So I was out and about in Palo Alto today, and spied this glorious necklace. Granted, I am currently having a little “neon” moment, so her scarf was what initially caught my eye. (Yes, I have done the neon thing in high school in the 80’s…but I’m still drawn…)
At any rate, I think this woman nailed the neon trend in combination with a neutral (black) and a killer necklace. In talking with her (Irene), I learned that she found this treasure in her native locale, Vancouver, Canada. The signature on the back said “Tania Gleave,” but I couldn’t find a website for her.
The carved wood emblem with the dangling citron stone paired perfectly with the lime scarf, and were center stage on the black outfit. Kudos for a killer pairing!
It must have been back when I was about 8 years old or so…my grandmother went on a cruise to Austraila, and she brought me back (what I thought was) THE most amazing necklace. It’s pendant was a kangaroo with some opal chips in it. I had never seen an opal before, and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! Well let me tell you, Australian-born jewelry designer Katherine Jetter takes opals and other Australian themes to a whole new level!
I was drawn to Katherine’s booth at the Couture show because I had seen one of her rings in a glossy publication in my hotel room. It’s called the Madame Butterfly ring, and it’s made of hand-carved white opals, accented with diamonds and a Mandarin garnet in the center. Mesmerizing, right?!
Now THIS is a floral ring!
Katherine is just as lovely as her jewelry, and she generously spent her time showing me her line and educating me about it.
Wearing one of her amazing bracelets
Here’s a close-up of the stunning cuff I was wearing. It’s made of 18K yellow gold with diamonds. The detail is amazing! Look at the turtle and the coral — it’s just like you were under the sea! Speaking of turtles, this is Katherine’s signature on all her pieces. Whether it’s prominent, as in this cuff, or hidden in the back of a smaller earring, there is a turtle on each and every piece of her jewelry. According to Egyptian mythology, the turtle symbolizes good luck and protection. I love this sentiment and detail in her collection.
Great Barrier Reef cuff
The main inspirations for her line come from her home country — the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Though she spent time in the corporate world, she was drawn to jewelry design over 6 years ago. I’m so glad she followed her heart, as her designs are truly unique! (And trust me, I’ve seen a lot of jewelry lines!)
Much of her collection features opals, sourced from Austaila, Peru, and Mexico. I’m not quite sure how she comes up with her exquisite designs, but here’s a prime example. This is the Whitsunday Island pendant, which showcases a lightening ridge black opal that’s over 34 carats! Combined with 18K white gold, diamonds and a moonstone chain, the result is fantastic!
Whitsunday Island Pendant
Here is how she used white opal splinters entwined in sterling silver with pink mist tourmaline, to create a pair of earrings unlike any I’ve ever seen.
Hanging vine earrings
I’m clearly not the only one intrigued by her designs. She’s definitely getting a celebrity following. Both Renee Bargh and Naomi Watts will be adorned in her jewels while walking the red carpet at the Australian Film Insitute Awards this Wednesday, June 27th. I think I’ll have to tune in and check it out!
I stopped in my tracks when I spied this woman in downtown San Francisco. Attired in a simple, yet chic black dress and neutral layer (which you always need in the city!), this outfit just came to life with the jewelry!! The longest necklace is an acrylic pendant. The buddah, which you know I’m obsessed with, actually had some sanskrit on the backside. The bezel-set coin was an 1888 US silver dollar, from the year her grandmother was born. Combined with the double-wraped chunky silver chain, it was an unexpected, yet cool combination. It sort of had a bit of a zen meets rock-n-roll vibe. Kudos from the jewelry judge!
One of the coolest parts of attending the Couture jewelry show was meeting designers from all over the globe. Case and point…meeting Lene from Copenhagen, Denmark, and learning about her “magical” line, Vibe’s, the likes of which I’d truly never seen before!
Learning about Lene's line
The Vibe’s studio and shop are located in a quaint two-story terra-cotta colored building built back in 1750. One of the key selling points to Lene was the antique safe from 1820. No, this safe is not used for securing jewelry. In fact, it would be useless considering it has a huge hole in the back of it from a robbery back in the “olden days.” No…Lene uses the safe to store her port wine, which she enjoys sharing with special customers. Love that!
So back to the jewelry…the Vibe’s line is inspired by the fairy tales of Hans Christen Andersen. When you think of these tales, you envision fairies dancing, mystical animals moving through the enchanted forest, and other whimsical creatures. This is exactly what you’ll find in her designs. Check out the exquisite detail in this ring, from the little insect to the tiny sea shell!
Amazing detail!
And here are some more examples of her rings. Notice the raw, yet carefully curated beauty in each creation.
Fit for a wood-nymph princess!
You’ll notice a variety of pearls in her line, from baroque South Sea to Keshi to freshwater. Combined with other gems and brushed 18K gold, the result is quite stunning. Each time you look at her pieces, you’ll notice more and more detail.
I love the snails!
I think part of the reason Lene has such a vivid, fantastical imagination is that she treasures children and appreciates how they see the world. In fact, she always travels with drawings by her 4 1/2 and 7 1/2 year old children.
Showing me the art in her "portfolio"
Personally, I would love to visit her shop in Copenhagen one day. But luckily, I can still see her work in person at one my FAVE jewelry stores in the USA, Fragments in New York City. This store is definitely a must-see on your next trip to the Big Apple!
People are always amazed to hear that I was honestly obsessed with jewelry from my earliest memories. I guess it’s just wired in my DNA! Well I’m clearly not the only one. I was visiting my cousin at her fab home store, Abode, in Half Moon Bay the other day. Tucked in the corner of the shop, behind the register, was her four year-old daughter and a friend having snack time and some girl-talk. At one point, I caught wind of what they were talking about, yet tried to listen in without being obvious. It went something like this:
“Oooo, I love your necklace!”
“Thank you! I love it too, and I wear it all the time!”
“Even to bed?”
“Yup, even to bed….”
Loved that she had to get out of her chair to inspect this special treasure more closely. Guess both of these little girls have got the jewelry gene as well!
Shopping amidst a major downpour isn’t my favorite way to shop, but when I spotted this fabulous necklace it brightened the Seattle Day! Very happy with her smashing Miriam Haskell necklace, this gal just had it going on. Despite her petite stature, her presence definitely carried the scale of this necklace. I also like how her crocheted sweater vest compliments the design of the necklace. Two thumbs up!
I arrived at the Couture jewelry show a couple days before it started, as I wanted some time to relax in Vegas. (OK…actually time to shop, who am I trying to kid?!) While lounging by the pool one morning, I saw a very stylish woman in an aqua bikini gracefully walking into the pool. The next night, at Couture’s poolside opening party (Taio Cruz!), I found myself sitting next to that same glamorous woman. Coincidence? I think not. I’m confident that we were supposed to meet.
Come to find out that she is Efva Attling, an amazing jeweler from Stockholm, Sweden.
Efva and Amy
We sat for quite some time in her salon, as she told me a bit about her life and how she came to be the woman and designer she is today. Her history includes being an uber-famous model (she was even on the cover of Elle at age 50!), headlining a gold-record band back in the 80’s, and hosting a talk show, just to touch the tip of the iceberg. Regardless of her fame, she is extremely open and down to earth. She exudes a positive energy that just draws you to her. I think this energy translates to the jewelry she designs.
Known for her silver work, her tag line is “beauty with a thought,” as she desires to connect with people with “short songs,” as she calls them. While she can’t put an entire song’s lyrics on her pieces, she instead carefully selects words to get to the heart of the matter and connect with wearer. I love the words embedded in this necklace, don’t you?! It’s a rod of rock crystal with silver.
This necklace says it all!
Here’s a very clever necklace, that has a heart tucked inside. When she gave one as a gift to Angelina Jolie, she had the names of her children inscribed on the heart. Precious.
The inscription says "think of me" in 14th century French
And this unique cuff bracelet has a fingerprint on it — do you see it? Believe it or not, it’s the fingerprint of her mother, which she captured before she passed away. Truly, all her jewelry has a heart.
A cuff with meaning
Her fine jewelry is also quite amazing. Here she is wearing one of her signature necklaces. All I can say is, “Wow!”
Stunning!
While we were talking, she told me the story of a very good friend of hers. She had tried for years to have a child, and was finally blessed with a son. This precious gift was then taken from her in the tsunami in 2004. In her grief for her friend’s loss, she designed a special angel necklace. This “Angels” necklace, in cooperation with the Red Cross, has now raised over a million dollars for the tsunami victims. I think this story clearly demonstrates the type of woman Efva is.
For those of you stateside who can’t quite swing jewelry shopping in Sweden, don’t despair! In addition to her online shop, she also recently opened a boutique in the fabulous meatpacking district in New York City. Personally, I can’t wait to check it out on my next trip to the Big Apple!
I had the time to pop into Angela’s in Menlo Park recently — a well-loved boutique. I almost ran right into a customer, as her amazing array of necklaces just had me mesmerized!
Neutrals and diamonds done right!
As I turned around, I literally started seeing double, as there was her twin sister adorned in another fascinating combination!
Love the pop of color with the white dress!
Come to find out that she’s the jewelry designer of all these lovely creations! I can’t wait to check out her line in person. And don’t worry…I’ll be sure to let you know all about it! 😉
I fell in love with Temple St. Clair‘s rock crystal amulets from the first time I saw one…it was literally beckoning to me from a well-lit glass case. It was at the same time ethereal, bohemian and elegant. It’s a rare piece of jewelry that can capture all that at once. Then and there, it went on my “lust/must” list.
Temple has been celebrating her 25th year in business, and I was thrilled to attend her special trunk show at Wilke’s Bashford a while back.
Temple and Amy
Since procuring said amulet wasn’t part of my budget at that time, I settled for reading her beautiful coffee table book cover-to-cover. Alchemy, a Passion for Jewels is a gorgeous tome, full of both information and stunning photos. While reading I discovered the designer and I both shared a passion for Italy (where she learned her craft), pieces of the past, and the ocean. Perhaps this is why I am so consistently drawn to her collection, as we appear to be kindred spirits. (In fact that’s what she inscribed in my copy of her book!)
A must-have book for any jewelry lover!
Here’s a sample of her rock crystal amulets that I got to have fun with at the show.
How to decide which one I love best?!
And it was hard to tear this incredible moonstone cuff from my wrist….
Fit for a goddess!
Temple designs with 18K yellow and white gold and gemstones of all colors. She creates a new collection twice a year, for spring and fall. Her line can be found in fine jewelry boutiques and department stores around the globe. If you’re interested in seeing her work in person, I’m sure you can find a nearby retailer!
Ok…guess it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. I watch some pretty trashy TV. But really, it’s sort of like a train wreck where you can’t look away — really! So, here I am watching the umpteenth season of The Bachelorette. While I think Emily has appeared quite, uh, quite milk-toast these first two episodes (though it looks like she sparks up in future installments), I must applaud her on her earring choice in Monday night’s rose ceremony. I just adored the vibrant green earrings paired with the purple gown. Many would have played it safe with a shade of purple or a metallic, but not Emily. Perhaps this is her letting her “true colors” show.
Unexpected, yet lovely, ensemble
This bold combination was reminiscent of Cameron Diaz’ red carpet look from a few years ago.
Rockin' contrasting hues
So next time you’re sitting in front of your jewelry box trying to choose the perfect accessory for your outfit, consider coloring outside the lines. Sometimes a unique color combination is just what the doctor ordered!
