For both myself and my clients, Babette on Sutter Street near Union Square has been one of my go-to boutiques for years. Their modern, often pleated, clothing line is just fantastic. It never goes out of style, and I’ve yet to have one of their pieces wear out — now that’s saying something! Well imagine my delight when I recently entered the shop to see a jewelry case right in the middle of the store!! Knowing how unique the clothing is, I was sure I’d find some treasures that I’d never seen before, and I was definitely right!
A case just waiting to be explored!
While I like to think that I’m pretty in the know about different designers, I must admit that each and every designer shown was new to me. Wow! Elizabeth Shypertt is the curator of the collection, and has the pieces on consignment at the store. One of the first items that jumped right onto my wrist is this killer silver bracelet by Elisa Bongfeldt.
Then there’s a group of jewelry made from smooth river rocks by Terri Logan. Take a look at this stunning necklace and bracelet. Though they are made of stone, they are still light-weight and very comfortable.
If you’re into color, then these ball necklaces by Rosario Merola will be right up your alley. The red beads are made of lava rock!
I know that people who wear a more autumnal color palette and have a creative personal style will want to try on the collection by Brooke Battles.
And how unique are these necklaces by Kristin Lora made with brushes as pendants? These would definitely be a conversation piece!
There’s much more for you to see, so I encourage you to stop by the store and try things on in person. Have fun!
In this second installment of “Into the Jewelry Box” I found myself in a second story flat in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. Eclectically decorated with Asian influences and luxe fabrics, this was definitely a stylish home! Debra is a life-long minimalist by choice, and a quick peek into her closet definitely confirmed this! Her entire wardrobe is comprised of white, charcoal and black garments with clean, elegant lines.
Walking into her bedroom, she had all her jewelry laid out for me. That’s when it really struck what a minimalist she really is. If I tried to lay out my jewelry, I’d probably have to use the floor of my whole little apartment! But Debra’s perfectly curated collection was easily displayed on her dresser, in front of her Asian-style jewelry box — love how she has some precious objects on top of her jewelry box as well.
So let’s start with her favorite piece of all time, her stunning engagement ring, which is a 6 carat emerald cut diamond flanked by two 2 carat emerald cuts. I swear that it reflected the sunshine coming into the window all the way across the room! When I asked her if she helped picking it out, she laughed and said, “I ripped a picture of it out of a magazine and taped it to our bedroom door.” Classic.
The next piece that has major significance to her is this ancient Roman coin. She gave it to her husband for their wedding, and after his passing, she had the coin bezel set and made into a necklace. I love that it’s worn close to her heart.
Debra satisfies all her earring needs with 4 pair, two sizes of diamond hoops and two sizes of diamond studs.
The larger of the studs are two carats, and they are a daily staple for her. Her sassy silver haircut is the perfect frame for them.
She has a nice variety of silver bracelets that she stacks in different combinations. Many are by John Hardy, which she has been collecting the past 20 years.
And she mixes and matches them with some fashion jewelry wrap bracelets and some bangles by Alexis Bittar.
Of her 10 necklaces (yes…only 10, but fabulous ones!), I particularly love her strand of black south sea pearls with a black diamond clasp. She picked this up for a real bargain during the recession when a jeweler friend was trying to unload some merchandise. Just the value of the clasp is now worth half of what she paid for the whole necklace at the time. Now that was a good buy!
This necklace is also killer. She had seen it in a magazine and folded down the corner. Her clever husband noticed it, and he had a local jeweler replicate it for her second wedding anniversary present. SO pretty!
Having this Temple St. Clair crystal amulet pendant on a long silver chain adds some great dimension to her collection.
While many people don’t think about having a watch wardrobe, Debra has, and she has 5 watches which fit every occasion that arrises, from the white sporty Michele watch to the diamond Bedat evening watch to her husband’s Cartier.
She wears the same ring stack on her left hand every day, which consists of a couple silver rings paired with her husband’s wedding ring. One thing on her her “jewelry lust list” is a simple, slim diamond eternity band to add to the stack. I have a feeling I can help her find one…
Also on her shopping list is a pair of black diamond hoops. With her wardrobe and silver hair, I know that this will be a perfect addition.
I so appreciate being given the opportunity to see how Debra “keeps it simple.” While she has definitely made some big investments, her cost-per-wear makes them excellent purchases. Mixing these pieces with her fashion jewelry, Debra is always accessorized to the nines. Thank you SO much for letting me into your jewelry box!! xo
About ready to begin my 16th year as a full-time image consultant and wardrobe stylist, a big part of my job is accessorizing my clients from head-to-toe. Jewelry, is of course, a HUGE part of creating the whole “look.” I’m starting this new series, Accessorize Me, to demonstrate how to create different looks with the same outfit, just by switching up your accessories. Just as I do with myself and my clients, there’s a total range of price points — I love mixing high and low to create the look I’m going for. I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to all comments!
First up is this cool crepe jersey dress by Hemut Lang that I recently purchased for a client. She is a hard-working author, mom, and wife, so this dress has got to take her out during the day or to a cocktail party with her husband.
First, let’s take it a little more casual, yet still with an urban edge. For this look, I opted for a long, statement necklace by Alexis Bittar. I just love the organic nature of the pendant with the clear lucite drop. In addition, the asymmetry of the pendant echoes the asymmetry of the dress. This necklace would work with a variety of outfits, for sure!
Complementing the look with a cool stack ring, also by Alexis Bittar, and a simple, yet lovely pair of hammered silver hoops by Argento Vivo makes the right statement. The pave crystals in the ring pair well with the pave detail in the necklace, without being to “matchy matchy.”
Now taking it more uptown, I went with a gold theme. This client is a mix of warm and cool coloring, so she’s lucky to be able to wear both metal colors. (If you’re unsure what metals are best on you, click here for my article on selecting the right tone.)
First off, I went for a much higher and dressier shoe by Manolo Blahnik. While these are a big investment, they will get a lot of play from everything from dresses to jeans, so the cost-per-wear will be pretty good. Then this clutch by Diane von Furstenburg is a great combo with the gold/black theme.
While this is only two looks for this dress, I think we’re off to a great start. I’m sure we’ll even bring it down to total casual with flat sandals, a denim jacket, some more bohemian jewelry, and perhaps a simple cross-body bag. This $290 dollar dress is going to become a major work-horse this season!
My car is in the shop this week, and one of the gifts of this is that I find myself walking downtown to do my errands. This gave me the ideal opportunity to stop by the Julez Bryant trunk show at Les Deux Copines on Burlingame Avenue yesterday afternoon as I crossed things off my “to do” list. You may remember that I wrote about her line back in 2011 (where does the time go?!), and I was thrilled to see what she’s been working on. While there were a bevy of beautiful baubles to try on, I was especially taken by a few of her bracelets. First is this cuff with a chain closure — such a clever design! She makes it in a variety of widths as well.
I, of course, had to try it on! It was so comfortable to wear, and I love the effect with my mixed metals.
She was wearing a delicate wrap bracelet, and I must say that I thought it was a great combination of the bar necklace and a bracelet. (Can you tell how creative she is?)
Finally, though I’m not necessarily a “heart” gal, I still just loved this take on an ID bracelet. The first photo shows it in rose gold, and the second in yellow.
She will still be showing in Burlingame today from 12-7, so if your jewelry interest is piqued, then definitely stop by the trunk show!
Kara Ross, who opened her own storefront on Madison Avenue in NYC this past fall, is a designer I was so excited to interview at the Couture show in Las Vegas.
Amy and Kara
Kara’s love of gemstones began early in life, when her parents let her buy a tourmaline during a trip to Africa. When she returned home to the States, she designed her own ring, setting the stone in gold with diamonds. What a generous and creative opportunity to give a young woman! Clearly, this sparked a life-long love of stones and design, and I am blown away by her collection.
Most specifically, I was mesmerized by the Pangea ring. First of all, take a look at some images of the ring, and then I’ll tell you all about it.
Pangea is the land mass on our planet that existed about 300 million years ago, consisting basically of all the Earth’s continents melded together in sort of a puzzle formation. Plate tetonics then spent the next couple hundred million years separating the land into the seven continents that we know today. Here’s a neat visual to show how this happened.
Using this concept, Kara designed this ring as a tribute to the world we live on. Made of 18K gold (in yellow, white or rose), the jagged diamond-encrusted rows, “…reflect the shifting continents beautifully fusing together, and despite the drift all the pieces remain enveloped in one mass, continuing to come together and forming a harmonious whole.” Making each of these rings takes 10-11 weeks, and utilizes the expertise of 7 different craftsmen. Just drilling the hole through the large cabochon “Earth” is incredibly difficult. One little error, and the gem will shatter.
On the sides of the rings, you see a mosaic of hand-cut gemstones with angular pave diamond boarders, “…which represent the cultures and ethnicities of the world all living peacefully together.” The intricacies of these rings, along with their powerful message leaves me breathless — it’s truly a work of art and a labor of love.
This ring is the centerpiece of her Petra collection, which has over 100 pieces. The overriding design element seen across the collection includes jagged zig-zag motifs. Here are a few more pieces from this collection.
I just adore the juxtaposition of the raw rubellite and the polished amethyst in this last necklace, don’t you?
Kara also has both a fashion jewelry line, Kara by Kara Ross and a sterling silver line. I’ve tried on some of the sterling pieces in various shops, and they’re quite spectacular. Here’s a sterling cuff with black mother-of-pearl and black sapphires.
And this pair of earrings has a modern Art Deco vibe, for sure.
Kara has a huge celebrity following, and includes the Obamas among her private clients. She made pieces for them using the wood from a fallen magnolia tree from the White House garden. These coveted pieces were made for the First Lady and are also given as unique gifts to visiting heads of state and other important people. How cool is that?
Made for Michelle Obama
I cannot fail to mention Kara’s gem-tastic handbag collection, either, which includes everything from clutches to day bags. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Lizard with hematite and mother-of-pearl inset
And because a pop of celadon is hot for spring…
Ostrich with hematite clasp
I hope that you are as intrigued by this designer as I am. If you want to see some of her things in person, she sells at various retailers across the nation, as well as having her online shopping site. I cannot wait to see what she brings to Couture this spring!!
I try not to discriminate in the world of gemstones, but I must admit that emeralds have never been one of my favorite stones. (I guess it’s lucky I wasn’t born in May.) So I thought I’d give myself a challenge this St. Patrick’s Day and delve into the world of green stones, from emeralds to green diamonds to tourmalines and beyond. I decided to send myself on a virtual shopping spree, with no budget constraints and see what gorgeous green gems I could come up with. Folks, I was definitely NOT disappointed, and I now have a completely new appreciation for lovely baubles in all shades of green. So here goes, my top 20 picks.
Earrings
First up is this amaze-balls pair of earrings by Sutra.
Next I started drooling over these oval cravellit earrings by Armenta.
With the bar necklace trend still fresh in my mind, I expanded further by adoring these bar earrings by Jennifer Meyer. Though they are made of opals, they definitely read “green,” don’t you think?
For a classic tear-drop with a twist, take a look at these chrysoprase earrings by Irene Neuwirth.
And taking a more yellow-green approach, I think Anne Sportun has a lovely design in green garnets and diamonds!
Necklaces
Moving down the body, I started looking for green ways to adorn my neck. And oh, what lovelies did I find! First, I fell in lust with this tourmaline and diamond necklace by LFrank.
For a truly dramatic look, Irene Neuwirth nailed it with this emerald necklace.
I also explored the world of vintage jewelry, and I fell in love with this antique “Mogul” emerald and diamond pendant. The emerald was carved 1695 — so pretty!
Back to a simpler design, I think this green diamond paisley by Sethi Couture is beautiful.
And finally, this pendant necklace by Emily Amey would be great in creative layers.
Bracelets
Taking us to the wrist, I was loving the array of choices in which you can adorn yourself in green gemstones. This ombre look in chrysoprase and green quartz by Mary Esses is phenomenal.
Since I am a fan of stacking bracelets, I thought this bangle by Nak Armstrong would be a fab addition to my jewelry box. I love how the emeralds are such an unusual hue — veering more toward the aqua-green side.
I am often seen wearing my Hermes click-clack bracelet, and perhaps one in green would be just the right way to add a punch of color to my oft-neutral ensembles.
This delicate cuff by Jemma Wynne made of Zambian emeralds, gold and diamonds is perfection.
And given that this exercise gave me an unlimited budget, why not go for this tourmaline and diamond bracelet via Sotheby’s?
Rings
Lest we forget our fingers, I kept on the search. The first ring to catch my eye was this emerald slice and diamond stunner by Monique Pean. The stone has such a smoky quality to it — love it!
For a much more organic, boho look, I’d opt for something like this adventurine and sterling silver ring from Circle & Square.
Given my penchant for stacking rings, I know that I could incorporate some of these skinnies by Suzy Landa into my collection.
I think this opaque green diamond ring by Sethi Couture would look amazing with my skin tone.
And to end with another vintage piece, I think this emerald and diamond ring from the late 1800’s/early 1900’s via Bonhams is exquisite. I’m actually shocked that it sold for under $3K.
So what do you think of my virtual shopping spree? Do you see some pieces that you’d like as well? Wishing you a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day!
I recently returned from a girl’s weekend in Seattle with my cousin Rachel and my “cousin-to-be” Megan. We had a blast, despite the rainy weather, exploring this beautiful and friendly city. Since they were hanging with me, a professional shopper, I know that they weren’t surprised when I pulled out my page of hand-written notes on all the shops I wanted to visit. And bonus, Megan had a rental car! So off to the Fremont neighborhood we went, which is about a 15 minute drive from downtown Seattle.
Rachel, Amy and Megan
One of the shops on my “must see” list was Essenza, which is a unique combination of jewelry, bath/skincare products, sleepwear, and some kid’s items. I knew I liked the store before I entered, which was painted in a pale aqua-blue (my favorite color).
And my thoughts were confirmed as I entered this charming store, with a central fountain surrounded by beautiful cases of jewelry.
Peering into the cases from Zoe Chicco and Jamie Joseph definitely brought a smile to my face!
Zoe Chicco
Jamie Joseph rings
I was excited to find a new men’s jewelry line, The Blue Hound. It’s so rare that I see a men’s line represented at a store like this, and I loved it! It was very industrial, and had a great price point. Here’s some bad-ass skull cufflinks and a couple edgy bracelets.
If you’re in the Seattle area this coming week, then it’s the perfect time to stop by the store. They will be hosting an Anne Sportun (oh, how I love her and her line!) trunk show. Here’s the details on the show.
I hope that the next time you’re in Seattle, you’ll make the effort to visit Essenza. I met Wendy, the owner’s sister, and she was just charming. And in a typical small world style, it turns out that she used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and knew tons of people in common with my cousin. Go figure! I love how the universe keeps connecting us all in that special way.
While much of the nation seems to be wiling away countless hours playing Candy Crush, my big time-suck is Pinterest. If you are on it then you know how addictive it can be, and if you haven’t yet tried it then get ready for a slippery, yet visually delightful slope. For your viewing pleasure today, I wanted to share 10 photos from my “over-the-top jewelry” board. (Click here if you’d like to see more!) I’m sure most of these were photographed for editorial use or on a runway, yet they just go to show the lengths to which some designers go. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!
If you have some cool boards that I should check out, please leave a link to them in the comments below — I’d love to see them!
So how many of you just love watching those reality shows were you get to tour people’s homes and get an inside peek into their closets?! Or even a spread in Architectural Digest or In Style magazine that shows you how the stars live? Well I just love them, but I always wish they’d spend a little more time in the closet, and more specifically show me what’s in their jewelry box. I don’t care if it’s Oprah or someone I’ve never heard of, it’s just my curiosity about wanting to see what pieces are important to them. That’s how I came up with this new series, “Into the Jewelry Box.” Throughout the year, I’ll be visiting people’s homes and getting an in-depth look at their collection. I can’t wait see what I find and share it with you!
My first visit was to see Merna, a stylish 61 year-young woman with a background full of fashion. With a cropped blond pixie and twinkling eyes, she seemed very excited to show me her treasures. In fact when she opened the door, she was wearing her first diamond, which she received at 7 months old from her grandmother (who was also her godmother) for her baptism. Jewelry has clearly been part of her life from the start, and she joked, “I teethed on Vogue!”
Still in possession of her first jewelry box from 5th grade, she has been a collector and receiver of many gifts throughout her life. In fact, her collection has pieces dating back over 100 years.
I asked her to show me her favorite piece, and she couldn’t limit it to one. The first was this sunburst pendant/pin from Taxco, which was made by one of Spratling’s students. Just beautiful workmanship!
Another favorite is a large sterling cuff of her mothers from 1949. She used to own its mate, but sadly it disappeared at a photo shoot. (I hope whoever walked off it with is at least enjoying it!)
Finally, this sea shell, which she found during a photo shoot at Stinson Beach, is a sentimental favorite. Ironically a couple years after she started wearing it, she was flipping through the pages of W magazine and saw that Yojii Yamamoto did the exact same thing in sterling silver! (for $4500!)
Merna’s collection is housed in a large rolling tower of drawers, and we spent a good amount of time opening little boxes and peering inside silk pouches. (It felt like a treasure hunt for me!) My jaw dropped when I came across this exquisitely detailed pre-WWII Chinese dragon bracelet. She also has the matching ring and earrings which she received during college, as she was born in the Year of the Dragon.
These silver filagree bracelets from the early 1900’s also demonstrate amazing detail.
When I asked how her personal style has changed over the years, she talked about how she has shifted more from the small, delicate pieces (unless worn in stacks or layers) to bolder pieces. She likes the juxtaposition of the the bold pieces with her tall, small frame. Case in point are these wide Armani bangles, purchased from the Armani store in SF back in the 90’s.
I will say, though, that I was drawn to her vintage pieces. It was like being in a jewelry museum, but you could actually try things on. Take a look at this silver and amethyst Art Nouveau set from around 1900.
And being a Downton Abbey-o-holic, I could just picture Merna’s mother wearing this 1920’s pearl necklace out on the town in her flapper-esque dress…
If you like vintage watches, then you’ll definitely like this Longines timepiece from the 1930’s, which is completely original inside and with a new strap.
She says that she rarely edits her jewelry, as she has been given so many lovely gifts and she only buys what she loves. With so much diversity in her jewelry box, I asked her what was on her jewelry lust list. Here’s her top items:
1. There are always some Hermes pieces that she has her eye on
2. A gold pearl necklace and matching stud earrings (which would complement her hair perfectly!)
3. A single stone aquamarine pendant
4. Brown diamond stacking rings
I’m sure, like me, she’ll add things to her list. And sometimes you don’t even know when your heart will be pulled by something sparkly as you walk by the window of a random shop. Though whatever she does end up acquiring, either for herself or as a gift, I know it will have a story. There was not one item we found that didn’t have a story to go along with it, and in my eyes, that makes her collection all the more special.
Thanks for opening up your jewelry box for me, Merna! xo
As a certified image consultant and wardrobe stylist, I need to earn a certain number of CEUs (continuing education units) each year to maintain my certification. I love attending conferences where I stay current with the latest teachings in the world of fashion and image. I spent last weekend attending the AICI (Association of Image Consultants, International) conference here in San Francisco. While I was of course taking copious notes, I was also snapping pics of jewelry that caught my eye on fellow attendees.
I noticed a few trends going on. First was layered necklaces. Here are various layers I spied….
Diamond leaf layered with raw diamonds
Rock ‘n roll with camo
Here’s a close-up of the key pendant, by Jennifer Montana’s jewelry line which donates 80% of its proceeds to charity.
Each of her pendants had sentimental meaning
Stunning tassel and rose gold accents
Stacked bracelets was another trend that was definitely going strong.
