jewelry judge – Page 2 – Jewelry Fashion Tips

Men’s Black Diamond Ring: Jewelry Judge

One of my monthly indulgences is getting a pedicure. It’s an hour of true bliss, and I’m usually just in my own little world while Sara gets my toes all dolled up. But at my last appointment, my eyes kept drifting to the gentleman seated in the next chair over. He had more than your ordinary wedding band.

Three rows of small, black diamonds, encased in matte platinum really made for a unique ring, and it truly seemed to suit his personal style. Normally I’m not into big bling for a guy, but I thought this was pretty cool. His wife, seated one more chair over, said that they had it made by a jeweler in San Francisco. They were clearly both very happy with how it turned out, and quite smitten with each other as well. Love that!

Talisman Necklace: Jewelry Judge

I was intrigued by the necklace this woman was wearing. Upon closer inspection, it was truly a necklace of varied talismans, from far and wide, and with much significance for its owner.

The first charm the caught my attention was one I had certainly never seen before…that of a liver! You’re reading it correctly, a human liver! And love the inscription on the back. Given that I was viewing this at a cocktail party, I can only hope the “protection” rubbed off on me!

liver charm — Have you ever seen anything like this?

There was also this cool-looking gold-filled canister. Apparently it’s a Thai amulet, and the designer offers it as a $20K life insurance policy! Wonder if State Farm would buy into that. 😉

Finally, the red eyes of the wolf pendant seemed to be looking straight into my eyes. It was given to the woman by an Alaskan shaman.

I love how personal this necklace is, and how the owner really has captured so much that is near and dear to her heart. Given that it’s on a long chain, I know that it’s often hidden beneath her clothing, but I know that SHE knows it’s there. Cheers!

Layered Skulls: Jewelry Judge

No, this is not a Halloween post. Instead, it’s about a seriously chic woman I recently encountered at the Wilke’s Bashford grand re-opening bash in Palo Alto.

layered necklaces — How did she think of this?

This combination consists of 3 longer necklaces and one shorter one. The first (with the grosgrain ribbon detail) is by Nanette Lepore. Then she added a costume gold/rhinestone necklace, and third one by All Saints.

links of london skull — Now this is re-worked jewelry!

This shorter necklace is a lariat by Tiffany & Co. She then made it her own by adding the small, black skull by Links of London and another little charm she had. So creative!

As a final touch, I caught a glimpse of her wrist…

I love how she threw in the skull bracelet in her stack. (I believe that’s by Links of London as well.) I bet that most people don’t even notice it, which makes it even cooler. Chic with a bit of attitude!

Bejeweled Bun: Jewelry Judge

While on the escalator at Westfield Mall in San Francisco yesterday, I couldn’t take my eyes of the gal in front of me. I love how her casual bun was adorned with a couple jeweled hair pins. She looked as cute coming as she did going. Just that little pop of sparkle really added a lot to her whole look.

I’m going to have to give some more thought to hair jewelry!

Rings Galore!!: Jewelry Judge

OK…so I know that I had a fairly harsh commentary on a gal back in April who was wearing an abundance of (dated) rings. But I have to say, that while at a party this past weekend, I could not take my eyes off this woman who was decked out in slim-fitting camouflage pants, rings galore, and a killer smile.

silver rings — Forget about a statement ring…these are statement hands!

This woman has one of the most solid senses of her personal style than most anyone I’ve ever encountered! Her whole ring ensemble began with her thick platinum and subtle diamond wedding ring. Thirteen years later, the collection has grown and been perfectly curated. A combination of silver and platinum, the rings hail from everywhere from the Sundance catalogue to Tiffany & Co to Anna Beck…

From the diamond and platinum bands on her left pinkie for her wedding anniversary, to the group on her right pinky from her yoga instructor to celebrate the coming of her son 8 years ago, it’s just awesome! I know that I could never pull this look off, but I can certainly admire how she does it with panache!

During our conversation, she did say that she wears them all the time, whether throwing pottery on the wheel or swimming. They are a constant conversation piece. Between that and her unique name (Camelot), this gal is a rare gem indeed!

Floral & Chain Bib Necklace: Jewelry Judge

Yes, I was trying on shoes…again…some things never change. But across the aisle to another bank of couches, my eyes were glued on this major necklace. The scale with it’s floral motif and layered chains really takes the bib necklace to a whole new level. If you’re wearing a simple tee (as this gal was), there’s no need for further embellishment!

boston proper necklace — This is a show stopper!!

What’s your opinion? Love it or take a pass?

Creative Pendant Idea: Jewelry Judge

So I know that many of you reading this have a necklace with a center, fixed pendant — one that’s attached on either side by chain. I’ve always just assumed that this is the only way to wear this type of necklace. Well lucky for me I spotted this gal yesterday, who’s clearly great at thinking outside the jewelry box! Just adding another small pendant gave the more conservative necklace a whole new look. Very chic!

adding pendants — Why didn’t I think of this?

What about you? Do you have the makings for this new look in your jewelry box?

The Brace-ring: Jewelry Judge

During my stay in NYC recently, I spent some time browsing the upscale shops on the Upper East side. Every high-end designer seems to have an outpost there, and the clientele to match.

While in one of these boutiques, I spotted this woman. Now granted, the initial thing that grabbed my attention was the layers of brightly-colored necklaces she was wearing. But as my eye scanned down, I was fixated on the the combination bracelet/ring ensemble she was sporting. (These are also known as slave bracelets.)

jewelry judge — I’m a bit confused by this….

She said that it was not overly comfortable (I can only imagine). She also complemented this dual-purpose jewelry with a very colorful manicure, which sadly isn’t showing in the photo.

I really don’t think I’m a fan of this look. Perhaps if this was her ONLY accessory, or if it were a simpler design in combination with everything else going on with her look. What about you? I’d love to hear your opinion!

Feather Earrings: Jewelry Judge

I was practically sprinting through the maze of make-up counters at Sak’s the other day, when I came to a full stop in front of a darling gal wearing SUCH cool earrings!

While statement necklaces and bold rings have certainly been a big trend, the statement earring is one I haven’t seen much. Turns out this woman made these out of rooster feathers, and she sells them on etsy! I think she styled it just right, too, with the simple black outfit. This really makes the earrings the major focus point.

I don’t think that I, personally, could pull these off with such panache, but I know there are many of you out there who can. Brava, Hasnaa!

Battery-Powered Bling: Jewelry Judge

My niece is 7, and she just adores anything that glows, sparkles or blinks. But when you’re a 50-something year-old woman (and not accompanied by a child that would explain this), I have a problem. Yes, it was evening, but we were not at an amusement park nor a concert. In my opinion, leave the battery-powered jewelry at home. Just sayin’.