We made it to Spring 2021!  I am so happy to see the first signs of Spring after the crazy winter that we experienced.  The hummingbirds have arrived to our area, the sun is shining, plants are showing signs of life and the trees are budding.  The colors of spring will soon be appearing along with a hope for bright things to come.


​This is a great time for updating your wardrobe and accessories including, or course, your jewelry.  Pearls are having a huge moment on the runway this season.  They're not only the June birthstone but have been revered by all since the beginning of time.  They are timeless jewelry pieces and they symbolize wisdom, purity, safety and serenity.  They are valued for their calming effects and simple beauty.  Pearls are believed to offer the wearer protection, good luck and wealth.  In a metaphysical sense, they are thought to bring about emotional balance, calm stressed nerves and control anger.  They are also said to improve self confidence and create positive energy.

Pearls are the only gem material formed and found within a living creature and require no cutting or polishing before use.  They are a gift of nature and are made up of mostly calcium carbonate which is an essential component in the human body.  And as a bonus for us, they can be found in colors other than white.  In nature, the hues are quite subtle and pastel but with a little help from humans, you can find pearls in a rainbow of colors!  Don't forget, they can also be found in shapes other than round.  Currently, there is a trend towards a baroque shape in a big, bold pearl.  

Pearls aren't only for the wealthy either.  They can be found quite reasonably in the form of freshwater pearls.  These pearls are farmed and come in many shapes, sizes and colors. So, these timeless gems are within reach for everyone and can easily and affordably be added to your everyday look.  Pair them with jeans and tees or wear them to the office or a night out but don't just keep them stored away for that special occasion.  Find your pearl favorite and wear them all year long!

After a very cold and unusual fall and winter, it's time to find some joy.  You can find a little cheer in something as simple as a brigtly colored piece of jewelry.  You don't have to break the bank to bring a smile to someone's face.  Look for simple, beaded stretchy bracelets that can usually be found at a very reasonable price.  Or how about a unique pair of drop earrings in a bright and happy color!  Not only can some simple pieces be an instant lift to a dreary season, but they can also be the foundation for new and upcoming fashion trends.

Let's think ahead to sunnier days and the promise of new blooms and life.  Don't be afraid to use bright floral tones and larger pieces.  Brighter colors will bring instant light and interest to any outfit.  Let's not forget that pastels are also included in the Spring palette, just as in nature, so don't hesitate to blend them in.  So just think of a beautiful bouquet of flowers or imagine an eye catching garden in full bloom.  What colors speak to you?  Different tones of greens, yellows, blues, purples or pinks?  Look for these in casual jewelry pieces and enjoy!

Currently, many of us are working from home and using our computers for meetings and collaborating, so we're not always too concerned with dressing up for work.  However, a splash of fun color can brighten up your day and maybe even that of your co-workers.  Give it a try and see!

Happy New Year! 
​
Let's put a very difficult 2020 behind us and look to the future.  Everyone is hopeful and looking forward to a better year.  In this vein of thought, Pantone has punched up this year's color palette with bold, bright colors.  They've already chosen their Color of the Year!  In fact, they've chosen two colors for this new year.    

​ABOUT PANTONE COLOR INSTITUTE™
Pantone Color Institute is the business unit within Pantone that highlights the top seasonal runway colors, selects the Pantone Color of the Year, forecasts global color trends, and advises companies on color for product and brand visual identity. Through seasonal trend forecasts, color psychology, and color consulting, Pantone Color Institute partners with global brands to effectively leverage the power, psychology, and emotion of color in their design strategy

Information and photo from:
https://www.pantone.com
​Pantone LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated., © Pantone LLC, 2021. All rights reserved

Wishing all of our friends, family, and wonderful customers a very Merry Christmas! And please stay safe and healthy until we can enjoy each others company again.

Now that we're settling into Fall, let's take a look at the 2020 Fall color palette that was seen on this year's runways.  Some great mixes are in this season, such as rich, deep burgundy.  These hues can be found in many stones such as mookite, ruby and garnet.  This looks great with a new neutral such as a gray of any hue.  These burgundies range in shade from cherry red to any deep wine color. And don't forget to include bright reds in this mix.  Use it for a pop of color against a neutral.

Making a shift on the color wheel, almost every shade of blue was represented on the runway.  Look for vibrant, bold blues, as well as navy and even soft powder blue.  These can easily be paired with most neutrals.  You can find an endless number of stones in blues, such as lapis, sapphire and topaz.  If these aren't in your budget, many natural, dyed options can be found.  I don't mind using dyed agates because they take color so well that you can find them in beautiful colors and they don't break the bank.

In the realm of neutrals, gray is especially popular and dominated runways in head to toe looks.  The key thing to remember is to mix various shades and textures.  You can find many great options in stones going from dark, ash tones to light heather shades.  I love a smoky agate or a sparkly drusy in these tones paired with sterling silver.  But don't forget, mixed metals are also popular, so go for gray stones set in gold or on gold chain.  

Gray was not the only neutral featured this season.  Many designers opted for a creamy, almond milk or off white color.  This ivory neutral looks elegant, luxurious and modern and is gorgeous in pearls and even crystals.  An offshoot of cream is tan or beige.  These tones can be found in so many stones and pair well with almost anything you wear.  These colors are going to be around for a long time and throughout seasonal changes so you can't go wrong investing in these neutrals.

One surprising hue that was seen this season is celery.  This is one of my personal favorites.  It's so unexpected and fresh and crisp.  Absolutely glorious paired with a gray.  It adds just a touch of botanical and is also very modern and fun.  Again, agates are a great way to go to get this color but also include peridot and quartz.  Another green shade that you'll find in stores this season is olive green.  This is also a personal favorite and can also be used as a neutral.  There are also many choices in a natural stone in this color.

Another surprise for fall comes in the range of orange.  These shades can be found paired with everything from blue to brown and are just a happy, creative addition to your fall palette.  Natural stones are abundant in these shades.  I love carnelian for fall but so many agates and jaspers and even opals are rich in these hues.

Well I hope you enjoyed learning about this season's runway colors as much as I did.  Have fun with your jewelry and use this information to update your style this fall and winter and come back soon for more insight.

​Source:  Who What Wear, 10-16-20 by Judith Jones
PHOTO: MARC JACOBS, VICTOR VIRGILE/GETTY IMAGES

So Fall is finally here! With it comes a burst of color.  You'll be seeing stunning jewel tones everywhere.  Colors like orange, red, yellow and blue.  This is exciting for anyone that loves color.  And if you feel more comfortable in a neutral palette, use your jewelry for a pop of color.

Speaking of jewelry, what's in store for this Fall and Winter?  Think BIG.  Big tubular, rounded or sculptural collars, rings, earrings and pendants.  You'll also be seeing bold chokers this season.  Big, statement pieces are the trend.

Look for gigantic stones in gemstone cuts and colors and long gemstone earrings.  Also making a comeback is a beloved motif that never gets old - the star!  You'll be seeing it everywhere.  Something else that you'll be seeing a lot of is the pearl.  The bigger, the better!  Look for baroque pearls hanging from thick, chunky chain. Mix it up with huge colorful gemstones for a rich look.

Also in style to go with those chunky sweaters will be chains.  You can layer and stack but they might get heavy.  This season's look is big, heavy duty chain.  Look for chunky links in all styles, especially extra large curb links.  One of my favorite links that you'll be seeing a lot of is the paper clip link.  It comes in all sizes of thicknesses but doesn't look as heavy because of the length of the link.  And don't forget to add charms to all those chains!  Charm bracelets will be seeing a return this season.  And don't forget to hang charms from your earrings too.

As for earrings, not only will they be charm-ing but they will also be mismatched.  This is a fun trend that hasn't seen a lot of popularity in the past but was all over this year's runways.
If you're not ready to go bold with this trend, try a pair of mismatched studs.  Super cute!  Not afraid of going bold?  Maybe ear cuffs are for you.  Long, complex ear cuffs with climbing and hanging parts are statement pieces that can set you apart.

Did you save your super long necklaces from 2010?  Hope so cuz they're back. Super long with tassels or pendants and layered or single strand. While gold tones dominate, you can also mix all your different metals this season.  

If you're not the blingy type, you can't go wrong with wood and leather pieces.  They can be found across the board in earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  They're also available in light or dark tones and you can even get that pop of color in dyed wood and leather items.  

Well, that's all I've got for now so have fun hunting for some new pieces to change up your Fall and Winter look and don't forget to come back and see what's new!

​Top photo:  Marie Claire Magazine

​We'd like to take a moment out of all the chaos that has been going on the past few months to thank all the moms out there for all they do.

Day in and day out, mothers do what needs to be done in the care of their homes and families.

Let's celebrate all of our mothers this Sunday and be grateful for this time we have together!

After a very cold and unusual fall and winter, it's time to find some joy.  You can find a little cheer in something as simple as a brightly colored piece of jewelry.  You don't have to break the bank to bring a smile to someone's face.  Look for simple, beaded stretchy bracelets that can usually be found at a very reasonable price.  Or how about a unique pair of drop earrings in a bright and happy color!  Not only can some simple pieces be an instant lift to a dreary season, but they can also be the foundation for new and upcoming fashion trends.

Let's think ahead to sunnier days and the promise of new blooms and life.  Don't be afraid to use bright floral tones and larger pieces.  Brighter colors will bring instant light and interest to any outfit.  Let's not forget that pastels are also included in the Spring palette, just as in nature, so don't hesitate to blend them in.  So just think of a beautiful bouquet of flowers or imagine an eye catching garden in full bloom.  What colors speak to you?  Different tones of greens, yellows, blues, purples or pinks?  Look for these in casual jewelry pieces and enjoy!

Currently, many of us are working from home and using our computers for meetings and collaborating, so we're not always too concerned with dressing up for work.  However, a splash of fun color can brighten up your day and maybe even that of your co-workers.  Give it a try and see!  

​Well I've been crazy busy and haven't written in a while but another year is coming to a close and I have learned so many new things about jewelry and stones this past year.  I really wanted to share them with everyone, so I am going to try to incorporate some of these things in my blog and I hope that what I pass on may inspire you as I have been inspired.

I thought I would start with some things that inspired me the past few months.  I have purchased and used Dzi (pronounced Zee) beads in the past just because I thought they were so pretty.  What I didn't know until recently is the history of Dzi beads.  They go back to ancient Asian cultures, found as early as 1000 - 2500 BC and are considered to provide positive spiritual benefits, as well as, warding off bad spirits and negativity.  How they were made in ancient times remains a mystery.  Nobody knows the exact techniques that were used in the etching and carving process.  They are mainly used in necklaces and bracelets and were worn by leaders of ancient Tibetan religions.  These truly ancient beads are much sought after and are worth a small fortune.   But not to worry, new beads have been created to replace the priceless, ancient ones.  These are readily available and much more affordable while still maintaining the mysticism of the originals.

They are stone beads and usually agate with black and white patterns that can resemble eyes.  The number of "eyes" on the stone also have significance.  For instance, one eyed beads represent light, hope and happiness.  Beads with two eyes help in building good relationships with others.  The number of eyes all have different meanings.  There are also beads with banding or stripes.  The different types of stripes and banding also have different meanings.  Another way to look for Dzi beads is by your birth year under the Chinese Lunar Calendar.  So you may want to look for particular beads to help you achieve your goals.  I'll post a link with much of this information at the end of the blog.

When you find your beads, it can be a good idea to cleanse them to release any stored up energy in them and start fresh.  You can cleanse them by holding them under running water for a few minutes.  Keep positive thoughts while cleansing.  Then dry your stones and set them out in the sun for a while.  Then they are ready to be used in your beautiful creations.  Keep in mind that they need to continually be cleansed in order to remove any negative energy that they pick up in the process of protecting you.

There is much more information available about Dzi beads online and I think it's a fascinating read.  Their history is long and amazing.  While I personally can't afford the older beads, I still think the newer versions are lovely and exude a mystical energy, so I'll continue to use them in my designs.  I feel that I now have a greater appreciation for them and am amazed at the stories the different patterns tell.  I hope that maybe you will be inspired to try your luck with Dzi beads.  I will be further exploring the "eye" symbol in my next blog.  Until then, happy beading!

References:
https://owlcation.com
​https://tibettravel.com
Photo:
https://auction.catawiki.com/kavels/18470887-eight-decorative-dzi-beads-asia-late-20th-century