Saturday Afternoon Roundup!

Good afternoon! How is your weekend shaping up so far? I’m coming off of a week of starting work at 4am, so today I indulged in some much-needed sleeping in. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Local Love Pop Up event in Plymouth, MN! There will be lots of vendors on hand to help you find that special gift or something new – I will have a curated selection of my jewelry for sale, including a collection of rose quartz pieces, just in time for Valentine’s Day. If you’re in the area I’d love to see you!

ICYMI: I only had one blog post this week, on how to style resin jewelry – but if you’re still looking for a gift for your Valentine, perhaps peruse this post for ideas?

I’ve been waiting all week to tell you this story: this April, the Victoria and Albert Museum – known as the V&A – will kick off a year of bicentenary celebrations with an exhibit featuring what’s being called Queen Victoria’s most important jewel. If you’re in England – or you will be this spring – please go and let me know how wonderful it is!

At The Adventurine, they have a story about the Van Cleef & Arpels zipper necklace that Margot Robbie wore on the red carpet this past year. I never realized it actually zips up! The craftsmanship that went into this is outstanding.

New York Fashion Week has just begun, but JCK Online has a selection of bold jewelry looks featured at the first three shows – Rodarte, Ralph Lauren, and Tom Ford. In Tom Ford’s case, he worked with the jewelry designer and metal mesh expert Michael Schmidt – the man responsible for Tina Turner’s famous silver mesh dress – to create mesh dress featuring Swarovski crystals and huge chunky curb chains. You have to watch that Instagram video at the end!

Also at JCK Online: designer Johnny Nelson has created a new Mount Rushmore-style in time for both Black History Month and Women’s History Month, featuring four African-American female icons. Very cool little article.

At Forbes, Missoma: Step Aside Fine Jewelry, It’s Demi-Fine Jewelry’s Time To Shine. Considering “demi-fine” is essentially what I design, I say it’s about damn time. Makes me wish I had read this before I printed out my signs for tomorrow’s show – now I know how to market my work!

Finally, also at Forbes, they profile three jewelry designers who are taking the raw jewelry trend one step further – by designing pieces centered around sliced diamonds and gemstones. What an interesting technique – it gives the pieces such an interesting textural, art deco appeal.

Have a wonderful weekend!

❤ Jill

 

Style How To: Resin Jewelry

Good evening! I totally missed yesterday’s blog post – we are going through our big Cosmetics transition at work which means I’ve been working at 4am all this week, and by the time I realized it was Tuesday it was already dinner time. Life is never dull in retail!

Inspired by the couple of trend style how-to’s I did last month, I think I’ll continue that idea for February! Today, I’m going to give you some ideas on how to style resin jewelry. As I detailed in my last blog post on the subject, resin jewelry can take a lot of different forms, but it tends to manifest in bright, candy-coated colors. It can be the perfect accessory to punch up your look, no matter what your style!

If you’re a cool, artsy type – maybe an artist yourself, or a curator, or just someone who can recognize your Matisses from your Picassos – you could start with a translucent, sculptural cuff in a bright citrus color. Add some interesting silver pieces like the spiky necklace and the pyramid dome ring and echo the color in sparkly drop earrings and suede loafers. Let your accessories be the ones to do the talking by going classic with the clothes – but make sure to roll the cuffs of the blazer or top if it’s long-sleeved, to better show off the cuff.

If you work in an office or somewhere with a more conservative dress code, resin jewelry can take you business casual too – just make sure they’re in neutral colors, like these black and white resin bangles and jeweled cuff. Keep the rest of your jewelry minimal, and stash your essentials in a tote that sneakily brings in another trend with its chain and lock detail.

Make a really cool resin statement piece the star of the show the next time you get to dress up! This outfit plays with color theory too, with its pale greens in the resin spiked necklace and jade earrings, olive green trench, and dark cherry dress and suede pumps. The color palette reminds me of a rose or tulip! Add in a couple diamond or crystal/rhinestone cocktail rings and this is an unforgettable look.

Of course, if there’s anything resin jewelry was built for, it’s the casual everyday look! Bright yellow beaded earrings can add a pop of color to a navy striped sweater and jeans. A couple fun rings and a gold sequin scarf make it feel like you put in some effort, and the conductor’s hat coupled with a low pony will make it all seem effortlessly chic (even if it really means you didn’t have time to wash your hair).

What do you think about resin jewelry? Do you have any or will you purchase any? How would you go about styling it? Let me know in the comments!

(Featured image courtesy of www.pexels.com. Collages made on www.urstyle.com)

Saturday Evening Roundup!

Good evening! If you’re in the Midwest like me, I hope you survived the “polar vortex”. If you’re not, I hope it was a good week for you! It’s Groundhog Day, and the little critter did NOT see his shadow, so the weather is officially on notice – early spring or nothing. (Who am I kidding, I live in Minnesota … we always have a late snowstorm!)

Also, don’t forget – I will be selling my jewelry at the Local Love Pop Up on Feb. 10! It’s from 12-4pm at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, MN, and it’s free to attend!

ICYMI, I talked about resin jewelry and how to style feather jewelry this week!

The Adventurine has a roundup of all the best jewels seen on the red carpet at the SAG Awards. I particularly love the Irene Neuwirth bow and pearl earrings (I follow her on Instagram, and she is such an inspiration to me, as a fellow one of a kind designer), Lady Gaga’s Tiffany pieces, and Rachel Weisz’s Cartier earrings.

At JCK Online, This New Bridal Collection Doesn’t Have a Single Engagement Ring. It’s all about all the other jewelry you might need for the big day – bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, mother-of-the-bride and mother-in-law jewelry, and all those other pieces a bride might wear in addition to her ring. Smart!

Also at JCK Online, they highlight the snake-inspired unisex and menswear-inspired pieces from Turkish brand Thuja Jewels. These are very cool pieces, but they do use genuine leather (and in some cases, python leather) if that’s something you try to avoid. Personally, I adore genuine leather. (For the record, I care about animals and conservation, but strongly believe – and science backs me up – that the answer to conservation is not always to avoid animal products; rather it’s the altogether ancient idea of using the whole animal as a means to honor its existence, and to reduce waste.)

Gem Gossip – another account I follow on Instagram! – has a blog post about her experiences at the Original Miami Beach Antique Show. She showcases some truly amazing pieces – and her manicure is fire.

NPR has an outstanding story about a new exhibit at the Smithsonian, featuring the gold filigree art from Senegal and the women who wore it back in the 17th/18th centuries. So much history and pride – I love getting my eyes opened like that.

At Forbes, an interview with Valery Demure, who launched a jewelry consultancy called Objet d’Emotion at the PAD London (the Pavilion of Art and Design, an annual art and design fair in Berkeley Square) aimed at finding the piece of jewelry that truly speaks to you, rather than any old mass produced piece. To wit, in response to why she chose to launch at PAD and not at Fashion Week: “At PAD we can show jewelry that is still special and one-of-a-kind, I don’t think showing designers who are widely available adds anything to the conversation.” As a one of a kind jewelry designer who bills her work as “wearable art”, I wholeheartedly agree with her message.

Two stories at The Crown Jeweller: first up, a celebration of January’s birthstone, the garnet, in the form of Queen Maxima of Netherlands’ tassel earrings. Max always goes big with her fashion, and tends to wear statement jewelry pieces – a queen after my own heart!

Finally, a look at February’s birthstone in the form of the impossibly pretty Amethyst Parure, which belongs to the Norwegian royal family. Purple is my favorite color and I spent several minutes drooling over this set!

Have a wonderful weekend!

❤ Jill

Trend Deep Dive: Feathers

Good afternoon gang! Our very last trend deep dive is on feather jewelry! Like last week, I’m going to show you some options on how to style it rather than go into the history behind it. Feathers were one of the very first things we used to adorn ourselves, besides shells, and have been used in jewelry both personal and ceremonial by all different cultures. They’re seen in Native American imagery, Celtic art, Maori imagery, in the hats of well-heeled women in Victorian times, etc. It is definitely a cyclical trend in modern times – coming back around again in 2019 thanks to 90’s nostalgia.

You don’t have to go full 90’s festival boho with feather jewelry, but look how glorious you would look if you did! When the weather warms up, throw on a wrap style cami over high waisted black shorts, and accessorize with bright feathered earrings and a leather and beaded necklace. Add in a stack of silver rings, a cool hat, and flowered booties, a black cardigan if it’s a bit nippy, and you’re ready for anything from coffee dates to an outdoor concert.

There’s something inherently Western about feather jewelry, leftover from our wild wild west days, that makes it pair nicely with denim and plaid. A bit more wearable than going full-on boho, this is a casual look that can get you through errands, hang time, or casual dates! Try pairing a blue plaid shirt with jeans and brown suede chelsea boots, and add on a feather bangle, earthy feather earrings, and a couple southwest-inspired rings.

Feather jewelry can also inject some fantasy into your wardrobe! If you’ve got an event you want to dress up for – or you just like dressing up any day – a grecian-style dress would look amazing with silver strappy sandals, a feathered collar necklace, and big pillowy feather earrings. Add a signet ring and a dragon ring and you’re ready to tackle your next big adventure with style.

Finally, for all their bravado feather jewelry can be quite elegant also. A sparkly gold feather choker would look so pretty with a black shirtdress over tights and black boots with golden details. Add some sleek gold hoops, a stack of minimal gold rings and a more sculptural ring, and this is a look anyone can pull off for any occasion.

What do you think about feather jewelry? Are you into it, or do you find it kind of cheesy? Let me know in the comments!

(Collages courtesy of www.urstyle.com; header image courtesy of www.pexels.com)

Resin Jewelry

Hello! How was your weekend? I had a nice relaxing one – I played some games, put some new listings up on Etsy, and made some jewelry. Hope you’re staying warm in your part of the world! We won’t be above 0 until this weekend, brr.

Today I’m going to take – call it a semi-deep dive – into resin jewelry! This is being called a trend for 2019 – though it’s been around for a long time in many different forms – thanks to the advent and availability of resin printers.

Resin printers, like 3D printers, allow you to come up with a design and have it printed before your eyes. Instead of plastic polymers, resin printers use filaments of synthetic resin, and come in any color. The resulting designs are lightweight, can be polished or painted, and therefore make great jewelry! My buddies have a resin printer, and were able to make some cute Mario-themed earrings for a con.

Before resin printers came on the market – and still being used – hobbyists and jewelry designers used a resin epoxy to create jewelry. The synthetic resin is mixed with a hardener, and then cured in a mold. You can then fill the liquid with flowers, glitter, beads, etc, or create stunning mini landscapes like this ring.

Even farther back in history, artisans were making jewelry and adornments out of naturally occurring resin, the most famous of which being its fossilized version, amber. Plant resin generally comes from trees, and is a sticky viscous liquid generated in response to an injury of some kind to the plant; the resin oozes out and hardens around the wound, creating a barrier. Amber has been admired and used since the Neolithic times, and there are countless examples of amber jewelry on the market – some even containing fossilized remains of insects and the like.

There are a lot of advantages to resin jewelry. It’s very lightweight and durable, making it ideal for everyday wear. It can also be stunning in its own right, thanks to its ability to be polished and shined, and you can create so many interesting designs with it by filling it with flowers, glitter – even bugs, like a modern-day fossil.

What do you think of resin jewelry? Are you intrigued? Or do you think it looks cheap? Let me know in the comments!

(All pictures courtesy of www.flickr.com)