November 2011 Archives

It's about time New York City-based chic tattoo parlor-turned-whimsical jewelry store Love, Adorned started selling their wares online. Their well-edited mélange of one-of-a-kind vintage treasures and affordable diamonds-in-the-rough from new designers is full of pieces that shouldn't be missed.

Like Katie Finn's Double Finger ring. Most finger-bonding rings are hard, imposing, and inconveniently prevent you from actually moving your fingers apart. Out of her Elizabeth Street collection (the address of the Nolita shop), Katie's ring has all the delicacy of your grandmother's wedding band. Off your hand it might resemble the sweetest pair of handcuffs you've ever seen, but slip the 10-karat rings on two of your digits (I think it looks best on the ring and middle for the right balance of toughness and tenderness), and it has an offbeat innocence. At over an inch, the 14-karat trinity of chains dangles sensually over your hand and leaves you enough room to text freely. At Love, Adorned for $495.

Pair with: How delicious would these little gold rings look dangling over Bottega Veneta's way covetable karung-trimmed clutch? Marigold satin is layered beneath lace-effect blackened metal and topped with their signature knot - actually anything would look good with this bag! Bottega Veneta Lace-Effect Metal and Karung Knot Clutch, $3,980.

Hot new designer Monika Chiang has an unusually keen way with softness and strength. She loves spikes, leather, holey sweaters, and high, high heels, but nothing in her line, whether it's ready-to-wear, handbags, or yes, jewels, lacks in femininity. Actually, it all drips with it. And this gorgeous necklace will leave you literally dripping with bling.

Ever since Kelly raved about the Crystal Leaf collar, I've been coveting it. I love cascading necklace-styles. Not only is it a most luxurious feeling for your jewels to delicately pour down your bodice, necklaces with trickle and far-reaching movement are flattering. A jewel that reaches far past your collarbones will effortlessly elongate the body (the longest strand here measures one foot!).

Monika's collar boasts her studied balance of hard and soft. A jet-finished and brass-plated looped choker brings the edge, grounding the rest with sufficient weight. Dainty tendrils, with leaf-shaped Swarovski crystals sparkling, stream from it and down your torso. It doesn't get much more alluring than that. At Monika Chiang for $295.

Pair with: Pick up on the sparkle with Monika's envelope clutch, matte-gray crocodile-embossed leather finished with a light-handed sprinkling of Swarovski crystals. The details will pick up on your jeweled centerpiece, not overwhelm it. At Monika Chiang for $795.

Hard rocks have rarely looked so stately. It's only natural that this stunning cuff - it doesn't just sparkle, it transfixes - is a creation by Stephen Webster, a designer as passionate about upmarket craftsmanship as he is about projecting his innate glam-rock sensibility. This sculptural cuff boasts both, along with successfully flaunting his true inner artist.

Cut crystals are a dime a dozen, but tell me, have you seen a whole cuff constructed completely from two big pieces of hematite and quartz? Webster has taken the concept of crystal jewels to a whole new level of treasure. The same goes for the spirit of the cuff! Usually an accessory that's so bold, chunky, and uncompromising; for all its power, this one has fluidity and movement. Not to mention, thanks to the unpredictable shape, jaw-dropping elegance. These massive multi-facetors are set in 18-karat white gold and surrounded by over a carat of white diamonds, an ideal frame to showcase the stones.
Like an infinite blue ocean I actually want to get lost in, this demands a part in your collection as the star of the show. At Bergdorf Goodman for $16,500.

Pair with: Unlike most show-stealers, this one plays well with others. The Romantic Crystal Haze cuff won't be hard to coordinate - it even looks lovely with Laurent Gandini's flaming heart earrings. Casual sterling silver takes on new meaning, as crosses act as the centerpiece and the symbols hark back to classic Italian religious iconography. Laurent Gandini's flaming heart earrings, for $390.

I have a few original Miriam Haskell pieces and they are equally prized as my Chanel jackets and Hermès Birkins. Born in Indiana in 1896, Miriam's sense of chic would not be contained. She made periodic trips to Paris to select the beads for her handmade jewels and take teatime with none other than Coco Chanel. It wasn't long before her exquisite designs were sported on icons like Joan Crawford and Lucille Ball.

Nearly a century has passed since Miriam Haskell set up her first boutique in New York City, yet the jewelry from her namesake line is still 100%-handmade. Now a collaboration with Decades abounds with pieces that are vital for any vintage collection and soon to become collector's items.

Out of the Uptown/Downtown collection, the Mulberry earrings ($323), gunmetal-plated filigrees with pyrite teardrops, are dramatic and spunky; the slinky crystal and pyrite-decked Mercer necklace ($750) is modern-meets-antique perfection; and the Swarovski crystal-covered Stanton ring ($300) is statement-cocktail at its finest. The Broadway bracelet ($650), a paisley-motif explosion of gold-plated layers, glass pearls, and crystals, is as decadent as the pearl-wrapped Cortlandt hoop earrings ($225) are concise.

Decades' founder Cameron Silver is the authority on vintage fashion - whether you're a Haskell collector or retro fashion-lover, you need to get your hands on a few of these gorgeous pieces.

Wearable art is a term that tends to get thrown around a lot, but in the case of Regan Rosburg's designs for The Woods, it honestly applies. It also brings a newly powerful meaning to the jewelry line's name.

An artist inspired by nature, Regan is known for her highly detailed and three-dimensional resin paintings (she uses real bones, feathers, and lace to give them tangible life). When The Woods' co-designer, Shawn Hecox, approached her to make miniature versions of her work for a series of diamond-encrusted pendants, she was elated. A line committed to using organic materials and natural artifacts, this is a match made in forestland-heaven.

Inspired by Victorian cameos, the jewels have a smoky, antique look. And each itty-bitty painting contains an actual object taken from the woods behind Regan's home in Tennessee - think bird skulls, dragonfly wings, ladybugs, and black widow spiders! It doesn't get much realer than that. Nature and sparkle converge for a most unusual collection. Talk about conversation pieces! Prices start at $2,500. Available at FortyFiveTen in Dallas.

Maison Martin Margiela just forever changed the association with the term "promise ring." Once reserved for faithful teenage couples saving themselves for each other, this quirky three-ring set gives it an entirely new meaning. The promise is now of independence and originality.

I'm loving the plentiful-ring look lately; thanks to this set, mixing and matching for your entire hand comes easy. Each of these tool kit-inspired jewels has a totally different look, texture, and finish from the last, but it amounts to a perfectly cohesive set. Wear them separately or on one hand for full impact. All gunmetal-tone brass and all different sizes, they're meant for different fingers. The divided, matte spiral is for the index finger (or even cooler on your thumb if it fits); neat, glossy spiral for the middle; and the thick cross-cut textured band, which reminds me of a really cool thimble, for your ring finger. I like the combo of those three varied fingers, rather than a boring three-in-a-row.

And if you have petite digits, experiment with them on both hands so as to not overwhelm. The options are endless. Mix the promise rings with baubles already in your jewel box, surprise yourself with the interesting mash-ups you come up with, and give your hands a dose of stimulation. On Ssense for $485.

Pair with: These aren't your typical girly rings, so go eclectic. Deborah Pagnani's extravagant Warrior ring will keep you in the tough-girl realm, but with an ovular moonstone framed in grey diamonds, it's fit for a queen. At Barneys New York for $9,860.

This gorgeous pendant has something few necklaces do: an equally beautiful backside. You just don't find gallery work like this on contemporary pieces. Especially at this price. Suzanne Wilson is the exception, and that's one of the reasons I've been a fan of her designs for years. The hubby even once had a diamond pendant delivered via messenger to a friend's house at my birthday dinner - and it made my special day all the more so.

The Gallery necklace - a carved Buddha cameo of mother-of-pearl trimmed in white sapphires - is about as special as can be. An Eastern spin on the classic cameo with a back as resplendent as the front: it's a wearable treasure full of good energy.

Suzanne Wilson Designs will soon be sold at select Neiman Marcus stores, and she'll be making a personal appearance here in Dallas on Thursday! Stop by and see Suzanne's unique take on jewels - you're likely to leave with a little masterpiece of your own. At Suzanne Wilson Designs for $650.

Pair with: This necklace would look even more unusual peeking out from the frame-like cutout of Carven's velvet dress. With a twisted collar, puffed sleeves, and light rouching, this is will be a star of your holiday showcase. On Ssense for $860.

I'm drawn to jewels that look like they possess magical powers. While Pamela Love's moon crescent and clustered crystal necklace makes for a jarring shape, it's altogether so otherworldly I can't help but be fascinated by it.

This is no baby charm - at 3" wide, this is a large gold-tone pendant that almost reads like a breastplate. It would just amount to a harsh chunk of curved brass, but thick slivers of ethereally opalescent crystals rise out of it and give it new potency. They emerge from the half-moon like the skyline of a city from another universe. The contrasting copper-tone chain (24" in length) only adds to the offbeat effect. This isn't for everybody - if you wear it, be ready to channel rockin' earth children like Stevie Nicks and Abbey Lee Kershaw, and wear this with brave layers of jewels, leather, and velvet. On Ssense for $760.

Photo: Grazia

Pair with: Your necklace will still shine, even if you add more metal and texture to the mix. Arielle de Pinto's braided 14-karat gold and sterling silver bracelet is a modern-grunge take on the tennis style. Undone and relaxed, it suits the wild-child spirit. On Net-a-Porter for $275.