Bonne Fête Nationale! It’s le quatorze juillet — or what we non-French people call “Bastille Day,” which we do because we’re horribly plouc. Back in the day, I was lucky enough to be in Paris on July 14 three years in a row, so I have fond memories of the Eiffel Tower’s fireworks and wearing…
necklaces
Specially Priced Wendy Brandes Jewelry on 1stdibs
Photographer George De Castro Day and designer/stylist/model Stacy Lomman — my dream team — have been helping me take some fresh “as seen on” jewelry photos over the past week. I’ve been wanting to do this for ages! I’m so excited that I put all the freshly photographed designs on sale on 1stdibs for the…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry in Story Magazine
In my previous post, I thanked stylist and fashion journalist Marian Kwei for putting my Queen of Scots tiara on model/DJ Tolula Adeyemi for an Oscar party AND writing it all up for Story Magazine. Marian is a full-service operation! After the Oscars, Marian did so much more for me and turned my jewelry into…
Jewel of the Month: Lip Necklace in 18K Gold
Whether you love Valentine’s Day or loathe it, the days immediately following the holiday are kind of awesome. First of all, the big Whitman’s Sampler chocolate assortments are on sale in all the drugstores to make room for the Easter candy. If you’re buying for me, I do prefer Whitman’s Samplers to Russell Stover boxes,…
Jewels of the Month: Bye, Don! Welcome 46 & 47!
I don’t know if I should call this the dawn of a new era or a return to form. After years of Jewel of the Month posts, I had ZERO last year because fascism and the pandemic had me that distracted from what I love to do. But now that would-be dictator Donald Trump has…
Fine Jewelry for the Holidays
If you’re looking for a meaningful Christmas present (or a belated Hanukkah gift) for a loved one or yourself, I’ve got some fresh jewelry options for you! For responsibly sourced jewelry that gives back to mining communities in Tanzania and Kenya, check out the ANZA PURE x Wendy Brandes rough-gemstone designs in 18K gold that…
Year in Review: Jewels of the Month for 2019
The highlight of 2019 for Wendy Brandes Jewelry was a gem of a person! I am still madly in love with the photo shoot I did with Judith Boyd, aka Style Crone, because I’m always trying to show that jewelry is for everyone. When I did appearances this year, I decorated my booth/case with photos…
Jewel of the Month: Inspired by Empress Eugenie
Thank you to Brecken Branstrator of National Jeweler for alerting me that on Nov. 27, Christie’s in London is auctioning jewelry that once belonged to Eugenie, who was the last empress of France via her marriage to Napoleon III. I appreciate that the auction house has the full provenance of the jewels listed: Provenance is…
Jewels of the Month, Part 3: “Gothic Chic” Skulls
This month, I’ve highlighted jewelry that connects to current events, as well as jewelry designed around perennial themes. My final Jewel of the Month post gives you both qualities. Of course, skulls are always right for the month of Halloween, but the bonus is that the Wall Street Journal has declared this to be a…
Jewels of the Month, Part 1: For the Whistleblower
A real patriot puts country over party or president. I’m thankful to the whistleblower who recorded, in a memo, a White House official’s view that “… the President had clearly committed a criminal act by urging a foreign power to investigate a U.S. person for the purposes of advancing his own reelection bid in 2020”…