Jewelry…own it, love it, wear it!
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:
I actually got to try on the vibrant tourmaline necklace from the second photo above.
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!
Yesterday I was psyched to stop by The Podolls in Burlingame to see the latest and greatest fall arrivals. As I was chatting with Josh, half of the husband/wife team behind this local, sustainably-made brand, I got distracted… A woman walked in and I was instantly drawn to her look.
And do you want to hear where it was from? It was found online at Anthropologie! This goes to show that you don’t always have to spend a fortune on jewelry to really take your outfit to a whole new level. (And of course I came home and had to check out the whole jewelry section on the Anthropologie website — I did find the necklace, and it’s only $88.)
(P.S. I just realized that this is the 500th article I’ve written for my blog. Time to celebrate!)
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?
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
Have you ever looked at a ring on your finger and wondered how it was actually made? Heck, even the process of sizing a ring seems quite mysterious to me! Well this week, San Francisco jewelry designer Corey Egan released a killer video of what exactly goes into handcrafting jewelry. Her husband, Ryan Leggett, was the man behind the camera, and I think they did a fabulous job!
Wasn’t that so cool?! (And did you watch it more than once, like I did??) It’s amazing to me how many tools and machines are used in the process. It’s a real science.
Here’s a look at some of the finished pieces which were shown in the video.
I’ve come full circle with my year of birthstone articles, ending with July’s stone, the ruby. (Just for you, mom — happy birthday!) Through my research, I found the ruby to be quite fascinating. It turns out that throughout history, the ruby was considered the most valuable of all stones, even more than a diamond. In the metaphysical world, it has the highest vibration of all stones, so high in fact, that it’s not a stone commonly used in mediation because it’s too darn energetic. Rubies represent love, passion and prosperity. Though I always think of rubies as red, they can actually range from a paler rose to a deep, crimson red (the most valuable). There can be a cast of orange, blue or purple to them, depending on where they are mined.
When you wear a ruby, here’s some of the qualities it will help you with:
-a clear mind
-brings a sense of adventure
-self-confidence
-motivation & high energy
-an aphrodisiac
-gets rid of nightmares
-courage
-stone of manifestation/following your bliss
Interesting, right?! And to whet your ruby appetite, here’s some stellar pieces of jewelry…
Sidney Garber ruby drop accented band
You June babies are lucky ducks, as you have three birthstones. One is Alexandrite. While it truly is a gorgeous stone, it’s extremely rare, so it’d be tough to find many options for you to buy. Then there’s the pearl, which many associate as the “main” birthstone for the month. Personally, I’m partial to the third option, moonstone. You may remember back in January I wrote an article about how my body physically craves certain gems, and moonstone is most definitely one of them. In fact, here’s my Steven Battelle rainbow moonstone ring I wrote about; I could not leave the store without buying it — it was truly a visceral reaction when I spotted it in the case. Has this ever happened to you?
I may have gone a little overboard with my virtual shopping spree today, but I just couldn’t help myself. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order…
Jamie Joseph leather bracelet with moonstone
Ever since I bought myself an Arik Kastan three-moonstone ring for Christmas a couple years ago from Twist, I’ve become a BIG fan of this vintage-inspired line. When Tamar Kelman, the creative director of the line, had a trunk show in Marin a year or so ago, another ring just maaay have gone home with me. Just maybe.
Arik Kastan is a jewlery designer based in Tel Aviv, and he utilizes old world jewelry making techniques. From sketch to finish, all work is done by hand, even the links on the necklaces! Tamar told me, “There’s a heartbeat to every piece.” Well-known for his particular alloys of rose gold and yellow gold, his work is inspired by the Victorian era, Art Deco, as well as old Arabic and European architecture. I want to share 11 of my fave pieces from this delectable collection with you…
Double Gypsy Cigar Band with moonstones
Emeralds, known as the “stones of successful love” are considered one of the four “precious” stones — the others being diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Found as far back as 4000 BC, emeralds were one of Cleopatra’s favorite gems. In fact, the Egyptians believed they signified eternal life, so very often mummies were buried with an emerald. The word emerald come from the Greek word “smaragdus” which translates to “green stone.” Emeralds are mined around the globe, including countries such as Columbia, Brazil, and Afghanistan, to name a few. The more vibrant the green, the more valuable the stone.
This dazzling green gem also has many purported qualities for the wearer, which include:
-symbol of rebirth and growth
-inspires hope for the future
-promotes friendship
-brings contentment
-stone of wisdom and mental clarity
-activates creativity
-encourages one to live life to the fullest
With this new knowledge, I set off to find some pieces that piqued my emerald interest. In no particular order…
Judy Geib Colombian Emerald and Herkimer Diamond drop earrings
Jennifer Meyer emerald rectangle stacking ring
Back in October 2014, I wrote an article about chokers. At that time, the trend was leaning toward more delicate varieties. While these are certainly still very wearable today, I’ve noticed that chokers are going bold, big time. These larger-scale versions are making it off the fashion runway and onto the street.
With the longevity I’ve seen the past couple years, I’m thinking that chokers are no longer a trend, but rather a viable jewelry staple. I’ve done a bit of online investigating and wanted to share a range of designs with you. Perhaps one will strike your fancy?
Jennifer Fisher Abstract Line Choker (Photo from her Instagram feed)
