{"id":46439,"date":"2021-05-31T23:34:40","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T03:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=46439"},"modified":"2021-05-31T23:34:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T03:34:43","slug":"jewels-of-the-month-tolula-in-a-tiara-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/jewels-of-the-month-tolula-in-a-tiara-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewels of the Month: Tolula in a Tiara and More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1985, I listened to British singer Belouis Some<\/a>‘s song “Imagination” on repeat. Kids these days don’t appreciate the dedication it took to play a song obsessively back then! It was a delicate operation, what with lifting the turntable needle up from the vinyl record and moving it to that flat, grooveless space in between the songs, all the while praying that I wouldn’t scratch the record and create a skip in the tune forever. But I did that for my man Belouis, and 36 years later, I remember all the verses to that song. I just trip up on the song title and the chorus which, in my head, perpetually plays as, “Procrastination, could make a man of you. Procrastination, could make me love you too. Procrastination, is all I want from you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This song still slays me. Click for the so-very-’80s music video.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I can’t imagine why my special version of the song is stuck in my head while I’m writing a Jewel of the Month<\/a> post at 10:30 p.m. on May 31. Hmmm. What a mystery! But I’m racing the clock to show some May love to model\/DJ Tolula Adeyemi, who treated my Queen of Scots snake tiara<\/a> to an Oscar night party in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Click to see on Tolula’s Instagram.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tolula first wore my jewelry in 2012, including my Cleopatra statement earrings in silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My Cleopatra earrings. Click for 2012 post.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For the Oscars, the earrings had to match the 18K gold tiara, of course, so Tolula got the 18K gold and diamond version of the Cleopatras. Actually, even if the tiara hadn’t been involved, silver just won’t do for the Oscars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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All gold everything. Click to shop for the earrings and tiara on 1stdibs.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In both 2012 and 2021, Tolula was styled by Marian Kwei (formerly Kihogo)<\/a>, and good lord! How do the years fly by? I was sure this photo was taken, like, yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Me and Marian in 2012. Click for original post.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was so good to re-connect with Marian this year. She’s wonderful to work with, plus I got a kick out of remembering the silver and amethyst ring I made her. Sometimes when I look at jewelry designs I haven’t seen in many years, I feel a little surprised to be thinking, “Oh, I did that? That’s pretty great”<\/p>\n\n\n \n

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Instagram will load in the frontend.<\/blockquote>