Happy Stories From our customers

While this Forbes article discusses the resurgence of gold (did it ever really go away?), we couldn’t help but fawn over the designer highlighted in the piece. Whimsy meets fantasy meets incredible craftsmanship.

Temple St. Clair’s Secret Garden Serpent necklace.

The classic metal [gold] is currently having a moment, and few people know that better than designer Temple St. Clair Carr. One cannot find her haute couture jewelry collection in stores, although her signature rock crystal amulets and collectible cocktail rings can be found at select luxury retailers. She debuted her Mythical Creatures collection of nine statement pieces at the Louvre during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year. As demand for gold increases, designers like Carr—and her namesake company, Temple St. Clair—are introducing bigger and bolder collections to discerning customers who prize the true craftsmanship that comes from master makers. – Forbes

Temple St. Clair’s Great Horned Owl ring. “I have always used gold and gemstones as my materials through which I explore universal themes that interest me—from astronomical theory, to Buddhist thought to symbols of nature,”

 

 

 

 

Following an continuing and important trend of turning weapons into jewelry, Article 22 (named after the universal declaration of human rights) is producing politically-inspired items that include necklaces that read “Peace is the Bomb.”

“A portion of profit from every Article 22 item goes to the artisans themselves, a local community fund, and a professional company that works to demine the approximately 80 million bombs that still haven’t detonated in Laos. According to one official estimate, at the current rate of removal, it will take nearly 300 years to rid the country of mines.” Source: NBC News

Reese has a long history of looking stellar at red carpet events. She tends play it safe and stick with classic looks, leaving the ostentatious for others. And what a winning formula. Check out last night’s perfection in red. And the bling…wow.

Fittingly for the star who just recreated her famous Sweet Home Alabama proposal scene in N.Y.C.’s Tiffany & Co. flagship, the star stopped by the brand’s workshop to check out at her choices. She was accompanied by the brand’s new design director, Francesca Amfitheatrof, who gave her a preview of the necklace, bracelet and ring (all “Skyscraper” motif from the Tiffany & Co. Masterpieces collection) and emerald-cut diamond earrings ($112,000).

Source: People

Do you feel pretty today? No, you don’t have to feel drop-dead gorgeous. Or even beautiful. You just have to feel good enough about yourself that it radiates throughout your being.

1.Smile. As the quote goes, “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.”

2. Be there for someone who needs you even if there’s nothing in it for you—give without expectations.

3. Make a sacrifice for someone you love.

4. Admit a mistake, even if it’s hard to say you’re wrong, and work to make amends.

5.Share your struggles, putting your ego aside, to make someone else feel less alone.

6. Create something that helps people. A song, a blog, a support group, a non-profit—anything that inspires.

7.Help a child feel good about him or herself.

8. Tell someone what you appreciate about them, even if you feel vulnerable.

9. Forgive someone without needing to hear the words, “I’m sorry.”

10.Create positive energy around you by thinking positive thoughts and acting with positive intentions.

Read more at Tiny Buddha.

What is it about an emerald that is so positively fetching and magical, as if snatched right out of a fairytale? Well, apparently it’s got a long history of power and wonder, as you’ll read below.

If you’re looking for a custom designed piece using your birthstone (or you simply love emeralds), we’re happy to create something that marks your green gem love in the most special of ways.

The emerald belongs to the beryl family of minerals that include aquamarine (one of March’s birthstones), heliodor, and morganite. Beryl, or beryllium aluminum silicate in chemical jargon, is a six-sided symmetrical crystal. Beryl contains beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen.

Emeralds vary in color from light to deep green. It’s commonly thought that an emerald’s color derives from the presence of chromium and/or vanadium replacing some of the aluminum in the mineral’s structure. The stone can, however, lose its color when heated strongly.

There are many myths associated with the emerald. The stone was once believed to prevent epilepsy, stop bleeding, cure dysentery and fever, and protect the wearer from panic. Its magnificent green color was said to rest and relieve the eye. To the ancient Romans, emeralds were dedicated to the goddess Venus because the green emerald symbolized the reproductive forces of nature. Early Christians saw it as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. In the Middle Ages, emeralds were believed to hold the power to foretell the future.

Source: EarthSky