As I’ve mentioned before, I like to read the obituaries in the print edition of the New York Times — the physical act of turning the pages draws my attention to stories that I wouldn’t necessarily click online. Monday, I read an obituary for cryptographer Hal Finney, who died last week at age 58 from…
In the News
Wendy Brandes Jewelry in the New York Post
If you’re in New York, run to the nearest newsstand and get the New York Post. Today’s edition includes the Post’s Alexa luxury supplement, and my Empress Wu dragon earrings are featured in Alexa! I’m in great company, sharing the page with Balmain, Valentino, Christian Louboutin, Erdem and Dolce & Gabbana, among others. Thanks, New…
A Man and His Cat … and His Birthday
A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times published an amusing piece by Tim Kreider called, “A Man and His Cat.” It’s about being a Crazy Cat Guy, which Kreider was, even if, unlike me, he didn’t post photos of his cat online. (He did sing to his though.) While reading the essay, I…
RIP, Robin Williams
Since learning of comedian Robin Williams’s death yesterday — apparently by suicide — I keep returning to a November 2009 interview that he did with Dave Itzkoff for the New York Times. Williams was nearing the end of his “Weapons of Self Destruction” stand-up tour, which had been interrupted that March by open-heart surgery to…
For Doors Stans: Pamela Courson’s Mother Has Died
I like to look over the obituaries in the print edition of the New York Times — there are a lot of interesting stories there. Today, I couldn’t help noticing this beautiful face in the paid death notices section. Figuring this lady had to have been an actress, I glanced at the information: died aged…
Buying Fine Jewelry Online
Folks often ask me, “Do people REALLY buy fine jewelry online?” And I answer, “Hell, yeah!” As a matter of fact, online sales are what have kept my business going since 2005. For more stories about online jewelry shopping, check out the this story in the Wall Street Journal. The piece by Lauren Sherman notes…
Hot Earring Trends in the Mainstream Media
Last year, I wrote a Huffington Post story called, “Not So Fast There! The Surprisingly Long Life of Fashion Trends,” in which I observed that fashion trends don’t come and go as quickly as we think they do. In fact, trends can take seasons — or even years — to develop, and then linger for…
New Emoji Earrings Available at Nylon; Plus, Katy Perry
If you love emojis and gold, I’ve got good news for you. Some of my most popular emoji single stud earrings — including the middle finger — are now being made in gold-plated silver and, for the moment, they’re available exclusively at Nylon Magazine’s online shop. Nylon did this awesome gif with four of the…
Ruth Kay: 1918 – 2014
My mother’s mother, Ruth Kay, died last night. She was 95 years old. Her grandchildren called her “Nanny” when they were young, then “Nan.” Her three great-grandchildren knew her as “G.G.” for “great-grandma.” Nan’s husband, Sam, aka “Papa,” died of a heart attack in 1983. Papa died just a few weeks before my 16th birthday….
RIP, DJ Furoche
Last May, my rapper friend Gangsta Boo introduced me to her DJ friend Zack Fortune, aka Furoche. Even if she hadn’t introduced me, I would have noticed him, because it’s hard to miss a tall white guy with long, red dreadlocks. Zack was on his bike in Brooklyn at 2:30 p.m. yesterday when he was…