Top

A lady with a love for literature and shiny things discusses books & bling.

You are here: Home / Archives for Jewelry

What I’m Reading: Vol. 124.

What I'm reading. A beautiful library, photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash

Hello my darlings,

My goodness, this has turned out to be a busy summer! If you follow my on Instagram, you already know that Mr. DitL and I just bought our first house (!!!!) so we have been running around trying to find furniture and fix drywall and refinish floors and buy a new bathtub and 10,000 other exciting, frustrating, fun, exhilarating, overwhelming things.

It is very exciting and we’re so happy to have found our home, but it’s definitely taking up a lot of time and energy.

Do any of you have advice for us first-time homeowners? Please feel to share your wisdom with me in the comments.

And if you need your jewelry fix in between blog posts, you can always go see what I’m writing over at Instore Magazine or on my Instagram.

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson.

I picked up this book expecting to find a cozy, escapist Urban Fantasy about an organization of witches that fight crime. Instead, I found a bitingly clever, incredibly relevant, unflinchingly honest commentary on some of the most important issues affecting our world today, especially gender identity, racism, and the nature of inclusive feminism.

In the HMRC world, people with magic are either witches or warlocks, depending on their gender. All witches must join the national HMRC coven and follow the guidelines set down by the massive, powerful, well-established organization. But where do the witches and warlocks who don’t fit into these neat categories really belong? These questions are raised in a group of friends who have been there for each other since they were children, but how far can their friendships bend to accommodate disagreements on such pivotal issues – especially when a deadly prophecy and the life of a child hang in the balance?

This book is exceptionally well done but it was much more intense than I was expecting. The author makes some really insightful points and takes all the correct stances (the book is vehemently against transphobia, TERFs, and white supremacy) but it does include depictions of closed-minded, overtly transphobic, and subtly racist characters.

It’s very, very good, but I wish I had been in a different frame of mind when I picked it up. I was looking for a break from the things that are upsetting me in actual reality, but instead I found a searing and insightful commentary on them.

I plan to read more of the series, but I need a break first.

Prodigium Academy by Katie May.

This series was my first foray into monster romance and wow they are wild. It’s set at an elite private school for children of famous monsters and the main character is Violet Dracula, the legendary vampire’s accident-prone blonde daughter. Some monsters have “Fated mates” who they are destined to love an are inexorably drawn towards…but could a monster have more than one fated mate?

I’ve never read a book with so much sex in my life. It’s constant, it’s inventive, it’s everywhere all the time. If that bothers you, you won’t like these books. That said…I found these books hilarious. They’re very silly, but the absurdity and the main character’s irreverent sense of humor work for me. It’s an unfinished series that currently ends on a cliffhanger, but I had fun reading it.

Again I must reiterate: SO MUCH SEX. Weird sex. Monster sex. I gasped out loud more than once, and I’m no stranger to romance novels. Be forewarned.

Internets

Josephine Baker Will Be the First Black Woman Buried in Paris’ Panthéon.

Solange Launches Free Library of Rare, Out-of-print Books by Black Authors. Readers can borrow one of 50 rare and out-of-print titles, mailed to them completely free of charge, from Saint Heron Library.

Meet the Woman Preserving 125 Years of Black History in Baltimore.

A Brief Exploration of Male Objectification Through The Ages. Fascinating!

Portrait of Marie Antoinette’s Dog Skyrockets at Auction: Jacques Barthélémy Delamarre’s 18th-century canine portrait, said to depict the French queen’s beloved “Pompon,” sold for a whopping $280K. You’re going to want to see this portrait.

Inside Look at the Tiffany Landmark: The flawless renovation of a New York gem.

Artist Builds Exquisite Miniature Buildings From a Single Sheet of Paper.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

The beautiful strength of Loriann Jewelry’s Modern Renaissance.

I loved Loriann Jewelry’s Modern Renaissance collection before I even saw it.

My introduction to this gorgeous new line came via a phone call from the designer, Lori Friedman. I stood in my kitchen as Lori walked me through the collection’s evolution and inspiration; her words painting pictures in my mind.

I had to wait a few more months before I had the pleasure of seeing Loriann Jewelry’s Modern Renaissance collection for myself in real life, but oh my goodness, my darlings. It was worth the wait.

The Magdalena and Anastasia pendants from Loriann Jewelry's Modern Renaissance collection. Moonstone necklaces with black enamel.

The beautiful strength of Loriann Jewelry’s Modern Renaissance.

It’s one of my favorite things in the world to see a jewelry designer’s aesthetic evolve over time, and I’ve now had the pleasure of featuring several different collections of Loriann Jewelry‘s work here on Diamonds in the Library.

As one might expect, the Modern Renaissance collection was strongly influenced by the art of the Italian Renaissance. It features bold enamel, fleur-de-lis motifs, and sword and shield-inspired designs.

But it is also an homage to the concept of the Renaissance Woman: the strong and curious “Jill-of-all-trades” soul who wears many hats, has many interests, and loves to explore new things.

These enamel, diamond, spinel and moonstone rings are from Loriann Jewelry's latest collection, which is inspired by Renaissance jewelry

The further Lori got into Modern Renaissance, the more she realized that it was really a tribute to one particular Renaissance woman: her own mother, Lily, who had recently passed away. In her own words:

After [my mother] passed in the Spring, I was flooded with the emotional impact of how much influence she had on my life and much of what I learned and my many interests were gleaned through osmosis. My love of nature, art and art history, antique jewelry, music and cooking were some of the gifts she bestowed upon me.

I am grateful to have experienced a childhood that was so rich in culture and tradition and that I was able to translate this into my art form to share with others. My Mother was a true Modern Renaissance woman and this collection is my tribute to her.”

– Lori Friedman

It’s no wonder this collection is so compelling and impactful, with such a powerful emotional resonance behind its inspiration.

The Magdelena Fleur de Lis earrings from Loriann Jewelry's Modern Renaissance collection. Black enamel, diamond, and moonstone earrings in gold.

The Modern Renaissance collection uses colorway of yellow gold accented with black enamel, black spinel, iridescent moonstones, and black and white diamonds.

These are the Magdelena earrings, one of the best examples of how this collection powerfully juxtaposes strength and delicacy by pairing the drama of the black enamel with the elegant, slender curves of the fleur-de-lis accents and the soap-bubble fragility of those moonstone teardrops.

The Giovanna ring by Loriann Jewelry with black spinel and black diamonds in gold. Inspired by Renaissance jewelry!

The Giovanna ring (a personal favorite of mine) is perhaps Modern Renaissance’s most overt reference to Renaissance era jewelry, with its high profile, quatrefoil shape, dramatic shoulders, and reverse-set black spinels.

It’s also just an incredibly badass and beautiful piece of jewelry, IMHO. Wearing it made me feel like a warrior queen who can do anything. Every time I put this ring down, I would find myself picking it up again to discover a new detail or delight in a fresh angle.

(Click here to go to my Pinterest board of Renaissance Jewelry if you’d like a reminder of what OG Renaissance rings look like.)

Read More

Introducing the NYC Jewelry and Object Show.

Mark your calendars now, because the first ever NYC Jewelry and Object Show is coming to Manhattan November 16-19th!

Created by a jewelry lover for jewelry lovers, this brand new jewelry show will showcase dealers from around the world offering some of the best and most interesting vintage, antique, and estate jewelry and objects around.

The Autumn NYC Jewelry and Object Show is happening in November 2023!!

Introducing the NYC Jewelry and Object Show

Most of the antique jewelry shows you’ve heard of are legacy projects that have been happening the same way year after year with very little innovation. Whether you’re a dealer exhibiting at those shows or a shopper hunting for treasures, you know that these old shows can start to feel a bit…clunky.

Because the NYC Jewelry and Object Show was created by a jewelry dealer who is also a collector, it takes both dealers’ and shoppers’ needs into consideration. Organized by KIL Promotions (LLC), the new event was created by a familiar figure we know and love here at DitL: antique jewelry dealer and jewelry designer Konstantinos Leoussis.

What makes the NYC Jewelry and Object show different?

It’s common for big jewelry shows to nickel and dime vendors by charging large fees for access to electricity, cases, prime locations, and other essentials. This effectively makes it impossible for small vendors to participate – and also means that it’s harder for vendors to make a profit.

The NYC Jewelry and Object Show’s vendor fees start at thousands of dollars lower than other shows, making it possible for small and independent dealers to exhibit there.

Even better: KIL Promotions (LLC) will be using part of the show’s proceeds to create two new educational scholarships.

KIL N.Y.C. booth during a jewelry show


Tell me more!

Promotion is a huge priority for the show, with outreach targeting three key groups: social-media savvy young people who can drive traffic, serious retail/wholesale reps from around the world to make purchases, and a wide variety of global media and press for further reach.

Strategic marketing means that the show will unite the full range of the jewelry industry’s thriving, glorious, widespread community, while the vendor support system and low fees will attract an unprecedented array of large and small dealers from around the world, including those who don’t normally do shows. All of us in one place, together and doing what we love best.

Oh and did I mention that they’ll also be inviting a selection of local NYC food vendors to participate? Speaking as someone who has eaten a lot of awful convention center food, this is big news.

I’m a dealer, is it too late to sign up?

The NYC Jewelry and Object Show is still accepting vendors, sponsors, and advertisers! For more information, please visit NYCJAOS.com or fill out the appropriate contact form at this link.

What else do I need to know?

I’m going to be there!! My actual physical self, IRL and in person. It’s already on my calendar, so I’ll be roaming the aisles, hopefully scoring incredible finds and chatting with other collectors and jewelry lovers like you.

It’s all happening November 16-19, 2023 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. Get your tickets at the NYC Jewelry and Object Show’s Eventbrite page and use code DIAMONDSINTHELIBRARY to save $5.

Introducing the NYC Jewelry and Object Show.


This sponsored post is brought to you by KIL Promotions (LLC).



The Autumn NYC Jewelry and Object Show November 2023! New antique show and jewelry show with jewelry dealers from all around the world!

Follow along with me on Instagram