{"id":38436,"date":"2017-12-21T16:11:56","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T21:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=38436"},"modified":"2017-12-21T16:39:37","modified_gmt":"2017-12-21T21:39:37","slug":"new-collection-anza-pure-by-wendy-brandes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/new-collection-anza-pure-by-wendy-brandes\/","title":{"rendered":"New Collection: ANZA PURE by Wendy Brandes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m excited and honored to announce my new collection for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anzagems.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ANZA Gems<\/a>: ANZA PURE!<\/p>\n<p>Click through the three slides below to see the first styles: asymmetric dangle earrings, single stud earrings, and a necklace &#8212; all created with glowing pink spinel and electrifying green garnet.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bc8cHpoB2QC\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bc8cHpoB2QC\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by idazzle (@idazzle)<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-12-21T00:35:25+00:00\">Dec 20, 2017 at 4:35pm PST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>As you may recall from earlier posts, ANZA Gems was founded by my friend Monica Stephenson (aka jewelry blogger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/idazzle\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">iDazzle<\/a>) in 2014. Through ANZA \u2014 a word that means \u201cbegin\u201d in Swahili \u2014 Monica offers a transparent journey from the gem mine to the customer. She personally sources ethically mined, colored-gemstone rough from Tanzania and Kenya; brings the uncut stones back to the U.S. to be faceted by gem cutters here; and then has them incorporated into fine jewelry by designers with whom she collaborates.  At least 10% of the proceeds from every sale goes back to schools in the gem-mining districts.<\/p>\n<p>Working with Monica&#8217;s cut stones, I&#8217;ve done a ruby charm ring &#8230;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_38438\" style=\"width: 508px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/jewel-of-the-month-ruby-dangle-ring-for-anza-gems\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38438\" src=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/rubycharm.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"498\" height=\"497\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/rubycharm.jpg 498w, https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/rubycharm-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/rubycharm-300x299.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/rubycharm-320x320.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-38438\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This one is sold, but you can click the photo to read about it.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8230; as well as a <a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/indesign-and-in-the-times\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">prize-winning<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/jewel-of-the-month-double-finger-ring-for-anza-gems\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">double-finger ring<\/a> and a tourmaline <em>toi et moi<\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/jewel-of-the-month-toi-et-moi-ring-for-anza-gems\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">two-stone ring<\/a> (left and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXnu6-mgBRC\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">right<\/a> respectively in the photo below. Unfortunately, I can&#8217;t claim that big diamond!)<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYwOm8rj6Kr\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYwOm8rj6Kr\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes)<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-09-07T20:40:54+00:00\">Sep 7, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I adore the fancy shapes of Monica&#8217;s finished gems. Most of the ones I&#8217;ve worked with so far have been faceted by gem-cutting geniuses <a href=\"http:\/\/www.torraca.net\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Peter Torraca<\/a>, who did all three stones in the prize-winning ring, as well as the green tourmaline in the <em>toi et moi<\/em>; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anzagems.com\/index.php\/cutters\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Beth Stier<\/a>, who cut the golden tourmaline in the <em>toi et moi<\/em>. That said, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYwP8idDfSP\/?taken-by=wendybrandes\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">in September<\/a>, when Monica showed me some packages of smaller rough pieces that she felt would be too labor-intensive to cut, I said, &#8220;Let me take these as is.&#8221; I couldn&#8217;t get over the vivid color of these stones &#8212; untreated, straight out of the ground.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYyblIOjJoq\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYyblIOjJoq\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes)<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-09-08T17:12:44+00:00\">Sep 8, 2017 at 10:12am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I said, &#8220;Monica, I&#8217;m going to do a whole mix-and-match collection for you with rough, and even though it&#8217;s going to be made in the USA in 18K yellow gold, we&#8217;re going to have options under $500.&#8221; Monica said, &#8220;We&#8217;ll call it ANZA PURE&#8221; in tribute to the natural colors of the rough gemstones.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYyXSIlDSRZ\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYyXSIlDSRZ\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes)<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-09-08T16:35:11+00:00\">Sep 8, 2017 at 9:35am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Then she asked, &#8220;How are you going to get someone to set all of these?&#8221; There were more than 20 potentially usable gems in the packages. Because rough is by definition irregularly shaped and sized, there&#8217;s no simple way to do mass production. New York goldsmiths can make much more money per hour working on a single $500,000 design than on 100 $500 designs. &#8220;I&#8217;ll find someone,&#8221; I said, and as you can see, I did find someone (after a couple of rejections). It took a little bit of time to generate the required enthusiasm with the eventually willing artisan. I had to explain ANZA&#8217;s mission, share my vision of a broad collection, and negotiate the terms of working in quantity &#8230; but here we are! <\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BaH6Xu-jMOa\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BaH6Xu-jMOa\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes)<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-10-11T21:57:14+00:00\">Oct 11, 2017 at 2:57pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>This is the first part of the collection. Additional necklace and earring styles will debut in the new year. Those will be more elaborate, meaning the designs I&#8217;m showing today are the most accessible part of the collection with studs starting at $345. These designs are so new they aren&#8217;t on the ANZA website yet, but if you&#8217;re interested, contact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anzagems.com\/index.php\/contact-us\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ANZA Gems directly to inquire<\/a>. Each piece of rough is one of a kind, so if there&#8217;s a particular gem that appeals to you, get it before it&#8217;s gone.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that, with your purchase, you&#8217;ll be giving back to educational efforts in the gem-mining communities, like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BbxLx9Gh515\/?taken-by=idazzle\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kitarini school in Tanzania<\/a>, which Monica recently visited during lunchtime. As Monica says in her caption for the slideshow below: &#8220;Why is a simple lunch of maize and beans remarkable? Because the lunch program was discontinued for a couple of years and these kids, many of whom walk 5-9 kilometers each way, were hungry, test scores slipping, attendance dwindling. A few generous people in our own industry help provide the funds to feed 498 kids every school day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BcLHr_DB6NO\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BcLHr_DB6NO\/\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">Scenes from a Tanzanian school. Hard to believe just a couple of weeks ago I was a world away at the Kitarini School, visiting with about 500 Maasai school kids and teachers, and witnessing the rather remarkable event of lunch. Why is a simple lunch of maize and beans remarkable? Because the lunch program was discontinued for a couple of years and these kids, many of whom walk 5-9 kilometers each way, were hungry, test scores slipping, attendance dwindling. A few generous people in our own industry help provide the funds to feed 498 kids every school day. The last photo says it all: my heart is still in East Africa. Grateful to @rogerdery and Ginger, Nancy Schuring of @devonjewelry and #devonfoundation and other retailers and people who help feed the kids. #tanzania #tanzanianschool #maasai #maasaischool #schoolkids #classroom #hotlunch #beautifulfaces #kitarinischool #eastafrica #gemsforchange #gems #roadlesstraveled #liveincolor #moyo<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/idazzle\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\"> idazzle<\/a> (@idazzle) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-12-01T20:54:06+00:00\">Dec 1, 2017 at 12:54pm PST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>My ambitions now include someday designing with zircon mined by these women. <\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BcBTnMcDZS2\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:56.75925925925925% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BcBTnMcDZS2\/\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">Happy #miningmonday! These women mined these zircon. It&#39;s so humbling to visit mines and mining villages on our travels to East Africa. We&#39;re in constant awe of the hard work these women and men put in day in and day out. That&#39;s why we are celebrating #miningmonday instead of #cybermonday today. We want to be able to donate as much as possible to support these communities. #gemsforchange #giveback #giftsthatgiveback #dogood #gemstones #roughgems #gemstonemining #zircon #tanzania #kenya #womenwhorock #girlpower #anzagems #anzatravels #teamanza<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/anzagems\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\"> ANZA Gems<\/a> (@anzagems) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-11-28T01:25:54+00:00\">Nov 27, 2017 at 5:25pm PST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I was so psyched to see those female miners with their own product. Much of what we buy now &#8212; whether electronics, cars, clothes, jewelry, or food &#8212; travels a long way to get to us through a chain of custody that we know nothing about. <a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2010\/01\/get-smart-about-manufacturing\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">It seems anonymous, which, I&#8217;ve observed, makes it easy for consumers to imagine that a lot of tasks are done by uncomplaining, unpaid robots<\/a>. The robots, however, haven&#8217;t replaced us humans quite yet, and there are real people hard at work. (I don&#8217;t blame people for having that impression, because I only became fully cognizant of each step when I started <a href=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/get-smart-about-manufacturing-take-two\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">manufacturing<\/a>. Until you have the personal experience, it truly is difficult to understand how much human contact there is during production.) So, hopefully, I&#8217;ll get to &#8220;meet&#8221; &#8212; at least by photo &#8212; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BZwxlwzjoKy\/?hl=en&#038;taken-by=wendybrandes\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">miner(s)<\/a> of gems I use in my work.  Or maybe I&#8217;ll meet them in person because I&#8217;m begging Monica to take me on one of her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BZwvS0NDweL\/?taken-by=wendybrandes\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">gem-buying trips<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_38472\" style=\"width: 508px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38472\" src=\"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/studs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"498\" height=\"536\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/studs.jpg 498w, https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/studs-279x300.jpg 279w, https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/studs-300x323.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-38472\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ANZA PURE x Wendy Brandes. Necklace and stud earrings.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Anyway, I encourage you to get in touch with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anzagems.com\/index.php\/contact-us\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ANZA Gems<\/a> and treat yourself or someone you love &#8230; or both &#8230; to a beautiful piece from the new ANZA PURE collection. A heads-up to folks with January birthdays: Garnet is your birthstone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m excited and honored to announce my new collection for ANZA Gems: ANZA PURE! Click through the three slides below to see the first styles: asymmetric dangle earrings, single stud earrings, and a necklace &#8212; all created with glowing pink spinel and electrifying green garnet. A post shared by idazzle (@idazzle) on Dec 20, 2017&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/new-collection-anza-pure-by-wendy-brandes\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[592,25,60,703,89,719,13,722,32,644],"tags":[733,1474],"class_list":{"0":"post-38436","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birthstone","8":"category-business","9":"category-earrings","10":"category-gems","11":"category-good-causes","12":"category-jewelry","13":"category-necklaces","14":"category-shopping","15":"category-shopping-suggestions","16":"category-stud-earrings","17":"tag-anza-gems","18":"tag-anza-pure","19":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38436"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38484,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38436\/revisions\/38484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}