Jacquie Aiche’s Hot New Designs

You may recall reading about Jacquie Aiche about a year ago, when I posted an article about her here on the blog. I was eager to visit her at Couture this year to see her latest and greatest, and she did not disappoint!

Before I could start looking around, I had to first inspect what she, herself, was wearing!

jacquie aiche
Did she really bling out an antique watch? Yes…she did!

jacquie aiche stack

Jacquie showing me her new crystal necklaces
Jacquie showing me her new amethyst crystal necklaces

Her crystal necklaces wrapped in diamonds are dreamy–shown in the bottom two necklaces in the photo below. Yes, please!

 

The necklace on the bottom is not on my jewelry lust list!
The necklace on the bottom is now on my jewelry lust list!

These carved agate arrowheads with diamonds are unique and versatile.

jacquie aiche arrowhead necklaces
And how about these sugilite earrings?? (Yep…another gem I had never heard of before!)

jacquie aiche earrings
The way Jacquie took hoop earrings to the next level is awesome.

jacquie aiche earrings
Her booth was filled with a riot of color, and I couldn’t resist trying on a few rings.

jacquie aiche rings
As always, wonderful to see you, Jacquie! xo

Dragonflies, Bees and Butterflies

Though spring in San Francisco currently seems to be colder than our winter, my eye is still being caught by the ever-popular insect motif in jewelry. As I was walking up Sutter Street the other day, this little Victorian beauty buzzed my name from the front window of Lang Antique & Estate Jewelry.

victorian diamond, tiger's eye, opal and ruby bee pin from lang antique jewelry
While so beautiful, this intricate piece is certainly an investment for most people. It got me thinking about how this pin would be on the catwalk at Fashion Week. But how to translate this to the street? Or as often dubbed, “Runway to Realway.” I took a look around and compiled a collection of ideas. Here they are, in no particular order.

Alexis Bittar Iridescent Bumble Bee Studs

alexis bittar iridescent bumble bee stud earrings
Siena Jewelry Silver Diamond Bee Pendant Necklace

siena jewelry silver diamond bee pendant necklace
Efva Attling Miss Butterfly Headband

efva attling miss butterfly headband
Because even a baby can rock a butterfly, James Banks Butterfly Baby Ring

james banks butterfly gold and silver tiny baby ring

Slane Bee Charm Bracelet

slane bee charm bracelet with bee charm
Jacquie Aiche Butterfly Stud

jacquie aiche butterfly stud
Anna Ruth Henriques Moonstone Dragonfly Pendant

anna ruth henriques dragonfly moonstone pendant
Slane Grace Black Onyx Bee Intaglio Ring

slane grace black onyx an dsterling silver ring with bee intaglio
Efva Attling Miss Butterfly Heaven Collier

efva attling miss butterfly heaven collier
And if you’re looking for a little something special for the graduate in your life, Dogeared Graduation Butterfly Necklace. (which also comes in silver)

dogeared graduation butterfly necklace
Tomorrow, as I head out for the day, I’m going to see how many of these winged creatures I see, both in reality and in the form of jewelry. I hope you have a lovely spring day!

Jacquie Aiche: Designer

It’s amazing to me how some people have a gift of knowing something is hot, even before the rest of the world is in on the secret. This is one of the many talents that jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche possesses. Back in 2009, Jacquie made her first finger bracelet, with a singular diamond. 5 years later, this is a full-fledged trend here in the US, and Jacquie was most definitely ahead of the curve. She now has multiple versions, such as this one with 13 diamonds.

jacquie aiche 13 diamond shaker finger bracelet
This bohemian goddess is the mother of two, and began designing on the side about 15 years ago. She knew she was on to something when business just flowed in, and pretty soon her entire garage turned into her jewelry studio.

jacquie aiche and amy roseveare
She was showing some stunning knuckle rings which span a few fingers. I tried on a labradorite one — amaze-balls!

jacquie aiche knuckle ring
Here’s a display from her case at the Couture show, which has one in shades of green.

jacquie aiche display
It’s really hard to describe the instant bond I felt with Jacquie, but it was as if I’d known her for ages. She is one of those people who glows with happiness from the inside, and I truly believe she sees the beauty in everything, from each and every stone she hand-selects for her pieces to the flowers in her garden. Life just makes her happy!

Body chains are another of Jacquie’s specialties, and she described them to me as, “..modern day lingerie. They can be worn under your bra, just for you, your boyfriend, husband, whatever..”

jacquie aiche body chains
No longer a solo operation in her garage, Jacquie is now so grateful to have 12 people on her team, and each piece is still made right in Los Angeles. One of the items she spent quite a bit of time introducing me to are her Blesslev amulets. When she met with a spiritual mystic 5 years ago, they were inspired by the concept, “When you concentrate on the core of who you are, and the true blessings you’ve been given, finding your inner joy and peace comes easy.” So these special amulets house a gratitude list and a Kabbalistic mantra in a beautiful shagreen pouch.

jacquie aiche blesslev amulets
While also famous for her ear jackets, where part of the earring is suspended below your earlobe, she’s also now focusing on adorning the feet. If you want to see more, you can find some of her line, many items at lower price points, on Shopbop, in addition to the retail portion of her website.

jacquie aiche earrings
jacquie aiche toe anklets
Basically, when I left Jacquie’s booth, I felt like I had just taken a trip to a bejeweled, inner realm of happiness and optimism. While I don’t necessarily look like the woman in the photo below, it’s how I felt in my heart. Many thanks for the time you spent with me, Jacquie.

jacquie aiche jewelry

Spring 2014 Trends: Layering Delicate Necklaces

“Spring trends?? Aren’t we still in winter?” Well, yes, but in the world of fashion things definitely move ahead of the actual calendar, so spring clothes and jewelry are beginning to grace the pages of the magazines and are slowly appearing in the stores. This is a very fun time of year for me, as I anticipate the trends for the coming season by analyzing what I’m seeing.

I stopped by one of my favorite boutiques in Palo Alto the other day and struck up a conversation with the manager. She had just been shopping on Hayes Street in San Francisco (definitely a street with some cool, edgy stores), and she wanted to talk jewelry. She had noticed that delicate necklaces were definitely being spotted again, and I had to agree. BUT, instead of just wearing one at a time, as we did back in the early 90’s, this time they’re being layered in all sorts of interesting ways. (Sidebar: if you have a minimalist personal style, then wearing just one at a time is just right for you!) Now this isn’t to say that bold, statement necklaces are “out.” (Though I would store away jeweled collars for now, a trend that had a rather short shelf life.) My larger scale necklaces are definitely still in rotation. Rather, this is just another option in the world of necklaces, and I think it pairs nicely with my new obsession, stacking skinny rings.

Take a look at this combination by Jacquie Aiche, where gold and some bling are a unifying theme.

jacquie aiche
Here’s another lovely example of gold layers. I like how the three chains are different textures, yet they blend beautifully.

delicate layered necklaces
If silver is more your thing, then you might like this combo with quartz pendants.

silver and crystal layered necklaces
It’s easy to incorporate color into your layers as well, as shown in these necklaces by Kei jewelry.

kei jewelry
Celebs are also in on the trend (shocker!). Here’s Kourtney Kardashian in a casual chic look with two necklaces. The sideways rose gold cross is by Sugar Bean Jewelry.

kourntey kardashian
Kristin Cavallari has left The Hills and gone jewelry designer (who knew?!) — here’s her Pyramidia layered necklace, which looks like three different chains, but it’s actually all one necklace! That makes is pretty darn easy to get the look without having to think too much.

kristin cavallari for glamboutique
And just for one more look, I love the romantic feel of these necklaces by Rust Jewellery from England.

RUST jewellery
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to take a tour through my jewelry box and see what combinations I can create. I’m going to mix metals, use different lengths, and I’ll be sure to let you know what I come up with. I hope you share your stylish mixes with me as well!