Zaiken by Malak Atut

zaiken throwing stones

So…does this array of stunning gems get your mouth watering? I know it does for me! Given the choice, I don’t know which one I’d want to wear first! Well all of these lovelies are the creation of Malak Atut from her jewelry line, Zaiken. (I learned the name Zaiken is a combination of her two sons’ names.) I was very honored to spend some time with her at the Couture show, and get an inside look at her collection.

 

Malak and Amy
Malak and Amy

Malak’s line is based in Manhattan, and every piece is made there. (Woot!) She has two main looks in her line. The first is Throwing Stones, which the above photo shows. This is where she “bezel-sets eye-poppingly gorgeous gemstones atop other gemstones.” The result is truly unique and lovely. Here’s a closer look at a pair of rainbow moonstone earrings from the collection.

zaiken thowing stones earrings
One of Malak’s specialties is using unexpected color combinations. These earrings, made with sapphires and adorned with paraiba and yellow diamonds, are case and point. They are simply works of art, don’t you think?!

zaiken earrings
With the tag line, “There’s more than one side to you,” you’ll understand her other main collection, Alter Ego. The pieces in this group have a geometric feature that flips over, revealing a whole new design. Because it’s true that we all have two sides to ourselves … maybe a little bit naughty and a little bit nice? I tried on one of the rings, which has diamonds on one side and enamel with diamonds on the flip side.

 

Two looks with one ring!
Two looks with one ring!

Here’s another clever example in the form of a necklace.

zaiken alter ego necklace
During our interview, I couldn’t help but notice her wrist, and the beaded bracelet that clearly was made by a much younger designer — a 4 year-old, in fact. Her son gave it to her when she was leaving for the show so that she’d have part of him with her while she was gone. How cute is that?!

malak atut's wrist
Not only is Malak a talented designer and loving mom, but she also is involved with a special project in conjunction with Gemfields. Gemfields is the largest supplier of ethically mined stones in the world. You may have seen some of their press, with Mila Kunis as their ambassador. Malak has designed a capsule collection for them this year. This pair of gold and emerald studs and ring are part of the capsule. I think it’s fabulous to know the jewelry you wear has come from a good place, don’t you?

zaiken for gemfields
zaiken for gemfields
The passion and creativity were simply bursting from Malak while we spoke. I can tell that she has numerous designs in her head, and I can’t wait to see them come to fruition. I’ll be waiting and watching!

Skinny Stacking Rings: Mix ‘Em up!

Jewelry inspiration struck while working with one of my clients in NYC this season. I’ve always admired this stack she wears, with an inscribed ring for each of her four children, book-ended by two diamond eternity bands.

skinny stacking rings

While we were out shopping one afternoon in Soho, she picked up this skinny ring with a black diamond bar at Michele Varian. Paired with the slimmest of rings that she was already wearing, it felt just right.

michelle's rings

So back in California, I had to dig out my thin stacking rings and see what I had to work with. I have owned these three gold and diamond stackers for years. The top one is by Nina Basharova, I have no clue who made the middle one, and the bottom one is by Armenta.

gold stacking rings

I do love these rings, but I needed to mix it up a bit. So I headed over to the Gallery of Jewels on Fillmore Street in SF. There, I picked up these silver rings by Amery Carriere. One is oxidized, and three have a tiny diamond accent.

amery carriere rings

Then I decided, why stop at just silver and gold? How about throwing in a little rose gold? This slim ring by Zaiken Jewelry did the trick.

zaiken rose gold ring

The final addition was a silver ring with a tear-drop raw, green diamond found at Upstairs at Pierre Lafond in Montecito. (One of the benefits of having clients all over the place is the chance to jewelry shop outside of my ‘hood!) Now, I can really start getting creative. Here are two different stacks I’ve worn in the past week — one with more of a silver vibe, and one veering more towards gold.

stacking rings

stacking rings

With my interest completely piqued, I’ve also been searching around Pinterest for more stack-tastic ideas. I love this combination by Blanca Monros Gomez, sold at Catbird. Elegant!

blanca monos gomez rings

And what about this collection with black diamonds? Fab-ooo!

black diamond stack

I think I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg with the skinny stacks. I will have to try and restrain myself the next time I’m in a jewelry store…or not. 😉