So what do you get when you mix a lapidary artist, fourteen different jewelry designers and some absolutely gorgeous opals? You get Fire & Forge, a contemporary artisan jewelry show curated by the discerning eye of A Thousand Facets, at Vincents Fine Jewelry in Pelham, New York.
I’ve been friends with Jo, the jewelry blogger behind A Thousand Facets for a few years now, and I can vouch that she has a very keen eye for killer jewels, so I know the show is going to be amazing. She has been working with Loren Gurche, who is a Paleontology and Geology student at the University of Kansas. Although he’s been busy at digs the past 8 years, he has spent the recent years teaching himself lapidary cutting and polishing, among other mineral and fossil pursuits.
Loren Gurche
Together, Jo, Loren, Vincent (the owner of the jewelry store), and these talented jewelry designers and have collaborated to bring a capsule collection of one-of-a-kind pieces to this show. Jo says, “Vincent and I were excited to partner and celebrate both artisan jewelers as well as Loren Gurches’ opals. Loren’s passion for opals is as deep as the designers’ is of their work. The result will be an incredibly special collection of jewelry that marries the artists’ signature styles with Loren’s stones to create works of wearable art.”
Let me give you a sneak peek at some of the pieces that’ll be available at the show, which opens on November 9th and runs through the end of the year.
Rings by Sam Woerhmann
Necklace by Shane Yamane
Karin Jacobson earrings
Baltera earrings
Ring by Ananda Khalsa
Rachel Atherley necklace
Monica Marcella ring
Is your interest piqued? That’s what I thought! The event opening is coming up on November 9th from 6-9 pm. If you find yourself in the area the next couple of months, definitely stop by — I guarantee it’ll be worth your time.
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.
