Jude Frances is designed by a delightful duo whom I met six years ago when the line was just starting out. Judith and Frances were moms in Suburban Orange County who wanted to create an affordable line of whimsical jewelry that women can buy for themselves. They felt a woman should treat herself to a trinket whenever she felt like it! The line has grown so much, including a high end "Couture" jewelry line for Jewel Snobs! At the core of the line, however, are the reasonably priced baubles like the ones above. The small princess ring is just the thing to lift your mood, and at that price, you should get two to stack! I love Jude Frances' signature motif, the Maltese cross. Chic and timeless, it's jewelry you can wear daily without looking ridiculous. At Saks.
Jude Frances Small Princess Ring
Jude Frances Single Maltese Cross Charms
March 2008 Archives
This pair of jade and ivory acrylic bangles greatly appeal to me. They look so refreshing and crisp, and not unlike the pair of Jade bangles my grandmother used to wear daily. Of course hers were made of very old, rare, uncolored and untreated natural jade - next to impossible to find today (all women should own a piece of jade for good luck!). If you love the look of jade, however, you can get it from the master of costume jewelry- Kenneth Jay Lane. Fans included Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn, arbiters of taste and style of their time (and ours!). The pair above is a mere $90, and it will look great all summer long with your breezy floral dresses. Kenneth Jay Lane Oval bangle set
at Net a porter.
I think Sleeping Beauty would wake for these gorgeous earrings don't you? Paolo Costagli's sparkling stunners are made of almost 4 carats of dripping yellow sapphires and dangling "Sleeping Beauty" turquoise drops. The effect is both elegant, sophisticated, and timeless. The name is derived from the mine where this particular turquoise is found, it is without any veins, spiderwebs or streaks. In short, it is perfect. $7800 at Paolo Costagli.com
The romance and mystery of the past and the elegant restraint of the present distinguish the work of jewelry designer Temple St. Clair. Rooted in the mystery and the romance of the past, Temple’s pieces feature an elegant restraint, a clean modern line, and a sensitivity to color that are indisputably contemporary — yet utterly timeless. I had lunch with a girlfriend who was wearing a delicate gold chain with a gold pendant made of sparking sapphires. Without asking, I knew it was Temple St. Clair. Her signature style is unmistakable as is the workmanship of her jewels.
