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

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1950s turquoise and diamond necklace by Julius Cohen.

I don’t always pay enough attention to mid-century jewelry, between my love for the geometry of Art Deco, the froth of Edwardian, and the quirk and mystery of Victorian and Georgian (and, of course, the lure of edgy contemporary).

This 1950s turquoise and diamond necklace is here to remind me that a lot of things worth paying attention to happened between Art Deco and the 1970’s.

1950s turquoise and diamond necklace by Julius Cohen.

I’m entirely smitten. The vibrant, luscious turquoise the color of a tropical sea; the perfect diamond embellishments; the jaunty, perfectly spaced fringe. It’s a masterpiece.

A masterpiece by Julius Cohen, to be specific, and one that dates to 1950.

It’s composed of 12 oval turquoise cabochons alternating with 12 pear shaped diamonds (totaling 6.75 cts) in yellow gold bezels draped with baguette diamond details. 110 baguette diamonds, with three rows draping each pear-shaped diamond, to be specific.

Diamond detailing on 1950s turquoise and diamond necklace by Julius Cohen

The central turquoise and diamond necklace further suspends a glamorous fringe of nine turquoise drops adorned with 13.90 carats of diamonds (216 pave-set diamonds, and 8 round diamonds). The necklace is on the shorter side, just 15.5 inches long.

1950s turquoise and diamond necklace by Julius Cohen with detail view of top and bottom

The auction listing for this vintage turquoise and diamond necklace said that it was “property of a Palm Beach lady” which sounds just about perfectly accurate to me. A Palm Beach lady who attended some really glamorous parties, I’ll bet.

This piece was sold in a Doyle New York Auction. All images and info are thanks to Doyle New York.

The ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection.

Good morning, my darlings! I have a treat for you today. You remember ChincharMaloney, the fabulous jewelry line I introduced you to a little while ago? They’re up to something new and it’s glorious.

I’d like you to meet the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection.

The delicate gold and diamond rings of ChincharMaloney's new Diamond Deco collection.

They’re lovely, aren’t they? The delicate whispers of yellow gold reveal the designers’ love of the Victorian era aesthetic while the clean lines and enthralling geometry of the details speak loudly of a passion for Art Deco. The combination is irresistible.

Let’s take a closer look at some of my favorites.

Pear shaped diamond ring from the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection, available with or without side stones.

Here’s the Pear Shaped Diamond Solitaire ring, available with side diamonds or without. I think it’s just lovely: the subtle curve of the gold band with the diamond tucked carefully inside. It makes me think of a tiara for the finger, without being as on-the-nose as a more obviously crown-shaped ring would be.

Gold and diamond buckle ring from the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection

This is the Diamond Buckle ring; I think you can imagine where the name comes from. I love this interpretation of the classic buckle motif. It’s intriguing lines and negative space draw the eye in such an interesting way. Have you ever seen something exactly like this? I find it so original and appealing.

Diamond infinity ring from the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection.

This is the Diamond Infinity ring: a sparkle-speckled double ring that would be an incredible addition to any ring look. It’s so simple, but the way the two bands are joined them together with space between them gives this piece so much more visual punch than a simple stack of two similar rings. Again: it’s the geometry and the negative space in this collection that kills me.

These gold and diamond rings from ChincharMaloney's Diamond Deco collection are a perfect pair.

These two are a perfect pair: they’d be gorgeous on any finger, but wouldn’t they make a unique wedding set?

Here’s my new pretty from the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection!

Rings from Diamonds in the Library's personal collection an Edwardian sapphire and diamond ring, a ChincharMaloney diamond Zig Zag ring, and an antique floral sapphire and diamond ring.

How wonderful is it between these two antique sapphire and diamond rings? With its delicate shape and compelling presence, it’ll be a perfect addition to my collection.

Zig Zag ring in yellow gold and diamonds; from the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection.

Like most ChincharMaloney pieces, my Zig Zag ring was available in brushed or polished gold. My other CM ring is brushed gold and it’s utterly perfect, but I went polished this time and I’m really glad I did. The tiny twinkle of the accent diamonds picks up the yellow gleam of the band and the effect is just gorgeous.

Expect to see lots of this beauty on my Instagram; I have a feeling it’s going to be an everyday go-to.

The ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection of yellow gold and diamond rings. Perfect for stacking or standing alone.Which of these pretties is calling to you, my dears? I’m sure at least one of them is. How would you style it?

The rings featured in this post are part of the ChincharMaloney Diamond Deco collection, all of which are available through their website. All images and info in this post are thanks to ChincharMaloney, except for the final photo, which is my own.

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.

Peek-a-boo diamonds and pearls by n + a New York.

I was browsing Instagram the other day when this sleek ring from n + a New York stopped me in my tracks:

Gold and diamond ring from n + a New York.

A whisper of gold, a peep of diamond; this lovely swirling piece would be a perfect addition to any outfit.

Gold and diamond earrings from n + a New York.

Here’s an earring interpretation of the same design. Since they’re straight spikes, these feel a little bolder, a little more aggressive than the ring version. Still beautiful.

Four diamond baguette ring in yellow gold by n + a New York.

The diamonds in n + a New York ring aren’t really very “peek-a-boo,” but it was too pretty not to include. Perfect for stacking.

n + a New York's freshwater pearl earrings in sterling silver and yellow gold.

And finally: how lovely are these pearl earrings? I love the earthy, organic feel of the rough gold cradling the pearls. What a wonderful every-day piece.

All of these beauties are currently for sale at n + a New York’s website. Most are available at different price points in sterling silver, as well. All images and info via n+ a New York.

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