Syna Jewels

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 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.

syna peacock pendant with blue diamonds and tsavorites
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!

bracelets from syna's bauble collection
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!

syna bracelets
Definitely known for their use of color, I was blown away by this pendant of hand-carved and hand-painted bone. Wow!

syna hand-carved and hand-painted pendant
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.

syna horse ring
syna blue sapphire horse cufflinks
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!

dharmesh and namrata kothari with amy roseveare

East-West Set Diamond Rings

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!

lauren wolf diamond ring
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?)

jillian abboud antique diamonds
Elizabeth Street had me drooling at her selection on Instagram as well!

elizabeth street jewelry
And then my dear friend Laura, who recently got engaged, had Polly Wales make her this fantabulous ring!

polly wales custom diamond 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:

Trabert Goldsmiths

trabert goldsmiths
Cathy Waterman

cathy waterman grey mogul diamond ring
Monique Pean x Pamela Love (MPL)

monique pean and pamela love collaboration
Anita Ko

anita ko three stone baguette diamond ring
Polly Wales

polly wales fancy grey marquise diamond halo ring
Susan Wheeler

susan wheeler design
Rebecca Lankford

rebecca lankford espresso diamond halo solitaire
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!

Treat Yourself: A Gift Guide

Today I want to share with you a fabulous website, Treat Yourself. This site it definitely more than just a gift guide; it’s a curated collection of jewels, hand-selected by Third Coast Gems (Benjamin Guttery) and DiamonDoodles (Hannah Becker) — truly a virtual store. I’ve gotten to know both of them the past few years, and I can certainly can vouch for their eye and discerning taste.

treat yourself
Before I dive into the gems themselves, I first need to tell you how much I adore the name: Treat Yourself! If you’ve been following me over the years, you’ll know that I’m a HUGE proponent of self-gifting, especially when it comes to the holidays, my birthday, heck, even a random Tuesday. (I explained the origins of this 5 years ago in my article entitled “The Boyfriend Gift.”) So don’t look at this site as only a gift guide for others, but for yourself as well.

Ok, so back to Treat Yourself. There are currently 23 talented jewelry designers represented, 15 of which I have met personally and seen their work up close and personal. (Note to self: meet the other 8 designers in 2017!) There is a wide range of price points available, including various options starting in the $300-ish range, on up.

I want to highlight some of the pieces from the site, but there’s absolutely no way that I can pick my favorites. To solve this dilemma, I thought it would be fun to do it within my Jewelry Box Basics paradigm. This is where I’ve defined six different personal styles: The Lady who Lunches, The Bohemian, The Rock Star, The Minimalist, The Romantic and Trendy Gal. With these categories in mind, I’ll show you one possible piece that would likely suit each one very well. Granted, no one falls 100% into any one category, but you may find yourself gravitating to one of these styles as you read on.

The Lady who Lunches

This is certainly not to say this woman only goes to lovely lunches — in fact you’ll often find her on the board of local charities and in charge of events in the community. She likes luxe looks while she makes a difference. This Daria de Konig necklace gives that exact punch she would love.

daria de konig dagny cluster pendant
The Bohemian

With the warm breezes of Bali in her heart, the bohemian yearns for jewelry with color and movement. These opal and aquamarine earrings from Margery Hirschey fit the bill.

margery hirschey opal and aquamarine chandelier earrings
The Rock Star

No, she doesn’t actually have to be in a band, but her heart has that rocker vibe and her closet likely houses both combat boots and a lot of black. Skulls are a perfect motif for her jewlery, as is this Crystal Coffin Momento Mori ring by The Moonstoned.

the crystal coffin momento mori ring by the moonstoned
The Minimalist

Low-key jewelry is key for the minimalist. She often has a small “jewlery uniform” that she dons daily, and this diamond and sapphire bracelet by Erika Winters would be the perfect add to her collection.

erica winters estella 5-stone bar bracelet
The Romantic

While the romantic is often a lover of antique jewlery, that’s not to say she doesn’t love new sentimental designs with stars, hearts, etc. and an extremely feminine flair. Sara Weinstock’s diamond earrings (which come in three colors of gold) would certainly make her heart sing.

sara weinstock diamond gretta starburst earrings
The Trendy Gal

This woman subscribes to all the fashion mags and visits Net-a-Porter daily to see the latest and greatest in the world of fashion. Knowing that bold color and oxidized silver are hot, hot, hot, she’ll surely want these Delphine Leymarie rings tied up with a sparkling bow.

delphine leymarie boheme bouquet rings
Now that I’ve piqued your interest, have fun exploring the offerings on Treat Yourself! And don’t forget to self-gift this holiday season!

benjamin guttery and hannah becker

Ananda Khalsa Jewelry

OK…I’m going to show you two images from Ananda Khalsa’s website and I want you to think about the feelings they evoke. Think about adjectives to describe them. Are you ready? All right, here they are:

ananda khalsa rings and bracelets
ananda khalsa jewelry
What words came to mind? For me, adjectives such as feminine, colorful, organic, and fit for a bohemian goddess popped into my head. Although I first started becoming familiar with Ananda’s gems on Instagram, I was lucky to meet her in person and play in her cases at the Couture show. All I can say is that the line was even better in person!

I actually got to try on the vibrant tourmaline necklace from the second photo above.

ananda khalsa necklaces
And what about this stellar trio of rings, the middle featuring a delicious boulder opal?

ananda khalsa ring stack
And then there’s her inviting chandelier earrings, such as these with labradorite and garnet.

quad-filigree-earrings-with-labradorite-and-garnet
She also has a silver collection in her line, with equally beautiful detail.

ananda khalsa oval filigree kyanite earrings
Seeing all these incredible designs got me thinking about how I’d style them. (After 18+ years as a wardrobe stylist, this is the default setting in my brain!) Given that the line definitely has a more bohemian vibe with a nod to ancient jewelry, I thought it’d be fun to share how I’d incorporate Ananda’s jewelry into a whole look. Spring/summer would be easy — a Grecian dress, gladiator sandals and layers of jewelry to start. But what about now, when it’s getting cold outside? For a great, casual everyday look, I’d start with a feminine blouse, perhaps with some lace detail and a killer suede jacket. This ivory Rebecca Taylor blouse and wine-colored suede moto jacket from Capulet set the tone. (FYI, wine is a HOT color this season, and it looks great on a variety of skin tones.)

rebecca taylor blouse
capulet stella moto jacket
Given that jeans are a staple, I’d go one of two routes. The first option is a skinny jean tucked into tall boots. I picked a pair of jeans from Good American, as they just debuted two weeks ago, and they come in sizes 0-24. (Can I get a “hallelujah” on that extended size run?!) I ordered a pair for myself, and I can say that I give them a thumbs up. They are built for curvy girls, they are high-waisted (no muffin top!) and the stretch is fabulous. They are clearly flying off the shelves, as the style I ordered isn’t even available anymore! I like the scrunchy vibe of these Steve Madden boots to go with them.

good american jeans
steve madden nevadaaa knee high boot
The second look for jeans and boots would be to pair a cropped, frayed “let down” hem jean, such as this pair from Current/Elliot, with a pair of ankle booties. These grey booties from Rag & Bone definitely would fit the bill.

current:elliot cropped straight let out hem jeans
rag & bone margot bootie
Let’s imagine you have a pair of Ananda’s chandelier earrings on with this outfit, and you’ve got other piercings as well. She’s got you covered with a variety of stud earrings.

ananda khalsa labradorite studs
Personally, I may also add this turquoise and diamond ring. Can’t go wrong with it! Heck, I’d wear rings on multiple fingers!

ananda khalsa oval turquoise ring with diamonds
Ananda also has another very unique collection in her line which I can’t help but mention. She paints small watercolor pictures and then sets them under crystal. They have either gold or silver bezels and many have gemstone accents. Have you ever seen anything like it? This girl has #talent! If you go to her website and click “painting” you can see she has 17 different themes to her painting jewlery, from koi fish to ravens to willows.

ananda khalsa oval raven necklace
ananda khalsa willow cuff bracelet
All Ananda Khalsa jewelry is made in studio in Northampton, Massachusettes. If you’re interested in seeing more of her line, click here to see a list of retail locations as well as three online shopping sites.

ananda khalsa and amy roseveare

What is Victorian Jewelry?

I began my trek back through jewelry time in July, when I published the article What is Georgian Jewelry? This was the first in a series exploring the different eras of antique jewelry, including Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco. It’s now time to delve into the fascinating genre of Victorian jewelry, which hails from 1837-1901. Some major historical events occurred during this time, including the conclusion of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the middle class, the American Civil War, and gold being discovered in a few countries, including right here in California. You may ask, “Why is it even called Victorian?” Well, it’s all from the time period when Queen Victoria sat on the throne of Britain. Pretty amazing to think that this one woman had such a profound influence on jewelry during her reign!!

Personally, every single item of antique jewelry I’ve purchased has been from the Victorian period — how strange is that?! It’s simply what I’m drawn to, before even knowing much about it. Here’s three examples of Victorian turquoise from Erica Weiner, Studio Collections and Metier. (It also doesn’t hurt that Victorian jewelry is generally much more affordable than Georgian jewelry!)

victorian turquoise rings
The Victorian era can be separated into three different segments. The first, called the Romantic period, was from 1837-1860. Queen Victoria was young and in love, and her jewelry reflected this. Sentimental motifs of flowers, clasped hands, and hearts (to name a few) were all the rage. Even snakes were extremely popular, as they represent wisdom and eternal love. In fact, Victoria’s engagement ring was a snake with emeralds, rubies and diamonds. (photo from aboutgemstonejewelry.com)

queen victoria's engagement ring via aboutgemstonejewelry.com
When Queen Victoria’s husband died in 1860, everything changed. Gone were the whimsical and light-hearted themes. In its place was dark jewlery, both in feel and color. This time is called the Grand period, and lasted for the next 25 years. Mourning and memorial jewelry were abundant, and stones such as onyx, Whitby jet, and garnets were very en vogue.

Things began to lighten up in later Victorian times — this third part is called the Aesthetic period, and took place during the last 15 or so years of Victoria’s reign. There was a return to more delicate designs, with more of a feeling of prosperity and optimism. This period also overlaps some other jewelry movements, such as Arts & Crafts.

Not only did styles of jewelry change during the Victorian era, but so did production methods. During the Industrial Revolution, both stamping and electroplating were invented. So while in the first part of the Victorian period all jewlery was handmade, in the second half it was often machine-made. In addition, in 1854 Britain made it legal to use lower karats of gold in jewelry, thereby really opening up the world of jewelry to the growing middle class, where once it had been reserved for only the very wealthy. Silver also became available in the mass market, making jewelry much more accessible.

I want to share some of the popular styles for this time period. With some, you’ll see some overlap with that of the Georgian period, such as in mourning jewlery and hair jewlery.

Brooches: These were especially popular when the fashion was wearing high necklines. It was much easier to don a brooch instead of figuring out how to have a necklace lay properly over a high collar. Not only is the bow a key motif of the period, but the engraving and the cabochon turquoise were very on trend as well. (brooch via antique jewellery company)

victorian 15k gold and turquoise bow brooch via the antique jewellery company
Cameos: They were most popular during the Grand period, and often were in onyx, coral and amethyst. These cameo earrings feature Roman centurions, and the agate is surrounded by seed pearls, another popular Victorian design detail. (earrings via Lang Antiques.)

victorian cameo drop earrings via lang antiques
Hair Jewelry: As you saw in the Georgian period, using a loved ones hair in jewelry was all the rage. It could be simply to honor a living person in your life, or it could be in memorial of someone who had passed. (brooch via The Rusted Anchor)

victorian mourning braided hair brooch with faceted jet via the rusted anchor
Mourning Jewelry: This piece of hair jewelry is clearly also mourning jewelry. The initials RC are on the outside, and “mama” is engraved on the $1 gold coin hanging from the ring. (ring via Gold and Silver Brokers)

victorian gold mourning hair ring with gold coin via gold and silver brokers
Portrait Jewelry: In my mind, this is sort of an expansion of the Lover’s Eye lockets from Georgian times, which just showed a painting of the eye of one’s lover. In Victorian times, it was popular to wear small portraits of loved ones. In this example, you’ll once again see pearls being used as an edging. (brooch via Doyle & Doyle)

victorian painted miniature portrait pin via doyle & doyle
Posy Rings: I find these to be so charming. Posy comes from the French word “poesie,” meaning poetry. In posy rings, you’ll find short inscriptions. This particular posy ring was a wedding ring, inscribed with “A hope fulfilled. 18th March circa 1880.” (ring via Lucy Bedeman)

victorian posy ring via lucy bedeman
Acrostic Rings: These are pretty darn cool, I have to say. Basically, stones are chosen for the ring in which the first letter of each stone spells out a secret word. This one secretly says “dearest” with diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire, and topaz. Pretty awesome, right?! (ring via Erica Weiner)

victorian acrostic ring via erica weiner
Mizpah jewelry: Though I’ve seen mizpah jewelry here and there, I honestly had no clue what it was until I did research for this article. Mizpah signifies an emotional bond and means “watchtower” in Hebrew. It’s given to a loved one when separated by distance. How romantic! This mizpah ring is extra-special, as the word is hidden behind a hinged buckle. (ring via Erica Weiner)

victorian hinged mizpah diamond buckle ring via erica weiner
Bracelets: Braclets, from bold to matching bangles to stacks, were very stylish in the Victorian period. Here’s a couple examples of popular styles. First is a snake (there’s that theme again!) with rubies. (bracelet via Lang Antiques) The second is a wide silver and gold overlay bangle with sunflowers. (bangle via the Antique Jewellery Company)

victorian ruby snake bracelet via lang antiques
victorian silver and gold overlay bangle with sunflowers via the antique jewellery company
Lockets: With photos, hair, and sometimes even teeth inside, lockets were key in this period. This one also has enameling, which was also very of-the-day. (locket via Metier)

victorian 9k enamel locket via metier
Etruscan Revial: More and more people started traveling during this time, so it makes sense that fascination with ancient time periods rose. You’ll find evidence of Egyptian and Greek motifs, as well as the granulation seen in the Etruscan Revival pieces. (earrings via Butterlane Antiques)

victorian etruscan revival amphora earrings via butterlane antiques
Out of all these different styles, which would be your first pick? I think if I were living back in Victorian times, I’d definitely be wanting an acrostic ring from my lover. And I’m definitely warming up to the idea of snake jewelry…sorry, mom!

Kothari: Designer

Tej Kothari was born into the world of jewelry in India — his mother was an antique jewlery aficionado and developed her own successful business. Though Tej studied molecular biology in college, he began designing jewelry in 1997 and launched his brand in 2009. Kothari is a Bay Area based company. (I am once again amazed by the wealth of talent we have locally!) I can definitely see the influence of his science background in the line. Take, for example these polki diamond dish earrings, which come in two sizes. They are like bejeweled cells in a way!

kothari earrings
The polki diamond theme also translates beautifully into these bracelets.

kothari polki diamond bracelets
This particular pair of earrings really spoke to me. Again, I’m seeing the design as something we’d see in nature — the diamonds like dew drops on a frond.

kothari earrings
Kothari is now moving into more color. I was blown away by the pieces made of agate and jasper with inlaid diamonds. The single cut diamonds enhance the natural patterns in the stones, which are all hand-picked.

kothari agate and diamond cuff
kothari earrings
kothari agate and diamond necklaces
Being ever-attracted to the moody palate of blacks and greys, I would SO wear this petrified Alaskan black coral and diamond necklace. It’s truly a melding of nature and luxury.

kothari petrified alaskan black coral necklace with diamonds
I also want to share their kAuge Collection, which features sterling silver or 18k gold in streamlined designs. I’m totally into it!

kauge by kothari earrings
There’s a nice selection online at Twist if you’d like to take a closer look. Wonderful meeting you at the Couture show, Tej! I appreciate your time and talent.

tej kothari and amy roseveare

Ruth Tomlinson: Designer

It never ceases to amaze me that after 5+ years of jewelry blogging and into my 18th year of personal styling (where I pretty much am in the stores constantly), I can STILL come across such unique jewelry designs…those that stop me in my tracks and speak to me. This is exactly what happened as I walked down the first row of the NY Now Handmade show in New York City. I have a new jewelry crush on Ruth Tomlinson. Once I started chatting with Ruth, I was even more hooked. She is soft-spoken, yet passionate about her work. She is incredibly talented with detail, and when you see the intricacies of her pieces, you are truly drawn into a miniature world of gold and gems.

ruth tomlinson rings
Ruth led me on a tour of her four collections. The first up was Lustre, which features lots of diamonds. You can see both raw diamonds, just as they come out of the ground, right next to faceted stones in this collection. She told me how she really appreciates the inner glow of the stones and how they add a bit of mystery to the piece. I completely agree! This particular ring includes grey, champagne and white diamonds in 14K gold. She selects what carat of gold to use based on what will best complement the colors of the stones.

ruth tomlinson diamond cluster ring with faceted pear
Ruth graduated with an MA from the Royal College of Art, and still resides in London, where her line is all made in studio. (Note to self: visit studio on next trip to London!) Though she does sketch designs, she is also very led by the process itself, seeing where the materials take her. She is constantly drawn into a miniature world. Boy, do I like this world!

Midas is the next collection I explored. Inspired by her travels in India, it’s full of color and reminiscent of treasures from long ago.

ruth tomlinson rings from the midas collection
The stacking bands in this group are quite swoon-worthy as well. Perhaps I need one?!

ruth tomlinson stacking bands
Next up was the Hoard collection, based on found treasures such as Victorian and Georgian diamonds. I could see many of these rings as alternative bridal options, couldn’t you?

ruth tomlinson diamond rings
How about stacking a bunch together? Fine by me! These four rings include all old hand-cut diamonds.

ruth tomlinson diamond rings
Ruth was wearing a couple bracelets from the Hoard collection as well — SO lovely!

ruth tomlinson bracelets
Last, but certainly not least, is the Encrustations collection, inspired by the sea. Aqueous colors, pearls and shades of aqua, coral, tourmaline and more all in textured gold. Delicious!

ruth tomlinson rings
Looking through this collection on her website, I’m quite enamored with this tourmaline and diamond ring. The subtlety and combination of hues is fabulous.

ruth tomlinson tourmaline and diamond ring
If you are as entranced by this line as I am, then take a couple minutes to watch this video which takes a closer look at her inspiration and process.

Inspirations from Ruth Tomlinson on Vimeo.

Such an absolute pleasure to meet you, Ruth! I appreciate all your time and creativity.

ruth tomlinson and amy roseveare

Studio Collections Jewelry in Sonoma, CA

It has been years since I’ve been up to Sonoma, even though it’s only a two hour drive from where I live, so I was very excited to head up there this past Friday. Not only was I meeting a dear friend and colleague for lunch, but I was also finally going to visit Studio Collections Jewelry. I have been “virtual” friends with the owner, Bess Nathan Rice, for quite some time now. Located just off the main square, this store sells a very wide array of styles, from dainty to bold, new to vintage. I have no doubt that whatever your personal style, you’d be able to find something to complement your wardrobe in this boutique.

studio collections jewelry
As I walked in, I met Beth Hanson, who is the woman in charge of all the styling and merchandising at the store. Her love of jewelry had us chatting non-stop.

beth hanson at studio collections jewelry
There are quite a few lines that were new to me, and I want to share a few of them with you. The first one, Yed Omi, was located at the counter right as I walked in. It’s handcrafted by a husband/wife team out of Portland, Oregon.

yed omi earrings
I tried on the gold earrings on the right, and they were quite fabulous! Not only are they extremely lightweight, but the line is very reasonably priced.

yed omi earrings
Bess, the owner, also sells her own line. Luck would have it that she had just brought in trays of new designs while I was there. This necklace can be worn long, doubled, or even tripled. It features a rose-cut diamond and sterling pendant, with Tahitian Keshi pearls; these pearls are quite unique, as they are non-nucleated.

bess nathan rice necklace
bess nathan rice pendanat
She also showed me this necklace with tourmaline, Tahitian pearls and some excellent swinging tassels.

bess nathan rice necklace
You may be getting the gist that Bess is definitely a pearl girl. If you’ve got some pearl jewelry that just isn’t doing it for you anymore, Bess can help you re-design them.

I couldn’t help but notice a display of larger-scale jewelry by Patti Crandall. I wasn’t familiar with her line, and I found out why — Studio Collections is the only place she sells her work! Take a gander at these three rings. I tried on the one with citrine topaz and moonstone. Now that’s a statement!

patti crandall rings
patti crandall ring
I also had to try on these three opaque diamond rings in 18K…

patti crandall diamond rings
This necklace was also very intriguing. Made from a replica of an ancient Greek coin, you can see there are four spinels on the back side. Definitely a conversation piece.

patti crandall coin necklace
patti crandall coin necklace
On one whole wall of the store there are these great shadow-box cases, just beckoning you to come closer and inspect the treasures inside.

studio collection jewlery sonoma
One case in particular was calling my name — that which was full of traditional Mexican earrings. They are all hand fabricated in Oaxaca and Taxco. Although they look like they could be vintage, they are newly made, and ready for the right buyer! Here’s a few pair of earrings from this group. Whether or not they’re your personal style, you’ve got to appreciate the detail in the workmanship.

traditional mexican earrings with coral
traditional mexican silver earrings
traditional mexican silver earrings with turquoise
As I was looking at the selection of earrings, Bess pulled out a very special pair of gold and pearl “gusano” (meaning caterpillar) earrings. This pair is in fact vintage. I’ve honestly never seen anything like them.

vintage mexican gold and pearl earrings
Speaking of vintage, there is a carefully curated section of estate jewelry. Since I’ve been educating myself on different eras of jewlery, I enjoyed trying them all on.

antique rings
But have no fear if your taste is more on the contemporary side. You can find some beautiful designs, such as these rings by Sonoma County’s own Jennifer Dawes.

jennifer dawes rings
Should you decide to purchase something, either for yourself or for a gift, know that you’ll be getting a very specially wrapped box. As I watched Beth wrap up this ring box, we were laughing about how it reminded us from that scene from Love Actually where Alan Rickman is purchasing a necklace for his secretary. Humor! (Oh, and if you haven’t ever seen that movie — download it right away. It’s one of my all-time favorites.)

studio collections jewelry gift wrap
Bess, I so enjoyed visiting your store and getting the chance to know you in person. Thank you for all your time and expertise!

 

With Bess, the owner of Studio Collections Jewelry
With Bess, the owner of Studio Collections Jewelry

Oh, and if you’re looking for a yummy lunch nearby after jewelry shopping, I really enjoyed El Dorado Kitchen, right on the square. I’m still dreaming about the heirloom tomato salad…

What is a Cabochon?

This is a question that comes up from time to time when I’m jewelry shopping with clients. For many, “cabochon” is a jewelry vocabulary word which may not be part of your daily vernacular. Pronounced “kab-uh-shawn,” it refers to a rounded, highly polished cut of stone with no faceting. Typically, this cut is an oval shape (though you’ll find it in other shapes as well) with a flat bottom. Alexis Kletjian recently posted this stunning photo of a group of phrenite cabochons. Beautiful, right?

phrenite cabochons via alexis kletjian
The word cabochon comes from the French word “caboche” which translates to “small dome.” Opaque gems such as turquoise, opal, moonstone, and onyx are most commonly found in this cut, as opposed to transparent gems, which are typically faceted. Personally, I adore cabochon gems — they elicit a very mystical vision in my mind.

So that you can get a clear handle on what cabochon jewelry looks like, I thought I’d share a few lovely examples.

Gabriella Kiss aquamarine ring

gabriella kiss aquamarine cabochon ring
Sundance rainbow moonstone ring

sundance rainbow moonstone cabochon ring
Irene Neuwirth turquoise cabochon band

irene neuwirth cabochon turuoise band
Jamie Joseph triple oval grey star sapphire and diamond ring

jamie joseph triple oval grey star sapphire ring with diamond
Nava Zahavi blue kyanite ring

nava zahavi blue kyanite cabochon ring
Tamara Comolli bouton rainbow moonstone ring

tamara comolli bouton rainbow moonstone cabochon ring
Irene Neuwirth tanzanite cabochon bracelet

irene neuwirth cabochon tanzanite bracelet in rose gold
Do you have any jewelry with cabochon gems in your jewelry box? Does this cut appeal to your sense of personal style? Please let me know in the comment section below — I’d love to hear from you.

#JewelryUniform

The title of this blog post may confuse you — especially if you aren’t on Instagram; so let me explain. The talented Tura Sugden has created the hashtag #jewelryuniform to challenge other Instagrammers to show a pic of the jewelry they wear each day…in other words, your “jewelry uniform.” I’ve been loving getting a peek into the jewelry boxes of so many jewelry-addicts I admire. And then, I was challenged by both Dana Bronfman and Becky from Diamonds in the Library to show mine. Ack! My immediate reaction was, “How can I possibly do this? I wear different things almost every day!” But the more I contemplated the jewelry in my life, I decided it was possible to narrow it down to the key pieces which have been making me smile this summer. Just like Becky, my fellow writer, I cannot limit this to just one photo, so here I am writing an entire article about it. 😉

First off, I tend to have more silver-oriented days, and others that veer more towards yellow and rose gold. I never have on only one tone of metal from head to fingertips, but there’s definitely an emphasis each day. So let’s start with the “gold” days.

#jewelryuniform gold
For me, this ensemble starts with the shorter necklace, comprised of an enhydro quartz pendant by Monica Marcella on a hand-fabricated chain by Tura Sugden. I pair this with a super long chain of oxidized silver with little gold beads. I have no clue where I purchased this — I’ve had it for a zillion years.

Ears are adorned in my most favorite rose gold and moonstone studs by Nak Armstrong. (Nak helped me pick them out when I visited him at a trunk show he was having at Barney’s in SF; it’s like they were made for my tiny earlobes.)

The wrist is pretty simple with a dark silver chainlink bracelet with a rose gold and moonstone clasp by Alberian & Aulde from Gallery of Jewels.

Then, there are many rings to create a combination from…

rings
I do not wear them all at once, nor all on one hand. My mood and the state of how puffy my fingers are (am I the only one whose fingers are puffy in the morning?!) help me decide what to wear. Top to bottom, left to right, here’s the designer info:

  • Third Eye ring with a faceted black diamond from Fiat Lux
  • Polly Wales diamond eternity band (definitely the piece I wear every single day, no matter what)
  • Vintage gold, silver and sapphire ring bought over 20 years ago
  • Erica Molinari gold and enamel ring
  • Alberian & Aulde “Jupiter” ring with labradorite
  • Megan Thorne wide gold band with diamonds
  • Victorian diamond ring from Metier
  • Rose gold and labradorite navette ring from Arik Kastan

Now, let’s turn to the days where my outfit calls for more of a silver vibe.

#jewelryuniform silver
Again, I start with the necklace, in this case the “egg” pendant from Sophie Buhai. When I ordered it, I requested two chains of different lengths. This has given it more milage, since different lengths give me more options with regard to what looks best with the neckline of what I’m wearing.

My white gold and diamond earrings by Sethi Couture are a definite go-to. And on my wrist, I stack three bracelets: a silver chain link with gold lock from Marla Aaron, a silver Hermes Collier de Chien bangle, and an oxidized silver bangle with square labradorites from Nak Armstrong.

For rings, I typically choose among these 4, which include three by Rosa Maria (from Betty Lin) and a Spinelli Kilcollin multi-metal ring with topaz.

silver rings
No matter if it’s a silver or gold day, I always wear gold studs in my 2nd piercing. It’s the only metal that doesn’t seem to infect my ear at this point. So, I opt for either my Gabriella Kiss “slug” from Quadrum Gallery or a tiny disc with white sapphires from Polly Wales.

gabriella kiss and polly wales gold studs
So there we go…my #jewelryuniform. What about you? Do you have one? Definitely post a photo on Instagram, use this hashtag and tag @amyroseveare so I can see what baubles make you happy every day. Join in on the fun! Thanks to Tura for creating this, and to Dana and Becky for the tag! xo