After a few days in Paris in June, MrB and I went to Bonn, Germany, where MrB was taking part in the Global Media Forum. I attended a panel he did about Trump and the media, and live-tweeted it; check out his description of the way in which Trump differs from Nixon. Then we went to…
History
Jewel of the Month: Toi et Moi Ring for ANZA Gems
For a long time, the primary birthstone for the month of August was the beautiful green peridot. Accordingly, the ring that I’ve chosen for this August’s Jewel of the Month features a beautiful green … tourmaline. Ha! Fooled ya! Check out the new design in this video by A Thousand Facets. Absolutely stunning ring by…
Monika Reports on the Young Royals
This is random, but too exciting not to share: When Prince William and Princess Kate visited Poland this week, my Warsaw-based friend Monika was part of the crowd that turned out to greet them. Okay, anyone can join a big crowd, right? But not just anyone can get to the front of the crowd, shake…
The Handmaid’s Tale and American Slavery
I’m normally quite negligent when it comes to watching newsworthy, high-quality television shows. I’m sure I’ll end up consuming Orange Is the New Black the same way I did Breaking Bad and Mad Men, belatedly cramming in every episode right before the series ends. However, the current political climate inspired me to keep up with…
Jewel of the Month: Queen of Scots Snake Ring
June’s Jewel of the Month is my Queen of Scots snake ring … … and if you don’t know why I associate Mary Queen of Scots with a snake, watch my new YouTube video to find out. I figured it was time to do a jewelry video after four weeks of talking about vintage clothes. My…
Jewels of the Month: Amethyst Studs, Madame Royale
Amethyst is February’s birthstone and I’ve got a fresh pair of luscious amethyst cabochon studs in stock. The studs are featured on my website as a set with 18K gold FitzRoy the Cat earring jackets. To get the studs by themselves for $550, inquire at info at wendybrandes dot com. First come, first served —…
Prescient
It’s remarkable that Martin Luther King Jr. said this nearly 50 years ago: “When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” It sounds like he’s talking about what’s happening in the U.S. today. And…
I Agree With Pantone: Let’s Do Lapis!
This week, the color experts at Pantone released its picks for the 10 top colors for spring 2017. I’m most excited about Lapis Blue, because lapis lazuli is one of my favorite gems. I’ve loved lapis ever since I went to see the blockbuster King Tut museum exhibition in the 1970s and saw Tut’s solid-gold…
Jewels of the Month: Empress Matilda’s Swords
I often use my Jewel of the Month posts to introduce new designs, but sometimes I like to feature my classic jewelry. Right now, my Empress Matilda sword designs are on my mind. I’ve discontinued plenty of designs over the years, but the Matilda necklace and earrings have stayed in my collection since I introduced…
Happy Belated Birthday, Queen Liz!
I meant to wish Queen Elizabeth II a happy 90th birthday yesterday, but then we tragically lost another royal and I had other things on my mind. So happy belated, Liz! My jewelry line is inspired by powerful women, especially royals, and one of my very first major designs was my Gloriana necklace, adorned with…