It’s fun to take photos of jewelry out and about, or “in the wild,” as I like to think of it. Eryn Patton is great at modeling fistfuls of rings, so she took the rings off my fingers over drinks this week and struck some poses. (Damn, Eryn, back at it again with all the…
Jewelry
Jewel of the Month: Ruby Dangle Ring for ANZA Gems
July’s birthstone is the ruby, and, boy, do I have the ruby ring for you! It’s good-looking, has a good story and promotes a good cause. First I’ll give you the good story and explain the good cause. Monica Stephenson, the tall drink of water who writes the jewelry blog iDazzle, founded ANZA Gems in…
A Bit of Beauty for Istanbul
One of the jewelry designers I admire most is Sevan Biçakçi of Istanbul. In 2014, the New York Times described one of Sevan’s specialities as “dome-shaped rings that celebrate the city’s Byzantine and Ottoman heritage.” Here’s an example chosen by jewelry editor Marion Fasel as a tribute to the people who have been affected by…
JCK LUXURY, Part I: I’m on the List(s)
I’m happy to say that I made two Top Ten lists for the JCK LUXURY jewelry show in Las Vegas! Both times, it was one of my Maneater rings that caught the writer’s eye. Anthony DeMarco, writing for Forbes, said that, “There was more variety than past years at the ‘Luxury’ jewelry trade show in Las…
Jewelry Instagrams From JCK Las Vegas
Dang! I’ve been back from the big JCK Las Vegas jewelry show for two weeks now and I still have to do multiple blog posts summing up my adventures! So much happened … writing this up is no small job! While I’m working on it, here are a few jewelry photos taken by the gorgeous…
Create Your Own Heirlooms With Fine Jewelry
“… it’s fun to wear, it has lasting value and it connects people across generations.” Hmm. What could that describe? A top from H&M? The latest iPhone? An app, an antique end table or a even an exotic trip? Nope! It can only be jewelry. Michelle Graff, the editor-in-chief of National Jeweler, wrote those words…
Jewels of the Month: Empress Matilda’s Swords
I often use my Jewel of the Month posts to introduce new designs, but sometimes I like to feature my classic jewelry. Right now, my Empress Matilda sword designs are on my mind. I’ve discontinued plenty of designs over the years, but the Matilda necklace and earrings have stayed in my collection since I introduced…
Sneak Peek Week for New Designs
I usually don’t share photos of a work in progress because a lot can change while a jewelry design is being completed, especially with intricate pieces that take months to finish. I like to wait till the work is done, then backtrack and show some of the steps I took along the way: rough sketches,…
Ogling Opals
I’ve been at JCK’s LUXURY trade show since last Monday, and I’ve hardly left my booth! However, I did sneak out yesterday to go through the American Gem Trade Association’s ballroom because I need an aquamarine for a work in progress. To my surprise, I never got to the aquamarines. When I walked in the…
The Emoji Peeps Are Catching Up to Me!
With everyone from Blac Chyna to Steph Curry coming up with their own popular emojis, the original emoji providers are stepping up their game. The Unicode Consortium — aka Emoji Headquarters — officially unveiled 72 new emojis this week, scheduled for delivery later this month. I’m impressed by the quick turnaround, because, in the past,…