Happy Stories From our customers

What wakes you up in the morning? Before you scream “coffee!” think of the other gentle ways you rise and shine. Maybe its perusing the paper, eating a nourishing breakfast or splashing some cold water on your face.

Did you know there’s one simple action you can take before you even get out of bed in the morning that can increase your confidence and increase your sparkle potential?

Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy created a method for starting your mornings out right:

We can become more confident simply by striking a power pose — or stretching out in the morning.

At a recent talk at New York’s 92Y, Cuddy explained how that wisdom can carry over to your daily routine. Specifically, she mentioned the early-morning power of making yourself huge the moment you open your eyes.

Imagine that: making yourself more confident simply by stretching out and making yourself big, right in the comfort of your own bed. That’s an easy step to send a message to your brain that you’re ready to go–whether you feel that way or not.

(May we add that a little bling goes a long way to lift your sleepy spirits in as well? ;)

We’ve seen the power of beautiful jewelry firsthand: how it raises the spirits of the wearer, making her (or him) radiate and appear more attractive to others. The same applies to fashion. Your wardrobe speaks volumes to those around you, down to the color you choose to wear.

And science backs it up:

In one experiment, researchers photographed people in different colored clothes and then asked participants to rate the attractiveness of people in the resulting photos. They found that the color of clothing affects the way in which men rate both males’ and females’ attractiveness, and how women rate men’s attractiveness. Interestingly however, clothing color did not influence women’s judgement of other females (Roberts et al, 2000).⁶

So the next time you’re putting together an outfit for the day, ask yourself:

What message am I sending to the world?

Is it in alignment with how I feel about myself?

What could I wear that makes me feel more empowered?

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should constantly “dress to impress.” First and foremost, you should dress to impress yourself. Because when you do, the confidence you feel will do the rest.

Sometimes self-esteem is an outside-in job.

We love found ring stories! And this one certainly captured our hearts. It shows the power of observation, ingenuity (and social media!). But more than that, it shows the conscientiousness and care of a man who took the time to find the owner.

Remember: when deciding on a wedding or engagement ring, the way it fits is everything. Take the time to feel the fit of the ring to ensure a snug (but not overly tight) wearing experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvZoa6YZBE4

It’s critical that you get your jewelry choice right when dressing for an upscale event. (It is all about the outfit, after all.) One misplaced of jewelry can set your entire out outfit out of balance. Conversely, one correctly placed statement necklace can add an extra layer to an already magnificent look.

According to the video:

“Proper jewelry to wear with an evening dress or cocktail dress includes something that is simple with no embellishment.”

Take a listen to designer and fashion expert Don O’Neill, known for his elegant and sophisticated eveningwear.

He LOVED it!

You guys are the best!

Hahaha. Yes. Very much so. It came out amazing. Thank you for all the help and laughs. You made the process amazingly fun and enjoyable.

Regards,

M

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. – Rainier Maria Rilke

When I saw this colorful spindel pendant on JCK, it got me thinking of Spring. Then (more importantly, for the sake of this blog post): Spring jewelry. To me, Spring jewelry should be colorful or designed in a manner that elicits feelings of Spring (a floral or leaf design for example).

Most people don’t think in terms of colorful jewelry, but nothing catches the eye like it. (Imagine someone wearing the necklace above against the backdrop of a black shirt, for example. It would “pop” visually, right?) Colorful jewelry is also a natural spirit lifter (though we’ve done no scientific studies!).

So what’s on tap for your Spring jewelry this season? Here’s a list of colorful gems to spark your imagination. Then contact us and let us create a piece to welcome in many Springs to come!

About the pendant above:

Designed by Susan Wheeler, necklace is 18k yellow gold with Vietnamese spinel, Brazilian tourmaline crystal, and fair-trade Malawi padparadscha sapphires.

A lot of people (ahem, guys) ask us about the “rules” when it comes to wearing a wedding or engagement ring. Sure, tradition comes into play but there’s also room to play within those rules–so remember, nothing is set in stone (excuse the jeweler’s pun!).

There are many techniques to find out your love’s ring size without her knowing. Of course, that’s if you’re planning on a surprise engagement. Many couples are embracing the practicality of making engagement decisions together, including choosing the ring.

But let us not rain on the parade of a surprise engagement! Our friends at Brilliant Earth have several tried and true methods that don’t let the cat out of the bag!

We especially like the following suggestions:

BORROW ONE OF HER RINGS

Another method is to snag one of her old rings for a day. You need to be careful with this method because it might backfire on you! Make sure that you grab a ring that she wears on a similarly sized finger, the ring finger of her right hand being the optimal choice (unless, of course, she wears a ring on her left ring finger, which is less likely). Even if you bring in a thumb ring we can usually come up with a close approximation of what size her ring finger will be. If you choose this option, make sure that you choose a ring that isn’t overly important to her and wouldn’t cause any emotional distress if she notices it missing!

ENLIST A FRIEND

If one of your partner’s friends is engaged, ask her friend to let your girlfriend try on the ring. This will put you in a ballpark size range to start out with. You can also use this as an opportunity to ask what she thought of her friend’s ring (in private) and try to do a little sleuthing as to what style of ring she would like for herself.

Whatever technique you employ, take some time to get it right. A well-fitted engagement ring says almost as much about your choice as the ring itself.

If you think about it, jewelry makes for the perfect safety device. You wear it on your person throughout the day, you can get to it at a second’s notice and it looks fashionable the whole time its keeping you safe.