What is a Cabochon?

This is a question that comes up from time to time when I’m jewelry shopping with clients. For many, “cabochon” is a jewelry vocabulary word which may not be part of your daily vernacular. Pronounced “kab-uh-shawn,” it refers to a rounded, highly polished cut of stone with no faceting. Typically, this cut is an oval shape (though you’ll find it in other shapes as well) with a flat bottom. Alexis Kletjian recently posted this stunning photo of a group of phrenite cabochons. Beautiful, right?

phrenite cabochons via alexis kletjian
The word cabochon comes from the French word “caboche” which translates to “small dome.” Opaque gems such as turquoise, opal, moonstone, and onyx are most commonly found in this cut, as opposed to transparent gems, which are typically faceted. Personally, I adore cabochon gems — they elicit a very mystical vision in my mind.

So that you can get a clear handle on what cabochon jewelry looks like, I thought I’d share a few lovely examples.

Gabriella Kiss aquamarine ring

gabriella kiss aquamarine cabochon ring
Sundance rainbow moonstone ring

sundance rainbow moonstone cabochon ring
Irene Neuwirth turquoise cabochon band

irene neuwirth cabochon turuoise band
Jamie Joseph triple oval grey star sapphire and diamond ring

jamie joseph triple oval grey star sapphire ring with diamond
Nava Zahavi blue kyanite ring

nava zahavi blue kyanite cabochon ring
Tamara Comolli bouton rainbow moonstone ring

tamara comolli bouton rainbow moonstone cabochon ring
Irene Neuwirth tanzanite cabochon bracelet

irene neuwirth cabochon tanzanite bracelet in rose gold
Do you have any jewelry with cabochon gems in your jewelry box? Does this cut appeal to your sense of personal style? Please let me know in the comment section below — I’d love to hear from you.

#JewelryUniform

The title of this blog post may confuse you — especially if you aren’t on Instagram; so let me explain. The talented Tura Sugden has created the hashtag #jewelryuniform to challenge other Instagrammers to show a pic of the jewelry they wear each day…in other words, your “jewelry uniform.” I’ve been loving getting a peek into the jewelry boxes of so many jewelry-addicts I admire. And then, I was challenged by both Dana Bronfman and Becky from Diamonds in the Library to show mine. Ack! My immediate reaction was, “How can I possibly do this? I wear different things almost every day!” But the more I contemplated the jewelry in my life, I decided it was possible to narrow it down to the key pieces which have been making me smile this summer. Just like Becky, my fellow writer, I cannot limit this to just one photo, so here I am writing an entire article about it. 😉

First off, I tend to have more silver-oriented days, and others that veer more towards yellow and rose gold. I never have on only one tone of metal from head to fingertips, but there’s definitely an emphasis each day. So let’s start with the “gold” days.

#jewelryuniform gold
For me, this ensemble starts with the shorter necklace, comprised of an enhydro quartz pendant by Monica Marcella on a hand-fabricated chain by Tura Sugden. I pair this with a super long chain of oxidized silver with little gold beads. I have no clue where I purchased this — I’ve had it for a zillion years.

Ears are adorned in my most favorite rose gold and moonstone studs by Nak Armstrong. (Nak helped me pick them out when I visited him at a trunk show he was having at Barney’s in SF; it’s like they were made for my tiny earlobes.)

The wrist is pretty simple with a dark silver chainlink bracelet with a rose gold and moonstone clasp by Alberian & Aulde from Gallery of Jewels.

Then, there are many rings to create a combination from…

rings
I do not wear them all at once, nor all on one hand. My mood and the state of how puffy my fingers are (am I the only one whose fingers are puffy in the morning?!) help me decide what to wear. Top to bottom, left to right, here’s the designer info:

  • Third Eye ring with a faceted black diamond from Fiat Lux
  • Polly Wales diamond eternity band (definitely the piece I wear every single day, no matter what)
  • Vintage gold, silver and sapphire ring bought over 20 years ago
  • Erica Molinari gold and enamel ring
  • Alberian & Aulde “Jupiter” ring with labradorite
  • Megan Thorne wide gold band with diamonds
  • Victorian diamond ring from Metier
  • Rose gold and labradorite navette ring from Arik Kastan

Now, let’s turn to the days where my outfit calls for more of a silver vibe.

#jewelryuniform silver
Again, I start with the necklace, in this case the “egg” pendant from Sophie Buhai. When I ordered it, I requested two chains of different lengths. This has given it more milage, since different lengths give me more options with regard to what looks best with the neckline of what I’m wearing.

My white gold and diamond earrings by Sethi Couture are a definite go-to. And on my wrist, I stack three bracelets: a silver chain link with gold lock from Marla Aaron, a silver Hermes Collier de Chien bangle, and an oxidized silver bangle with square labradorites from Nak Armstrong.

For rings, I typically choose among these 4, which include three by Rosa Maria (from Betty Lin) and a Spinelli Kilcollin multi-metal ring with topaz.

silver rings
No matter if it’s a silver or gold day, I always wear gold studs in my 2nd piercing. It’s the only metal that doesn’t seem to infect my ear at this point. So, I opt for either my Gabriella Kiss “slug” from Quadrum Gallery or a tiny disc with white sapphires from Polly Wales.

gabriella kiss and polly wales gold studs
So there we go…my #jewelryuniform. What about you? Do you have one? Definitely post a photo on Instagram, use this hashtag and tag @amyroseveare so I can see what baubles make you happy every day. Join in on the fun! Thanks to Tura for creating this, and to Dana and Becky for the tag! xo

July Birthstone: Ruby

I’ve come full circle with my year of birthstone articles, ending with July’s stone, the ruby. (Just for you, mom — happy birthday!) Through my research, I found the ruby to be quite fascinating. It turns out that throughout history, the ruby was considered the most valuable of all stones, even more than a diamond. In the metaphysical world, it has the highest vibration of all stones, so high in fact, that it’s not a stone commonly used in mediation because it’s too darn energetic. Rubies represent love, passion and prosperity. Though I always think of rubies as red, they can actually range from a paler rose to a deep, crimson red (the most valuable). There can be a cast of orange, blue or purple to them, depending on where they are mined.

When you wear a ruby, here’s some of the qualities it will help you with:

-a clear mind
-brings a sense of adventure
-self-confidence
-motivation & high energy
-an aphrodisiac
-gets rid of nightmares
-courage
-stone of manifestation/following your bliss

Interesting, right?! And to whet your ruby appetite, here’s some stellar pieces of jewelry…

Sidney Garber ruby drop accented band

sidney garber ruby drop accented band
Victorian ruby snake bracelet

victorian ruby snake bracelet
Finn ruby drop thread earrings

finn ruby drop thread earrings
Paul Morelli diamond and ruby meditation bell pendant

paul morelli diamond and ruby meditation bell pendant
Lori Mclean baguette and brilliant cut ruby stacking ring

lori mclean baguette and brilliant cut ruby stacking ring
Annie Fensterstock ruby and diamond earrings

annie fensterstock ruby and diamond earrings
Michelle Fantaci pawn cuff bracelet with ruby and turquoise

michelle fantaci pawn cuff bracelet with ruby and turquoise
Ten Thousand Things 18K ruby pendant with pave set diamonds

ten thousand things 18k ruby pendant with pave set diamonds
Victorian diamond and ruby dinner ring

victorian diamond and ruby dinner ring
Nikos Koulis ruby and diamond ring

nikos koulis ruby and diamond ring
Quite the array, hm? If you could have your choice, which would it be? I hope all you July babies out there have a fantastic birthday!