{"id":39467,"date":"2018-03-21T23:47:28","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T03:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=39467"},"modified":"2018-03-21T23:58:34","modified_gmt":"2018-03-22T03:58:34","slug":"wednesdays-video-jewelry-design-playlist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/wednesdays-video-jewelry-design-playlist\/","title":{"rendered":"Wednesday’s Video: Jewelry Design Playlist"},"content":{"rendered":"

It can be a challenge for still photography to do justice to ultra-luxe jewelry, no matter how talented the photographer is (and, trust me, I work with incredibly<\/em> talented photographers). That’s because limited-edition, wearable-art designs — the type of jewelry I make for my Wendy Brandes Gold collection<\/a> — are more than pretty accessories meant to add some sparkle to your outfit of the day. They’re an experience! Until you see my designs in person, there’s no way to fully appreciate the luster of the metal, the dimensions of the piece, the intricate details, and the way the gems interact with the light. And, of course, a picture can’t tell you how a piece feels on your body. I love precious metals so much that I’ve used a full ounce of 18K yellow gold in rings and pendants. Even as gold prices soared<\/a> over the past decade, the feel of the jewelry was too essential to my concept of luxury to stint on metal. As jewelry designer Paloma Picasso once said in an interview<\/a>, “Touch is very important to me.” I wrote about the importance of the heft of a design in 2012<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“To me, that will always be the definition of luxury in jewelry. A lot of designs look beautiful, but, for me, fine jewelry needs to feel beautiful too. I want people to pick up my work and think, \u201cThis is a serious piece. No expense was spared to make this.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There’s one exception to my rule, as I noted in that earlier post. My definition of luxury doesn’t extend to extremely weighty earrings. I have no intention of dragging your earlobes down to your knees! Comfort is crucial, and if I can’t wear a design for at least eight hours, I won’t ask a customer to do it. But rings, necklaces, bracelets — I like to know<\/em> they’re there. <\/p>\n

Even other people in the jewelry business are surprised (pleasantly!) by the way my pieces feel. Grace Lavarro, for instance, is the gorgeous owner of Jewels by Grace<\/a>, selling antique diamonds, fine vintage and estate jewels, and contemporary engagement rings. She has access to practically any jewelry she wants, so when she said she wanted to buy my Victoria buckle ring<\/a> a couple of years ago, I thought she was teasing me! Check out her Instagram post, which highlights the feel of the ring.<\/p>\n

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Super stoked to receive my first @wendybrandesjewelry piece! Saw this Victorian-inspired buckle ring at the last @jckevents show, and was instantly smitten by how the buckle opens to reveal a secret message! I'll reveal mine on my next post \ud83d\ude07. The ring is exquisitely-crafted in NYC, and has such wonderful heft and feel to it. I feel like everyone SHOULD have one (am I right, @marlaaaron?). Wendy, you da bomb \ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18. Next up: a pink \ud83d\udc37!#personalcollection #showmeyourrings<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Jewels by Grace | Los Angeles<\/a> (@jewelsbygrace) on