I had the pleasure of meeting Grace Lavarro at the JCK LUXURY show in Las Vegas in June. We were introduced by our jewelry designer friend Marla Aaron. Grace is the owner of Jewels by Grace, which sells antique diamonds, fine vintage and estate jewels, and contemporary engagement rings. I definitely didn’t expect her to…
Jewelry
Turquoise and Sunshine for Summer and Beyond
Summer seems to go so fast. MrB makes fun of me for saying every July 4, “Summer’s almost over!” And August! Forget August. August is the Sunday of months. But don’t listen to me. Listen to MrB, who will tell you — correctly — that we have six weeks of summer left. The latest Contemporary…
Thanks to the Academy … and National Jeweler
A million thanks to Brecken Branstrator of National Jeweler for selecting my two-finger ring design for ANZA Gems as one of her American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Award favorites! National Jeweler had already posted my ring on Instagram last week, but today Brecken included it in her Academy Awards-style blog post on her personal winners,…
Jewels of the Month, Part II: More Punk Platinum
When I started in the fine-jewelry business in 2005, a punk-inspired safety-pin earring or brooch was on the top of my to-do list. I’d seen plenty of costume-jewelry versions, but, as a customer, I hadn’t come across any gold or platinum pieces that I liked. It seems strange now that I couldn’t find something that…
Spinel Is a New August Birthstone
Well, hello spinel! Earlier this summer, two fine-jewelry trade groups — American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America — announced that spinel would join peridot as a birthstone for August. I love the vibrant yellow-green hue of peridot. I used it in my Susan chandelier-earring design. But peridot is always some shade of green,…
Instagram Love for the Jewel of the Month
August’s Jewel of the Month — the two-finger ring I designed for ANZA Gems — has gotten some more love on Instagram, thanks to its appearance at last Monday’s press preview for the American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Awards. Benjamin Guttery of Third Coast Gems chose it as a personal favorite. My personal "editors choice"…
Madeleine Albright’s New Hillary Brooch?
I’ve always meant to write about Madeleine Albright’s Read My Pins book. Albright — the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State (from 1997 to 2001) — is known for cleverly matching her large collection of brooches to important occasions. The book explains that it all started in 1994, after Albright, then the…
Jewel of the Month: Double-Finger Ring for ANZA Gems
Can’t take the heat? Then you should have tuned into Hallmark Channel’s “Christmas in July” programming earlier this month. Why wait till December to “Catch your favorite holiday Hallmark Channel Original movies!” when you can enjoy them in the summer, right?* I’m feeling a little like Hallmark right now because this is an “August in…
Jan and Carma Have Good Karma!
This weekend, I received an intriguing email from a gentleman named Jan Boogaard: “I have found a ring that has the Wendy Brandes stamp on it and appears to be a custom piece. I have attached a picture. I’m hoping you keep some kind of record of whose this could be so I can return…
JCK LUXURY, Part II: Hanging With the Vegas Gems
Whew! So much has been going on that I’m just getting around to my second post on the JCK LUXURY jewelry trade show that took place in Las Vegas last month. To refresh your memory, here is Part I. Since that post, gorgeous blogger Becky Stone of Diamonds in the Library included me in a…