Neiman Marcus is one of my absolute favorite department stores, and they had a killer promotion going on this past week. They were offering a gorgeous brooch with certain purchases, and let me tell you, they literally flew out the door! I’m sure it’s no surprise to my readers that I…uh…qualified for this prezzie, and I can’t wait to give it to one of you! I think you’ll love the gold tone, and the sparkling jewels in hues of blue and green.
Wouldn’t you love to wear this ?!
Brooches are one of the hottest jewelry trends of the season. While they are traditionally worn on a jacket lapel, be creative! Use one pinned to your favorite clutch to really spice up your bag. Or pin it to the band of your snappy fedora. If you’re the lucky winner, enjoy! (This contest runs until Friday, Sept. 7th.)
Items that have multiple functions are something I love. Whether it’s a leather motorcycle jacket that can be transformed into a killer vest with de-tachable sleeves, or my hiking pants which can become capris with ease (don’t laugh!), I think it really extends your cost-per-wear on an item.
Dartmouth and Harvard-educated Clara Williams has brought this vision to jewelry, which you know is pretty much one of my biggest passions. With her patent-pended magnetic clasp technology, and over 11 years in business, she has broached (no pun intended) a whole new territory in jewelry. Honored to meet this Chicago-based designer at the Couture show in Vegas, I was so intrigued by her line.
Clara and I at the Couture Show
So the concept behind her necklaces is that you choose the main necklace element, be it one or her 14K or 18K chains, or something more exotic, such as pearls. From there, you choose your center piece, which magnetically clasps to the necklace. How brilliant is that?!
14K braided gold necklace with tourmaline centerpiece
With your imagination, the sky is the limit with the combinations you can come up with. Here are some beautiful examples.
Love the blue hues of lapis and turquoise!
The rough aquamarine has my name all over it!
Her earrings are also convertible. Different enhancers easily slide on and off the basic earring. I can imagine that this line is the traveler’s dream, with the amount of different looks you can achieve with her jewelry! In addition, once you start “collecting” her line, you can just keep adding different pieces, really creating a multitude of looks.
Though Clara loves spending her time fly-fishing and traveling to exotic locales such as the Galapagos Islands, you can also catch her here state-side. Her line is offered in a variety of retailers, and you can even see it live in Pebble Beach coming up on August 16-19 at Elan at the Lodge. If you ever needed a reason to visit one of the most picturesque places in the Unites States, here you have it!
I was out one Saturday morning in Palo Alto, and this gal’s necklace stopped me in my tracks. She had a few inches on me, which is saying something, and she walked with presence! Her simple black outfit was styled perfectly with this statement necklace. She said she picked it up at Buffalo Exchange. Not only is she stylish, but she’s eco-friendly with the recycled piece. Lovin’ it!
I’ve got a pretty darn solid sense of my personal style, which I describe as luxe bohemian. Translation: beachy, globe-trotting, relaxed feel dripping with gorgeous jewelry and accessories! (No one will ever accuse me of being a minimalist!) This is where developing my jewelry signature really helps define my style. My jewelry signatures include horn pendants, stacked rings and bangles, and druzy/agate pieces, to name a few.
I’ve begun adding a new signature the past 6 months or so…the leather bracelet. The concept evolved naturally, as I began incorporating some into my bracelet stacks. And now, I’m just becoming obsessed with them and noticing them everywhere! (It’s like the phenomenon when you’re shopping for a new car, and suddenly you start seeing your desired car all over the place!) Case in point, while shopping in San Francisco recently, I spotted this tremendous stack.
Hermes bracelet stack
This combination includes two Hermes enamel bangles (the H bracelet and the patterned one) along side a wide leather bracelet. It’s a little rock-n-roll, yet remains very sophisticated as well.
Victoria Beckham was also spotted stacking Hermes. Now this particular look is a bit too hard-core and sleek for my own personal style, but I can certainly appreciate it on her!
Edgy Hermes stack
While in Las Vegas a couple months ago, I did encounter this killer bracelet at the Fendi store. This one spoke to me both with it’s lighter neutral color and the singular spike closure — just a bit of attitude, but not too much. In addition, it runs really tiny, so it fit my wrist perfectly. (Who knows why, but I have crazy small wrists for a tall girl!)
Softer rock-n-roll vibe
I also loved discovering Mulberry’s Bayswater leather bracelet when their store recently opened here in San Francisco. A client and I both swooped one up the week they opened! And the good news here is that they do come in more than one size and in quite a few different colors. I like that it’s not too wide, so it makes it easy to stack with other bracelets, allowing you to create very eclectic combinations.
Be creative with your stacks!
Double-wrap leather bracelets are also increasingly popular. Hermes designs one of the most famous double-wraps, as shown here.
Hermes Kelly Double Tour bracelet
Gorgeous as this one is, for my own style, I prefer this taupe stunner with a big piece of Druzy by Rachel Olesker. I found this gem at The Store in Mill Valley, CA.
This fits my luxe boho style perfectly!
So how do you feel about leather bracelets? Is this something you can see yourself wearing? Whatever your answer is, I bet you’ll notice one soon when you’re out and about! Cheers! 🙂
I’ve already admitted to you that Live with Kelly is one of my guilty pleasures on a leisurely morning. Well this week she had Joss Stone on as a musical guest, who was there promoting her new album. (Many of my Facebook fans are raving about it…I’ll have to check it out.) Well anyway, my attention during her performance was not on the song, but rather the spectacular necklace she was wearing. (I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear this!) It was reminiscent of a royal Egyptian collar, yet in sparkling silver, and it looked just amaze-balls with her black strapless top. Wow! Now, I’ll just have to track down who designed this stunning piece….
The first time I met Petra Class and saw her beautiful line was at the American Craft Council show in San Francisco. (She’ll be showing there again this coming weekend, August 3-5!) Her line had a very modern aesthetic, with clean lines and delicious gems. I was delighted to once again see her at the Couture show, and I had a chance to chat more with her (loved finding out that she’s a 2nd degree black belt in Aikido!) and really explore the line.
Two curly girls!
Petra was born and raised in Germany and started designing right out of high school. She adores sitting at the work bench working on her designs. All her pieces are made right here in San Francisco, and she only uses recycled gold.
Hard at work on something (undoubtedly) gorgeous
Here is a stunning ring. The blue-green hues elicit the feeling of the Mediterranean. I can almost feel the sun shining down on me…
Gorge!
This bracelet really showcases Petra’s perspective. As she told me,”I like crazy in a structured way.” Well, I certainly believe she achieved it with this creation!
A rainbow for your wrist
I thought this pair of pearl, gold and diamond earrings had a particularly feminine feel, though combined with a modern edge. Nice juxtaposition!
Organically beautiful design
Aside from at various shows, you can also find some of her line at Gumps in San Francisco. Personally, I really hope to make it to the ACC show at Fort Mason this weekend and see her latest work. If you’re in the SF Bay Area, hope you can make it as well!
I love nostalgia and items from the past. I have the grocery ledger belonging to my Swedish great-grandmother, I treasure the engagement necklace that belonged to my Italian grandmother, and the photo of my Italian grandfather on the boat coming into the harbor in NYC is priceless.
When my latest “victim” appeared at a local park, it was her necklace that caught my eye. In chatting with her, I discovered that she found these two keys amidst her grandparent’s possessions. No idea what they’re for. No idea where they came from. But paired together on the silver ball chain, the result is fab. It’s definitely a bit edgy, especially combined with the pink streak in her hair and the silver studded Hello Kitty t-shirt. I love it. And I have no doubt that this gal was sporting the now-popular “key trend” long before Tiffany & Co. ever thought of it.
I remember the first time I visited Fragments in SoHo in NYC. It was like stepping into this amazingly huge jewelry box with such exquisitely curated collections, that I didn’t know where to start looking (and trying on) first! Well unfortunately it’s been quite some time since I’ve been back in the Big Apple, but I’m thrilled with the new and improved website that Fragments just launched this past week.
The storefront on Prince Street
While I’ve certainly spent countless hours on jewelry websites, I have to say that this site is oh, so, much more than your average bear! As Danielle Gadi, their PR gal told me, “It’s a jewelry journey.” Well said. It’s shopping, it’s educational, and it’s very on-trend.
As I explored the site, I first went through the different designers. Instead of just showing the lines (and they do carry both fashion and fine jewelry), they had pictures of the designers, information about them, and short interviews that really give you an insight into the creative forces behind the jewelry you’re looking at. I always think that getting to know a designer really makes their jewelry more personal. I love knowing random facts like what their guilty pleasure is, and what piece of jewelry they never take off!
The next section that really grabbed me was Janet’s Jewelry Box. Janet, the founder and CEO of the company, uses this forum to show her top picks each season, based on different themes and trends. In this first edition, she starts where she should — with the basics that you should have in your jewelry box. I can’t wait to see what her next batch of picks are!
Jewelry basics by Janet
Two pages on the site that I will be sure to keep up with are Trend Watch and Style Spotlight. Currently, they’re featuring Maria Duenas Jacobs, who’s the senior accessories editor at Glamour magazine. I love finding out some quirky things about her, as well as see what jewelry she’s currently obsessing over. (because I am NOT the only jewelry-obsessed girl in the world…)
Chic layout!
There’s also more than just jewelry on this site. There’s a section on events going on around the city, and a whole section dedicated to art. How cool is that? On my next visit, I can literally use the site as a mini travel guide! And finally, I have to mention the kick-ass glossary they include. You can get definitions of everything from jasper to toggle clasps. I know that I learned a few things from perusing it!
Thanks for letting me wax poetic about this updated website. I’m just so happy that I can really get my “Fragments Fix” even though I’m on the opposite coast. Hope you enjoy it as well!
So nearly 50 years ago when my parents got married, they had a serious conversation…namely, what their “non-negotiables” were for their marriage. Who knows the rationale behind his requests, but my dad didn’t want my mom to ever wear colored nail polish or get her ears pierced. (Did he think she’s look like a harlot, or what?!)
Well life now has afforded my mom the opportunity to do whatever she wants, and with her turning 70, this was the perfect time to just go for it! Of course being that I, her daughter, is clearly jewelry-obessed, I could hardly wait for two new earlobes to adorn!
So we hopped in her minivan and off to the mall we went. Oh, the joy! After signing away her life with the release forms at Claire’s, the big moment came.
First one ear…
Then the other…
And voila! She’s even more beautiful than she was before! And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she can finally wear non-post earrings on December 24th. Holiday shopping will have never been easier!
I can only hope I look so gorgeous at her age!
Mom…wishing you an amazing 70th birthday. I hope all your wishes come true, as well as some that exceed your wildest dreams. You deserve every happiness!! I love you the most-est.
I first stumbled across Erica Molinari’s jewelry line on a visit to Head Over Heels in Menlo Park, CA. While not always drawn to tiny, petite jewels, something about the little pearl pendants with inlaid diamonds really caught my eye. Combined with one of my horn pendants, and her small four-diamond enhancer, it really came to life. In addition, I purchased the oxidized silver chain, which I had been searching for in vain for quite some time. Score!
The three together are quite charming
Erica draws her inspiration from the days of yesteryear…ancient Greek coins, the Italian Renaissance, and old Latin words. While at the Couture show, I was happy to run into Erica’s fabulous rep, Felicia, who showed me a new collection of teardrops pendants. They’re available in a brushed finish in sterling, oxidized silver and 18K gold. The icons range from four-point stars to dragonflies to snakes and evil eyes, just to mention a few. So much to choose from!
Some of the teardrop pendants
One of the things I love about this line is that you can really mix and match the pendants, creating your own look. I think it’s a great way to play with a mixture of metals on one necklace, as well. And for travel, it’s perfect because you can switch things up and wear different combinations, so you don’t look the same in every picture.
I have yet to meet Erica in person, nor have I seen her whole line. Though I just encountered this photo of her rings and I have a new mission. I’ve got to see these in person! Guess it’s just one more item to add to my jewelry bucket list. 😉
