A new month is upon us, and with it brings a new birthstone to explore. (Click here if you missed my article about peridot last month.) Though traditionally people think of sapphires being blue, the fact is that they come in every color but red. Why not red? I learned that a ruby is technically a blue sapphire. What?! They are both made of the corundum mineral, but when it’s true red, it’s a ruby. There seems to be a blurry line between sapphires that are pinkish-red or reddish-orange and a ruby, so be aware. I’m going to have to investigate this more.
But on to the meaning of sapphires. Known as a symbol of faith, goodness, wisdom and purity, sapphires also provide protection of loved ones and from evil. Here are some of the other qualities associated with sapphires:
-mental clarity
-creativity
-inspiration
-prosperity
-fulfillment of dreams
-aid in meditation
Given that sapphires come in so many colors, I’m including some non-blue pieces that really pique my interest.
So how many of you reading this have September birthdays? I hope you have a wonderful celebration and treat yourself to a new sapphire piece of jewelry!
Do you consider yourself a pearl girl? (Yes, Jen, I see you nodding your head.) I’ve never had a strong affinity for them personally, as most of the designs I saw growing up were too traditional for my taste. It’s just not my personal style to wear an heirloom strand of white pearls or a pair of round stud earrings, as lovely as they are. But let me tell you that the tide is turning, and I’m seeing some sleek, modern designs out there that may have me changing my tune. Take a look at these pieces and see what you think.
I know there are various types of pearls in the jewelry listed above. If you’d like a quick explanation of the different types, then you’ll enjoy this article I wrote a while back. Also, be sure to keep your pearls in great shape with proper cleaning and storage.
Many people associate sneakers with the gym or uber-casual clothing, but I’m here to tell you that you can really elevate your sneaker look. A few years ago, I spotted many stylish sneaker looks on women in Stockholm and Copenhagen. With the increasing popularity of sneakers here in the States, I even started a whole Pinterest board last fall called Sneaker Chic.
The key to looking pulled together is pairing them with an outfit with clean lines and in predominantly solid neutrals. Slip-on styles appear a bit dressier than lace-up options. And yes, you can even wear them with skirts and dresses if you’ve got the formula correct.
With fall merchandise now arriving in the stores, I’ve noticed many pairs of bejeweled sneakers on the shelves. Since I’ve often written about how blingy shoes and bags definitely count as jewelry in an outfit, I thought I’d give you some ideas of how to incorporate this trend into your wardrobe. And of course, both of these outfits I’m going to show you can easily be worn with a simpler, non-jeweled pair of sneakers as well.
First of all, here’s a sampling of what I’ve seen coming in at a variety of price points. Definitely jewelry for your feet, right?!
Now that you’ve got an idea of what’s out there, I first want to show you how to pair them with pants. I’d choose a slim (but not too skinny) pant that hits a couple inches above the ankle. J.Crew has a nice option in stretch black wool. This is a weight that’s suitable most of the year here in California. (note: Wear the sneakers either bare-foot or with peds — you don’t want socks showing, or it’ll wreck the look.)
This would look great with a long vest, or as some retailers are calling them, “sleeveless coats.” I think the cut and neutral color of this one by Alexander Wang is hot. If this isn’t your color, there are many other options out there. (I just saw a couple at Zara last week.) Even a cool blazer would work if you prefer sleeves.
If it’s still warm, then you can easily wear this with a black tank. If it’s a bit cooler, or you’d like to make it more work-appropriate, then wearing it with a simple knit, such as this one from Vince, is a nice option.
Now that you’ve got this base of solid colors, then it’s time to add some jewelry (My favorite part!). But I don’t want it to be too complicated or distracting, as then it’ll detract from the sneakers. I saw these silver egg necklaces by Sophie Buhai online, and I’m sort of obsessed with them. They come in two lengths, and I think the longer one would be ideal with the long vest.
Then you’ve got to keep it simple with the earrings. I would recommend cool studs and perhaps a subtle ear cuff for a little edge, depending on your personal style. Here are possibilities by John Hardy (black chalcedony studs) and an ear cuff by Campbell.
The Spinelli Kilcollin Andromeda ring has exactly the right vibe for this outfit. If you’re not familiar with his designs, they can be worn stacked on one finger, or spread out among multiple fingers. (Check out this article about my Spinelli Kilcollin ring.)
I like the idea of a menswear-inspired watch to go with the vest. Shinola (made in the USA!) has a classic design called the Runwell.
The finishing touch is a sleek clutch by Alexander Wang. I like the touch of grey to add some dimension to the outfit and resonate with the crystals on the sneakers. It makes everything not so matchy-matchy.
So now let’s take it a different direction — how to wear sneakers with a dress. Again, I’m going to say keep it simple and clean with the outfit. This will make you look modern and sophisticated. For the dress, I chose this Rag & Bone ribbed stretch-wool design.
You have options for necklaces. You can either go with a shorter necklace with some punch, or a longer silhouette. I opted again for a longer style, this one by Erin Considine, as I like how it elongates the visual line and gives a little texture to the ensemble. I also like how the gold warms everything up.
These Amber Sceats earrings are a homage to the Dior originals, which do in fact appear to be coming a classic. (Who knew?) They are meant to be worn with the larger ball behind the ear.
Picking up on the gold, I’d add this large ring by Jennifer Fisher. Feel free to go for more than one ring, if that suits you.
The result of all these pieces put together is a sophisticated, urban woman-on-the-go. Is this your personal style?
If you could see yourself creating some sneaker ensembles, I encourage you to go play in your closet a bit and see what you can come up with. Use these ideas, and the looks on my Sneaker Chic board as inspiration, and then see how you can adapt it to your own style.
Keep your budget in mind, and remember the cost-per-wear principal. If it’s something you’ll wear a ton, then the cost-per-wear will go down and it’ll be a better investment. If it’s an item that will be worn infrequently, then see if you can find a less expensive version that will give you the same look.
And if your are so NOT a sneaker gal and you’d rather wear heels, then go for it! As with any fashion trend, it’s all about staying true to you!
Since August began, my Instagram feed has been full of sparkling peridot jewlery, honoring the birthstone for the month of August. Around August third I had one of those “Doh!” moments. Here I’ve been blogging about jewelry for over four years, and never have I written a series of articles about the birthstones for each month. (Sometimes my blondness amazes me.) So I’m very excited to explore the gems for each month, and we start with the peridot, which I learned is one of the few gems that comes in only one color. Ranging from a lighter yellow-green to a dark olive, the depth of the green is determined by how much iron is in the stone.
Known as “the gem of the sun” and “the emerald of the evening,” the peridot apparently has many benefits to its wearer, including the following:
-Happiness
-Prosperity
-Peace
-Enhances harmony in relationships
-Strengthens intuition
-Slows aging
-Attracts love into your life
What’s not to love about this list?! With that in mind, I started my search to see what fabulous peridot designs I could find. In no particular order, here’s eleven pieces that I would wear in a heartbeat.
So what do you think? Is peridot a stone you can see yourself wearing? Happy birthday to my August birthday readers! I hope all your birthday wishes come true.
Do you recall seeing Jennifer Hudson in this fabulous necklace at the Grammy’s? It was one of my favorite looks of the evening, and this year at Couture, I was able to meet Maral Artinian, the co-founder and curator of Marli, the name behind the diamonds.
Marli elegantly combines minimalism with architectural and pop-culture inspiration in 18K gold and diamonds. Though Maral studied psychology in Montreal, she has found her passion in jewelry. It must be in the blood, as both her father and brother are jewelers as well. The first thing I tried on were these two bracelets, the Cleo and Dahlia. So comfy, yet blingy at the same time!
Here’s a better view of the Dahlia bracelet.
This bracelet features the” Y” shape, which is a signature in her designs. Not only is it a very strong, powerful shape, but its use of positive and negative space reflects the shadow and reflection of the Chrysler building. Constantly being inspired by the streets of NYC, Marli definitely has her pulse on the beat of the modern woman.
Dahlia ring
When I first looked at her pyramid bracelets, I didn’t realize they had moving parts. Take a peek at this 9 second video that shows how they move.
She recently posted this bracelet stack on Instagram, which showcases other variations of the design.
Speaking of Instagram, I reposted her diamond Vine cuff on my feed, and it’s among my most popular posts ever.
I wish I had tried on her Ipsilo white gold and diamond collar. The Ipsilo collection is, “..characterized by distinctive “Y” shaped motifs and triangular cut-outs; the collection is inspired by the work of Rudi Gernreich and highlights our interest in the juxtaposition of positive and negative space, and the resulting shapes that are consequently formed.” Simply fantastic.
Ipsilo collar
I also have to share a couple avant garde ear cuffs with you. The first is from the Avventura (meaning adventure in Italian) collection. I can only imagine how the diamonds sway when you walk.
And how about the Iris cuff, which wraps your ear in diamonds in such a unique way. I would SO wear this!
Actually, I’d pretty much wear every single item in her cases! It was a pleasure meeting Maral and getting an up-close look at the line. And next time I’m in NYC, I’m going to check out her favorite restaurant, Felix, down in Soho. (She said it’s great food, and she met her boyfriend there — gotta love that!)
You may recall reading about Jacquie Aiche about a year ago, when I posted an article about her here on the blog. I was eager to visit her at Couture this year to see her latest and greatest, and she did not disappoint!
Before I could start looking around, I had to first inspect what she, herself, was wearing!
Did she really bling out an antique watch? Yes…she did!
Jacquie showing me her new amethyst crystal necklaces
Her crystal necklaces wrapped in diamonds are dreamy–shown in the bottom two necklaces in the photo below. Yes, please!
The necklace on the bottom is now on my jewelry lust list!
These carved agate arrowheads with diamonds are unique and versatile.
And how about these sugilite earrings?? (Yep…another gem I had never heard of before!)
The way Jacquie took hoop earrings to the next level is awesome.
Her booth was filled with a riot of color, and I couldn’t resist trying on a few rings.
It’s not often I see a line which renders me speechless, but when I saw Lydia Courteille’s line at the Couture show, I was dumbstruck. This is something you’d see in a museum — certainly nothing like I’d ever seen in my day-to-day shopping. It’s completely fitting that her tag line on her website is “rare jewelry,” as that’s indeed what it is. And here I was, meeting Lydia and trying on her gems. Life is pretty darn amazing sometimes.
This Paris-based designer has that quintessential je ne sais quoi about her, and I was enchanted. The first ring I tried on was sublime. Here’s a couple different views.
Have you ever seen anything like it? The dimension and the strata of color had me twirling my hand around to appreciate its depths.
Rubellite, a rare red tourmaline, is currently her favorite stone, and she has a splendid collection utilizing it called “Scarlet Empress.” It’s inspired by the Russian Empress Catherine II, and she incorporates both fantasy and the 18th Century in her designs. Here’s an example from the group, showing the color and intricacy of the work in red-coated gold, rubies and spinel.
In speaking with Lydia about her inspiration, she talked about everything from savoring time in a boat on the floating gardens of Xochimilco in Mexico to all the time spent in museums. Her travels have certainly brought a fantastical essence to her designs, as seen in this 3-part ring which she told me is, “magma on the sun.”
I love how ahead of the curve she is. In fact, I think she may be one of the true visionaries in wearing one dramatic earring. Here, she showed me two different styles of “Chinese Kite” earrings, which are fab worn one at a time, with something simple on the other ear.
The sea is also a big inspiration, and one I can most definitely relate to. How lovely are these earrings, with adjoining seahorses.
Lydia told me she is always in search of stones. She puts them all into a big box, and when she feels she has enough, she lets creativity take over. She feels a strong “pull” and puts her own culture into her designs. She feels that “jewelry is a team story,” from the workshops to the PR team, and “success is a result of everyone.” I so appreciate how her passion was bursting forth during our interview. It was an immense pleasure meeting her.
It is true… back in the 90’s when I taught third grade, I had a BIG collection of holiday jewelry. I had wood cut-out necklaces and earrings for every occasion, and even some battery-powered pieces that my students loved. Now that I’m no longer working with little ones, I gave away my collection long ago, because let’s face it…it’s clearly not my personal style! But that’s not to say that you can’t find a more subtle way to celebrate with your jewelry. With the Fourth of July almost upon us, I thought it would be fun to explore options with a star motif. Granted, these would be good all year round, but extra special while watching fireworks burst overhead, don’t you think?
I definitely took note of the earrings Carey Mulligan was wearing on the cover of Vogue in May. They were so pretty, a bit vintage looking, and just the right complement to the dress. Little did I know that a just over a month later, I’d be meeting Marie-Juliette Bird, the designer of these beauties.
The line, Blackbird and the Snow, was showing at JCK and I was very excited to see it live. The pieces have a definite Victorian old-world aesthetic with a modern twist. These Celestial earrings were simply glowing, from the cabochon moonstones to the diamonds. And how unique is the display using an old picture frame?!
These mesmerizing cabochons were also divine in these Full Moon rings. The one with a blue hue is a rare ceylon moonstone, alongside a lighter colored moonstone set in gold. Equally dreamy, don’t you think?
Marie-Juliette spent 8 years apprenticing in London for David Courts, who is known for creating the original Keith Richards skull ring. During her years abroad, she began collecting antique Victorian charms. These precious purchases now serve as the inspiration for her line, which is completely hand fabricated in the USA. She was wearing her current favorite piece, which is the Flying Swallows necklace with diamonds.
I thought the Fancy Bird necklaces with a singular swallow were just darling — especially the turquoise one! I would totally layer that with other necklaces to create a nature-inspired mix.
Nature is a driving force behind the line, and “…is an ode to the natural world; the pieces express a connection to the wilderness and a desire to immortalize elements -birds, insects, wings, stars, moons – that serve as the living, elemental poetry of our world.” The heavens are represented in these necklaces. The rosecut gems really make them glisten, just like the stars in the night sky.
I couldn’t help but notice the sweet hoops she was wearing as well, with a turquoise bird gracing her lobe. It’s quite a clever design, as it would cover any elongated piercings you may have.
I was very curious about the name of this jewelry line. She explained that she sees her life as a tree, with different creative projects being different branches. Her band, Blackbird and the Storm is one branch, and her jewelry line is another. Creative to the core, this Boulder, CO-based artist is just beginning (2.5 in business now), and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Thank you so much for your time and letting me try everything on!
On Saturday I popped into the city to meet Delphine Richagneux, the new CEO of Manika. Now as you may know, I’ve been a fan of Manika since they first opened on Maiden Lane back in 2006. Not only do they have a new CEO, but they have they moved to a chic space on Market St. in the Palace Hotel. Of course, while I was there I had to imagine that I once again had a bottomless wallet — what would I buy?? Here’s my five picks, in no particular order
Jenny Reeves Seafoam Cuff in oxidized silver, 18K gold, chrysocolla and diamonds
How great does it look paired with the two rings I was wearing? (by Zaiken and Arik Kastan)
Jamie Joseph grey moonstone necklace, because it’s perfect for layering
Kanwar Creations cabochon rings…couldn’t decide between the tanzanite or the spessartite garnet
Mary Ray Cactus Drop earrings of gold and diamonds — so fun!
Of course, I could have had 20+ items on my list, but I had a limited amount of time. Great meeting Delphine, Kira and Jenny! If you’d like to get to know the store, then definitely come out for a fun event they’re having on Thursday, July 16, from 5-8. Click here for more details. I’ll be there fore sure!
