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…
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Jewel of the Month: New Signet Ring Style
I’ve been designing signet rings since 2016, when I introduced my big “No Class” ring style. In 2017, I added smaller signet rings “for rebel women.” The little signets were designed to be worn as pinkie rings, but you can order them in any size through my website. A signet for every mood, for every…
Bonus Jewel of the Month: A Fern for Jāņi
Happy Jāņi to all you Latvians out there … especially my gorgeous client Sandra, who is also celebrating her wedding anniversary with her dashing husband. For the edification of my non-Latvian readers, Jāņi is a holiday linked to the summer solstice. The actual solstice was on Thursday, but the holiday is officially celebrated during the…
Jewel of the Month: Black Diamond Skull
If you follow my Instagram accounts — business and/or personal — you’ve already gotten a sneak peek at June’s Jewel of the Month. For the rest of you, behold my “Carpe Diem” medallion set with a skull-shaped black diamond! I debuted this piece at the Couture jewelry show in Las Vegas last week, where Grace…
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….
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…
Jewels of the Month(s): Custom Wedding Bands in 18K Gold
I wanted to show these two custom wedding bands together, so I’m squeezing in the Jewel of the Month for March just in the nick of time — alongside the very belated Jewel of the Month for February. One of the great things about the jewelry business is that my customers often become good friends….
Jewel of the Month: Garnet Man Brooch for January
January’s birthstone is the garnet, so this is the perfect time to unveil my latest creation for ANZA Gems: a 20.36-carat rhodolite garnet “man brooch” accented with seven rose-cut diamonds and set in 18K yellow gold. All of my ANZA designs are special because I get to work with ethically mined gemstones that give back…
Year in Review: Jewels of the Month for 2017
At the end of the year, I tend to feel like I didn’t do as many new designs as I wanted to … via GIPHY … so it’s good to take a look back and appreciate everything that has been accomplished! While my Jewel of the Month posts usually feature my newest designs, I also…
Jewel of the Month, Part II: Abigail’s Engagement Ring
Every day, I get three or four emails in which someone claims to be a “big fan” of my blog and offers me $50 to publish a guest post (which often includes the dreaded “infographic”). Of course, anyone who truly is a big fan of this blog might have noticed that I haven’t had a…