In 2016, I introduced my “No Class” signet ring, originally requested as a custom order by singer/songwriter Skylar Grey. Skylar wanted a serious-looking class ring … minus the class. So, where the school crest would normally go, we put a heraldic-appearing “No Class.” Skylar chose two extracurricular activities to adorn the sides, just like a…
gold
“Put Your Lips Together and Blow”
Men often ask me if they can wear my necklaces, and I answer, “Of course!” But I’ve never had photographic evidence until now. Behold my Virginia Woolf Whistle looking hot, hot, hot. I can’t outdo my model’s original caption for this, so here it is: “I’m serving angry-coach-gonna-punish-the-whole-team-if-you-don’t-give-me-ten-more masochistic fantasy (and the ‘ten’ here is…
Year in Review: Jewels of the Month for 2018
This has been a year full of twists and turns for me in terms of jewelry design. I started 2018 with an unusual custom job and ended the year feeling increasingly excited about my decision to phase out my silver collection to focus on my gold designs. Here are the pieces I highlighted on the…
Jewels of the Month: Swans A-Swimming on 1stdibs
I’ve written before about the PNC Financial Services annual Christmas Price Index, which tracks current costs of the goods and services that are the gifts given by the “true love” in the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The 2018 index, which was released last month, puts the cost of the famous holiday shopping list…
Official Portrait of My Black-Diamond Skull Medallion
In June, I shared photos of my “Carpe Diem” medallion — which boasts a 3-carat black diamond cut into the shape of a skull — but it’s worth taking another look now that expert jewelry photographer Ed Parrinello of SquareMoose has taken the official picture. Ed’s photo even shows the tiny ruby “tongue” in the…
Getting Introspective With 1stdibs
Thank you to writer Kareem Rashed for interviewing me for Introspective Magazine, the publication of online luxury marketplace 1stdibs! Kareem asked me and four other contemporary jewelry designers who sell on 1stdibs to pick a favorite antique piece from the site and talk about how that work inspires us. I chose this Art Nouveau tiara…
The Week in Review
In case you missed it, here’s what was on the blog this week. Tuesday, May 1: Snakeskin is back, and I have to dig up a photo of my shiny snake-pattern pants from the late 1990s. Wednesday, May 2: In this week’s YouTube video, I talked about how I changed my career and what you…
Jewel of the Month: ANZA PURE Charm Ring
Because the rough-gemstone jewelry of my ANZA PURE x Wendy Brandes collection generated a bit of excitement recently, I’ve decided that my newest ANZA PURE piece should be April’s Jewel of the Month. It’s an 18K yellow gold charm ring set with a large, rough grossular garnet, modeled by ANZA Gems founder Monica Stephenson in…
Wednesday’s Videos: My New Collections
I finally feel secure enough to get back to writing about my new website. Whew! The homepage currently features model Tricia Akello. Isn’t she stunning? The photos were styled by the fabulous Shannon Stokes, whom we met through a 2016 Paper Magazine shoot. They were shot by Emmanuel Sanchez Monsalve, with hair by Gonn Kinoshita…
Wednesday’s Video: Jewelry Design Playlist
It can be a challenge for still photography to do justice to ultra-luxe jewelry, no matter how talented the photographer is (and, trust me, I work with incredibly talented photographers). That’s because limited-edition, wearable-art designs — the type of jewelry I make for my Wendy Brandes Gold collection — are more than pretty accessories meant…