Believe it or not, charm bracelets have existed for millennia! While I’m normally obsessed with ancient artifacts, my favorite charms are of more recent vintage — generally the 20th century, when a lot of clever mechanical pieces were produced. I love designing mechanical jewelry myself, and I was once inspired by an old charm, though…
inspiration
Carpe Diem: Black Diamond Skull Designs
Did you do your homework and watch yesterday’s video about my black diamond “Carpe Diem” skull designs? If not, you should do it now … and don’t forget to leave a comment for extra credit! I promised nice still shots of the three-piece mini collection today. Actually, I’ve already shared plenty of photos of the…
Wednesday’s Video: Phala’s Ring
I already blogged about February’s Jewel of the Month — Phala’s redesigned ring — but I now have better video showing the piece before, during, and after the process. More importantly, I have Phala’s own description of what led to her redesign project and what the ring symbolizes for her. Even though it’s a sad…
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…
Jewel of the Month, Part II: New Skull Earrings
Shout-out to Colleen Egan at 1stdibs.com for interviewing me about the enduring appeal of skull jewelry! I felt inspired when I did this interview, and I hope it gives you fresh insight into my designs. CLICK HERE TO READ MY 1STDIBS INTERVIEW After you’re done reading, you can shop for my jewelry on 1stdibs — and if…
Jewel of the Month, Part I: Swords for Badass Women
Here’s a much-needed good omen! Last week, it was announced that an eight-year-old girl named Saga Vanecek had pulled a 1,500-year-old sword out of a lake in Sweden this summer. I hope you will join me in swearing an oath of fealty to our appropriately named new leader. I had swords on my mind before…
Jewel of the Month: Inspired by Egypt
One of the first royalty-inspired designs I created was my Cleopatra earring style, way back in 2006. I eventually did a matching necklace … … and had the pleasure of seeing the earrings worn on the big screen by Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City 2. People have always asked me for a matching…
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…
Wednesday’s Video: Hatshepsut Locket in Action
When I did last week‘s YouTube playlist of my mechanical jewelry designs, I realized I was missing one of my classic pieces — the deceptively simple-looking Hatshepsut locket. I made this locket after an afternoon spent among the Hatshepsut artifacts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hatshepsut was an Egyptian queen who apparently proclaimed herself…
Byron Lars and My Met Gala Dream Look
My designing friend Stacy Lomman teaches at the famous Fashion Institute of Technology, her own alma mater. Every year, during the final semester for graduating students, the school brings in designers to mentor the students as they work on their final projects in the categories of intimate apparel, special occasion, knitwear, children’s wear, and sportswear….