Natural Beauty

Guest Blog by Liza Powel O'Brien

As a rule, I do not get gussied up. Most days, cargo pants and rubber flip flops are the uniform. But once in a while, I am forced to call in the professionals to make my appearance more fit for public consumption. It takes many hours and dollars to achieve the proper effect, and overall the experience is less "princess for a day" than "awkwardly painted, corseted and on the verge of breaking my ankle." The up side, apart from my husband's appreciation of this (sadly fleeting) transformation, is when a talented artist like Kimberly Mcdonald generously allows me to borrow some of her gorgeous jewels for my moment on the other side of the looking glass.

Kimberly began working with geodes for her first jewelry collection in 2007, but her fascination with the crystal-filled rock formations goes back to childhood, when she was a self-described "rock geek" who filled cans with cool-looking stones plucked from the driveway. Working only by hand, she pairs the naturally stunning geodes with other precious stones (one pair of earrings features inch-long, paper-thin slices of diamond) and reclaimed precious metals. Earth-honoring efforts permeate all her pieces; any wood she uses has been re-purposed from things like shipping containers and musical instruments.

I was lucky enough to get to wear these blue geode earrings and ring for a night this past weekend, and it was just what my super comfortable but almost dangerously understated black Alaia dress needed: a dash of celestial blue with a flash of diamonds at the edges. Kimberly said the geodes would bring good luck, and they did, for me, in that I did not (as is always my fear) fall down, tear my dress or otherwise embarrass myself. Also, I got lots of compliments, which is always nice.

Visit kimberlymcdonald.com for more information and to find a list of retailers. (photos by Steweart Schecter)

Editor's Note: Unlike myself, Liza was too humble to include a photo of herself in these to die for jewels!  See Liza in Kimberly McDonald Jewels here.