When it comes to an engagement ring, the only thing that really matters is that the recipient loves it. Most of the wedding jewelry I design is custom-made. As a result, I’ve done all different styles of engagement rings to suit different tastes, ranging from an Asscher-diamond stone in a simple, classic pronged setting ……
Throwback Thursday: Jewelry Designs From 2006
I went into jewelry designing full-time in 2005, and I did a lot of small trunk shows and private sales right up until the financial crash of 2008. Some of the shows were in homes of friends and family, others were in hotels. This photo from January 2006 was taken in the home of a…
David Bowie’s 1976 Playboy Interview and Other Links
While searching for interesting David Bowie links, I realized I had to share the outrageous mid-1970s interviews from his Thin White Duke phase. Bowie had a horrendous cocaine addiction at the time. He was paranoid and obsessed with the occult, Charles Manson and Nazis. “I was hallucinating 24 hours a day,” he later said, noting…
Memories of David Bowie
I can still barely believe it, but we all know it’s true. David Bowie died of cancer yesterday, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his 25th studio album, Blackstar. His producer called Blackstar a “parting gift” for Bowie’s fans. Embed from Getty Images I haven’t been able to think of anything…
RIP, David Bowie.
No words. I’m shocked.
My Best Dressed at the 2016 Golden Globes Is …
I was browsing 1980s vintage while watching the Golden Globes red carpet, and I had to point out this ruffled Pierre Cardin design to my designing friend Stacy Lomman. Stacy is the one who looked through my closet once and said, “Wow! Even your ruffles have ruffles!” I said, “Do you think this has enough…
The Week in Review
In case you missed it, here’s what was on the blog this week. Monday: Wearing Britney Spears’s dress on New Year’s Eve. Tuesday: Tifa, the dancehall queen of Jamaica, is wearing my swear rings. Wednesday: January’s birthstone, garnet, might surprise you. Saturday: My post-malware comeback. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram! Here are some…
Guess Who’s Back? Back Again?
If you tried to visit the blog or website in the past few days, you probably saw a very scary warning about malware. But I’m back, and the malware has been banished. I used Sucuri Security to dig all the bad stuff out. I’m happy with the results, though the process wasn’t that great. The…
January’s Birthstone, Garnet: More Colorful Than You Think
January’s birthstone is garnet, which most people think of as a deep red gem. But, as I pointed out in this post from last year’s Tucson gem show, garnet comes in a range of colors, with different names for different varieties. The garnets I used in the studs pictured above are rhodolite. In Tucson, I…
Meet Tifa, the Dancehall Queen
Check out gorgeous “singjay” Tifa wearing my infamous swear rings! On the @wendybrandes tip!!!? Loving my rings?… #workflow ??Giving thanks for another day & life! #grateful #happy #blessed A photo posted by Tifa ??? (@itsthetifa) on Dec 15, 2015 at 8:43am PST Tifa is a big star of Jamaica’s dancehall music scene. Late last year,…






