to this style:
easier to stack other rings with it
makes some cuts look “larger” as it takes up more horizontal real estate on your finger
would be ideal for shorter fingers, which may find certain stone cuts set in the traditional way too “tall”
if you wanted to re-design a current ring, it could be a great option instead of getting a whole new stone
unique and outside the box, which is always a plus in my book
With east-west set stones on my mind, I started searching for other examples. Jillian Abboud posted this photo of three antique diamonds, resting horizontally, on her Instagram feed and I started picturing different designs in my mind’s eye. (Which one would you choose?)
Elizabeth Street had me drooling at her selection on Instagram as well!
And then my dear friend Laura, who recently got engaged, had Polly Wales make her this fantabulous ring!
All of this spurred me onto an afternoon-long search online to see what other intriguing designs I could uncover. I did find quite a few to share with you, although I think this design is still up-and-coming, as there weren’t as many as I anticipated. In no particular order, here’s some variations on the east-west theme:
What do you think of this east-west idea? Is it something you could see yourself wearing? Or perhaps you do already? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below — I’ve love to hear from you!
