The age old question – “what came first, the chicken or the egg?” has been puzzling us for years, and it also raises another question – What comes first, the jewelry or the outfit?
When getting dressed the other day, I wondered, do you plan the jewelry around the outfit or the other way around? Well, like any good jewelry fanatic knows that answer is simple – it’s the jewels!
I could go out without a stitch of clothing (not that I would) and still feel completely “done” if I’m properly accessorized and bejeweled. Or, to be more exact, I could be wearing a head to toe, hot off the runway designer look and without any jewelry I’d feel naked and completely “off”!
I always feel that the simpler and more neutral the clothing, the better backdrop it creates to showcase your treasures! And what better personal statement can you make, then with your jewelry. Often jewelry is chosen for a symbolic meaning, or what it represents to us, so it can tell the world even more about us then the clothes we wear.
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Sarah Jessica Parker wearing a Philip Treacy (www.philiptreacy.co.uk/) mohawk headpiece and Fred Leighton (www.fredleighton.com) jewels
Every May the Glitterati converge on the Metropolitan Museum of Art to benefit and celebrate the museum’s Costume Institute. The Who’s Who of fashion, entertainment and design all stalk the red carpet. Designers attend with their muses, dressing them in elaborate and sometimes over the top, trend setting creations.
It’s got to be one of the hottest tickets of the year in New York, and all of the fun and festivities took place this past Monday night. Can you believe my invite got lost in the mail again??
Everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker, Maggie Gyllenhaal,”Girls” star Lena Dunham, Beyonce, Sienna Miller, Nicki Minaj and many other stars and starlets alike all gathered to turn the 5th avenue shrine to art into a mecca for fashion and all that is fabulous.
Every year the gala focuses around a different theme and this year it is, PUNK: Chaos to Couture and it will be on exhibit from May 9th – August 14, 2013 (http://www.metmuseum.org/)
Stars went all out to pay homage to punk style, but one of the standouts was Sarah Jessica Parker. SJP wore a jeweled Mohawk headpiece by the London milliner Philip Treacy (http://www.philiptreacy.co.uk/) and a suite of 19th century diamond jewelry from the eponymous upper eastside estate jeweler Fred Leighton (www.fredleighton.com).
SJP in the fabulous Philip Treacy scene stealing jeweled mohawk headpiece!
I’ve been out of commission for the past few days. My pup Julio passed away earlier in the week and that’s why this blog is so late. He was a great little guy and I’m going to miss him everyday.
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Next time you’re in Williamsburg Brooklyn, stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) to check out their exclusive collection of my jewelry.
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Gucci white gold and diamond horsebit bracelet
http://www.gucci.com/us/styles/305808J85409066?gclid=CLCk3IvtgrcCFQqi4AodkjUAYg#305808J85409066
So the Kentucky Derby was this past weekend. Ok, be honest, who dressed up in a big hat and sipped on mint juleps? I love a good hat, but never like how they look on me. If you did go to a Derby party send me some photos!
Well, all the horsey chit chat over the weekend got me thinking about horse themed jewelry. The first thing that comes to mind is horse bit themed pieces. So many designers have used this motif over the years, in everything from textiles, handbag handles, silverware, shoes and of course jewelry!
An updated horse bit style from Gucci
http://www.gucci.com/us/styles/298122I46008277
Gucci is one design house that really made that look their own.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is horseshoe men’s rings, yeah I went there. Whether they’re on the pinky or a different finger they’re pretty bad. That being said my Dad had one when I was a kid. Basically the same one in this photo, so I couldn’t resist!
Yeah baby!! Old school yellow gold and diamond horseshoe ring
http://www.findingking.com/p-57608-14k-gold-horse-head-diamond-horseshoe-mens-ring-size-10.aspx
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Next time you’re in Williamsburg Brooklyn, stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) to check out their exclusive collection of my jewelry.
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Tags: capricorn, David Webb, David Webb zodiac pendants, Eight of Swords Tattoo, Etsy, facebook, From The Ashes, From the ashes vintage jewels, jewelry from the ashes, jewels from the ashes, May, may birthdays, Taurus, Taurus zodiac sign, twitter, zodiac pendants
http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Mother-of-Pearl
Happy May first! In many countries May Day is a celebration of spring and of course it also kicks off the birthday month for all of the Emerald May babies. Since I already wrote about emeralds I thought I’d write about Mother-of-Pearl, which seems appropriate with Mother’s Day right around the corner!
“Mother-of-pearl is a nacreous, lustrous, iridescent lining of the shell of a mollusk that can be carved and cut for jewelry and other decorative purposes. It is composed of calcium carbonate bound by conchiolin which together forms nacre. Mother-of-pearl is carved into various motifs to be used in jewelry. Slabs of mother-of-pearl decorate cuff links, shirt studs, buttons, watch faces and are used as inlay in various decorative objects.” (1)
http://www.rubylane.com/item/223860-661a/Enchanting-Antique-Mother-Pearl-Cameo
Mother of pearl can be dyed any color, but is most often naturally seen in white, pink and black. The iridescent stone lends itself to delicate, feminine carved jewelry and is perfect for cameos. The delicate sheen and luster looks wonderful against the skin and enhances any complexion.
You find a lot of fantastic mother of pearl in vintage religious jewelry, such as crucifix’s and religious medals. I’m so excited when I can find some of these vintage treasures to incorporate into my collection.
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Next time you’re in Williamsburg Brooklyn, stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) to check out their exclusive collection of my jewelry!
(1) Antique Jewelry University, “Mother-of-Pearl,” n.d., <http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Mother-of-Pearl> (accessed May 1, 2013)
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We’ve all got a little predatory nature in us. Thousands of years ago we needed that instinct to survive. Today, we might use it to snag the perfect guy, perfect job or perfect apartment. Or, if you’re like me you use your predatory instincts to make the ultimate acquisition, and then the next and the next.
As any experienced, well versed shopper/collector/jewelry fanatic knows, too much is never enough!
Waiting to pounce until just the right moment, measuring our step and biding our time, skulking around the handbag display and slithering toward the object of your desire, until you pounce. The high only lasts a few weeks or a month at best (depending on the size of my “kill”) and then I need another fix. That’s the thing, no matter how many times I’ve said this is all I want, I don’t want to buy anything else after this, there’s always something else! There is an ever evolving list of things to buy in my head!
So, I guess part of what I’m wondering is, is it just the thrill of the hunt, the stalk, thinking about how it will be to possess the current object of your desire, knowing you can wear it whenever you want, that it’s part of your collection, the moment you swipe your card, or actually wearing your new jewel?
Sometimes for me, just knowing I have something in my jewelry box is enough, then once I have it I’m on to the next thing.
After weeks or months of planning, possibly making multiple trips to see it, imagining how it will feel to own it and what you’ll wear it with, is it just a let down?
The real question is, does a new jewel, shoe or handbag lose some of it’s sparkle after it’s yours?
If you need a fix, check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Check out this giant ceramic pearl sculpture from British artist and jewelry designer Nicola Malkin – http://www.nicolamalkin.com/
In the 1980’s, there was a store on West Broadway, in Soho called Think Big! I was so fascinated by this place and it’s giant ketchup bottles, six foot tall pencils and four foot wide tennis rackets. They sold larger than life versions of everyday items, long before Mc Donalds started super sizing. I bugged my parents for something and eventually they bought me a two foot high book of matches. In their defense, I think that was the least expensive thing in the store.
Giant jewelry as urban street art from Dutch artist Liesbet Bussche – http://www.liesbetbussche.com/urban.html
One thing they didn’t have was giant sized jewelry. Someone I use to work with told me that the older you get, the larger your jewelry gets. Now, I’m starting to understand what she was talking about. When I first started really wearing and buying jewelry for myself, two of my first purchases we’re a miniature diamond cross and a very delicate diamond line bracelet. I’m probably the same size I was then (about 16 years ago) or tinier, but the cross and the bracelet both look microscopic now! I rarely wear either piece now, and if I do I layer them with other things, like about five other bracelets!
Another piece from Nicola Malkin http://www.nicolamalkin.com/
There are tons of things I love now, they I never would have worn back then. Why is it that the older you get your perception of size changes. Whether or not I understand the reason why, it can only mean one thing for me, in another ten years I’ll be wearing tennis ball size earrings and rings the size of crystal ashtrays!
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Next time you’re in Williamsburg Brooklyn, stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) to check out their exclusive collection of my jewelry!!!
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Jessica Biel in a Tiffany archives-inspired brooch in platinum, from the 2013 Blue Book Collection brooch of round and cushion-cut diamonds inspired by a design from the French Crown Jewels
The name Tiffany and Co. (www.tiffany.com) conjures up images of Audrey Hepburn in a chic black Givenchy, clutching a pastry and cup of coffee peering in the window, little blue boxes, and for me (because I worked at a jewelry store on fifth avenue a few blocks away from Tiffany) crowds of tourists gathering outside on a Saturday morning long before they open.
Gwyneth Paltrow in a Tiffany butterfly brooch with black opals, Montana sapphires and diamonds in platinum, from the 2013 Blue Book Collection.
“Founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young in New York City in 1837 as a “stationery and fancy goods emporium,” the store initially sold a wide variety of stationery items, and operated as Tiffany, Young and Ellis in Lower Manhattan. The name was shortened to Tiffany & Co. in 1853 when Charles Tiffany took control, and the firm’s emphasis on jewelry was established.” [1]
“Tiffany’s celebrated Blue Book, the jeweler’s annual publication that showcases the latest and most spectacular jewels in all their glamour and brilliance, has been arriving in customers’ mail boxes since 1845. It is the first mail order catalogue to be distributed in the U.S. The Blue Book archive forms a detailed chronology of Tiffany’s role in the evolution of American design. Early Blue Books showcase lavish diamonds, including French and Spanish crown jewels reset in exquisite Tiffany settings, which marked the first appearance of major gemstones in the U.S., and an astonishing array of jewels that won gold medals at the great world’s fairs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These are followed by Blue Books that feature the platinum age of diamonds in the 1920’s, Cocktail-Style jewelry in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and dazzling creations in every era since.” [2]
Sarah Jessica Parker in a Tiffany necklace with a round tanzanite and diamonds in platinum, from the 2013 Blue Book Collection.
This past Friday night, Tiffany & Co. launched their 2013 Blue Book Collection and celebrated at their Blue Book Ball. Held at Rockefeller Center in New York City, it was a celebrity packed event where stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carey Mulligan, Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel, Michelle Williams and Carolyn Murphy among others looked their best in what else, but Tiffany & Co. jewels!
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Next time you’re in Williamsburg Brooklyn, stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) to check out their exclusive collection of my jewelry!!!
[1] “Tiffany & Co.” n.d., <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_%26_Co.> (accessed April 21, 2013).
[2] “Tiffany & Co. For The Press n.d., < http://press.tiffany.com/ViewBackgrounder.aspx?backgrounderId=30 >(accessed April 21,2013)
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As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a slightly obsessed jewelry fanatic and collector. I have a huge collection of jewelry, and although the majority of it is not made up of rare, antique, one of a kind, super valuable, signed or difficult to find pieces, they are all treasures to me.
The most interesting jewels I have are the estate pieces I’ve collected. One in particular actually is a treasure. A pair of Late Georgian period Spanish Emerald earrings. The Georgian period stretched from 1714 to approximately 1837, during the reigns of George I, II, III and IV, in Great Britain.
My earrings date from the late 18th century, around 1780. The earrings are set with square, table cut emeralds, in a yellow gold (probably 15 kt), ornate, scroll pattern openwork setting. The back of the setting is closed, and the stones are probably foil backed. Foil backing was a popular jewelry setting technique of the period, where a sheet of a colored foil lined the setting to enhance the color of gemstones.
The earrings are a pendeloque style, which was a popular look during the Georgian period. They are basically a pear shape drop suspended from a bow shaped center with a cluster top at the ear.
“The Pendeloque grew out of the 18th century trend of the girandole, in which three drops suspended from a bow, while a Pendeloque is just one drop. The Spanish and Portuguese colonization of South America in the 16th century lead to an explosion of gold and fine gems on the European market, with emeralds from the famous Muzo mines in Columbia, topaz and other precious gems from Brazil.” (1)
I had the original ear hook removed and replaced with a post, for easier wear. However, it’s generally never a good idea to alter antique jewelry, because it is more valuable in it’s original form.
Well, after this discussion about my earrings I can’t wait to wear them out, it’s been awhile! Sometimes, half the fun is just knowing you have something in your jewelry box, not necessarily wearing it. Spoken like a true jewelry hoarding collector freakshow!!!
Check out new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
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Stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) in Williamsburg, to see their exclusive collection of my Good n’ Evil Protection Pendants
(1) Metier Paris <http://www.rubylane.com/item/403702-JY_ear_spem1/Spanish-Pendeloque-Emerald-Earrings-C> (accessed April 10, 2013)
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Carlos wearing a fringe necklace of teardrop freshwater pearls and diamonds!!
A few of my friends have suggested that I should expand my collection to include a line of jewelry for dogs, for a number of reasons –
A- Because I’m a huge animal person, I have two Chihuahuas, Julio and Carlos and Phoebe the cat
B- Because lots of other people are super into their dogs too
C- Crazy dog people spend big bucks on Fido
D- Dog stores have popped up everywhere you look packed with tons of fun designer gear for your pooch
I don’t know, that just isn’t my thing. I don’t dress up my dogs (maybe because they’re both male), with the exception of possibly a sweater when it’s really cold and that’s only if I can get it on without being bitten! I have a feeling that if they we’re female I would have long since fallen prey to the siren song of pink puppy tutus, but luckily for them that isn’t the case.
If you’re looking for some real doggy jewels check out the Miami Dog Necklace from Doggie Vogue!
http://www.doggievogue.com/category/dog-necklaces-anklets/miami-dog-necklace
Tons of people dress their dogs up every day, just take a look around on Instagram! The hats! The dresses! The booties! And…the jewelry!
When I worked at Fred Leighton (www.fredleighton.com) there were actually a few clients who purchased jewelry for their dogs. Nothing says I have money to burn, quite like buying a diamond tennis bracelet as a collar for your teacup pup, on your afternoon stroll on Madison Avenue!
Well, I was inspired by all of this puppy jewelry chit chat and snapped a few pic of my Dog Carlos wearing some jewels from my personal collection.
Take a look at new pieces just added to the website!! WWW.FROMTHEASHESVINTAGEJEWELS.COM
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter –
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Don’t forget to stop by Eight of Swords Tattoo (www.eightofswords.com) in Williamsburg to check out my collection!
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The age old question – “what came first, the chicken or the egg?” has been puzzling us for years, and it also raises another question – What comes first, the jewelry or the outfit?
