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

How to wear a brooch: 13 styles you’ll want to try.

What’s a cooler piece of jewelry than a brooch? They can be shaped like anything and to wear one, you just stick it to yourself in any way you want. I’m all about them…in theory.

In reality: I’m terrible at brooches. They make me nervous. I can put them anywhere I want? What if I choose a stupid place? What if the brooch isn’t at the right angle? Is it hanging correctly? I’d better try this another day.

I’m determined to overcome my brooch fears and I’d like to invite you to join me! The weather is getting colder, and autumn and winter are the perfect seasons to wear a brooch. So many layers and accessories just ripe for adornment.

To aid me on my quest to wear a brooch like a boss, I’ve rounded up some brooch-spiration to encourage me to try new things. Without further ado, I present 13 ways to wear a brooch.

A fantastic antique diamond and demantoid garnet lizard brooch from Lang Antiques.
The combination of textures and colors is what really kills me about this photo from Lang Antiques. I love the chunky knit of the sweater with the nubby old cut stones of the diamond and demantoid garnet brooch.

That, and how the lizard is positioned so that it looks like it’s gazing curiously out at the world. I want a shoulder friend as cool as this one.

A Vionnet gown from 1938. I'm loving the rhinestone star details - I want to recreate this with brooches.
This is not brooches. This is rhinestone detailing on a Vionnet gown from 1938. Why is it in my article on how to wear a brooch? Because it makes me want to cover the straps of a cocktail dress with brooches.

The fabulous Anya of GemFever rocking an antique bar brooch on a blue blouse.
This image comes to us from my lovely friend Anya, who is kind of a wizard with brooches (teach me your ways, Anya!).

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Jewel hunting in Italy: VicenzaOro 2016!

As you may know, I’ve been lucky enough to attend VicenzaOro once before, in January of 2015, and I loved it even more the second time around.

It’s always easy to get more out of an experience when parts of it are familiar: I was able to dive right in instead of needing to figure out the floorplan or determine the best approach. I also didn’t mention this in my last recap, but I was actually recovering from a concussion at VicenzaOro 2015…which did not help my jet lag.

This year, I was wholly healthy and felt fresh as a daisy by the second day. The international press was lucky enough to be hosted in a scenic Italian resort town known for its hot springs, Abano Terme. It was so fun to get a real taste of Italy where I were staying, even though I didn’t have a lot of down time to explore (but I made time for gelato, don’t worry).

So my plan of attack for VicenzaOro the 2nd was to prioritize visiting amazing brands I missed last time, followed by amazing brands I already knew, and then leaving time to wander around discovering new masterpieces.

An incredible diamond necklace by Stefan Hafner. Seen at VicenzaOro.

The #1 brand I regretted missing at the last VicenzaOro was Stefan Hafner. This time, they were my first stop and hooooly moly that was a good decision. Seriously mind-blowing work.

The necklace above was the very first piece of jewelry I touched in Italy. The craftsmanship is incredible; it’s bursting with diamonds but it moves like silk.

If you’ve been with me for a bit, you’ll recognize these earrings:

A glorious pair of Stefan Hafner colored gemstone earrings. Spotted at VicenzaOro.

So fabulous!

I featured these beauties a little while ago, when I shared photos of Stefan Hafner’s Aria collection, and I was so so so excited to finally meet them in person. The colors are magnificent.

International designers can be a little more willing to experiment with color than American designers. That may have more to do with the American consumer, but whatever the reason, I love love loved seeing more color at VicenzaOro than I normally do at shows here.

An absolutely incredible ring from Mattioli jewelry. Spotted at VicenzaOro.

This incredibly badass ring is by Mattioli, a brand I encountered for the first time at the last VicenzaOro. I spent three days trying to get in and see their jewelry but they were so busy that I didn’t manage it the last 15 minutes of the last day – I caught them in a lull and I was able to see all the pieces I’d been stalking all at once.

This ring is just the coolest thing. The pavilion-up black diamonds, the pop of color…it makes me want to be an evil queen in a fairy tale. Click here for a video.

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Five pairs of jaw-dropping Bhagat earrings from FD Gallery.

Good morning, my dears! Did you notice I’ve been switching up the schedule a little bit? Don’t worry – I still have plenty of lovelies to share with you. I just needed to move things around a little because of all of the traveling I’ve been doing (and to make time for my new gig writing for Instore Magazine).

Today I have something fresh and glorious for you: five pairs of earrings by modern master-jeweler, Viren Bhagat.

I love Bhagat’s work because not only does it always feature raw materials  of exceptional quality worked with great technical ability, it also always leaves me feeling like I’ve just seen something that had never before occurred to me. It feels so new and fresh and right.

Showing you a single example will make my point better than any amount of words can.

A pair of Bhagat earrings in the shape of starbursts, featuring diamonds and pearls alongside colored diamonds and colored pearls.
See what I mean? These Bhagat earrings are magnificent. Spectacular and celestial, they burst forth from their respective center stones with complementary, asymmetric perfection. Natural pearls with white and yellow diamonds.

A pair of Bhagat earrings in the shape of starbursts, featuring diamonds and pearls with colored diamonds and colored pearls.
Here’s what they look like worn, thanks to FD Gallery’s Instagram. Pretty amazing.

Natural colored pearl and diamond earrings by Bhagat. At FD Gallery.

Another diamond and pearl pair of Bhagat earrings.  So unique and slightly odd and yet absolutely perfect. Like the world’s most elegant snails.

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