Contemporary/Undated Archives

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

September 27, 2016

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.

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.

Here’s what they look like worn, thanks to FD Gallery’s Instagram. Pretty amazing.

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

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ spectacular September sale.

August 19, 2016

I had a very interesting conversation with Alex Eblen of Leslie Hindman auctioneers recently about the auction house’s upcoming September jewelry sale.

My love for browsing jewelry auctions online predates Diamonds in the Library, but actually talking to Leslie Hindman’s in-house jewelry specialist about the sale lent the event a whole new perspective. We immediately spent 15 full minutes rhapsodizing about the show’s cover piece, an aquamarine and diamond necklace believed to be the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Alex went on to tell me about Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ philosophy, which helped explain the diversity of their sales: it’s their practice to try to accept as much of their sources’ estates as possible, rather than selecting just the top one or two pieces, like some auction houses would. This not only means that they have a loyal repeat customer base to source from to them (because who wouldn’t choose the auction house who is more likely to accept everything?) but it also means that their sales have a wide variety of lot types and price points.

Our focus today is the upcoming September jewelry sale, which is split over two days, the 11th and the 12th. It boasts by a profusion of noteworthy pieces, especially concentrated in the Georgian to Art Deco eras and again in the funky 1960’s-1970’s.

If you’re in NYC, definitely go check out the auction preview, which is happening in the Big Apple next week, from August 22nd-24th.

Here are some of the lots that caught my eye:

Lot 89: An Important Platinum, Aquamarine and Diamond Necklace, Tiffany & Co., Circa 1915.

This is the aquamarine and diamond piece that Alex was telling me about over the phone – the one believed to be by Louis Comfort Tiffany – and it’s just as wonderful as I imagined it would be. This intricate platinum masterpiece dates to 1915 and incorporates 132.52 carats of aquamarines and 3.18 carats of diamonds.

Aquamarine is my birthstone and I do accept gifts.

Lot 40: A Carved Coral Flexible Bracelet, Circa Mid 19th Century.

Lot 210: A Platinum, Diamond and Emerald Ring.
Lot 235: A Yellow Gold, Diamond and Emerald Ring.
Lot 209: A Platinum, Emerald and Diamond Eternity Band.
Lot 110: An Art Deco Platinum, Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring, Tiffany & Co.
Lot 261: A Platinum, Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring
Lot 194: A Platinum, Diamond and Emerald Ring, Oscar Heyman Brothers.

These emerald and diamond rings are all pretty spectacular, but I think the Oscar Heyman swirl is my favorite. I love the precision of the way the gems are set.

A tiny jewelry love affair: my Fox and Bond mini.

March 25, 2016

I’ve had a crush on the Fox and Bond mini ever since I first saw one.

Modeled after a tiny vintage diamond ring charm, the Fox and Bond mini expertly combines two of my very favorite things: jewelry, and tiny things.

Handmade in LA, the tiny charms come in 14 white, yellow, or rose gold, and can be set with a diamond or any birthstone.

If you buy a Fox and Bond mini, it will arrive in luxuriously chic packaging, on beautiful whisper-thin gold chains, 16 inches long and adorned at the back with an itty bitty gold charm engraved “F+B.” You’ll even get your own branded Fox and Bond cleaning cloth, printed with jewelry care advice.

Every element of the experience oozes quality, care, and style.

My favorite thing about the Fox and Bond mini – besides how freaking adorable it is – is how perfectly it can take on meaning in so many ways. It’s ideal for anything related to a wedding: a bridesmaid or engagement gift, or a wedding day surprise for the bride, but it can also take on any meaning you’d like it to have.

I especially love the idea of them as a gift for a new mother, with her baby’s birthstone. It can also be engraved with a secret message inside the ring – incredible, given how tiny they are!

I decided I wanted my Fox and Bond mini to be about me: a reminder to me of who I am at my core, my essential Beckyness that doesn’t change no matter what I wear, where I am, or how many Instagram followers I have at the moment. I chose aquamarine, my birthstone, and had the mini engraved with a single letter: a “B.” For me.

In the past 10 months, I’ve gotten married, changed my name, moved to a new city, quit my job (and my Federal career of 7 years) and started my own business. They’re all wonderful, thrilling changes, changes that I wanted – but in a year so full of transition, I sometimes felt as though I wasn’t sure who I really was.

When I wear my mini, it’s a centering reminder of my own identity, which can sometimes be confusing to hold onto as I work to present different facets of myself across the internet on a daily basis. I’ve only had it for a week, but I find myself reaching for it all the time (I’m currently wearing it with pjs while I write).

Which gemstone would you want for your Fox and Bond mini? What would it mean to you?

Please note: my mini was a gift from Fox and Bond. While this did delight me, it did not affect my opinion of the product. Photos of my Mini are by me, all other images c/o Fox and Bond.

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