These past few days, as the weather is finally turning to fall here in northern California, my mind has been focusing on neutral tones and feeling cozy. I think it’s a combination of all the craziness going on in the world and the cooler temps that has me wanting to hunker down and feel grounded. This starts by deciding what gems I want on my body, and what colors and fabrics give me this feeling. My current answer? Grey. It’s soothing, serene, and full of depth. I absolutely adore grey diamonds, and I long to have more of them in my life. Here are a few grey diamond rings that truly call to my soul.
And then last week as I was scrolling through Instagram, my heart skipped a beat when I saw this custom diamond ring from Point No Point Studio. The color and the geometry of the design are fab, don’t you think?
Alexis Russell always wows me with their combination of bands and stones.
And what do I want to wear with these rings? Well given that it’s that seasonal transition time, I want to make some white J Brand crop flared jeans work with the cooler weather. Yes, us Californians DO wear white after Labor Day! To do this, I’d trade my summery tops for a chunky grey cashmere turtleneck (this one is Barney’s own line), some distressed Marsell boots (one of my go-to shoe brands) and top it off with a Faliero Sarti scarf. Yummy, right? And the boots don’t have to be the same exact tone of the sweater — just neutrals that blend.
So back to some more grey diamond rings. Communion by Joy has been on my jewelry lust list for quite some time. The design of the settings, the textures and the stones are so unique. Here’s their Royal Guardian Rustic Diamond Ring.
And Anna Sheffield definitely has my attention with this Juno ring. Did you see it on my Instagram feed when I got to try it on in person a while back in New York City??
Oh, and a couple tips from the wardrobe stylist about the Golden Goose sneakers — I’m addicted to them. (I have three pair!) BUT, I hate the sole insert they come with. They have a very raised heel and are uncomfortable for me. So, I toss those and put in a pair of Superfeet insoles. And voila, they’re perfect. AND…since I don’t like going sockless and those little ballet flat peds never stay put, I swear by Hue’s hi cut peds. They work perfectly, and the high profile on the top works just right with sneakers.
So now you know what’s been on my mind. I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek inside my thoughts. Now, I’m going to spend the rest of the day getting my closet ready for the season — packing away my linens, sandals and summer items, and pulling out the boots and flannel. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the change!
Over the past few years, antique jewelry has really made an entrance in my life. And with it, I’ve been experimenting with some ways to style antique necklaces so that they look current and express my personal style. I certainly don’t want to look like a “fashion don’t” when stepping out the front door! I want to share two different ways to utilize antique necklaces. The first is layering, and the second strategy is using one necklace as a focal point.
So let’s start with layering necklaces. With this, you can layer various antique/vintage necklaces, or you can mix old and new together. Doyle & Doyle recently shared this photo on Instagram, which is a fantastic example of how to layer with panache.
My personal collection doesn’t have so many amazing antique necklaces (#goals), so my own style experiment only involved two necklaces: one non-antique (a Marla Aaron chain & lock with a Monica Marcella enhydro quartz pendant and a tiny pearl pendant from Erica Molinari) along with one antique (a 57″ 9K gold chain from Lenore Dailey with a Victorian “A” locket from Erica Weiner).
I’ll share what I did with them two days last week. On Monday I looped the long antique necklace around my neck twice, creating a choker effect, and paired it with the non-antique necklace.
In my typical black, I liked how they looked with my harem pants and sandals. I describe my personal style as “urban bohemian” and I thought this ensemble was true to my style.
Then on Wednesday, I wore a dress over a pair of cropped, frayed-hem jeans. I wore the 57″ necklace long, layered the new necklace. I’d never worn a necklace so long! But once I figured out how to maneuver it (and not get it stuck in the seatbelt), I felt pretty swishy! It’s true that I don’t necessarily look like anyone else on the street, but in my book that’s a good thing.
Now let’s take a look at just using one necklace as a focal point. While I was at the Hillsborough Antique Fair a couple weekends ago, I spent quite a bit of time with the charming Lenore Dailey. I photographed two different necklaces to use in my examples. The first one is a Victorian 18K and silver necklace with rose cut and old European cut diamonds. At first glance, you might think, “Oh, this is gorgeous, but certainly best worn for a dressy occasion.” I feel the complete opposite. I think it would look just amazing worn during the day. Don’t worry…I’ll give you some ideas how in a minute.
The second necklace that caught my eye in her booth was this Georgian 15K gold flower chain with the most amazing clasp — check out the cabochon turquoise. What workmanship!
So yes, of course you can wear these necklaces with a cocktail dress. But how cute would they look with a t-shirt, jeans, boots and a biker jacket? Or what about this — a simple pencil skirt, a pull-over sweater, and funk it up with some Golden Goose Sneakers. (yes, I might be just a wee bit obsessed with these sneakers).
If you add one of these necklaces to the sporty chic look, it’d be awesome! I like how the turquoise would look against the raspberry color. Not too “matchy-matchy,” if you know what I mean. And the juxtaposition of the diamonds with sneakers would be so cool — not a combination someone might typically come up with while getting dressed.
The bottom line is I want you to know that it’s much easier to incorporate an antique necklace into your look than you might think. Try it on with unexpected garments, and you might be very surprised at how original and unique it looks. And with any item you purchase, remember that the more it costs, the more you should wear it so that the cost-per-wear goes down. Never save anything “for good.” Now venture forth into your jewelry box and your closet and have some fun! Send me pix of what you come up with.
