zircons Archives

Color crush: Deirdre Featherstone Anemone earrings.

November 3, 2014

If you read many jewelry blogs besides mine, you may have seen the Deirdre Featherstone Anemone earrings already: they’ve been making the rounds due to their recent (and well deserved) AGTA Spectrum Awards win for “Best Use of Platinum and Color.”

Let’s take a look.

Obviously, these are amazing.

These beauties feature 5.37 carats of tanzanites, 2.88 carats of blue zircons, 3.72 carats of purple sapphires, 1.67 carats of tsavorite garnets, 0.4 carats indigo-color tourmalines, 0.36 carats Paraiba tourmalines, and 0.16 carats of diamonds, all set in platinum. I just love how the swirls of the platinum and the millegrain detailing look almost antique inspired, while the color combinations and overall design feels new and fresh.

I’m not entirely sure why Deirdre Featherstone (of Featherstone designs) looked at her fantastic creations and thought “I shall name them the anemone earrings!” but maybe I just haven’t seen enough anemones in my life to see the resemblance. I like that the name is surprising, even if I personally don’t understand where it came from.

So there you have it: the Deirdre Featherstone Anemone earrings. What do you think of the use of color here? And more importantly: do I have any snorkeling readers who are reminded of sea life by the sight of these?

Images and info via JCK, Cheryl Kremkow, and Pricescope.

Store profile: Joden online.

January 9, 2014

It’s been a while since we had a store profile, hasn’t it, my dears? Today we’re going to take a look at Joden World Resources. Joden is a well-respected name already; the PA-based store has recently opened for e-business so now you can admire their pretties from the comfort of your own home!

I have yet to visit Joden in person, but Joden online is well worth a visit. They actually reached out and invited me to take a look, and once I saw what they had to offer (and how well their site was offering it) I knew I had to show you, too. I especially enjoyed how the site allows you to sort by price, era or type of jewelry. They also provide clear photos of the jewelry from several angles, and have some really lovely pieces – including a particularly large Giuliano collection.

Enough talk. Let’s take a look at some of what Joden has to offer.

This pendant is Victorian, with emeralds, turquoise, and rubies set in gold. It’s just so fabulously vibrant and unique.

Here’s a pretty Art Nouveau pendant with seed pearls and carved coral roses.

I wouldn’t tease you by mentioning the Giuliano collection and then not show you any. This hinged gold bangle is set with diamonds and sapphire, adorned with plique enamel, and signed “C.G.”.

How lovely is this Art Deco pink diamond ring and filigree ring?

This Renaissance-revival Giuliano brooch features a large orange zircon surrounded by enamel and pearls.

You know I love Edwardian bows. This one provides a contrast of softness to the rest of this enamel and diamond locket’s austere lines and monochromatic colors.

This juicy emerald, diamond, and opal ring is Victorian and very fabulous.

This Art Nouveau swallow pendant is simple but charming. I love the pop of color from the amethysts, too.

Another Victorian ring, this one featuring an emerald and pearls in gold.

And last but not least, another Renaissance revival piece from the Giuliano family.

Which piece is your favorite? I would have a hard time choosing. There’s lots more on their website, too.

All images and info in this post are thanks to Joden. Joden did approach me about featuring them on this website, but I was not compensated for deciding to do so. My opinions remain my own, as always.

Store profile: Ageless Heirlooms.

December 13, 2012

I’ve loved this Etsy store for long time.

I found Ageless Heirlooms back when I first started seriously stalking jewelry online and I was so blown away that I messaged the Etsy seller, Lauren Rose, to tell her how much I loved her store, even though I couldn’t afford anything. She sent me a very sweet reply right away thanking me and saying I’d made her day.

More than a year later, it continues to be a wonderful store to oogle. It always has a marvelous selection and the most beautiful pictures.

Pricewise, it has a lot of pieces between $100 and $1,000. I think Ageless Heirlooms would be an absolutely perfect place to find a unique and meaningful gift for someone special (that is especially relevant since it’s now December, but I wouldn’t turn down anything from here any day of the year).

As with any online shopping, please don’t forget to make sure that the pretties you’re admiring are the right size before you pull the trigger. My jewelry sizing cheat sheet can help.

Please click here if you’d like to read my guide to buying jewelry on Etsy.

Some of my favorites (a few of these were already sold, but I couldn’t resist including them):