Bracelets Archives

Jewelry box cleanout: buy my jewelry.

January 23, 2020

I’ve come to the decision that I actually have too much jewelry. I know that doesn’t sound like a thing, but I just can’t wear all of it. These treasures deserve new homes where they will be enjoyed.

To quote Elizabeth Taylor, we are only temporary custodians of beauty. I’ve had my time with these particular treasures and I’m ready to pass them along to their next keepers. It would give me the greatest thrill to know that jewelry that used to be in my jewelry box is now in yours.

Jewelry box cleanout: buy my jewelry!

Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve carefully sourced these pieces from jewelry stores, antique shows, dealers I’ve worked with, friends on Instagram. They’ve come to me from different cities, states, and countries.

They’re all pieces that I love and believe in (otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them!) but I’ve decided it’s time to set them free! 30+ pieces from my personal collection are now available exclusively from Stay Gold.

Please note: The sale at Stay Gold has ended, but a few of these pieces are still available!
Please email me for purchase information, or see links below for similar styles.

Stay Gold is a thrilling new online jewelry store from my dear friend and jewelry genius Liz Kantner. Its focus is unique, beautifully crafted handmade jewelry; it offers both new and vintage pieces and I am so excited that my collection gets to be a part of its launch.

As you know, authenticity is always an important consideration when you’re buying antique or vintage jewelry. I sent all of these beauties off to my highly qualified friend Nicholle Mogavero (alias Jewelry Nerd) for evaluation. If you buy any of these pieces, you can be confident that they’ve been analyzed by an experienced Graduate Gemologist.

The pieces I’m selling range from fine jewelry to costume, with prices starting under $100 and going up to just over $1,000.

Let’s take a look!

Kicking things off with one of the more affordable beauties in the bunch!

This utterly romantic bracelet is a gorgeous example of Art Deco era costume jewelry. Between the pink stone and that gold filigree, whimsical as a garden gate, there’s a whole lot to love here

(Sold, find similar here.)

I have a weakness for antique turquoise, especially when a piece features antique turquoise that has aged in a way that offers a variety of colors, like in these two pieces.

Turquoise was a popular stone in the Victorian era and for good reason. The left is rosy gold, the right is platinum over yellow gold. Both of these rings are Victorian era, circa 1880. They look so good together, don’t they? I’ve paired these two in a ring stack many times.

(Sold, find similar here.)

If you’ve followed Diamonds in the Library for a while, you already know I love camphor glass. This translucent, dreamily frosty material was popular in the Art Deco era and is usually paired with delicate openwork details. It looks like lace and mist and dreams.

This is the only camphor glass bracelet I’ve ever bought. I’m not much of a bracelet wearer, but I just could not resist this piece. It’s absolutely flawless and the details are stunning! I have loved seeing it in my jewelry box but somehow it never ends up on my wrist. Are you the right person to give it a new home?

Bia Tambelli: badass and beautiful.

November 1, 2018

I met Bia Tambelli at VicenzaOro, but I loved her and her gorgeous, edgy jewels so much that I decided they had to have their very own blog post.

Bia Tambelli is a young brand – they only launched in 2017 – but this visionary Brazilian designer is sure to make waves. Her cases at VicenzaOro stopped me in my tracks, and I do mean that literally: I was walking and then I stopped without meaning to because I needed to stare at the wonders that were before me.

I usually try to introduce myself in a coherent way at trade shows, but I’m pretty sure that at Bia Tambelli I just stood in front of the case and yelled “WHAT IS THAT?!?!” while pointing at this bracelet. I was overcome with awe and the desire to touch.

Even when I’m just looking at a picture I took of myself holding this bracelet, it still rocks my world. The drama, the negative space, the geometry! It’s all so creative and so gorgeously realized.

This bracelet is from Bia Tambelli’s Trinity collection (thus the triangles). It’s yellow gold with black rhodium plated details, rock crystal pyramids, diamonds, and citrine. The citrine is at the tops of the pyramids: it’s just so seamlessly integrated it’s hard to tell at first glance.

The rock crystal pyramids are hollow – gold frameworks inset with sheets of rock crystal to create the pyramid effect without making the piece unwieldy. The craftsmanship is staggering. Keep an eye on my Instagram, I’ll post a video.

Here’s a closer look at the Trinity collection statement ring! A rock crystal pyramid with citrine corners inside an open pyramid with diamond corners. So bold and so gorgeous.

Let’s address the obvious: these pieces look like they might be awkward to wear. That’s where craftsmanship comes in – they’re so well made that they’re perfectly comfortable, despite the fact that they look like they’d be useful in a fight. The bracelet is contoured so that it stays put on your wrist with the pyramids facing up and it really does stay put. The interior and sides of the giant trinity ring are crafted with comfort in mind, too.

They’re the major statement pieces of the collection, so if you love their look but don’t to strap on wrist spikes, you can turn to the other designs in the line for a more everyday interpretation of the same aesthetic. Personally, I’d go for the crazy bold statement pieces: because why not?

This is a smaller but just as swoonworthy Bia Tambelli piece. Called the “Self” ring, it’s also from the Trinity collection and it’s made from diamonds and carefully curved rock crystal.

This is one of those pieces that seems simple until you start thinking about how hard it must have been to curve that rock crystal and set those diamonds so precisely on its edge. It looks really cool alone, but I also loved putting it on top of my wedding stack like a crown.Read More

Pretty birds from Lord Jewelry.

August 30, 2018

I’m headed to Baltimore for the opening of the Baltimore Summer Antique Show today (follow me on Instagram to for a BTS peek at the action!) so we’re going to have a simple little Thursday post. It’s time to admire some pretty, pretty birds from the one and only Lord Jewelry!

How pretty is this bracelet? So delicate, so perfectly balanced. I love the touch of mixed metals, the warm gold, the careful texture of the tiny text. And we can’t forget that vivid emerald eye. I also love how the bird and the nest are slightly offset, instead of meeting perfectly in the middle.

The pretty little blue eggs in this piece are enameled; if you look closely, you can tell the color is more complex than a simple gemstone would be.

Enamel is Lord Jewelry’s specialty; many of their pieces are completely enameled using the techniques of the old masters. There’s not much enamel in this post; but you can see a spectacular example here.

Here’s another beauty from the same Lord Jewelry collection! These two pieces may be some of the brand’s simplest designs, but they’re still exquisitely lovely.

Lord Jewelry first came to my notice at the AGTA Spectrum Awards Gala, when I met the lovely Lena of Lord Jewelry in the line for the ladies’ room at the gala and her glorious enamel necklace caught my attention. (Ladies’ rooms at jewelry events are major networking hotspots.)

What do you think, my darlings? Can you hear the singing of these pretty birds, too? Which do you love the most: the bracelet or the necklace?

Images c/o Lord Jewelry.

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Jewelry box cleanout: buy my jewelry!

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