After my trip to California, I arrived home with a lot of new, little goodies. The sad part is almost always when I purchase a ring, it needs to be sized before I can wear it–that means I have to part with the new jewels for a week. Just when I was about to get excited to wear them! More about those soon.
Luckily one of the rings that I picked up was actually my size. It is the bottom band in the stack–the 5 diamond, slightly curved band ring. These types of rings often get overlooked or stereotyped as “anniversary bands” or “wedding bands.” I hardly see them as so. They are great for stacking, like seen how I did in the photo. I was only playing around with different ring combinations, and when came up with this it became my new favorite. Do you like it?
[14k yellow gold
chocolate & white diamond
swirl ring from Ross-Simons
purchased in 2004]
[18k yellow gold
slightly curved diamond
band ring from
Empire Antiques, San Diego]
[14k white gold
sapphire eternity band
from DoverJewelry]
I’m not sure if it is the abundance of horses and farms here in Nashville, or spotting a few celebrities wearing horse shoe jewelry--but I am loving this motif. Horse shoes actually have been around for many years, as they are seen in many pieces of antique jewelry (a few great examples are below). Theories of where the “good luck” folklore originated date back to the year 959 AD! Whether you believe it to be good luck or not, one thing is for sure–if you are a jewelry lover you need a piece in your collection which features this timeless motif.
A great pair of horse shoe earrings that feature diamonds from Ross-Simons. They are done in 14k white gold and would look good alone or with other earrings if you have multiple piercings. I like how the description says “good luck will be galloping your way.” Price: $206
Such a bold ring that could be anyone’s statement piece. The horse shoe features rubies and diamonds done in 18k yellow gold. This ring dates back to the Edwardian Era and is priced at $1550, from Israel Rose.
Excalibur Jewelry has some amazing finds featured on 1stdibs. This horse shoe brooch is no different, all done in platinum and 18k gold with sapphires and diamonds. I think it is funny that the brooch features 13 sapphires, which make up the “lucky” horse shoe. Price: $1950
If you want a small token of this trend, this pearl charm is just for you. It is from C.H.A.R.M. and is done in 14k yellow gold. This can easily be interchangeable on a necklace or bracelet, and is small enough to add to and layer with. Price: $200
Pewter Oyster Keepsake Box: Price $82 from Michele Varian
Pearls are classic, elegant and a staple to any girl’s wardrobe. Go ahead and see for yourself how vast and popular this gem is by counting how many women you see wearing pearls. Whether it’s pearl stud earrings or a strand of pearls, June has a wonderful birthstone. And there are so many varieties: keshi pearls, blister pearls, Tahitian pearls, South Sea pearls, cultured pearls, freshwater pearls…with so many colors: grey, black, white, peach, pink…
Below are my top choices for pearl jewelry!
Pearls make many gemstones pop when used together in one piece of jewelry. Here you see this done with emeralds. The bypass design is always a favorite since it creates the illusion of stacking without actually having to wear two rings. This one is from the Ross-Simons Estate Collection and features two cultured pearls set in 20k yellow gold. From the 1970s and priced at $1270.
Tassels are a vintage collectors dream, with these earrings showcasing the style beautifully. These are done in platinum with ten strands of pearls on each earring. From Meriwether Estate Jewelry and priced at $7800.
This bracelet twists pearls with gold, making it no competition compared to a pearl strand bracelet. From 1965, this vintage piece is done in 18k yellow gold. It can be purchased at Beladora for $1750.
If you already have a strand of pearls and are looking for an alternative pearl necklace, I highly suggest this one! Not only does it give you a different feel by featuring a snake as the bail, but it can be personalized with your own choices. Each version is slightly differentdue to the uniqueness of the pearls and the hand work. You can choose golden,white, silver, or black Tahitian pearl, and the price range is $2800-3800(depending on quality, color, and size of pearl). Or you can choose 9-10mm silver,black, or white freshwater pearl, and the price is $2200. The snake’s eyes come in any color stone or even diamonds (add $300). Each pendant is aone-of-a-kind and bears Carolyn Tyler’s signature. Orders take 3-5 weeks. Click here to order!
Summer is surely on the way, nothing like some tutti frutti jewelry to cool things down! Trying to decide if these colorful pieces of jewelry are for summer only, or if anyone would rock these during the winter? I’m not even sure! What do you think?
This bold, multi-stone ring screams Tutti Frutti just like Little Richard would. It is set in 14k yellow gold and all of the stones are actually sapphires. The ring can be found on Israel Rose and listed for $3250. Size 7.5
I love the chunkiness of this bracelet, and the gems used couldn’t be more perfect. You’ve got some rose quartz, some malachite, amethyst, and other topaz, all cabochon cut. From the Ross-Simons Estate Collection.
Like a treasure washed up on the beach, this necklace reminds me of some bright sea glass strung together. Apatite, amethyst, citrine, fire opal, garnet, tanzanite, emerald, peridot and pure, 24K gold beads make up this necklace. Designed by Yossi Harari and featured at TWIST, price: $1810.
Earrings can really make a difference in an outfit or a look. There are so many styles to choose from: hoop, dangle, stud, chandelier… you can go bold or dainty, gemstone or gold. More overwhelming than you thought?
Well, one trend that has a unique look is a bold flower, which nearly covers your entire earlobe. This actually catches your eye and draws your attention to the face. It looks great with your hair up or down, and really balances your entire look. Less jewelry worn in other places is usually a good idea when wearing earrings this bold. Don’t have your ears pierced or don’t like earrings? I have a great option for you too! Check out below.
Vintage Tiffany & Co. from 1960, with ten rubies totaling .33 carats and two diamonds, total. These can be purchased from the Ross-Simons Estate Collection for $1276.
If you want to do the flower trend without going so bold, these earrings are for you. From Israel Rose, these are made of rubies and 18k yellow gold. Price: $750
Poppies are what inspired these earrings–add some pearls and 18k yellow gold, and you got yourself some great earrings. Ross-Simons let’s you choose whether you want clip or post style earrings, at a price of $355. The color and style would be easy to dress up or down.
From 1950s, these lovely earrings feature rubies and 18k yellow gold. They measure 1.25 inches all around, so they are a perfect size for this trend. These are from Israel Rose, a jewelry company who calls the heart of NYC’s diamond district its home. Price: $1900
And for those who do not have pierced ears or like earrings? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Show some flower power with this amazing necklace designed by Elisa Solomon. The daisy is front and center, all in 18k yellow gold and diamonds for $909. Making the necklace even more special is the ancient beads that are used. How could you have a bad day wearing this?!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you love or loathe February 14th, these beautiful jewels will brighten your day!
12 carats of sparkle! Maybe you’re celebrating 12 years, or 12 is a significant number in your life, this would be the perfect ring. The heart-shaped citrine is flanked by two round diamonds. From Ross-Simons Estate Collection and priced at $956.
This sentimental necklace is from Doyle & Doyle. The heart is amethyst and features a triple ring of diamonds. So delicate and pretty! Price: $2800
What a treat this would be if this was a gift to be unwrapped for Valentine’s Day?! This brooch has a romantic, whimsical quality and features 0.35 carats of diamonds. It would go great pinned to a scarf. Priced at $13600 and showcased as Ylang|23’s Estate Collection.
Beautiful diamond necklace…18k white gold…delicate chain…what more could you want? Well, there is more! This heart pendant doubles as a locket, making it the ultimate sentimental piece you will always treasure. Price: $5800 from Delamina.
The marine link has an elegant, classic, as well as trendy look to it. Hilary Duff is spotted here with an extremely large version of the marine link bracelet. I wonder if hers is real good or fake…can’t imagine the pricetag if it were real! Her other wrist dons the double link version of Cartier’s Love Charity Bracelet.
Below is an example from Ross-Simons done in 14k yellow gold, with a price of $445 on clearance.
This option is actually from Sam’s Club and priced at $275.11, very random price. Anyway, it is 14k yellow gold as well but this one has more of an emphasis on the marine links–oversized and bold!
Desperate times call for desperate measures. It seems “end-of-the-year” sales are everywhere…with coupons galore! Frankly, the only year-end sale I am looking forward to is the Ross-Simons sale. Offering perks like free shipping and additional 20% off already low prices, you can’t beat that. My top “must haves” are featured below, but see for yourself and browse the huge selection…you won’t be disappointed!
Vintage 1970 star sapphire dome ring, done in 18k yellow gold. This ring is on sale for $636 currently. I like the swirling bypass effect it has.
This is an onyx ring that features a carved jade floral. The 14k yellow gold bezel adds an elegance to the look. Priced at only $92 currently.
This is as good as it gets! Vintage 1900 diamond ring with blue enameling around the center diamond, which is a half carat. The total diamond weight is 1.5 carats, at only $6636 currently with the sale. This is a perfect example of a Victorian piece.
I love this citrine masterpiece. It is an estate find from the 1970s, featuring a 22.5 carat citrine! At only a size 3, this would make a great pinky ring. It is $1436 on sale.
And lastly, this sapphire dome ring is vintage from 1980. It has almost 3 carats of blue sapphire, flanked in 14k white gold. Priced at $1196 currently.
Navette style rings consist of any rings that are boat-shaped. This sort of style tends to elongate the finger and has a definite feminine side. Often popularized during the Victorian Era, however you can find brand new navette rings today. This shows how timeless the look is and it is here to stay! Finding vintage navette rings is fun and a collection isn’t complete without a good one. Check out my favorites below!
From the Victorian Era, with a Belgian origin, this ring has diamonds with a single rose cut sapphire in the middle. A true definition of navette style ring. It is set in 18k rose gold and is priced at $1620. It can be found at Adin.
A more modern approach to the navette style ring is this one. It is still considered vintage since it is circa 1980. It is set in 18k gold with diamonds and sapphires. This one goes for $1420 at Ross-Simons.
This ring can be found on eBay right now, from seller: Ashland_Investments. The auction ends November 30, so there is still time! You can buy it now for $910 or make an offer! The ring features 29 diamonds set in 18k gold. Take a look on eBay by looking up the seller or typing in ‘navette’ into the search bar, and narrowing the criteria down by clicking on vintage jewelry as the category.
Have you picked up your copy of Influence yet? The pictures and details about their vintage jewelry was the highlight of the read. I think the twins should come out with a book which catalogs all their jewelry, with photos of each piece accompanied by a quick blurb. Mary-Kate and Ashley have the best jewelry collection possible.
The emerald ring seen here in the photo was featured in Influence. Mary-Kate found the ring at a vintage shop on the Rue Saint Honore in Paris, France. Both girls are lucky enough to have traveled the world, which has allowed them to come across some great vintage jewelry. It is always interesting to keep an eye out to what their latest acquired treasure is–since the paparazzi can’t get enough of both.
I think this estate necklace from Ross-Simons would be a great match to the vintage emerald ring. The bib necklace has an Etruscan style with a cabochon emerald that is almost a full carat. There are diamonds framing the emerald, all set in 14k yellow gold. Priced around $3000.
Last week’s episode of 90210 had Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) wearing an elegant bow necklace featuring diamonds. Although you can’t really see the necklace in the above picture, it went really well with the plaid button-up she was wearing. 90210 continues to showcase the latest trends in fashion and jewelry…so keep watching and spotting those trends you love! Check out the bow necklaces below to own your very own!
This one is vintage and flaunts 1.3 carats of diamonds. Done up in 14k yellow gold with a 16 inch integrated chain. From the Victorian Era, when bows were very popular to be featured in jewelry, especially necklaces. You can find it on Fay Cullen for $1200.
If you are looking for a brand new bow necklace rather than vintage, try this one! It is from Ross-Simons and is 18k white gold. The diamond weight on this piece is .20, so a big difference compared to the first. The price is $428 and the necklace can extend from 18 inches to 20 inches.
Another brand new bow necklace from Ross-Simons is this one, and it is two times the glitter. Not only does it have two extra tiny bows besides the main bow, it has two chains instead of one! Definitely more fancy and bold than the other bow necklaces above. Diamond weight is .45 and the pricetag is around $876.
Holiday catalogs are already circulating and Ross-Simons is not skimping on all the goodies this year! So many great choices in the holiday preview, whether you want gold, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, or rubies under your tree. I have a few favorites of my own…they are shown below. If you are a fan of Ross-Simons, let me know about your shopping experience and your jewelry purchases. Do you have any holiday favorites?
Anything personalized makes a great holiday gift, and since monograms and name plates are very trendy, these make the perfect pair of earrings. They are done in 14k yellow gold. Pricetag is $315, but sales do run often, so be on the lookout.
Snake rings are necessary. This is probably the cutest one out there right now. I bought a snake ring on eBay and was very disappointed and returned it. It was so huge, it scaled down to my knuckle and up half my finger. This one looks like it would fit perfectly, while continually being timeless. This one is priced at $236 and is 14k white gold and diamonds.
Don’t these earrings look like they are vintage, art deco? They are actually not vintage, but they have a great vintage style to them. Onyx, coral and diamonds combined with white gold make these new earrings seem like a peek into the past. They dangle 1.75 inches and are priced at $175.
Will you find any of these under your tree this year?
A gold rush has come over me. With all these commercials convincing viewers to “sell your old gold jewelry” I think we should also be investing in gold as well. Not like the big bars of solid gold, I mean gold jewelry! Big, chunky pieces. Some of the best gold jewelry I own is from my grandparents. They would bring back gorgeous pieces from their trips to Italy for my sisters and I. We would get so excited to see what treasures they’d find.
Photography by ALisha
Above is an 18k yellow gold oval link bracelet from one of my grandparents’ trips overseas, given to my sister. Its our favorite keepsake. Now that my grandparents are older, they don’t really go to Italy as much, so we treasure our gold Italian jewelry even more. Below are a few finds that remind me of some of the pieces we treasure.
Greek key is a design that will never go out of style. What better way to capture this classic design than by wearing it around your finger. This ring is a steal at $265…that’s only a dollar a day for a year! From Ross-Simons.
Another classic motif is the fleur de lis. These 18k gold earwires are one-of-a-kind! Designed by Dana David, they remind me of Europe in so many ways.
A lot of the Italian jewelry my grandparents would bring back had enameling on it. This bracelet has green enamel outlining the ends. It is a vintage piece from the 1830s and can be found at Fay Cullen for $3900. The etched detailing is remarkable!
Do you have a long, gold chain just laying in your jewelry box? Not too sure what to do with it? Well I’ve got the perfect pendant solutions to a long chain. First off, hopefully you’ve got a good, long chain to work with, preferably 20″ or more. A box link chain will do fine, or you could change it up with a different type (maybe like the ones in the picture above). If you don’t have one, and need to purchase a long chain, don’t be afraid to pay anywhere from $300+ because a heavy gold chain will last a lifetime, is very versatile, and is actually an investment in terms of gold prices.
Next, you need the perfect pendant. The size is important because it needs to be large either vertically or horizontally. I’ve noticed that this could get expensive, so certain gemstones like jade or mother-of-pearl are great choices because they are affordable and look great as a large pendant. Check out my choices below!
Smokey Quartz is a great gemstone and very affordable. This pendant is almost 12 carats, however the price is still a very affordable $50. The elongated style is a great one to wear on a long chain. This pendant is from Jewelry Television–I’d recommend sticking to browsing the website and not watching it on tv.
Hearts are always classic, and this pendant is not your typical diamond\plain\boring. The white part of it is called mother-of-pearl, and has a 14k gold filigree etched heart. It would be very pretty hanging from a long snake chain. It is from Ross-Simons and is $165.
I love this pendant! I never usually like this many gemstones in one piece of jewelry, but I can make an exception! There are peridots, garnets, citrines, amethyst, and diopsides. The emerald cut gems mixed in with the round makes it so unique. It can be purchased for $265 at Ross-Simons.
Did you know jade can be carved into beautiful designs like this? This is brown jade and the design is an intricate knot, called an endless knot. Jade has continuously been known for being a luck charm. Maybe this pendant will bring luck to its wearer. At only $100 from Ross-Simons, this would pull off the long chain look superbly!
Sapphires are my favorite gemstone. Most people do not like their birthstone, but I love mine. If you are also a September baby, I hope you love your birthstone too! Any piece of sapphire jewelry given as a gift represents trust, honesty and loyalty. When worn, sapphires are said to provide mental clarity and preception. I like that sapphire comes in all sorts of shades, not just the blue that one would normally picture. Its strength and hardness is also a huge plus, being able to be worn daily and cleans up well in a sonic cleaner.
I’ve had a new found love for layering charm-like necklaces. Here are a bunch that would be perfect for just that! Just click on the picture, and it will take you to the website where you can learn more information about it, even purchase the necklace if you like it!
You know you watch the show every week; you even watch reruns and not even know it. Twenty minutes into the rerun you’re like–“wait, didn’t I just watch this episode last night?” But you’ll finish the last ten minutes until the end just because. Million Dollar Listing has been pretty good television. I even get to have snack breaks when Madison’s part comes on (he’s so boring). Chad is my favorite. I also like to predict what clips are going to be on The Soup because Joel McHale does a sweet job of making fun of him. Now, after the latest episode, I’ve come to like Chad and his girlfriend Victoria even more, so I might not laugh as hard the next time Joel McHale makes fun of him.
The episode shows Chad at a jewelry store, picking out a gift for Victoria for their one year anniversary. Chad chose a vintage diamond ring from the 1920s–nice move. The ring was perfect for the occasion and he presented it to her in Palm Springs. I’ve found a few “look-alikes” on some vintage jewelry online shops, so check them out below, and you could have you’re very own vintage ring as seen on Million Dollar Listing!
This ring has a similar style to the one Chad gave Victoria. It is also from the same time period. There are seven rose cut diamonds (lucky number??) and the ring is set in 18k yellow and white gold. It can be found here at Adin. Price: around $625.
The next similar ring comes from Lang Antique & Estate Jewelry. This one is very elegant and has more diamond weight to it–1.15 carats to be exact. It is also set in platinum. The price on this one is $3950. Worth it!
This one is probably the most similar to the style and shape of the ring Chad got Victoria. He mentioned while purchasing the ring, that it sort of looked like a butterfly, and this does as well. It is from the Ross-Simons estate collection, and priced at $1195 ($956 if you catch the Labor Day Sale). Very pretty, set in 14k white gold with, again, seven diamonds. Must be a trend that was done back in the 20s-30s, with the seven diamonds.
You can tune in to the Bravo channel, and check your local listings for times of Million Dollar Listing. You could probably turn it on TV right now and watch it, it’s always on.
Awhile back, I remember being shocked after reading an article about a woman who was forced to remove her necklace she was wearing because it was a “security risk.” That necklace was a tiny pistol pendant, something that the woman probably did not think would cause such commotion. I personally think that kind of necklace is completely trendy and one-of-a-kind. If you’ve got travel plans soon, any involving flying, think twice about the jewelry you wear.
And if you want to make headlines the next time you fly the friendly skies–make sure you buy this amazing vintage pistol pendant from Ross-Simons estate collection. It is encrusted in a half carat of diamonds and priced at around $1300, depending on sales that run.
A favorite jewelry company of mine, Ross-Simons, introduces their new line of pet jewelry this week. The line includes jeweled elastic hair accessories, necklaces, leash charms, and even pearl necklaces! Those would look adorable on any dog. I’m not sure how the elastic hair accessories will stay put or how they even work…I would stick with the collars.
Here is one of my favorites from the new line. It is a collar made out of coral, and has a silver CZ studded bead as well. The pearl necklaces look similar. All are on sale right now for around $50-60.
I don’t think my chihuahua named Billy would like any of the pet jewelry. He even hates wearing his black nylon collar (pictured above on)…can’t you tell? Would your pets wear any of this jewelry? Do you think it is a good idea?
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