Metals – Page 17 – Jewelry Fashion Tips

ModeWalk…Ooo La La!

On Thursday I went to a ModeWalk trunk show at Azadeh in San Francisco. ModeWalk is a unique business model in the world of fashion. Basically, they get hot, luxury fashions from Europe (many brands that I’ve never heard of!) and sell them online, through selective trunk shows, and via stylist appointments. Interesting! While I went to the show intending to focus on the clothing, my attention was (not surprisingly) re-directed to some stellar pieces of jewelry!

First up was this fab necklace by Fiona Paxton. With its pop of neon, it’s truly on-trend.

a stylish way to add some neon — Stylish way to add some neon

Another statement necklace that had me drooling was this rose-gold stunner by Lara Bohinc.

I certainly didn’t want to ignore my wrists, so I quickly tried on this amazing bracelet by Parisian designer Philippe Audibert…well actually it’s much more than a bracelet. I don’t even know how to describe it! But I love it — it makes my arms look so sleek!

I also adore these knotted bracelets by Coralie De Seynes. I’m very tempted by the orange one. While orange isn’t a color that necessarily looks good on me in clothing or make-up, why not add a dash of it in an accessory?!

If you’d like the opportunity to see some of these gems live, you’re in luck. ModeWalk will be having another trunk show this week (Feb. 5-9) at Azadeh in Los Gatos, California. You can find out about their upcoming trunk shows on their Facebook page. Happy shopping!

“Show The Love” Necklace Giveaway

I’m a big fan of the “Show the Love” jewelry line, and if you read my post about them last week, you likely are as well! I’m so excited to announce a new necklace giveaway from them — check out this magic lantern necklace!

Wouldn't winning this be a great way to start the year?! — Wouldn’t winning this be a great way to start the year?!

Retailing at $120, this gold-plated brass necklace really has a special meaning. As explained by the designer, “Who doesn’t love the notion of a magic lantern? Just one rub and a genie pops out to grant your every wish. At STL jewelry what we love about this lantern is that it reminds us that ‘happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.’ Take a rub of this lantern and be grateful for all the goodness that you have in your life and you might find that by acknowledging your abundance, more goodness will flow your way.”

I can envision wearing this on it’s own, or layered with other necklaces you already own. It’s on an 18″ chain, and the pendant measures about 1.5 inches. I wish you the best of luck in this giveaway, and I hope that abundance and goodness flow into your life! 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“Show The Love” Jewelry Line

You know how some people just radiate good energy? Well jewelry designer Jen Pleasants is just one of those people. I had the fortune of hearing about her line while at In Her Shoes in Palo Alto via her business partner, Amy Salisbury. (Yep…I pretty much interrupted her private conversation with another woman when I heard “jewelry line!”) Fast forward a few weeks, and I found myself in her amazing studio in Portola Valley, CA.

While Jen did start designing about 10 years ago, she had to put it on the back burner for a decade while having three kids. Come May 2012, she’s back at the drawing board and has launched a truly wonderful business. Once an eco-blogger, Jen has always strived to give back, and finds that making the world a better place is one of her life’s callings. Combined with her creative nature and background in sculpture, she has now found the perfect intersection of her passions in her jewelry line, Show the Love. (5% of their profits go to water.org)

show the love necklace — Trying on a necklace with Jen

This is truly an inspirational jewelry line. Each piece is carefully designed, named, and has a message. As stated on their website, “STL jewelry emphasizes positive affirmations, invokes ‘girl power’ and is crafted with recycled metals and ethically sourced stones. We designed and named each piece to express a feeling or sentiment. Our hope is that by wearing STL jewelry, women will be inspired to ‘Show the Love’ for themselves, for others and for the Earth.”

I was immediately drawn to her bangles with a Herkimer diamond drop. First of all, it was the first time I’d ever heard of Herkimer diamonds, which are double-pointed crystals from Herkimer, New York. They promote healing and white light circulation. And inspecting the bangle further, I saw that it was inscribed with “She believed she could, so she did” Can I say awesome?!?

show the love bangles — More than your average bangle

This precious necklace was inspired by her young daughter when she said, “Mamma, you know what love is? Love is showing your heart!”

This line features both fashion and fine jewelry (at a wide range of price points), and uses metals from yellow and rose gold to brass to silver. I think the following necklace and earrings from her “Soldier of Love” group are just fabulous. The subtle diamond chevron pattern make these pieces very versatile, to be worn with anything from a t-shirt and jeans to an LBD.

The organic beauty of these pieces, along with their cherished inspirational messages really make it a special line. AND…if this collection brings a smile to your face, then just wait till next week. My next giveaway is a stunning piece from this very line. So stay tuned for your chance to win!

Men’s Black Diamond Ring: Jewelry Judge

One of my monthly indulgences is getting a pedicure. It’s an hour of true bliss, and I’m usually just in my own little world while Sara gets my toes all dolled up. But at my last appointment, my eyes kept drifting to the gentleman seated in the next chair over. He had more than your ordinary wedding band.

Three rows of small, black diamonds, encased in matte platinum really made for a unique ring, and it truly seemed to suit his personal style. Normally I’m not into big bling for a guy, but I thought this was pretty cool. His wife, seated one more chair over, said that they had it made by a jeweler in San Francisco. They were clearly both very happy with how it turned out, and quite smitten with each other as well. Love that!

Catherine Angiel: Designer

While I don’t have a tattoo, I can certainly appreciate some of the amazing ink I’ve seen on my friends (Leslee’s whole back is covered!) and on random people on the street. Jewelry designer Catherine Angiel takes it a step further. Her tattoo-inspired jewelry line is the epitome of rocker chic.

I had a blast getting to know this multi-faceted lady at a recent trunk show at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco.

Catherine was born and raised in New York City. Music (drumming in particular) is in her soul, she loves the “grit” of the city, and she loved being part of the underground music scene. Graffiti, rock n’ roll and tattoos are what inspired her in creating her line, which is famous for its use of black diamonds and precious metals. She opened her Greenich Village store in 1993, the same year that she also appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine. (An interesting side note: Catherine is the one who coined the term “commitment rings!” How cool is that?!)

As she states, “My vibe is all about breaking the rules; whether it’s in my music, my jewelry, or my life. I’ve always been a renegade.” No doubt! And her cool jewelry line lives true to that vibe. This bracelet was the first piece I tried on. I could envision it as a tattoo around someone’s upper arm, but for me, this was the perfect way to sport the look.

I took this image from her website. Being deathly afraid of spiders, it’s probably good I didn’t see it in person. But again, I can appreciate her use of white diamonds and black spinel beads.

Every piece in the line is hand-crafted right in her NYC workshop. Catherine talked about how she loves the relationship between stones and metal. She feels that stones actually “choose” the metal that they’ll be in harmony with. I like that thought process, and I think the stones in these rings made great choices!

She has a men’s line as well. These cufflinks would be perfect on the right guy!

Do you know a guy with a rocker attitude?

Here’s an image from her website that really captures the whole look and feel of the line. It’s artistic, edgy, rocker chic, fashion-forward, and likely much cooler than I am.

While she describes herself as a “bad ass jewelry designer,” Catherine is also a big animal activist, and loves to garden and cook. I know I’ll never forget that sparkle she had in her eyes when talking to me about her life story and her jewelry line. If you’re inspired to see more of her collection, you can find it at her store in NYC, Neiman Marcus in SF, Fragments in NYC and Montaigne Market in Paris.

My 5 Favorite Picks from the Wilke’s Bashford Party

Monday evening Wilke’s Bashford hosted “A Time to Dazzle” in their beautifully remodeled San Francisco store. You know that I was one of the first to arrive, eager to view the spectacular array of goodies in the cases. Here are the pieces that really caught my eye (but in no particular order).

1. Two bracelets by Yossi Harari — The one with white diamonds is called the “corset cuff,” and the one with cognac diamonds is named the “bubble Lilah cuff.” Stacked together…wow!

2. A trio of aquamarine and diamond rings by Loren Jewels

I couldn't decide which was my favorite! — I couldn’t decide which was my favorite!

3. An art-deco feeling diamond and ruby bead necklace by Oscar Heyman

4. A new take on the diamond hoop — “confetti” cognac diamond hoops by Paul Morelli

Beautifully different than the average hoop

5. The perfect necklaces to wear everyday — druzy and diamonds by Kimberly McDonald

I'll take one of each, please... — I’ll take one of each, please…

And trust me — this list could go on and on!

Metal Earth Studios

It’s certainly trunk show season, and I have been having lots of fun making new discoveries in the world of jewelry! One I particularly enjoyed was meeting Rebecca Longenecker and Meghan Zimmerman, the dynamic duo behind Metal Earth Studios, at a recent trunk show at Manika Jewelry in San Francisco.

Meghan, Amy and Rebecca — Meeting the designers!

Meghan and Rebecca became friends when Rebecca moved in across the street from Meghan about nine years ago. Both having small children at the time, it was a natural connection. Fast forward about seven years, and their Oakland-based jewelry line was born. Rebecca had more of of the jewelry background, and Meghan has talents in art and photography. Combining all of their strengths, they started hand-crafting beautiful, organic, and bohemian jewelry.

They use green gold, ethically mined diamonds and sterling silver. “Each piece is created to help women feel connected to the earth, its elements, and the feminine creature,” Meghan told me. They do all the forging and finishing work themselves in their home studio. Wow!

metal earth studios — The women hard at work

I love the mixed metals in this necklace.

metal earth studios necklace — The diamond really is a special touch!

And this necklace is beautiful on its own, or layered with other pieces.

Since I have tiny wrists, I was very happy to see that they make bangles in small sizes too!

metal earth studios bangles — Perfect for stacking!

The designers are so inspired by the metals they design with, and they clearly have a talent for working with them. Take a look at these beautifully crafted rings.

metal earth studios rings — Very versatile design

If this line appeals to your sense of personal style, I definitely recommend you check it out!

Rings Galore!!: Jewelry Judge

OK…so I know that I had a fairly harsh commentary on a gal back in April who was wearing an abundance of (dated) rings. But I have to say, that while at a party this past weekend, I could not take my eyes off this woman who was decked out in slim-fitting camouflage pants, rings galore, and a killer smile.

silver rings — Forget about a statement ring…these are statement hands!

This woman has one of the most solid senses of her personal style than most anyone I’ve ever encountered! Her whole ring ensemble began with her thick platinum and subtle diamond wedding ring. Thirteen years later, the collection has grown and been perfectly curated. A combination of silver and platinum, the rings hail from everywhere from the Sundance catalogue to Tiffany & Co to Anna Beck…

From the diamond and platinum bands on her left pinkie for her wedding anniversary, to the group on her right pinky from her yoga instructor to celebrate the coming of her son 8 years ago, it’s just awesome! I know that I could never pull this look off, but I can certainly admire how she does it with panache!

During our conversation, she did say that she wears them all the time, whether throwing pottery on the wheel or swimming. They are a constant conversation piece. Between that and her unique name (Camelot), this gal is a rare gem indeed!

Santa Cruz Sea Glass

For the second year in a row, the first weekend in November was marked “Santa Cruz sea glass festival!” If you’ve been following my blog, then you know I’m pretty addicted to the beach and collecting sea glass. The show did not disappoint, and I was quite excited to meet Krista Hammond, the owner of Santa Cruz Sea Glass and the producer of the festival.

krista hammond and amy roseveare — At the Santa Cruz sea glass festival

Krista and her husband, Tony Berkowitz, have combined two of my passions, sea glass and jewelry. They founded their company in 2006. Living in Santa Cruz, and both being surfers, they spend lots of time on the beach, so I imagine it was just a matter of time before they created this wonderful business. They find each and every piece of sea glass themselves, and then hand make each item in their home studio.

santa cruz sea glass — A shot of the production area

Krista and her husband work as a team with each piece. Krista works more on the design end, and Tony is the silversmith. They were fortunate to be mentored by Robert Wunce, a very talented jeweler. It seems like they have a perfect harmony going — Tony always says, “I’m the dirt and you’re the flowers.” Symbiosis, right?

Here’s a photo that shows some of their glass collection. I tried not to drool on the glass case…

Here are some of their finds made into stunning rings.

santa cruz sea glass rings — Hmm…which is my favorite?

I guess this one is. 😉

And finally, here’s a lovely photo of some of their bracelet designs.

santa cruz sea glass bracelets — Talk about arm candy!

Not only do they create beautiful jewelry, but they also give part of their profits back to the sea by way of their partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. In addition, they are a green company and use recycled US silver in their designs. What’s not to love?

With holiday shopping season now upon us, you just might want to check out their jewelry — either for a gift for a loved one or for some self-gifting! 😉

Sylva & Cie: Designer

I had the Sylva & Cie trunk show at Wilke’s Bashford on my calendar for quite some time, and trust me, it did not disappoint. The first lovely that grabbed my attention was a diamond ring beyond imagination. (btw, she only uses reclaimed diamonds in her designs) Turns out Sylva calls this design the “ten table ring” as you can see it from ten tables away. No doubt!! (one more item for my lust list) When creating one of these rings, she lays out the diamonds just like she was creating a painting.

sylva and cie ring — Ten table ring indeed!

There was also an incredible necklace, crafted from a bronze Russian icon (estimated to be from the late 1700’s to early 1800’s) surrounded by diamonds, then strung on a necklace of reclaimed antler. I was in awe. It’s like something you’d see in a royal museum!

sylva & cie necklace — I’ve always had a thing for icons

And the “chain…”

sylva and cie necklace — Organic and beautiful

Sylva Yepremian has been designing for 23 years now, and her exuberance hasn’t faded in the least. She told me that she’s ecstatic every morning as she wakes up, so thankful that she’s a designer and not a doctor. Cheers to following your passion!!

sylva yepremian and amy roseveare — With Sylva at her trunk show

She “sees each woman as a goddess, worthy of being adorned with beautiful pieces of jewelry.” And her repertoire includes some very edgy work! There were numerous necklaces with skulls made from reclaimed moose antler. Each one has a story, from Romeo and Juliet to other notable historical figures.

sylva & cie skulls — The detail is simply astounding!

All of her treasures are one-of-a-kind and handcrafted in Los Angeles. Even her chains are made in house, using techniques from 100 years ago. Her line is definitely “not luxury for the masses” (her words), which is one of it’s star qualities. Sylva truly is invested in each of her pieces, and feels that they are meaningful and full of soul. I agree — fabulous!