I’ve been inundated with the color orange as of late, between Halloween, the San Francisco Giant’s being in the World Series, the leaves changing outside my window…pretty much everywhere except in my jewelry box. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I rarely see jewelry with orange stones. Why is that? Is it a color many don’t prefer? Perhaps it’s because there aren’t as many varieties of stones with an orange hue? (In fact, how many can you name?) I’m really not quite sure.
At any rate, I took myself on another of my infamous virtual shopping sprees with no budget (like the one I took with green stones this past March). Before I knew it, hours (yes, hours!) had slipped by, but I had found some stunning pieces in so many different shades of orange. Here are my fave finds, in no particular order. Enjoy!
Earrings
Orange coral was one of the first things that jumped into my mind when I thought about orange jewelry, and this pair of earrings by Annette Ferdinandsen are just beautiful.
Ray Griffiths designed these with a lovely orange harmony in carnelian and amber.
Sethi Couture also has a lovely ombre effect in these diamond linear drop earrings.
Geodes are always a favorite of mine, and Kimberly McDonald used a stunning pair in these earrings.
Mary Esses designed a party for your ears in gold, diamonds, and carnelian.
For a style with more angular lines, then these by Kothari are pretty amazing. It reminds me of photos I’ve seen of the sun’s surface!
Necklaces
The traditional cameo was another image that popped into my head as I thought about jewelry with an orange hue. Amedeo takes the cameo to a whole new, modern level, as shown in this “see no evil” pendant.
Jes MaHarry created an uber-cool necklace, with a wheel of coral, gold, diamonds, and a silver chain. its’ a very chic bohemian look, which I would layer with other necklaces in a heartbeat.
This orange crystal and diamond necklace by Jacquie Aiche would be another great layering piece.
For more of an orange punch, then I’d go for this druzy agate pendant by Peppina.
Bracelets
Vaubel is a master with color in his designs, as demonstrated in this chunky bracelet.
Nak Armstrong is another designer with impeccable use of color, this time with mandarin garnets.
For a skinny layering piece, this orange garnet bead bracelet by Joseph Brooks makes me smile.
And let’s not forget adding the color orange in the form of a watch. I’d never say no to one by Hermes!
Rings
Jane Bohan designed a substantial ring with citrine and diamonds.
Did you receive your August J.Crew catalogue in the mail today? I did, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they’ve launched a fine jewelry collection! While I’ve been a long-time fan of their costume statement pieces, I think they’re very fashion-savvy to bring some fine jewelry into the mix. I mean let’s face it — that’s how most people dress, right? Mixing up the high and low?
I think they’ve done an excellent job curating a nice selection of 14K gold and precious gem jewelry which includes some of their own designs, as well as capsule collections by some pretty big names in the world of jewelry. Their own designs are very clean and classic, such as this rectangular signet ring and gold hinged bangle. Most of the items are perfect for engraving as well.
I think the ring I’d find most useful as an addition to my own collection is this slim gold and black diamond band by Gabriela Artigas. Can you believe that I don’t own any black diamonds at all? (yet!)
Catbird, one of the Brooklyn-based jewelry stores on my bucket list to visit, has some great items available. I think these “ballerina” earrings would be a cool look to wear in lieu of studs or small hoops.
From the look of things, it appears these baubles are only available online, but I can envision that changing if it becomes really popular. I wouldn’t be surprised, as just while writing this article, the signet ring sold out in sizes 6 & 7! Please let me know if you decide to made an addition to your jewelry box — would love to see what you choose!
I think I may approach Valentine’s Day differently than many women. True, I don’t currently have a love in my life to share it with in the way that Hallmark intended us to, but that really doesn’t make me sad. I feel complete with myself, and I think this holiday is another perfect opportunity to gift myself with a heart-felt token…no, not chocolate (though that’s not off the table), but with jewelry of course! With the overabundance of catalogues and e-mails flooding my mailboxes, I came across many items that would definitely bring a not-so-obviously-valentine-sy smile to my heart.
The first is this heart pendant by Mizuki. The word “love” is subtly spelled out with pave diamonds. (Thanks to my friend Jen for modeling it while we were shopping at Red Bird.)
Again, liking the subtle reference to the heart theme, I thought this bracelet by Zoe Chicco would be so cool in a big bracelet stack. Though you would know you were wearing a self-love gift, most people would just admire your bracelet collection as a whole.
I know there are some of you that would rather have a more obvious sentiment. Meeting in the middle, these 14K gold hearts with white diamonds featured in the Arhaus catalogue would achieve this.
I adore this ring by Workhorse, and if you’re a Francophile, you undoubtedly will as well. Perfect on its own or in a creative stack, I “heart” it.
If you want to be more incognito, then how about this cuff by Coordinates. You can have the coordinates of a special occasion engraved. This doesn’t meant it has to be where you were married or where you first fell in love, but how about where you were born or where you had some other significant event happen in your life, just for you?!
And last, but certainly not least, perhaps you are inspired by the colors associated with Valentine’s Day — from pink to red. If so, then these amazing sea glass rings by Aloha Sea Glass are just perfect.
I wish all of you a wonderful Valentine’s Day. May you fill it with whatever it is that makes you happiest, be it a special dinner with your love, a luxurious massage, or your favorite cocktail and a little trash TV. Cheers! xo
Am I the only one whose mailbox gets swamped with catalogues? (I feel so bad for my mail carrier!) While many of them go straight into the recycle bin, I do take the time to peruse some of them, including Sundance. Last night while flipping through the pages of the latest issue, I came across this jewelry stand. At first, I couldn’t understand why the bars were slanted every which way.
Then as I read the description, I realized that the bars are magnetic, and you can place them anywhere on the stand you’d like. This is such a cool idea, since you can really design the layout to fit your particular jewelry collection. It’s made of hand-rubbed steel and made in the USA. (snap!) It’s also quite narrow, only 8″ wide and 15″ tall. This makes it easy to fit onto a shelf or on the top of a dresser.
If you’re looking for a clever way to store and display your jewelry, this might just be what you’re looking for. Let me know if you get it and try it out.
Ok, I know I’m not the only one out there who just loves the beach. You’ve already seen my post on sea glass jewelry, so I was really excited to see this new jewelry product in a recent catalog I received.
Uncommon Goods will create a custom piece of jewelry for you using sand you send in from your favorite beach. How cool is that? Jewelry artist Holly Daniels Christensen will put your sand (or provide sand from their stock from other beaches around the world) into two styles of necklaces or cufflinks. Prices range from $130-$175, depending on the product, and everything is hand made right here in the good ‘ole USA. (Massachusetts, to be exact)
Custom sand necklace
Custom sand cufflinks
They are so streamlined, creating a truly modern take on “beach jewelry.” The sand is set in sterling silver bezels sealed with resin, creating a long-lasting treasure to be worn with love. You can truly wear your happy, sunny beach memories!
I’m sure you all get inundated with catalogues in the mail. Personally, I throw most of them straight into the recycling bin without even opening them. But there are two jewelry catalogues that you just might want to peek through — I know I have found some treasures in each of them.
Two of my faves: Sundance and Ross Simons
The first one is the Sundance catalogue, which is a company owned by Robert Redford. Just like many of the characters he has played on the big screen, there is a relaxed, “country” feel to this collection. (Jewelry is just part of it…Sundance has everything from clothing to furniture!) Most of the jewelry has a rougher, rustic finish to it and veers toward a bohemian sensibility. There is a wide range of price points. Here are two different sets of stacking rings that demonstrate this.
Sundance Quintillia Stack Rings, $138
Sundance Diamond Ring Quintet, $890
Sundance offers jewelry from a wide array of designers, including some I just adore, like Anne Sportun and Love Heals. There are more pieces on the website than in the catalogue, so be sure to check out both.
Now Ross Simons is a different ballgame all together. Truth be told, when I first started receiving this catalogue I thought it looked like a bunch of old lady junk! But if you look carefully, there are definitely some finds mixed in with the other tacky pieces. And they are constantly running promotions, so you rarely have to pay the advertised price.
Recently, Ross Simons has been increasing their collection of Indian jewelry, which includes one of my latest loves, polki diamonds (which are usually erroneously called rose cut diamonds) and other small, natural diamonds set in oxidized silver. Here are a couple things that have caught my eye.
Ross Simons Polki Diamond Bangle
Of course, this bracelet is a big investment…currently $2306.50 down from $3295. But, it’s 4 ct. total weight, which isn’t bad!
Ross Simons Labradorite & Natural Diamond earrings
When shopping on any retail site, don’t forget that there might be some online coupons available. For example, the last time I bought something from Sundance, I first googled “Sundance coupons.” I found one for 30% off one item. Perfect! It worked like a charm. You may not always be so lucky, but it’s always worth a try.
If you come across any wonderful jewelry catalogues, please let me know — I love the tips!
