It’s always fun to come across a line that I’ve never seen before, and it’s even better when the pieces are selling at accessible price points. This was the case when I visited Red Bird recently over in Berkeley. I saw this 52-inch long necklace of chains tied on a thin leather cord from Buju Jewelry. Hmmm…what could I do with that? I was intrigued. It seemed like a perfect layering necklace.
Well, I thought it might be fab with the Arielle de Pinto necklace from Metier, right?! They seemed to speak the same language, with their chains and coloration.
Loved the combo, and I’ve already worn it a few times in the past week. (Just fyi…I prioritize jewelry purchases over buying groceries. And I know I’m not the only one out there!)
Checking out their website, I learned that the co-desigers are two gals from “Bu” (aka Malibu) who were looking to create a line that’s ethnic and organic, yet still completely current. I think they’ve really struck this chord with their designs. Here’s a selection of bracelets and necklaces from their website.
I think it’s fresh and fun, and it fits in perfectly with my “urban bohemian” personal style. What do you think? Could you see yourself donning this line?
One thing I truly love to do is explore new shops and neighborhoods. I’m always amazed how many great places there are, practically in my own back yard. My friend Laura (you may remember her from my great piercing escapade), is like a walking tour book of amazing stores. It’s not just because she loves shopping as much as I do (and she does!), but she is a rep for many home, jewelry, and gift/accessory lines with Aesthetic Movement, so it’s her duty to know all the happening places.
We set our itinerary for various places in Berkeley, Piedmont, and Oakland. I picked her up in SF and headed over the Bay Bridge. First up was Zaver & Mor in Berkeley. I’d met the lovely owner, Rada Sahney, at a couple Women’s Jewelry Association events, so I was very eager to check out her establishment, and it definitely did not disappoint.
She carries some of my favorite lines, such as Tura Sugden, Julez Bryant, and Elyria Jewels. But there were also some lines that I was seeing for the first time. One of my favorite pieces I saw the whole day is this gold and diamond bracelet by Mia Chicco. (One more item for my jewelry lust list!)
I was also excited to see a display of Sharon Zimmerman’s work, who is a local jeweler from San Francisco.
By the time we had (just about) tried on everything we wanted to, it was time to grab a bite for lunch. Since our second stop was going to be Red Bird, right by the Claremont in Berkeley, we popped into Rick & Ann’s for a really tasty meal at their community table.
Sufficiently refueled, we went to Red Bird and began perusing all the lovely clothing and jewelry. This, in fact, is a place where I have purchased many of my favorite items over the years.
I couldn’t resist trying on this unique pearl necklace by Melissa Joy Manning I spotted in the sale case. The organic shapes of the pearls are captivating.
I thought it looked pretty cool layered with the two necklaces I was wearing. And who am I to turn down 60% off?!
Ok…time to hit the road again, and next up was Atomic Garden in Oakland. (Next time I want to explore this area more, as there seemed to be many cute shops on College Avenue!)
While jewelry isn’t the main focus of the store, that isn’t to say that they don’t have a nice selection, including Zoe Chicco, Emily Amey and Ilsa Loves Rick, to name a few.
I was definitely psyched to visit Esqueleto, which is a jewel box of a store in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland, curated by jeweler Lauren Wolf. Not only does the store carry her line (the two rings I have on in the photo below), but they have selections from many designers, including a beautiful vintage selection.
vintage beauties
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Mania Mania is branching into the fine jewlery business, and I love this ring by them!
The natural beauty of these pieces by Lou Zeldis also caught my eye.
As fate would have it, jeweler Marisa Haskell, whose line is now named Marisa Mason, was in the shop, so we had to end our field trip by running around the corner in to her boutique as well.
She has a workshop right in the store, and her jewelry is artfully displayed on the walls, making it very easy to try things on.
By this time, the rain was starting to come down hard, and it was time to head back across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco. Our itinerary was clearly ambitious, as we still have many stores left on our list. Hence…part 2, (hopefully) coming in January. If you have any recommendations for additions to our list, please let me know in the comment section below!
Sometimes a girl has just got to splurge…perhaps a big pasta dinner, maybe a visit to a spa, or in my case, usually in the form of jewelry. I’ve had Spinelli Kilcollin on my radar for a while now, completely intrigued by his linked rings. Now trust me, I was certainly not planning on acquiring one of these beauties, but sometimes the jewelry stars just align, and who am I to fight it?! So here’s how it went down:
-I received an e-mail from Red Bird (fab Berkeley, CA boutique) that they were having a special 40% off promotion on certain items.
-I returned home from vacation and found myself with an unexpected day off during their promotion dates, as a client had to re-schedule. (Hmm…clean the apartment? No fun at all!)
-I figured it was undoubtedly a great idea to just “pop” across the bay to see what I could find, as I do have some fall/winter clothing needs.
-….and there it was.
With its artistic combination of silver, rose gold, a touch of yellow gold, and cognac diamonds, I just couldn’t resist. Can you blame me? And I’m having such a fun time exploring all the permutations I can create. Here’s how it looks laid out.
While I was trying it on, I stacked it with my Polly Wales band. Another shopper liked it so much, that she tried one on as well. (And yes, she walked out with one too!)
I can wear it spread out across four fingers.
Or I can double it up on two fingers.
And there’s no end to the possibilities when stacking it with other rings.
It turns out that the designer, Yves Spinelli, used to ride his trike around the hair salon his dad worked at in Honolulu..and one of his dad’s clients was Karen, the owner of Red Bird. I’m sure she never expected she’d be selling the jewelry designed by this toddler at her own store in California. I just love those small world stories! I also hope that I can one day meet him in person and see more of his work.
Barney’s has a nice selection of his rings on their website. But be warned that they are much more diamond-encrusted (and therefore substantially more of an investment) than the simpler style I got. There are a wide range of styles available on the Spinelli Kilcollin site as well.
If this ring is something that floats your boat, then I encourage you to try one on for yourself! I think you’ll be very pleased.
