I have a story to tell you today, my dears.
Once upon a time, Marian Maloney and Colin Chinchar were pursuing their own distinct lives as a painter/Art Therapist and a carpenter/Sound Designer, respectively, when they decided to try collaborating on fine jewelry.
Fast forward four years: the two are married (in Vegas, by an Elvis) and their jewelry line, ChincharMaloney, is a sizzling bi-coastal success, delighting customers from both their Portland, OR studio and their second home of Brooklyn, NY.
It’s also a full family affair now: Colin’s sister, Lorien, joined the team to helm Public Relations/Marketing and Roy, the very dignified pug above, as “Supervisor of Love.”
If you’re thinking that there’s no way a brand with such a vibrant back-story could fail to be spectacular, you’re right.
ChincharMaloney’s diamond engagement rings all feature natural, ethically-sourced rose cut diamonds. They also don’t shy away from stones with inclusions, which I think makes each piece even more interesting.
As you can see from this trio, each ring is entirely unique, just like each stone. They may all be yellow gold and diamond engagement rings, but their details make them each stand apart.
I’m obsessed with the corner details on the bottom ring in this trio. A subtle touch, but it adds so much.
Their one-of-a-kind gemstone rings are spectacular, too. I’m crushing hard on this tourmaline.
These beauties are the “Charm Alone” collection, which ChincharMaloney describes as “Our collection of edgy, fun and quirky jewelry inspired by the long history of charms and amulets in both ancient and modern jewelry.” They’re truly something special: they’re subtle, but each piece shows the careful workmanship and impeccable eye for design that marks all of ChincharMaloney’s work. Mostly rings, but some great earrings, also:
Each Charm Alone piece is available in brushed or polished sterling silver, rose gold, or yellow gold, with or without diamonds. The variety of metals and the fact that the diamonds are optional means that prices for this delectable collection start in the double digits.
My favorite of the Charm Alone pieces is the cherry blossom ring, which I am beyond delighted to tell you is actually on my finger as I’m typing this. It’s been on my finger almost every day since it arrived at my apartment in the prettiest little box with its custom ChincharMaloney wax seal.
Last, but far from least, are ChincharMaloney’s birthstone and initial collections.
If you couldn’t tell, this is a brand that really prioritizes the meaning behind jewelry: they want their customers to connect with their pieces, like me with my cherry blossom ring, which reminds me of breezy spring days spent under the cherry blossom trees on the National Mall in my hometown of Washington, DC.
Some variations of their birthstone pieces: a horseshoe necklace with two gemstones, a simple gold cuff ring, a thicker gold cuff with a diamond paired with a larger gemstone, and a triple birthstone ring, which has the coolest silhouette. These and the Charm Alone rings would stack like a dream.
All images and info in this post are thanks to ChichcharMaloney. Everything I’ve featured here is either currently for sale on their website, or is a one-of-a-kind piece they’ve sold in the past.
ChincharMaloney was kind enough to gift me with one of their lovely pieces for review; however, the gift was not conditional upon me writing this feature and my opinions remain my own.
